Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl
[Episodes 1-24 of 124 Reviewed + TV Special]
[Reviewed by Bethany]

I surprise myself that I like Yawara as much as I do. By far, it is not the best anime I've seen. The animation is nothing to speak of, I'm not fond of a great many of the characters, and the humor often wanders into the realms of crude. It's also marked by an extreme lack of prettyboys. And yet I often find myself plopping myself down on the couch, putting in the tapes, and squealing. Why?

Story
Yawara Inokuma lives with her grandfather (and occasionally her mother, who is usually off roaming the world in search of Yawara's long-lost father). She attends high school and attempts to keep a low profile — she has her share of girlish pleasures, has crushes... and more than anything wants to be a normal girl. Her grandfather, however, is dead-set against this, and thwarts Yawara at every turn. Because Yawara isn't just a normal girl. She's a judo-champion in training, and has the potential to win a gold medal in the Olympics. Her grandfather, short and annoying but one hell of a judo instructor, forces Yawara down the road he chooses for her: the road to Barcelona... and then to the National Medal of Honor. (Or, Seoul and then Barcelona in the manga. I think.)

In addition to the struggle between Yawara and her grandfather for control of her life, a number of other people come into Yawara's life ... all of whom have some sort of idea as to what Yawara should do — most of whom want her to continue with judo. She finds a rival in Sayaka — who is bored, rich, and good at everything. Yawara couldn't really care less about competing with her in judo: but the competition in love spans a good chunk of the series. Kazamatsuri is a playboy and less-than-assertive when it comes to Sayaka and her father... but does seem to truly care for Yawara. Matsuda follows Yawara from her debut, through her successes and through her attempts to leave the judo world ... but can't seem to tell her how he really feels. And then there's her grandfather, constantly pushing her this way and that, refusing to let her take control of her own destiny.

What Else?
Yawara is long, both in terms of episodes and length-of-time covered. Six years — at least — pass by the time the end is reached, and the characters are no longer who they were at the beginning. Well, at least, two of them aren't. Yawara gains maturity and sense of herself by the end (going by spoilers, the end of the manga, and the TV special here) ... and is able to discover just what it is she wants. (And who she wants, heh.) People come in and out of her life, and while many of the other characters seem to go on as happily as they once had, Yawara herself is affected by each new person she confronts. Matsuda also gains maturity — and finally the courage to express his feelings. But otherwise, I don't think the other characters do change. And, for the most part, they don't have much depth. That doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable ... but it does mean that I watch Yawara mainly for the interaction of a select few characters, and try to stomach Jigoro's hyper-psychotic antics.

The music is pretty good, if I recall correctly, and while its humor isn't exactly my taste, the show is amusing. Sadly, very little of it has been fansubbed — but the anime follows the manga pretty closely (from what I've seen), so if you're desperate, you needn't worry. It also goes at a pace I love — time passes smoothly, and Yawara's transitions through life are handled very well.

The Bottom Line
Yawara is enjoyable, if not the best anime you'll ever see. It has spunk and a sense of fun — and a girl who can throw grown men across the room. If you want something rather light and... uh, yellow, Yawara is a good one to watch.