Sanctuary (Netflix 2023) review

Sanctuary is a 2023 Japanese series following a fish out of water story where a badboy steps into the world of Sumo Wrestling steeped in tradition and doesn’t take it or himself too seriously until his father needing medical bills paid for and the financial support Sumo Wrestling can offer become his motivation to achieve something greater than himself. This is essence the everyday hero story that Hollywood films like Rocky capture the hearts and minds of the viewer with an underdog story, and it’s in all its glory here, the transformation of main character Enno played by Wataru Ichinose is a journey and it’s very satisfying seeing him take the Sumo world and shake it up and ultimately find a passion and respect for it in his transformation. The pain and beauty of Sumo Wrestling is on full display here. Right from episode 1 the viewer will find themselves immersed in the culture. Every episode offers engaging viewing, but Episodes 7 and 8 really show Enno transform in a focused athlete in the Sumo world. However make sure to watch every episode to see the journey he and the viewer go on together through the series.