Gwen dumps Scott because his plan to enter the NFL didn't work out. Scott responds by moving to Japan, changing his name to Hakugei, and taking up sumo wrestling. Sumo training, depicted in the first couple dozen wordless pages, is grueling. When he's not getting knocked out, he learns to cook a mean nabe and meets a hot girl named Asami.

If Scott wants to stay in Japan and continue his wrestling career, he needs to believe in himself. Yes, Scott is the Rocky of sumo wrestling. Fortunately, the story is a lot more subtle than a Rocky movie.

Old romance, new romance, and sumo wrestling. Not much of a plot, but Thien Pham manages to weave the story elements together in a way that's honest and touching. It's a simple story told mostly without words, but it doesn't lack emotion or drama. Sumo is like a graphic version of haiku: the elegant simplicity of the form is just as important as the words used to convey the poet's meaning. The story ends decisively but indirectly in a nifty piece of orchestration.

The art consists of simple line drawings without much background, but it's perfect for the story. I like the way the scenes are color coded. Scott's life in America is colored in blue, his life as a sumo is colored in orange, his life with Asami is colored in green. The colored panels come together at the end, as does Scott's life. There is just enough art and just enough story to convey meaning; any more would have destroyed the delicate balance that gives Sumo a haiku feeling.