Abstract

Masaaki Yuasa's 2014 series Ping Pong: The Animation approaches the ideas of play, competition, and victory in unique ways, especially when compared to other series in the sports anime genre. Through the protagonist Smile, Yuasa encourages viewers to engage with play in a childlike, empathetic and naïve way, as opposed to focusing on victory. By analyzing the series using De Koven's ways to approach play, scholars and fans can better understand the variety of ways in which the characters approach play, and how each of them eventually learns to play well. Analyzing this series through the perspective of metamodernism as defined by Robin Van Dan Akker and Thomas Vermeulen helps viewers to understand how Yuasa approaches the cynical nature of sports and competition while ultimately deciding to focus on and encourage the sincere and optimistic approach to competition and play. He uses the conventions of the sports anime genre and the broader conventions of anime to make the series accessible, while also subverting traditional expectations. Susan Napier's work on analyzing anime will give context to the study and research done on this series as a piece of the anime medium. Some of Yuasa's other works are also briefly analyzed in order to show his consistent themes and subverting of conventions across other anime genres.

Degree

College and Department

Fine Arts and Communications; Theatre and Media Arts

Rights

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