Sanctuary

I'm a huge fan of sumo and was thrilled to hear about a sumo-themed series (and Japanese-made too!). That said, I almost quit not long into the first episode because they chose to start it off with a series of gross-out farcical scenes (which I know some people love, but for me, they're a huge turn-off). But I kept watching and I'm very glad I did. There is some really good human drama underneath the over-the-top bits and that is the element that gets stronger as the episodes progress. It's also realistic enough to keep a sumo fan satisfied - of course you notice a few things that are off, many bouts are ovedramatized (which has to be forgiven in a film) and the behaviour of some characters (the main character especially but also some of the stablemasters) would never be tolerated in real life, but that aside it's stil a wonderful immersion into the sumo world. The gruelling training, the personal rivalries, the battle with injuries, the highly emotional retirement ceremony, etc. If you're not a sumo fan but like sports dramas in general, you will probably enjoy this one (and I highly reccommend getting into actual sumo - a dramatic sport if there ever was one!) Anyway, this series made me realize how much I would love a straight-up sumo drama, without any of the farcical, over-the-top elements, and I hope they make one someday - but until then, this is actually a pretty good watch. I'm looking forward to the next season.

Who knew there were k.o's in sumo?

Who knew how prestigious sumo is in Japanese culture?

And who knew that a Sumo Sports Drama would be so good?

This drama has everything. Comedy, harsh reality, twisted truths, nail biting suspense. Everything.

I'm so invested in this story. Heck, even the characters in the story that just got into sumo are surprised how much there are into sumo.

What makes sumo so entertaining? Each bout is less than 30 seconds. As an MMA, boxing, wrestling fan, this is insane. No wonder the japanese watch it and gamble on it. It's complete tension and release in seconds!

Overall, the sport itself is great you'll love it. And you will definitely want to watch sumo live after this. It's so brutal. The knockouts, ringouts, tosses, strikes. Everything.

For those who can get past the violent, bloody, grimy scenes it's possible to forgive the sporting drama cliche of poorer/ outsider vs the establishment. It's possible to forgive the fact that many of the characters come across as unlikeable. It's also possible to forget you'll spend a good part of the show watching large, dirty, sweaty, sometimes bloody men slapping and throwing each other around.

The reason for this is that the show never forgets the basis that it is character driven. The characters have motivations (even simple ones for secondary characters) and the plot is driven around how they react to these. Many go on some form a journey and are changed by events.

This is ultimately what makes the show a compelling watch for me, though I suspect many people will not get past some of that.

So, I shall start by saying I am biased towards traditional Japanese ideology and stylistic film/TV making. I grew up watching Samurai and martial arts movies (in the early 90's) and have since have been fascinated by the bredth and depth of Asian culture and philosophy. That said, I knew practically nothing about Sumo other than its existence and basic premise. It interested me still, but with little to no access I paid no attention.

Then this series landed yesterday and I finished it a day later. I am practically slapping my own chest like the ugly gorrilla at the cliffhanger in pure anticipation for the next series to land. I write this review because I feel the need to share that I have not been this entertained on so many levels in such a long time. I even watched the intro on every episode. Perhaps I am just starved from watching too much of the garbage that has been produced or I harbour a strange fascination for Sumo that I never got the chance (until now) to experience.

This series is a high quality production but not for the feint of heart. There are several story arches at work at the same time throughout, but to me they really added a level of depth to the characters and provided nothing but insight and empathy towards them. The last episode finally drew me to tears within the first 10 minutes to share that ceremony with the cast. I rated every performance and felt well fed by the writing at all times, despite parts being very hard to relate to personally (I am White, Male, British) there were characters within that felt like my neighbours. People I have known my whole life. Troubled and damaged young men, strong.oppressed women, sporting industries struggling with tradition and modernisation and this series really braught that all to life and put me in the ring with it.

TLDR: If you don't like any of the Rocky films, reading subtitles or seeing body fat then skip this. If you want easy to follow narratives about the same old basic drama, skip this. If you like some traditional Japanese style with some modern and whacky moments, than go all in on this series. I'm off to ytube some real sumo showdowns now just to see if it slaps me as hard as this series did.

I've been to Tokyo and have seen sumo wrestling twice. Of course the show is dramatized and it's showing us an angle from someone that doesn't want to follow nor is interested in the etiquette that comes with sumo wrestling, thus giving people unfamiliar with the sport and culture more insight.

I loved the acting and the fights looked very real, like I've witnessed in Japan. There were some moments I could say: "Hey I've seen that!" which is always fun, but I love how I'm now able to see what happens in the training camps and close to the ring. The first season covers the start of a career in sumo, with some emotionally heavy themes. This show needs a second season, I'm hooked.