Sometimes the good guys win after all.
Of all the sequel announcements that have happened since I became an anime fan, this just might be my happiest moment. In the face of an upcoming season full of unworthy sequels representing the dumbing down of anime in the worst way, a veritable celebration of mediocrity at the expense of art, Chihayafuru’s continuation signals that there’s still a place in anime for great storytelling and character drama. It’s one (quite wonderful) thing for a show like Sakamichi or Tsuritama to get made in the first place, but it’s quite another to see a show at that level actually get renewed.
So why did this happen, in the face of all seeming logic? Well, it had been rumored almost since the end of S1, as you know if you follow this blog. Blu-ray and DVD sales were pretty decent for a Josei show – about 2500 per volume. TV ratings were pretty good for a Midnight airing, though they don’t matter much at that hour. Probably most important was the success of the manga, whose sales spiked considerably after the anime began airing. That was arguably the top priority of the anime in the first place from a commercial standpoint.
Whatever success Chihayafuru did have commercially, it’s obviously a tribute to what mangaka Suetsugu Yuki created and the fantastic job Madhouse did in bringing it to the screen. This is a series than transcends genre as few others – a josei, it’s as good a sports shounen as any since the halcyon days of Major and Cross Game. In Taichi, it gave us one of the greatest character arcs in recent anime history. It also represents a non-romance series that has a more compelling romantic subplot than any romance currently airing. It may not have sparked quite the boom for Karuta that Hikaru no Go did for Go, but it’s definitely brought a surge in interest for the game (Summer’s Chouyaku Hyakunin Isshu: Uta Koi might very well never have been green-lit otherwise). Chihayafuru isn’t a series that fits neatly into a demographic box, and its fans span as wide a range as any group I’ve seen since I’ve been blogging. We’re not the biggest fanbase in anime by a long shot, but we may be the most diverse.
I never gave up hope that this would happen, but it’s a pretty rare thing for this type of show to be renewed. We don’t know much – will Asaka Morio be directing? Will it be “Taichi Tuesdays” again, or another day of the week (I’d like to see a weekend morning timeslot, myself)? And of course, in what season will it begin airing – and for how long? But there’s plenty of time to worry about that – for now, it’s enough just to be happy. To everyone who followed the links I provided and bought Blu-rays, CDs or manga – thank you. For fans of great anime, this is indeed a rare and special day – no matter what Urobuchi Gen says, good things can happen to good people!
†Croosâ€
June 8, 2012 at 3:56 pmd(*.*d)
SlushiZ
June 8, 2012 at 4:09 pmThis is happiness :') *Mentally prepares for all the Taichi fangirling/feels to come back*
-blacksheep
June 8, 2012 at 4:14 pmnow this is just a really good news that made up my day 😀
YinRei
June 8, 2012 at 4:20 pmThis news just made my day!! I've been missing Chihayafuru ever since the day it ended (in spite of godly shows such as Sakamichi no Apollon), and honestly, I didn't want to build my hopes up for a second season, so I'm extremely happy right now :'3
More Taichi perfection coming soon… I can't wait >_<
Gyabo
June 8, 2012 at 4:20 pmI've been checking your blog all morning, wondering if you'd post about this.
As this was the anime I looked forward to the most every week (never failed to watch the newest episode right when I got home on tuesdays), I'm beyond excited. I'd held onto a sliver of hope for this when S1 ended, and I'm glad I did.
I look forward to your posts on it when it comes around — I'm sure I'll be sharing some 'hnngh' feelings for Taichi with you here.
Arabesque
June 8, 2012 at 4:31 pmChihayafuru getting a second season is the best piece of news I had received the entire day, and I certainly needed it since the bloody weather is constantly raining and being gloomy. My day has been brightened since then!
No seriously, It stopped raining afterwards lol
Is this Madhouse's last hurrah, making sure to get out the best they can make before fading out, or are they showing signs that this is their second wind? I certainly hope it's the latter …
'' In the face of an upcoming season full of unworthy sequels representing the dumbing down of anime in the worst way''
Err, I think that Moyashimon Returns is actually going to be pretty good! I mean, I never thought you hated it that much Enzo haha … And Lagrange II is more of a split cour deal than an actual second season so … Maybe you are talking about Horizon? I mean I never hated or liked the show personally (it was pretty much a really blockbuster show), but I can get your comment regarding that.
Seriously though, Moyashimon Returns …
''So why did this happen, in the face of all seeming logic?''
Ahem, MADhouse. MAD. There is no room for logic there, only for what is awesomely MAD.
''Will it be "Taichi Tuesdays" again, or another day of the week (I'd like to see a weekend morning timeslot, myself)?''
I'm willing to settle for a Taichi Thursdays. If not, a Chihaya Wednesday or Saturday is doable. For the rest though …
But who cares about the name, right!? We can rewatch the episodes on Tuesday damn it, as long as it airs again!
Ishruns
June 8, 2012 at 4:34 pmMe: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
My mom: What's wrong? Why are you shouting?
Me: Chihayafuru is getting a second season.
My mom: Huh?
Me: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
My mom leaves.
I wasn't able to take my trip to Tokyo and pick up the anime myself along with all the manga volumes that follow but I'll hopefully be able to pick up both seasons when I go. WooHoo best bit of news in about 2 months.
admin
June 8, 2012 at 6:18 pmMoyashimon is a pretty good show – mediocre by NoitaminA standards IMHO, but pretty good. Alas it's by far the best of the sequels this season, which range from undistinguished to outright…
Anonymous
June 8, 2012 at 4:56 pmIt,s very probable to be also in tuesday and with Asaka. But the next Spring. I.m pretty sure that is a NTV tuesday series, but they only appears in autum and spring and are usually 2 cour.
I think this because, Kotono Watanabe, Ishizuka(confirmed to have a series for autum), and Kawajiri who were very involved in the first had their respectives future works, so if they,re going to work in the second sesson it,s better than the Chihaya2nd seson come after that.
The best calendar for the next year of madhouse should be like this:
Autum: btooom.
Winter:the new ninjascroll series.
Spring: Chihaya sesond 2.
Summer: the series with aniplex,Arata Naru Sekai
Beckett
June 8, 2012 at 5:59 pmVery good news! I wasn't as big of a Chihayafuru fanboy as some on this blog, but it was an excellent show and in my experience excellent shows rarely get sequels.
grey
June 8, 2012 at 6:21 pmcrying
elianthos
June 8, 2012 at 6:44 pmNo kidding, I did a little dance on my seat squealing Yes! Yes! Yesssssss!
Now, my best sequel dream is Moribito's following novels being animated… ahaha.
We don't know when and in which slot it will be aired, correct? It would be nice if Chihayafuru managed to snatch a NoitaminA slot next year eventually, as a series I believe it belongs there the best :D.
admin
June 8, 2012 at 6:56 pmSeems most likely we'll see the same slot, and I'd worry that NoitaminA might mean one cour. But we'll see.
Moribito getting further adaptations would be one of the very few announcements that would trump this for me (the Jinchu Arc of Rurouni Kenshin getting a full adaptation would be another). But I have no delusions that it'll ever happen.
Samurai Jack
June 8, 2012 at 7:03 pmWell, this is definitely very awesome news. Chihayafuru was one of the more unique series I've watched recently. It had a realistic high school setting, and showed more emphasis on drama than romance, which I find to be rare in high school focused anime. The characters were pretty likeable too, especially Taichi and Chihaya. I hope this gets a fall release, with a possible third season getting released next fall.
Though the main anime series I'm waiting to see get a second season is Durarara. I'm sure there's enough light novel source material for another 24-26 episodes. But I'll definitely take more Chihayafuru. Along with the currently airing Hunter x Hunter, Madhouse has been doing a great job releasing memorable long-running anime.
Anonymous
June 8, 2012 at 8:17 pmI thought you'd never read my comment on the other post, lol.
Anonymous
June 8, 2012 at 8:34 pmMy. God. So many people liking the shittiest show of the season. In one place. Unbelievable. I didnt know that anyone watched this garbage show apart from those who made it. Amazing.
Stöt
June 8, 2012 at 9:05 pmSWEET BEARD OF ZEUS!
This is fucking amazing!! I ordered the two bilingual manga volumes as soon as the anime ended, mostly to have as nostalgia and weep over I suppose, but yeah. Shit! Fuck me, this is Awesome! I guess what I'm trying to say is that the second season is all thanks to me guys!
When is it going to show? How long do I have to wait? Such an amazing story, but I can't put my feelings about it to words. In the end, it feels real. Realer than any TV series I've ever seen. Being without it makes the world grayer.
admin
June 8, 2012 at 9:13 pmNo manga spoilers.
admin
June 8, 2012 at 10:35 pmLet me just clarify, I'm going to delete manga spoilers here just like I did during the episode threads (and will again). Please restrain yourselves.
As to S2 and the romance angle, there's much, much more to my love of this series than the romance aspects. I certainly won't be surprised if Arata ends up with Chihaya, as the mangaka has been flagging it pretty hard since the beginning (and I'm not totally ignorant of current happenings in the manga, which is nowhere close to settling the question). Fact is I'm OK if that happens, because while Arata fanatics can be pretty obnoxious, I like the character a lot – not as much as Taichi, admittedly, but a lot. If that's how it goes, that's how it goes.
What will upset me is if Taichi isn't giving a satisfying conclusion to his character arc, which is without question the most interesting in the series for me, and the most meaningful. It's as GAR-ada-sensei thought to himself on that train platform – it can't always be about sacrifice. Sooner or later there needs to be a reward – and I want to see Taichi get some sort of payoff for all the shyte the mangaka has put him through.
As to "Madhouse's last hurrah", I still don't see it. Chihayafuru won't likely even start till next Spring, they're announcing new projects consistently, including Arata Naru Sekai – which likely won't see anime form for a couple of years. And Hosoda's wolf movie is going to hit the streets next month and make a gajillion yen, just like Summer Wars and TGWLTT did.
totoum
June 9, 2012 at 3:39 pmWhile I'm no worried about Madhouse they are kind of in a transition period because past staff members are doing work for other studios.
I think a few years ago both sakamichi no apollon and Lupin III would have been madhouse titles (instead of "mappa" and "po10tial".
Hosada also founded his own studio and madhouse is only ccredited with "cooperation" now so I wonder if they'll be involved in his next project.
There's also various madhouse staff members that are now working left and right,latest exemple being Atsuko Ichizuka who's going to direct an anime for JC staff.
But yeah there's still talent and new projects like Btooom being announced.And HunterXHunter is still going as well.
azuredaydreamer
June 9, 2012 at 12:55 amOMG THIS IS HAPPINESSSSSSSSSSSS. I need my regular dose of Taichi Tuesdays again. Chihayafuru rekindled my love for anime because of it's beautiful character development. I can't wait to journey and grow with the characters once more.
I know the manga scanners are doing their best to catch up with the recent chapters. They'll probably finish by the end of the year. For some weird reason in mangafox, they have until volume 7 then a few chapters in volume 17, just in case anyone wants to see it.
Kim
June 9, 2012 at 2:00 amAnd it was announced a day before my birthday…best present ever!
admin
June 9, 2012 at 2:33 amTanjiobi omedetto!
Anonymous
June 9, 2012 at 3:55 amBest news ever…thanks Guardian Enzo.
Hoping that the second season will still be directed by Asaka Morio, and yes – Taichi is the most interesting character in the series to me also – I want to see him getting some reward.
– Ronbb
Rita
June 9, 2012 at 5:28 amI CAN'T STOP GRINNING.
THIS IS AWESOME AND AMAZING AND CRUNCHYROLL BETTER PICK IT UP OR I DON'T CARE I'M WATCHING IT ILLEGALLY. There's no WAY I'm missing out on this one.
Anonymous
June 9, 2012 at 6:15 amI'm from Brazil, and i usually just lurk around, but as soon as i read this i had to comment XD
I'M VERY HAPPY THAT CHIHAYAFURU WILL HAVE A SECOND SEASON!