A former star boxer played by actor Eita Nagayama. [Photo provided to China Daily]

China has made very few films or television dramas about ping pong, despite the sport being extremely popular, says Teng.

Meanwhile, besides ping-pong fans, foodies may also like the film, as members of the ping-pong club often gather at a Chinese restaurant to order mapo tofu, a signature dish from Sichuan province in southwestern China.

Giving more details about the film, Teng says: "It's not only a sports-themed movie, but also an inspirational story which encourages people to follow their hearts" 

In the movie, Aragaki's character is cheated by her ex-boyfriend and she returns to her hometown to run her late mother's ping-pong club, while her mixed doubles partner, played by actor Eita Nagayama, is divorced and doesn't have a decent job.

The other characters, played by amateurs, include a woman trying to be a perfect housewife and a farming couple.

The movie, which premiered in Japan on Oct 21, 2017, dominated Japan's box office charts for around three weeks.

It has so far received 7.5 points out of 10 on Douban, China's most popular movie review site.

As for the comments on the film, one netizen on Douban says: "Sports-themed movies in Japan are very good at skillfully using details to inspire moviegoers.

"Mix is a quality work, which really touched me."