DESCRIPTION

CAST

ANIME DramaChihayafuru 2
MANGA DramaChihayafuru

REVIEWS

• 

  pointydelta

  89/100
  Fantastic, kinetic animation and likeable characters anchor this compelling ensemble piece.

  "By the port of Naniwa slept a flower through a harsh winter. Spring has come and now the flower blooms."

  No spoilers.

  

  Chihayafuru is just brutal. It pulls no punches, ever. It has no hesitation about slapping its characters down. Everything does not always work out in the end. And despite that all...it’s hopeful. It’s truly joyous. When the protagonists win, it seems to matter in a way that doesn’t make an awful lot of sense from the outside. It feels, for lack of a better word, great.

  And Chihayafuru is weird, too. It’s about a weird, niche sport that nobody outside of Japan has ever heard of, and probably one that precious few inside Japan care about. Karuta is a sport about memorising poems and then touching the cards with the second verse of those poems on them. What? How could this possibly be exciting? Yeah, okay, when you watch the real-life equivalents, they really are that fast...but the matches are kind of boring and kind of long.

  I’m going to try and get into how it’s possible as much as I can. But it’s awful hard for me to explain some of this in words. I’ll do my best, but since a lot of the work Chihayafuru puts in is as much about what isn’t said as what is, maybe the only way to really figure it out is to watch it and read between the lines for yourself. Oh, and one more thing. I’m reviewing the series as a whole, so I’ll talk about stuff in the first and second season as well. As far as I’m concerned, this season stands on the work of the first two, but the first two are brilliant of themselves as well. Chihayafuru - in the anime, anyway - is not yet a finished story. So this review might change. The way this ends will matter a lot. But the going - the journey - matters too. And it’s an awful good one. But there's still a ways to go from here. And I’ll be along for the ride, whenever and wherever Chihayafuru decides to take me.

  Like a boatman sailing\Over Yura’s strait without a rudder\I know not where\The depths of love will take me - Story

  

  Chihayafuru’s story is framed in a bit of a weird way to start. It seems a lot like your standard romance fare. A childhood friendship combined with some strong character dynamics initially establish a strong sense of place, but where Chihayafuru does the best is in establishing goals in terms of the plot.

  There’s always a sense that the plot is regular, meaning things are going a certain way for a certain reason, and that means that the plot is often more about how the events drive the character relations rather than the other way around. For example, placing in a tournament is important in terms of its knock-on effect on the character interactions between Taichi and Chihaya. The people that the characters face in matches matter, not so much because it’s about who wins or loses, but because who wins or loses affects both players so deeply.

  When Misusawa High School competes in a team match, the winning and losing matters besides just the simple fact of victory. When they win - and lose - it makes a difference to the characters. Ultimately, because we care so much about the characters, and I’ll talk about this more in a second, each match is so heavily freighted. Characters have defined goals, which means that in-narrative, there are serious stakes. That doesn’t mean characters will die if they lose. That’s lame. It doesn’t mean that it’s just as simple as romantic relationships are wagered on matches. Chihayafuru is better than that. What’s physically at stake in the matches is almost nothing. No money (as far as we know!), barely any prestige outside of the insular world of karuta. It’s just winning and losing. But what’s mentally at stake? A-ha. That’s where the whole nut of the thing is.

  That is to say, the plot gives goals, and the character dynamics drive the stakes of the piece.

  And these stakes are regularly invoked, because characters lose, and lose hard. In those rare moments when Chihayafuru allows - yes, “allows” is definitely the right word - a second of respite from crushing loss, it is all the more cathartic and fulfilling. These players are no monstrous sports gods on a training arc toward their inexorable victories. They are fallible, and fail. Chihayafuru’s confidence that when its characters are knocked down, they’ll get up again, is second to none. And that confidence pulls watchers along with it, fervently hoping that maybe this time will be the time. That creates a lot of tension in the matches. Because you think they’ll lose. But maybe - just maybe - they could win when it matters.

  Here seems like a good time to mention that I really like the way that some cards are given in -narrative meaning. The obvious one is "Chihaya's" card - "Even in the age...", but there are some others. The show does itself a big favour by having poetry as a subject, which means that it can afford to be a weensy bit on the nose sometimes with which cards get read when. But...honestly? I don't really mind that much, especially when the poetry is so great.

  On the surface, Chihayafuru is a sports anime, and one replete with all the tropes of that genre. Tournament arcs, competitions, long internal monologues during matches, side characters offering running commentary, the whole nine yards. And then another level deeper, it's a shoujo anime - in fact, it’s even got character designs reminiscent of that genre. Two pretty boys, a boyish girl, love triangle, you’ve seen the script before. Except it’s not. It’s something much more impressive and much fuller than just a sports anime or just a stereotypical romance-drama. With consummate skill, careful writing, and gorgeous animation, Chihayafuru realises a whole mental world in a way that I’ve only seen in a few other shows. It is a story that is worth telling. And maybe more importantly, it has a cast of characters that are worth knowing.

  What it is actually under its exterior is nothing less than a brilliant study of character dynamics. That is especially impressive, given that one of the main characters spends almost all of the first two seasons, and a good portion of the third, completely offstage. Selling character dynamics like this is astonishingly hard, and Chihayafuru pulls it off with ease.

  Even in the age of swift gods and miracles\ I have never seen\Such burning autumn red\As drenches the Tatsuta River - Characters

  

  You can sum up Chihayafuru’s characters by saying simply that you root for them. Always, always. Because nearly everyone in this story is basically a good person. Chihayafuru is better than having the foes of the main character be easy, hateable villains. Even Wakamiya, the character that you’d expect to just be a one-note “kuudere” antagonist, becomes so much more than that by midway through the second season, and even better in the third. By halfway into the show, there’s a very big cast of characters which the writers can call on almost at will to hang some new ideas on. And the confidence that the viewer will buy into the world enough to remember all the characters is nice. But, best of all, I think Chihayafuru does a great job at establishing a sense of place about the hobby. I noted this in my review of Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, but I think one of the best things a piece of work about a hobby that is relatively niche can do is let the reader feel familiar with the world that it creates. Things like recognising readers, cards, and so on all really hook you in. The big interlocking network of characters Chihayafuru expects you to buy into allows for every single interaction to matter in the grand scheme of things.

  But make no mistake, this is and was always Chihaya, Arata, and Taichi’s show. Although other characters may steal the limelight for a couple episodes, they always give it back to those three in the end. I think that the bond the author creates in the first few episodes, and then proceeds to explore and sell throughout the rest of the show is awfully good, and is a much better way of going about it than just a simple (boring!) love triangle.

  The likeability of these characters stems from the fact that they’re always at least partially realised. I think we get a lot more insight into the motivations of the main three, but I’m always aware of the subtext of what almost everybody is doing. There are exceptions to this, of course, and sometimes Chihayafuru does just straight-up tell you what the characters want, but I think usually it’s left to your imagination. This lets character interactions feel heavy and meaningful. But there's such a light touch at play here, so gentle and so careful. Chihayafuru has good jokes and sharp moments to relieve tension. I think there are less of these running gags in later seasons, but they punctuate the story well.

  Ultimately, characters are believable as people, and not just as 2D cartoons (joke intended). Chihayafuru gets you invested in what happens to its characters unlike almost anything else, even though the stakes are relatively low. That’s a testament to how worthwhile it is to know what is going on - how worthwhile it is to care.

  Though the waterfall\ceased flowing long ago\and its music is stilled\its name yet flows\and in fame it can be heard - Music and Sound

  

  The sound design is probably a weaker spot of the show, if I’m honest. It does itself a lot of favours by being based on sound, and the voice acting in the reading is always really good...but sometimes things just feel a weensy bit off. I think this kind of works in Chihayafuru’s favour insofar as matches aren’t tense because of tense music but instead because of the plotting and characters, but there are definite missteps here.

  Similarly, I think the OP and EDs are...fine. They’re all generic J-rock fare, with the first season’s OP being actively good and the subsequent ones being just passable. Animation in the OPs is good and well-synced, although it doesn’t matter an awful lot. Insert songs...could have been better. Nothing to write home about, really.

  However, the voice acting...oh boy. Almost everyone turns in a hell of a performance, from the readers reading the poems, to Asami Seto as Chihaya and (by far the best) Kenta Miyake as Dr. Harada. The VAs sell everything from emotion to joy with equal range. There isn’t an awful lot for them to do sometimes - Chihayafuru is very visual, but they do a sterling job with what they are actually given.

  Gust of wind carries\leaves from the trees,\Giving the name of storm\to the mountain wind - Animation

  

  OK. I could write thousands and thousands of words gushing about how brilliant and wonderful and incredible the animation by MADHOUSE is. I’ll try and keep this as non-hagiographic as possible, but it would be amiss of me to go any further without mentioning how transcendentally brilliant the animation of the karuta matches are. I might go so far as to say that they actually carry the show in its entirety. Without properly exciting karuta matches, this show is nothing. That’s why the animation matters.

  I’m going to pick out a couple of things, though. First, the depiction of movement is so rock solid. The low frame-rate of anime makes it impossible (and impractical) to show people moving as fast as competitive karuta players do. Instead, MADHOUSE uses carefully framed freeze-frame shots to show speed, as well as animation of things like hair and fabric (oh god, the fabric animation is SO GOOD) to depict motion. There’s a real sense of weight to things onscreen, and it’s awful hard to imagine almost any other studio doing this.

  Second, the show is very good at depicting skill. Probably the best example of this is the introduction of Master/Meijin Suo. By this point, we’ve seen an awful lot of players we know are very good. We’ve seen Wakamiya obliterate her competition with ease and unbelievable speed. And then Master Suo takes his first card and in literally one frame he just slams his hand down on it. It’s genuinely a jaw-dropping moment, as the true insurmountability of the best karuta players becomes clear. The sense of oppressiveness that comes from a brilliant player of this game is conveyed so well.

  Third, the blocking and shot composition is almost always brilliant in the matches. While just ‘fine’ in the school scenes, in the matches (where clearly the majority of time was spent), every movement is so carefully storyboarded and framed to create an extremely kinetic and inertia-laden sense of movement and rhythm to the matches.

  Finally, I think the show kind of does itself a favour by having romantic poetry as its subject matter (well, one of its subjects, anyway) because it gives it an awful big stock of imagery to draw from. But MADHOUSE doesn’t waste those ideas at all, giving each their fair share of screentime by far.

  If I had one criticism, I think the use of CGI flower petals, especially in the third season, sometimes gets a little bit much. I’m not sure how consonant it is with the general (general) realism of the piece to suddenly take a left turn like this. I don’t think it’s awful, and I think it’s generally used to good effect, but sometimes it can overwhelm all the other careful decisions.

  On and off, I think of former days\and how I long for thee.\More than e'en the clinging vines hanging\beneath the ancient eaves - Final Thoughts

  

  I think Chihayafuru is excellent, but I don’t think it’s great. Why not? Because it is not a finished story yet. We’ve seen the main trio and the side characters develop an awful lot in competition and out of it, but their story isn’t even close to over. It’s barely begun, really.

  Similarly, I think the story oftentimes moves on from moments a bit quickly for my liking. There are a lot of moments in the narrative which had some really great impact, but I always felt there might have been a bit more. Maybe it’s asking too much to hang so much on a silly game. But I don’t think it is. If there’s any show that can do this, Chihayafuru can. It can definitely become truly great - a true, moving, cathartic 10. There are moments I can think of that are possible within the narrative which, if executed well and animated to the highest standards, would top almost anything else. But they haven’t come yet...and I don’t know if they will. Look, I wish I liked Chihayafuru more than I do. I love the concept, I like the characters so much - some have become some of my absolute favorites. I wish I could give it a 10, a 90+ - I want so much to do so. I want it to move me deeply and touch me, I'm rooting for it. But it's not there...yet.

  But you should watch Chihayafuru. You really should. It’s an awfully good time. And maybe, like me, you can join the ranks of people waiting. Waiting for the author to open her mouth and read the next card.

  Though we are parted\if on Mount Inaba's peak I should hear\the sound of the pine trees growing there\I'll come back to you again.

  ---

  - Pointy

  Continue on AniList
• 

  Cebeve

  80/100
  Te lo resumo así no más: Chihayafuru

  ~~~Compilado de Chihaya hasta el momento ~

  Esta reseña no va a hablar sólo de la tercera temporada, sino de la serie en conjunto hasta el momento. Voy a marcar los puntos que más y menos me gustaron en lo que va de la historia. Siempre con la esperanza de que exista una 4ta temporada.

  VA A HABER SPOILERS~~~
  En resumen podemos decir que Chihaya se encuentra en la secundaria (preparatoria en algunos países) y forma un club de Karuta. Un deporte con cartas que aprendió en la infancia de su amigo Arata. Algo que su otro amigo Taichi también jugaba como pasatiempo, aunque es Arata quien le enseña la pasión por el juego en sí. A partir de acá tendremos torneos, y la lucha de Chihaya por convertirse en la "reina" del Karuta, el rango más alto al que puede aspirar un jugador. A su vez, el triángulo amoroso tendrá sus momentos, pero no suele ser el foco de atención (uno de los puntos buenos).
  Pero vayamos a lo que llamo "los contras" de la serie. Que son menos en número que "los pro" pero igual están ahí.

  La historia no está ni cerca de su resolución final, lo cual puede ser bueno si se confirman más adaptaciones. Pero por otro lado, el hecho de que un final esté tan alejado, hace peligrar las posibilidades de que el cierre final sea satisfactorio. Ya que tampoco se puede alargar demasiado si tenemos en cuenta que gira en torno a torneos con un objetivo claro pero limitado. Sumado al hecho de que el manga aún está en emisión, las probabilidades de que termine con una 4ta temporada son bastante bajas. Pero no es sólo la historia lo que parece decaer a medida que avanzan las temporadas, también se aplica esto a los niveles de animación e incluso la BSO. Por ejemplo, los opening de la segunda y tercera temporada, a pesar de estar interpretados por la misma banda, no se comparan para nada con el primero (en mi opinión, el mejor). Y respecto a la animación, particularmente la escena del beso entre Taichi y Chihaya ha tenido incontables memes con la "suprised Pikachu face" porque es realmente lo que parece en ese momento (que tendría que estar cargado de emoción y no de risas). Por otra parte, gran parte del desarrollo de las 3 temporadas parecen centrarse en la evolución de Taichi por sobre la de Chihaya. Volviéndola un personaje bastante más plano en comparación, a pesar de ser la protagonista.

  Esto último, depende el cristal con que se mire puede considerarse un "pro" también. Ya que habilita al desarrollo de los personajes secundarios y sus historias, así como las interrelaciones entre los competidores de los torneos, posibilitando también la introducción de personajes nuevos de peso en la historia. Además de presentar el uta-garuta como un deporte y darle la animación apropiada para el género del anime (los encuentros están muy bien a nivel animación y representación de la tensión mental del competidor). Los diseños son muy bellos y la paleta de colores es alucinante.
  Por último, el aspecto que más me gusta del anime es el verosímil de la historia. No hay victoria tras victoria, y a los jugadores les cuesta trabajo llegar a los torneos (y a veces no lo logran), lo cual resulta mucho más cercano a la realidad porque es poco predecible y permite la identificación del espectador.

  Lamento el "review summary" pero no se me ocurrió otra cosa, aunque sé que no se compara con el verdadero XD

  Continue on AniList
• 

  Unwelcome

  97/100
  My unnecessary trilogy review: "I’ve never loved an anime so much”. We need another season.

  ・ English is my second language, there may be errors in my grammar..
  ・I try to make a spoiler-free review, however, in the section opinion if something important happens I mention it.
  ・General experience ≠ Final score. My personal score is based in 5 star system, so I tried to put an accurate number here, but isn't always the case.
  ・Locate (Brief) Conclusion + Recommendation section where the main points are summarized.

  ━━━━━━━ ⟡ ━━━━━━━

  Experience with Chihayafuru 3

  ━━━━━━━ ⟡ ━━━━━━━ **Iɴᴛʀᴏᴅᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ**

  In this season we can find the perfect balance between sports and drama, something to highlight about Chihayafuru it’s the age range of their characters, giving us a story with different perspectives. Everyone’s involved in the story, enriching the scenario of how they perceive karuta, even if the premise, it’s aimed in the three childhood friends and a striking love triangle, here all the bonds have an important relevance.

  ━━━━━━━ ⟡ ━━━━━━━ **Oᴘɪɴɪᴏɴ**

  As can be seen during this thrid season, the heartbreaking moment is present with the reconstruction in the relationship of the main characters. I consider Chihaya’s connecting with her friends is more than a love triangle, the first phase of her was only live for her love for karuta and the appreciation of Arata’s play style, even idolizing his figure and got confused about her feelings. For another hand, with Taichi grew true confidence through the years they spent together, he gave her a comfortable space to grow and thus pursue her dream for the karuta, respecting her, however it’s been necessary left the comfort zone due his feelings. All this time Chihaya was safe with her relationship with others, living a dream that had not taken off, at the moment she leaves the ease, her dream materializes. The inevitable changes come, but not only to her, to everyone.

  The brightness of before is overshadowed by the conflicts between the characters and the future, actually this isn’t a negative point, but maybe the display could portray this aspect better. As results, the composition series remains of what we are used to seeing.

  Nevethless, gathering everything in this anime we get an story that definitely will touch your heart with its different main points, the visual transmits the ambiguiness that it’s present in the characterization of the 100 Poems, things that cannot interpret by words, it’s expressed through different representative methods, blooming in sight. Karuta itself, it’s dynamic, I just find amazing due to the variety angles and focus that the direction uses to transmit the speed and fluency of every character has in their play style. With a great soundtrack that accompanies you on this journey, most songs manage to represent every stage in this story.

  ━━━━━━━ ⟡ ━━━━━━━ **(ʙʀɪᴇғ) Cᴏɴᴄʟᴜsɪᴏɴ + Rᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅᴀᴛɪᴏɴ**

  I have been writing an unnecessary review trilogy, so if you read this after watching the previous seasons, some things I said might sound repetitive. In the long run, I decide to just highlight the strong points of this anime, however, in this thrid part it’s present its up and down.

  For the most part, the feeling that has left me this anime it something I will appreciate it for a long time. I hope for this story to get its fourth season and see the new challenges that Chihaya will confronts, along her friends, and the most interesting character Mashima Taichi. There’s a lot to say about him, but I will reserve my words because they do not fit in this place.

  If you want to watch something that will fill you desire to achieve something, definitely you need to experience this. During the road you’ll feel part of this amazing world which is conceived from the love for a pretty unique game called karuta that connects the 100 Poems with your emotions.

  ━━━━━━━ ⟡ ━━━━━━━
  Continue on AniList

SIMILAR ANIMES YOU MAY LIKE

• ANIME

  Drama3-gatsu no Lion
• ANIME

  DramaKono Oto Tomare!
• ANIME

  ComedyHikaru no Go
• ANIME

  DramaKono Oto Tomare! 2
• ANIME

  Drama3-gatsu no Lion 2
• ANIME

  DramaSakamichi no Apollon
• ANIME

  ComedyBakuman.
• ANIME

  ActionYAWARA! a fashionable judo girl!
• ANIME

  DramaMashiro no Oto
• ANIME

  DramaPing Pong THE ANIMATION
• ANIME

  ComedyHaikyuu!!
• MOVIE

  AdventureMeitantei Conan: Kara Kurenai Love Letter