zoom_in Click to enlarge

Yawara!

▲ ▼

language

description Yawara! Overview

High school student Yawara Inokuma lives a completely happy and ordinary life. She aspires to an average lifestyle as a delicate young lady with a handsome boyfriend in the near future. Unfortunately for Yawara, she has an undesirable prodigious talent in Judo, a modern martial art that is neither feminine nor fashionable. Moreover, Yawara is the only granddaughter of the seventh dan Judo master Jigorou Inokuma, who expects her to become a Japanese Judoka superstar of the '90s.

Yawara cautiously hides her strength from everyone to maintain a normal reputation but is often pushed to situations when she must exercise her Judo skills.

help Yawara! FAQ

Who is the main character in the anime Yawara!?

The series follows Yawara Inokuma, a high school girl who possesses an extraordinary, prodigious talent for Judo. However, she has no interest in the sport and simply wants to live an ordinary life, find a handsome boyfriend, and be a delicate young lady.

Who created the original manga for Yawara!?

The series was created by Naoki Urasawa, who would later become famous for acclaimed psychological thrillers like Monster and 20th Century Boys. Yawara! was one of his earliest major hits, running in Big Comic Spirits magazine.

Which animation studio adapted Yawara! into an anime?

The anime adaptation was produced by Madhouse and aired on Japanese television from 1989 to 1992. It spanned an impressive 124 episodes, following Yawara's journey toward the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.

Is Yawara! considered a sports anime or a romantic comedy?

It is a hybrid of both genres, blending intense Judo tournament action with heavy slice-of-life and romantic comedy elements. The tension between Yawara's desire for a normal romantic life and her grandfather's insistence that she become a judo champion drives the narrative.

swap_horiz

Looking for Yawara! alternatives? Compare top competitors ranked & scored

arrow_forward