YAWARA! volume 4

Manga Yawara! volume 4
TV epiodes 16 - 18, 20 - 21
  • Summary version 1 by Hitoshi Doi, 1990.06.17
  • Summary version 2 by Hitoshi Doi, 1992.01.02
The day of Yawara's official debut came. Jigoro was performing the opening ceremony with his judo kata for more than 30 minutes. It was supposed to be a 5 minute exhibition, but it was still going on because Yawara had not arrived at the Budoukan yet. In the dressing room, Sayaka was complaining because she had to share the dressing room with everybody else. She wanted her own room. Then she got into an argument with Toudou, after calling her a female gorilla, about who will get a chance to fight against Yawara. If they both keep winning, Sayaka and Toudou were expected to fight each other in the semi-finals, and the winner would face Yawara in the finals.

Meanwhile Yawara was with her high school teammates at the Setagaya gym and she was giving them last minute advice and encouragement for their match in the Tokyo preliminary tournament. After saying all that she could, Sudou gave Yawara a ride on his bicycle to the train station. Yawara made Sudou promise her that he will not use the judo that she had taught him in any street fights. On the way back to the gym, Sudou ran into some of his burnout friends. Sudou tried to ignore them, but they beat up Sudou because of some things that he had done in the past. Since Sudou kept his promise and didn't use any judo to defend himself, Sudou got beaten up very badly.

After Yawara arrived at the Budoukan, the tournament began. While Yawara was waiting for her match, she called her teammates on the phone to see if everything was all right. They told her that Sudou had been beaten up and that he could not fight in the match that day. Sudou had a fractured arm, three broken teeth, and also hit his head very hard. So they didn't have enough people because it was a five versus five style match.

Then Matsuda came running looking for Yawara as it was time for her first match. He pulled her away from the phone and took her to the main gym. Yawara's first opponent was Fujisawa, the Japan champion in the 52 kg weight class. As the match was beginning, Yawara was thinking that she should lose on purpose so that she can go to her high school teammates. But the image of Kazamatsuri telling her that she is most brilliant when she is doing judo came to her mind. When the referee started the match, Fujisawa attacked Yawara right away, but Yawara instantaneously threw Fujisawa over her shoulder for an ippon win.

After bowing to her opponent and being declared the winner, Yawara rushed to the phone to call her teammates. They told her that Hanazono-kun, with his broken leg, said that he will fight in the match because he was in better condition than Sudou.

Yawara also defeated her second opponent with an ippon throw in three seconds. Then she again rushed to the phone to call her teammates. She tried to tell Hanazono-kun to not fight in the match, but Hanazono-kun cut off his cast with a chain saw and was determined to fight. Yawara then tried to give them some more advice, but they hung up the phone. When Yawara said that she should go there right away, Matsuda told Yawara to record her advice on a tape. He said that he will bring it to them.

Yawara defeated her 68 kg opponent in the semi-final match in less than five seconds with another ippon throw. When Yawara called the Setagaya gym again, she found out that her team had already headed for their match. Kazamatsuri came to Yawara to congratulate her and to tell her that she is very brilliant. He also said that no matter who wins the other semi-final match, they are no match for Yawara. Then he went with Yawara to watch the match. Sayaka overheard this conversation and got mad at Yawara.

Meanwhile, Matsuda brought the tape with Yawara's message to the Setagaya gym and gave it to the Musashiyama high school team. When Hanazono-kun asked about Yawara, Matsuda said, "She won all of her matches with ippons and she is in the final. Listen! She is more worried about your match than her own. You better win!" Then he hurried back to the Budoukan to try to catch the final match.

Before the other semi-final match began, Sayaka and Toudou insulted each other again. Toudou said, "Can't you do anything about that long hair? It's in the way." Then Sayaka replied, "That large stomach is more in the way."

After some more exchange of insults the semi-final match began. Yawara and Kazamatsuri were watching the match together. But Yawara was still thinking about her team. Toudou took Sayaka down by force, but could not hold her down for any points as Sayaka struggled off of the mat. The two kept fighting but neither was getting any advantage. Then Yawara began to worry about missing her team's match and yelled, "I don't care which one, but hurry up!" This upset Sayaka, and she got a kouka and took the lead. Toudou then tried to cover herself so that Sayaka could not get any more points. But Sayaka became very intense thinking about Yawara, and she lifted the very big and heavy Toudou. Then she turned Toudou around and covered her for 30 seconds to get an ippon.

When Sayaka went off of the mat, she pulled Kazamatsuri away from Yawara. Then she said that in the finals, she will show Yawara that what is hers is hers.

Meanwhile the Musashiyama high school team's judo match had begun. They all listened to Yawara's voice on the tape. But the first member got thrown for an ippon loss. The second member was also losing by points, but then he remembered what Yawara had said and threw his opponent for a come from behind ippon win. The whole Musashiyama team was so happy now that the score was tied 1-1.

Before the final match Jigoro stopped Yawara and talked to her about the upcoming match. When Yawara said that she was in a hurry and tried to get away from Jigoro, Jigoro said, "Yawara, you better not take Sayaka too lightly!" Yawara replied that she wasn't, but Jigoro said, "You are many levels better than her, but I feel something strange about her. She's a great rival." Then Yawara was thinking that Sayaka was a rival in love too, as she was trying to get Kazamatsuri.

The third member of the Musashiyama high school team fought a tough match and neither person got any points. Hanazono-kun and the others thought that the judges will give the decision to Musashiyama. But the judges went for the opponent. Musashiyama was down 2-1 and could not afford to lose again.

A strange man bought popcorn, dried squid, beans, and some sea urchin crackers from the refreshment stand. The lady smiled and said there was an old man who had bought the same things a while ago. When Jigoro came out of the restroom, he saw the strange man walking into the stands. Jigoro thought that the man was his son, Kojiro, and ran after him. But he had disappeared into the crowd.

Matsuda was hurrying on his moped to return to catch the final match. But a police officer stopped him because he didn't have a helmet. The policeman gave Matsuda a ticket and told him to push the moped.

"Inokuma Yawara, after I defeat you and settle everything, I will retire from judo," Sayaka said to Yawara after the rei.

Matsuda rushed back to the Budoukan, jumped off the moped, and ran into the building. He was hoping that he didn't miss the final match. When Matsuda opened the door was very quiet. It was too quiet. He thought that everything had ended. But Matsuda was just in time to see Yawara throw Sayaka over her shoulder for an ippon win. Yawara had thrown Sayaka in a couple of seconds! Yawara bowed and ran out right after the match, while everybody was stunned. Matsuda was very happy and ran to try to get an interview with Yawara. Matsuda crashed right into Yawara who was running out of the dressing room. Yawara asked Matsuda to take her to the Setagaya gym. Matsuda said that she'll miss the awards ceremony and she probably won't make it in time, but agreed to take her.

At the Setagaya gym, Yasui-kun had surprisingly thrown his bigger opponent for an ippon win. The score was now 2-2 and everything would be decided by the last match between Hanazono-kun and the other taishou.

Sayaka was arguing with the judges saying that Yawara had attacked her before the referee had yelled "hajime". She said that otherwise she would not have been thrown. Then the referee said that Yawara attacked after he called out "hajime". He also pointed to the clock which showed that two seconds had elapsed. Then Sayaka said that the time keeper must have made a mistake. She called Tokunaga and told him to bring the car so that she can leave right away. Sayaka also told Kazamatsuri to come along so that she can start practice.

Coach Yutenji and the TV announcer were watching the video replay of the match. Yutenji said that it was a great artistic move. The video showed Sayaka attacking at the sound of "hajime". Then Yawara got herself in the position for the throw in an instant. Yutenji said that this was the perfect judo that he had been seeking for a long time. But Jigoro came up from behind and said that it was still no good. Jigoro also said that their goal was to win the gold medal in the Olympics and to get the national medal of honor.

At the Setagaya gym, the final match had begun. Hanazono-kun's opponent used a kick move and scored a yuukou. He also found out about the bad leg. But Hanazono-kun was determined not to lose.

As Sayaka was leaving in her car, a man came up to her and said, "I saw the match. You will get better." Then as the car was pulling away, he said, "But my daughter will also get better."

Meanwhile, Yawara and Matsuda had arrived at the Setagaya gym. Since the brakes on Matsuda's moped didn't work, Matsuda crashed the moped into the the bushes. Yawara jumped off and ran into the gym. At that moment, Hanazono-kun had been thrown for another yuukou and was caught in a hold. Hanazono-kun could not fight the pain in his leg any longer and was about to lose. Then Hanazono-kun heard Yawara's voice as she was running toward the mat. Yawara immediately gave Hanazono-kun the instructions for getting his opponent in a hell-lock choke hold. Hanazono-kun did exactly what Yawara said and got his opponent in the hold. But the power in his broken leg was running out along with the time.

Sayaka had Tokunaga find out more information about Yawara's father. Tokunaga told Sayaka that Inokuma Kojiro had appeared out of nowhere and won the Japanese judo championship in 1974. Then he mysteriously disappeared the next year. Sayaka then told Tokunaga to find him so that he can be her coach.

Hanazono-kun's determination in not releasing the hold paid off as his opponent finally gave up. Hanazono-kun won, and then passed out. While they were carrying him off on a stretcher, Hanazono-kun asked Yawara if she had won her match. Yawara replied that she had. Then Hanazono-kun said, "Is that so. You're really great Yawara!"

Yawara then said, "No. You're the ones that are great."

Then with tears in their eyes, the Musashiyama team members said, "We won for the first time today. It's because you taught us judo, Yawara."

Yawara shook her head, started crying, and said, "No. You're the ones that taught me." Yawara wiped some of her tears away and continued, "That it's really good to try very hard."

Then they all started crying and Matsuda took a picture of Yawara with tears in her eyes. The next day, all of the other sports newspapers had front page pictures of Yawara throwing Sayaka. But the Nikkan Every Newspaper had a front page picture of Yawara crying for the first time because of a judo match.

Sayaka and Kazamatsuri had gone to Paris to see a great coach that had raised many world champions. After watching Sayaka demonstrate her judo, the coach could not believe that Sayaka had been thrown in two seconds. When Kazamatsuri told coach Polnalef that Yawara was the granddaughter of Inokuma Jigoro, Polnalef was shocked. He said no wonder Yawara was so strong. Polnalef then told Sayaka and Kazamatsuri that Belkens, Jody, Teleshikova, and Kim were training hard for a match with Yawara.

At school, Yawara told her teacher that she wanted to take the entrance exam to enter Mitsuba Junior College. She also said that she learned that "if you try hard enough, nothing is impossible" from her friends on the judo team.

Matsuda and his photographer were at Narita airport doing an interview of some star who had just come back from Japan. Actually Matsuda was just standing apart from the crowd and not doing his work. Matsuda was mad because he didn't want to do work like this. When he was turning to leave, Matsuda spotted Jody Rockwell walking in a crowd of people who had just gotten off of a plane. Jody had come from Australia where she had won the world championship at the 72 kg weight class. When Matsuda went up to her to ask why she had come to Japan, Jody asked him if he knew Yawara. Matsuda tried to tell Jody that he was friends with her, but his English didn't communicate well, so Jody just turned and left. Then Matsuda followed her.

At a Chinese restaurant near Musashiyama High School, the judo team members were enjoying a bowl of ramen. The lady of the store gave them a lot of extra ramen because they had won the judo match. The lady told them that she wanted to see them win more. Then Sudou came into the store. He criticized his teammates because they were happy for just winning one match. He said that if he had not gotten injured they could have won the tournament. Just as he started arguing, someone came into the store and bumped Sudou. Immediately he yelled at the person to watch out, but when he turned around to look at who it was, he was shocked. A very large foreign woman sat down next to him. Then the woman ordered five bowls of ramen.

Coach Yutenji was showing Jigoro around the Saikai University judoujou and training room. Jigoro tried out the weight training machines and said that these machines will not make someone strong in judo. But he also said that he will let Yutenji take care of Yawara.

Yawara was telling her friends that she had no intention of going to Saikai University. She told them that she wanted to go to Mitsuba Junior College. Her friends said that it's crazy because the entrance exam to Mitsuba was very difficult, and the one to Saikai was very easy. But Yawara said that she wanted to study hard, and then begin her happy women's college life.

Then two of the high school judo team members came running for Yawara. They said that a large foreign woman, who had eaten five bowls of ramen, was dressed in a judo uniform and waiting in the judoujou for Yawara.

After Yawara went to the judoujou she asked her teammates who the woman was. They said that they didn't know. Then when Jody saw Yawara, Jody went up to her and said, "Oh! You are very cute! Let's fight!" Matsuda and Kamoda were looking through the window and were very excited as they had a chance for a big scoop. But Yawara said that she had to study for her entrance exams. Then Jody yelled out again. Yawara didn't know how to refuse, but the judo team members helped her to run away.

After Yawara got home, Jigoro told her that he had gone to Saikai University and had promised Coach Yutenji that she will go there. Yawara argued with Jigoro and said that she will not go. She told him that she wanted to go to Mitsuba Junior College. When Jigoro asked what kind of judo team they had, Yawara told him that Mitsuba didn't have any judo team and that she will not do judo. When she turned to leave, Yawara ran into Jody who had just found Yawara's house.

Jody again asked Yawara to fight. Yawara told Jigoro that this woman had also come to her school. Then Jigoro thought that Jody was much stronger than the other opponents that Yawara had fought in the past. Jigoro was curious to find out how strong Jody was. Then he said that he will fight her to test her strength before she can fight with Yawara. The match between Jigoro and Jody began as Jigoro told her to attack any time. Jody tried to find an opening to attack Jigoro, but couldn't. She finally broke down to tears and gave up without fighting.

Jigoro then invited Jody to stay with them, saying that she'll make a good training partner for Yawara. During dinner Yawara was worried about the home budget as Jody was eating her sixth bowl of rice.


[Yawara!]

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