Sobakkasu!

Summary

Hinomoto Hajime is known as Sobakkasu because of her freckles, being the daughter of a soba chef and is considered an ugly duckling when compared to her beautiful sister. She has spent the last 10 years of her life training under her father to make soba and eventually take over the restaurant. But at the beginning of her high school life, she goes through a rough series of events and gets to a very low point in her life. She is saved by Shigeyoshi Minako who Hajime instantly has admiration for because of her beautiful appearance and strong personality. Hajime learns that Shigeyoshi is actually the Judo team captain at her high school and is one of the strongest in the country. Hajime convinces her best friend Toshiko to join the team with her and the pair along with the other first years begin the cruel training regiment the team requires. It is clear that Hajime has no athletic talent and is always falling behind. But her determination and 10 years of pounding and kneading soba has given Hajime an unique advantage that no one, not even the talented Shigeyoshi, can match. (Source: Mangahelpers)