TV series

Judo Icchokusen

1969–1971 · 1 season

A earnest sports drama where every match is a test of spirit, with intense training and rivalry.

Overview: Based on the manga by Ikki Kajiwara, with art by Shinji Nagashima and Yuzuru Saito. After his father dies following defeat at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Naoya Ichijo meets the mysterious judoka Shusaku Kuruma and becomes his disciple, mastering special techniques such as the "Jigoku-guruma" (Hell Wheel) and "Ebi-guruma" (Shrimp Wheel) while fighting rivals and foreign judoka on the way to becoming a top judoka.
How it feels: Earnest, tense, melancholic and uplifting. Measured and needs your attention.
About: Coming-of-age, friendship, grief, ambition
Content: Mild violence and language. No gore or sexual content.
Note: Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Full breakdown

Tone: earneststrength 2 of 3
tensestrength 2 of 3
melancholicstrength 1 of 3
upliftingstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: coming-of-age
friendship
grief
ambition
survival
Places: school
Era: contemporary
Audience: teen
Form: serialised
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence mild
Sex none