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Level Slide posted:Three episodes in and I've just now learned that "skunk" is a legit ping pong term. All this time, I thought Peco was using his personal vocabulary to say that he got wrecked by China and that weirdass terminology rubbed off on Smile. "Skunked" applies to any sport or game you get shut out in
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Apr 30, 2014 12:09
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New ep out! Peco's match was a little dull (though that seemed to be the point) but boy did the Kazama/Kong match make up for it. This is what I wanted from Yuasa doing a sports anime, and boy did it deliever.
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May 1, 2014 19:54
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So is Peco the actual main character? Because someone here let slip at a hint at that, and there seem to be a few more scenes focusing on him this episode than the past Smile centric ones.
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May 1, 2014 19:59
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I wouldnt even say this was a peco centric episode and more like a "everyone but smile" episode.
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May 1, 2014 20:15
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I need this soundtrack yesterday.
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May 1, 2014 20:19
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Srice posted:New ep out! I feel like they're really holding back on the animation for when they want to go overboard. The Kong/Kazama match blew my mind, but the rest was mostly meh, bordering on KLK quality. I really wish they had the budget to go overboard with the imagery and animation all the time, but oh well.
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May 1, 2014 21:22
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Srice posted:Peco's match was a little dull (though that seemed to be the point) By sports anime standards that was basically a disney film.
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May 2, 2014 05:26
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Man Peco fell for a really basic strategy didn't he?
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May 2, 2014 09:17
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Peco you idiot how long did it take for you to realise he was trying to tire you out? I hope all the losers get to hang out, I don't want Wenge to up and leave.
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May 2, 2014 09:56
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pandaK posted:So is Peco the actual main character? Because someone here let slip at a hint at that, and there seem to be a few more scenes focusing on him this episode than the past Smile centric ones. As long as he breaks the habit of sooking when he loses cause at this point everything about him is rigid. Needs his 'power-up' episode ASAP. Also, I felt that the way Kong's talks with his translator were framed to set him up as a second MC, which I hope happens.
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May 2, 2014 14:19
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Holy poo poo, the Wenge vs Kazama match was amazing.
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May 2, 2014 15:56
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The attention to detail in this show blows me away sometimes. Every one of those snacks from Wenge's flashback, down to the imaging on the packaging, is basically 100% accurate to the boxes I see every day here. It was like I was at a convenience store snack aisle looking at that scene. For some reason Peco strikes me as the least interesting character we've seen so far. I dunno, so far Smile, Wenge, Kazuma, and even Akuma seem like much more interesting characters that I'd like to see more of. I really wouldn't mind if Peco just kept losing and never really "powered up" and his character arc was about dealing with the fact he's just not that great at ping pong compared to these other guys.
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May 3, 2014 03:16
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The whole thing with Peco is that he is really good. He's just never actually applied himself, and up until now he's got away with winning despite that. Any character growth he gets would have to include actually putting effort into something, and if the actual effort ended up not doing anything it would leave a really sour taste in my mouth. He personality isn't as fleshed out as Smile's at the moment, but I feel (regardless of the fact that whichever direction he ends up going has already been decided by the manga - which I have not read) like he's going to either try and get better or quit altogether.
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May 3, 2014 05:31
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Peco is childish and cocky because he won ping pong tournaments as a child. His talent alone was not enough to win against his old rival who works daily to apply himself. I feel like that's a theme to Smile as well. Also glorious bald dragon pong fu. This anime is a blast so far. I haven't read the manga, but I'm digging the style and characters.
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May 3, 2014 06:54
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N'thing that the animation in the match between Wenge and Kazama was great. Kazama is a monster, and who better to defeat a monster than a hero? I really hope things play out in that direction.
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May 4, 2014 07:56
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i laughed out loud several times during the china vs. dragon match at how over-the-top it was. this is actually my first time ever watching an anime as it airs, i was convinced to give it a shot because i dislike almost all anime that ive seen but i loved kaiba and the tatami galaxy. im liking it a lot so far and get excited when thursday rolls around. a prediction that i made after episode 2 that seems likely to come true so far: dragon will try to recruit smile and smile will demand that peco also be given a team position, which dragon will accept. as of the end of ep 4 i see this happening in episode 5 and that being the set-up for the next plot arc also, why are y'all using the nicknames for some of the characters (smile and peco) and not the other ones? all of the 5 main characters have both nicknames and real names and both are used for all of them during the show.
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May 4, 2014 10:08
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You could ask the same about given names and family names by the way. I think the shorter, more catchy or more convenient one cataches on after a while. And you should watch Mushishi. It's good.
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May 4, 2014 10:19
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I had my doubts after the kinda dull first episode, but this show is really good. The audio, the visuals, the writing, it's all good. It doesn't seem that popular though, which is disappointing.
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May 5, 2014 06:36
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pandaK posted:So is Peco the actual main character? Because someone here let slip at a hint at that, and there seem to be a few more scenes focusing on him this episode than the past Smile centric ones. I think ostensibly Smile is the main character, but it appears to be essentially about all the major kids as part of this assemblage. It's interesting how all of them confront (or don't confront) the reality of their situation and come to terms with the idea of dedicating everything to a hobby-turned-sport. Smile is supremely talented but lacks any real determination to win, treating Ping Pong merely as an enjoyable hobby. Peco wants nothing more to win, but has coasted all his life on innate talent with no effort, and finds himself completely overshadowed by how poor the intrinsic talent of his childhood compares to the perseverance-driven development that accompanies people throwing their all into a sport. Wenge got to where he is through effort, but has found that even with how much time and money he has thrown towards what has been his livelihood, he is still short of the 'monsters' in the world, and is struggling with the fact that his life really is just beginning. Hazama... well, we don't quite know what Hazama's deal is yet. He is sort of a combination of all the other characters combined thus far in terms of their strengths; he is innately talented, but also puts the effort in. He "lacks" weakness or mercy, but also any really apparent 'vice' either. Maybe we'll get to see more of him as time goes on. I really like the things they've been doing with the visual motifs for each character, especially with Wenge and the aeroplane always above him embodying his desire to just return home to China with his place (and means) secured. It's the very fiber of his being at the moment, really. On the other hand, Hazama's dragon really just demonstrates how dominating he really is, without weakness. This show is so good.
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May 5, 2014 07:39
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I feel there's a lot more to it than that below the surface. Smile has more problems than just not taking ping pong seriously, and that's probably true of the other characters. I hope the show delves deeper into his friendship with Peco. It seems like Smile admired Peco in the past, picking up ping pong because of him. They have probably been practicing together for a long time, and somewhere along the line Smile became better, but he never showed it. The reason he has been holding back, among other things, might be because of his friendship with Peco and reluctance to top him. It's even possible that practicing with Smile, who lets him win, might have been a contributing factor to Peco's stagnation and lack of perseverance.
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May 8, 2014 12:46
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I'm ready to pong
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May 8, 2014 19:44
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Wow, everyone is just falling apart over Smile
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May 8, 2014 19:45
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It took me this long to notice that their symbols correspond to their names  Okay episode, I think. Distinct lack of action and I didn't really feel it moved the plot much, but I enjoyed it all the same. Smile seems to gone from caring about his opponents' feelings too much all the way to the opposite extreme in one step, and it's making me 
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May 8, 2014 19:46
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Haha, it really took me awhile to notice that the tanned guy was Peco. Jesus, he really took losing hard  Also, Smile didn't show any mercy on Sakuma. Makes me wonder if over this timeskip he became less merciful, if he felt the stakes weren't enough to show mercy, or because of their past. Or heck, maybe a combination of the three! Anyways, good episode like usual. Not as flashy as last week's but it had a bunch of nice character moments. I think Wenge is currently my favorite right now, really can't wait to see how his character progresses from now on.
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May 8, 2014 19:59
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Maybe the lack of Wenge is what was conspicuous about this week's episode. Either way, the slow paced characterization continues to be lovely.
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May 8, 2014 20:15
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Srice posted:Haha, it really took me awhile to notice that the tanned guy was Peco. Jesus, he really took losing hard I think Smile was in some way being merciful, when you take into account the way he has thought about people devoting their entire being into the game. Smile devotes time and energy, but he isn't putting his entire life and identity into it. Essentially by defeating Sakuma now and in such a brutal way, it is to spare him more long-term heartbreak. I think this was alluded to by the coach's descriptions of Sakuma. What may sound like an awfully devastating thing to say, to tell someone they have no talent, to Smile it doesn't mean as much because to him it only means not having talent in something that shouldn't be given that much import. In short, I think Smile is still consistent with his characterization from earlier despite what might seem a harsher edge on the outset.
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May 8, 2014 20:55
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Neeksy posted:I think Smile was in some way being merciful, when you take into account the way he has thought about people devoting their entire being into the game. Smile devotes time and energy, but he isn't putting his entire life and identity into it. Essentially by defeating Sakuma now and in such a brutal way, it is to spare him more long-term heartbreak. I think this was alluded to by the coach's descriptions of Sakuma. What may sound like an awfully devastating thing to say, to tell someone they have no talent, to Smile it doesn't mean as much because to him it only means not having talent in something that shouldn't be given that much import. Ah yeah, that's a good point. I was mainly thinking of the stakes involved when comparing it to the Wenge match and not thinking of the other factors at play. That's a good call and it makes me like Smile's character even more. He's just a really interesting protagonist, I've seen a fair amount of sports anime and I can't say I've ever seen anyone like him. And I love it.
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May 8, 2014 21:07
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Srice posted:Also, Smile didn't show any mercy on Sakuma. Makes me wonder if over this timeskip he became less merciful, if he felt the stakes weren't enough to show mercy, or because of their past. Or heck, maybe a combination of the three! I think he's just gotten over caring about how others feel. His only purpose is to win.
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May 8, 2014 21:08
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A big thing with Smile is that he seriously takes pity on people who waste themselves getting caught up in fruitless things. He definitely shows Mercy, but it's as Dragon puts it during the competition - condescending and Petty. Smile doesn't really like himself, and clearly idolized Peco as his 'hero' and ideal, but doesn't want to reconcile that idea with the truth that he has surpassed Peco at the cost of Peco's feelings. This has so far been established as a major point of Contention for Smile, Joe, and even Peco to some degree. China's even noticed it. The juxtaposition between Dragon and Smile is a really interesting setup, because it pits someone who is dedicated and powerful, close to the ideal of Ping Pong, against someone arguably 'as good' who is about as far away from being an ideal sportsman. The theme writing is seriously one of my favorite things about this series and I'm glad that Yuasa is doing it justice.
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May 8, 2014 21:36
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Peco is really letting himself go. I wonder what it will take to get him out of his slump.
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May 8, 2014 22:47
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I think Wenge is my favorite character and I'm sad that his coach is gone. We didn't even get a name or anything. 
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May 8, 2014 23:37
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May 8, 2014 23:58
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This week's episode is brought to you by Gari-Gari Kun and Suntory.
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May 9, 2014 00:12
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I was surprised to see them have the brands by name, including the Pepsi. Normally they have to substitute letters.
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May 9, 2014 02:08
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Mecca-Benghazi posted:I think Wenge is my favorite character and I'm sad that his coach is gone. We didn't even get a name or anything. Wenge is also my favorite, I dunno how much is just enjoying the novelty of the voice acting.
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May 9, 2014 03:44
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I like Wenge and Smile the most so far, perhaps because we've been granted greater looks into how they tick. Someone mentioned earlier about how Smile seemed to be coming out as the protagonist, but something I've liked about the show is how it grants pretty equal consideration to all the characters. This week was a good example of that with Sakuma. I hope we get to see more cameos of the long-haired player as the series goes on, and he wanders around Japan looking for a place to fit with.
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May 9, 2014 04:08
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Zorak posted:Wenge is also my favorite, I dunno how much is just enjoying the novelty of the voice acting. That novelty slowly going away now that he's begun learning Japanese. I find he's mostly interesting for his life story so far. Hell, the show could just be about Wenge it'd probably be decent. On the other hand, Smile doesn't have much of a story, but has a very interesting and unique personality.
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May 9, 2014 04:39
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More than Smile showing him mercy by knocking him out of the big leagues, I think it's also important that Akuma did this on his own. He didn't have a coach shouting at him and putting pressure on him to win. It was all on Akuma, so Smile played him honestly, just as he did with Wenge until his coach started shouting.
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May 9, 2014 09:50
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ViggyNash posted:That novelty slowly going away now that he's begun learning Japanese. I find he's mostly interesting for his life story so far. Hell, the show could just be about Wenge it'd probably be decent. On the other hand, Smile doesn't have much of a story, but has a very interesting and unique personality. That's not "learning japanese", that's just jokingly repeating a few well known phrases as a friendly goodbye.
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May 10, 2014 13:36
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Phobophilia posted:That's not "learning japanese", that's just jokingly repeating a few well known phrases as a friendly goodbye. He did speak Japanese when he received his care package, so he's making an effort.
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May 10, 2014 13:43
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