brecedogg

this movie is fantastic. the version that i have seen doesn't have subtitles so as far as i can tell it is about a nationalist gang in japan. they dislike the american influences in modern japan and also try to bring down drug dealers. somehow they get mixed up in some sort of yakuza conspiracy and become too far over their heads (i think that yamaguchi's grandfather is a yakuza member). the acting is pretty good and most of the cinematography is great... there are a few scenes where the cuts are a little too cheesy but for the most part the movie is very well done and quite intense.

the movie is about these two boys who have been friends since they were young. they are both on the ping pong club team. the main character peco is a cocky kid who thinks that he is great, though he is, his best friend "smile" (because he doesnt) is equily as good but doesnt let himself try. the two join a tournament and peco loses to an easy foe while smile beats the only person to ever beat peco... make sense? anyway, the two separate. peco loses his will to play and smile trains harder than ever. they meet again at another tournament where at the end they are put against eachother by elimination. i think that the characters in this movie are pretty interesting. the acting for the most part is fairly good but also a little over the top in a few scenes because of how animated the peco character is. a few things are also pretty far fetched. i would say that it is overall a good movie but you cant take it too seriously or you will be let down.

if you like this movie check out aoi haru (blue spring) it is based off of a manga by the same author that wrote ping pong... though much more violent, this movie is a fantastic movie. i would say to also check out kyoki no sakura staring kabozuke yosuke, also much more violent in nature, but a fantastic movie aswell.