There’s some deep symbolism in here, I think… It’s time for the Nationals again, but with a difference.  That, of course, is the fact that Taichi isn’t there.  And where is our wayward jack of all trades?  At a TV studio with Suou, where a special about Karuta is being […] Read more

The preliminaries may have ended in the previous chapter, but it sort of feels like they’re still going on. As we approach three years since the second season of Chihayafuru premiered, it may be time to accept the reality that we’re not likely to get a third.  With each passing […] Read more

It’s never been easy being a Chihayafuru fan. It’s not news by any means, but it’s really struck me of late just much harder it is to be patient with manga than anime.  I recognize the importance of what Suetsugu-sensei is doing with arcs like the current one, but when […] Read more

I’m with Hyoro-kun on this one. In case you missed it, Chihayafuru made a guest appearance of sorts in this week’s Diamond no Ace.  And while I’m certainly happy to see Madhouse pimp their own series, I have to disagree with the “first 10 volumes are slow” line – though […] Read more

Is the the calm before the storm? Perhaps more accurately, the mild storm before the hurricane, because things were pretty lively in these two chapters of Chihayafuru.  But it still felt very preliminary, and there’s a real sense that Suetsugu-sensei is setting up something bigger on the horizon. The most […] Read more

“Glaring hole”, indeed. We’re in a funny sort of Purgatory in Chihyafuru right now.  There’s obviously not just someone but something missing.  Suetsugu-sensei acknowledges this openly in the writing, as it’s obviously an intentional development – yet the fact that it’s missing is no less glaring.  Right now the series […] Read more