Ping Pong Dash! Vol. 1

Ping Pong Dash!! #1

by Shingo Honda

Haruku Tendo is the strongest Yankee, striking fear into all of Ibaraki Prefecture. He meets the beauty Sawa, and then discovers ping pong?!

Genres: Manga, Sports, Contemporary

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 8, 2005

About the author

Associated Names:
* 本田真吾 (Japanese)
* Shingo Honda (English)

Reviews

[Asera · Rating 3 out of 5]

-- Read this book from NetGalley UK in exchange for a fair review. --

I seldom venture into sports manga territory here. Guess I wanted to give this title a chance.

The hero is a provincial guy belonging to a clique, rough around the edges definitely. Story opens with Haruku Tendo angrily cycling back to Ibaraki Prefecture from Tokyo after being dumped by his girlfriend who moved to the city.

As to be expected when it comes to this genre, various parts of the story are embellished and rather exaggerated for dramatic value which can turn out rather intense. Only read it if you are up for a occasional lighthearted take on a boy-meets-girl tale.

I took it too seriously while reading it the first time and it didn’t feel like I enjoyed at all.

Pages are clean and easy to read, not much to complain about the translation. I wonder what the next volume will bring…

[Kate (Looking Glass Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

So. Sports manga. It’s a genre I’ve only recently began reading in earnest, and I have to say that I’m now a fan. Ping Pong Dash! Vol 1 by Shingo Honda is part sports manga and part contemporary school manga. It’s the story of a Yankee who winds up joining the tennis club and includes great ping pong matches, memorable main characters, and fight scenes. There’s a lot packed into this volume, and a lot to enjoy, so lets take a look at the first volume in this manga series. The story is about Haruku Tendo, a Yankee who winds up joining the ping pong club.

There are several aspects this manga has that aren’t always as readily seen in other, similar titles. The first is how the fighting between school gangs plays out. Haruku’s gang is being targeted by a bigger, very dangerous gang. But with Haruku so focused on improving his ping pong skills in order to join the club his friends decide to face this threat by themselves and support their leader in his newfound endevour.

While Ping Pong Dash may come off as run of the mill sports/school life manga, there are several aspects that are used extremely well. The story grips the reader right from the first few pages where we see Haruku, the main character, driving down the road on an utterly ridiculous looking bicycle as he returns from Tokyo. It’s a wonderfully ridiculous image, drawn with all of the heart and fervor as anything found in a sports manga, and I was utterly hooked from page one. Much of the manga is the same. It might seem like something you’ve read before, but then it surprises you in all of the best ways.

Having delinquents and school gangs as main characters in manga is certainly nothing new, but in Ping Pong Dash it feels more real. All too often we hear about how a character isn’t someone to mess with or is dangerous, yet the stakes never truly support the sometimes exaggerated ways people speak of these characters. Here, this isn’t the case. Haruku’s rival gang is dangerous. I can’t remember the last manga I read where a rival group sent multiple people to the hospital. This isn’t a friendly rivalry or just some kids getting a fistfight. These are real grudges, real fights, and they have borne consequences that include doing time.

The relationship (or non-relationship) between Haruku and Sawa is also something that appears run of the mill on the surface but is more nuanced beneath the surface. The two main character’s first interactions give off the appearance of a classic scenario – the male lead falls for the female lead despite her having over the top reactions to things she’s misinterpreted in the first place. But reasoning is given to this attraction, reasoning that makes sense. It’s Sawa’s tenacity, fervor, and love of ping pong that he finds attractive. More than just wanting to join a club to get her attention, he wants to join, do well, and meet her where she’s at. That’s not something I’ve seen very often in manga series, and I really appreciated this approach. Haruku, despite being a troublemaker, really respects Sawa, ping pong, and the club.

Haruku’s group of friends and followers were also treated with much more character and humanity than is often seen. They all feel like real people, each with their own set of values. How far they’re willing to go to defend and shield Haruku from current goings on differs from character to character. No matter their personal opinions on the situation, they all have each other’s back, Haruku’s back, and come up with various plans to difuse and counter situations on their own – something else that isn’t shown as often as it maybe could be. It isn’t just the leader of the gang who is making decisions. The rest of the supporting cast shows their worth as well.

One aspect I have conflicting feelings about was the amount and type of editors notes in the text. Usually these are included with cultural or linguistic facts that might not be apparent to English speaking readers and will help the reader have a fuller comprehension of the more subtle subtext of a scene. Here, these notes were prolific and not always included where expects. Notes on things such as what a Yankee is were appreciated and well placed. Others were included that made less sense, explaining turns of phrase that, while a bit on the old fashioned side, are far from unknown in English. The line between helpful information blurs a bit here and possibly drifts toward over explanation, and I think certain readers might find this aggravating. Even so, things such as currency rates explained or distances between cities is always incredibly helpful.

The art was wonderful. Thick, bold lines are used in many panels, making characters and their actions really stand out. Ping pong matches are whirlwinds of movement. The paddle moving through the air, the rush of the wind, even the location of some sound effects move give off this feeling of frantic movement, making you want to keep reading and keep turning the page.

In all, this was a solid manga, one I enjoyed and would read more of. Despite seeming as if it will go down familiar paths, the story takes twists and turns, bringing to light narrative aspects that aren’t often seen in similar series. If you enj0y manga in school settings, sports manga, or manga featuring school gangs or Yankees you’ll want to pick up Ping Pong Dash! Vol 1 by Shingo Honda and give it a read.

This manga was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This review and more can be found on Looking Glass Reads..

[Emily W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**







Thank you Netgalley, Akita Publishing Co., Ltd. and Media Do International, Inc. for letting me read and review this book!! ^_^

Before Thoughts:
I think I can safely say that it's fun in general to watch most Yankee characters in anime and manga. And sometimes they show that they aren't always as dumb as everyone thinks they are and I think they really tend to be characters that show the most heart even if they like to use brawn to express themselves.

So the story is based around a character named Haruku Tendo who is the strongest yankee in his prefecture. And for some reason he discovers ping pong after the sight of a beauty named Sawa.

The description isn't the strongest but I think there's a high chance I can expect a lot of laughs and heart with this story. And I really hope to enjoy Haruku as a character.

Review:
Read on:08/27/18
Published on: 07/18/18

Plot:
Haruku Tendo is a Yankee that chooses to practice Ping Pong and join the club of Ping Pong in order to win against Sawa Ichinose and win her heart.

He's only determined to win her this way because not only is she a beauty, but she knows how to get fired up easily which is really a trait that Haruku admires.

So will Haruku win Sawa's heart in the end of the manga series? Will he gain a new appreciation for the sport of Ping Pong? And will he get all of the Georgia Max Coffee he desires?? Read this volume and more to find out.

Character(s):
Haruku Tendo: A Yankee leader in the Ibaraki Prefecture. He loves this sweet coffee called Georgia Max coffee. At the start of the manga he has just been laughed at by a crowd in Tokyo and rejected by a girl he send a letter to in Tokyo.

He likes girls who are super fired up since they seem like they can get on his level of being fired up. After meeting Sawa and seeing how fired up she can get he has it bad for her so much so that he literally wants to be the kind of man that can beat her at ping pong and win her heart.

He may not be the brightest and might express more with how fired up he gets in a variety of ways to fight. But his heart tries to be in the right place.

Sawa Ichinose: A girl who comes to Ibaraki from Tokyo because she was asked to join the Ibaraki Ping Pong Team to make them the best in Japan. She takes Ping Pong very seriously and she believes that those who want to try their best for the Ping Pong Team should be given a fair chance to improve themselves to who they want to be.

She has a bad impression of Haruku because of events with "bullying" and "peeping" (That he actually didn't technically do) that were badly timed with no proper explanation given from Haruku himself.

Final Thoughts:
I really liked the story it reminds me of all the fun that some sports anime or manga go through when they're first starting off their stories. Haruku is a very lovable character and Sawa might need some more development before I can fully appreciate her character. And the introduction of Haruku's new main rival in Ping Pong was a nice touch. The first volume ended on a cliffhanger. Which means I need to read the next volume once it comes out. I want to see what happens next.

This also deserves an adaptation in the future because I feel like sports anime need to go back to some of their old roots of zaniness that comes with the sports anime or manga tropes. I can't wait until volume 2 gets released in English.

Recommends to:
If you love the sport genre in anime or manga this will be for you. If you like a fun story with fun zany characters this might be for you. It doesn't try to have too much tension and it keeps those fun sports anime or manga tropes alive which I'm grateful for.

Hope you enjoyed my review!! Thanks for reading!! ^_^
And go catch that good book!! ^_^


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[Siina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ping Pong Dash! is your overly manly and weird sports manga with a yankee main character. Haruku Tendo leads his own gang and beats up everyone opposing him and making fun of his friends. Many try to beat him, but with no success. He ends up meeting a girl named Sawa, who beats him in a ping pong game making the dude fall in love with her and also start playing ping pong. Haruku surely doesn't know anything about the game, but he is determined to beat Sawa, since that's the only way to get the girl to go on a date with him. Ping Pong Dash is funny, but nothing new. It's great that the manga is about ping pong, since it's an interesting and thoroughly odd game. It fits the style well and the manga is in a sense ugly and the combination is great.

The art looks ugly, but great. The faces are funny ugly and Ping Pong Dash looks almost like seinen. Mind you that this is humor sports, so it should look the part too and it does. For me this was sightly too much about horsing around and less about the game, which was probably the point. Still, the manga is a great addition to sports manga and it surely is different, although not refreshing. It plays the cliches well and is even funny at times, so if you're into sports manga, then do try it.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Ping Pong Dash !! !' by Shingo Honda is a sport manga that includes school life th‌ings. Like a lot of manga, it was over the top in style and substance, and I kind of liked it.

Shingo Honda is a Yankee, which is a kind of person who emulates 1950s American gangsters with the way dress and do their hair. When a cute girl comes to school and joins the Ping Pong club, Shingo is intrigued and joins. He learns quickly that he's not a very good player, so he sets out to improve. Meanwhile his friends are left to fend off attacks form a rival gang. Shingo's secret weapon is canned coffee which forces him in to a kind of beast mode, that is actually pretty hilarious.

The characters at times seem like garishly drawn parodies. The facial features and hair are exaggerated and kind of ugly. The ping pong battles feel like overblown video game battles. I liked the art and the story, which surprised me based on the subject of a ping pong club.

I received a review copy of this manga from Akita Publishing Co. Ltd. and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first sports manga and I really enjoyed it!

Haruku Tendo is a yankee street fighter, who has been made out to be quite dumb, and has a super love for his Georgia Max coffee which helps “fire” him up. A new girl comes to his school with a love for ping pong and vows no one will be right for her unless they can beat her at ping pong. After a match gone horrible wrong for Haruku, he falls in love with her and joking the Ping Pong Club.

The story is at first a little difficult to follow, but quickly becomes fun and comical to read as Haruku fights to be the best and win the girl. As the story progresses we learn more and more about each character’s strengths, their weaknesses, and motivations. But as this is still the first volume, it was still a little early to really get a good impression on some of the characters.

Overall, I found it to be really interesting, and quite a page-turner. Haruku is definitely a unique character and very fun to read about.

*i received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my opinion.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received my copy of Ping Pong Dash!, Vol. 1 from the publisher through NetGalley.

Here's a story about some badass high school aged anti-hero with a rage complex named Haruku who runs into a girl who kicks him in the balls, so naturally he loves her after they battle each other at ping pong. It turns out Haruku sucks - no surprise there. He's good at getting fired up though. But let's look on the bright side: at least the ping pong kept him away from getting into fights for five minutes. After a while, a softboy transfer student joins his class. It turns out the softboy is much better at ping pong than Haruku.

This was funny, but really not for me. I'm glad I checked it out. I think a lot of people will like it.

[Deama · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't that bad. As it began I thought I wouldn't get into it but it got better and I kinda wanna know what happens next. I do enjoy sports manga, although my ultimate fave type of sports manga is usually shoujo and gender-bender. It's funny to see a Yankee playing ping pong though.

Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.