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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