First sumo documentary film

[Akinomaki]

Sumo-do, those in succession of the samurai 相撲道～サムライを継ぐ者たち～ - fighting 365 days

106min. Start in cinemas in Japan on Oct. 30th. The film calls itself world first ozumo documentary film.

Keiko had been followed 6 months from Dec. 2018 till June 2019 in Takadagawa-beya of ex-Akinoshima with Ryuden in the focus and Sakaigawa-beya of ex-Ryogoku with Goeido (now Takekuma) in the focus. http://natalie.mu/eiga/news/394398

  o o

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Director debut: Eiji Sakata 坂田栄治

Coordinate producer: sumo artist Kototsurugi

Narration: Kenichi Endō

Edited September 1, 2020 by Akinomaki

[hakutorizakura]

Very cool! Hope it will be available outside Japan at some point.

[Shinobi Steve]

I’ll certainly watch it when it’s available with subtitles. I think I’ve exhausted all of the quasi-documentaries available on YouTube. 

[ryafuji]

20 hours ago, hakutorizakura said:

Very cool! Hope it will be available outside Japan at some point.

I tried to search for the film in English and all that came up was the 1992 film Sumo Do, Sumo Don't. Rather confusing that the titles are so similar...

[Akinomaki]

12 minutes ago, ryafuji said:

I tried to search for the film in English and all that came up was the 1992 film Sumo Do, Sumo Don't. Rather confusing that the titles are so similar...

I have seen no official English title yet, the one here is just my translation. Maybe they think of a nice one and have it run as full feature documentary film at the Oscars next year. (Probably just: Sumo samurais)

Edited September 2, 2020 by Akinomaki

[Seiyashi]

Or, more literally, The Way of Sumo: Successors of the Samurai. 

[Akinomaki]

On 01/09/2020 at 12:38, Akinomaki said:

Sumo-do, those in succession of the samurai 相撲道～サムライを継ぐ者たち～ - fighting 365 days

106min. Start in cinemas in Japan on Oct. 30th. The film calls itself world first ozumo documentary film.

Keiko had been followed 6 months from Dec. 2018 till June 2019 in Takadagawa-beya of ex-Akinoshima with Ryuden in the focus and Sakaigawa-beya of ex-Ryogoku with Goeido (now Takekuma) in the focus. http://natalie.mu/eiga/news/394398

Director debut: Eiji Sakata 坂田栄治

The director was interviewed by Nikkansports, he wants the film to appeal to foreign fans as well, it will be shown next month at the  Hawaii International Film Festival as SUMODO-THE SUCCESSORS OF SAMURAI

Q: "Your next work?"

A: "If this succeeds, SUMODO-2"

Edited October 23, 2020 by Akinomaki

[Morning]

I would like another Thermae Romae movie, maybe they could have Hakuho in it this time, although I guess he'd need to retire first.

Wasn't there at least on other documentary some time ago about two new guys who struggled (and seemingly only joined because they saw no other prospects)?

[Akinomaki]

39 minutes ago, Morning said:

I would like another Thermae Romae movie, maybe they could have Hakuho in it this time, although I guess he'd need to retire first.

Wasn't there at least on other documentary some time ago about two new guys who struggled (and seemingly only joined because they saw no other prospects)?

So far there were movies, also biographical ones with sometimes even the rikishi playing themselves, and plenty of shorter TV documentaries, but apparently never a full documentary film for the cinema.

[Yamanashi]

2 hours ago, Morning said:

I would like another Thermae Romae movie, maybe they could have Hakuho in it this time, although I guess he'd need to retire first.

He wouldn't have to retire, but I think Thermae Romae II was a special one-off [I'll bet there are some threads from 2014 in this Forum].

Of the 8 rikishi who are credited on IMDB, two (Akebono, Tochiazuma) had retired, one (Kotooshu) was near retirement, two (Takekaze, Daikiho) retired in 2019, and three (Fujiazuma, Toyohibiki and Masuyonama) are still active.

[WAKATAKE]

On 23/10/2020 at 12:22, Yamanashi said:

He wouldn't have to retire, but I think Thermae Romae II was a special one-off [I'll bet there are some threads from 2014 in this Forum].

Of the 8 rikishi who are credited on IMDB, two (Akebono, Tochiazuma) had retired, one (Kotooshu) was near retirement, two (Takekaze, Daikiho) retired in 2019, and three (Fujiazuma, Toyohibiki and Masuyonama) are still active.

Is that from the English IMDB? I just checked the Japanese Wikipedia page and I was able to identify several other rikishi, one yobidashi and one gyoji that were also in the film.

Akebono, Tochiazuma II, Kotooshu, Takekaze, Daikiho, Fujisazuma, Toyohibiki, Masunoyama

AND

Nionoumi
Daishi (Miyuki)
Isoazuma
Sadanokuni
Mutsukaze
Hatachijo
Hakkairyu
Hokutoarashi

Tasuke (yobidashi)

Kimura Konosuke (gyoji)

Edited October 24, 2020 by WAKATAKE

[Yamanashi]

10 minutes ago, WAKATAKE said:

Is that from the English IMDB? I just checked the Japanese Wikipedia page and I was able to identify several other rikishi, one yobidashi and one gyoji that were also in the film.

Akebono, Tochiazuma II, Kotooshu, Takekaze, Daikiho, Fujisazuma, Toyohibiki, Masunoyama

AND

Nionoumi
Daishi (Miyuki)
Isoazuma
Sadanokuni
Mutsukaze
Hatachijo
Hakkairyu
Hokutoarashi

Tasuke (yobidashi)

Kimura Konosuke (gyoji)

Thanks.  I don't know enough to be able to pick them out of the Japanese IMDB.

I fondly remember the two movies.  Akebono had a good part as the top gladiator, and Kotooshu got a cameo.  Osh was also kind of a goodwill ambassador because a lot of the locations were shot in Bulgaria.  A great scene when Lucius (Hiroshi Abe) gets transported to the sumo jungyo(?).  Takekaze and Toyohibiki stand out of course!

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1529869/hideki-takeuchis-comedy-thermae-romae-ii-aimed-international-viewers

 

EDIT: You can see Kotooshu with the stars in one of their junket appearances.

 

Edited October 24, 2020 by Yamanashi

[hakutorizakura]

Wow, I didn't know there's Thermae II, moreover with sumo!!! Gotta watch it somewhere...

[Akinomaki]

On 01/09/2020 at 12:38, Akinomaki said:

Sumo-do, successors of the samurai 相撲道～サムライを継ぐ者たち～ - fighting 365 days

106min. Start in cinemas in Japan on Oct. 30th. The film calls itself world first ozumo documentary film.

Keiko had been followed 6 months from Dec. 2018 till June 2019 in Takadagawa-beya of ex-Akinoshima with Ryuden in the focus and Sakaigawa-beya of ex-Ryogoku with Goeido (now Takekuma) in the focus.

With the start on Friday, more trailers appeared on the official YT channel: sumo with rock (Sakaigawa) and funk (Takadagawa), to make it appealing to the world https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001188.000003481.html

https://sumodo-movie.jp/

more posters as well 

 

o

Edited October 29, 2020 by Akinomaki

[code_number3]

From Chris

 

[Octofuji]

Just a warning the film is not viewable from the UK (and I guess maybe other countries too). I couldn't find any information about restrictions on the film festival website.

I expect you could get round it with a VPN if you were technically minded (I'm not). They gave a prompt refund happily.

Hopefully it'll make its way onto other media one day, it looks really good.

 

[Godango]

"SUMODO～The Successors of Samurai" will be available in the JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE 2022.

Available February 14 - 28, 2022, streaming starts from February 14, 5:00 p.m. till February 28, 4:59 p.m. (Japan Standard Time). You have only 48 hours to finish watching.

Available in the following countries (worth trying via VPN if you're outside of them):

• Argentina
• Australia
• Bangladesh
• Brazil
• Cambodia
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• Germany
• Hungary
• India
• Indonesia
• Italy
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Myanmar
• Nepal
• New Zealand
• Pakistan
• Peru
• Philippines
• South Korea
• Spain
• Thailand
• United States
• Vietnam

[Yamanashi]

I've seen some of the other offerings:  "Bread of Happiness" (Shiawase no pan) is a back-to-the-country film with Yo Oizumo; "The Floating Castle" (Nobo no Shiro) is a kind of taiga ... comedy (?) in the style of "The Kiyosu Conference".  Most of these films are from ~2012-2016.

And @Jakusotsu will be thrilled to know that one of the stars of SUMODO is GOEIDO Gotaro!

[Godango]

11 minutes ago, Yamanashi said:

I've seen some of the other offerings:  "Bread of Happiness" (Shiawase no pan) is a back-to-the-country film with Yo Oizumo; "The Floating Castle" (Nobo no Shiro) is a kind of taiga ... comedy (?) in the style of "The Kiyosu Conference".  Most of these films are from ~2012-2016.

And @Jakusotsu will be thrilled to know that one of the stars of SUMODO is GOEIDO Gotaro!

Nice, I've heard good things about 'Under the Open Sky' also.

For anyone interested in my opinion, I saw SumoDo in person at the Japanese Film Festival a couple of months ago and it was excellent. As someone who's always had a love/hate attitude to Goeido, I came out of it with a lot of respect for him, and the documentary itself was very well done and entertaining. Accessible for all levels of sumo fandom.

[Shinobi Steve]

6 hours ago, Godango said:

Available February 14 - 28, 2022, streaming starts from February 14, 5:00 p.m. till February 28, 4:59 p.m. (Japan Standard Time). You have only 48 hours to finish watching.

My birthday falls into that time window, so I'll definitely be watching. I'm wanted to watch Sumodo since it was released, so happy to have a chance soon.