A “small” new student, Ushio Hinomaru, appears before the weak little sumo club of Oodachi High School. The words “big” and “heavy” are the rules to this sport, which does not fit this newbie one bit, but Ushio surprises everyone. Ushio and the small sumo club climbs its way to the top with a goal to reach the highest rank, Hinoshita Kaisan. – ANN
Streaming: Crunchyroll
Episodes: 24
Source: Manga
Episode Summary: Ushio Hinomaru is a small guy with a big dream – to achieve the rank of Yokozuna, the highest honor in sumo wresting. He takes a day to scout a high school with a famous sumo program, but gets off at the wrong train stop and finds his way to Oodachi High School instead. He meets Ozeki Shinya, practicing his sumo techniques outside. Though he’s lovingly constructed a sumo ring outdoors, Ushio wonders why he doesn’t make use of the perfectly good dojo on the school grounds. Unfortunately, it’s been overrun by delinquents and Ozeki is too timid to kick them out.
Ushio’s love of sumo is such that, when the ringleader of the delinquents makes a mess of Ozeki’s wrestling area, Ushio challenges him to a duel. Ozeki offers to give up sumo to protect him, but Ushio will have none of it. In order to win this rigged contest, he’ll have to endure 10 minutes worth of punches without defending himself, something that his fine-tuned muscular body seems to do effortlessly (even when an extra 5 minutes is added in secret). Ozeki gets his dojo back, and Ushio goes to find the high school he was actually looking for. When Spring arrives, Ozeki receives a big surprise; Ushio decided to transfer to Oodachi High after all, because he was so wow-ed by Ozeki’s dedication to sumo wrestling.
Impressions: After dealing with a lot of heavy and upsetting subject matter, sometimes it’s nice to find a good palate-cleanser. While in a fair and just world, anime I’ve watched in close proximity to something I’m reviewing probably shouldn’t influence my reactions that much, but I’m only human; sometimes something is good just because it’s not terrible. Hinomaru Sumo has a fairly solid introduction no matter how you slice it, but its simplistic, straightforward charm and fun cultural angle were just what I needed to see today.
I’ll be clear; this is not a “sports anime but actually it’s not really about sports at all” kind of series. While all good sports anime tend to focus more on the characters than the sports themselves, it’s the rare series that takes an activity with rules and form and uses it entirely as a framework for character drama. A lot of the time the sport is an important aspect all its own, for both enthusiasts to appreciate and novices to learn more about. That seems to be the type of series this is – one in which the characters earnestly pursue their passion for a sport while we learn more about it through the process of viewing it.
At first glance, Ushio is kind of typical for a sports anime protagonist, in that his love for the sport itself runs deep. He eats, breathes, and lives sumo. Behind his outward-facing personality (and unrealistic-for-a-middle-schooler physique), he’s slightly more nuanced than I think it first appears. I find that a lot of sports anime focuses on characters who, for whatever reason, aren’t naturally-inclined towards their sport. In Haikyu!, for example, Hinata is shorter than most of the other players, which provides its share of challenges. While I didn’t know that much about sumo wrestling prior to watching this episode (and probably don’t know that much more even now), one thing I didn’t realize is that there’s a strict height restriction at the professional level. Ushio isn’t just operating at a disadvantage that can be overcome through trying hard and making fond memories with his teammates, he’s fighting an uphill battle against several centuries’ worth of traditions in a sport with a traditional sacred connection. Even these setbacks don’t seem to have dulled his spirit or his enthusiasm, which I find pretty admirable.
The visuals in this episode are actually fairly solid. While the character designs aren’t exactly my cup of tea and Ushio’s very specific combination of “that shounen kid” and “body-builder physique” is honestly a little bit awkward (and there’s no way you’ll convince me that he’s in middle school with muscles like that), I like how the line-art takes on a slightly more sketched quality when something intense is going on. I think this kind of animation technique does a good job of capturing the feeling of the short bursts of energy from the competitors during a sumo match. The fire effects that seem to follow Ushio throughout his moments of heavy concentration are over-the-top, but I kind of appreciate that; this is the type of series that seems to revel in its own fiery sports passion, so it’s very fitting.
I don’t have that much to critique about this episode. I don’t necessarily think that this is a series I’ll follow, but it’s definitely entertaining and it’s provided me some insight into a sport that I’m not really familiar with. I think the protagonist is sympathetic and has a much more simple and kind of subdued attitude than I would have expected, which keeps him from being grating. I like how this episode avoids a lot of the juvenile male humor tropes that a lot of similar series seem to revel in (though I suppose there’s still time). While I really do love character dramas that center around sports or other activities, it’s admittedly sometimes fun not to be burdened with too many dark emotions and to simply enjoy the thrill of the game or activity. This seems like it might be a solid example of the latter.
Pros: The protagonist is driven and has an uphill climb, but is also less of a “clown” than a lot of similar characters. The animation has some nice qualities.
Cons: Ushio’s physique seems impossible for someone his age.
Grade: B-