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"No man so good, but another may be as good as he."

There are many good lines out there in this anime that it's hard to put them all out there, but this one stuck to me the most. In life there will always be someone who will better than you. It's how you handle that reality, and better yourself in the process that will make you shine in what you are pursuing.

This anime is a sports anime. Yes. But this sports anime will teach you NOT just merely about friendship, but of life as well. And when teaching about life, one has to know the ... harsh reality it brings. Many sports anime nowadays seem to concern on beating the enemy with a super power up that has been formulated with effort and considerable dreaming. Not that it makes it any less fun, but sometimes, the truth and meaning of reality is taken away. Ping Pong the Animation does not sugarcoat that aspect. It stays true to the sport. It stays true to the messages it bring.

We have two friends, Tsukimoto and Hoshino a.k.a. Smile and Peco respectively, play table tennis at their current high school table tennis club. Peco here is our protagonist who is what you may categorize as a light-- always shining and always loves what he loves best-- table tennis. Smile on the other hand is our shadow-- he never outshines our light. You get the idea. Until one event overturns this balance, and it will start the gears of Ping Pong in full throttle.

It's not only the dynamics of this duo and how they trust in their friendship through table tennis that drive this anime, but how every character in this anime have love for the sport and this pushes them to continue fighting and believing in what they can contribute and achieve to the field. Kazama, the old lady of Tamura, Poseidon's president, etc-- they all have different back stories which PPtA helps show and make us understand what they're going through; that not all people are meant for greatness on that field, but still can find what they want if they try hard enough; that fully realizing your dreams is all about effort and tenacity to stand up even when you fall so hard; guiding the young in their adversities and troubles; and that having fun while pursuing your dream is never a sin, but a privilege only a few will understand.

The reason the animation is what it is is because they are following the manga's style, not because it sucks or that animators are lazy to begin with. It is what it is. Most new to anime will prolly be turned off by this anime's style, but I assure you that if you go past that you will surely see a gem that's totally worth your time. The OSTs are really catchy and their lyrics really hit the mark to this anime's themes, and I really am hooked listening to them; the sound effects are crisp and right on the mark, giving off very realistic sounds to the anime which you will undoubtedly enjoy.

Honestly, this anime will make you root for ALL of the characters. Whether you suck at sports or not, you will surely want to FEEL what they have. That's the effect of this masterpiece. And surely, nothing will happen if you don't take the first step-- that is, by watching its first episode.

Have fun.

Hen Koi: After School Diary

oh god this is my first review so don't be complaining to me on how it's amateurish or whatever. At least i'm trying you know?! *cough* *cough* Well anyway..

The first time i've seen this manga is at MT, (which now is sadly removed along with the other japanese manga series T^T tsktsk) i was quite drawn to it since the title made it really intriguing in a way.. "Hen" meaning "strange" & "Koi" meaning "Love,"
thus -- Strange Love: After School Diary.

it may seem at first glance a typical romance/comedy/seinen manga (which it is, in all aspect of its TRUE- which is ... borderline hentai genre) but no, it definitely gave me quite a shock there (in actuality, i really thought that it was a shoujo manga considering its title, so yeah..).

Story: 7
well, for starters, find yourself a girl (in which you are a boy by the way) who would, i don't know maybe, "bully" you by putting weird liquid on top of your desk and stuffs like pencil, etc. well not actually "bully" since he's only presuming that. Good start eh? Kind of Onani Master Kurosawa plus with the "action" if you know what i mean minus the pure awesomeness of OMK. the pacing is good for its length since its only 9 chapters and you wont feel rushed or dragged on.

Art: 7
clear, but not as not as good as other manga that i have seen. its pretty decent and good but is lacking quite amounts of detail and fluidity.

Characters: 6
i like the ecchi girl and the boy is the generic type. well actually the girl is too. heh. the supporting characters are second to none, well since this manga has only 9 chapters in total. Character development, hmm, the girl actually develops-- into a more perverted person seconded by the guy!! But i dont mind since it is a bit nearing to borderline H. heh. P.S. i'd be damned if i do what he did around a certain chapter ending!

Enjoyment: 8
the perverted person that i am, well not actually that perverted, but perverted nonetheless, i can say to myself i enjoyed it, got laughs here and there with a couple of perverted smiles here and there. :)

Overall: 7
it was a refreshing read if you have some time to spare.. :) well, even though you dont have, you can still read it (just dont read it with lots of people. :P)

>Ro-chan