This episode was pretty much all that’s good and bad about this stretch of Chihayafuru rolled into one. You had the full groundhog day syndrome in effect, yet you also had the one subplot that soars on angel’s wings and lifts this part of the story with it. In all my years of being an anime and manga fan, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a series that more dramatically exemplifies the giving with one hand and taking with the other effect. The highs are sublimely high, and the lows make you want to torch the house and salt the ground it stood on. If you want to follow Chihayafuru, that’s something you just have to live with.
First off, we have Chihaya, living out the endlessly repeating cycle of her character arc. She’s completely self-absorbed and karuta-obsessed (at this point I’m not sure there’s a difference) to the point where she’s hurting people around her. Then she gets confronted about it, starts weeping about how stupid she is and all is forgiven. It would be nice if just once in a while she’d show an ounce of awareness of anyone else’s problems before either they become her problems or she gets told off for it. But it’s probably folly to expect that to change at this point.
Then we have Taichi. Did I mention he lost, and on a luck of the draw to boot? That whole gag about Taichi’s bad luck wore thin about 50 chapters ago, but Suetsugu just keeps recycling it. My sense, really, is that by this point in the series if Taichi wasn’t Suetsugu’s punching bag she simply wouldn’t know what to do with him. You keep waiting for all this to mean something, but that wait is like the wait for Chihaya to display empathy. Maybe it’ll happen, but after all this time it seems like a pretty optimistic take to believe that.
But then, of course, there’s Harada-sensei. I like Miyake Kenta very much as a seiyuu, but a big part of me is heartbroken that the great Ishizuka Unshou didn’t live to see these chapters adapted. Ever since I read this part of the manga I’ve imagined it playing out on-screen, and truth be told it’s living up to expectations – Miyake’s performance is pretty faultless. Harada-sensei has been pretty much the ultimate supporting character throughout Chihayafuru, in both narrative senses, but when he steps forward into the limelight the series takes on a totally different feel than when it’s about the kids.
Truth be told, it was Harada-sensei’s arc that kept me going as I was following this portion of the manga. So much of what I was following made me want to just throw up my hands and bag the whole thing, but whenever the camera turned to him I was absolutely riveted. This story is just so, so good – you can practically hear bone rubbing against bone in those tortured knees and feel the shooting pain yourself. Hell, even his great rival Kitano-san from the Suihoku Society (Tsutomu, Kana and Nishida’s coach) – with a deep and abiding shared grudge between them – gets caught up in the moment.
Yes, this is where all the good stuff is happening to be sure, at least for me. The old-timers hectoring the barely-adult tournament manager not to hurry Harada-sensei as he tries to recover between matches. Harada’s students collecting cards for him after takes, because his knees are so shot he can’t even raise and lower himself any longer. And of course Taichi returning to the hall to watch after Sumire lets him know what’s happening (more points scored for her, she’s on a roll), tears in his eyes as Harada-sensei wins the luck of the draw in his match with Koishikawa-san, who vanquished Taichi on luck of the draw. Of course he came back – that’s the difference between Taichi and the other inward-focused protagonists in this series. Maybe it’s a disadvantage in karuta, but it makes him a hell of a lot more interesting and likeable as a human being.
slazer
December 5, 2019 at 12:22 amsecond ALL of this
Nadavu
December 5, 2019 at 9:11 amI was dreading going back to tournament mode so quickly, but I have to admit that so far season 3 is bearing better here than season 2. Matches go by faster, and there’s less focus on individual plays and more on general strategy and (most importantly) how that reflects on the different characters. I am looking for a 2-3 episode stretch that is tournament-free, but so far my biggest worry — that we’ll get bogged down in endless and indistinguishable matches — has largely been averted.
I must also admit that I don’t personally mind Taichi losing. I don’t think it’s inherently unfair that life (and therefore, karuta) is unfair. What bothers me (and where I suspect I will soon get exasperated) is his continued crush on Miss Oblivious. It is getting pretty hard to find any redeeming features in her character. She was better her off when her dream was to see her sister become a successful model :\
Anyways, off topic but I don’t know where it would be on topic, are you still watching Ahiruo no Sora and Chuubyou Gekihatsu Boy? Ahiru has been consistenty getting better everyweek and finding its unique sport-anime voice, and Cuubyou — well, it isn’t as consistent, but it deliver some very solid episodes in between somewhat mediocre ones.
Panino Manino
December 5, 2019 at 11:59 amChihaya is that classical “unreachable” love goal that even the person who pursues can’t understand why.
It’s ok.
Guardian Enzo
December 5, 2019 at 12:35 pmStill watching both, both are fine. Neither is wowing me or anything but enjoying them enough to keep watching.
The best of the shows I’m not blogging, IMO, has turned out to be Mairimashita Iruma-kun. That one is really charming.
Nadavu
December 5, 2019 at 7:33 pmOh? I dropped Iruma-kun after episode 3, I think; it just seemed to me to be heading into being a one-trick-pony, and what I really wanted to see was more of how miserable his life were back on earth. I think I’ll give it another try.
Guardian Enzo
December 5, 2019 at 7:38 pmThat’s not what the show’s about, though. It’s relevant because it explains why he is the way he is (both good and bad) but it’s basically a feel-good comedy about Iruma finally finding acceptance (in Hell).
Panino Manino
December 5, 2019 at 11:55 amDon’t know if I said this here, but every character is this whole story is great. Every single one, but Harada stands out among them because his role was “Master” for the two of the main trio.
If you think about you can easily see how much of their game was influenced by him, he really shaped those kids. But the good part is that he can separate what yo teach and what to advice. Hadara sometimes sit with them to say, “I know that I taught you this, but this isn’t doing good for you, you need to let it go”, because they both benefit and suffer from his guidance. And in Chihaya’s case, she loves him so much because he is beyond a teacher for her, he is like a father. Really beautiful relationship.
And for the people how complained about Taichi appearing too strong, here again you can see “signs” of his true play style and form. You don’t even need to read the manga to see, they’re become obvious now.
This author did such an unbelievable job writing this story, the more obvious and standard parts also, like the witch cards to read and send at any moment. They add so much to the drama… makes you feel that painful doki doki.
Chihaya… at least she is consistent in how much she neglects those around her.
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Jen
November 3, 2022 at 6:35 amIt’s funny how despite Taichi being a rich boy, he’s constantly treated like a jester. And by funny I mean cruel with the one luck draw. At the very least, I can see him rising now that he’s starting to make use of both attack/defense.