A MUST WATCH GEM!
A journey of Blood, sweat and tears.I loved Yukenan but Xutan got all of me. Yu.k.N showed how a player becomes a champion but XuTan showed how a champion is born. His journey was filled with fatal darkness and that's how he shined brighter than anyone else. With every episode my heart keeps breaking for XuTan . His journey is filled with so many inner battles. Yu ke nan works hard but he has inborn confidence while XuTan has to work for both things and the darkness he fights is far tough than Yu ke Nan's
The reason I'm giving story 8.5 is - the middle episodes wasted on romance line
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I dreamed. I chased. I failed. I continued. I achieved.
This is probably one of the best sport drama I’ve ever watched so far. I like how realistic and stressful Xu Tan’s journey on becoming a Ping Pong champion. He is indeed a good role model for those who also encountering difficulties on achieving their ambitions. Watching this inspired me to keep on pursuing my dreams despite of the hardships I will be facing of and it also allows me to be more ambitious as ever.When I was on high school, I used to be a referee on Ping Pong during our school’s intramurals. That is why, I already had a little information on how to play it but after watching the show, I was too amazed on how serious and hard it is to play the game. This also made me so interested on the Olympics game which doesn’t really pull my interest back then. China is really a powerhouse competitor in the Table Tennis world.
Professional Ping Pong players’ journey is way more difficult as what normal people imagined it to be. There’s only one champion every game and the rest unfortunately loses. The saddest part of the drama is when someone gives up or bid farewell to Ping Pong who they played for several years. I cried a lot for every featured player on the drama who can’t make it towards their dream. It’s painful to surrender halfway on your journey. But then again, life is life, we win and we lose, we have no choice but to keep living and surviving in the world.
Xu Tan and Yu Ke Nan were both the main character here but I found YKN attitude more promising than XT. As an ordinary human, YKN personality is really hard to deal with however I admired his firm grip on his dream and not allowing anyone to ruin it, he is arrogant yet determined to make his dream a reality. On the other hand, XT is a warm hearted man and I like it but whenever he took the blame for something that he really didn’t do and just to save his friends, I was too annoyed to watch it. We can also see that XT’s personality changed a lot after kicking out from the national team and transferring in a university, he then became too selfish and self-centered which I kind of understand where it coming from but as a viewer I find it so hard to accept the sudden change of his behavior. Anyways, I am so happy at the end, XT became a champion and every character in the story has given the proper closure to the story.
At first I thought the romance will bother me but actually it is a pretty good addition to the story. However, XT’s university girlfriend is so cringe to watch, she pushes her acting to be a cute girl but it failed. I like Lei Lei more than her but it was a good decision too that XT feelings is only a one sided love.
It was a long phase of episodes but worthy to watch. Sometimes I feel bored but it was actually a fun and inspiring drama to watch. The music is soooo good! The transitions of scenes and ping pong battles are very excellent too. In terms of acting, they all did their best and it was a fine acting.
One word to describe the show: INSPIRING
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Very well told story
This is a great story and it is amazingly well told. I was hesitant to watch it because usually I am not interested in ball games at all but I am so glad I did watch this drama. It is proof that it’s possible to develop a story well over the course of 40+ episodes.This drama manages to stay focused on the storylines of its two main leads. The second lead and supporting characters are great and they are all played by truly amazing actors. But their storylines never overweigh or burry the primary story but support and nurture it.
The tension is being built up through 41 episodes and everything cumulates in those brilliant last three episodes of the drama. It’s like an artfully woven cloth that unfolds in the end to reveal its entire picture.
It’s a story about friendship, about rivalry, and about the fact that for an athlete success and failure are two sides of the same coin. There are very few scenes that feel a bit over-dramatic and slightly cheesy but they are always balanced out by those unbelievably great and extremely well executed sports competition scenes.
Watch this drama! It’s definitely worth your time. And the final scene will surely make you cry your eyes out.
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A very realistic drama on the hardships of a national team ping pong player
To be very honest I did not enjoy this drama so much and I might be just a minority. I don't want to discourage others in not watching this drama, but I feel like this is not for everyone, but you can give it a try if you'll proceed or not. If it weren't for my love for Bai Jingting, Xu Wei Zhou and my interest of seeing the journey to reach a certain part in episode 1; I would have dropped the series. I'll try to make my main review spoiler free, and I'll just voice out all my frustrations with spoilers in the comment section (will put a spoiler tag on it).For a sports drama and a drama that was for a 70th year celebration, I was expecting the drama to be light-hearted or more uplifting; but in my opinion the drama wasn't. The drama really focused on the hardships, struggles, and real life choices and goals that a national ping pong player goes through; it is very realistic. By the time the drama comes around near the 30 episode mark, I felt so frustrated, upset and depressed on what was happening to the main character Xu Tan.
Every end of the drama, there will always be a ping pong trivia that will be shown before the end credits, it was a nice touch to get information from the said sport. Though I kind of felt off with the trivia as the drama progresses, the main part of the drama would sometimes force a situation on the main characters, so you can relate to the trivia that they'll show at the end of the series. There are a lot of characters in the drama, and how I wish that the situation was not forced just only to the main characters.
Bai Jingting did a wonderful job portraying Xu Tan (the actual main character of the drama). We were able to see him portray such a warm, passive and wimpy innocent boy from the start of the series, then change to a cold and calculative ping pong player later on in the series. I was actually amazed when I saw the behind the scenes for this drama, the actor really undergo body training throughout the drama; that you'll see a drastic change in his physique as the drama goes by. Now for the character, I have to admit there were several times that I have been frustrated on his character's choices in the drama and really dislike how so many characters around him look down on him and push him around throughout the series. But I really do root for him until the end, and really love the character change and growth throughout the drama.
Let me just say, Xu Wei Zhou, really nailed his role as Yu Ke Nan (the second main character) in this series. I just love how he was able to portray such a complex character and bring that character to life in the series. His character is very arrogant but he knew what he wanted ever since from the start of the series and see him struggling to get to his goal. Though I felt his character could be a bit too much and dragging poor Xu Tan with him due to his actions in the series.
Something I have noticed in the drama, is that there were unnecessary character arcs or drama that did not tie into the main plot and were just fillers. I felt like the episode number should have been shortened to 24-30 episodes. As mentioned earlier, that there are a lot of characters with different personalities. Though I was able to appreciate some of the characters (esp. Liu Shi, the bestie of the two main characters). Unfortunately for me, I felt a lot of the characters were just annoying or irritating. Just to let you know, there is also a villain in this drama.
Another thing, the romance was actually not needed in this drama. I would understand if they just made one of the main character with a romance plot to show the struggle and decisions of a ping pong player, and how they try to juggle out a relationship along with their commitment to the team. But they apply this romance to three characters, two of them being with the main characters.
Overall:
I've enjoyed some parts of the drama, the beginning and especially the last several episodes that lead to the ending. But as mentioned, I didn't really enjoy this drama as a whole and gotten upset on how the story turns out especially towards the middle to 3/4th part of the story. I wouldn't re-watch this series as a whole, but I would like to re-watch the last few episodes and the ending as this was really my favorite part out of the series.
A lot of other people have enjoyed it, and their opinions/reviews on this drama are valid as well. So if you're curious, you may try and maybe it'll be your cup of tea.
Now I may vent out my frustrations with spoilers in the comment section. If you have not watched this, you can skip that but if you would want to see it... please proceed with caution.
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A solid hit. Welcome back Timmy!
I'm really liking it so far. I'm a huge fan of Timmy because of Addicted but I hadn't liked any of his other dramas so far. I'm quite picky and I only like shows which have a solid script and fully developed, rounded characters. This one stands out both for the plot and the characters.The two main actors play their roles beautifully and the dichotomy between them -- one was born to win, the other is more of an underdog -- works really well on screen.
I also like the wider cast. The friendship and the rivalry within a professional sports' team is portrayed in a very realistic, if touching way.
I'm not a fan of sports and I've never watched any table tennis match before, but I like to see what is going on "behind the scenes", the coaches, the paperwork and the like. I also like to see the ML's family situation and how personal issues reflect on their performance and attitude.
Too early to form a definitive opinion but for now I'd say this show is a hit. Congratulations to all the involved. It's been a few months since I didn't drop any C-drama which came my way after the first few episodes. It reminds me a little of "Skate into Love" since it has the same nationalist, self-achievement topics. I love it and I hope it only gets better from now on.
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Je m'attendais à tellement mieux...
Je ne suis pas une sportive. Je ne connais pas grand chose sur le Ping-pong si ce n'est les rares fois où j'ai pu admirer mon frère de coeur y jouer.C'était donc en mode total néophyte que je me suis lancée dans ce drama. Je vais commencer par les points positifs de ce drama ( qui sont malheureusement moins nombreux que les points négatifs...) :
- L'idée du Ping-pong en premier lieu. Original et qui change des sports plus populaires comme le basket ball.
- Les explications en chaque fin d'épisode sur l'univers du ping-pong. C'était vraiment sympa d'avoir toutes ces informations et plus d'une fois, je me suis bien dit que j'irais me coucher moins bête...Et mon Dieu, je ne dirai plus ( quoique je ne l'ai jamais dit) que le ping-pong est ennuyeux et dénué de technique.
- Bai Jing Ting, découvert dans "Irreplaceable Love" ( drama que je n'ai pas du tout aimé d'ailleurs...) et qui avait été une très jolie surprise. Ici, son jeu d'acteur a bien évolué. Bai Jing Ting joue tout en profondeur et on ressent sincèrement ses douleurs et ses états d'âmes. C'est avec impatience que j'irai le voir dans "You're my hero".
- Les matchs de ping-pong qui étaient ma foi fort intéressants et parfois intenses.
- La romance (trop courte) et super mimi de Xu Tan et Si Heng. Si Heng a été un rayon de soleil et je regrette sincèrement qu'elle ait été évincé aussi rapidement...Peut-être de par sa sincérité, son support sans faille et sa joie de vivre, mon personnage préféré du drama. Cela fut une erreur de l'avoir supprimé...
- Enfin, l'OST qui est super agréable à écouter, avec des musiques qui se prêtent très bien à l'ambiance du drama.
Passons à ce dont je n'ai pas aimé...voire détesté :
A vrai dire, le drama a souffert de la comparaison avec mes coups de coeur récents tels "Hikaru No Go" ou " King's avatar".
J'en attendais beaucoup et au final, je me suis retrouvée à presque maudire ce drama.
Je rêvais d'une autre histoire avec une amitié aussi magnifique que dans "Hikaru No Go" ou un groupe aussi solide et traversant les épreuves main dans la main comme dans "King's avatar" ou "Cross Fire".
Il n'y a rien de tout cela dans "Ping Pong Life". Il y a bien sûr des amis, des adversaires qui finissent par devenir proches, des coachs investis ...mais rien d'intense, rien d'épique, rien qui ait fait follement battre mon coeur.
Prenons pour exemple Xu Tan et Ken Nan : Leur rivalité était intéressante et l'évolution de leur amitié dans la première moitié me semblait naturelle. Le point culminant de leur amitié : les épisodes où nos deux protagonistes sont forcés de "co-habiter" afin de pouvoir jouer en duo. C'était drôle et leur relation prenant un tour nouveau vraiment rafraichissante. Le duel en duo était super drôle, inattendu et intense en même temps, je crois bien que c'est le match qui m'a le plus marqué. Tout simplement car c'est le seul moment du drama où j'ai trouvé que les protagonistes étaient (finalement) heureux de jouer.
Tout le long du drama, tout n'est que question de sacrifice, de douleur, de frustration. Bien qu'ayant apprécié le côté persistant de Xu Tan afin de réussir dans ce qu'il aime, bien que leur volonté de gagner et d'aller au-delà de leur souffrance pour réussir me touchait, j'ai finir par étouffer.
Au fur et à mesure de l'avancé des épisodes, les protagonistes souffrent de plus en plus. Aucun répit ne leur est permis et ils doivent faire face TOUT le temps à des reproches, à des décisions où on ne leur explique jamais le pourquoi. Cela en devenait vraiment agaçant.
J'ai détesté de voir Xu Tan tomber encore et encore. Il le dit très bien d'ailleurs à la deuxième moitié du drama : " J'ai fait tout ce qu'on me demandait. Lorsqu'on me disait que je n'étais pas assez fort physiquement, j'ai travaillé mon endurance. Lorsqu'on m'a dit que ma technique n'était pas assez bonne, j'ai travaillé sans relâche pour la rendre meilleure. Et maintenant, on me dit que je ne peux pas participer au tournoi par ce que je n'ai pas assez d'expérience?".
Il est logique de se dire que le but du drama est de démontrer ces limites que nous repoussons sans cesse afin d'atteindre son objectif.
Mais ici, j'avoue que je n'ai pas compris pourquoi vouloir s'acharner ainsi sur les protagonistes....
A quel moment Xu Tan est-il heureux? Les moments où il est avec Si Hen, selon moi. Et ils ont fini par lui enlever aussi sa petite amie. Que lui reste-t-il au fond?
Cela fut pareil avec Ken Nan.
Ils n'ont rien. Plus rien. Ils le disent bien : le ping pong est leur vie.
En ce qui me concerne, ne pas avoir à partager ces moments avec les personnes que l'on aime, cela ne sert pas à grand chose. Les images à la fin du drama sont assez explicites. Xu Tan seul dans son appartement. Ke Nan seul aussi. Juste Liu Shi qui s'en sort au final mieux.
Quel est le message? Qu'un champion ne peut avoir d'amis? de famille? de petite amie? que seule la solitude lui tiendra compagnie? Alors oui, j'ai détesté les relations dans ce drama. Que cela soit familiale, amicale ou amoureuse.
Les incompréhensions de scénario ont été pénibles aussi. J'essaie encore de comprendre quel fut l'intérêt de nous montrer Ken Nan signer sous l'effet de l'alcool le contrat d'un sponsor, c'est bien gentil de mettre de l'emphase dessus, mais rien ne suit ensuite.
La relation de Ken Nan avec son père a été quasi inexistant durant tout le long du drama et à la fin, voir Ken Nan sourire de voir son père lors de sa compétition était "illogique", quand, comment leur relation avait-elle évolué??
La rupture de Xu tan et de Si Hen, incompréhensible aussi. Pourquoi?? A quel moment et pourquoi leur relation allait-elle mal?
Je souviens d'une chose que j'avais lu sur "Joy of Life" : Tous les personnages de "Joy of Life" avaient tous une histoire, du plus importants au moins importants, chaque personnage avait un vrai rôle. Ils n'étaient pas là en tant qu'instrument afin de faire évoluer le ou les protagoniste(s). Ils étaient tous des personnages à part entière. Cela fut une force réelle dans "Joy of Life".
Ici, dans "Ping Pong Life", c'est tout le contraire. Les personnages secondaires m'ont donné cette désagréable impression de n'être là que pour Xu Tan et Ken Nan. Ils n'ont pas de vie, pas de "background", d'utilité en tant que personnage, si ce n'est faire vivre nos personnages principaux. Il m'a été impossible de m'attacher à qui que ce soit (sauf Si Hen). Et ce fut ma plus grande déception.
Le drama n'est pas mauvais en soi, j'ai pu apprécier dans l'ensemble, mais de ce que j'en attendais, cela fut très loin d'être un bon drama dans mes attentes et mes espoirs.
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Menyukai akting Bai JingTing..
Akting
Di sini, di drama ini, saya menemukan Bai Jing Ting. Dia memakukan peran sebagai anak wimpy yang tumbuh menjadi juara dunia. Bai Jing Ting telah memberi kami akting yang luar biasa dan dia sangat meyakinkan sebagai pemain tenis meja kelas dunia. Apakah itu tubuhnya ganda atau tidak (saya benar-benar tidak tahu), saya merasa Bai Jing Ting dapat memainkan permainan dengan sangat baik; dia memiliki gaya, aksi dan tembakannya sempurna. Akting Xu Wei Zhou di sini juga bagus terutama saat dia menjadi Yu Ke Nan dewasa. Seperti Bai Jing Ting, permainannya sangat rapi dan meyakinkan, membuat Yu Ke Nan menjadi pemain tenis meja paling tangguh di dunia. Saya sangat suka menonton mereka bermain game, dan ada banyak adegan seperti itu untuk memuaskan penggemar pingpong.
Scene favorite
adalah scene dimana Xu Tan & Yu Kenan jadi tim ganda, saya sangat suka dengan gaya bermain ganda mereka, malah saya sangat menantikan scene dimana main ganda, mereka jika sudah bermain ganda sangat seruu! dan lucu ngakak ;V sukses terus pokoknya buat mereka
Scene yang bikin kesel
Menyaksikan Xu Tan dan Yu Kenan berjuang untuk mendapatkan kesempatan di bawah Pelatih Zheng mungkin adalah salah satu hal yang paling menyakitkan, tetapi realistis. Seringkali, Anda merasa memenuhi syarat tetapi mereka tidak memberi Anda kesempatan; pertunjukan ini dieksekusi dengan sangat baik. bahkan saya sampe nangis sejadi-jadinya enggk brenti-brenti saking sakitnya batin yang dirasakan Xu Tan, walaupun Yu Kenan juga tapi dia setidaknya beruntung. tapi Xu Tan dia benar-benar dari NOL, dari yang tidak dihargai, diremehkan karna fisiknya, diinjek-injek harga dirinya, batin diombang-ambing
masyaallah Xu Tan yang sebenarnya paling tersiksa :'') hingga dia akhinya bangkit dan membuktikan bahwa dia layak mendapatkan juara dunia :",,).
#Xu Tan adalah sang juara ping pong dunia sesungguhnya#
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