Chihayafuru kind of lost me a couple weeks ago, but I had a (very) minor epiphany while watching episode 17 that changed the way I think about this season. The lack of sustained focus on karuta matches is still disappointing to me, but here’s the realization that offset some of that feeling. As the series has progressed and the cast has gotten larger, the amount of time that the main characters spend observing games (rather than participating in them) has increased. The narrower the field gets at the top, the less likely it is that your main players will be a part of it. This has led not only to an increased amount of time spent in the audience during matches, but also a shift in the show’s direction. It’s more concerned about the big picture than it is about card differentials or tracking a competitor’s psychology across a ten minute span. This is clearly illustrated in the first game of the Queen match, where Shinobu fails to take the Impassionate Gods card, sees Chihaya in the crowd and smiles, and suddenly we’re down to a luck-of-the-draw finale. How we got there isn’t as important as Chihaya’s personal link to the match.
That being said, I sure do prefer it when the series focuses on one character for a good amount of time, whether that be in-game or not. And thankfully, someone did receive that level of attention during the last two episodes: Shinobu Wakamiya. She hasn’t become the protagonist overnight or anything, but her complex family life and single-minded pursuit of karuta excellence are keeping the show fresh right now. The small connection she made with her grandmother in episode 16 felt hard-earned, given the strict disposition that the older woman usually bears. Coming on the heels of that conversation with her school advisor (who dismissed Shinobu’s future as “secure” due to her family’s wealth), the “marker moment” was a big deal. It revealed a spontaneous side of her grandma’s personality, and gave her a positive karuta-related memory to share with her. Considering the role that the elder Wakamiya must have played in isolating her granddaughter from her peers, that quirky gesture could even be interpreted as a small apology.
The happiness that Shinobu felt in that moment didn’t last, though. She wore the kimono her grandmother selected for her, won her first match in style, and was satisfied with her opponent’s strength – then everything went down the tubes. The show set the stage for her renewed solitude by taking a peek into each of the Meijin and Queen contenders’ green rooms. Harada-sensei’s? Packed with supporters. Meijin Suo’s? Packed with moochers. Inokuma’s? Loving family and rival-turned-friend in attendance. Shinobu’s? Only her passive-aggressive mother (who “doesn’t really feel like family”) is by her side. When her mom claims that Shinobu’s grandmother only sees her as a model for a constituent’s newest kimono design, the room turns icy. The small connection that had formed between the two women was lost in that moment, and not even a surprise visit from Chihaya could improve things. Notice the thing that set off the Queen during that scene: the knowledge that Chihaya skipped a big tournament to go on a class trip. Shinobu was reliving her lonely childhood in that moment, and couldn’t bear the idea of prioritizing anything over karuta, which was her sole protector during those early years.
With both the Meijin and Queen matches happening simultaneously, we’re likely to see more of the Harada/Suo battle during game 2. Still, I hope that the show doesn’t lose momentum by letting Shinobu’s frustration simmer for too long. This miniature arc she’s in the middle of is the best thing Chihayafuru has going for it right now. As a matter of fact, it’s so good that everything else is being relegated to bullet points.
Other thoughts about these episodes:
- Suo’s admonition to Chihaya that “you can’t become Queen” seemed to impact her more during “As My Sleeves,” despite happening two episodes beforehand. That kind of gap between significant encounters and their emotional consequences is what I’d like the show to avoid going forward.
- Speaking of Chihaya’s anger in episode 17, though, it was wonderfully broken up by the reveal of this year’s card boys and girls at Omi Jingu. I loved all the details surrounding the match, especially Arata’s long-ass online comment explaining the purpose of the display board for the karuta plebs in the audience.
- A new character, Momo, acts as Shinobu’s representative on board duty, though the two have no existing relationship. She’s a massive fan of the game, which makes her a good fit for the Queen (who cares about karuta and nothing else). Perhaps Momo was introduced as a potential match for Shinobu, who could make up for her lack of childhood buddies by befriending this nerdy new girl.
- The Santa plot didn’t exactly light my fire, but at least it gave secondary characters like Tsutomu and Tsukuba an opportunity to get a couple lines in edgewise. Taichi’s attraction to the Meijin’s manipulative playstyle was the more interesting development in episode 16.
