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The story
A 5ch thread lit up with impressions of Makoto Kobayashi’s sports manga “Judo Club Story” (Judo-bu Monogatari). Posters discussed the breakneck pace of a story that covers three years of high school judo club life yet wraps up in just 11 volumes, the relationship with rival Nishino, and the manga’s colorful supporting cast. Commenters also swapped personal stories about whether the brutal hazing (shigoki) depicted was realistic, with some pointing to the manga’s influence on George Morikawa, and others lamenting that the print volumes are now hard to find, with only digital editions readily available.
What people said
The one called Sobakkasu is fun too.
Hanamaruden's good too.
You mean Girls' Judo Club Story?
Is that one any good?
Shame the magazine it ran in folded partway through, so now it's app-only.
Amefure ("Rain, fall!") — ???
Mind you, back when it was actually running…
Can you name the other three?
Love that the final boss is the hard-working type while the protagonist is the natural genius — great contrast.
Takamura is basically a dead ringer for Washio, right down to the overlapping names.
Way too cool.
Apparently when Nomura — the three-time Olympic champion — was coaching the women's team, an athlete who'd lost at the Olympics told him "I was so frustrated!" and he just said, "Sorry, I've never lost at the Olympics, so I wouldn't know."
I love this part too — how he basically says he's never thought about anyone else getting stronger, because all he's ever focused on is getting stronger himself.
I honestly can't tell if this teacher is making sense or not, but he's definitely saying something essential to becoming world-class.
Back in the day there was a "make noise!" culture, but the stronger competitors tended to stay quiet.
I'm pretty sure my parents' place still has the full set.
Sango's later life gets covered in 1, 2 no Sanshiro or something like that.
He shows up in episode one of Girls' Judo Club Story too, saying the Olympics are scary.
In Sanshiro 2 he appears as a national-squad athlete, training alongside Nishino under their coach's guidance.
The bit about losing in the first round of the Olympics is from Girls' Judo Club Story.
Lol, he messes it up right out of the gate
After that round of hazing ended, when they were made to repeat the chant again, there was one guy who botched it and yelled "ZAI!" instead.
Background and Key Points of the Discussion
“Judo Club Story” is a sports manga by Makoto Kobayashi that originally ran in Morning magazine, and its defining trait — even now — is how it wraps up three years of high school club life in just 11 volumes. The thread also sparked a debate over “what’s the greatest sports manga of all time,” with some backing Ashita no Joe and others championing Judo Club Story. This isn’t really a question with a definitive answer — it’s best read as a matter of personal taste. Some posters suggested George Morikawa was influenced by Kobayashi, though it’s worth noting this is fan speculation rather than something either creator has confirmed. The series also shares continuity with other entries in Kobayashi’s judo-club lineup, like “1, 2 no Sanshiro” and “Girls’ Judo Club Story,” with the later lives of characters like Sango and Nishino picked up in those spin-offs. The laments over the print volumes now being mostly digital-only reflect just how long this manga has stayed beloved by readers.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “Judo Club Story: The Monumental Sports Manga Classic.”
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