Sanctuary season 1 ending explained: Did Enno get back to sumo wrestling?

The Japanese drama series Sanctuary made its arrival with season 1 on Thursday, May 4, 2023, on Netflix. Originally titled Sankuchuari seiiki, the series was written by Tomoki Kanazawa. Kan Eguchi acted as the director of the series.

Revolving around the art of sumo wrestling, the series delved deep into the story of the rising sumo wrestler named Kiyoshi Oze, known as Enno. The brief official synopsis for Sanctuary season 1, given by Netflix, reads as follows:

"A tough, desperate kid becomes a sumo wrestler, captivating fans with his cocky attitude — and upsetting an industry steeped in tradition."

Actor Wataru Ichinose played the lead role of Enno in Sanctuary. Apart from him, the other cast members for the series' first season included Shioli Kutsuna, Shota Sometani, Eugene Ko, Koyuki, Tomorô Taguchi, Kimiko Yo, Pierre Taki, Hiroki Sumi, Gorô Kishitani, Akira Nakao and several others.

As it happens, since the Japanese drama series arrived on Netflix, it has been getting a lot of positive attention from viewers due to its arresting storyline, acting performance by the lead cast, and striking ending. Hence, it is expected that the popularity of the series will grow even further in the future.

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Netflix's Sanctuary season 1 had an interesting conclusion

Who was the mastermind behind the plan to expose Shizuuchi?

Season 1 of Sanctuary chronicled the story of a turbulent sumo wrestler named Kiyoshi Oze, aka Enno, whose unconventional tricks and feisty attitude not only helped him advance in the world of sumo wrestling but also upset the entire sumo wrestling industry that was deeply rooted in traditions.

Towards the end of the first season, audience witnessed Shizuuchi withdrawing from the tournament after he defeated Enno. After the match was over, Yasui was seen looking for the individual who had sent him the email, asking him to blackmail Shizuuchi to quit the tournament. He initially assumed that this person was Ryuki-zeki, as his wrestling record was in grave danger after Shizuuchi started to climb up the ranks.

However, it was later disclosed that it was Ryuki’s mother who made the patron of Ryukoku Stable, Ito, send the email. After finding out the truth, Yasui wanted to write a skeptical article against Ryuki, but Ito stopped Yasui.

Later on, it was revealed that Ryuki’s mother convinced Ito to do this job by seducing him. However, Ito maintained his loyalty to Ryokuko, Ryuki’s father, who was a Yokozuna. He confessed everything to Ryokuko, who went on to throw his wife out of their place.

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What happened to Enno at the end of season 1?

After getting defeated by Shizuuchi in the tournament, Enno was devastated and immensely affected. The memories of the match haunted him for a long time, so he became afraid to return to dohyo and got spooked when anyone raised a hand at him.

Umayama and Inushima planned to bring shame upon Ensho’s stable while it was down after organizing a keiko with their stable. During the particular keiko, Enno was deeply humiliated. Thereafter, he resorted to violence and hit one of the wrestlers from Umayama’s stable with a chair. The incident resulted in Enno’s dismissal.

Later on, Ryokuko invited Inushima to his place to persuade him to take back Enno’s punishment by bringing up the secrets of Inushima's past victories. Thus, Inushima had no other choice but to withdraw Enno's punishment. Although the punishment was withdrawn, Enno's spirit remained still defeated. However, the arrival of his mother and her encouragement made him get back to sumo wrestling.

Thus, at the end of season 1, Enno returned to dohyo. He was now respectful towards the wrestling community and seemed like a completely changed man. Ensho went on to teach him a brand new technique to help him beat Shizuuchi. After this, Enno was seen following his techniques and working extremely hard.

Another keiko took place between Enno’s stable and Umayama’s stable. This time around the members of Umayama’s stable faced the domination of the changed Enno and his stable. At the end of the first season of Sanctuary, Enno was seen joining the January Tournament, where he came face-to-face with Shizuuchi in the first match. Season 1 ended with the two wrestlers taking their first move in the match.

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Don't forget to watch Sanctuary season 1, which is currently streaming on Netflix.