I put up with the initially horrid - and later only okay - art style, because the story of a childhood rivalry seemed promising. But as it turns out, that was too much to hope for. Apparently, Ping Pong is a manga about a "heroic" ping pong player who is endowed with the magical powers of talent and plot armor. Ugh. Disappointing.

... Last updated on August 13th, 2015, 4:09am

Of course, I expected nothing less from Matsumoto Taiyou -- but to make a boring sport like table tennis come alive so successfully and speak right to the heart of someone like me who has never had any interest in it is the mark of a truly successful mangaka.

The story is often intense and jam-packed with emotions, but is still not even remotely melodramatic or angsty. The two boys are multi-faceted characters with believable, likable personalities. I have never warmed to a taciturn, seemingly unemotional character as readily as I did to Tsukimoto (who is a much more interesting person compared to the more typical "I hate to lose" type Hoshino), whom I grew incredibly fond of within the first few chapters.

Despite all appearances, Ping Pong is definitely not 'just' a sports manga. Each match is the mangaka's way of bringing thought-provoking facts of life to the readers' attention. But he resolves very little. We are left to think about it in our own terms and draw our own conclusions while we watch the two protagonists - best friends, competitive rivals and personality-wise polar opposites - draw closer and closer to their final showdown with each other.
While the outcome of this last battle is quite evident, what really matters is the path each boy follows to arrive at that point.

The art is...different. Very charming in a sense; and as is typical of this artist, heavily experimental and unique.
Black-and-white is used in sharp contrast with little to no greytone, and Matsumoto adeptly portrays the fluid motions of the players as they battle it out across the table.

All in all, Ping Pong is probably the best sports manga yet to be translated into the English language, and very much recommended to those looking for a more down-to-earth story involving school-age players.

... Last updated on May 18th, 2011, 5:50am

the art's not artsy at all; it rather crappy with only black and white tone (and deformed character). however, with rich angle and strong story line, I'm alright with a little hurting eye; ping pong is real sports manga

To be honest, I am not really a ping pong fan, or even a sports fan for that matter, but this series was great. The art really pulls you in, and my heart was actually racing during some of the most intense scenes. I loved it, and am quite glad that I gave it a try.

Sure, on the surface it does look like it's all about ping pong. But hey, you could read beyond that and find the beauty that is soo typically for all of Matsumoto's work.
And then his Art ... OMG. sheer bliss in every line. and soo full of expression; a thing you don't encounter that often and that well executed in many manga.

Yeah, as Deva said, its all about ping pong, and only about ping pong! And so, there isn't much to say about it, except that it's a pretty good manga. While the art has a peculiar style and might seem not so appealing at the beggining, it fits nicely with the story, and gives the manga an original style.

There is a movie too! As the description says.