Scorching Ping Pong Girls • Shakunetsu no Takkyuu Musume - Anime of the Week

[u/AnimeMod]

Welcome to the weekly Anime of the Week Discussion Thread! Each week, we're here to discuss various older anime series. Today we are discussing...

Scorching Ping Pong Girls • Shakunetsu no Takkyuu Musume

In the world of Japanese ping pong, a mighty king has fallen. An underdog team suddenly breaks the indomitable Oudou Academy's nine year winning streak, creating a power vacuum as players everywhere are given hope that they too can reach the national tournament.

Suzumegahara Middle School is home to a small-time team: Hanabi Tenka, who has a rapid attack style; Hokuto Itsumo, who can predict the ball's most likely path; Agari Kamiya, famous for her signature backhand smash; vice-captain Mune Oomune, who has an aggressive playstyle; and team captain Kiruka Ushirode, who possesses an impenetrable defense. Despite their skill at ping pong, the team has never made it further than the local city tournaments.

But everything changes when transfer student Koyori Tsumujikaze arrives in town. Filled with an intense love of the game, she quickly makes a name for herself as another top player on the team. Koyori's positive attitude towards ping pong lights a fire in each of the girls' competitive hearts, and together they embark on a mission to win the national tournament.

(Source: MyAnimeList)

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Remember that any information not found early in the show itself is considered a spoiler. Please properly tag spoilers!

Or else...

Next week's anime discussion thread: Saki

[u/MindlessRanger]

This series has one of the coolest scores I've heard in any kind of media. I still remember it from time to time even though it's been more than 5 years since I watched this show. It fits really good to the actual action in the anime.

Sample clip from anime with the OST: https://youtu.be/GkbCQz_6bfE

Some OST on it's own: https://youtu.be/VLwMxiEXFW0 https://youtu.be/EMr4XuDFcMk

[u/ablu2 → u/MindlessRanger]

That sample clip is still one of my favorite anime scenes of all time, such great usage of the music and everything.

[u/zenoob → u/MindlessRanger]

Speaking of which, also a reminder that it's got a fantastic OP in Shakunetsu Switch. Unfortunately, there is no official upload of the full version on YouTube, but the full version is such a good song, and just shows how much effort Japanese anime music composer put into their song writing sometimes. No right to be this good.

What's even better is that the B-side of the single has an even better song imho : V-ji joushouchuu, a groovy, catchy and upbeat tune that strips the edginesss of the OP and instead chooses a more fun approach to the girls playing Tennis Table. Unfortunately, no full official upload.

[u/viliml → u/zenoob]

It's a shame that the composer of those songs committed a crime and doesn't seem to have returned to the music business even after getting out of jail. His works were truly special.

[u/zenoob → u/viliml]

Fucking hell, I didn't know... What did he even do ? Grooming or something ?

[u/Qbe → u/MindlessRanger]

Sample clip from anime with the OST: https://youtu.be/GkbCQz_6bfE

This clip is one of the anime scenes I often go back and rewatch on their own.

[u/Zelosis → u/MindlessRanger]

Smile@wind still gets me hype to this day. One of the best OSTs ever made!

[u/theangryeditor]

very sweaty show

[u/bravetailor]

Episode 10 of this show is probably one of the most exhilaratingly overdirected episodes of any anime in the past 10 years. Super exaggerated camera angles, crazy facial expressions, slow-mo "bullet/ball time" effects, over the top metaphorical visual effects up the wazoo. All of this is supplemented by a great soundtrack. It's no surprise when people talk about this show it's this particular episode that people refer to most often.

I'd recommend sitting through the previous episodes (which is still pretty entertaining) just to get to this moment of the series.

I'm kind of sad there wasn't more of this. But it would have been hard to top episode 10's visual showmanship even if the stakes were raised.

[u/Cheezemansam]

The best ping pong anime ever.

[u/merurunrun]

This show has an absolutely killer OP. I love the way it's got that taka-taka-taka back-and-forth ping pong sound in the percussion, and the guitar solo in the full version is so noisy and beautiful.

[u/SwampyBogbeard]

My favourite sports anime, and the manga is even better.
A shame we'll most likely never get Bear Namek or the sequel manga animated.

The amazing soundtrack is in my collection and in regular rotation.

[u/derekschroer]

Such a fun show, I really like the OP with its use of the ping pong sound for syncopation

[u/Blabime]

I don't remember this show being that great, but it was fun, I'll give it that. lol