Well folks, the moment has finally come. We have arrived at a simultaneously joyous and somber day, as we treat ourselves to the very last episode of Scorching Ping Pong Girls. This thrilling tale of table tennis triumph has been a highlight of the year for me, with the show regularly embodying the core appeals of both slice of life and sports drama. Scorching Ping Pong Girls seems to simply understand fun, and has worked hard every episode to instill its characters and competitions with passionate energy, arcs worth investing in, and clear, tactically coherent stakes. Additionally, its art design embraces the principles of animation-friendly design, with its iconic contrasts of colors, shapes, and visual motifs making for a dynamic and often stunning visual experience. Scorching Ping Pong Girls is the kind of show I’d never tire of; like Chihayafuru, Girls und Panzer, and a select few others, it is a perfect page-turner, a show you could watch from front to back without even noticing the time pass.

And now, sadly, that journey is coming to an end. As this is an incomplete adaptation of an ongoing manga, I’m not really expecting much closure from this episode, but that’s fine with me – I’m just happy to enjoy one more episode of this endlessly entertaining show. For the very last time, let’s check in with Scorching Ping Pong Girls!

Episode 12

No cold open this time, which isn’t a surprise. The most common use of a cold open is to establish an episode’s hook – to offer the first hints as to the episode conflict to come, which ultimately results in a greater sense of narrative cohesiveness, as the episode ultimately feels “bookended” by the introduction and resolution of its core conflict. But for a finale like this, we’re not introducing any new episodic conflicts, or even resolving an ongoing arc; this is instead likely to be a classic “finale reprise,” where the show revels in its established cast and dynamics one more time before sending them off. In keeping with that focus, the episode jumps directly into the opening song, emphasizing its role as a “return to neutral.” With your focus not being led by any sort of specific cold open hook, the audience instead considers the show as a whole, which is the desired mindset for a fond goodbye

Of course, Scorching Ping Pong Girls is a bit of a special case, in that a small chunk of its actual OP is always dedicated to setting up/reiterating episode conflicts. But in this episode’s case, we just get Kiruka declaring what she wants to impart on her teammates, leaning in to the idea of this being a fond farewell

“Together, We Can Go as Far as We Want.” The character theming once again echoes the title, as we see purple and red arrows rising together

The first years are drained by Kiruka’s drills. I kinda like how “the first years” are just a collective organism in this show, a greek chorus of onlookers gasping at the spectacle of their seniors. It’s another way this show distills sports drama down to its most fundamental qualities, thereby lending a great sense of energetic clarity to its conflicts

Also another example of one of my favorite storytelling maxims: don’t seek realism for its own sake, seek the version of reality that best facilitates your narrative. If these were real people they’d have names, but they’re not, they’re a storytelling device

Hokuto is planning to practice her serve, to mitigate the weaknesses in her long game that the tournament revealed

While Hokuto seeks an “ace serve,” Hanabi will practice fast footwork. Sports drama fundamentals – articulating and developing “new weapons” that will subsequently add new tactical nuances to their future matches

We’re also just getting some final dollops of relationship fanservice for the road. Hanabi and Hokuto remain adorable together

It looks like those first years are somewhat acting as the framing device for this episode, redirecting our attention between the players around them

Agari thinks she needs to give up the forehand smash to improve, but Koyori begs her not to

“Believe in me and follow my lead.” Big steps for the perpetual follower Koyori, as she asks Agari to trust her. Some nice immediate follow-through on Koyori’s vow from last episode – she really does want to become an equal partner for Agari

And Agari is taking a big step of her own, as an extremely proud person who’s now willing to put her faith and even play development in the hands of someone else

Koyori’s plan is to GATTAI. Goddamnit Koyori

All this time and friendship, and all she ever wanted was to complete her puppy ritual of climbing on top of the tall thing

“I don’t know what they’re doing, but the seniors are giving it their all.” I’m not sure how you take that away from this sequence of events, but whatever works

Munemune is concerned about Kiruka helping the first-years train, as opposed to focusing on her own play in order to prepare for the upcoming tournament

Kiruka explains how she wants to be an inspiring team mom, but ends on the reassuring “I won’t lose to anyone if I’m with you,” which answers Munemune’s actual, unspoken concern – her feeling of jealousy

Time for a scene dedicated to Munemune’s boobs, apparently

Time for a training montage! I like how they maintain a steady sense of horizontal movement through this montage, by mirroring the character’s swings with the wipe transitions

Also some really nice character animation. This cut of Agari missing, and then sighing as she goes to retrieve the ball, feels extremely true to life

Sports dramas tend to be primarily about preparation, which means this episode is able to frame a training arc as a conclusion, since it feels like a fond “return to neutral,” even if it’s actually the setup for a future arc. This upbeat montage song does a lot of heavy lifting in that regard – the tone isn’t anticipatory, it’s warm and nostalgic

Wait, why did Koyori actually get on Agari’s shoulders. That scene just kinda cut to other characters and then didn’t mention that again

Agari and Koyori return to the gym at night, where they find two of the first years practicing, and even trying to imitate their own specialties

To be honest, it feels a little odd that the finale is focusing so heavily on inspiring their underclassmen, since that hasn’t really been an active concern in the show so far. I suppose it sorta ties into the “finding a positive inspiration to play” theme of Agari and Kururi’s arcs, though

This is also a nice shift from Agari’s initial relationship with her teammates. She’s no longer an unreachable idol to aspire towards – they still greatly admire her play, but they’re also willing to actually approach her now

More great flourishes of character acting as Hokuto and Hanabi arrive. Premieres and finales always tend to be more fluidly animated than mid-arc episodes, at least if a given production is healthy enough to manage it. You really want to leave a strong first and last impression

Hanabi wants to play a match against Agari, which she accomplishes by just swatting a ball at her and shouting “one-love,” prompting Agari to argue she wasn’t ready. Hanabi’s impulsive, but she’s smart enough to know it’s easier to manipulate Agari’s competitive streak than to actually convince her to play

This is actually really adorable – the first years set up their own tournament, and then we get reprises of classic ping pong dramatic moments, except now starring the first years. They’re growing into protagonists!

I like how the second Kiruka decides she’s going to play, her robe naturally slips off one shoulder to create her classic samurai look

And we really do circle back around to where we began – with Agari and Koyori competing for the top spot on the team. But this time, whoever wins, they’ll both be happy with the outcome

They conduct a long rally while internally confessing their burning love for each other. The essence of Scorching Ping Pong Girls

“This is my response to the heart-racing ecstasy you gave me!” Good lord Agari

And she nails it! She pulls off the upgraded smash

And we end, as we must, on a romantic walk and emphatic declaration of Eternal Sports Love

And Done

What a charming show that was! Exciting and endearing from start to finish, stuffed with likable characters and exciting matches, and elevated through its smart use of symbolism and terrific animation highlights. Scorching Ping Pong Girls is basically the essence of great popcorn entertainment, and I don’t mean that as a dig in any way. The show’s craft and storytelling demonstrate just as much care as any themey-wemey production or serious drama; it’s just that all of those talents are being directed towards making the most thrilling, feel-good adventure possible. That’s a laudable goal, and I only wish we received more sports dramas this energetic, visually engaging, and just-plain-entertaining. Thanks for all the adventures, ping pong girls. Good luck with all of your ping pong marriages!

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