Ping Pong

Ping Pong Pretty Princess Parachute Pancake Paraphernalia (Actually just Ping Pong, but I got carried away)

Sweat, rivalries, ping pong balls, and bathroom stalls: all are elements that make Ping Pong the emotional and entertaining film it was made to be. Director Fumihiko Sori not only successfully created an interesting movie to watch, but with it, was able to teach his audience lessons along the way. Such lessons are the importance of friendship and that ping pong is a serious game.

Though main characters Peco and Smile say very little to each other during the film, it is still quite evident that they are the best of friends. One way director Sori is able to do this is by frequently flashing back to their childhood years. Smile is often teased by the other children and it is Peco that comes to his rescue. In these flashbacks, Peco is portrayed as a hero in the eyes of Smile. For the rest of the movie, it is evident that Smile still thinks that way of Peco, and Peco’s love for Smile pushes him to keep protecting Smile. After Peco loses his confidence and quits ping pong, Sori decided to use a childhood picture of Smile smiling to change his mind and keep playing.

After watching Ping Pong, I was completely convinced that it is not a sport for the weak. To do this, Sori used sequences of quick shots at various angles during matches. This made the audience feel as though they were moving as fast paced as the game and captured their attention that way. He also created tension at points where he would slow down the game and the viewers would have no idea what to expect next. Director Fumihiko Sori created an emotionally intriguing, yet action filled movie through the use of flashbacks and changing the speed of the ping pong matches.

Yeahh....so this isn't the greatest paper i've ever written, so feel free to criticize as much as your heard desires.