You’ve heard of the irresistible force meeting the unmovable object, I’m sure.  Well, the first bout of this week’s Hinomaru Zumou was something else – two irresistible forces pushing in the same direction:

• The series cannot end without the protagonist fighting with everything on the line.
• No foreigner is going to beat a Japanese in a match of real importance.

Either one would have been enough to ensure there was no doubt as to the outcome of that match – putting them together was just overkill.  The gaikoukujin in question is Daniel Stefanov, and while we’re not told what country he’s from (just “Europe”) I’m thinking Bulgaria, given the number of expats from there who’ve succeeded in sumo.  Interestingly Daniel is played by Justin Tomimori, a half-Japanese/half-Australian actor who’s new to anime as far as I can tell.  Daniel is in some sense a stereotypical foreigner as in an ANA commercial – tall and blonde – but he’s also humble to the point of being meek.

Daniel is pure sacrificial lamb here, but we do get his backstory as he’s led to the slaughter.  A sumo geek who moved to Japan to pursue it, he couldn’t do a thing despite his size until Sousuke showed up, giving him a source of inspiration,  But this moment is all about Shinya’s inspiration, not Daniel’s.  As if all the other factors weren’t enough both Yuuma and Chihiro have already gotten their wins in the final two matches, so it was Ozeki’s turn.  The focus with him is patience, and he’s certainly had plenty of opportunity to practice it.  He outlasts Daniel, pretty much, waiting for the bigger but inexperienced opponent to slip up and leave himself open.

Which of course he eventually does, which clears the way for the bout the entire series has been building towards.  Hinomaru Zumou has always been less about surprises than executing the familiar well, and so it is here – we all knew it was coming, but it was a good buildup.  Both Ushio and Sousuke have a lot on the line here, but without question Ushio even more – sooner or later if he’s going to have a future as a pro, this is the path through which he’s going to have to earn it (barring a late growth spurt).  For Kuze it’s pretty much about the same thing it always is – living up the pressure of the Yamatokuni name.  And that will never go away until he becomes a Yokozuna himself.

I liked the way the series gave us an idea of that sort of pressure, through what Yamatokuni tells his son -“We’re all human.  We all make mistakes.  So you have to stop being human“.  Well, that kind of says it all, doesn’t it?  We’re finally at the point where there’s a measure of suspense about a bout (though I certainly have my suspicions), and there are no clear indications about who’ll come out on top.  Ushio reverts back to his preferred straight-ahead style, and get off to a strong start, but Sousuke soon enough reasserts his physical superiority.  In a battle of wills my money is on Ushio, but if it comes down to skill and power, it’s hard to bet against the sumo Gods.

I confess the last couple of omakes have been very funny, especially this one.  Ushio shows just how much of a sumotaku he is when, after witnessing Reina and Chizuko doing sumo (and a lot more), what bothers him is that he wants to coach the pair of them.  One track mind, indeed…