Synopsis
Yawara Inokuma is a high school student who wishes for an ordinary life, dreaming of becoming a graceful young woman with a charming boyfriend. But she possesses a hidden gift for Judo, a martial art considered neither fashionable nor feminine. Making things more complicated, she is the only granddaughter of Jigorou Inokuma, a seventh-dan Judo master with grand ambitions for her to become a prominent figure in Japanese Judo during the 1990s. To preserve her image as a typical girl, Yawara conceals her extraordinary skills from those around her. Nevertheless, she frequently finds herself forced to use her Judo abilities in various situations. Meanwhile, Kousaku Matsuda, a sports reporter from a disreputable newspaper, persistently tries to reveal her talents and push her into the spotlight.
Background
Yawara! competed against Ranma ½ on Japanese television and achieved higher ratings, although Ranma ½ was more popular internationally. Yawara! had remained quite unknown outside Japan and only got licensed for North American distribution in August 2006, over a decade after its airing period.
