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Meet the Cast of Musashi

Musashi is Asil Studios’ original anime and manga series, a sumo story set in Fukuoka, Japan. Before the story kicks off, here’s who you’ll be cheering for.

Koji Nakamura: the gentle giant

Koji is the biggest kid in his class. He might be bigger than the kids a grade above him, too. He eats like a bear waking up from hibernation and moves way faster than anyone expects, hopping fences in stride. But at school, Koji’s an outsider. He lives with his mom in a rented room above a small eatery in Sumiyoshi, where the older couple who run it treat him like their own grandson. Koji hasn’t found where he belongs yet, but the sumo ring might change that.

Taku Saito: small but unstoppable

Taku is small for his age and gets bullied in junior high, partly because his mom is from Vietnam. He’s also incredibly smart and a lightning-fast learner. When Koji steps in to help him, the two become best friends. Taku is about to prove that what he lacks in size, he makes up for in brains, guts, and stubbornness. He might even become Koji’s biggest rival.

Omura Sensei: the coach with a past

Omura Sensei is the most popular teacher at Sumiyoshi Junior High: athletic, confident, and fun to watch on field day. What most students don’t know is that he once wrestled professionally, and his time in pro sumo ended much sooner than he hoped. Now he advises the school sumo club and keeps an eye out for a “diamond in the rough.” When he sees Koji, he thinks he may have found one.

Ai: Koji’s mom

Ai works hard and is completely devoted to her son. She’s smart, tough, and doesn’t sugarcoat things, and she’ll be there for Koji no matter how far his journey takes him.

The setting: Sumiyoshi, Fukuoka

The story takes place on the east side of Fukuoka, in a neighborhood of family-run shops, summer festivals, and a beloved public bathhouse. It’s a place where everyone knows each other, and where big dreams can start in a weedy little sumo ring behind a school gym.

What’s next?

We’re sharing character art and preview pages as Musashi comes together. Want to see them first?

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October 29, 2026
Five Sports Anime to Watch If You Love Underdog Stories

Nothing beats an underdog story. The player who’s too small, too new, or too overlooked, and who keeps going anyway. If that’s your kind of story, here are five sports anime to add to your watchlist.

1. Hinomaru Sumo

Let’s start with sumo, obviously. Ushio Hinomaru dreams of becoming a Yokozuna, sumo’s top rank, but he’s tiny for a sport where size seems to matter most. Watching him take on much bigger opponents with speed, technique, and pure determination is a blast. If you’re excited about Musashi, this is the perfect warm-up.

2. Haikyu!!

Shoyo Hinata is short, but he’s obsessed with volleyball and can jump like he has springs in his shoes. He joins a high school team that used to be great, and together they fight their way back. Haikyu!! is famous for its hype matches and a huge cast of teammates and rivals you’ll end up loving.

3. Yowamushi Pedal

Sakamichi Onoda is a shy anime fan who rides his bike a long way to Akihabara all the time, and it turns out that has made him a natural climber. When his high school’s cycling club spots his talent, he discovers a world of racing and friendship. It’s proof that your hobbies can become your superpower.

4. Run with the Wind (Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru)

A group of college housemates, most of whom have never run seriously, set out to compete in the Hakone Ekiden, one of Japan’s most famous relay races. It’s a funny, heartfelt story about teamwork and finding out what you’re capable of.

5. Ace of Diamond

Eijun Sawamura is a pitcher from the countryside with an unusual throwing style and a big mouth. He joins a powerful Tokyo high school baseball team and has to fight his way up from the bottom. Expect rivalries, training arcs, and plenty of heart.

What these shows have in common

Every one of these stories is about someone who doesn’t fit the mold and doesn’t give up. They have teammates who push them, rivals who make them better, and coaches who see something special. Sound familiar? That’s exactly the spirit behind Musashi, our original sumo series about Koji and Taku.

Tip: Check each show’s rating and where it’s streaming in your country before you start, since availability varies.

Your turn: Which underdog anime should we add to the list? Tell us on TikTok or X!

Meet the Cast of Musashi

October 28, 2026
What Is Sumo? A Quick Guide for Anime Fans
If you’ve ever seen two giant wrestlers crouch, stare each other down, and then crash together in a split second, you’ve seen sumo. It’s Japan’s national sport, and it’s full of tradition, strategy, and drama, which is exactly why it makes such a great anime setting. Here’s a quick guide to get you started.

The basics: how do you win?

Sumo has some of the simplest rules in sports. Two wrestlers, called rikishi, face off inside a circular ring. You win if you:
- push, throw, or force your opponent out of the ring, or
- make them touch the ground with any part of their body other than the soles of their feet.
That’s it. Most matches last only a few seconds, but every one of those seconds counts.

The ring: the dohyo

The ring is called the dohyo. It’s a raised platform of packed clay with a circle marked out by straw bales. Pro sumo stables have their own practice dohyo, and some schools in Japan do too. In Musashi, the junior high’s ring sits in a forgotten corner behind the gym, and keeping the weeds out of it is nobody’s favorite chore.

The gear: the mawashi

Rikishi wear a mawashi, a heavy belt wrapped around the waist. Tying one properly is a skill of its own. Wrestlers grab each other’s mawashi to get leverage for throws, so how you grip it can decide a match.

Training: shiko, teppo, and splits

Sumo training is called keiko, and it’s tough. A few classic drills:
- Shiko: raising one leg high and stomping it down, which builds hip strength and balance.
- Teppo: striking a wooden pole over and over to strengthen arms and wrists.
- Matawari: sitting in a wide split and lowering the chest to the ground. Flexibility helps prevent injuries.
Footwork, called de-ashi, matters too. A big wrestler who can’t move his feet is easy to beat.

Stables and ranks

Professional wrestlers live and train together in a stable (beya), run by a stable master called an oyakata, usually a retired wrestler. Pros are ranked in divisions, starting from Jonokuchi at the bottom. The wrestlers in the top two divisions are called sekitori. At the very top is the highest rank of all: Yokozuna.

Tournaments: the basho

Official pro tournaments are called basho. One of them, the Kyushu basho, is held every November in Fukuoka, the city where Musashi takes place.

Heart, technique, body

Sumo has a saying: shin-gi-tai, meaning heart, technique, and body. To reach the top, a wrestler has to master all three. Being big isn’t enough. You also need skill and the guts to keep going.

Why sumo works so well in anime

Sumo has everything a great sports story needs: one-on-one showdowns, strict seniors (senpai) and eager juniors (kohai), intense training, and moments where a single move changes everything. That’s why we chose it for Musashi.

Explore Musashi
October 27, 2026