“The Road to Judo Cannot Be Traveled in a Day” Ninja with special powers, Robots that shoot missile out of their fingers or Shinigami out to save the world from Demons, these are often the images one gets when thinking of Anime. But, there is another side of Anime that is often overlooked, it is the simple little stories of life that explores growing up and understanding the choices we sometimes have to make. Yawara! The Fashionable Judo Girl is one of these often overlooked Anime series. The series was very popular in Japan from 1989 to 1992 and tells the story of a high school girl who is a true Judo Prodigy and her struggle to have a normal life. The Japanese have a wonderful ability of telling these type of stories and this is a great example of how it should be done. The coming to age story is often viewed through the lens of a young man who has great challenges to overcome. I the case of Yawara! the story is told through the eyes young girl who is a senior in high school and all she really wants is to find a boyfriend and go to college to major in domestic studies. Her Grandfather, Jigoro Inokuma, has a much different idea. He was a famous Judo Master, a 7th, 8th or 9th Dan Master, depending on who he is talking to at the time. He has trained Yawara since she was very little to become the greatest Judo Master in Japan and go on to win the Gold Metal in the 1992 Barcelona Games and then win the National Merit Award. The National Merit award is the highest award given to Japanese citizens who have become true national heros. One major problem with this dream of his is that Yawara wants nothing to do with it. The Box set contains 6 DVD covering the first 40 episodes of the 128 episode series. The Episodes featured in the Box Set cover the time frame from November 1989 to August 1990 . The story line is solid and held together with the typical love triangle, or should I say love square. The animation was all hand rendered and well done for being produced for TV in 1989-90. The lack of high tech animation is easily ignored because of the strength of the story line. Highlights Disc One: Covers the surprise discovery of Yawara when she stops a would be purse snatcher and is caught by a sports reporter and his photographer. The cover photo is a rather revealing one. The remainder of the disc revolves around the discovery of who Yawara is and her emergence into the Japanese publics awareness. Additionally, the first blush of love, or a crush, appears, and it just happens to be her biggest rival’s coach, Kazamatsuri. Disc Two: Sets the stage for Yawara’s national fame and her attempt to end it all by throwing a televised match. Her grandfather, Jigoro, works very hard to set up a big debut for Yawara. Her plans to loose tournament backfires on Yawara when she slips into automatic and performs a Ippon-Zeoi on a major Nation Judo Competitor in the final round. This brings up Yawara’s true strength and makes her the great unknown and all the major Judo competitors in the world want to fight her. Disc Three: Is all about the major competition to be held at the Budokon. Yawara struggles not to be involved but, everyone around her will do all they can to get her to compete. Finally, it comes down to love. Also, Yawara takes on the task of being the coach of the high school Judo team and turns a group of talentless young men into hopeful winner and helps them work toward their own dreams of just wining a qualifying round. Disc Four: Takes you past the win at the Budokon and Yawara’s increasing fame. All the great competitors in the world want to take her on and one comes and stays with Yawara. Jody, a champion form Canada, came all the way to Japan to fight Yawara and ends up staying with her and they train side by side. All Yawara wants to do is study for her entrance exam into the Junior College. Jody and Yawara become very close and this friendship drives Yawara to promise to some day fight Jody in a competition. Disc Five: Yawara makes a deal with her Grandfather to be able to take the entrance exam for the college she wants to attend, instead of the sport college by competing in 10 tournaments. After passing the exam she ends up having dinner with the two men in her life. After a long struggle with her grandfather about what school to attend he agrees with her as long as she enters the All-Japan tournament. Yawara ends up in the Finals against her main rival, but because of an injury the bout does not happen. Yawara becomes the All-Japan Champion. Disc Six: Yawara starts her College career and tries to find fun by joining a club, but which club to join? Her attempts go south but she does make a connection with a girl who has lead a similar life as Yawara. She was a famous ballerina who was so involved in the work that she missed her childhood and is also looking for a normal life. Yawara does not let anyone know of her fame as the All-Japan Judo Champion. Her friend Jody is going to start to compete again and Yawara must decide what to do. Should she pass on her promise or (should she) compete in the International Competition in Korea? That’s were we are left, wanting to know what happens, does Yawara compete or does she continue to try and find a normal life and a Man? Extras The disc set has several extra features including a fine character bio section, an interactive map, image collection and Trivia. But the most impressive extra is the 72 page booklet included with the DVDs. “The Road of Yawara! Cannot Be Walked in a Day” (The Ultimate Yawara Handbook), is by far one of the best booklets I have ever come across in a box set. It only spends a few pages giving general credits and information. The majority of it is spent giving useful information about Japanese names and how they refer to each other along with a large section that is devoted to Judo and Judo terms. Having studied Judo in my youth I found it wonderful to relive some of the training I received. There is section entitled Episode Notes, it does not give a synopsis of each episodes, but instead provides filler information that makes the story much more personable?. AnimEigo will be releasing this box set to retail outlets in May 2009. Be sure to look for it and take a chance, I think you find it endearing and well worth it. ComicsOnline happily gives Yawara! Fashionable Judo Girl 5 out of 5 Ippon-Zeoi’s.