This spring, alt-audience anime programming block Noitamina will be presenting a Tatsunoko produced adaptation of Taiyo Matsumoto's Ping Pong. The production will feature newcomer Fukujūrō Katayama, cast by audition to join Kouki Uchiyama as the leads in the series.
A new promo introduces Yosei Bun as Kong Wenge aka "China."
Acclaimed animator/director Masaaki Yuasa (Kick-Heart, Tatami Galaxy) will be returning to TV for this adaptation of Taiyo Matsumoto's (TekkonKinkreet) Ping Pong. The 1996, five-volume Big Comic Spirits manga follows long time friends and ping pong players, cold Smile and flamboyant Peko.
Principal cast includes...
Yutaka Hoshino (Peco) - Fukujūrō Katayama
Makoto Tsukimoto (Smile) - Kouki Uchiyama
Ryūichi Kazama (Dragon) - Shunsuke Sakuya
Manabu Sakuma (Akuma) - Subaru Kimura
Kong Wenge (China) - Yousei Bun
Obaba - Masako Nozawa
Jō Koizumi - Yūsaku Yara
Staff:
Original: Taiyo Matsumoto (originally published in Shogakukan's Big Comic Spirits)
Director: Masaaki Yuasa
Character Designer: Nobutake Ito
Music: Kensuke Ushio
Color Design: Kunio Tsujida
Art Director: Kevin Aymeric
Director of Photography: Shunsuke Nakamura
Editing: Kashiko Kimura
Sound Director: Eriko Kimura
Production: Tatsunoko
Ping Pong was previously adapted into 2002 live-action movie by Fumihiko Sori (Vexille, To, Dragon Age). The film, nominated for eight Japanese Academy Awards, was released in North America by Viz.
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Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at@aicnanime.
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