Hinomaru Sumo

About Hinomaru Sumo

Looking for background on Hinomaru Sumo (火ノ丸相撲)? This action and sports series by GONZO (2018) starts out like this. The setup: It is a divine ritual, a martial art, a combat sport—it's sumo!! A "small" new learner, Ushio Hinomaru, appears before the weak little sumo club of Oodachi High School!

Along the way, the words "big" and "heavy" are the rules to this sport, which does not fit this newbie any inch, but this guy goes and does what...!? Ushio and the small sumo club climbs its way to the top! The goal is Hinoshita Kaisan (A title for the highest rank in professional sumo, equivalent of Yokozuna)!

With action at the core, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Ushio Hinomaru (Atsushi Abe) and Yuuma Gojou (Kentarou Kumagai) are two of the characters you will meet early. This one is best suited to viewers who like fast, high-impact fights. With 24 episodes in total, there is enough room for the story to develop.

Production & Appeal

GONZO is the studio behind Hinomaru Sumo, and its direction shapes everything from character design to motion. Because it leans on action, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. At 7.2/10 it earns a solid reception, a safe pick for fans of the genre. On the casting side, Atsushi Abe voicing Ushio Hinomaru gives the lead role a recognizable voice. It aired in 2018, which makes it easy to place in the wider anime calendar.