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Tuesday, April 02, 2019

'Hinomaru Sumo' Introduced Me to the Awesomeness of Sumo

Like That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Hinomaru Sumo debuted on the 2018 fall season, but its season continued up until the end of winter 2019.  It placed just second-to-the-last in my fall 2018 anime rankings, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good – the shows ahead of it were just better.  Nevertheless, it has proven to be a consistently enjoyable anime to watch week in and week out.

Hinomaru Sumo follows Hinomaru Ushio, a high school freshman who dreams of earning the title of Yokozuna someday.  He was a sumo prodigy while he was in elementary, but in middle school, he never had a growth spurt.  Now, he only stands at just 152 cm (5’2”), and this is bad news for his hopes of becoming a Yokozuna as the height limit for a professional sumo wrestler is 167 cm (5’6”).  However, he plans to bypass this rule by becoming the high school champion and then the amateur champion, which will punch him a ticket into the pro league regardless of his height.  Despite his small stature, he  has a muscular physique, and possesses remarkable strength, talent, and will; and thus, he’s very much capable of going toe-to-toe with – or even dominating – opponents much larger than him.  Thus, he’s considered as one of the “National Treasures” – the most elite sumo wrestlers in high school.
Eager to help him reach his dream are his teammates in the Odachi High School sumo club.  And together, they intend to become the best high school sumo team in Japan – a tall order for an unseasoned team like Odachi.

For prior to Hinomaru joining the club, it was virtually non-existent.  The captain, Shinya Ozeki, was the sole member, and for two years, he endured being tormented by a gang of delinquents, who took the sumo club’s dojo from him and made it their hangout.  It’s only when Hinomaru took the dojo back and joined the school that the sumo club started truly functioning in Shinya’s tenure.

Afterward, new members pour in.
Chihiro Kunisaki is a sports genius, as he can quickly learn any sport he engages in and be adept at it.  He’s a national wrestling champion, and he aspires to become the greatest MMA fighter ever someday.  After getting beaten by Hinomaru in a friendly wrestling vs. sumo match, he decides to join the club and learn sumo.  He believes that it will add another facet to his close-combat skills, helping him get closer to his MMA dream.

Yuma Gojo is a former karate champion, and the leader of the gang of delinquents that bullied Shinya.  After getting defeated by Hinomaru in a duel despite the unfair rules he has set against him, Yuma – who is used to being the strongest – is humbled and has a change of heart.  Inspired by Hinomaru’s strength and tenacity, he decides to join the club and take up sumo.  He also becomes burdened and determined to make up for all the lost years that his bullying has caused Shinya.

Rounding up the five members needed for team competition is Kei Mitsuhashi, who joins the club after getting awed by Hinomaru in his match with Chichiro.  Lacking in size, strength, and natural talent, he’s by far the weakest member.  Thus, he has to solely rely on craftiness during his matches.
Last is Kirihito Tsuji, Hinomaru’s childhood friend.  He was at the same level in potential with Hinomaru when they were in elementary.  Even in high school, he still possesses high-level technical skills in sumo.  Unfortunately, he suffers asthma, and is unable to fight beyond 20 seconds without frantically gasping for air.  Thus, he settles with the role of team coach, and under his tutelage and administration, the Odachi sumo club improves tremendously.  He’s also registered as a substitute, and thus, can participate in a match when truly necessary.

In addition, two girls – Reina Gojo, the student council president and Yuma’s sister; and Chizuko Hori, who was saved by Hinomaru from a molester during a train ride – also join the sumo club to serve as managers.  And a stray cat named Chanko becomes the unofficial mascot.

Despite their inexperience and deficiencies, the resolute Odachi High School sumo club audaciously embarks on a gritty, challenging journey to the coveted championship – facing various higher-ranked teams and tough opponents, including Hinomaru’s rival National Treasures, along the way.
At its core, the plot generally follows a standard “underdog sports team works its way up to the top” layout.  But it’s extremely well-executed that it’s gratifying and thrilling nonetheless.  Matches are packed with tension, and each inch of progress feels earned.  One would really get invested on the characters, and thus, care for their individual arcs.

Moreover, while following Hinomaru Sumo, I began to grasp the awesomeness of sumo wrestling.  Well, sports anime has always had a way of making you see its featured sport in a new light.  It makes you appreciate the sport even though it isn’t as flamboyant and narrative-rich in real life.  And that’s the case here as well.  Prior to watching Hinomaru Sumo, I thought sumo was boring and goofy – boring because each match is fleeting, and goofy because its partakers are fat men who are butt naked save for a loincloth.  But because of this anime, I saw the aesthetics and exhilaration inherent in sumo.  The fleetingness of the match is actually what makes it exciting, and the discipline’s unique technical brilliance won’t work any other way but through mawashi-wearing rikishi.  I found myself watching a lot of sumo videos in Youtube, and reading more about the culture and history of this Japanese combat sport.  Now, I think sumo is fascinating and entertaining.
So yeah, I extremely enjoyed Hinomaru Sumo.  In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I couldn’t help but binge read the manga, which I’ve now caught up with.

The anime has presented a complete story already, so even if there’s no followup season, it still leaves at a satisfying note.  However, the 24-episode season actually (SPOILERS) only covers Hinomaru’s high school career.  After that, in the manga, he and his rivals turn pro, and the story only gets more and more interesting from there.  Thus, I still hope this gets adapted via a season two.

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