In the current era of sports manga, audiences are familiar with the likes of Slam Dunk, Blue Lock, and Haikyu!!, each having had their stories adapted into anime series and features. These stories depict not only the drama of their respective sports (basketball, soccer, and volleyball), but the individuals who play them and the dynamics amid the collective. For five volumes running from 1996 – 1997, writer/illustrator Taiyō Matsumoto released Ping Pong (ピンポン), a story centering friends Peco and Smile as they compete in a national ping pong tournament. In 2002, director Fumihiko Sori (Fullmetal Alchemist) released a live-action adaptation of the story and now, thanks to 88 Films, is being offered as a limited edition title with a booklet, commentary track, and two featurettes alongside a HD presentation.
Longtime friends Peco (Yosuke Kubozuka) and Smile (Arata Iura) are both on their local high school table tennis team, but approach the sport very differently. Peco wants to be the best there is and Smile can’t help but allow his empathy for others to cause him to lose. However, between old rival Dragon (Shido Nakamura) and new arrival China (Sam Lee), the temperature in the tournament room is rising, forcing Peco and Smile to reexamine what they want and what they’re willing to do to get it.
The following home release review is based on a retail Blu-ray copy provided by 88 Films via MVD Entertainment Group.
At the time of this writing, it does appear that the limited edition is still available, so let’s get into what you need to know about it before getting into everything else. Limited to 2,000 copies, this edition includes a numbered and removeable OBI strip with the release information; brand-new art on the front-facing liner (designed by Luke Insect) that’s simplistic in an ‘90s throwback manner; and a booklet containing film stills, release information, disc production information, and an essay from Jonathan Clements. The essay, “See the Ball,” covers a great deal in only five pages, exploring the history of sports manga, the use of the young cast, the smooth incorporation of digital effects, the approach by Matsumoto to play the adaptation straight (allowing the audience to get what it’s going for), and a great deal more. It’s exactly the kind of contextualization purchasers are looking for, even with something as niche as Ping Pong. Or, more precisely, exactly as niche as Ping Pong.
For those less intrigued by the new art, the reversible liner features original release art as the front cover with all the release information and a few stills adorning the back. The reversible liner is included in both the limited edition and standard, but it’s still good to know as an option, especially because the OBI won’t be included beyond the initial limited run.
The on-disc special features don’t appear to be limited in nature with Ping Pong including a feature-length commentary track from Zack Davisson, a 21-minute interview with filmmaker Michael Arias (Tekkonkinkreet), and a 13-minute video essay from Jasper Sharp. A graphic artist-turned-filmmaker who’s worked on projects ranging from The Animatrix (2003) to Godzilla Minus One (2023), Arias talks about when he was developing Tekkonkinkreet, Matsumoto was developing his script for Ping Pong and Arias got to see the drafts. Arias shares how he first approached Matsumoto before the two knew each other (and certainly before he began adapting Matsumoto’s Tekkonkinkreet). Arias shares his own perspective on the manga creator, the development of Ping Pong (editor wanted something more accessible and mainstream), and the cinematic adaptation— among many other details. Sharp’s “A Different Class” explores what he considers a top adaptation because of the way it marries the best of both media formats (manga and cinema). After providing background on the original manga run, including a summary, Sharp dives into the lead actors, offering context on their filmography, before pivoting back to the film and right back into another character’s filmography. This approach allows viewers to obtain a different context as one may be aware of one project, but have not considered how it may fit into a larger framework. Sharp even works in discussions of other Matsumoto projects, like Tekkonkinkreet (which also recently received a new remaster for theatrical exhibition and home viewing). These two featurettes add an additional 35 minutes of exploration onto the viewing experience which, when coupled with the essay, allow for fans of the film (or the mildly curious) to take a deep dive into this project.
The on-disc presentation is, unsurprisingly, strong here. Ping Pong carries the specific style of an early 2000s pictures and certainly that of a manga adaptation. It’s not exactly “blue sky” with bright colors or enhanced with striking visual flair; rather, Sori blends the grounded nature of a high school sports story with that of the amplified nature of a sports manga through the occasional heightened bit of coloring and performance. With the former, it’s a brighter sheen of the white shirt uniforms worn by Peco and Smile’s team or the vibrancy of the green grass when their team practices. With the latter, it arises mostly in combat via Peco’s brash and wild play. There’s also, of course, the depiction of competition as the frame may freeze on a moment before speeding up again as the ball is slammed to move across the table. The presentation of play seeks to infuse the play with a sense of urgency and uncertainty, channeling the action strikes of the manga into blood-pumping, live action. Especially when compared to the available trailer (jump to see it at the bottom of the review), the HD edition from 88 Films provides a sharp image and great 5.1 sound that allows for Ping Pong to be given new life, reinvigorated in a way that supports the energy within the performances.
The fascinating thing about Ping Pong is that, while it perfectly captures the tone of sports manga, its ability to hook its audience is not as consistent. The original series is considered among the greats and there’s a long-standing history of sports tales in Japan which even includes adapting the 1964 Japanese volleyball team. These stories merge the individual with the collective, though, in the case of Ping Pong, it’s more about the personal versus the individual as each of the characters — protagonist or antagonist — each have their own wars to wage on the table tennis battlefield. But where someone might find themselves compelled to root for Hinata Shoyo (Haikyu!!) or the respective members of Shohoku High School’s basketball team (The First Slam Dunk), one struggles to care about Peco and Smile. Some of this may be due to Peco’s American-like bravado wherein his trash talk is his entire personality to mask for the areas in which his talent lacks conviction and some of it may be due to Smile’s introverted nature which masks his extreme talent for a sport his doesn’t seem to care about — two diametric concepts that should lead to fascinating friction throughout; yet, for some reason, it’s so rote in its handling that that only times one leans in on the film is when a match is engaged. Then, at the very least, Sori captures the chaotic energy that is organized table tennis with all the fury and exacting talent required to get to the top.
Considering the positive turn toward anime in the past few years, something which many nerds never expected to see happen, it’s a joyful thing that access is increasing even to adaptations of properties. In the case of Ping Pong, a manga which possesses a bit of a cult status on its own, the inclusion of the HD edition from 88 Films creates an opportunity to expand its reach beyond Japan into mainstream acceptance. The fascinating thing is that, through greater access, a newer adaptation might take on a thing or two as adapting a manga doesn’t mean that the characters and world have to look precisely the same. Sometimes adapting that aura and ideas matter most. Capture those and you can make something that lasts compared to something that just wants to touch the zeitgeist for a solitary moment.
Ping Pong Special Features:
Limited Edition Features:
* Numbered Obi Slip (2000)
* Booklet featuring notes by Jonathan Clements
Special Features:
* High-Definition Blu-Ray Presentation In 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio
* Original Mono Audio with New English Subtitles
*NEW* Audio Commentary by Zack Davisson
*NEW* An Artist’s Take: Michael Arias on Taiyō Matsumoto and Ping Pong (21:30)
*NEW* A Different Class: Video Essay by Jasper Sharp (13:43)
* Original Trailer
* Reversible sleeve with new artwork by Luke Insect
Available on Blu-ray July 28th, 2026.
For more information, head to the official 88 Films Ping Pong webpage.
To purchase, head to the official MVD Entertainment Group Ping Pong webpage.
Share this:
Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews
Leave a Reply