Yes, Chihayafuru, yes! Give me more split screen layouts, overlapping character profiles, and seamless panel combinations! This show might not have the most detailed animation, or the highest on-model ratio, but the way it flows between shots is expert level. If you’ve got this episode handy, check out the sequence that runs from 3:37 to 4:03 – the way it connects Inokuma and Megumu’s pregame decoration is so good. It starts by matching the postures of both women, who turn to look at one another, and later dissolves into an over-the-shoulder shot that puts them in the same frame. Immediately afterwards, we get a shot of Inokuma bordered by plant life (echoing the flowers that she’s tucked behind her ear), and her opponent appears next to her inside the border. The side-by-side placement of their characters connects Megumu’s makeshift tasuki (which she received from her fan club) to the flowers (which Inokuma received from her son). It’s a beautiful commentary on the support that family and friends can provide, and it’s accomplished almost entirely through visual direction.
That’s my favorite scene of the episode, but unfortunately, it’s one of the only ones to feature the contenders for the Queen match qualifier. Harada’s concession from two weeks ago may have given them the floor for their second game, but with Inokuma’s 2-0 victory, there’s no opportunity for a third. Even after her victory was announced, there was no time for her to celebrate, nor could the show spare a single shot to highlight Megumu’s disappointment or frustration. It just moved straight into the warmup for the Meijin qualifier, as though the boys were that much more important. To be fair, the boys are that much more important – at least, these particular boys are. Arata and Harada-sensei are much closer to the center of the series, but I still felt that the brevity of the girls’ match worked to its detriment. Less than three minutes of play time were dedicated to their second game! Ah well, at least we got another brilliant shot of Inokuma keeping Queen Shinobu in her sights (part of the grid above), with vines branching out from the left side of the screen to occupy her vision.
With the Queen qualifier’s conclusion, all eyes are on game 3, for which Arata prepared by getting into the mindset of his Eternal Meijin grandfather. The contrast between his shaken composure in game 1 and his placid demeanor in the follow-up was night and day. Take the measured clicking of his sandals as he entered the karuta hall, for instance (thought by his mother to echo her father-in-law’s footsteps), or the smile he wore throughout much of the current game. Chihayafuru introduces an ice/snow motif that appears several times throughout this episode, always brought on by Arata’s eerie sense of calm. Sometimes Harada is able to break through it by capturing a card, and the show will return the players to reality accordingly. On other occasions he’ll be sucked into his young opponent’s pace, visualizing his grandfather in his place, or entering a memory of their match from 40 years prior. Here’s a sports series that knows when to bust out the flashbacks – do it only when the link between the present and past is crystal clear!
Arata has the lead at the episode’s end, 7-13, but the stage is set for a comeback, despite Harada’s sudden knee pain. Why? Because Hara glimpses Meijin Suou through the window, and Chihaya alongside him. The two were out eating dorayaki just moments earlier, and Suou erroneously assumed she was going to ask him out – seems like he’s projecting his own crush onto her – but forget about that for a second. What’s significant about the Suou/Harada connection is the Meijin’s desire to play the old man in the upcoming title match. Remember, Suou criticized Arata’s playstyle as “unexciting” in episode 8, but he thinks precisely the opposite of Harada. I’m all but certain that the show will honor those feelings next week, and with Inokuma having emerged victorious from the Queen match, high level cross-generational play is already on the menu. It would serve Harada right to lose this one after his gamesmanship in the previous episode, but I’m less miffed at his sneaky tactics than I am excited to how far he can push this already legendary run.
Hmm, I never noticed the way the series flowed between shots before! I do think that it is one of the more beautiful series in the way it uses metaphors to show what people’s playing styles are like (like waves for Arata’s moves, etc), and the tension during matches is awesome.
Anyway, keep up the good work! Your reviews are great and often get me to consider aspects of the show I had overlooked.
Yeah, Chihayafuru’s use of visual metaphors is great. I’m curious to see what motif they’ll use for Suou’s play in the Meijin match. In season 1, the show simply cut to an image of him touching the card as soon as the reader had begun to speak. There were no patterned backgrounds or elemental themes attached to his style, perhaps because it was a televised game that Chihaya was watching. I’m guessing it’ll be different once either Arata or Harada-sensei is sitting across from him.
And thanks, that’s very kind of you to say. I’ll keep doing my best! 🙂
That’s a good point about Suou! It would be fun to see him be challenged by someone skills-wise, since of all the characters it seems like he’s the one who is one of the least personally invested in karuta. (I don’t think most of the characters could say that they would quit playing karuta so easily. Maybe Sumire would if Taichi quit, but I can’t think of anyone else at the moment.)