Ping Pong the Animation — Season 1
Enter the hero! Enter the hero! Enter the hero!
About this season
Makoto 'Smile' Tsukimoto and his friend Yutaka 'Peco' Hoshino have been playing table tennis together since they were kids, but as they enter high school, they find that the game, and how they see it, has changed. Peco, brimming with confidence and energy, wants to be the best in the world, but the reserved Smile has little fighting spirit and doesn't want to sacrifice others' happiness just to win, despite his innate talent. As the two grow, and experience the ups and downs of the sport – and life – they try to figure out exactly who they really are and what drives them to play.
Episodes (11)
1. The Wind Makes It Too Hard to Hear
5.2Aired 11 April 2014 • 23 min
Two old friends go to spy on a new table tennis champ at a rival high school, but meanwhile their own team is falling apart.
2. Smile Is a Robot
9.0Aired 18 April 2014 • 23 min
Coach Koizumi has started working Smile hard, and he definitely doesn't appreciate the extra attention.
3. Staking Your Life on Table Tennis Is Revolting
9.0Aired 25 April 2014 • 23 min
All the teams gather at the prefectural qualifiers, and China gets to play Smile at last.
4. The Only Way to Be Sure You Won't Lose Is to Not Fight
7.0Aired 2 May 2014 • 23 min
Peco learns a hard lesson from someone he never took seriously enough, and then we finally see how Dragon earned his name.
5. Where Did I Go Wrong?
4.3Aired 9 May 2014 • 23 min
Dragon's obsession with Smile prompts Akuma to do something rash.
6. You Love This Sport More Than Anyone!!
4.8Aired 16 May 2014 • 23 min
Five athletes have five very different Christmas Eves, and Peco gets a wake-up call.
7. Yes, My Coach
5.7Aired 23 May 2014 • 23 min
Players, coaches, captains, and their families.
8. The Hero Appears
4.3Aired 30 May 2014 • 23 min
Smile, Peco, Dragon, and China begin another prefectural qualifier. Will the results be different this year?
9. Gonna Cry a Bit
8.3Aired 6 June 2014 • 23 min
In the third round, Dragon has an unexpected visitor, Sanada questions himself, and Peco scares lots of people in lots of ways.
10. I Thought You Were the Hero!!
7.8Aired 13 June 2014 • 23 min
Peco and Dragon tackle the question of whether only birds can fly.
11. Blood Tastes Like Iron
8.0Aired 20 June 2014 • 23 min
The final match is on.