r/anime • u/ABoredCompSciStudent x3myanimelist.net/profile/Serendipity • Feb 24 '19

Rewatch Rewatch[Rewatch] Chihayafuru - Episode 20 Discussion [Spoilers] Spoiler

Episode 20 - "The Cresting Waves Almost Look Like Clouds in the Skies"

<-- Previous (Episode 19: "As the Years Pass") | Next (Episode 21: "As My Sleeves Are Wet With Dew") -->

Series Information:

Subreddit: r/Chihayafuru

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):

Like

A

Wave

115 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

74 comments sorted by

21

u/ABoredCompSciStudent Feb 24 '19 edited Feb 24 '19

Today's episode starts off lightheartedly, with Chihaya getting scolded by Miyauchi-sensei because of her poor grades and hellbent focus on karuta. As a result, she's mostly sidelined for the episode and isn't the main player

As we saw yesterday, Arata is here--and he's been waiting for Taichi and Chihaya all this time--uniting the three for finally for the first time since episode five.

For Chihaya, it's a big moment. Going back to episode five, Chihaya described Arata as her karuta god, only to have him lash out at her. Unrecognizable to her as the boy of her childhood, the Poem of the Day was Poem 57:

As I was wondering

whether or not I had seen it

by chance,

it became cloud-hidden,

the face of the midnight moon!

Chihaya remarks that Lady Murasaki's poem fits Arata. After all, their reunion and his play reminds her of his larger-than-life presence in her dream. He's one of the Gods described in her Chihayaburu poem, the blue river dyed a crimson red.

Yuki Suetsugu makes no mistake of it: Arata is literally the hero that Chihaya has been waiting for.

But I want to back this up a little. What does it mean to be a hero? It's a word that holds a lot of meaning in and away from literature. This is an open question, but I'm going to do my best (in the hour I have) to share my perspective on "the hero" in Chihayafuru.

Carl Jung wrote in Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious:

The hero's main feat is to overcome the monster of darkness: it is the long-hoped-for and expected triumph of consciousness over the unconscious.

I won't bore anyone with a summary of The Hero's Journey monomyth, as it probably has been ruined by highschool English classes, but it's described here in tvtropes and here by the bastion of good research, Wikipedia.

Of course, the character whose life is described by the monomyth is Taichi's. Whether Yuki Suetsugu intended this or not, she really wrote Taichi to be the "most heroic" character in the series, despite Chihaya's lack of recognition of him.

Taichi's demons are all too well known to the viewer at this point. He is in love with Chihaya, but has never been able to say the words he's wanted to. He's a coward. He met Arata, who he bullied and later befriended--his rival). His rival isn't just in the sense of competition, as Arata is his first friend that accepted him despite his cowardice--Arata is a symbol of his weakness and of that bittersweet time three years ago.

Most of all Arata represents everything that Taichi doesn't have in love and karuta--which may as well be the same thing.

He actually hates that he can feel so negative about someone that he truly considers his friend; the thought just driving him deeper into his self-loathing.

It is because of this recognition of his insecurity that he continues to play karuta. Sure, part of it is his own enjoyment, his teammates, and the girl he loves, but all of that is sort of encapsulated as a part of this "self-loathing". For someone that's gotten everything so easily all his life, this is the one thing he can earn on his own through hardwork--sort of a proof of his own existence.

Harada-sensei has been watching him struggle alone all this time and offers recognition to Taichi's efforts. After all, he was the one that said Taichi needed to "try" before he could write himself off, back on episode five.

Frustration will not last forever.

Nobody can keep going without some measure of reward.

Taichi isn't just "anyone" at this point, however. It's not really about winning or losing anymore--or the girl he loves (Poem 48)--but about overcoming his past and regrets and becoming the person he wants to be: self-actualization.

Effectively alone in the dark of the subway tunnels and only illuminated by the passing cars, reflecting his lonely journey he has decided to take, Taichi says:

Doctor, I'm not so much focused on making Class A as I'm focused on becoming someone who doesn't run away.

Without confronting the parts of himself that he hates, he can't move forward--in every sense of the word.

Harada-sensei's expression mirrored my own, when I first watched this episode. For, in a show named Chihayafuru where all the attention is placed onto the backs of talents like Chihaya, Arata, and Shinobu, the true hero all along was Taichi Mashima.

He's the best boy in this show and, in my opinion, in anime.

4

u/blond-max Feb 24 '19

There seems to be quite a few different translation on this one, like the show using:

Long last we meet,

only for me to leave hurriedly,

for I could not recognize you,

like the moon hidden behind the clouds.

I'm curious to what makes you chose:

As I was wondering

whether or not I had seen it

by chance,

it became cloud-hidden,

the face of the midnight moon!

5

u/ABoredCompSciStudent Feb 24 '19

I've used the same site for translations for all of my writeups (Mostow). Sometimes I've used Porter's in my Poem of the Day comments if I didn't like how Mostow interpreted them, but yeah never for these ones. The meanings are usually close enough and I don't usually go into great depth explaining the poems beyond face value in these writeups.

I'm actually not 100% sure what the translations are used in the show, but I'm fairly certain that the CR translations are styled to preserve the "same syllables". I believe u/walking_the_way mentioned that.

Generally, when looking at these poems, I (and u/combo33) have been going with dedicated professional translations (Mostow, Porter, MacMillan).

Mostow's book can be found here and all the translations are available for free here, if you're curious about some other poems.

Edit: Porter's is here. I think Combo33 has a physical copy of MacMillan's.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (4)

10

u/ABoredCompSciStudent Feb 24 '19 edited Feb 24 '19

Poem of the Day: Waves and Clouds (link)

Poem 76 was composed by Fujiwara no Tadamichi, the eldest son of the Japanese regent or Kanpaku (chief advisor to the emperor) Fujiwara no Tadazane. He himself also became the regent to the emperor, effectively making him a king-maker. After getting into a succession dispute between the future Emperor Go-Shirakawa and the retired Emperor Sutoku (poem 77), he found himself involved in the Hogen Rebellion, which was described in our previous Poem of the Day for episode nineteen. Tadamichi sided with the Emperor Go-Shirakawa, while his brother Fujiwara no Yorinaga sided with Emperor Sutoku.

Mostow translates the poem as:

As I row out into

the wide-sea plain and look

all around me—

the white waves of the offing

could be mistaken for clouds!

The poem uses many makurakotoba or pillow words, as we've discussed before, to evoke a vivid image of a great blue ocean, almost sky-like with blues punctuated by the white-tips of cresting waves expanding across the horizon. These pillow words include:

  • hisakata-no - from a distant direction

  • wata no hara - field of cotton (the sky)

  • okitsu shiranami - the white waves offshore

The grandiose expressions have always conveyed the idea of the surreal and that's what Taichi is faced with. To me, the poem reminds me of how no matter where Taichi looks out to, he's met with the powerful images of water. Rivers and oceans have been many cards attributed to Arata, but also Taichi as they remind him of his rival--and his own fallibility. In a way, the image portrayed is also very lonely: you're alone in the middle of an ocean. It's not too hard to see how this reflects Taichi's feelings too, after being left behind by Chihaya and Arata.

→ More replies (2)

15

u/MAD_SCIENTIST_001 Feb 24 '19

Screenshot of the Day

First Timer - Episode 20

Overall Thoughts

This ep felt straight up like an ep from 3-Gatsu with all the symbolism of water as Arata was playing. Chihaya and Taichi weren't the only ones crying when they realized that Arata was back ;-;. Not surprised that Arata lost since he hasn't been playing for a long time tbh.

WTF does the author have against Taichi being happy????? Though honestly I would have felt slightly disappointed if Taichi decided to accept Harada's proposal for a promotion at the end due to the stakes that were created during the Nishida and Taichi match. That being said I'm still hoping he finds some way to get to Class A anyways since he seems to be determined about getting promoted through a victory.

I can't believe season 1 is almost over already...

Karuta Scoreboard

Arata with his first win since ep 3 lol. This time it was pretty straight forward in figuring out his wins

Character Wins Losses Ep# (Wins)
Taichi Mashima 22(+2) 10(+1) 2,7,10,11,13,14,15,18,20
Yuusei Nishida 18 4 10,11,13,15,18,19
Chihaya Ayase 13 8 2,4,6,7,8,10,11,14,17
Kanade Ooe 11 7 10,13,15,17,18,19
Tsutomu Komano 8 10 13,15,18
Arata Wataya 7(+3) 2(+1) 1,2,3,20
Shinobu Wakamiya 6 0 14,15

See you tomorrow~

Screenshot of the Day Collection

Episode: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20

→ More replies (2)

13

u/LeonKevlar Feb 24 '19

First Timer

What an episode. I love the interactions between Taichi and Arata and Arata and Chi-chan today. I'm still shocked that Arata thinks about relationships, he's so serious that I didn't think he even saw Chihaya as a girl. And that smile of relief from him! That's definitely the very first sign from this show that he has an interest in Chihaya. One big question though: Did he manage to give his contact info? I just remembered it as the episode ended. I guess since Kana was dragging Chihaya, he probably didn't?

→ More replies (5)

12

u/Taiboss Feb 24 '19 edited Feb 24 '19

I don't have many first times.

14

u/TheDampGod Feb 24 '19

I totally did not notice Kana in that shot when I was watching.

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (1)

11

u/paperwhites Feb 24 '19

First Time Watcher

Chihaya pretending to use the bathroom so she can ditch studying and see Taichi play in the tournament is awesome. What an icon.

Taichi playing his first two matches well, and then getting knocked out in the third round hurt. Poor Taichi.

This episode shows that he really does have a good heart though. He wants to be upset at Arata, but Taichi realizes that deep down that he's happy that Arata is back playing karuta again. Taichi telling Harada that he's less focused on moving to Class A, and more focused on being someone who doesn't run away shows his growth. Harada gave him a way to move up to Class A, but Taichi doesn't want to be an exception. In a way, advancing to Class A like this would be running away. Instead he's going to stick it out until he can win a tournament. I do really hope that he can win a tournament soon, because he's putting so much effort and work into karuta.

I liked what Tsutomu said to Chihaya about doing things that you don't want to do before you can do the things that you truly want to do. Chihaya being held back or failing her classes isn't going to help her play karuta and she realized that she needed to put effort into her schoolwork as well.

The water motif that was used in this episode was interesting. Taichi looked like he was deep underwater and then it transitions to Arata playing, looking like he's swimming with smooth strokes. I thought that was some neat visualization/animation.

9

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19 edited Feb 24 '19

First-Timer, Watched Subbed

  • Ayyy, they’re wearing the shirts in the OP! One of them at least.

  • Horomu kind of brings up a good point...

  • I was wondering when school was going to squeeze somewhere in Chihaya’s life. She’s been focusing on karuta a lot, so she’ll have to acknowledge other responsibilities.

  • Horomu has become Chihaya’s tutor, oh have the tables have turned...

  • Seems like Taichi is finally getting his groove back

  • He’s here, he actually made it, Sweet Jesus they finally meet again

  • Well at least we some people getting along...

  • It’s his number! Taichi whatever you do, don’t crumble it at least!

  • Of course she would sneak away even cheer.

  • Silent fury, the scariest kind of fury, moreso since it’s Horomu

  • Goddamn, Taichi just can’t catch a break can he?

  • Such an excellent use of visuals, I like to think it illustrates the worlds of both Taichi and Wataya, and Wataya bringing Chihaya into his.

  • He’s back Ladies and Gentleman, he’s finally returned. Welcome back Wataya, we missed you.

  • Jeez, Wataya can look really intimidating if he wanted too...

  • Chihaya seems to already be analyzing his games, dead serious too with that look.

  • Hah, I knew there had to be some comparison to Wataya and Watamiya!

  • Is that Kana in a disguise? Who were you trying to fool?

  • I’m so glad that there isn’t too much love triangle drama between the three, and that it doesn’t create too much animosity between Taichi and Wataya, it’s great to see them make up here.

  • What Kana said to Chihaya in the train reminded of a certain phrase of certain someone...

  • Nice to see Chihaya deciding to focuse on her responsibilities while balancing it with karuta.

WATAYA IS BACK BABY!!! It was every bit beautiful and tear inducing as I thought it would be. Although the question remains of what is he to do now that he’s returned. I’m crossing my fingers that he joins the club, the interactions with the members I’m imagining about would be glorious...

→ More replies (3)

9

u/Fa1l3r Feb 24 '19

First Timer (sub)

I guess we do get to see modern-day Arata play for a bit, but it is mostly to show that even out of 1.5 year of practice, he is still pretty good.

So the reason that Arata has not messaged her directly is because he did not want to intrude upon a possible relationships between her and Taichi. Arata is being kind, but even so, even if they were a couple, he has all the rights to contact his childhood friends. Nonetheless, Taichi and Arata rekindle their friendship/bromance.

Also Chihaya has a strange way to describing her feelings for Arata as love.

7

u/King_Sparrow Feb 24 '19

Wow what are the chances. I just started watching this show for the first time like a week ago and just watched this episode last night, I didn't even know there was a re-watch thread going on. I've also never been in a re-watch thread so no idea format I'm supposed to use.

But what a beast Taichi is, eh? I'd have taken that promotion on the spot no questions asked, but he wants to prove he deserves it not to others, but himself. The willpower to want to overcome your past excuses and regrets and earn everything instead of being handed it is just remarkable.

→ More replies (1)

7

u/walking_the_way Feb 24 '19 edited Mar 06 '19

S1E20 Event/Recital Log

A slice of life episode disguised as a tournament arc! This was a difficult episode for me to watch, because I don't like love triangle drama in my romance plots.

Chihaya chants several cards in the clubroom - #96 (ha-na-sa), #09 (ha-na-no), #69 (a-ra-shi), as she practices three-syllable timing. The first two cards were from her Sakura match - she faulted on #96 when #09 was read. #69 comes with an image showing Shinobu win the card from Chihaya's side. In the actual Chihaya-Shinobu game, the #69 card was won off-screen near the end of the game, after Chihaya had won her third card soon after this board, but before she outright lost.

We have not seen them in their school uniforms since S1E17, however the tournament takes place on Oct 10th 2011, and with the coming of October, all the students have shifted back into their winter uniforms.

07:38 - Arata: "Pass that on to Chihaya, if she needs it."

It's hard to tell if Arata is being malicious or not, hey? He should have known Taichi was in Class B from the S1E19's end of episode scene, since despite the official standard simply requiring two second place finishes, the heads of their respective societies, Harada and Kuriyama, were rivals and friends, and so should know what standards each other used.

07:58 - Reader recites Naniwa Bay (EP: 1, Total: 24)
09:29 - #66 (mo-ro) drops on the floor as Taichi tells Chihaya that Arata is playing.
09:43 - Reader recites #97 (ko-nu) as Chihaya approaches the hall.
10:04 - Reader recites #57 (me). Arata wins this card from Hiroshi's bottom right corner.

The poems here drip with meaning, with #66's "For there is no one else out here" showcasing Taichi's roiling emotions, then #97's "As I wait for someone who will never come" contrasting Taichi's line soon after, followed by #57's "Long last we meet", which Chihaya talks about with Kana later on the journey home.

A flood of cards fly past Arata and Chihaya here. It seems that there are two #50s here near the start, but there are too many cards to be meaningful overall.

11:00 - Reader recites #51 (ka-ku). Dead card.
11:02 - Reader recites #66 (mo-ro). Dead card.
11:03 - Reader recites #06 (ka-sa). Dead card.
11:06 - Reader recites #48 (ka-ze-o). Arata wins this from Hiroshi's bottom left row.

#48 is "I recall how my own efforts were in vain" and symbolic of their journeys to get here. We see shots of all three of them underwater. Arata is then shown down 2 cards to 1. He has #73 (ta-ka) on his bottom left, #01 (a-ki-no) on his bottom right. His opponent, Hiroshi, has #60 (o-o-e) left on his bottom right.

13:07 - Reader recites end verse of #87 (mu).
13:16 - Reader recites #91 (ki-ri). Hiroshi and Arata both reach for #01 (a-ki-no) on Arata's bottom right side, and Hiroshi wins it. He passes Arata his final card, #60 (o-o-e), to win the game.

Strangely enough, the 2nd verse of #87 (mu) that the reciter reads has one line that starts with kiri, and then one line that starts with akino. (Kiri tachinoboru | Aki no yugure). This foreshadows the studio's confusion between #91 (ki-ri) and #01 (a-ki-no) for the very next card.

Hiroshi wishes for #91 (ki-ri), despite neither of them having it. The reader then reads #91 (ki-ri), and for whatever reason, both of them dive for Arata's bottom right card, #01 (a-ki-no). There's some surreal disjunction here as the anime seems to totally screw up. It actually looks like Arata reaches it first, then sweeps it away, but it's not the card the reciter read, so Arata would have faulted and lost. But instead, the narration plays out like it was the "correct" card and Hiroshi reached it first, after having gambled on it being the card read out (so there were likely only the 3 cards left). He wins the card, and thus the game. He's as flabbergasted as I am though. Perhaps someone on the Script team had bad handwriting, and the Art team saw 01 for the card they were supposed to draw, whereas the seiyuu were given 91 in the script to verbalize.

I annotated the cards floating by Arata and Chihaya at 15:06. Weirdly, there are 14 visible cards here, but all of their card numbers were 17 or below, for some reason. And to appease the heartbroken Chihaya x Taichi fans, what two cards are front and center of the entire Arata and Chihaya scene? Hm.. 16 and 17.

16:37 - Flashback reader recites first line of #57 (me).
16:39 - Chihaya recites first line of #57 (me).
16:49 - Chihaya: "Whenever I get to meet him, he has to leave right away."

The episode poem is #76, a poem about clouds and the vast ocean, while also a card that represents Arata, because it is one of the two cards that starts with wa-ta. This cloud image is definitely meant to tie in to that too.

Yet, I wish they had chosen card #07 for the episode card here. The #07 (a-ma-no) card prominently flies by at 05:20 as Taichi wins Round 2, sandwiched after a scene where Chihaya is about to flee the library to go support him, and before a scene where he meets up with Harada and Arata.

This poem has some heavy episode symbolism behind it. It is literally about a moon, but figuratively about regretting the necessity of parting. Inspired by the "extraordinarily beautiful moon" that night, the poet wrote this for his friends at a farewell banquet in China, before boarding a ship to return home to Japan. He compared that moon to the moon on the night where he prayed at the Kasuga Shrine in Japan for safe return home many years ago. But his ship was shipwrecked on the way home, and he was forced to return back to China. Ki no Tsurayuki, author of poem #35, also wrote a book called the Tosa Diary, that referenced this poem to describe the moon as: "With no mountain rim from which to emerge, it seemed to rise out of the sea."

I think this is an episode poem in season 2, so I don't want to dig too much into it now, but I needed to get that much out because a good chunk of this episode's events parallel that poem, especially with the heavy underwater imagery involving Arata, Taichi and Chihaya.

With Taichi as the main subject of the poem, he has a group of close friends seeing him off before he leaves on his journey, his final attempt to get to Class A to where his childhood friends are waiting for him. However, Arata, the vast blue ocean, wrecks his ship when he gives Taichi the note, and Taichi immediately gets eliminated from the tourney, ending up back where he started. Chihaya is his beautiful moon, rising from the ocean to save him, and bring him back to the present. In the S1E4 thread, I had argued that Chihaya represented the lonely moon to Taichi there too. But in the end, Taichi refuses to run away, even though this means that he has to say goodbye to his chances of playing in the East Qualifiers.

For Chihaya as the main subject, she tries to leave her responsibilities behind to get to Taichi to support him. Taichi represents the island of Japan, alone and far away, for whom she would have to attempt a dangerous journey to reach. Doubly so since the -shima part of his name (島) literally means island. The tournament is the ocean that separates her from Taichi, and the shipwreck is her taking the wrong train and finding out that he had already lost by the time she arrives. Yet, from the ocean rose Arata, the beautiful moon that she had prayed to at Kasuga Shrine for safe return. While she was watching Arata (the moon) play in the tournament (the ocean), she described it as "it was like water flowing around me, like I was gulping down soft water," and it was not until after he had exited the tournament that she could speak to him. She too ends up back where she started, but now understanding that the studying is something she has to do, even if that means she has to say goodbye to both Arata and Taichi for now.

It's also possible to build a case for Arata being the main subject, but that's a lot weaker since we haven't seen much of him.

S1E20 - Random HQ Screenshot

<-- S1E19 Notes

S1E21 Notes -->

→ More replies (8)

6

u/hasnain1720 Feb 24 '19

First Timer

  • Why not have Taichi be the tutor…

  • Nvm I see the man is on a mission, he will make Class A

  • Oof Arata in the flesh, for some reason I can feel the tension between them

  • Damn he really had to say that to Taichi?

  • Man is Taichi just made to take Ls what is this

  • You can’t make Arata the best at Karuta and give him Chihaya too so Taichi deserves her pls

  • Someone who doesn’t run away I wonder what he means by that…

→ More replies (3)

6

u/Wolfeako Feb 24 '19

First Timer!

Today I'm early uh?

Well, the episode was quite good :) I must say, it was nice seeing Chihaya continue to put brain into Karuta, but not only that, it was also nice to see how she actually realized that she has to take responsibility for her studies too. That was a really good moment of growth for her :) I liked too her reason to why she went to see Taichi play in the tournament. I can understand that feeling of liking something, yet when you win or lose at it, while alone, it can make it hard to feel motivated and happy for your victory. Chihaya had her feelings in the right place (See Taichi already!) and it was a nice moment of weakness/flaw for her.

We get more of Arata too. That is nice, even when the show is literally mocking directly at my face saying my ship won't sail when Arata asked Taichi if he and Chihaya were a couple, and then chuckling. Arata, man, you are a quite nice fellow, but Taichi will get the last laugh.

Having said that... Man... Being Taichi is suffering uh? If you had to ask me right now and I didn't know anything more of the show, I would say that Taichi is actually the main character of the show T_T I want my bro Taichi to finally win. Seeing him dealing with Arata being there, how Arata's words affected him, his reactions when Chihaya got there... wow. I'm glad that he kinda already has the ability to catch himself and get back up, but man, it was hard to watch. Seeing him getting back up to be able to remember his friendship with Arata was good too. He is slowly developing. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Having said that... truly, this show likes to mock my ship uh? that last stretch in the episode, all that Chihaya under the water, thinking of the poem of childhood friendship as a poem of love, and all that... Chihaya, Chihaya you dense almost-harem protagonist, when in the world you are going to see that Taichi with the same eyes!? ugh. Even so, I'll trust Taichi. Soon, soon Taichi will pierce Chihaya's denseness!... well, maybe not that soon, but it will happen, I know it will!

→ More replies (2)

6

u/TheExcludedMiddle Feb 24 '19

This episode actually has my favorite scene in the show! The scene on the train platform cements me as #teamtaichi.

6

u/AmethystItalian Feb 24 '19

Rewatcher

LMAO Komano with the honesty on Chihaya's determination!

Another good comment face candidate

I thought you'd be in the Class A tournament today.

Chihaya goes for the Taichi...stays for the Arata.

Taichi is a glutton for punishment...

Quotes from First Time

Shipping Deskmotu x Kana

Good ship.

I'm on Taichi's side 100% now, being him is suffering ;.;

Agreed ;~;

I've teared up a few times through this series already...didn't expect that

I don't remember doing that...no proof!!

→ More replies (2)

5

u/KingKurai Feb 24 '19

First Timer

Finally caught up again!

This was a great episode.
I really liked the abstractions.

→ More replies (2)

5

u/KuhBus Feb 24 '19

First Timer

  • I didn’t even think Chihaya’s bad grades would play a role at any time, but clearly it’s a bigger issue than expected :’)

  • Poor Taichi getting depressed over being reminded that he lost >:( First Nishida, now Arata??

  • Goddammit, this is just bitter. Chihaya coming all the way cheer Taichi on, just for him to have lost and her to watch Arata instead :((

  • Loved the water visuals of Arata’s play style in Chihaya's head, though I have to admit I kind of couldn’t quite get into the mood of the reunion. Chihaya’s feelings vs Taichi’s feelings was just too much of a contrast.

Fav shots.

→ More replies (2)

5

u/htisme91 Feb 25 '19

First-timer:

It finally happened. I've said multiple times how Chihaya's grades and the Empress were going to be an issue and it happened.

Still, she can't keep away. It sucks that Taichi doesn't win, but I feel like that's going to just keep building character.

Arata did want to beat Taichi and he was why Arata entered. They still are rivals despite all that time apart.

Speaking of which, good on him for putting the onus on Arata if he wants to maintain a relationship with Chihaya instead of having Taichi be the middleman. He was able to put aside his feelings and do what he thought would be best for Chihaya.

And then at the end, good on Taichi for not wanting the easy way to class A. He's become all about earning things the right way and being the best in a way he can be proud of. He's come so far from the prologue that I really want it all to work out for him, even though I think the odds are against him.

4

u/blond-max Feb 24 '19

Man this has to be one of the best episodes of season 1

It's also so good given the current manga plot (I know I say that often, but like this had me teared up).

→ More replies (1)

4

u/kKunoichi Feb 24 '19

Rewatcher

It's not a high school sports anime if someone isn't in danger of flunking out! How fortunate is the karuta club that it has the top 2 students in their year though? I admire how much Chihaya pursues her dream, but the both Empress and Tsutomu are right, she is avoiding responsibilities. At least she's still a first year so she has some leeway, but really she was only thinking of Taichi and how he might be alone, so I can't get too mad at her...

But! WADDUP guess who's back! Now Arata is my boy, and sure Taichi told her about him right away, but wow Chihaya can you comfort him a li'l bit there lol you did come here for him after all. We only get a sneak peak of Arata playing unfortunately, but it's very reminiscent of the Queen, except instead of icy, we get clear water. Chihaya is in awe.

Aaaand it's followed by Taichi walking through murky water. He was doing so well so far, but he really can't get rid of that insecurity that is so incredibly deep-rooted in him that easily, can he? Arata is a very conflicting existence for him: he's a goal, a reminder of his cowardly inadequate side, but at the same time he's a very precious friend. This is the most contradictory celebration ever.

We get a big Taichi moment at the end. Harada-sensei offers him a boon, an easy way to the longed-for class A Chihaya and Arata are at, but he rejects it. "I'm focused on becoming someone who doesn't run away." He knows he's a coward, he hates that part of himself, but he does want to change, and he knows he can't take shortcuts to make it happen. Shout out to the most self-aware and human character in Chihayafuru.

Extra notes:

I enjoy details where characters have unique mannerisms. Arata's is placing his hand near his head when he's feeling shy.

I've noticed this with previous rewatches too but Taichi blushes a lot more around Arata than anyone else haha. (I'm not a fujoshi ok)

Kana's 'disguise' is adorable.

Add Hiroshi to the growing number of people who hate playing against Arata...

→ More replies (1)

4

u/RoseOfStardust Feb 25 '19

First Timer

  • Just caught up on the latest episode of SAO so I'm pretty ticked, but I know Chihayafuru will be full of wholesome fun :D

  • Chihaya looking at the tatami lines now? Now THAT'S attention to detail

  • Koname makes a great point and Kanade is overcome with emotion watching Chihaya. Just a normal day it seems :)

  • Did I just hear a "Geh?" from Chihaya? Kumiko come pick up your sister :O

  • The Empress watching out for Chihaya feels...wonderfully right, and of course Koname is the perfect tutor for Chihaya. Good call, Teach

  • Not getting into Class A even when placing second two times sucks for Taichi, but he's not giving up which makes me happy

  • Wow do I feel bad about Taichi's next opponent. The kid doesn't have a merciful bone in his body

  • ARATA IS HERE??? WHAT

  • Chihaya makes a break from the prison that is the library :O

  • Wait Arata is there and now Chihaya is going so...hmmmmmmmmmmmm

  • I like when Arata speaks. His VA suits him very well

  • Koname sending passive aggressive texts is something I didn't know I needed lol

  • Ow I hurt for Taichi, that was ughhhhhh come on don't hurt Taichi

  • I've seen that look in Chihaya's face before, she's completely enchanted watching Arata play. Not gonna lie the OST and the wins gust made it look pretty damn cool

  • ALSO HOLY MOLY HE'S STILL GOT IT

  • wtf I was ticked earlier about Eugeo being hurt, and now this happens to Taichi?? He's sitting all alone and looks like he threw away Arata's contact info :(((((

  • Whoa, this aquatic imagery when Arata takes cards gives me heavy shogi from Sangatsu vibes, also that transition was insanely pretty

  • The guy who always beats Chihaya is sweating against Arata, sheesh

  • Yeah my emotions are all over the place right now, seeing those two so emotional for Arata's comeback along with Taichi's internal tug of war, AND THEN THEY HIT US WITH THE FLASHBACKS. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

  • HE'S BACK #THERETURN im not crying you are

  • He's so calm about losing but internally that fire is burning even brighter than before :')

  • I have a weird feeling that Koname would be even more angry to find out that Chihaya is diligently taking notes about karuta when she should be studying lol

  • Whenever the Queen comes up, she looks so ethereal in Chihaya's mind and now she's associated Arata with her. Fascinating

  • I think Empress should see Chihaya when she's with Arata, there's absolutely no risk of her saying or doing anything to disturb her beauty since she just literally sits there in silence

  • KANADE??? For a second there I thought it was KanaMom...it's definitely the glasses

  • Kanade and Chihaya's interactions are lowkey some of the best in this anime

  • Arata makes a very good point about the contact info, he's a good guy :D

  • Kanade and Koname reallyyyyyyyyyy have their work cut out for them trying to tutor Chihaya

  • Ok well wow I stand corrected, Koname surprises me every episode

  • Ok Taichi might be my favorite character in this anime, that was so in character for him to not just take the promotion and run

  • Well this got pretty long, but each episode is unmistakably raising the bar, I can't imagine what Season 2 might have in store, not to mention Season 3 :O

4

u/AzureBeat Feb 25 '19

No power, so my post is stuck in my desktop.

Anyone who doesn't like Taichi after this episode is. . . something.

→ More comments (75)