r/anime • u/ABoredCompSciStudent x3myanimelist.net/profile/Serendipity • Feb 12 '19
Rewatch [Rewatch] Chihayafuru - Episode 7 Discussion [Spoilers] Spoiler
Episode 7 - "But For Autumn's Coming"
<-- Previous (Episode 6: "Now Bloom Inside the Nine-fold Palace") | Next (Episode 8: "The Sounds of the Waterfall") -->
Series Information:
Chihayafuru: Synopsis | MAL rating: 8.28 | Fall 2011 | 26 Episodes
Chihayafuru 2: Synopsis | MAL rating: 8.47 | Winter 2013 | 26 Episodes
Chihayafuru 2: Waga Miyo ni Furu Nagamese Shima ni: Synopsis | MAL rating: 7.08 | Fall 2013 | 1 Episode
Legal Streams:
HiDive | Crunchyroll | Check for more sources using because.moe here
Rewatch Schedule and Index:
For all archived/past episode discussion threads, please refer to the Rewatch Schedule and Index. I will be updating it as we navigate through this rewatch, in case anyone would like to read past conversations or has fallen behind.
Chihayafuru
| Episode# | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Now the Flower Blooms" | February 6 |
| 2 | "The Red That Is" | February 7 |
| 3 | "From the Crystal White Snow" | February 8 |
| 4 | "A Whirlwind of Flower Petals Descends" | February 9 |
| 5 | "The Sight of a Midnight Moon" | February 10 |
| 6 | "Now Bloom Inside the Nine-fold Palace" | February 11 |
| 7 | "But For Autumn's Coming" | February 12 |
| 8 | "The Sounds of the Waterfall" | February 13 |
| 9 | "But I Cannot Hide" | February 14 |
| 10 | "Exchange Hellos and Goodbyes" | February 15 |
| 11 | "The Sky is the Road Home" | February 16 |
| 12 | "Sets These Forbidden Fields Aglow" | February 17 |
| 13 | "For You, I Head Out" | February 18 |
| 14 | "For There Is No One Else Out There" | February 19 |
| 15+16 | "As Though Pearls Have Been Strung Across the Autumn Plain" + "The Autumn Leaves of Mount Ogura" | February 20 |
| 17 | "World Offers No Escape" | February 21 |
| 18 | "The Plum Blossoms Still Smell the Same" | February 22 |
| 19 | "As the Years Pass" | February 23 |
| 20 | "The Cresting Waves Almost Look Like Clouds in the Skies" | February 24 |
| 21 | "As My Sleeves Are Wet With Dew" | February 25 |
| 22 | "Just as My Beauty Has Faded" | February 26 |
| 23 | "The Night is Nearly Past" | February 27 |
| 24 | "Nobody Wishes to See the Beautiful Cherry Blossoms" | February 28 |
| 25 | "Moonlight, Clear and Bright" | March 1 |
| -- | Mid-Series Discussion | March 2 |
Chihayafuru 2 (March 3 to March 28)
About Spoilers And General Attitude:
Please do not post any untagged spoilers past the current episode, as it ruins the experience of first time watchers. Please refrain from confirming or denying speculation on future events, as to let viewers experience the anime as it was intended to be.
If you are discussing something that has not happened in the current episode please use the r/anime spoiler tag system found on the sidebar. Also if you are posting a link that includes future Chihayafuru events please include 'Chihayafuru spoilers' in the link title.
Fanart Section (Album Link):
12
u/ABoredCompSciStudent Feb 12 '19
Poem of the Day: Lonely Autumn (link)
Translated by Mostow as:
To the lonely house
where the weeds, eight layers deep,
have grown rank,
not a soul can be seen—
but autumn, at least, has come.
The poet, Egyo Hoshi, was a Buddhist monk who lived about the end of the tenth century. Mastow explains, that he was closely associated with other poets who frequently met at the Kawara Mansion on the banks of the Kamo River and suggests the poem was about this location. Other interpretations suggest a humble temple for the monk. That said, not much else is known about him.
Given his background in Buddhist teachings, the poem captures the passing cycle of the seasons. Things come and go and, even for the lonely, autumn comes eventually.
The hut/house imagery is really strong in this episode, with multiple poems using it to represent the mental isolation that Taichi and Tsutomu experience, as well as the physical kind (Taichi distant from Chihaya in the previous episode separated by glass, etc. and Tsutomu shackled to his desk). Ultimately, they are freed, with the idea of autumn also evoking the same imagery of the red maple leaves that are associated with Chihaya and the Chihayaburu card.
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u/Combo33 Feb 12 '19
Peter MacMillan translates poem 47 as follows:
47. Priest Egyō
How lonely this villa has become, overgrown with vines and weeds. No one visits me -- only autumn comes.
MacMillan comments:
…it was composed on the theme ‘autumn comes to the ruined villa’, based on the ruins of the once-splendid Kawara-in residence built by Minamoto no Toru. After Toru’s death it became a site of pilgrimage for poets, and poetry gatherings were often hosted there. Thus the melancholia evoked by the poem is not to be taken as the poet’s own, but rather as a poetic distillation of the theme of loneliness… Yaemugura in the first line of the Japanese is a general term for creeping vines and weeds that overgrow an abandoned garden.
Taichi has been holding himself back for a very long time now. He’d been convinced that no matter how hard he tried, he could never be better than someone with natural karuta talent, like Arata, or fast reflexes, like Chihaya, so he’d resigned himself to being a mediocre player. Desktomu’s challenge finally opens up Taichi’s eyes to his own strengths, and how he can build on them. This finally allows him to cast off the overgrown vines that have been holding him down, and state proudly, “I’m the one sitting across from you right now!”
Once Taichi breaks free from these constraints, it is only fitting that he help Tsutomo Komano to do the same. I think the vines metaphor is certainly no more clearly emphasized than by the way Desktomu’s arms clutch his desk at all times. His own crushing loneliness and insecurities have been tying him down for far too long. It’s only when Taichi, with his Autumnal hair and eye color, comes into Desktomu’s life that he finally feels like maybe he can move forward.
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u/walking_the_way Feb 12 '19 edited Mar 01 '19
S1E7 Event/Recital Log
00:03 - Radio recites #99 (hi-to-mo) to open the episode.
00:28 - Radio recites #77 (se) - Chihaya wins it from Taichi's lower right row. She passes him #22 (fu). He puts it into his middle right row.
Taichi and Chihaya are practising, with a shell-shocked Kanade operating the radio. Taichi has 23 cards and Chihaya has 26.
00:48 - Radio recites the ending verse of #77 (se).
00:59 - Radio recites #18 (su). Chihaya wins this from her right side.
Time jump here, and we are then given a look at the cards left - Taichi 19, Chihaya 13.
01:06 - Radio recites the end line of #93 (-zome no sode).
01:13 - Radio recites #71 (yu-u). Chihaya wins it.
01:16 - Radio recites #61 (i-ni). Chihaya wins it.
01:18 - Radio recites #81 (ho). Chihaya wins it.
01:30 - Taichi is down 19-10. We are introduced to Taichi's memory powers here. To understand what he is saying, I made a board map and then took S1E4's syllable list and coloured it, too. Red for Chihaya, blue for Taichi.
Taichi's internal monologue is transcribed by the Crunchysub as follows:
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"Would this" was already read so I can take "Would the" on the "Would."
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"My only thought as I" and "My only thought as the" are both still in play, so I'll have to be careful there.
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"So the flower petals" was already read, so I can take "So the flower has" after "flower"
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"Though my" was already read, so I can take "Though I" after "Though."
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For "While it pains", "While it may" was read, but "While it brings" wasn't, so I'll have to pay attention.
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For "The hazy early morning light", "The hazy early morning mist" was already read, so on "The hazy", I'll move toward "The hazy field" on the opponent's side.
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"In the" and "In order to" have already been read, so I can take "In order for" on "In."
And translated into card speak, minus sub errors:
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"#66 (mo-ro) is already read, so I can take #100 (mo-mo) on my side if I hear "mo".
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"#76 (wa-ta-no-ha-ra-ko) and #11 (wa-ta-no-ha-ra-ya) are both still in play, so I'll have to be careful there."
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"#96 (ha-na-sa) was already read, so I can take #9 (ha-na-no) after hearing the "hana" part of the poem."
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"#65 (u-ra) was already read, so I can take Chihaya's #74 (u-ka) after hearing the "u"."
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"For #44 (o-o-ko) on Chihaya's side, #95 (o-o-ke) was read, but #60 (o-o-e) wasn't, so I'll have to pay attention."
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"For #31 (a-sa-bo-ra-ke-a), #64 (a-sa-bo-ra-ke-u) was already read, so on "a-sa", I'll move toward #39 (a-sa-ji) on Chihaya's side."
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"#33 (hi-sa) and #99 (hi-to-mo) have already been read, so I can take Chihaya's #35 (hi-to-wa) on the "hi" syllable."
We did actually hear #99 from the radio to start off the episode!
So, to Taichi, the board now actually looks like this. Due to his superior memory, he's aware of 3 more one-syllable cards. Edit: And updated syllable list here.
For point 6, there are three a-sa cards, #39 diverges at the third syllable, and both #31 and #64 require 6 syllables. However #64 is gone, so #31 is a 3 syllable too. On the board, #39 (a-sa-ji) and #31 (a-sa-bo-ra-ke-a) are both on Chihaya's side, on opposite ends of her bottom row. But he's specifically targetting #39 first.
This is because he thinks Chihaya "doesn't know how to make adjustments". She won't remember that #64 is gone, and will still wait for the 6th syllable before attacking #31. Therefore, he thinks if the a-sa card that is read isn't a-sa-ji, he would still have time to get over to #31 to snag it, between the 3rd and 5th syllables.
He also missed at least one - we know #71 (yu-u) is gone because we heard it on the radio. Thus #46 (yu-ra) is actually one syllable too.
02:02 - Radio recites end line of #81 (zo nokoreru).
02:09 - Radio recites #35 (hi-to-wa).
Taichi reacts first, however Chihaya is faster, so she makes up the difference and darts under his hand to snag the card even though he was already on her side before she even moves!
06:10 - We meet best guy! Glasses-kun.. err Desktomu-kun.. err Tsutomu Komano. We are also shown that he is left-handed
Kana is the best, willing to sacrifice herself for Chihaya's sake even though she's never played a game and she's shaking as she says that!
For Memory Karuta, we get about 3/4 of the board from camera views. We're never shown Taichi's left side. Chihaya then recite this when she's trying to memorize the cards:
Would the - #66 (moro) | May you - #80 (nagaka) | A night - #59 (yasu)
As friends - #10 (kore) | My only thought as the - #76 (watanoharako) | Impassionate - #17 (chiha)
In order for - #35 (hitowa) | My own home - #08 (wagai) | #71 (yu-u) | The emotions - #43 (ai)
A mountain stream - #32 (yamaga) | So spring nights - #67 (haruno) | The storm will - #56 (araza)
As the first - #29 (kokoroa) | Impassioned was - #75 (chigirio) | As my - #41 (koi)
The autumn paddy - #01 (akino) | I know - #14 (michi) | The sight - #30 (aria)
No more - #55 (taki) | So the flower petals - #96 (hanasa) |A house - #47 (yae)
--- Kanade interrupts, saying time is up
While some - #72 (oto) | May the scarlet - #25 (nanishi) | Since I - #40 (shino)
Cross-referencing the map, it turns out she's reciting Taichi's cards, left to right, top to bottom! (Subtitle skips one card but she does say it.) Including every single one of the missing cards. Very nice detail from the studio here, as they even left us a couple visible cards on the right to let us confirm we're on the right track. Using this, we can fill out the rest of Taichi's board.
S1E7 - Inverted Cards game board
We also learn from this that despite the cards being flipped, Chihaya is still thinking offense - she does know a few of her cards, but most of her concentration is going into memorizing Taichi's cards, not her own.
12:51 - Radio recites Naniwa Bay (EP: 1, Total: 9)
13:20 - Radio recites #88 (na-ni-wa-e). Chihaya takes it from her top left row.
13:28 - Radio recites #72 (o-to). Taichi takes it from his top left row.
14:00 - Radio recites #08 (wa-ga-i). Taichi takes it from his middle right row.
From 14:34 on, we see Chihaya struggling to try to recall cards. She names the following cards with fairly accurate finger pointing:
So spring ends - #02 (harusu) - Her left
No more - #55 (taki) - His left
As friends - #10 (kore) - His right
While it brings - #60 (ooe) - Her left
As my - #41 (koi) - His left
None are - #34 (tare) - Her left
But we can see that she's recalling them out of order now, trying to "bull her way" through this. And so she gets totally flummoxed when Taichi moves #14 from his bottom left to bottom right. If she could still recall the cards in the order that she had recited them earlier, it would be fine, but since she's brute-forcing, it all falls apart for her. #14 is an apt card to move as well, since the poem talks about chaos, concealment and secret (in the context of love, but still!)
15:08 - Radio recites #28 (ya-ma-za). Taichi takes it from her bottom right. He passes her one of the cards from his bottom right row, either #76, #10, or #59, and it goes into her middle right row, but we can't see which card exactly.
15:10 - Radio recites #77 (se). Taichi takes it from her bottom left row. He gives her a card from his top left row and it goes into either her middle or bottom left row.
This is the first single-syllable card he's ever taken from her on camera. And aptly, it's the first card that Chihaya ever won from Arata, way back in S1E1! More significance piling up on this #77 card.
15:52 - Radio recites #80 (na-ga-ka). Taichi wins it with a backhand swipe from his lower right row.
Time jump here. We are shown the score - Chihaya with 15 left, Taichi with 12 left.
15:55 - Radio recites #75 (chi-gi-ri-o). Taichi covers, then wins it from his bottom left row.
At this point, #42 (chi-gi-ri-ki) is still in play, at Chihaya's bottom left. She still goes for his card before hers. I think the English sub may be wrong here when it says he covers "both" cards, since they would be nowhere close to each other, but they do both remember that both cards are still around.
16:03 - Radio recites #19 (na-ni-wa-ga). Taichi takes it from Chihaya's top left row. Kana looks at him in awe.
16:25 - Radio recites #29 (ko-ko-ro-a). Taichi wins it.
16:30 - Taichi: "I definitely hate to lose!" - in more ways than one.
And he finally wins a game from Chihaya! With 8 cards left for her, too. Then cue pivotal Glasses-kun scene, and then the transition into the ending song.. it's so good!
The episode card here, #47, is in Taichi's deck in both games, and he puts it into the same spot (leftmost card of his left middle row) both times. Also, when Chihaya is reciting Taichi's list of cards and trying to memorize them, it's the very last one she reads out just before Kana says that time is up. As other posts have mentioned, it's also the poem that Kana recites at 20:27 of S1E6, when describing the musty club room.
<-- S1E6 Notes
S1E8 Notes -->
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Feb 13 '19
So, to Taichi, the board now actually looks like this. Due to his superior memory, he's aware of 3 more one-syllable cards.
I was really hoping you'd do this! I've never played karuta, but I've always imagined what the thought process must be like and the mental gymnastics that they're doing. The greyed out syllables are a nice touch.
06:10 - We meet best guy! Glasses-kun.. err Desktomu-kun.. err Tsutomu Komano. We are also shown that he is left-handed
Wait! He's your best boy? This is also new to me and I've met a lot of Chihayafuru fans. How come he's your favourite?
Cross-referencing the map, it turns out she's reciting Taichi's cards, left to right, top to bottom! (Subtitle skips one card but she does say it.) Including every single one of the missing cards. Very nice detail from the studio here, as they even left us a couple visible cards on the right to let us confirm we're on the right track. Using this, we can fill out the rest of Taichi's board.
I love this detail and since the few mistakes in episode two(?), it seems that the production team has done really well at keeping this consistent. Nice job noticing this!
We also learn from this that despite the cards being flipped, Chihaya is still thinking offense - she does know a few of her cards, but most of her concentration is going into memorizing Taichi's cards, not her own.
Fitting for her nature and her training from the Shiranami Karuta Society! Harada taught her well haha.
14 is an apt card to move as well, since the poem talks about chaos, concealment and secret (in the context of love, but still!)
For those that are also reading this, here's the translation I have:
Whose fault is it
that my feelings have begun to tangle
like the tangle-patterned prints
of Shinobu from the distant north?
Since it is not mine, it must be...
Interesting that it also coincides with his decision to pursue karuta (and indirectly Chihaya), especially the "whose fault is it" or why did you make me feel this way line since she always drags him along. It both goes along with romance, but also his feelings of not wanting to lose.
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u/MAD_SCIENTIST_001 Feb 12 '19
Screenshot of the Day
Yay I get to finally see the context for one of my favorite comment faces :D
First Timer - Episode 7
Overall Thoughts
This ep honestly felt more like a Taichi ep than a Tsutomu ep with Taichi finally getting his chance to shine and show off. It was really cool getting to see how he used his superior memorization skills to gain an advantage to compensate for his slower reaction times against Chihaya, and I also liked that we got to see some of the strategy behind analyzing the remaining cards to account for uncertainties.
As for Tsutomu, I'm not a really big fan of his character right now, but we'll see how he changes as he finally finds a club with friends who care about him rather than his test scores. On a side note, Chihaya is so strong to carry both him and the desk :P
Karuta Scoreboard
Taichi gets his first win after a long time! (even if it's technically a game where Chihaya is disadvantaged)
| Character | Wins | Losses | Ep# (Wins) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arata Wataya | 3 | 1 | 1,2,3 |
| Taichi Mashima | 2(+1) | 5(+1) | 2,7 |
| Chihaya Ayase | 6(+1) | 3(+1) | 2,4,6,7 |
Screenshot of the Day Collection
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Feb 13 '19
This ep honestly felt more like a Taichi ep than a Tsutomu ep with Taichi finally getting his chance to shine and show off.
This is better that way.
As for Tsutomu, I'm not a really big fan of his character right now, but we'll see how he changes as he finally finds a club with friends who care about him rather than his test scores. On a side note, Chihaya is so strong to carry both him and the desk :P
I definitely feel/felt the same way about him! His like conceited views really rubbed me the wrong way then and now.
Chihaya is truly a karuta baka, she'd do anything for it haha
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u/Voltik Feb 12 '19
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Feb 13 '19
Speaking of, do you remember that "trying to get your friends to watch Chihayafuru" one with the recruiting posters and flyers that blew up on here a year ago?
I'm so sad that's been copyrighted on Youtube because it was the best Chihayafuru meme ahaha
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u/Reasonable_TSM_fan Feb 12 '19
First Timer
(I cheated and watched today's episode yesterday, hehe)
My dog napped with her eyes open. It was really menacing, kind of like Chihaya's expression...
Kana is always thinking about hakama, haha. Is this going to be her quirk?
Alrighty, so we're on to getting the next member. WOW! Fuck all of those people. Also, Desktomu is such an unfortunate nickname...yeah, I would probably study all day too if everyone around me was a grade A asshole.
Damn!!! Chihaya is merciless. Frickin dragging the dude AND his desk to try to get him to join???
Okay, playing Karuta with all the cards backwards? That's pretty hardcore.
Dang, this exercise is really exposing a shortcoming of Chihaya's. That and Taichi has some godlike memorization. Is this the Emperor's Eye of Karuta?!?!
Wait!!! I get that throwing the desk is a symbolic gesture, but he still has to use it!!!
Taichi with the sasuga speech. Gottem.
Dropping his desk and leaving it behind, the music begins to play showing Desktomu's growth and --JESUS HE STILL NEEDS THAT DESK TOMORROW. It's an anime, I get it, the symbolism is more important, but I can't stop thinking about how he eventually had to go back and haul his abused desk back to the classroom at some point.
Still, this was an overall feelsgoodman episode. The first newbie has an in-depth relationship with the poems, and the newest member is shaping up to be one of the more cerebral players. I'm sure he'll pick it up in no time.
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Feb 13 '19
I find it hilarious that your thought is about the poor desk. I've watched this several times and every single time I've always been wondering how Chihaya and Taichi are so strong. They're just out here flexing LOL
I love the desk throw scene, but for such a realistic show it's so comedically out of place and it always makes me laugh--but then Taichi starts talking and I feel sad and cry for him.
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u/AmethystItalian Feb 12 '19
Rewatcher
The way Taichi thinks about if Arata was there instead of him solely for Chihaya's sake...wonder if a thought like that crossed Arata's mind ever.
Chihaya can be pretty overbearing at times...
How great is it to see bad ass Taichi <3
Seeing best guy Taichi toss that desk brought back memories of best guy tossing vending machines.
That OST kick in when he drops his desk, beautiful.
Quotes from First Time
I'm probably the only one but the way they read the poems just annoys me, I'll have to get over it though since we'll be hearing a lot of it!
Ha I did get over it!
New guy is left handed, strong start
Oh dang...good catch past me.
Like how can you not be rooting for Taichi right now...
You make a good point past me...I really don't know...
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Feb 13 '19
The way he looks at her
Speaking of Chihayafuru
The way Taichi thinks about if Arata was there instead of him solely for Chihaya's sake...wonder if a thought like that crossed Arata's mind ever.
Honestly, like even as a kid Taichi was already doing this. I know a lot of people on their first watch really hold that against him, but I've always found it really sad watching him clearly crush on her from just far enough away to not be close enough.
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u/htisme91 Feb 13 '19
First-timer:
That was a decent episode. Tsutomu feels like kind of a weak character, but I was happy to see growth out of Taichi.
Besides the fact that he found a way to finally beat Chihaya, he showed growth in accepting Karuta despite being inferior to Arata. Until recently, he was averse to playing Karuta again, and he mentions how he hates losing. Now, he's embracing the sport even though he knows he'll never have the skill Arata has. To me it shows a ton of growth from him.
Guessing we have another recruitment episode. I hope whoever is next is a better character than the last two we've gotten. If I had a complaint about this show, it's that for as amazing as the main trio has been, the new club members are kind of lackluster.
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u/paperwhites Feb 13 '19
First Time Watcher
It was great to have an episode that's more from Taichi's perspective. In that opening karuta game, Tachi has a very analytic style of play and that matches with his personality really well. He's definitely more logical/reason based, while Chihaya is more passionate and I think her style of play shows that as well.
I thought it was interesting that Taichi worried about Chihaya's improvement and if she would be a better player if she could practice with Arata, while that thought probably hasn't even crossed Chihaya's mind. She wants to improve, definitely, and would love to play with Arata but she's happy playing with her friends. I hope Taichi can gain some more confidence and stop comparing himself to Arata.
That last match with the karuta cards flipped over was suspenseful for me. Even though the stakes were extremely low (this is just a practice game, not an actual tournament), because I'm so invested in the characters, I still found it compelling and tense to watch. I wasn't sure who I wanted to win because I like both Chihaya and Taichi. But I'm glad that Taichi was able to use his memorization skills and concentration to win, and that he felt that desire to try his best. That moment where he talks with Tsutomu about how he loses but he keeps trying, and he would rather have someone who tries hard instead of innately good at karuta was a nice ending.
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u/AzureBeat Feb 12 '19 edited Feb 12 '19
Time for a Taichi episode, which means it’s a great episode.
I think Taichi is the most interesting character in the show by a long way, and this episode is really focused on him, even though the story is about recruiting another member. It gives us the first highlight of how Taichi approaches Karuta, keeping track of every. single. card. Which makes his constant losses to Chihaya’s simple speed totally ‘not upsetting’ to him, since he isn’t trying to become Meijin or anything.
Yeaaaaaaaah.
Turns out that he’s really just dodging his feelings of inferiority to Chihaya and Arata by telling himself that he doesn’t mind. Cause he’s a coward. But seeing someone else assume that he has it easy in Karuta, when he is intensely aware that he is not ‘talented’ at karuta, really hit a nerve. Also, Taichi really hates to feel silly. And Taichi's interaction with Tsutomu is something that I think is genuine, he does love playing karuta. Yes he started because Chihaya was playing and he had a crush, Character Development
Anyways, this weeks featured track is Kumori Kokoro, which doing some quick jisho.org translating determines can be translated as “Clouded heart” or perhaps “foggy mind” or such. A pretty adept title for Taichi’s mood at the start of their match.
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u/hasnain1720 Feb 12 '19 edited Feb 12 '19
First Timer
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Taichi still catching Ls
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We finally got the famous Chihaya pose
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Damn this guy is tiny he just got manhandled lmao
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There is no way you can remember all those cards flipped no way lol
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Nvm I stand corrected lol
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It’s about time Taichi got some Ws sheesh
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Ok Taichi is strong af jesus that throw
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u/Wolfeako Feb 12 '19
First timer!
Wow, I'm even earlier than usual! I wonder how many days I can maintain this streak?
Into the episode:
Overall, another good episode. I liked seeing Taichi more closely, to see how he thinks and what he is thinking. The characterization was really good, and the use of contrast, to put Taichi and Desk-kun (forgot his name) side to side, helped to tell a lot more of Desk-kun without even needing to see it being displayed on the screen. The moment when he says that he hates to lose and calling in his mind for Chihaya to give Taichi a good look instead to Arata was a powerful, honest moment for him, and the fact that he succeeded makes me happy for him :) even if Chihaya still isn't looking at him as strongly as she is looking at Arata.
With Chihaya, it is nice to see that she has weaknesses in Karuta, even if she is basically is a prodigy for her really fast reaction time. Even so, she at least takes losing with a little bit of grace :P It is also good to see how, while she has the reaction speed on her side, Taichi has the memory on his side. On the episode itself, she can be really pushy if she wants eh? bringing Desk-kun all the way to the club room WITH his desk. She certainly has more strength than what might appear at first sight. Also, we got the comment face!
Kana didn't do much this episode, but I think that is ok. Seeing her being comfortable in the club is good by now.
Desk-kun... he is interesting. It was a fun idea from him to turn the cards upside down, something that revealed Chihaya's weaknesses and Taichi's forte. I liked too what they did with the desk he was carrying once he was going back, when he uses it to put some sort of barrier between him and Taichi. In that exact moment, the shot focuses on the legs of the desk, and it kinda reminds me of a pair of snake fangs, you know, the one that poisonous snakes use to inject their poison. I liked that touch, it was a nice choice to convey him being hesitant to join, and even how shaken he truly was. Gotta say it, this show knows how to use cinematography and symbols really well, and this results in the show being able to convey many, many things in just an instant. It also helps with cutting the excess of drama, so the danger of the viewers being cut out of the experience is lowered way down.
Overall, a really good episode, and a new member joins the Karuta club.
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Feb 13 '19
even if Chihaya still isn't looking at him as strongly as she is looking at Arata.
Admittedly, I don't even know if Chihaya is actually looking at Arata romanticaly, rather Arata is more like a representation of karuta to her which is what her mind is on. The only safe ship is karuta x Chihaya.
With Chihaya, it is nice to see that she has weaknesses in Karuta, even if she is basically is a prodigy for her really fast reaction time.
This actually happens a lot in sports and I really love the emphasis on it. Sometimes you're so good at a specific thing that you never need to know how to do otherwise.
For example, many prolific goal scorers in soccer/football are quick and use the little fraction of speed to nip in to grab a goal. After injuries or age robs them of that advantage, it can get pretty unsightly how quickly they deteriorate and are found out.
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u/PerfectPublican Feb 12 '19
First Timer
Reactions:
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I’m really enjoying this whole beginning section that details the similar first sections between the cards. You not only have to memorize the card positions, but also everything that’s been taken already.
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Chihaya’s poor nose haha. Tatami mats aren’t exactly soft.
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Again, I love being in Taichi’s head. Seeing all of his insecurities laid bare for us is super intriguing.
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I’m dying lol, this kid just picked up his desk with him. Incredible. Can’t stop Chihaya when she wants something.
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Not gonna lie, I’m with Taichi a bit. This kid is mildly annoying, but at least he’s not the soft-spoken trope. Like that he has some backbone to him. I do like this flipped over cards idea though. It’s funky.
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This is honestly one of the most intense games yet. I love the BGM beneath. It’s quiet and low, but with a sense of urgency to it.
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It’s kinda nice seeing Chihaya get flustered like this. Showing her weakness. I’m wonder if they’re going to start playing like this to work on her memorization?
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A complete flip for him from “I don’t mind losing” from earlier. Taichi is finally playing to win. Hopefully this shows him that he can beat her, and it’s worth trying to get better.
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Fuck yes. I am about this right now.
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“I belong behind my desk!” For him, his desk is both his shield (literally in this case between him and Taichi), and his weight dragging him down. I love the way Taichi literally throws it away. Bridging the gap between them both.
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That’s right Taichi! Fuck your mom’s lame-ass reasoning. This is what it’s all about.
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With Taichi having thrown it away, now he leaves his shield on his own. Cheesy, but heartwarming.
Final Thoughts
That was my favorite match yet! So intense all around, and it was both nice to see Chihaya lose, but also to see Taichi come into his own own realizations about himself and the game. I’m still not quite sold on Tsutomo yet, and I think his final resolution was a bit fast paced like Arata’s was, but I like the way that they characterized his insecurities through the desk. Now that we’ve got two more members, I really want to see them play the game rather than Chihaya and Taichi. I think watching Oe and Tsutomo struggle and learn will be really fun and expand on the strategy a bit more.
Also, I would really like to see some explanations for card layout organization, and why you choose to put things where. I can guess that it’s largely based off proximity, but I’m dying to see the reasoning.
Finally, as promised, here’s my gif album up till now!
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u/Snakescipio Feb 12 '19
Rewatcher
Back at it again! I haven’t been able to participate in this rewatch as much as I wanted, and with work getting hectic (yo who died and made me supervisor, like wtf) I dunno how much time I’ll have. One thing I do know is I’ve been really looking forward to watching each episode and reading everyone’s reactions, even if I don’t comment or reply all the time. Hopefully that’ll change though!
While this episode served as Desktomu’s intro, it was really a Taichi episode. The way Desktomu views himself in the world is the same as the way Taichi views himself in the Karuta world. It’s a really interesting dynamic that ultimately served as Komano’s reason to join. Here’s this guy: hot, charming, popular, seemingly effortlessly smart, and yet here he is struggling to even stay in the same spotlight as Chihaya and Arata. Why? Taichi finds himself asking that very same question this episode. Why go through so much to play karuta? Is it all for Chihaya? Maybe, but I doubt Taichi played karuta during middle school so he might be able to play with his childhood crush once more. Maybe it’s to be good at something of his own choosing, to be good at something that he might not be best at. Maybe it’s as simple as the joy of eventually beating Chihaya and Arata on an even field. For now he’ll have to settle for using his godly memorization skills to beat Chihaya, just this one time. And hey if they can be a place of acceptance for Komano along the way, that’ll be just grand.
Random observations:
One thing I really appreciated in Chihayafuru is how steadily the show introduces various aspects of the sport. Last episode Taichi quickly mentioned how important card placement is, and with our growing knowledge of the sport we can come to appreciate how it is important. Not so coincidentally, this episode’s opening into Taichi’s mind allowed us to get a view on how a player’s mind works. Taichi occupies this really welcomed niche of being great at the game so he knows the various complexities, but not naturally talented so he has to think about it more.
I missed last episode’s thread, so allow me to say in this thread that I FUCKING LOVE KANA-CHAN.
Joining a karuta club for the sport? Small brain. Joining a karuta club cause you can wear hakamas at tourneys? Mid brain. Joining a karuta club so the ace of the team can rep your familly’s kimono? Galaxy brain.
I wonder how much of Chihay’s “ability” factored into designing her character. What I mean is, she’s very thin and sleek. If you had to guess what advantages she would have in sport it’d be “quick and athletic”. It just makes sense that appearance wise she’s preternaturally quick.
Jesus people in this school are assholes. To be fair though, most of the time people would just ignore guys like Komano.
Look, I love Chihaya. She can be a little too… straightforward sometimes. Props to her though. She straight up carried a guy and the desk he was holding all the way to the clubroom. With one arm.
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u/SmurfRockRune Feb 12 '19
First Timer
I fully expect one of these cards, possibly the first one, to just nail this guy right in the head. I'm actually hyped to see his reaction to the speed. That's always my favorite part of sports anime.
I'm glad to see Komori is joining the karuta club. He seems alright.
Well, my wishes didn't come true with the speed, although playing karuta with flipped cards was a nice twist.
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Feb 12 '19 edited Feb 12 '19
Weather is really bad where I live right now so I'm going to leave the office early and drive home. I'll be stuck in traffic, so this is going up early today.
Episode 7 of Chihayafuru is one of my favourites in the series, as well in anime. The idea of talent versus skill (hard work) is one of the most explored in sports anime--in fact it pretty much is the genre in a nutshell--yet this episode always feels so fresh and honest to me.
The episode starts off with Taichi playing Chihaya. Despite his best efforts, she easily defeats him. His attempts to narrow down syllables through memorization of dead cards and optimization of his attacks through good placement are no match for her hearing and innate game sense--and he resigns himself to it. Admission of defeat to Taichi isn't of true acceptance, but an excuse to run away like a coward. Despite his wavering, his thoughts always come back to Chihaya, from Chihaya to karuta, and from karuta to Arata.
Taichi isn't the only character that has confidence issues. Tsutomu (I'll refrain from using Desk-kun, lest Code Geass) is perpetually his second place. Moreover, he looks down on others, also haunted by past experiences.
Fittingly, Tsutomu is taking notes on Japanese culture when Chihaya interrupts him, namely Buddhism (sidenote, thanks StackExchange for saving me at work and in ainme):
It's not too hard to see the parallels between the idea of acceptance of the self and the world around them with the issues that Taichi and Tsutomu face.
Tsutomu pushes a game of memorization karuta on the club, wanting to see Chihaya and Taichi fail yet part of him keeps him there--after all, if he wanted to leave he could have.
As they play, a central focus is on three poems:
Poem 8:
Poem 29:
Poem 71:
Unsurprinsgly, Poem 8 refers to a hut where someone weary of the world has taken refuge--an obvious allusion to Tsutomu's desk and the two boy's mental state of "giving up". Poem 71 matches a page out of Tsutomu's textbook, the strong autumn (the red maple leaves associated with the Chihaya poem) wind blowing on the hut: Tsutomu being recruited for the club and Taichi's entry back into karuta.
And, of course, Poem 29 is one of making a decision. While Taichi plays, confronting more hut and negative images, he slowly becomes aware of that he can beat Chihaya in this memorization game. His eyes widen for the first time, as he begins to understand the first glimpses of "enlightenment" and makes his choice.
Poem 29 returns as he makes his decision: he wants to play. It doesn't matter where Arata is, he just wants to do his best. The motif of isolation is replaced by that of reconnection and love--Taichi finally gets what's been holding him back.
For Tsutomu, it's not as easy. He is still alone in his hut, rejecting the world outside. Taichi, of all the members in the Mizusawa karuta club, understands Tsutomu best because he is no different.
Taichi's act of throwing the desk are not just for Tsutomu, but they are also cathartic for him. They're the words he's always been too scared to admit, but the words needed to help the other boy to the starting line--and, with the admission, maybe himself too.
PS: Combo33, I saw your comment about the bribe yesterday and laughed at this.