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Mandoira posted:Are there any specific Sumo matches you could recommend beyond those youtube channels? Like matches that would be good for somebody new to the sport to watch (entertaining, unique, educational, exciting, whatever)? I'm rather fond of Hakuho vs. Baruto last September. I'd watched sumo before then, but that's when I really got into it. It's a good example of how strong and skilled both of them are: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oguH66aU1LU Also, thanks for the thread, OP! I was the one who was lamenting the lack of a good sumo thread in the Japan thread a few days ago. That was right before Baruto won the current tournament and things were starting to get exciting. I'm really looking forward to the match between those two tonight. Edit: Also, another way to watch Sumo is on TV Japan, if your cable company offers it. I doubt it would be worth subscribing just for sumo no matter how big a fan you are, but if you have interest in Japanese language programming for study purposes, the picture quality is quite a bit better than what gets uploaded to YouTube. Sometimes they start it after Takanoyama's match, though. 
seorin fucked around with this message at 02:00 on Jan 22, 2012 |
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Jan 22, 2012 01:54
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About 4ish Japan time, maybe a little later. The really good matches are generally from 5 to 6, with Hakuho vs. Baruto at around 5:50 (actual time may vary a little if prior matches run long or short). If you tune in 4 hours from now you'll have an hour and a half of pretty good matches. 5 hours from now and you'll probably miss a couple good matches, but catch what are likely to be the best ones. Of course, sometimes the high profile matches are boring and the earlier ones are better. In particular, Yoshikaze is loving nuts. I've seen him leave the ring bleeding a few times.
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Jan 22, 2012 04:35
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camoseven posted:Oh drat, that's later than I was hoping. I'll have to check out the Youtube highlights tomorrow. Yeah, there's a reason I didn't really get into sumo before moving to Japan. I'm gonna have to get a tivo or something when I get back. Here's a good example of Yoshikaze going loving crazy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNx3z02JUOw It's really hard to see on the Youtube, but I'm pretty sure that was the match (well ... one of them; there were multiple) where blood was streaming down his face afterwards. I don't know if he got hit in the nose or if he just pushes so drat hard that he strains something, but dude is insane. I haven't (yet) seen a serious player injury, but in the current tournament a ref got injured: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngbZfW4_478 I heard on the news later that he did end up regaining consciousness before they took him away, but due to his age they decided to take him to the hospital anyway. As for what the refs say, I have no idea. I've heard the same thing that Fryhtaning has, but the actual speech is incomprehensible.
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Jan 22, 2012 06:10
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Sorry for the double post, but I figure it's worth it for tonight's matches. Not the best night, but usually the last night isn't. In my (limited) experience it's the few days leading up to the end that are great, while the end itself isn't that interesting. First, a correction to my earlier post: on the final day, the sumo matches run about 30 minutes early to leave time for the finishing ceremony. So, everything I said before about timing is true for every tournament day except the last. Sorry if anybody tuned in to the stream too late due to that. The anticipated Hakuho vs. Baruto could have been a lot worse, but it was over too fast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2L9iwuu330 I really wish that video didn't cut out where it does. Afterwards, Baruto had the biggest loving grin on his face as he walked to the back room to get prepared for the final ceremony. It's refreshing to see someone so happy even after losing the final match (I mean, he won overall, but still). His acceptance speech / interview was pretty awesome, too. I'm not good enough to understand everything, but the key moment was when the announcer asked him if his wife gave him any support through all this, and the camera panned to her sitting in the audience, wearing a fancy kimono and having her hair done up nice. When the camera panned back to Baruto, he was crying and thanking her for everything she does for him. Sadly, the stuff that's not on YouTube was the best part. YouTube only has the boring bits.  Other matches that may be of interest: Harumafuji vs Kotoshogiku: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Hfs1HrP-_U Kotooshu vs Kisenosato: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1ScACEZTRs (kinda boring, but high profile) Takanoyama vs Kyokutenho: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G16zgiYF9vY (I love Takanoyama. He's the skinny guy on the left.) Yoshikaze vs Asasekiryu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qujDrSxmVPQ (Because Yoshikaze almost always gives an exciting match). There were probably some other good matches that I'm forgetting, but these are the guys I usually pay the most attention to.
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Jan 22, 2012 13:29
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That Harumafuji match is intense. This is turning out to be a really entertaining tournament so far.
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Mar 17, 2012 11:33
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Holy gently caress today's matches were great. Easily the best day yet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SBc9FIkUCA Although Kintamayama's commentary on the final match made me laugh, I also recommend watching araibira's version because I think it's more tense without the cut in the middle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP1yLHw0bGo Another good one worth watching on its own: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZBCtBJvWI4
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Mar 19, 2012 11:48
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Spoiler time! You've been warned. Watching it on TV, I wouldn't be surprised if Aminishiki got seriously hurt from that fall. He landed almost directly on his head, with quite a bit of force. It's difficult to see from the original match, but after each match they usually show replays from a few different angles, and the last angle showed it very clearly. It looked really bad; I cringe every time I watch the match again. I seriously hope he's ok. The surprise victory in the final match sure makes the rest of this tournament more exciting, too. On the other hand, that makes me extra pissed that Kakuryu lost to Kisenosato yesterday. Of all the people to lose to.... Edit: I almost forgot; in the final match, you can hear someone over the loudspeaker asking people to please not throw their cushions. 
seorin fucked around with this message at 12:19 on Mar 19, 2012 |
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Mar 19, 2012 12:02
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Baruto
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Mar 21, 2012 13:46
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Just a little bit to add from the actual broadcast version. Takanoyama's second match was close. They ended up calling it in Aoiyama's favor because Takanoyama's loving heel touched the outside of the ring just before Aoiyama went over. drat fine effort. Takanoyama's got spirit. Yoshikaze seems to have only lost his match because he got hurt. I don't know the extent of it, but he could barely step down off the dohyo by himself. He limped with frequent breaks about two-thirds of the way to the exit before someone finally came for him to put his arm around and lean on while he limped the rest of the way. Something seems to have happened to his foot or leg, but I haven't heard any further details yet. If you watch the match again, you can't pinpoint an exact moment, but you can tell that he just stops fighting at the end and lets himself get gently pushed out. Poor dude.
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Mar 22, 2012 13:52
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Pvt. Public posted:Takanoyama's fighting spirit is just inspiring. This. Whenever I think about it, I think of how often he loses just due to his weight disadvantage, and the thought that he steps in that ring every night, knowing he's probably going to lose, and just gives it his all anyway, never giving up until it's truly over ... dude is easily my favorite rikishi.
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Mar 23, 2012 02:46
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Day 13 Some drat good matches today. Mild, potentially spoilery thoughts below this line! First, I actually missed the broadcast matches today (didn't make it home in time), and then while I was halfway through the digest, the news spoiled the results of the two big matches (had the TV on in the background). Thanks, news.  Second, I continue to love Takanoyama.  I wish I could have seen the replays of that.I think I was too hard on Kisenosato before. He really does have skill, but he started out this tournament very, very poorly. I think I generally enjoy watching his matches more than Kotoshogiku, though - not because Kotoshogiku is bad, but because he seems kind of like a one trick pony. It's a very good trick, but still, it's kind of like Aran and his henka. After the spoilers, the news actually showed a short interview with Hakuho. He said that he hasn't lost his balance like that in a very long time and it really surprised him.
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Mar 23, 2012 11:56
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I have to admit I wish it had ended differently, but that was a hell of a final match.
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Mar 25, 2012 12:33
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I must have missed it earlier, but I just saw Kakuryu's Ozeki promotion on the news. I think he definitely earned it this basho and I hope it comes down between him and Baruto in the next. 
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Mar 28, 2012 04:16
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You might make more progress making that petition to NHK. They're the ones with the television broadcasting rights, and they're pretty progressive on the internet for a Japanese company. You can download their radio news programs on their website and via RSS, and they also run a show once a week or so where they highlight popular and interesting youtube videos. If anyone's going to put sumo online, it'll be them, and even if they'd need permission from the Kyokai, they're a lot more likely to make a moving appeal than a bunch of foreigners on the internet. It wouldn't hurt to mail both, of course. Anything helps.
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May 2, 2012 09:00
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That was the best possible first day. It's going to be hard to find now that he's not makuuchi, but if anyone can find Takanoyama's match, that was a good one, too.
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May 6, 2012 11:36
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSm7wWpRc88 Today's stream turned out pretty bad. It's not Kintamayama's fault, but it still sucks. We miss you, Araibira.  For Juryo, Tamaasuka looked like he had a really good match today. Wish I could record these so I could share with you all, but if someone finds it, let me know. Now for spoilers: Wow, Harumafuji's eye looks really awful. He looked like he was in pain after yesterday's match, but with how red his right eye is today (deep, blood red) it's certain that something happened. The announcers weren't sure exactly what, though they speculated that Houmashou might have jabbed a finger in his eye. Speaking of Harumafuji, I really think they made the wrong call on his match after watching the replays. There's probably something I didn't see, but it really looks like Harumafuji is still mid-air when Gagamaru touches down. That they didn't even call a mono-ii is very disappointing.
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May 7, 2012 11:04
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a false posted:his right foot might touch here, or just before this when you can't see it because of the camera angle. with the speed and picture quality it's impossible to be sure, but it's awfully close. I actually watched for that during the replays, which they show from several angles (I watch on live TV when I can get home in time ... about a 50% chance). From what I saw, I'm almost positive he did not touch at that point. They really should have at least discussed it, though, even if the end result didn't change. Fryhtaning posted:If you can read the names in kanji or can recognize the wrestlers by face (both of which I'm a little shaky at), yskohyama's channel has been rock solid for these first two days. Coverage of each match is slightly longer, too. Thanks, I'll check that out when I get a chance. I've got about a 70% hit rate on the kanji just going in blind, and I'm getting better as I hear the announcers keep repeating them. Also, I think you're right about Hakuhou getting a little aggressive at the end there. That's not very like him, so I really wonder what that was about.
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May 7, 2012 15:53
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Stream: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRIMejunuwQ Comments on today's matches: Shotenrou: I love it when I catch the rare smile on a rikishi's face. They look so drat serious all the time. It's refreshing when they're on the news outside of an actual tournament, because they all seem like such happy people by comparison. Yoshikaze: After getting hurt last tournament, he really doesn't seem to have the energy he used to. I'm hoping he warms back up a bit; his matches were always some of the craziest. Tochinoshin: When I first started watching sumo, I used to get him confused with Kotooshu. They're easy to tell apart now, though. Tochinoshin is the one that's winning.  Aoiyama: He seems like he's gotten a lot better this tournament. I've never really been impressed by him, but he's doing well so far! Miyabiyama: I always like seeing the really big fatties lose, so I'm pleased with his poor performance so far this tournament. That probably makes me a terrible person or something, but I just really like that skill matters more than weight (to an extent... Takanoyama ). Miyabiyama's actually decently skilled, though. He might even do better if he lost some weight.Aminishiki: Haha, I wonder if that's embarrassing for the gyoji. Baruto: I should probably cheer more for Myogiryu because I'm in Hyogo, but, uh, go Baruto! I got home just in time for the latter half of the ozeki, so here are the comments I wrote up while I watched: Kotooushu: They must have showed the replay like 6 times from a bunch of different angles, getting slower each time. Best I can tell it was an exact loving tie. Seriously. I think the judges must share Fryhtaning's hate of Kotooushu. Kotoshogiku: This match really shows how little Gagamaru has going for him besides weight. I think he's even been getting better lately, but it's pretty embarrassing for him to let Kotoshogiku push him around like that. Kisenosato: He's in really good shape so far this tournament. I hope he keeps it up. It's a much better sight than how he began the last tournament. Since he's so easy to compare to Kotoshogiku, between the two I like to root for Kisenosato because his technique is a lot more varied than endless belly bumping. Don't disappoint me again, Kisenosato!  Hakuhou: While the gyoji was doing his pre-match thing, the camera showed a great close-up of Takayasu's face with this "whelp, I'm hosed" look plastered all over it. Not that I blame him. After the match, Hakuhou did another little shove thing, though he seemed to think better of it after and went to pat Takayasu on the back. I wonder if he's really that pissed off about losing to Aminishiki. If he keeps this up, I think he might be in trouble against the ozeki, since it's usually his ability to stay calm that turns matches in his favor. While waiting for the stream to go up so I could actually post these comments, I went and Takanoyama's awesome first day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhn02UMMNJo Sadly, I could not find Tamaasuka's awesome match from yesterday. It's really hard to get any consistency on juryo matches. I know tarepanda is interested, though, so here's what I did find: Today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzqSZ7tLEZw While the stream shows them conferring for the mono-ii is when my TV broadcast shows those replays I'm always talking about. I didn't see it today, though. Sometimes I don't even get to see juryo at all even if I'm home. Tamaasuka vs. Takanoyama?! (old): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BIWu71rTK8 I also somehow found a compilation of every match of Tamaasuka's from January this year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSgAeUZd7Eo Fake edit: holy gently caress I wrote a novel. I think I just really missed sumo for the last 6 weeks.
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May 8, 2012 12:08
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Stream: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfyyS0HWCuA Comments: Takanoyama (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvPuaf0DA0E): Nice moves today. His opponent didn't seem all that good, though. Tamaasuka: I guess I've never paid all that much attention to juryo before, but is it common for a juryo rikishi to face off in makuuchi for a day? Regarding the match itself, I don't even know whose blood he was covered in at the end there. Aoiyama: Run, gyoji, run! Baruto: I think he still wants it just a little too bad. He does a much better job when he takes his time and lets his opponent try to push him around for awhile first. It was kind of a crappy loss, all things considered; it seems like such a stupid mistake. Kakuryu's match is a good example of what Baruto has been lacking since the last tournament.
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May 9, 2012 11:34
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I really enjoyed Kakuryu and Harumafuji as well, I just didn't want to write another novel. After watching Harumafuji, I actually wrote "best match of the night" ... and then I saw Kakuryu and knew I had to write something for him, too, and then thought, "gently caress, this is getting long" and just settled for a quick mention under Baruto instead. Edit: speaking of pre-match routines, I caught Takamisakari's match today. I've seen him before, but never caught the name. He's, uh, interesting, to say the least. Seems like he's been around for awhile, too.
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May 9, 2012 16:39
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pigdog posted:If he moves like Robocop or C3PO with a slight case of Down's, then that's Takamisakari. Yup, that's the one! He also does this ... I don't even know... barking? Possibly the strangest thing I've seen in sumo. Anyway, on with today's matches. Stream: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RCyIGofOXQ Comments: Some of the earlier matches are actually pretty good / strange today. Laughing my rear end off that "tsukihiza" is an actual kimarite. It may not be the most accurate translation, but in my mind, I hear it as "his knee touched". It sure did. I'm starting to wonder if Yoshikaze wants to drop down to juryo or something. He has had no fight in him at all this entire tournament so far. Miyabiyama's match probably wasn't a bad call, but gently caress I wish I could have seen the replay on that. Aoiyama's and Shohozan's matches made me laugh: the former because he pulls a Kotooshu and bodily dives into the crowd after the match, the latter because of how goddamn slappy he is.I actually caught the Toyonoshima match on the news and I'm gonna toss it on the growing list of "should have called a mono-ii". It really looks like Toyonoshima's gut touches first when you view it from the other side. I wonder why they're being so stingy with the more thorough discussions this tournament. Baruto's match was wonderful; that's the Baruto I remember from two tournaments ago. Aran put up a surprisingly good fight, too. Kakuryu had another fantastic match today as well. Hakuho shoved another dude (what the hell man). In the end, we're down to only one ozeki left with no losses yet. This tournament is atypical to say the least.
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May 10, 2012 11:48
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Stream: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leJq9_O5WA4 Comments: Kotoyuki looks like he got hurt pretty bad. He barely made it back on stage for the bow, and then limped towards the back with help. Hopefully it's not too serious. Getting knocked out of the tournament with an injury this early would really hurt his rank, wouldn't it? I was preparing myself for disappointment with Yoshikaze's match, and I guess it really was a bit disappointing, but not in the way I thought it would be. Speaking of which, Chiyotairyu got some pretty good air with that jump. I take it that's frowned upon? From the way I see it, he seems to be doing very well for such a new rikishi. Tochinoshin's match is the first time I've ever heard the commentators disagree with the results of a mono-ii, but maybe I just wasn't listening before. I feel bad over what I said about Miyabiyama before; he doesn't seem to be doing too well this tournament. The ozeki matches were pretty typical tonight. While Kisenosato's win was pretty likely, I think he pulled it off skillfully. Harumafuji's headbutt had to hurt; he was wincing in pain as he walked off. I thought Kakuryu did a good job as well, but Kintamayama is criticizing him for hatakikomi. Is there anything wrong with hatakikomi outside of a henka? seorin fucked around with this message at 12:17 on May 11, 2012 |
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May 11, 2012 11:45
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Fryhtaning posted:I think it's like his comments about Hakuho's left hand where he was concerned that he was nursing an injury. If Kakuryu is doing a lot of hatakikomi, he might not be able to thrust and shove well for some reason. Ohh, that makes sense. Thanks for the clarification! I was like, "I thought he did pretty well?"  Also, should I keep doing the commentary like I have been, or is it too wordy? I hope I'm not just filling up the page with stuff nobody cares about.
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May 11, 2012 13:16
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Oh, wow, ok. I'm happy to keep doing it then. Thanks for the feeback! Stream: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrpdMEEJMyo Comments: Today is the turning point where stuff starts to get really good. Juryo: I was right about Kotoyuki; he was out today (think I heard the commentator say it was his right knee). I don't know who Sotairyu is, but his match was good (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s67zayAYdzg). Our favorite downs robot managed to beat Tamaasuka today (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVdEb93tnE4) and the crowd cheered at him when he made his exit. It turns out today is his birthday, too.  Non-Ozeki: Yay, Takanoyama back in makuuchi for a day! Great match, too. Chiyotairyu seemed pretty outmatched and I wonder if he's going to start losing a lot more from here on out as he faces tougher opponents. Yoshikaze seems to have gotten a little spirit back, and even the commentators mentioned he was more like himself today. Tokitenku's match is the first time I've seen "ketaguri"; the commentators were surprised, too. They kept focusing on how he kicked Miyabiyama's leg out, so I imagine that's what it means. Kyokutenho's match was decent, and while he was waiting by the side of the ring afterwards he was trying to suppress a smile. Takayasu just hit 7 losses in a row, which is pretty bad news for him. Also, what's the deal with his belt changing colors from green to red? I don't think I've ever noticed anyone's belt color changing before. Homasho put up a good fight today and finally got a well-deserved win. Ozeki: I'm surprised Aran didn't try to pull a henka on Kakuryu, but it probably wouldn't have worked anyway; good match. The ad banners paraded out before Myogiryu vs. Kotoshogiku were hilariously plentiful, and the match results were everything I hoped for. Myogiryu just became another rikishi to keep an eye on. Baruto was way too cocky in his match. It ended up being a really fantastic match because of it, but I think he could have won if he were more careful. I'm also glad I'm not the only one that thought it looked like Harumafuji slapped Toyonoshima across the face. Hakuho: "Please do not throw the cushions." Toyohibiki was actually shedding tears on his way out of the ring. The commentators kept shouting 涙の金星. I've never heard that latter part before so I looked it up and it means "win of rank-and-file sumo wrestler over the truly great grand champion". In short, "a tearful victory," with a very specific definition of victory. What a fantastic ending to a day of great matches. Today more than made up for a somewhat lackluster yesterday. Sorry this got long again, but drat, those were some matches.
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May 12, 2012 11:26
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^^ might want to spoiler that since I know some people come here to find the link to the stream. Stream: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA4dA0VCU-M Comments: Takanoyama: Yoshikaze looked to be in good form again, though still not as energetic as before his injury. It's good to see him making a comeback. I'm not sure what Wakakoyu is trying to accomplish with all this hatakikomi; last time he had to face off against all the ozeki, they ran a train on him, and they're going to do it again if he can't win matches head-on. Takayasu's belt changed back to green again...? Aran stupidly tried a henka on Aminishiki and suffered his 8th loss for it... looks like a well-deserved loss of rank for him. Miyabiyama is doing surprisingly poorly, and that dude who always comments on the individual matches and seems to know what he's talking about (pukulu) thinks he's going to retire at the end of this tournament. Toyohibiki tried the exact same technique as Myogiryu and it almost worked, which I think points to a weakness of Kotoshogiku's. Kotoshogiku won in the end, but he bent his knee and it looked to be causing him quite a bit of pain after the match. He seemed mostly better as he walked towards the back, so it might not be a serious injury, but it's still bad news for him. Baruto is still in way too much of a hurry. Hakuho: Yesterday's loss was surprising enough, as one of the announcers pointed out that it's the earliest he's ever received a second loss in a tournament since he was promoted to Yokozuna. This third loss - and against an opponent he's never lost to before - is really bad news for him. Whether it's injury or something else, he's really not himself this tournament.
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May 13, 2012 11:12
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I read somewhere that it's not unheard of for a yokozuna to withdraw from a tournament, especially in case of injury. I'm not sure this is an injury, though. The youtube folks think so, but they interviewed an expert on the news over here (yes, this is that unusual) and his opinion was that Hakuho just wants the win too much, and his impatience is costing him. It looks like all match-ups after a withdrawal are an automatic loss, which is why Apraxin was mentioning earlier that Myogiryu dropped several ranks after his injury. It sounds like he lost rank even for tournaments he never took part in. Since anybody besides a yokozuna can be demoted, that would be the main worry for most rikishi. In Hakuho's case, though, it would just be pride, and unfortunately, he is a very proud person.
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May 13, 2012 14:38
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Stream: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEcItzhNAz0 Today was pretty boring for the most part so my comments are not that interesting either: Chiyotairyu withdrew; they said he was injured during a rematch, but that would refer to his match two days ago, and he seemed fine afterwards (not to mention yesterday). Seems kinda weird. Kimikaze had a good match; very well fought. Shohozan took quite a fall... that had to loving hurt. Miyabiyama is not in good shape - looks like his leg just sorta fell out from under him. Myogiryu's performance puzzles me; why so well against ozeki, and now 2 losses in a row? Makekoshi for Homasho. Hah, Aran is getting smacked down hard.Watching Gagamaru crash land on a dude wearing a suit was pretty great. Kakuryu loses at the weirdest times, but he still might have a shot at yusho if he beats Hakuho. Harumafuji's loss today isn't exactly a surprise, but he's not doing that well this tournament. Kisenosato vs. Kotoshogiku was pretty much the match of the day and I have to give Kotoshogiku some credit for a good match despite his injury - if you watch closely, you can see him reach down to brace his knee at one point when it starts to buckle. If he were in top shape, he likely would have won. I honestly can't believe Hakuho lost again. He looked pissed. The interview with the winner is always hilarious, though. "You beat him for the first time in a long time. How do you feel?" "*pant* *wheeze* *gasp* *pant* Happy."
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May 14, 2012 10:47
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I definitely didn't mean to undersell Kisenosato. He deserved the win for sure. I'd actually be pretty happy if he got the yusho since it would probably increase the popularity of sumo in Japan. I don't really read the papers, but Hakuho just got a pretty big spot on the sports show that plays late night here. Probably half or more of the entire sumo section was focused on him, with replays of his last three matches. They aren't really talking about his attitude or anything, though. They're just speculating on why he's doing so poorly. Both the "injured left index finger" and "in too much of a hurry" theories were brought up. The title of that section was amusing, though: まさかの４敗 If there's a good site where I could find more editorial style information instead of just random googling, I'd be inclined to read what's being said. I'm still pretty new to this whole sumo thing, though. Edit: It came on the news again, and they pointed out that there's an article up now. (here, for those that read better than I can). In an interview with Hakuho, he said about today's match, "I thought it was a great match. I'm lacking the proper feel, aren't I?" Then, about his status in general, "I've climbed so many mountains to get where I am. This hasn't broken my spirit. I'm going to keep going until the end. I have been a little impatient, but I'm going to straighten that out." His oyakata confirmed that he went to the hospital for pain in his left index finger after his loss to Aminishiki, and the diagnosis was a fracture that will take two weeks to heal. Because of that, he's been unable to grab hold of his opponents' belts. Hakuho himself wants to keep going, and he'll be allowed to for now, but his oyakata is watching and has yet to make a firm decision. Hakuho will be participating tomorrow at least. seorin fucked around with this message at 16:36 on May 14, 2012 |
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May 14, 2012 15:39
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Aran did alright last tournament. He went 9-6, which means he actually got promoted, and that's why he's had to face off against all the ozeki this tournament. The 8th win guarantees promotion, while the 8th loss guarantees demotion. These are called kachikoshi and makekoshi respectively. The more wins the more rank gained, and the more losses the more rank lost. In other words, Aran is already going to go down a rank or two, and if he keeps losing, he'll go down even more. Only a yokozuna can't be demoted. Even ozeki aren't immune. The announcers were speculating yesterday that Harumafuji is starting to get in danger of demotion.
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May 14, 2012 23:28
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TotallyGreen posted:My impression is that for an Ozeki to get demoted they'd have to have two bad tournaments in a row, barring something like going 2-13. Is that right? I don't actually know, but I'd like to! Fryhtaning knows way more about this stuff than I do; I've only been watching since September, and I watch entirely in Japanese, so a lot of stuff that I would probably understand if I watched in English just goes over my head. Fryhtaning posted:The sumo org must be making GBS threads themselves at all the permanent kinboshi salary boosts from this tournament. I wonder where they'll draw the line before insisting on retirement. Oh wow, I didn't know about that. Do they get a boost for each kinboshi, or just the first? It was definitely Toyohibiki's first, but Toyonoshima had defeated Hakuho twice in the past, so I wonder if that counts.
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May 15, 2012 01:59
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Thanks for posting the stream, Wendell! Kintamayama basically said most of what I could have. I especially agree with "twilight zone sumo" for a lot of those matches. Further thoughts: After a brief slip yesterday, Takanoyama had a great match again today. Probably one of the least graceful wins I've ever seen, but with all his disadvantages, I figure he's allowed. It looks like he could still potentially make it back into makuuchi next tournament, but it's going to be an uphill battle. Tochiozan has got to be pissed losing his tie for the lead to a move like that. It wasn't quite a hatakikomi, but it was close! Gagamaru actually had a good match today (or should I say Takekaze did). Regarding Aran's match, I was sad to see our schadenfreude train come to a brief halt today, but hopefully it continues along its way tomorrow. I was pretty happy to see Myogiryu win; I'm cheering for the guy now. Harumafuji's win was nice to see as well (and just plain cool). Kotoshogiku really didn't have much chance, but it's still always fun to see Baruto lift someone. Ironically, I'm actually surprised Hakuho won tonight. Kakuryu just sat there and took it. After last tournament's performance, I'm pretty disappointed in his last two matches and I really hope he makes a comeback for his next couple. The tournament is looking very likely for Kisenosato at this point.
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May 15, 2012 14:00
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Stream: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6icUhA_BeFE Takanoyama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-hOOHwRzZw Today was the day that twilight zone sumo returned to normal sumo. Comments: Tokitenku's is relying on that kick too much now. I'm impressed that Myogiryu outsmarted Aminishiki; it's not so much his win as it is the way he won that was surprising. I'm really puzzled by Goeido's attempted henka - Takayasu hasn't been doing great, and Goeido probably would have won if he didn't try to be clever. Toyonoshima's victory pushes Tochiozan out of the running for yusho entirely, but that was expected to happen sooner or later. Homasho vs. Baruto was some drat good sumo: Homasho put up a good fight, but Baruto stayed patient, didn't get too cocky, and transitioned a rocky start into yotsu-zumo, where he has the biggest advantage. Kotoshogiku needed that win, and I knew he was going to try for it on the lighter Harumafuji, because it was probably his best chance to go for it with his knee injury; bad news for Harumafuji, though, who sinks ever closer to make-koshi. Kisenosato's match was obviously the focus of the night. He seems like he's starting to feel the pressure and I think he slipped up a bit. He never should have let Kakuryu get a belt grip in the first place, leading to the rematch. He did a much better job of that on the second attempt, and it's why he was able to win. It was definitely a match worth watching, and it was kind of funny to have Hakuho's extremely predictable victory over Kotooshu following it.
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May 16, 2012 12:54
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Stream: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsGdvX4ccL0 Takanoyama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXkwArFBfoU Comments: Kachi-koshi for Takanoyama! What an awesome win, too. Holy poo poo that took skill. Yikes, Tamaasuka hit his head or something and started bleeding mid-match and he was just covered in it by the end. He had blood streaming down his face, with little bits spattered on his chest and arm. That's probably the most blood I've seen in one match before. Shohozan vs. Yoshikaze was a great match on both of their parts (until the end, of course). Myogiryu's match was another good one; he has really good control. Toyohibiki vs. Aminishiki was a well fought match, but the rematch was a bad call - it was very obviously Aminishiki that hit first on every angle of the replays, by a pretty wide margin. I've seen them make far closer calls without even a mono-ii, and their last two calls for a rematch were very reasonable (even the replays were unclear), but I can't agree with this one. This is the third rematch they've called in the last couple days and I wonder if it's a reaction to the number of bad calls they made earlier in the tournament. Moving on, Homasho gave a really good performance today. Holy poo poo, Gagamaru managed to keep his balance for once! Tochiozan's victory was very well earned and would have made the tournament a lot more interesting if not for the match that followed. Speaking of which, Baruto continues to lose due to his own arrogance. He needs to stop standing up and keep his center of gravity lower. I feel for Harumafuji's loss, but that match really showed Kakuryu's versatility. The battle of the injured was unfortunately predictable and I kind of feel like Kotoshogiku should just bow out at this point. As much as I'm fine with Kisenosato's likely yusho and think he's earned it, this tournament is not as exciting as the last one was at this point. It's still fun to watch, but the last two tournaments are really hard to top.
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May 17, 2012 11:33
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I went to bed before the video was up; sorry this is late! Here's Takanoyama's match: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhRLeXpNEpg Comments: Kimikaze withdrew because of an injury to his right leg. That's very good fortune for Tamaasuka, who is now the sole leader of juryo after his auto-win today. Takanoyama had another awesome match and is tied with two others at 9-4, one loss behind Tamaasuka. Is Wakakoyu seriously Japanese? He's pulled more henka/hatakikomi attempts this tournament than Aran. Toyohibiki vs. Shohozan was some drat good sumo. Kachi-koshi for Myogiryu, which bodes well for making the next tournament interesting if he keeps in good shape like this. He threw Takayasu so hard it caused an earthquake in Tokyo! Okay, maybe that was a coincidence, but you can't prove it.  Look at the way Homasho keeps his center of gravity low and just pushes around Gagamaru, who can't resist because he's too
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May 18, 2012 23:22
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Stream: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeRuS-L4uLk Comments: As much as I'm normally not a fan of a rikishi who uses the same technique over and over again, I can make an exception for Takanoyama's fantastic kakenage. Myogiryu really should have known better. I don't know why rikishi keep falling for that. I guess it's the same mystery behind Aran's favorite tactic (speaking of which...). I'm actually really happy to see Kyokutenho still in the running for yusho. He broke into the biggest grin as soon as he got out of the ring; it was awesome. I'm hoping the old bastard gets the win. The way Kisenosato tossed Harumafuji even after he won was pretty excessive, I thought. Still, a three way tie going into tomorrow is very exciting!
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May 19, 2012 10:44
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I don't know the exact mechanism for whether he gets to move up or not, but I believe he needs to win today to move up. I think the problem is a combination of his low rank and very few makuuchi rikishi dropping down to juryo. I know Masunoyama will be moving up to makuuchi even with a worse record than Takanoyama, and I suspect Tamaasuka will be moving up again as well, even if he doesn't get the juryo yusho (he'll get the yusho).
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May 20, 2012 01:00
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Stream: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FZkcbmVoUI Comments: Takanoyama! Haha, what, Kotooshu is out because he injured his toes? The official word says "foot", but the announcers were talking about a row of toes. This basho is loving weird. Man, even the announcers were ragging on Wakakoyu for continually pulling that trick. Aran was up to his usual tricks, too, but failed spectacularly for it. That was awesome. Wow, Homasho had a great match, too. Kyokutenho vs Goeido was amazing. I was sure that was going to be the best match of the night, but no, better was yet to come. Toyonoshima vs Okinoumi was pretty good sumo. Tochiozan came out for his freebie and I could swear the audience was booing when they held the flag up for Kotooshu's kyujo. Kotoshogiku vs Kakuryu was some very nice sumo. Kisenosato vs Baruto was ... just, goddamn, what a day. This is why I watch sumo. Hakuho vs Harumafuji was, uh, spirited. I can't argue with the result. Of course, the playoff match was tense. Despite Tochiozan having pretty much every advantage, including being fresh while Kyokutenho already gave his all in his prior match, Kyokutenho managed to take it. I'm really happy he won. As Kyokutenho walked towards the back, he was outright crying. His friends and some other rikishi (I saw Kaisei, at least) were shaking his hand and cheering him on as he walked past. It was like a scene out of a movie. During his acceptance interview, when they asked him how he felt, he simply answered "I can't believe it" and then started tearing up again. What an amazing tournament. seorin fucked around with this message at 11:26 on May 20, 2012 |
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May 20, 2012 10:56
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Apraxin posted:Also, according to the Asahi, Hakuho acted as standard bearer for the victory parade, cried a lot, and told reporters that Kyokutenho winning made him happier than if he'd won himself. I saw the video footage of them riding around on the back of the car together, but I didn't know the story behind it. That's awesome. Sumo should be on right now. Why is there no sumo to watch? Nooooooo
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May 21, 2012 07:59
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I think it involves some pretty hard to follow calculations, but the prediction is that he's back in makuuchi. You can see it a couple posts down on here: https://www.facebook.com/araibirasumo
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May 22, 2012 07:30
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Dr.Radical posted:Lastly, let's see if Koykutenho can keep it up. Even he doesn't think he can. He was interviewed on the news and said he doesn't expect a repeat performance or anything, but he just wants to keep trying his best. It didn't seem like the usual kind of forced humility, either, I think he really believes that. He was also talking about maybe trying to keep at it until he turns 40.
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Jun 30, 2012 02:00
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