Ping Pong is very Japanese. I don't know how else to describe it. The direction and cinematography echoes the japanese anime direction that I have seen in Evangelion and Haruhi (to name two). The Ping Pong is filmed beautifully and the CGI is implemented with complete subtly. And of course it's always nice to see a sports film that isn't about an underdog reaching for the top. It's a friendship movie and that 's what the film focuses on, how the kids change throughout the course of a couple of years.
My main problem with this film is that the two main characters never actually feel like they are anything more than archetypes. You have the loud obnoxious talented one and the quiet, polite talented one. That's about it for these characters. And while they change they never truly develop past those archetypes. Which is why the film isn't as good as it could be.
This being said the acting is great and really brings new light to the archetypical characters. I'd recommend this film because it's simple and different.