Yawara! A fashionable judo girl.
I've come to really like this series, though I've only seem the first 8, out of 124, episodes (that's 6.45% for those of you scoring at home). Maybe this is because its the kind of thing I wouldn't feel too embarrassed about if a neighbor came over while I was watching it. Considering it was a TV show which ran from 1989 to 1992, the production value is really good; quite a bit better than say Marmalade Boy which this series predated by two years.
It also has a great plot, the kind of thing that a grownup can sit there and watch and not keep telling himself, "I'm watching this for the art, don't try and follow it, look at the art". Nope, we have three different story lines ongoing, all of which have really well realized characters with quirky, unique personalities. Yawara's "rival" is perhaps a touch on the Project A-ko side for my liking, but just a touch. Yawara's grandfather's character is way over the top; but considering most old people in anime are way Way WAY over the top, Jigoro is almost subtle by comparison and downright hysterical. The other major story line is that of the Third Rate Newspaper reporter who is trying to out Yawara as a judo prodigy. I was surprised at well his motivations were explained.
Anyway, at least through the first 8 episodes, this is a character driven show which happens to be about judo. I was afraid that it would be sort of DBZ (shudder) meets Ranma (tiny shudder), but it is really, really a good story. I'm very happy about this, and I hope this balance is maintained as the series progresses.
I also like her friends. They are the anti-anime high school girls. One is over-weight, one is, well, cosmetically challenged, one is just sort of plain. Even Yawara's rival has a fake tooth. Little imperfections like this really add up to make the characters believable. And the judo matches themselves almost adhere to Newtonian Physics. The movements, transport of mass and all that stuff almost look plausible. Not quite, and Yawara can throw a mean heavy object if you catch her in the tub, but I enjoyed the effort they put into the judo itself.
And I'm really taken with Yawara's character design. I've never seen the original manga, but I bet it has more to do with Yoshinori Kanemori, who did the actual character designs of the series. Plain by comparison to the blue-haired big-purple-eyed characters of some anime which came out just a year or two later, Yawara's design really grows on you. She actually looks different at different times, which I find to be a lot of fun to watch. I just wish
http://www.jdillon.prohosting.com/tutorial/index.html ">Julie's How to Draw Anime would do a Yawara tutorial, because I sure as heck can't draw!
In summary, if you want magical girl fancy goo goo yadda yadda, go elsewhere. If you want great characters and a great plot - ippon!
Last updated Thursday, December 09 1999. Created Thursday, December 09 1999.
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