Hiroshi

Tale of a Sumotori (The Realms of Taria)

De: Buddha Bard

Narrado por: Ode McGuire

Hiroshi has always dreamed of becoming a sumotori. His late father was always respected in the local sumo scene. This was Hiroshi’s ticket to a local tournament. When he wins that he might be able to compete in the capital city.

He’s recruited by the legendary Oyakata Kenjiro and goes the fabled Hajima stable. There he learns being a sumotori is harder than he ever expected. He has a master who is strict and unforgiving, an Oyakata who seems to be losing his grip and a stable bully that seems to be set on making his life hell.

Caught between his desire to honor his father and the unsettling truths that come to light, Hiroshi must decide what kind of sumotori—and man—he will become.

In this gripping coming-of-age story of strength, honor, and sacrifice, Hiroshi’s journey is one of self-discovery and resilience as he learns that the path to greatness is never simple, and the price of legacy may be higher than he ever thought.

©2025 Buddha the Bard (P)2025 Buddha the Bard

Heartfelt determination from a young perspective

In a land and time where sumo is revered as both a feat of accomplishments and a semi-religious origin story, our young main character finds the sport and competition calling to him. With encouragement from family and friends, he embarks upon a journey of training and self-discovery so that he can prove himself worthy and progress through the ranks of sumo advancement. With as much emotion as strength, the story is told with appeal for multi-generational readers. Each gripping moment is described in such exacting detail that we can feel the pressure, the pain, and the joy of each match. Narration by Ode McGuire is flawless and captures all the characters' unique voices and personality traits. If the sport of sumo is new to you, this is a fantastic introduction with lore and regimen. If you're already a fan, be prepared to cheer. [Disclosure: I received this title for free and listened at 1.85x.]

Cute and unique slice of life about sumo!

I honestly loved this! It was super cute and cozy, very slice of life and easy to read. The ending was pretty abrupt in my opinion, and I think it could be made longer to make it more satisfying, but overall I enjoyed my time with Hiroshi quite a bit and found this to be very refreshing and unique.

This also made me want to learn more about Sumo so if you aren’t currently into Sumo I’d still recommend you give it a shot since I didn’t know anything going in and I still had a great time :) (though you’ll likely have to be googling some terms like I did lmao)

I think the narrator did very well too! She made it very easy to follow everything and performed different characters in an easy to understand way :)

Extremely engaging and hard to put down!

Simple disclaimer, I was given this for free. However, that does not change that I was rather quickly engaged and became invested with the MC, Hiroshi. I did not know this was a coming of age story. Nor did I know it was aimed at teens. All I knew was that this was a fantastical story involving Sumo. And it is more than that! Hiroshi is a story about a young boy’s journey of hard work to reach the lofty goals of becoming a renowned Sumotori, a high ranked Sumo Wrestler. A goal he shared with his father. He has the support of his family and can pursue this dream with their blessing. But this is only part of his journey.

I have minimal knowledge of Sumo wrestling. That did not hamper my enjoyment or make it hard to follow what was happening, because the author explained it well without giving me too much info in one chunk. Just tasty, bite-sized chunks that added to the narrative and the world building. The story and characters pulled me in immediately, and I could not stop listening.

I was surprised at the choice of a woman narrator for a male MC, BUT IT WORKS! Ode McGuire has a delightful voice and reads so smoothly. She definitely does the writing justice, and I hope Buddha Bard can keep using her talents for more books about Hiroshi!

This is a story that I am already recommending to my friends and relatives. It is now part of my “I can listen to this again and again” list and I want more Hiroshi books! I am invested in this story!

sumo cuteness!

This was so cute and so much fun! This is the perfect book for a sumo enthusiast or someone wanting to learn more about sumo!

It read middle grade with a bit of language to me

A story about Sumo

I really enjoyed this book. The story was well written, rich in heart, and the narration made it easy to get lost in. It follows Hiroshi, a young boy who leaves home to train full-time at a sumo dojo. At first, the dojo feels cold and strict, but over time, it turns into something more, something like family.

The story was 'sumocentric' and felt fresh and unique, and I appreciated how the story balanced discipline, tradition, and warmth without getting too heavy.

It was also nice to find a book that I could enjoy alongside my kids. It’s light-hearted, clean, and just genuinely wholesome. If you’re looking for a story with good pacing, a great message, and characters you’ll root for, I’d definitely recommend it.