Sanctuary

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.

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.

You simply cannot miss this gem of a show!

It's raw, gritty and a personal story that'll keep you glued to your screen. While it would've been amazing to see the 'foreigner's perspective', I'm hopeful that Netflix will greenlight seasons 2 and 3, so we can delve into more personal stories from both the US and Mongolia's perspective at the Yokozuna level. Yes even as foreigners they get the girls!

It's not just an entertaining watch, but hope future series will also sheds light on the business side of Sumo. How normal fans watch and how social media, along with the newer generation of fans, may threaten the future of this sport.

No spoilers here, but trust me, it's a fantastic study of the human condition, the hero's journey, and character arc that we usually find in great films and series, with a touch of comedy thrown in for good measure. In short, I highly recommend it!

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.