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Sumo
Scott is a washed-up football player who never made it, and whose girlfriend abandoned him along with his dreams of playing pro football. But things have a way of working out, in this sweet, poetic tale--and a new chapter in Scott's life begins as the old one ends. Offered a position in a Japanese sumo training "stable," Scott abandons his old life, his old name, and even his old hair color, and becomes an aspiring sumo wrestler. And in so doing, he begins to find some kind of center in himself...a center that had seemed lost for good.
Thien Pham, the acclaimed illustrator of Gene Luen Yang's Level Up, returns as the writer and artist of a unique new graphic novel.Highly poetic and structured to echo the slow build and sudden clash of a sumo match, Pham's Sumo is an unusual and beautiful book. It's nearly a contradiction in terms: a delicate, deft, tender tale about...sumo wrestling.
Thien Pham, the acclaimed illustrator of Gene Luen Yang's Level Up, returns as the writer and artist of a unique new graphic novel.Highly poetic and structured to echo the slow build and sudden clash of a sumo match, Pham's Sumo is an unusual and beautiful book. It's nearly a contradiction in terms: a delicate, deft, tender tale about...sumo wrestling.
Hardcover
First published December 11, 2012
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About the author
Thien Pham
13 books79 followersTHIEN PHAM is a comic book and visual artist, based in the Bay Area. He is also a high school teacher. Pham illustrated Gene Luen Yang's Level Up. Sumo is his first solo work.
(from http://us.macmillan.com/author/thienpham)
(from http://us.macmillan.com/author/thienpham)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
September 24, 2012
It's funny. I wouldn't have noticed had seemingly arbitrary circumstances not come together as well as they did. Call it fate. Call it serendipity. Call it my doom. Or destiny or predestination or blind harmless luck. Or even all of the the above. The close of the matter is that when reading Thien Pham's Sumo tonight, I saw things that I entirely missed when I read Thien Pham's Sumo two weeks ago—and this due entirely to a change in frame of mind developed by forces exterior to Pham's book or my reading of it. Colour me appreciative.
Over the last couple days, I'd been reading a text on the complex literary structures of the Hebrew scriptures. The day before that, a friend mentioned the works of David Mitchell, which brought to mind his wonderful and lauded Cloud Atlas, a novel distinct in its work-length chiastic structure. And the week before that, I had been thinking of David Foster Wallace's The Pale King and how often in contemporary literature (modernist and postmodernist) authors experiment and play with structures outside the straightforward linear narrative. With the consideration of these devices occupying so much of my thought-life this last week, approaching Sumo again revealed immediately a sense of Pham's intentional governance of his story and its order of revelation.
At its most basic and pared-down, Pham has written a graphic novella whose content is perhaps enough only to fill out a short story. Scott is a former American football hopeful who, in the wake of losing that dream and the girlfriend who came pre-packaged with it, is attempting to rebuild his life as a sumo wrestler in Japan. Pham isn't interested in Scott's whole story but instead approaches him in the first (and therefore most important) of many do-or-die moments in his career: just as he prepares for his final try to make the transition from rikishi to sekitori (that is, from lower division to upper). Sumo's entire present tense may only occur over the space of a couple days, but it's clear that Pham is putting forth a representative pericope of a whole life lived. What occurs in Sumo's narrative span is Scott's day of judgment—on this story will hinge our evaluation of Scott as a whole person. This is his past, present, future—weighed on the scales of the readers' subjective evaluation.
I was initially put off by how little time Pham allows us to spend with his characters—characters he ably turns into people whose lives I want to inhabit. I wanted to linger and see the result of their efforts, to see them overcome adversity or be ruined by it. I liked Scott and the coach and Asami, the girl. Their lives and dreams and future became important to me, but Pham robbed me of any of that because this wasn't the story he was telling. There was, perhaps, a bigger fish at stake—and it's through his literary structure that his intent finds its culmination.
Pham presents his story in a patterned series of segments that alternate between the present and two themed flashbacks, one in America and the other in Japan. The present-day narrative is coloured in orange, the American flashback in periwinkle, and the Japanese flashback in green. The way Pham alternates between eras in Scott's life gives the most time to the present and splits evenly between his two pasts. Here's a visual diagram of the pattern:
And beyond just his conscious staggering of narrative streams, Pham uses a technique whereby the length of each segment telescopes in ever-diminishing increments so that, finally, Pham is spending only a single panel in any given story period. Here's a small-scale representation of how Sumo's narrative is laid out in terms of page-length:
Generally, Pham uses episodes from Scott's past to inform our immediate reading of the wrestler's present; but from the above you can see that he ends the book in a longer segment from Scott's past in Japan. It's a surprising conclusion, but effective: using a moment from Scott's past not only to guide our reading of Scott's present but of Pham's book as a whole.
What seemed an adequate conclusion in my first reading took on new light in second approach. Happenstance in the form of a sudden confluence of my interests in literary structure helped give me better appreciation for a carefully wrought story.
Additional Notes
• Pham also uses his page-numbering conceit in thematic ways as well. Page numbers in orange sections are decorated by a tiny representation of the dohyo, the sumo wrestlers' ring. Numbers in the blue section are placed inside a water tower, representative of Scott's hometown in America. Finally, the green sections are numbered within a green fish, a symbol which is explored over the course of several of the Japanese flashbacks.
•Sumo's cover is interesting, showing on its front an idealized Scott, successfully parting the seas in full mastery of his sumo strength and wearing his kesho-mawashi, a ceremonial silk apron—something we never see within the scope of the book, as lower-division wrestlers aren't permitted the luxury of spectacle. On the rear of the cover, we see a pre-sumo and blond Scott—alone and engulfed in water up to his neck. Pham's book, of course, is the question that sits between these two extremes: which will Scott become and what will define him, the disappointments of the past or the impossible glories of the future?
____________________
[review provided courtesy of Good Ok Bad]
February 14, 2026
What would you do to follow your dreams? Scott must answer this question and wrestle his first opponent - self doubt - to have any chance of becoming a Sumo. This is a fascinating look at what challenges have to be faced whenever a person centers their life around a goal; the good and bad, the doubt and victory.
November 3, 2024
Nov 2, 750pm ~~ I enjoyed this book about Scott, an American sumo wrestler in Japan. The book, as other reviewers have said, is not so much about sumo as about Scott finding himself at another turning point in his life. Will he have the strength and the courage to become who he is meant to be?
The story is told in different colors: Scott's present-day is red-orange, his past in America is bluish gray, and memories of his early days in Japan are green. At a certain point there are panels of each color one right after the other, reflecting Scott's thoughts during the moments he is preparing to wrestle an important opponent. Nice touch.
I liked Scott, he was the typical gentle giant that so many big men are. You can see that from the way he releases the fish he caught in one of his green-colored memories. He will remember that fish later. Will it help show him the direction he should follow?
I think this is a unique addition to my sumo library, and I am trying very hard not to comment on a few of the inaccuracies regarding the sumo world itself. I only noticed them because I an a newly rabid fan of the sport, and as I said at the beginning, this book was never meant to be a guide to sumo. it is Scott's story, and a very good one.
The story is told in different colors: Scott's present-day is red-orange, his past in America is bluish gray, and memories of his early days in Japan are green. At a certain point there are panels of each color one right after the other, reflecting Scott's thoughts during the moments he is preparing to wrestle an important opponent. Nice touch.
I liked Scott, he was the typical gentle giant that so many big men are. You can see that from the way he releases the fish he caught in one of his green-colored memories. He will remember that fish later. Will it help show him the direction he should follow?
I think this is a unique addition to my sumo library, and I am trying very hard not to comment on a few of the inaccuracies regarding the sumo world itself. I only noticed them because I an a newly rabid fan of the sport, and as I said at the beginning, this book was never meant to be a guide to sumo. it is Scott's story, and a very good one.
May 14, 2013
I wasn't sure what to expect out of Sumo. I really liked Pham's work in Level Up, so I didn't let my complete and total lack of knowledge about sumo keep me from reading it. And yes, you are thrown into the deep end, with virtually nothing about the sport explained. But it isn't about sumo, not really. It's about Scott
Scott was a star football player. Perfect small town life, complete with girlfriend. And then nobody is interested in seeing him play anymore, and his girlfriend isn't interested in him. So he decides to make a drastic change, moving to Japan and joining a sumo stable. That's all backstory, really. The book itself is more about one important moment in Scott's life. Will he commit himself entirely to being a sumo, or go home?
There are tons of flashbacks, which Pham has been helpful enough to color code for us. At a glance, you know exactly when each scene (even each panel) takes place. There also isn't a conventional ending, something that would normally irritate me but which was really perfectly suited to this particular book. I also really like Pham's spare but expressive style, though it probably won't be to everyone's tastes.
Part of me really wishes this book was longer. Then I'd get more of it, more of the characters who come to life so easily in such a short span of time. But I get that the short length is just right here.
Scott was a star football player. Perfect small town life, complete with girlfriend. And then nobody is interested in seeing him play anymore, and his girlfriend isn't interested in him. So he decides to make a drastic change, moving to Japan and joining a sumo stable. That's all backstory, really. The book itself is more about one important moment in Scott's life. Will he commit himself entirely to being a sumo, or go home?
There are tons of flashbacks, which Pham has been helpful enough to color code for us. At a glance, you know exactly when each scene (even each panel) takes place. There also isn't a conventional ending, something that would normally irritate me but which was really perfectly suited to this particular book. I also really like Pham's spare but expressive style, though it probably won't be to everyone's tastes.
Part of me really wishes this book was longer. Then I'd get more of it, more of the characters who come to life so easily in such a short span of time. But I get that the short length is just right here.
August 27, 2015
Ok, dudes, this is conTEMPlative, yo.
I went into this expecting it to be something that it's not.
It is NOT an intro to Sumo for teens.
It is NOT a high-action story.
And if I'd read the summary carefully, and remembered what I know about the author, I probably would have adjusted my expectations appropriately.
This would be a good fit in a New Adult area of a library, rather than the Young Adult area (where it's kept in my library system).
There is a sadness here. A hopelessness. A real sense of the way you can be lost when you do not have a plan for your life. It is endlessly thoughtful.
I liked how he got at the potential profundity of athletics.
I liked his unusual use of color.
I liked the simplicity of his strokes.
It was good, but not as memorable as I hoped. Beyond that killer cover.
I went into this expecting it to be something that it's not.
It is NOT an intro to Sumo for teens.
It is NOT a high-action story.
And if I'd read the summary carefully, and remembered what I know about the author, I probably would have adjusted my expectations appropriately.
This would be a good fit in a New Adult area of a library, rather than the Young Adult area (where it's kept in my library system).
There is a sadness here. A hopelessness. A real sense of the way you can be lost when you do not have a plan for your life. It is endlessly thoughtful.
I liked how he got at the potential profundity of athletics.
I liked his unusual use of color.
I liked the simplicity of his strokes.
It was good, but not as memorable as I hoped. Beyond that killer cover.
first-second-publications
December 11, 2012Sumo is a gem of a book; a story of sumo wrestling that's lyrical and poetic and just wonderful.
I love how this book's three storylines (for three different parts of the main character's life) are done in different colors (that come together in the end). And the paper is yellow, too! This book is like a puzzle in that it all comes together -- the author clearly took such care in making all his decisions on how this book should be (as is appropriate for a book on sumo wrestling).
And the cover design looks just super!
I love how this book's three storylines (for three different parts of the main character's life) are done in different colors (that come together in the end). And the paper is yellow, too! This book is like a puzzle in that it all comes together -- the author clearly took such care in making all his decisions on how this book should be (as is appropriate for a book on sumo wrestling).
And the cover design looks just super!
May 11, 2013
I think I’ve become spoiled by the big trade paperback comics I’ve been buying, and thus have drifted away from short comics. I don’t like reading comics in a single day unless I’ve read them before. I like to savor new reads. I read Sumo in about fifteen minutes, and normally wouldn’t have much to say about something that short. But just commenting on its length and leaving it at that would be doing it a disservice.
Without giving too much away, Sumo follows a young man who leaves America to train as a rikishi in Japan. The comic follows three chronological threads, showing three different stages of this journey: his motivation for going, his doubt and loneliness once he arrives, and his preparation for a pivotal match.
These three sections mix together in a way that can be initially confusing, considering that there are no transitional scenes to demarcate them. However, each is coded by the ink color used in the spartan artwork: blue for when he was preparing to leave, green for the time of his initial arrival, and orange for the main story (such as it is) in Japan. With this in mind, it quickly becomes easy to not only follow what is going on but to get a sense of this short, sweet little comic’s pacing. I recently heard Pham talk about this comic, and he said that he patterned it after the pace of a sumo match: slow in the beginning, with lots of pomp and preparation, leading up to a sudden collision and ending almost before it begins.
Everything about this comic is in its artwork. There isn’t much dialogue that extends beyond what is literally necessary to move the story. The artwork is simple and largely unadorned, which is a testament to Pham’s skill as an artist, as the momentum of the story is held entirely in the panel design. The emotional states of the characters are clearly evident in their rough-hewn, often interchangeable features. When Pham does indulge his fanciful side, such as when Scott opens his shoji to gaze on the cherry blossom tree outside, the results are breathtaking despite their simplicity.
It’s easy to breeze right through this one and appreciate it for what it is: a quiet little parable illutrated with plain, likeable artwork. It delivers a lot to readers who take their time with it, though, or who go through it a few more times to appreciate what they missed the first time. Between this and Level Up, I think Pham gets a place on my “favorite comic artists” list despite my not usually gravitating to his style of drawing.
Without giving too much away, Sumo follows a young man who leaves America to train as a rikishi in Japan. The comic follows three chronological threads, showing three different stages of this journey: his motivation for going, his doubt and loneliness once he arrives, and his preparation for a pivotal match.
These three sections mix together in a way that can be initially confusing, considering that there are no transitional scenes to demarcate them. However, each is coded by the ink color used in the spartan artwork: blue for when he was preparing to leave, green for the time of his initial arrival, and orange for the main story (such as it is) in Japan. With this in mind, it quickly becomes easy to not only follow what is going on but to get a sense of this short, sweet little comic’s pacing. I recently heard Pham talk about this comic, and he said that he patterned it after the pace of a sumo match: slow in the beginning, with lots of pomp and preparation, leading up to a sudden collision and ending almost before it begins.
Everything about this comic is in its artwork. There isn’t much dialogue that extends beyond what is literally necessary to move the story. The artwork is simple and largely unadorned, which is a testament to Pham’s skill as an artist, as the momentum of the story is held entirely in the panel design. The emotional states of the characters are clearly evident in their rough-hewn, often interchangeable features. When Pham does indulge his fanciful side, such as when Scott opens his shoji to gaze on the cherry blossom tree outside, the results are breathtaking despite their simplicity.
It’s easy to breeze right through this one and appreciate it for what it is: a quiet little parable illutrated with plain, likeable artwork. It delivers a lot to readers who take their time with it, though, or who go through it a few more times to appreciate what they missed the first time. Between this and Level Up, I think Pham gets a place on my “favorite comic artists” list despite my not usually gravitating to his style of drawing.
November 25, 2012
I am the first to admit that I love First Second graphic novels, so when I received a copy of Sumo from Netgalley, I was estatic. However, once I opened the book, I was so underwhelmed by the artwork and the long, drawn-out story about an athletic competition I know nothing about that I was tempted to leave the book uncompleted.
Despite my initial repulsion to the illustrations, I persisted in finishing the story and came to have a real appreciation for the format and the story itself. I am often swayed by beautiful pictures in graphic novels and it took me a while to warm up to the art style and the pace. At some point during my reading, I started to notice the subtle nature of the artwork and I came to appreciate it’s simple, poetic nature. The two-toned pallete really worked to describe time and place without having to be overly dramatic and I loved the way it all worked out in the end.
While this may be a quick read due to the lack of text, but it is not a quick story. The story unfolds in a quiet way and will not appeal to all. But it is sure to touch those who can appreciate it’s simplicity.
(Review originally posted on the book borrower).
Despite my initial repulsion to the illustrations, I persisted in finishing the story and came to have a real appreciation for the format and the story itself. I am often swayed by beautiful pictures in graphic novels and it took me a while to warm up to the art style and the pace. At some point during my reading, I started to notice the subtle nature of the artwork and I came to appreciate it’s simple, poetic nature. The two-toned pallete really worked to describe time and place without having to be overly dramatic and I loved the way it all worked out in the end.
While this may be a quick read due to the lack of text, but it is not a quick story. The story unfolds in a quiet way and will not appeal to all. But it is sure to touch those who can appreciate it’s simplicity.
(Review originally posted on the book borrower).
February 17, 2013
When I entered the giveaways for this book I didn't realize that it was a comic book, so I was expecting something very different. But regardless I really got into this book and enjoyed it even though I am usually not reading graphic novels.
I like the simplicity of it. The pictures don't go into too much details, but tell one all one needs to know. I also liked the idea of using the colors. Not only do they tell the reader at what point in the timeline we are, but they also help to feel the right mood.
Very much loved the ending. Very poetic. It doesn't tell one everything, but it gets one to think and build what happens next based on these thoughts.
It is a bit too short. There is so much more one could do with this idea. I read it the first time in only 20 minutes, and I did concentrate a lot on the illustrations. Now, I already read it twice and I still feel like opening it and read in case I missed something. This is a sign that I really liked the book.
* I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I like the simplicity of it. The pictures don't go into too much details, but tell one all one needs to know. I also liked the idea of using the colors. Not only do they tell the reader at what point in the timeline we are, but they also help to feel the right mood.
Very much loved the ending. Very poetic. It doesn't tell one everything, but it gets one to think and build what happens next based on these thoughts.
It is a bit too short. There is so much more one could do with this idea. I read it the first time in only 20 minutes, and I did concentrate a lot on the illustrations. Now, I already read it twice and I still feel like opening it and read in case I missed something. This is a sign that I really liked the book.
* I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
April 11, 2019
I decided to take a short break from the blood and noise of The Iliad and read this short graphic novel.
Scott, the main character of Sumo, seemed like a character I could sympathize with. It turns out he is. He is quiet, unsure of himself, has been hurt, but he is determined to not give up and begins a new life in Japan training to become a professional sumo wrestler.
When I picked up the book from the library I briefly flipped through a few pages and started not to take it with me. Usually I read graphic novels which have more complex and beautiful art work. The drawings in Sumo is quite simplistic, but it is also deep at times.
For a quick, deep, and sweet read I recommend Sumo.
Scott, the main character of Sumo, seemed like a character I could sympathize with. It turns out he is. He is quiet, unsure of himself, has been hurt, but he is determined to not give up and begins a new life in Japan training to become a professional sumo wrestler.
When I picked up the book from the library I briefly flipped through a few pages and started not to take it with me. Usually I read graphic novels which have more complex and beautiful art work. The drawings in Sumo is quite simplistic, but it is also deep at times.
For a quick, deep, and sweet read I recommend Sumo.
June 3, 2013
Soft-spoken, elegant, flowing; this short (SHORT) graphic novel is a beautiful poem to a lost soul who seems to find his place in the world. Former football player Scott leaves his ordinary life in America to become a Sumo wrestler in Japan, partly to escape the hurt he felt at the loss of his girlfriend and partly because he needed a change, he needed something else to make him whole. Does he find it? DOES ANYONE?!
September 17, 2016
After failing at the American professional football career he hoped for, Scott take a big step. He moves to Japan to try and become a professional sumo wrestler. It sounds like the stuff jokes are made of, but this book is an extremely quiet, reflective coming of age story. The reactions of his friends and his girlfriend to his decision. What he finds inside himself in an unfamiliar environment, hoping this second chance will actually pan out, because he doesn't know what to do if it doesn't.
Pham is just such a genuine, delicate storyteller. The art complements the mood of the book perfectly. My husband and I barely discussed this book after we read it, because all we could do was look at each other and say "Whoa. That was REALLY good." (This is why we don't do video reviews. You're welcome.)
Pham is just such a genuine, delicate storyteller. The art complements the mood of the book perfectly. My husband and I barely discussed this book after we read it, because all we could do was look at each other and say "Whoa. That was REALLY good." (This is why we don't do video reviews. You're welcome.)
May 8, 2013
Really talented artist. The story is very short and spare, but maybe that's okay. It's funny because people say every story should have a beginning middle and end, but this one was almost all middle. And I liked it. You get the background you need, but they don't have to explain each character from birth to death. It's maybe a couple months of a person's life.
I DID kind of hope to find out more about sumo. I know nothing about it and still don't really understand it. I have to say, it's hard to learn about because I feel like every question I come up with is culturally insensitive. Because it seems...a little stupid. Don't get me wrong, I think most sports are stupid. Pole Vault? That's idiotic. And not because it's dangerous. People are free to do a sport where they put a drill up to the sides of their heads, start drilling, and just keep going until someone stops for all I care. I just mean that when you watch it, the whole thing seems a little bizarre and silly.
So I didn't learn a lot about sumo, is what I'm saying.
But you know what? I kind of hate when people get on here and say, "I wanted to learn more about X or hear more about Y, and I didn't, so therefore I give this book a lower rating." I mean, yeah, if a book is called "The Ultimate Book That Contains the History of Every Nintendo Game Ever" then there's an expectation. But when someone writes a history of hip-hop and skips a couple groups I like, so what? People need to get good at separating what they expect from what they were told to expect. If you're told to expect something, feel free to be disappointed. If you just made an assumption because you're a stupid pillbug, then you get what you deserve.
My favorite example of this idiocy is from an Amazon review I found for the book Memory Wall by Anthony Doerr.
Here is the cover:
And here is the entirety of the review:
I should know better! I bought a book only because I liked the cover picture and design featuring fossil ammonites!. Memory Wall by Anthony Doerr. Even though the NY Times critic seems to praise this book, I must say it is un-readable, ridiculously convoluted, pretentious and all together boring! And absolutely nothing... to do with fossils or ammonites.!
I mean...the mind reels.
What if we applied this logic to other things?
This book blows. It has nothing to do with rainbows whatsoever. 1 star.
I learned very little about the process of making soap from this book, nor did I learn much about cleanliness. Furthermore, the "club" formed in this book seemed to be mostly about men standing around and fighting. Not really a good primer on building up a social club.
I really thought this movie would have more to do with astronomy and learning about the moon. I'm really into lunar stuff, and to a lesser extent the Agro Crag from Nickelodeon's Guts because I think it's probably the closest analogue we'll have to the moon on the surface of the Earth. So this movie was a big letdown.
I mean, give me a goddamn break here. If you could take the 30 seconds to read the inside flap, or maybe READ A FUCKING REVIEW ON THE SITE WHERE YOU ARE NOW WRITING A REVIEW you could more reasonably manage your expectations.
Is it really a trick here? Are we being tricked to read this very thin graphic novel called Sumo because we think it will be a full explanation of the sport? No. NO, DAMMIT! So when we don't get what we want because what we wanted had nothing to do with the book itself, how is that a rational criticism?
Ugh.
On a sidenote, if anyone DOES have a line on a piece of that Agro Crag, please email me immediately.
I DID kind of hope to find out more about sumo. I know nothing about it and still don't really understand it. I have to say, it's hard to learn about because I feel like every question I come up with is culturally insensitive. Because it seems...a little stupid. Don't get me wrong, I think most sports are stupid. Pole Vault? That's idiotic. And not because it's dangerous. People are free to do a sport where they put a drill up to the sides of their heads, start drilling, and just keep going until someone stops for all I care. I just mean that when you watch it, the whole thing seems a little bizarre and silly.
So I didn't learn a lot about sumo, is what I'm saying.
But you know what? I kind of hate when people get on here and say, "I wanted to learn more about X or hear more about Y, and I didn't, so therefore I give this book a lower rating." I mean, yeah, if a book is called "The Ultimate Book That Contains the History of Every Nintendo Game Ever" then there's an expectation. But when someone writes a history of hip-hop and skips a couple groups I like, so what? People need to get good at separating what they expect from what they were told to expect. If you're told to expect something, feel free to be disappointed. If you just made an assumption because you're a stupid pillbug, then you get what you deserve.
My favorite example of this idiocy is from an Amazon review I found for the book Memory Wall by Anthony Doerr.
Here is the cover:
And here is the entirety of the review:
I should know better! I bought a book only because I liked the cover picture and design featuring fossil ammonites!. Memory Wall by Anthony Doerr. Even though the NY Times critic seems to praise this book, I must say it is un-readable, ridiculously convoluted, pretentious and all together boring! And absolutely nothing... to do with fossils or ammonites.!
I mean...the mind reels.
What if we applied this logic to other things?
This book blows. It has nothing to do with rainbows whatsoever. 1 star.
I learned very little about the process of making soap from this book, nor did I learn much about cleanliness. Furthermore, the "club" formed in this book seemed to be mostly about men standing around and fighting. Not really a good primer on building up a social club.
I really thought this movie would have more to do with astronomy and learning about the moon. I'm really into lunar stuff, and to a lesser extent the Agro Crag from Nickelodeon's Guts because I think it's probably the closest analogue we'll have to the moon on the surface of the Earth. So this movie was a big letdown.
I mean, give me a goddamn break here. If you could take the 30 seconds to read the inside flap, or maybe READ A FUCKING REVIEW ON THE SITE WHERE YOU ARE NOW WRITING A REVIEW you could more reasonably manage your expectations.
Is it really a trick here? Are we being tricked to read this very thin graphic novel called Sumo because we think it will be a full explanation of the sport? No. NO, DAMMIT! So when we don't get what we want because what we wanted had nothing to do with the book itself, how is that a rational criticism?
Ugh.
On a sidenote, if anyone DOES have a line on a piece of that Agro Crag, please email me immediately.
January 18, 2014
A great quick read that has a honest story and very simple and bold artwork to complement.
July 2, 2022
I loved this even though it's super short, I loved how it weaved the three parts of his life, I loved the sumo in it, it had such a sweet ending, just a nice little story
Says bitch and pussy
Says bitch and pussy
January 5, 2013
Reason for Reading: I read a lot of manga, and the occasional English translated Japanese novel, and am thus interested in Japanese culture. Yet I know absolutely nothing about Sumo, except the usual misconceptions and I thought this brief volume would give me some insight to the culture of Sumo.
The book didn't really do for me what I had hope it would do. It is not so much actually about the art of Sumo, as it is about the main character Scott, now called Hakygei. A failed football player in a small town whose girlfriend dumps him when he's no longer being scouted. 18yo Scott decides to leave his old life behind and start anew, in a new country, with a new goal: Sumo and to create something of himself. It is a coming-of-age tale. Scott always found football easy and he's now finding Sumo hard, something he really has to work at. He's thought of giving up, taking the easy way out again, but he's met a girl, who believes in him more than anyone (including himself) ever has before. This is a slow story. I suppose comparisons between it and Sumo could be made but I don't know anything about Sumo so can't make that connection. And that is my only complaint with the book; I would have like to have actually learned how Sumo is played, scored, how the gracefulness despite the immense size of the participants is accounted for, it's allure, etc.
The book didn't really do for me what I had hope it would do. It is not so much actually about the art of Sumo, as it is about the main character Scott, now called Hakygei. A failed football player in a small town whose girlfriend dumps him when he's no longer being scouted. 18yo Scott decides to leave his old life behind and start anew, in a new country, with a new goal: Sumo and to create something of himself. It is a coming-of-age tale. Scott always found football easy and he's now finding Sumo hard, something he really has to work at. He's thought of giving up, taking the easy way out again, but he's met a girl, who believes in him more than anyone (including himself) ever has before. This is a slow story. I suppose comparisons between it and Sumo could be made but I don't know anything about Sumo so can't make that connection. And that is my only complaint with the book; I would have like to have actually learned how Sumo is played, scored, how the gracefulness despite the immense size of the participants is accounted for, it's allure, etc.
May 2, 2012
Sumo is the literary equivalent of a cupcake - light and sweet, and when you're done it leaves you a little bit sad.
The lead character, Scott is a loveable loser - a once promising athlete that is now past his football playing prime. He has no job, his girlfriend dumped him and his only friends are a trio of sad sacks who hang out at a local dive bar. His oly option - aside from moving in with mom and dad and working at Macaroni Grill - is to switch sports by moving to Japan and becoming a Sumo wrestler... problem is, he kind of sucks at that too. The only bright spots in his life seem to be his hobby of catch and release fishing and his budding friendship with his trainer's daughter. Can Scott FINALLY win a bout, improve his Sumo class and make a life for himself in this strange new world of Japan, or is he destined to return home, an even bigger loser than before?
With beautifully simple illustrations (done in three distinct color washes representing three distinc periods of Scott's life) and minimal dialogue Thien Pham drawn the reader into Scott's simple life - and succeed in making us root for this underdog who has all the potential in the world if he could just belive in himself as much as Pham succeeds in making us belive in him.
The lead character, Scott is a loveable loser - a once promising athlete that is now past his football playing prime. He has no job, his girlfriend dumped him and his only friends are a trio of sad sacks who hang out at a local dive bar. His oly option - aside from moving in with mom and dad and working at Macaroni Grill - is to switch sports by moving to Japan and becoming a Sumo wrestler... problem is, he kind of sucks at that too. The only bright spots in his life seem to be his hobby of catch and release fishing and his budding friendship with his trainer's daughter. Can Scott FINALLY win a bout, improve his Sumo class and make a life for himself in this strange new world of Japan, or is he destined to return home, an even bigger loser than before?
With beautifully simple illustrations (done in three distinct color washes representing three distinc periods of Scott's life) and minimal dialogue Thien Pham drawn the reader into Scott's simple life - and succeed in making us root for this underdog who has all the potential in the world if he could just belive in himself as much as Pham succeeds in making us belive in him.
May 22, 2014
I read Sumo by Thien Pham, and i thought it was an okay book. It was about A football player who decides to move to japan and become a Sumo wrestler. The story jumps back and forth between his wrestling, him leaving the U.S. and a girl he meets in Japan. Each of these stories is drawn in a different color to make it easier to tell when the story was changing.
I liked the artwork in it but the story wasn't very interesting. Towards the end it becomes a little more interesting but the beginning takes a little while to figure out what's going on. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you are interested in sumo wrestling or just looking for a quick comic to read.
I liked the artwork in it but the story wasn't very interesting. Towards the end it becomes a little more interesting but the beginning takes a little while to figure out what's going on. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you are interested in sumo wrestling or just looking for a quick comic to read.
October 7, 2012
I liked the graphics. I'm not really the type of person to read comics. But i got the hang of it :). I enjoyed the book , because it was truthful in the way ... people do irrational things when their relationship ends.
December 21, 2012
After failing to make the NFL and experiencing a hurtful breakup, Scott decides to start over by moving to Japan in attempts to become a sumo wrestler. Color is used very purposefully and effectively to designate different periods in Scott's life in this slim, but tender story. This graphic novel which can and should be read in one sitting explores themes of self worth and cultural shifts sympathetically.
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June 5, 2014This was a pretty short read but it was pretty good book. It follows an ex-football player turned sumo wrestler. Throughout the story it switches between the past (through flashbacks) and the present. It uses color to show what period in time it is. By this I mean it would use orange for the present, green for a certain point in the past and blue for another point in the past. Overall this was a very good book and would definitely recommend it.
December 8, 2014
I thought this book was ok but they put 3 stories in to one and it was not long and not much text so it was hard to follow. the book was about a sumo wrestling and how the sumo wrestler was going through some changes and is not concentrating on one thing.
I gave this book 2 stares because it was hard to follow and was not much text. i think it should be a little bit longer so that have more to talk abought. I recommend this book to some one who likes a ok short story
I gave this book 2 stares because it was hard to follow and was not much text. i think it should be a little bit longer so that have more to talk abought. I recommend this book to some one who likes a ok short story
February 11, 2013
I thought it was an okay book. It was a good book because it was easy to read. I liked it because it was a graphic novel. It had lots of pictures and that is why I liked it. It would be a good book for anyone who wants a quick book. I would recommend it to anyone who likes graphic novels and pictures.
July 23, 2016
I had a hard time following this book. It may be because I am not an experienced graphic novel reader. It was hard for me to figure out what was a dream, a flashback or the story line. Because of the language and more adult content, I don't feel it is appropriate for intermediate grade readers. Some things we can save for later. It was interesting to learn a little more about the world of Sumo.
February 27, 2015
Thien Pham's Sumo doesn’t have a lot of text, but the visual storytelling is on point. We get to really feel what the main character is going through as he struggles with his decision to leave everything he loves behind and study sumo wrestling. Truly enjoyable.
October 29, 2012
Nice and short. Sweet story about a guy moving to Japan to become a Sumo wrestler.
November 9, 2012
Love, love, love this. Gorgeous graphic novel! Review forthcoming.
April 17, 2013
Lots of style but a lack of any meaningful narrative. Shame.
October 22, 2015
Beautiful, and way too short.
Enjoyed the gorgeous art and inking (color blocking), and original story. Was a little disappointed when I turned the last page, even though the ending was hopeful.
Enjoyed the gorgeous art and inking (color blocking), and original story. Was a little disappointed when I turned the last page, even though the ending was hopeful.
January 19, 2018
Sumo by Thien Pham is a graphic novel about Scott. Scott is a humongous guy that had the hopes of going to the NFL. He has had the same girlfriend for 4 years and once she found out that he would not make it to the NFL they broke. All of his friends were giving him crap because he is going to move to Japan to pursue his Sumo wrestling career. Sumo wrestling is mainly a mind thing and if Scott cannot get through his head that he is better than everyone then he will be in for a treat when he starts wrestling other humongous men.
What I liked about the book was how it was realistic. Many people have the hopes of going to the NFL or any other professional sport but this book proved that people don't always get to play a professional sport. Also many other books fantasize about how the small chance things like playing a professional sport are always achieved but this book did not.
What I disliked about the book was that it would jump around a lot. When I was reading it I did not know if it was the same person or not. It would go from a Sumo wrestler to a guy in a bar and then to a guy fishing. In the end I found out that it was Scott the whole time and it was just showing his story in different parts.
Overall I thought this was a pretty good book. It was a really short book and it was kind of interesting. I would suggest this book to any high schooler who is trying to get enough books in by the end of semester or the end of the year.
I give this book a rating of 4/5.
What I liked about the book was how it was realistic. Many people have the hopes of going to the NFL or any other professional sport but this book proved that people don't always get to play a professional sport. Also many other books fantasize about how the small chance things like playing a professional sport are always achieved but this book did not.
What I disliked about the book was that it would jump around a lot. When I was reading it I did not know if it was the same person or not. It would go from a Sumo wrestler to a guy in a bar and then to a guy fishing. In the end I found out that it was Scott the whole time and it was just showing his story in different parts.
Overall I thought this was a pretty good book. It was a really short book and it was kind of interesting. I would suggest this book to any high schooler who is trying to get enough books in by the end of semester or the end of the year.
I give this book a rating of 4/5.
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