Yawara! 1989
★ 7.1/10 · 7 votes AnimationComedyDrama 1 seasons · 124 eps Ended
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Quick answer
What is Yawara!?
Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl!
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 1989
- Status
- Ended
- Episodes
- 124
- Runtime
- 25 minutes
- First aired
- Oct 16, 1989
- Last aired
- Sep 21, 1992
- Original language
- JA
- Origin
- JP
- Networks
- Nippon TV
- Genres
- Animation, Comedy, Drama
- Updated
Availability by region
Where to watch
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Planning tool
How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 124 episodes and an average 25-minute runtime.
Trailer
No official trailer is available for this title yet.
Find the trailer on YouTube ↗Overview
Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl! is an animated television series that follows the life of a high school student named Yawara Inokuma. While she aspires to lead a normal, ordinary life as a delicate young lady, she is being trained by her grandfather, a seventh dan Judo master named Jigorou Inokuma. Her grandfather intends for her to become Japan's great hope for the women's Judo competition at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Produced by Kitty Films, the series is based on the manga written and illustrated by Naoki Urasawa. The television adaptation was broadcast on Yomiuri TV from October 16, 1989, until September 21, 1992. Spanning a total of 124 episodes, the program incorporates elements of comedy and drama to depict Yawara's experiences over a four-year period as she prepares for Olympic competition. The story explores the conflict between her grandfather's expectations and her own desire for an average lifestyle. The series was also accompanied by an animated film titled Yawara! Soreyuke Koshinuke Kizzu!!.
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Should you watch it?
“A judo prodigy struggles to balance Olympic dreams with teenage life.”
Reasons to watch
- Engaging mix of sports and school life
- Strong character development
- Humor balanced with emotional depth
Keep in mind
- Episodic pacing may feel slow
- Some tropes are predictable
You enjoy sports anime with heartfelt storytelling.
Suitable for teens and up; focuses on personal growth and competition.
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Cast
Yuko Minaguchi
Yawara / Kaneko (voice)
Ichiro Nagai
Jigoro (voice)
Toshihiko Seki
Matsuda / Eiji (voice)
Yoshino Takamori
Sayaka / Saeko (voice)
Akira Kamiya
Kazamatsuri / Saimonji (voice)
Masashi Sugawara
Hanazono / Manager (voice)
Chiyoko Kawashima
Fujiko (voice)
Masashi Hirose
Military police (voice)
☻
Akira Shimada
Criminal (voice)
Atsuko Mine
Waitress (voice)
Jun'ichi Kanemaru
A pupil A (voice)
Toshiharu Sakurai
A pupil B (voice)
Comprehensive Directory
Episode guide
🛡️ SPOILER SHIELD
Spoiler-Safe Browsing Progress
Future titles & recaps blurred. Tap "Reveal" on any item to peek.
Season 1 · 124 episodes
Open the complete Season 1 guide & lore primer →- E1 Aim for Barcelona! The Girl Who Should Win the People's Honor Award!! Mytharc Oct 16, 1989
- E2 I've Found Yawara's Rival! She's the Ultimate Young Lady!! Core Oct 23, 1989
- E3 Enter Kazamatsuri! What a Shame That She Is Infatuated With Love Core Oct 30, 1989
- E4 This Is My Strategy to Make Yawara Take Part in a Real Match! Core Nov 6, 1989
- E5 Finally the Real Fight! Judo Is Not Built in a Day! Core Nov 13, 1989
- E6 Finally Pictured! The Big Scoop of the Century That Will Bring on a Storm!! Core Nov 20, 1989
- E7 Hohohoh! The Yawara Boom That Shakes Japan! Core Nov 27, 1989
- E8 Enough of Judo! I'm Going to Be in a Match Core Dec 4, 1989
- E9 Yawara's Debut Match! An Ippon Victory Before You Even Know It Happened! Core Dec 11, 1989
- E10 An Ippon-Zeoi With My Mom! The 90's Is Yawara's Era! Core Dec 18, 1989
- E11 A Big Uproar at High School With the Yawara Fame! Core Jan 8, 1990
- E12 Coach Yawara's Extracurricular Lesson! Core Jan 15, 1990
- E13 Yawara's Heart Shook in Hayama! Core Jan 22, 1990
- E14 Yawara's Date Has So Much Surveillance! Core Jan 29, 1990
- E15 A Challenge to Yawara Over Love! Core Feb 5, 1990
- E16 Yawara's National Martial Arts Hall Debut! Core Feb 12, 1990
- E17 Yawara's Love Message Core Feb 19, 1990
- E18 The Decisive Battle! Yawara vs. Sayaka Core Feb 26, 1990
- E19 Jigoro, His Love, And Youth's Raging Storms Core Mar 5, 1990
- E20 The Big Guest for Yawara Core Mar 12, 1990
- E21 Yawara and the Blue-Eyed House Guest Core Mar 19, 1990
- E22 Let's Fight, Yawara! Core Apr 16, 1990
- E23 See You Again, Yawara Core Apr 23, 1990
- E24 Yawara's Personal Tutor Is a Love Expert Core Apr 30, 1990
- E25 Love, Exam Studies, And Yawara's Feelings Core May 7, 1990
- E26 A Shocking Invitation for Yawara! Core May 14, 1990
- E27 Yawara and the Love Square Core May 21, 1990
- E28 The Madonna of My Youth, Yawara Core May 28, 1990
- E29 The Other One-Sided Love Core Jun 4, 1990
- E30 The Lonely Ippon Zeoi Core Jun 11, 1990
- E31 The Present on Entrance Exam Day Core Jun 18, 1990
- E32 A Stormy Time at the Exam Results Core Jun 25, 1990
- E33 Aim for the All-Japan Tournament Core Jul 2, 1990
- E34 The Stage Contest of the Rivals Core Jul 9, 1990
- E35 The Miss' Tenacity Core Jul 16, 1990
- E36 Ah, Hanazono! The Tearful Graduation Core Jul 23, 1990
- E37 Jigoro's Love, A Tumultuous Pure Love Story Core Jul 30, 1990
- E38 The Heartful Excitement of Women's College Life Core Aug 6, 1990
- E39 Blue Night Yokohama Core Aug 13, 1990
- E40 Fujiko-san's Secret! Core Aug 20, 1990
- E41 The Part-Time Job for a Day Core Aug 27, 1990
- E42 Ippon Zeoi at the Disco! Core Sep 3, 1990
- E43 Free Weight Class Is the Only Way for Yawara! Core Sep 17, 1990
- E44 Selected Athletes Announced Tonight! Core Oct 15, 1990
- E45 After the World Cup Ends Core Oct 22, 1990
- E46 Raising the Curtain! World Cup Core Oct 29, 1990
- E47 Uncertain! Japan's Female Judo!! Core Nov 5, 1990
- E48 The Open-Weight Campions Core Nov 19, 1990
- E49 Yawara vs. Queen Belkens Core Nov 26, 1990
- E50 To Fight With Yawara Core Dec 3, 1990
- E51 The Letter From Kojiro Core Dec 10, 1990
- E52 The Tereshkova Match Heats Up! Core Dec 17, 1990
- E53 Matsuda's Exclusive Interview Core Jan 7, 1991
- E54 Everything Started at That Moment! Core Jan 14, 1991
- E55 The World's Top Judo Girl Came, Saw, And Conquered! Core Jan 21, 1991
- E56 I'm Going to Quit Judo! Core Jan 28, 1991
- E57 Fujiko-san's Decision Core Feb 4, 1991
- E58 A Letter From Canada Core Feb 11, 1991
- E59 The Last Ippon Zeoi! Core Feb 18, 1991
- E60 The Weakest Japanese Judo Team Core Feb 25, 1991
- E61 The Extreme Training Program! Core Mar 4, 1991
- E62 A Dangerous Debut Match! Core Mar 11, 1991
- E63 Secret Technique! Swan Lake!! Core Mar 18, 1991
- E64 I Think I'll Try Core Apr 15, 1991
- E65 Fujiko, Love, And Judo Core Apr 22, 1991
- E66 Everybody Wants to Beat Yawara! Core Apr 29, 1991
- E67 The Huge Obstacle Core May 6, 1991
- E68 Swan vs. Tanks Core May 13, 1991
- E69 You Can Do It, Kyonkyon! Core May 27, 1991
- E70 Get Out of My Way! Core Jun 3, 1991
- E71 The Lightning-Fast Ippon Zeoi Core Jun 10, 1991
- E72 Will It Happen! Five Straight Miraculous Wins Core Jun 17, 1991
- E73 Inokuma Kojiro on the Move! Core Jun 24, 1991
- E74 All's Not Quiet on Yawara's Job-Hunting Front! Core Jul 1, 1991
- E75 The Selected Judo Championship of Love Core Jul 8, 1991
- E76 I'm So Mad!! Core Jul 15, 1991
- E77 New Deadly Technique! The Nutcracker! Core Jul 22, 1991
- E78 A Smiling Ippon Zeoi! Core Jul 29, 1991
- E79 You Can Do It, Fujiko! First Place Is Right in Front of You!! Core Aug 5, 1991
- E80 You're Going to the World Championships! Core Aug 12, 1991
- E81 Fujiko's First Training Camp! Core Sep 9, 1991
- E82 The Opening Act of the Yugoslavia World Championships! Core Oct 14, 1991
- E83 Jam-Packed With International Contenders! Core Oct 21, 1991
- E84 First Time Under Pressure Core Oct 28, 1991
- E85 Swan Lake on the World Stage Core Nov 4, 1991
- E86 The Top and Bottom of Their Games! Core Nov 11, 1991
- E87 Burn Rubber, Papara Man Core Nov 18, 1991
- E88 Giant Clash!-Swan Lake vs the Ura Nage!! Core Nov 25, 1991
- E89 Myth of Invincibility! Core Dec 2, 1991
- E90 Jigoro's Love, A Tearful-Story of Friendship Core Dec 9, 1991
- E91 Next Up, The Graduation Match! Core Dec 16, 1991
- E92 Revealed! The Ultimate Conspiracy Core Jan 6, 1992
- E93 Kyonkyon Risks Her Life! Core Jan 13, 1992
- E94 Thank God I'm Fat! Core Jan 20, 1992
- E95 Get That Ippon and Win! Core Jan 27, 1992
- E96 The Return of the Heiress Core Feb 3, 1992
- E97 Once We Graduate... Core Feb 10, 1992
- E98 First Kiss! Core Feb 17, 1992
- E99 A New Employee's First Assignment Core Feb 24, 1992
- E100 Hokkaido and the Budokan Core Mar 2, 1992
- E101 You're Not Losing by Default! Core Mar 9, 1992
- E102 Run! To the All-Japan-Championships!! Core Mar 16, 1992
- E103 Sayaka Surges Ahead Core Apr 13, 1992
- E104 The Fateful Showdown! Core Apr 20, 1992
- E105 The Heiress' Secret Weapon Core Apr 27, 1992
- E106 The Dream Fight Between Friends! Core May 4, 1992
- E107 Maybe I'll Stay the Night Core May 11, 1992
- E108 Resolve Among Men! Core May 18, 1992
- E109 Hanazono's Burning "I Love You"! Core May 25, 1992
- E110 My Champion Core Jun 1, 1992
- E111 Fujiko's Shocking Retirement- Announcement! Core Jun 8, 1992
- E112 The Rear View of My Dad Core Jun 15, 1992
- E113 No Longer Invincible Core Jun 22, 1992
- E114 The World's Greatest Heiress Core Jun 29, 1992
- E115 Mama Fujiko's Challenge! Core Jul 6, 1992
- E116 Don't Be Stupid! Core Jul 20, 1992
- E117 The Greatest Present Ever Core Jul 27, 1992
- E118 Sayaka's Top Secret Training Core Aug 3, 1992
- E119 The Explosive Remark! Core Aug 17, 1992
- E120 The Comeback Ippon Zeoi! Core Aug 24, 1992
- E121 You're Going to Barcelona Core Aug 31, 1992
- E122 First Place for the First Time Core Sep 7, 1992
- E123 Death Match Mytharc Sep 14, 1992
- E124 Ever Since I Met You Mytharc Sep 21, 1992
Verified insights
Frequently asked questions
Is Yawara! based on a manga?
Yes, it is adapted from a manga series of the same name.
How many episodes are there?
The series has over 100 episodes, making it a long-form commitment.
Does it feature Olympic competition?
Yes, the storyline builds toward a major international sports event.
Is it comedic or dramatic?
It blends both comedy and drama evenly throughout the series.
Who might enjoy this show?
Fans of sports anime or slice-of-life stories will likely enjoy it.
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