Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Little Miss Sumo’ on Netflix, a Doc Profiling a Woman Wrestler Battling Gross Gender Inequality

Netflix documentary short Little Miss Sumo is, by its very nature, political. It’s a profile of Hiyori Kon, a 20-year-old sumo wrestler who’s one of a small, but growing number of women pursuing the brutal, but strangely elegant sport. She faces not only her opponents in the ring, but centuries of exclusionary tradition established by — you guessed it — men.

LITTLE MISS SUMO: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: On a sandy hill overlooking a turbulent ocean, Hiyori, barefoot and solemn in expression, stomps her feet, focuses on her hands, then stares directly at the camera. “Sumo is the sport of the gods,” she says in voiceover, striking a calm pose of intense concentration. One might call this the “sumo zone.” It’s intimidating.

To Western eyes, sumo wrestling may seem exotic. It’s a simple sport, in which two beefy opponents attempt to do one of two things in order to win a match: force their opponent outside the round ring, or force their opponent to touch the ground with any body part besides the soles of the feet. It’s a game of leverage and strength, requiring intense training. Hiyori works out, then lays face down on a table for a massage. She’s been told that female wrestlers peak at age 20. Her massage therapist, however, asserts that women reach their peak strength at 25 or 26. Hiyori’s eyes widen. Its’ yet another long-perpetuated falsehood for the patriarchy.

Speaking of — women in the sport are never allowed to compete professionally, and are forced into retirement at age 21. “Tradition” is the reason. Male wrestlers compete well into their 30s. That’s why she works toward raising the profile of women’s participation in the sport, hoping popularity eventually will trump irrational sexism. It’s also why she says she studies gender issues. Hiyori is 20, staring at the unjust expiration of her dream — and now she travels to Taiwan for the sumo world championships, likely for the last time.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Little Miss Sumo comes from a long line of underdog-sports documentaries, from Hoop Dreams (considered the Citizen Kane of the genre) to T-Rex: Her Fight for Gold, the PBS profile of women’s boxing champ Claressa Shields.

Performance Worth Watching: One look into Hiyori’s eyes while she’s in the sumo zone, and you’ll believe she can do anything.

Memorable Dialogue: “I’m scared the plane might crash because we’re too heavy,” jokes one of the wrestlers as the Japanese team boards the plane for Taiwan. Apparently, fat jokes aren’t off-limits in the sumo sphere.

Sex and Skin: None.

Our Take: Anyone with a smidgen of empathy will understand Hiyori’s plight. Sumo wrestling is what she does best, and denying her the opportunity to compete is grossly unjust. In voiceover, she points out great flaws in Japanese culture: It prefers women who are demure and subservient, and it doesn’t embrace radical change. Director Matt Kay captures the grappling action with an artistic eye; he also quietly, but intently stirs outrage by keeping the tone matter-of-fact. Overt audience manipulation isn’t necessary when telling the story of a noble dark horse.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Little Miss Sumo is a piece of activist journalism that uses an unusual sport as a backdrop for a strong message about gender discrimination. Here’s hoping it boosts Hitori’s competitive career and quest for progress.

Your Call:

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba.

Stream Little Miss Sumo on Netflix