Why So Blu?

PING PONG (88 Films Blu-ray Review)

Fumihiko Sori’s 2002 film revolves around two friends who have gotten stuck in roles they chose as kids. Peco (Yōsuke Kubozuka) is loud, reckless, and completely sure he’s headed for greatness, while Smile (Arata Iura) keeps to himself and acts as if nothing matters, even though he’s the better player. He has spent years holding back around Peco, partly out of loyalty and partly because winning means very little to him. But then they start badly losing and this setup between them no longer works, and their friendship starts to shift.

 

Film ★★★☆☆

Kubozuka is a lot here, but Peco is supposed to be, toggling between funny, irritating, and strangely likable. Iura has to ensure Smile keeps everything buried and quiet.

Kankurō Kudō’s screenplay gives Peco the bigger, cleaner journey. We watch him fall apart, quit, train, and slowly rebuild himself. Smile’s changes are harder to read. 

The supporting players help fill in what the film is really getting at. Kong (Sam Lee) is stranded in Japan after his career in China stalls. Akuma (Kōji Ōkura) works harder than almost everyone but knows effort may never close the gap between himself and the gifted players. Dragon (Shidō Nakamura) is the champion, though he looks miserable most of the time. 

They’re all young men who have tied too much of themselves to the sport.

The movie really comes alive during the matches. Sori slows the ball down, sends it flying past the camera, cuts around the table, and sometimes lets the sound of a bounce tell us more than the image.

The film takes a while to get moving, with early stretches dragging. The comeback material is certainly familiar, and Smile never gets quite the same attention Peco does. But once Peco starts taking the game seriously and Smile begins to understand why he plays at all, the movie lands.

By the final match, it hardly matters which one wins. You root for both of them to find the things they’ve lost.

Somehow, Ping Pong gets you there.

Video ★★★☆☆

Encoding: MPEG-4 AVC

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Clarity/Detail: Clothing weave, facial features, and background dressing look impressively crisp.

Depth: Courts and real-world locations provide respectable spatial layering throughout.

Black Levels: Darker passages preserve enough information to remain legible..

Color Reproduction: Team uniforms, gym interiors, and exterior scenery carry lively hues.

Flesh Tones: Complexions remain convincing throughout.

Noise/Artifacts: The AVC compression performs cleanly overall.

Audio ★★★☆☆

Audio Format(s): Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0

Subtitles: English

Dynamics: Racket strikes and rapid volleys arrive with a lively snap during competition, while the upbeat pop-flavored soundtrack adds energy.

Height: N/A

Low Frequency Extension: Bass output remains modest throughout.

Surround Sound Presentation: Tournament sequences make the best use of the speaker array, placing spectators around the room and tracking the ball across the soundstage with nice directional movement.

Dialogue Reproduction: Speech remains clean, firmly positioned, and readily intelligible.

Extras  ★★★★☆

• Audio Commentary by Zack Davisson
• Interview with Michael Arias
• Original Trailer
• Video Essay by Jasper Sharp
• Reversible sleeve with new artwork by Luke Insect

Summary ★★★☆☆

Ping Pong is a great surprise. It might follow a generic sports formula, but it does it with a lot of heart and confidence. 88 Films has released a great blu-ray, complete with an informative and lively commentary, a good interview, and an interesting essay.