Ping Pong – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 2002
Director: Fumihiko Sori
Writer: Kankurō Kudō
Cast: Yôsuke Kubozuka, Arata Iura, Sam Lee, Shidô Nakamura, Kôji Ohkura, Naoto Takenaka, Mari Natsuki

Release Date: July 27th, 2026 (UK), July 28th, 2026 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 114 Minutes 21 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo Japanese, DTS-HD 5.1 Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £20.00 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Punkish ping pong prodigy Peco (Yosuke Kubozuka; Go, Silence) is on a losing streak, not helped by his friend since childhood, Smile (ARATA; After Life, United Red Army), intentionally letting him win in their practice sessions. As tournament day draws near, it is up to Peco to regain his mojo to take on such fearsome opponents as China (Sam Lee; Made in Hong Kong), who has fallen off the Chinese national team and wound up, bitter, in Japan, and Dragon (Nakamura Shido; Deathnote), their arch-nemesis from the rival Kaio Academy team, who approaches the table with an almost militaristic fanaticism." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "High-Definition Blu-ray presentation."

Ping Pong comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.9 GB

Feature: 32.9 GB

The film was shot on HDCAM, and this transfer does an excellent job retaining the intended digital look. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are vivid, and image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid.

Audio: 5/5 (Both Audio Tracks)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Japanese and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Japanese. There is some dialogue in Cantonese and English. Both tracks sound excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Etras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with filmmaker Michael Arias titled An Artist's Take (21 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a video essay by Jasper Sharp titled A Different Class (13 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Zack Davisson, reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, and a 12-page booklet with cast & crew information and an essay titled See the Ball written by Jonathan Clements.

Summary:

Fumihiko Sori directed Ping Pong. He’s most known for directing Ichi (2008) and a trio of Fullmetal Alchemist films. Ping Pong is based on Taiyō Matsumoto's manga series of the same name.

Two childhood friends become competitors in a ping pong tournament.

At the heart of Ping Pong is a story about friendship and how the competition divides two friends. Peco and Smile (both nicknames) have been friends since childhood. Smile is an introvert who puts others' feelings over his own, while Peco thrives to be the best at everything he does, even at the expense of others. Where Smile has a natural talent when it comes to playing ping pong, Paco's lack of training often holds him back.

Besides Smile and Paco, there is a color cast of characters who populate Ping Pong. Some of their rivals include the Dragon, a strict disciplinarian who leads the Kaio academy team; Demon, a friend of Smile and Paco, who is part of the Kaio academy team; and another opponent named Kǒng "China" Wéngé. Then there is Naoto Takenaka (A Night in Nude), who portrays Butterfly Joe, a former ping pong champion who mentors Smile, and Mari Natsuki (Samurai Fiction), who portrays Obaba, Paco’s grandmother, who restores his confidence by reminding him what is important.

While the ping pong matches are exciting to watch, the real drive behind the narrative is moments where characters interact outside of playing. That said, all of the characters over the arc of the narrative show a tremendous amount of growth. When it comes to the performances, there is an enthusiasm from the cast that is infectious. Outside of the competition moments, there are training sequences reminiscent of films like Rocky and The Karate Kid. Ultimately, Ping Pong is a highly entertaining film and one of the most satisfying live-action adaptations of a manga.

Ping Pong gets an excellent release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras. Highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer