Judo Sanka: A thorough evaluation of the story and characters of Waza-ari

A comprehensive review and recommendation of Judo Hymn - Judo Sanka

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

April 1, 1974 - September 30, 1974

■Broadcasting station

Nippon Television

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 27

■Original Story

Original story: Ikki Kajiwara, illustrations: Hiroshi Kaizuka

■ Production

Animation Production: Tokyo Movie

■Works

©Kazuo Kajiwara and Hiroshi Kaizuka/TMS

■ Story

Tomoe Toshinta, who grew up in the rough seas of the outer Boso Peninsula, enters the prefectural Koyo High School and begins to disrupt club activities in order to become the school's leader. Among them, captain Daitobo, the only one who was able to beat up the others, saw his eye on the judo club, and Toshinta decided to master judo and polish his skills. However, Toshinta's mother, Teruko, turns out to be a genius judoka, and Rikama, a teacher who is after Toshinta as the enemy of his dead brother, appears...

■Cast

Tomoe Tosinta: Mori Koichi / Tomoe Teruko: Sawada Toshiko / Rikama Ryuhei: Ikemizu Michihiro / Daitobo Ichigo: Kanemoto Shingo / Arao Chief: Saka Osamu / Tatewaki Shogo: Tanaka Nobuo and others

■ Main staff

Chief Director: Yoshida Shigenobu / Screenplay: Yamazaki Haruya, Ito Tsunehisa, Inoue Tomoji, Matsuzaki Yukio / Director: Mikuriya Kyosuke / Storyboard: Takayashiki Hideo, Hata Masami, Imazawa Tetsuo, and others / Assistant Director: Uemura Takeyuki, Ishikawa Teruo / Animation Supervisor: Kusube Daikichirō / Animation Directors: Kumano Motoo, Kosai Takao, Kawajiri Yoshiaki, Koizumi Kenzo, Yamaguchi Yasuhiro, Araki Shingo, Kabashima Yoshio, and others / Art Director: Kageyama Jin / Director of Photography: Misawa Katsuji / Sound Director: Chiba Koichi / Editor: Koshino Hiroko / Sound Engineer: Hoshino Toshiaki / Sound Effects: Kataoka Yozo / Animation: Anime Room, Takahashi Yumiko, Fukuchi Nobuyuki, and others / Cinematography: Tokyo Animation Film: Wakana Akio, Owada Toru, and others / Music: Takai Tatsuo / Producer: Kawaguchi Harutoshi (Nippon TV)

■ Theme songs and music

[OP] Song: Judo Hymn / Singer: Shimon Masato / Lyrics: Kajiwara Ikki / Composer: Takai Tatsuo / Arranger: Takai Tatsuo [ED] Song: Mother and Child Killer Whale Song / Singer: Royal Knights / Lyrics: Kajiwara Ikki / Composer: Takai Tatsuo / Arranger: Takai Tatsuo

■ Evaluation

"Judo Sanka," which aired in 1974, is a TV anime series based on the manga written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Hiroshi Kaizuka. This work tells the story of youth and growth through judo, and made a strong impression on viewers at the time. Below, we will review this work in detail from various perspectives, including the story, characters, production staff, and music.

story

The story of "Judo Sanka" begins with Tomoe Toshinta, who grew up in the rough seas of the outer Boso Peninsula, starting to disrupt school club activities in order to become the school's leader. However, his life changes dramatically when he is seen by the judo club's captain, Daitobo, and joins the club. Toshinta decides to master judo and hones his skills, but the story is filled with conflicts with his mother, Teruko, a genius judoka, and his teacher, Rikama, who is after Toshinta as the enemy of his dead brother.

While the story depicts youth and growth, it also deals with serious themes such as family ties and revenge, deeply moving viewers. In particular, the process in which Tsushinta reexamines himself and grows through judo has resonated with many young people. Another highlight is the friendship and rivalry depicted through the sport of judo.

character

The main character, Tomoe Toshinta, has a rough personality and grew up in the rough seas of the outer Boso Peninsula, but after joining the judo club, his talent blossoms. Mori Koji's voice acting as Toshinta realistically portrayed Toshinta's growth, leaving a strong impression on viewers. Sawada Toshiko, who plays Toshinta's mother, Teruko, also exquisitely portrayed Teruko's strength as a genius judoka and her kindness as a mother.

Other characters with unique personalities such as Michihiro Ikemizu as Rikama, a teacher who targets Tsushinta as the enemy of his dead brother, and Shingo Kanemoto as Daitobo, the captain of the judo club, add excitement to the story. The performances of these characters deeply move the audience and enhance the appeal of the entire work.

Production Staff

The production staff of "Judo Sanka" was a gathering of leading talents in the industry at the time, including chief director Shigetsugu Yoshida, scriptwriters Haruya Yamazaki, Tsunehisa Ito, Satoshi Inoue, Yukio Matsuzaki, and director Kyosuke Mikuriya. In particular, many excellent animation staff participated, such as animation supervisor Daikichiro Kusube, and animation directors Motoo Kumano, Takao Kosai, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Kenzo Koizumi, Yasuhiro Yamaguchi, Shingo Araki, and Yoshio Kabashima, who supported the visual aspects of the work.

In addition, experts in various fields, such as art director Jin Kageyama, cinematographer Katsuji Misawa, sound director Koichi Chiba, and editor Hiroko Koshino, worked together to create the film. Thanks to the efforts of this staff, "Judo Sanka" achieved high quality and left a strong impression on viewers.

music

The music for "Judo Sanka" was composed by Tatsuo Takai. The opening theme "Judo Sanka" is a song that symbolizes the theme of the work, with Masato Shikado's powerful singing voice and Tatsuo Takai's composition and arrangement. The ending theme "Mother and Child Shachi no Uta" is sung by the Royal Knights and composed and arranged by Tatsuo Takai, enhancing the moving scenes of the work.

These songs left a deep impression on the viewers' hearts and became an important element in enhancing the appeal of the work. Furthermore, the music in the play, thanks to the talent of Tatsuo Takai, played a role in enhancing the viewers' emotions as the story unfolded.

■Recommendation

"Judo Sanka" is a work with many appealing features, including a moving story about youth and growth, distinctive characters, excellent production staff, and impressive music. In particular, the heavy themes of friendship, rivalry, family ties, and revenge depicted through the sport of judo will deeply move viewers.

Although this series was broadcast in 1974, its appeal has not faded even today, and it is loved by many fans. I highly recommend it to those who like works with themes of youth and sports, and also to those who like works that depict heavy themes such as family ties and revenge.

Furthermore, "Judo Sanka" is a work that brought together the industry's leading talents at the time, and the high quality of the production staff's efforts has been achieved. It is also recommended for those who are interested in the history of animation and the behind-the-scenes production.

Finally, the music of "Judo Sanka" is a song that will leave a deep impression on the viewers' hearts thanks to the talent of Tatsuo Takai. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes music. Please watch this work and feel its charm.