Life would be so much easier if this show weren’t so damn good.
Alas for me, I’m fully roped into this dysfunctional relationship again. When the old girlfriend called I went and meet her even though I knew it was a bad idea, and felt all those same old feelings I don’t get from anyone else and got hooked on them, even though I knew it would end in heartbreak again. I’m full of resentment that Chihayafuru can make me feel things as deeply as it does, but knowing it doesn’t mean I can do anything about it. And so, here we are again.
At this point it starts to get hard to talk about the anime without spoiling the manga, because my reactions to what’s happening on-screen are so colored by what happens later on the page. I can’t divorce them – that’s just how it is. Everything from actual match results (which are certainly spoilers but pretty straightforward to avoid) to the root causes of why I had a falling out with the manga – it’s all a minefield. And it’s all tied together in a messy tangle like a bunch of power cables under your workstation – I can’t tell what leads where anymore, and I can’t tug on something without everything on the desk moving.
Ah, well – be that as it may, there’s no denying these first 6 episodes (I for one am glad we’re back to singles, because double-episodes of this series are too exhausting) have been crackers. Damn, this is good – it’s beautiful, it’s powerful, it’s painful. Suetsugu can go so deep with these characters, most obviously Taichi of course. As usual, he has all the cards (all but literally) stacked against him here – he’s played seven matches while Hiroshi’s lame walkover has given Chihaya a long rest. He has the burden of playing the person whose mere presence in the room usually takes him off his game. Even as Taichi tries to move forward, can he really move forward that much?
One thing I do believe Taichi has going for him – it may be a conceit on my part, but I truly believe his teammates are rooting for him. Sumire is obviously, and it’d be a stretch to think Kana isn’t – but I truly believe all of them are. They – and this is part of the tragedy of Chihayafuru – see Taichi in a way Chihaya doesn’t. They don’t take his strength and commitment for granted, they don’t look straight through him. They more than anyone know what he goes through trying to live with the torture of being invisible to the girl he loves, and to seemingly never catch a stroke of good luck.
The moment where Kana’s mom takes Taichi aside to “fix his kimono” (and that was cool about the obi – I never knew any of it) is one of those quietly beautiful side-character gems that this series specializes in. It’s beautiful, really – Oe-san sees the burden Taichi is trying to live up to, understands that he’s never coddled or protected the way Chihaya is. Equally beautiful is the way Kana tears up watching Chihaya and Taichi play, remembering her glorious match in the Class-D final against Tsutomu – and the way he looks at her as she reminisces. Frankly it would be hard for me to love those two any more than I do – they’re the epitome of great supporting characters in every sense of the word.
Meanwhile, we have Arata, who at first tells Chihaya he has to leave because his club has middle schoolers and the drive to Fukui is so long. But when he sees what this does to Chihaya (who never looks straight through Arata like she does Taichi) he changes his mind stat, and even gets an invite to stay over from Harada-sensei (which his sempai and master are having none of). Arata is seeing how the other half lives here, and frankly it’s good for him. He could use a dose of humility for starters, and he’s far too much still on an island unto himself – he needs to see what this experience is like for people whose connections to others drive their everyday lives.
As for the match itself, well- even talking about how I feel about it takes us into dangerous territory. But it’s fascinating to watch Taichi’s approach to it – to totally revamp his placement for starters, to a placement he’s devised specifically for this moment. As long as Chihaya sees the Taichi she thinks she knows, she’ll never respect him as a player. He needs to become someone completely different to her (and no, the symbolism here is not subtle). It’s probably best if I leave it there, but I’ll just add that if I didn’t know how this match was going to end, that cliffhanger would really have pissed me off – even though I was and would have been 100 percent expecting it.
Mi-chan
November 13, 2019 at 11:58 pmOh God of all the weeks they could have posted 2 episodes they chose to do just 1 this time?
I was thinking how good of a show is this man like I’m mind blown. I felt this episode is a build up of everything like it’s a game and she’s up against the final boss, but if Taichi is the final boss at this stage, it makes me worry that he is no longer a main boss and it annoys me!!
I dont know if I am a mean person but when Arata saw himself as Taichi in their childhood it was so symbolic my heart applauded and I said FINALLY Arata u get to be in the position of sidelined Taichi as a kid and I felt happy.
I dont know why I was smiling all through this but God it was worth it – I want this series to go the way I want it to but rn I’m worried it will not go there and I panic.
Excellent episode. I dont think many animes stir up so much emotions.
Nadavu
November 14, 2019 at 9:05 amTo be fair, liking a girl is only one aspect of a kid’s life, and Arata knows a lot about being sidelined. I know it’s been 8 or so years ago, but you might want to revisit the first episode; Arata was dirt poor, with one pair of trousers, had to deliver papers in the rain in the predawn hours before school, had no friends, never said a word in class because his accent made him a target for ridicule, and was constantly bullied by a despicable young Taichi. So yeah, we’re all cheering for older reformed Taichi, but let’s not make Arata the bad guy here. If you’re looking for a villain, it’s obviously Chihaya (kidding, of course. Or am I?)
Spencer
November 14, 2019 at 9:37 amGrowing up in poverty is nothing – nothing! – next to the pain of a girl not liking you back.
Guardian Enzo
November 14, 2019 at 1:14 pmAll that is true about Arata, yet at this stage of the narrative he comes off as arrogant – at least to me. And he always comes off as arrogant and dismissive when it comes to Taichi, especially where karuta is concerned. That’s a function of the way Suetsugu writes him IMO. It’s not about being a villain – it’s just how he’s presented.
Mi-chan
November 14, 2019 at 12:01 amAfter note: I did not read things after u said manga, km scared that spoilers would begin and I waited for 6 years and as a Chihaya crazy fan as well I think you understand my paranoia.
Guardian Enzo
November 14, 2019 at 6:53 amI get that, but I was pretty careful.
Mi-chan
November 14, 2019 at 1:56 pmSo can I read ahead? XD I know I want to haha, the reference scared me
Nadavu
November 14, 2019 at 9:17 amWow, this one felt like a double feature all by itself. A great episode in every aspect.
I haven’t read the manga, but I can pretty much guess, based on everything I didn’t like about the second season, where this is ultimately and unfortunately going (or not going, haha). I just really really hope there’ll be more than just one obligatory transition episode between this tournament and before the queen/master tournament starts and we’re treated to 15ish episodes of never-ending tournament. I want to spend some quality times with my characters. Dang it, Tsukuba still hasn’t made a sound since his internal monologue back in episode 1 and gets absolutely no attention. The poor boy is out sidelining even Taichi right now.
Ronbb
November 14, 2019 at 11:01 amThank you, Enzo. I, too, love those two character moments and the tidbits about obi. One thing I noticed — and this could be just me being biased — is that Setou Asami’s voice has matured quite a bit while Chihaya hasn’t grown much as a person. Don’t get me wrong…I still think Setou-san is a good seiyuu, doing a good job portraying Chihaya. Somehow in between her breathing or when she did the monologue, she sounded more mature than needed. This could just be me though.
Guardian Enzo
November 14, 2019 at 1:15 pmI’ll listen more closely – I hadn’t noticed but you could be right. You’re certainly right about Chihaya IMHO.
Ronbb
November 14, 2019 at 3:05 pmThanks Enzo 🙂
Miyu Fan
November 14, 2019 at 8:41 pmI would like to chime in that during Chihayafuru Fes earlier this year, both Asami and Hosoya confessed that they were struggling to get back into their roles – it’s been years since the last season and these were their first main roles and they have grown a lot as voice actors. So coming back to that mindset as the characters themselves doesn’t really changed much but the actors did was a challenge. For Miyu Irino it was easier for him to slip back into Tsukuba because the character was transparent.
Guardian Enzo
November 14, 2019 at 8:49 pmAnd so far, basically nonexistent.
Ronbb
November 15, 2019 at 1:13 pmAnd perhaps both Irino Miyu and Miyano Mamoru are top-notch voice actors… 🙂
Side note: guess that my ears aren’t that bad…perhaps I can try Karuta 😀
SeijiSensei
November 17, 2019 at 10:13 pmI’m so glad I don’t read manga when it comes to shows like Chihayafuru. As frustrating as cliffhangers can be, I’m happy not knowing how this match will turn out. Either outcome seems possible, and either seems likely to change the trajectory of the Chihaya/Taichi relationship. I thought the moment when Chihaya looks up and says, “Oh, it’s Taichi,” was especially significant.
I was surprised that Taichi’s success rate, as measured by Tsutomu, was as high as it is. Even when she has recovered the use of her right hand, he’s still winning 40% of their practice matches. The impression I had was he was still struggling to beat Chihaya at all, but that appears no longer to be true.
And, yes, Oe-san’s intervention was one of my favorite moments in this episode. Easy to tell who she hopes will win.
Guardian Enzo
November 17, 2019 at 10:49 pmAn honor to have you comment, Sensei! Your contributions are always welcomed.
If only the cliffhangers were the most frustrating part of the manga for me…