And here this series comes and goes like “I’m sorry I haven’t spent much attention on some of the minor characters, let me make up for that.” This episode brought so much life to them. Not just Sumire and Akihiro, but also Chihaya’s parents, her sister, Kanade’s mother, Akihiro’s brothers, even some unnamed people from the school’s band club and some random teachers. The band and their performance in particular was awesome. Now this is how you should spend an aftermath!
Chihaya feeling down over the loss, you see it everywhere, and yet the creators managed to spice even that up with that focus on her parents, not to mention showing how she has grown (being able to tie her own kimono and how she has completely changed from who she used to be). The time she spent with her mother was also awesome. It’s a really personal time with someone she knows for her entire life. There are little other series that have managed to put the same focus there.
And then this show suddenly started to toy with the symbolism behind words and it actually was very interesting to follow how this all related back to the characters themselves.
Also, the budget. I have no clue what happened in the first two episodes, but for some reason the series looks as awesome as it ever has. The differences in animation are not noticeable anymore, and the drawings really look crisp again. Some budget issues at the start or something?
Rating: 5.5/8 (Excellent)
I really enjoyed the phone call between Chihaya and Arata. When she told him he should’ve started a karuta club at his school, I guess he felt confronted with his own shyness or maybe selfishness regarding karuta and gave her an “I don’t have time for that”-answer. I also thought they would be more awkward with each other, for not seeing each other for so long, but I was glad that wasn’t the case.
But my heart goes out to Taichi, I felt so bad for him. I totally ship Chihaya x Taichi.
I’m just going to pretend that Arata was being tsundere and actually meant that the only karuta team he will ever have/want is the chihaya-taichi-arata combo.
On the other hand, I think it’s quite interesting how much a 2 year break slowed Arata down when he’s being playing since childhood and was considered such a genius. Now he’s taking time to catch back up on his skills but he’s still not showing the same kind of genius he did before his Grandfather passed away. He’s being much more humanised.
I think the creator is really toying with us. On one hand Chihaya misses Arata and sneaks out to make a call to Arata. On the other hand, it’s showing Chihaya reminiscing the three of them together when they were kids…
I’m really glad that we are already at the finals. The energy built up by the recent (excellent) tournament episodes could have been squandered in an extended training arc, but they managed to give the idea that all that was happening, give some insight into the side characters, and still ended the episode on the doorstep of Omi Jingu.
I personally wanted Chihaya to have that gorgeous red kimono they had hanging in the background of the Oe shop, which if I’m not mistaken is the kimono under which she first learnt the meaning of the “chihayaburu” verse and discovered the beauty of the history behind each poem. Just to imagine Chihaya wearing in a Queen match the same kimono which started Chihaya onto her karuta dreams.
Chihayaburu is an interesting word. It is written in kana or in all sorts of different Kanji so I have always wondered what it’s supposed to mean…
chihayafuru wins my hearts <3
Chihayafuru is amazing! One of my favorite anime with Hikaru no Go, and Anohana
To me, the straight-on faces in the episode were drawn funny. They looked like a piece of paper attached on their faces. What do you think?
and do you read the manga?