Ushio Hinomaru is a new student, small of stature and body. However, he appears before the sumo club of his school and wishes to join. Although all the other members are big men, the sumo club is hardly renowned. However, this little sumo wrestler has a goal – the Hinoshita Kaisan, the pinnacle of sumo wrestling.
You’d think there would be more sumo anime series out there, but no, really just this one. If you are looking for more good anime series like Hinomaru Sumo, then check out the recommendations below.
Anime Like Hinomaru Sumo
For Fans of Aiming For The Top
Hajime no Ippo
Makunouchi Ippo has been bullied his entire life, but dreams of changing himself. One day, he is saved by Takamura Mamoru, who happens to be a boxer. After Ippo faints from his injuries, Mamoru takes him to his gym where Ippo asks to be trained in the sport of boxing.
Boxing and sumo are not so dissimilar, and neither are the plots of these shows. In them, you watch a character with nothing, who doesn’t even have a good body for the sport. You watch them train, fight, and yes, sometimes fail, but they aim towards the top and they walk the path towards it.
Baki the Grappler
As the son of Hanma Yuujiro, Hanma Baki trains intensely every day in order to finally beat and surpass his father. However, at this very moment, five of the world’s most dangerous and deadly criminals are breaking out of jail. They all seek out one thing – Baki. They all crave the taste of defeat and hope Baki can grant it to them. However, in this dangerous fight, Baki is not alone.
While Baki is significantly darker than Hinomaru and most martial arts anime series, it does share a similar sort of fighting. Both series have a very visceral display of their fighting methods that have a way of pumping you up, even if Baki’s story is kind of a downer.
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple
After years of reading self-improvement books, “weak legs” Kenichi finally works up the courage to join the karate club. Unfortunately, his school bully challenges him, intent on literally kicking him out. While all hope seemed lost, new classmate Miu invites him to her dojo for training. While he was able to defeat the bully, his new strength attracted the attention of a powerful group of students, and in order to overcome them, he must train in many martial arts styles.
Both anime series feature scrappy little underdogs that engage in martial arts. In Kenichi, they show a variety. He trains in a variety in order to reach the top. In Hinomaru, there is only Sumo wrestling. While Kenichi doesn’t have the time to focus on giving each art the same level of detail, it gives you more than enough.
For Fans of Short But Skilled
Haikyuu
After being inspired by the small, but talented volleyball ace Little Giant, Shouyou Hinata trains endlessly despite his middle school not having a boy’s volleyball club. Managing to scavenge enough athletes at his school to field a team for a middle school volleyball tournament, Hinata is soundly crushed in his first and last game of middle school by King of the Court, Tobio Kageyama. Swearing to surpass him, Hinata joins the volleyball team in high school only to discover Kageyama is now his teammate.
Both Haikyuu and Hinomaru are about small people conquering a sport with talent and not so much their physique. Of course as sports anime protagonists, they succeed, but they have to endure difficult training to get to the pinnacle.
Lovely Complex
Risa is very tall for a girl. Atsushi is very short for a boy. They are both in love with different people who actually end up dating each other. With both their loves taken, the two form an unlikely friendship that soon turns into something more.
Although Lovely Complex is not a sports anime, it is very much a show about the troubles of being a short person. Atsushi, though short, plays basketball better than many of his taller peers. He also attracts the attention of women better than his peers.
Eyeshield 21
As a shy and frequently bullied kid, Sena is accustomed to running away. However, after Hiruma, the captain of the American Football team, sees his skill at running, he goes to great lengths to recruit Sena as a running back in order to turn the team’s lackluster record around.
Both of these sports shows are about kids that lack the physique for the sport they play, but still try. Low and behold, they are actually pretty good at it. Sena is fast and Ushio is strong. Both sports seem like they benefit from larger men, but small men can do well too.
For Fans of Obscure Sports Anime
Tiger Mask
In America, Tiger Mask was a feared wrestled known for his viciousness. However, when Tiger Mask returned to Japan, he overheard a young boy saying he wants to be a villain just time him. Not wanting a boy to aspire to be a villain, Tiger Mask now reforms himself to be a hero.
Sumo wrestling isn’t much like western wrestling. It’s less piledrivers and more trying to push another dude out of a ring. Still, you see very few anime series about either. While Tiger Mask has more fanfare, it certainly keeps up with Hinomaru’s manly spirit.
Bamboo Blade
Kojirou is the kendo teacher at Munroe High School, and also flat broke. However, his senpai makes a bet with him – if his team loses to Kojirou’s, he’ll buy him meals for a whole year. The problem is, Kojirou doesn’t really have a kendo team, let alone a good one.
Although both sumo wrestling and kendo are kind of iconic Japanese sports, you don’t really see them too much in anime. Yet, these two series tell their stories. Hinomaru Sumo tells a more action-y, manly story, while Bamboo Blade is more moe.
Hanebado
Ayano and Nagisa are two girls at the same school. Ayano has superior badminton talents, but avoids the sport. Nagisa, on the other hand, endlessly toils to become better. Together, they end up on the same team, and along with their team mates, are pushed toward badminton greatness.
Sumo wrestling and badminton, two sports you wouldn’t really expect to have an anime series, yet here they are. The both of them perfectly good anime series telling familiar sports anime stories about those aiming for the top.
If you have any more anime recommendations like Hinomaru Sumo, let fans know in the comments section below.
