Ping Pong

Japan 2002, 114 minutes
Dir. Fumisiko Sori
In Japanese with English subtitles
Rating: [M]
Genres: Foreign Cinema, Drama, Comedy / Youth

Topics: Sport.

Feat. Yôsuke Kubozuka, Arata

Aroview: A madcap, yet gently humourous Japanese sports tale, set around two table tennis hotshots (Kubozuka and Arata) preparing for a ferocious battle at a high-school tournament.

Renowned for its cinematic wizardry which depicts the ping-pong bouts in slow-motion and "bullet time", and which has been often compared to THE MATRIX! Behind this impressive surface lurks a fairly conventional story, yet one that reveals empathy, fresh angles and character humour. Based on the manga comic by Matsumoto Taiyo.