Original subtitles

Kirihito's being clever again.

Here...

Shibakiyama Stable

They produce top-ranked pros. It's renowned for its intense practices.

The Shibakiyama Stable!

They're part of the pro sumo world, which I want to conquer!

I'll gladly take their help!

Bout 6 "Charge!! Shibakiyama Stable"

Out! Keep things moving!

It's so intense...

Now! Push, push!

Master Shibakiyama is still as sharp-eyed and intimidating as he was when he competed.

Oh, very nice! Good strike!

Just keep your chin a bit lower!

He's nicer than I expected.

Saki-chan, thank you for coming all the way to watch us.

Th-The pleasure's all mine. I'm looking forward to the next two days.

He's awfully upbeat today.

M-Maybe it's because there's a high school girl in here.

That's part of it,

but another student's also having a trial with us today.

Some high school hotshot, apparently.

A high school hotshot?

When will he get here?

I can vouch for his skill.

He will one day be the top-ranked pro sumo wrestler. You can count on it.

A future sekitori...

I want him for my stable!

Master, he's coming this way!

He's here!

Sorry I'm late!

I got lost on the way.

Thank you for letting me train here today!

You must be his assistant, right?

Come, now. Where's Ushio-kun?

Huh? Well... I'm Ushio Hinomaru of the Odachi High School sumo club.

"Ushio Hinomaru"?

Th-This can't be right!

I m-mean... how tall are you?

Oh, 152 cm, sir.

O-Only 152 cm?!

I see...

Master's looking mighty glum all of a sudden.

Can you blame him?

But the kid's here now.

Let's just humor him for today.

You've got great footwork.

Ushio-kun, was it?

I'm Terahara.

I was a high school sumo myself until recently.

As your predecessor, I'll practice with you today.

Don't hold back, you hear?

Yes, sir!

I'm still feeling a little stiff.

Am I nervous?

Is it my imagination, or has the mood lightened since Ushio-kun showed up?

Jeez, I know we're just sparring, but these guys sure are taking it easy.

It's all for the spectators, man.

Well, he's a fan of sumo, so we might as well let him enjoy himself until he leaves.

You should be warmed up by now, yeah?

Let's step into the ring.

Yes, sir!

Oh, before all that, wanna do something fun?

Kunpu

Hirayama

Pair of teacups

Shinodomaru

Sumo jinku folk CD

Shibakiyama Stable Goods

Next year's calendar (signed)

Knock them over and win!!

Great fights DVD (signed)

Sandanme Chibato

Tumbler

Makushita Kawataumi

Invitation to the next tournament

Shimasakio

T-shirt

Jonokuchi Uda

Jonidan Inoseyama

Master Shibakiyama

'ster's ? ?

Towel

Every kid who comes to practice with us gets a shot.

Pair of teacups

Kunpu

Sumo jinku folk CD

Shinodomaru

Next year's calendar (signed)

Sandanme Chibato

Great fights DVD (signed)

Hirayama

Invitation to the next tournament

Makushita Kawataumi

'ster's ? ?

Master Shibakiyama

Knock them over and win!!

Shibakiyama Stable Goods

Shibakiyama Stable Goods

Knock them over and win!!

It's the "Shibakiyama Knock 'em Out Challenge"!

If you push one of us out of the ring, look!

Shibakiyama Stable

Shibakiyama Stable

You'll win special stable merchandise!

Okay, you're up first, Terahara!

Right!

There's a humongous size difference.

Good luck, Ushio-kun!

Ah, I'll let you win in the end...

I'll step out of the ring after you've struggled for a bit.

Tera-chan.

You should probably take this seriously.

Yes, sir.

Here I come.

No way...

Even though I'd love some Shibakiyama Stable merch,

my team needs me to bring back more than just souvenirs.

Please let me experience a full-blown Shibakiyama session!

Ishigami High School Sumo Club

Hinomaru-san must be practicing with the pros right about now.

Isn't that amazing?

At the Shibakiyama Stable, was it?

Yeah.

Say, why did you choose the Shibakiyama Stable?

Even among the pros, they're known as a training-heavy stable.

Before he retired from the sport, the master was famous for his love of training.

He wasn't blessed with a godlike physique.

His fearsome attacks, booming and relentless, earned him the moniker of "Firecracker."

He even gave yokozuna Yamatokuni a great deal of trouble in his prime.

Kunzan

Even with his small stature, he preferred to fight head-on.

Yamatokuni

Throughout his career, he never changed how he charged.

Does that sound like someone you know?

Yamatokuni

I want to know what the master thinks when he sees how Hinomaru fights.

And then, there's this other sumo at the Shibakiyama Stable...

This stable's known for intense training, but I used to do far more in my prime.

Even so, plenty complained about the regimen and left.

I thought you were like those other boys who didn't have the commitment.

I must apologize for my rudeness, Ushio Hinomaru.

The pro league won't accept someone of your height,

but Sandanme-division wrestlers can't even come close to beating you.

He's too much for you guys.

Stand back.

You sometimes show cracks when you grab a mawashi belt.

Is that a setup for something?

No, more importantly, and most importantly of all...

One more time!

What is that gleam in your eyes?

Okay, you're on!

His enthusiasm is spreading to the other sumo wrestlers.

This mood is similar to when...

Who is that over there?

Ushio Hinomaru-kun.

He's here for a one-day trial.

Oh, I heard he was coming.

He is rather good.

Hey, Nori-chan!

Stop the peeping tom act.

Get in here already.

My apologies.

It sounded like you were having such a good session,

I did not wish to interrupt.

Actually, to tell you the truth, I could not look away.

The ninth-ranked west maegashira, Saenoyama!

Good morning, sekitori!

So far, Ushio-kun's been fighting trainees from the makushita division and below.

It might sound rude, but they're second-rate pros, maybe even third-rate.

Makuuchi

Juryo

Makushita

Sandanme

Of the 700 or more pro sumo wrestlers,

Jonidan

Sandanme

Juryo

Makushita

Makuuchi

only the 70 in the juryo division and above are allowed

Jonokuchi

to tie their hair in an oicho topknot and call themselves sekitori.

Maezumo

And only sekitori are allowed to wear a white mawashi belt during practice.

He's a first-rate pro, Ushio-kun.

Ushio-kun has created a mood similar to a practice session for the sekitori.

But now that an actual sekitori is here, will things get even tenser?

Good morning. Thank you for your assistance earlier.

No, thank you for letting me be here.

Good morning, master.

Sekitori! Please have a bout with me!

Uh, Ushio-kun, the sekitori only just got here...

I would like to duel you as well.

Huh? Sekitori?

I may not look it, but I happen to be a real curious cat.

Is this the opportunity you were hoping for, Kirihito?

Even the weaker fighters were very adept, but...

Kusanagi was much stronger!

Ordinary opponents won't be enough.

I need to fight wrestlers on a whole other level!

Saenoyama-zeki!

I'll admit, we looked down on you when you first walked in.

But...

Spirit!

Why isn't he moving?

...don't look down on the pros, boy!

This is it!

O-One more time, please!

This is what I came for!

I feel like I'm doing nothing to him.

His lower body is so flexible, my strikes don't affect him.

But in a flash, his body becomes rock hard!

This is the power of the pro!

"Be like water."

That is the lesson our master taught me.

Your form must be fluid, but you must also strike with torrential force.

Like water, huh?

Your sumo is like fire, forever raging.

You could say it's heroic, but you might also call it sloppy.

Thank you very much.

I understand your abilities now.

Please wait, sekitori!

Any further bouts would be a waste of time.

It's my duty to achieve the rank of yokozuna, a glory my master was unable to taste.

I'm only here today!

Please, just one more bout!

The one thing I still do not understand is what spurs you on.

Have you not had enough?

Even if you cannot best me, there is no shame in it.

You certainly cannot be called weak.

You will be moderately successful in high school sumo.

"Moderately successful" isn't good enough.

I will become a yokozuna, just like you intend to!

Isn't that reason enough?

Like me?

Your dream of becoming a yokozuna is borne from childish idealism.

Meanwhile, I speak of it knowing full well how long and arduous a road it is.

What makes you think we are one and the same?

You asked for one more bout.

Very well.

Maybe you believe you will grow taller, or perhaps...

Regardless, those words that passed your lips so frivolously

are an insult to all sumo wrestlers.

The sekitori looks serious.

Don't back down. This is exactly why I'm here!

This is my last chance to find a way to evolve.

I need to do something about my charge.

I don't have the skill to overpower a sekitori.

All I can do is go as low and as fast as I can.

A spider stance?

That's it. Keep experimenting.

Spirit!

A slap!

Side slaps are banned in amateur competitions!

This feeling...

He used his knees as a cushion to absorb the impact.

After dozens of bouts, I don't have much strength left.

"Be like water."

That fluidity varies your rhythm and dictates the tempo in a sumo bout!

Fire doesn't just rage, huh?

It flickers and burns!

So what you've been waiting for all day is...

Kirihito found me an extremely skilled sparring partner.

I need to make the most of today!

Here I come. I'll swallow you and reach the top!

Some incredible force is erupting from deep inside him!

The sekitori pushed Ushio-kun to the ground first,

but his knee still went down!

My body was moving on its own.

It wasn't the same as what Kirihito did, but it felt so natural.

This must be a new technique unique to me.

But I was so close...

Damn! Dammit!

As agreed, that bout was our last.

Thank you very much.

I will expect to see you here again tomorrow.

I would like to see a little more of what you can do.

I may not look it, but I happen to be a real curious cat.

I'll be here!

So how was your remedial class?

Forget that. Someone called Gengoro from Ishigami showed up.

Gengoro?

Hello.

Yeah.

What? You're staying?

Saenoyama-zeki's sparring with me tomorrow.

So the master said I might as well stay over.

Think you'll acquire that new technique?

I'll let you know that when I see you.

Bye.

Was that Hinomaru-san?

Yeah. He's staying at the Shibakiyama Stable and training there again tomorrow.

They must really like him.

We have to work hard, too!

We can't leave it all up to him.

Yeah! I'll be working hard tomorrow!

No more failing tests, okay?

Yeah, you can count on me!

Take it down a notch.

Real sumo stable chankonabe stew!

Hey, Hinomaru-chan, good work today!

"H-Hinomaru-chan"?

Come over and eat with us.

You sure it's okay? The sekitori's still eating.

Today's an exception. Go chow down.

Y-Yes, sir!

The apprentices usually eat last, don't they?

Still...

This doesn't feel right.

I hear that you are a national treasure, Onimaru Kunitsuna.

A n-national treasure?

It's not a big deal. People just call me that.

That's not true.

I heard you held your own against Kusanagi.

Who told you that?

I'm a sumo club manager, so I get to hear a lot of high school sumo gossip.

By Kusanagi, do you mean...

Kuze Sosuke, the national treasure, Kusanagi Sword.

The son of former yokozuna, Yamatokuni.

Yamatokuni...

A national treasure?

He's somewhat of a hot topic these days.

People say he will rise quickly through the ranks if he turns professional.

I see. So you're in the same generation as his son, huh?

Tough break, kiddo.

Who was stronger, me or Junior?

W-Well, I did much better against him than I did against you.

Of course you did!

Hey, your chopsticks aren't moving!

This stew's a three-bowl minimum!

Y-Yes, sir!

After you've eaten your fill,

it's time for a nap.

We're off to buy groceries for dinner.

You have to do a lot of chores when you're an apprentice.

Yes, sir!

But... it's a lot of fun.

I know it's not all fun and games. You live to compete.

They must all have private doubts and anxieties.

I know all that.

I made some food, too!

This is the world of pro sumo I've been longing to join.

Whoa, I might ask you to marry me!

It's like I've actually made it.

I'm not here to play.

I haven't accomplished anything yet.

But still... even if only for a short time...

Let me soak in this feeling for a little while.

Did I wake you?

Sorry.

I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep.

I wanted to revisit in my mind everything I felt today.

You're too excited to sit and rest.

I want to be a pro.

Coming here has only made that desire greater.

I've been spending time at sumo stables on my days off lately.

My brother wants to be a pro, too.

I've been checking them out for him.

So, Ushio-kun, who was stronger?

Saenoyama-zeki or Kuze Sosuke?

It goes without saying that the sekitori has more power and better technique.

The sekitori sparred with me and has been kind to me, but...

If they fought each other, I don't know who would win.

Maybe Kuze looms too large in my mind.

Their height and techniques are evenly matched.

If I'm not able to fight a full-strength sekitori, I won't...

I understand now.

So your friend chose Saenoyama as a stand-in for Kuze Sosuke.

M-Master!

After fighting the sekitori yesterday, you must have a lot you want to work on.

I'll spar with you.

When I was past my prime, I got myself a victory

by defeating the higher-ranked Yamatokuni.

I'm sure my experience will be useful for you.

What's wrong? I don't take off my shirt for just anyone.

Why would you go this far for me?

I'd understand if I were a sumo wrestler destined to turn pro.

But I am... well...

I see myself in you. Something us old folks have a bad habit of doing.

I was called small and helpless,

but I still fought hard to become a yokozuna.

I only made it as high as sekiwake.

People congratulated me, of course, but I never achieved my dream.

If only I'd been taller...

I passed that dream on to Saenoyama.

But I have one more dream.

To see someone small become a yokozuna.

Realize that dream for me!

That was a bit long-winded, but I'm trying to say I like you, kid!

When you're ready to turn pro, come to me.

You got that? I'll be waiting.

Yes, sir!

What? Is Hinomaru up?

Hey, the master's practicing with him!

He's never done that for me!

What's this? Everyone's awake now?

Aw, screw it! Let's just start practice now!

All right!

A high schooler's getting the pros excited.

Ushio Hinomaru-kun, huh?

Thanks for having me!

Ah, that was so much fun!

Having someone my age around made things easier.

Thanks.

Right back at ya.

If both our schools win enough bouts, we'll see each other at nationals.

Yeah, I'm gonna be at nationals so I can become the high school yokozuna!

And I hope you do.

But I don't think you'll manage it this year, because my brother's competing.

Your brother?

You said you were a manager, but what high school are you from?

Tottori Hakuro.

Tottori Hakuro?

You mean...

I'm Tennoji Saki. Nice to meet you, Ushio Hinomaru-kun.

Tennoji Shido, the national champion!

I thought Ishigami High School was sure to be the team from Chiba,

but I learned something new today.

Onimaru Kunitsuna and Odachi High School, huh?

I'll be waiting at the top, Ushio-kun.

Tennoji, Kuze... and Sada at Ishigami before I even meet them!

I need to perfect my new technique and beat them all!

Shibakiyama Stable

Shibakiyama Stable

Shibakiyama Stable

Hey, check it out!

Shibakiyama Stable

What? That's just weird.

Hey, what do you think?

What's with that lame shirt?

Oh, a Shibakiyama T-shirt!

I'd love one of those!

Next Bout "The Honest Clown"

Captain!