Hinomaru Sumo (Review)
Hinomaru Sumo Throws Its Weight Around.
Over the past few years, there’s been a huge surge of sports anime featuring everything from volleyball to swimming to baseball. So, it’s no wonder that one of the most beloved Japanese sports of all time has gotten the anime treatment in Hinomaru Sumo. In case the title of the series didn’t give it away, I’m talking about sumo wrestling. In the west, we might only think of it as two fat dudes shoving each other, something we see regularly at plenty of other sporting events (when the fans start fighting). However, in Japan, it’s a noble art form, and the greatest wrestlers are even declared national treasures. It was with that in mind that I settled in to watch Hinomaru Sumo.
Like most anime, Hinomaru Sumo features a hero who has the odds stacked against him from the start. Hinomaru Ushio (Ricco Fajardo) dreams of being a famous sumo wrestler but at only 5’2 the chances of him not getting squashed in the ring are slim to none. That’s not going to stop him from chasing his dream, and now that he’s in high school he’s determined to see it through. First, he’s going to need to put together a team in to compete in tournaments. He manages to gather together an unlikely assortment of characters including a hapless fanatic (Tyson Rinehart), a reformed bully (Brandon Potter), an MMA fighter looking to expand his skill set (Marcus Stimac) and a weakling hoping to get stronger (Stephen Fu). Leading these wrestlers is a brilliant tactician able to see the strengths and weaknesses in everyone (Adam Gibbs). Together this team of misfits sets out to take the world of high school sumo by storm.
I’m a big fan of tournament anime. Of course, most of them are pretty ridiculous with the likes of Baki the Grappler and Kengan Ashura jumping to mind. Hinomaru Sumo doesn’t disappoint in that regard. Of course, it digs deep to make sumo seem as intense and exciting as possible, and I don’t doubt that there are thrilling moments in the sport. However, I couldn’t help but laugh at some of the absurd explanations behind certain techniques and the character’s abilities. As ridiculous as it gets at times, I still found myself eating it up. Sure I rolled my eyes at certain parts, but it was all in good fun. Being a “gaijin”, I probably don’t have nearly the same level of respect that the Japanese do for sumo, but still found myself pretty absorbed in this tale, especially once the final arc started.
Gonzo animated the 24 episode series from directors Yasutaka Yamamoto and Kōnosuke Uda. There’s nothing especially eye-catching about the animation in general. Though I found it interesting just how much emphasis the series put on strength and made sure to give most of the characters incredibly muscular torsos. I certainly don’t want to fat-shame any sumo wrestlers out there, but the bits and pieces I’ve seen of matches didn’t feature jacked guys throwing down. I’m sure that underneath that flab they’re powerhouses, but it added to the underlying feeling of desperation in Hinomaru Sumo to make sumo more appealing to viewers. Then again, the designs of the characters, in general, were a little on the bland side, and I really only could remember what the protagonists looked like. That was thanks to his vaguely Yu-Gi-Oh-esque hair. While it was fun watching the characters duke it out in the moment, nothing about Hinomaru Sumo really sticks with you after you finish it.
Personally, I haven’t dived deep enough into the sub-genre of sports anime to know how Hinomaru Sumo stacks up compared to the rest of them. As far as fighting tournament anime go, it was pretty alright. At 24 episodes, it gives you just enough sumo without getting old. However, I couldn’t help feeling like it rushed a bit at the beginning to get to the final tournament for the characters to prove themselves. Still, I won’t fault it for moving at a brisk pace, especially since there are so many anime out there that like to meander and really take their time without ever making a point (a few series where fights last multiple episodes spring to mind). Most importantly, Hinomaru Sumo is effortless to watch because, while it has plenty of melodrama, it never feels heavy. Instead, it’s focused strictly on the fighting, and that’s something I appreciate.
Hinomaru Sumo is a fun little series. It doesn’t feel like it’s the kind of anime that anyone would say is their favorite though. That isn’t to sell it short since I honestly did like it. However, it’s one of those anime that once it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind. Watching it, I never found myself especially excited for the next episode, but it always felt hard picking a good place to stop each time. Because of that, I believe that if Hinomaru Sumo has piqued your interest at all, you should go for it. If not, I’m not going to try to convince you to give it a shot. There are a lot more anime better worth your time. At the same time, those that do watch it won’t feel as though they’ve wasted any of theirs.
