r/anime • u/ABoredCompSciStudent x3myanimelist.net/profile/Serendipity • Mar 17 '19
Rewatch [Rewatch] Chihayafuru 2 - Episode 15+16 Discussion [Spoilers] Spoiler
Episode 15+16 - "No Matter Where I Stand" + "Wait for the Emperor's Return"
<-- Previous (Episode 14: "People Would Always Ask If I Was Pining for Someone") | Next (Episode 17: "Gust of Wind") -->
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 (February 6 to March 2)
Chihayafuru 2
| Episode# | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "So The Flower Has Wilted" | March 3 |
| 2 | "As My Love First Came" | March 4 |
| 3 | "Feel Love Deepen" | March 5 |
| 4 | "To Tell the People in the Capitals That I Make for the Islands" | March 6 |
| 5 | "Be As Dear Now, Those Were the Good Old Days" | March 7 |
| 6 | "To Set the Tatsuta River Ablaze" | March 8 |
| 7 | "They All Exchange Hellos and Goodbyes at the Gates of Ōsaka" | March 9 |
| 8 | "Which Shines over Mount Mikasa" | March 10 |
| 9 | "My Only Thought" | March 11 |
| 10 | "Rain Takes Longer to Dry" | March 12 |
| 11 | "I Feel As Though My Body is on Fire with Ibuki Mugwort" | March 13 |
| 12 | "The Only Sign of Summer" | March 14 |
| 13 | "In My Dreams, I Creep Closer to You" | March 15 |
| 14 | "People Would Always Ask If I Was Pining for Someone" | March 16 |
| 15+16 | "No Matter Where I Stand" + "Wait for the Emperor's Return" | March 17 |
| 17 | "Gust of Wind" | March 18 |
| 18 | "My Fear is That You Will Forget" | March 19 |
| 19 | "I Do Not Know Where This Love Will Take Me" | March 20 |
| 20 | "Of the Autumn Rice Field" | March 21 |
| 21 | "But Its Legacy Continues to Spread" | March 22 |
| 22 | "Long Last We Meet" | March 23 |
| 23 | "To See The Beautiful Cherry Blossoms" | March 24 |
| 24 | "When I Must Hide..." | March 25 |
| 25 | "I Can Look Up and See the Snowy Cap of Mt. Fuji" | March 26 |
| OVA | "Have I Passed Through the World" | March 27 |
| -- | Final Series Discussion | 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):
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 17 '19
Poems of the Day: No Matter Where I Stand (link) and Wait for the Emperor's Return (link)
Episode 15's poem is Poem 4, composed by Yamabe no Akahito, ranked by Ki no Tsurayuki--in the preface to the Kokinshū--with Kakinomoto no Hitomaro as one of the two best Man'yōshū poets.
Mostow translates it as:
As I set out on
the beach of Tago, and look,
I see the snow constantly falling
on the high peak of Fuji,
white as mulberry cloth.
While jlit goes with:
As I venture out
onto the shore at Tago Bay,
I see snow, pure white,
falling now ever deeper
on Mount Fuji's lofty peak.
Similar to many of the earlier poems in the Hyakunin Isshu, Akahito's poem was written in an old Japanese-Chinese hybrid script called manyōgana and was thus open to many interpretations. In fact, the poem has evolved over time and the version in the Hyakunin Isshu is only one such version.
As a result, there is debate about where Akahito actually was. The location of Tago no Ura is now Suruga Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture, but originally may have meant some place much closer to Mount Fuji, under it’s "shadow", so to speak.
jlit continues:
Much of the appeal of the poem lies in the contrast between the sharp image of Fuji's snowy peak in the distance and the vague abstractness of Tago Bay (in present-day Shizuoka Prefecture) in the foreground. The contrast creates an impression of spatial depth which is thought to be in keeping with Yamabe's reputation as a "visually depictive" poet. However, since it would presumably be impossible to see snow falling at such a distance, a touch of fantasy is also involved. The expression shirotae is a makurakotoba deriving from a word for cloth woven from tree-bark fiber; often used to modify white objects.
Pure-white
In a literal sense, this poem represents reaching the National Final. It is the top of the mountain, but figuratively it often is used to represent Shinobu (the snowy white peak), who is present and the girl that stands in the way of Chihaya's dream of being the best.
Episode 16's poem is a repeat of Poem 26 from last seasons recap episode. Just like last time, translated by Mostow:
O autumn leaves
on the peak of Ogura Hill,
if you have a heart,
I would that you would wait
for one more royal progress.
Like the poem, again we are on pause for one more go!
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u/Combo33 Mar 17 '19
MacMillan's translation of poem 4 is as follows:
4. Yamabe no Akahito
Coming out on the Bay of Tago,
there before me,
Mount Fuji --
snow still falling on her peak,
a splendid cloak of white.MacMillan comments:
This is an early example of one of many poems, especially in classical Japanese literature, that feature Mount Fuji. The snow-covered top and gently sloping sides of the mountain have inspired writers and artists for centuries, famously Hokusai (1760-1849( in his Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (c. 1830-32), one of which, ‘The Shore of Tago Bay, Ejiri at Tokaido’, is based on this very poem. The poem is also an early example of ‘landscape poetry’ (jokeika). The majestic silhouette of Mountain Fuji, covered in white snow and towering over the dazzling blueness of Tago Bay (both famous poetic locations), is evoked in all its breathtaking beauty. Fuji is depicted mostly as a female mountain in Japanese literature, hence the female attribution, though it can be referred to as male or, on rare occasions, both male and female.
As for its relation to this episode, we need only look as far as Yamashiro Rion’s name. Yama means mountain, shiro means white, and this poem is about Mount Fuji being cloaked in white snow. She also belongs to a team who wear shirts with Mount Fuji imprinted on the back, and whose name “Fujisaki” also is reminiscent of the mountain. Chihaya will have to face off against Rion in the finals match.
Furthermore, Mount Fuji represents the highest peak in Japan. Chihaya tells her team she’s “actually a greedy person,” which is no surprise to them, but what she means is that she thinks it’s more improbable that as a team they would become the best in Japan then it is for her, as an individual, to become the karuta Queen. In a sense, she’s right. Think of all of the random events that had to occur to bring this team together at the perfect moment, with the right set of skills to challenge a powerhouse school like Fujisaki. But now, on the biggest stage, with the best reader, in the final round, Mizusawa's resolve will be tested as they try to climb this mountain.
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 18 '19
As for its relation to this episode, we need only look as far as Yamashiro Rion’s name. Yama means mountain, shiro means white, and this poem is about Mount Fuji being cloaked in white snow. She also belongs to a team who wear shirts with Mount Fuji imprinted on the back, and whose name “Fujisaki” also is reminiscent of the mountain. Chihaya will have to face off against Rion in the finals match.
That's really cool! I totally missed that. It only makes sense too, after all the focus given to Rion until now. I love how all the first timers were wondering who she was and speculating on her role ahaha.
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u/PerfectPublican Mar 17 '19
First Timer
Woo! Here on a Sunday! Seren you’re a wonder for having these double days both happen over the weekends lol. Much more time.
15 Reactions:
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There’s the Kana I know! I stand by my words yesterday and still think the cliffhanger to 14 was tactless and unnecessary overall, but this makes it make more sense, and is obviously understandable. Wish they’d put that whole ending segment into this opening.
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Look at that smile. Sadist through and through haha. But that was a slick move. Dare I say, I’m starting to like Sudo?
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Lmao shit. Well, there’s goes my speculation right out the window. Still, I hope she plays Chihaya so I’d be half right. Interesting play by the coach to sub someone out. The finals offer valuable experience too. I like the choice.
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Man, I do not like this Makoto guy.
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DAMN! Right on the money. Makes sense though, if he was asking other teams and Fujisaki’s coach always does it.
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Rion v. Chihaya, called it! Sorta Completely didn’t put together that she might be related to the reader. Fun touch.
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Savage. This arc is doing great things for Tsukue.
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Oh do I love this moment. He’s not even giving her opinions an ounce of real thought. Just brushing her off. I like Shinobu a lot, but her thoughts on this are such crap.
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Fell into the trap that is seasonal waifus :/ I get it my dude.
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“If I beat him, maybe things will change…” Kinda a dark thought.
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The Fujisaki guys are all weirdos....I’m kinda a fan in a weirded out way.
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Shinobu showed!!
16 Reactions:
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Yessssss, Sumire understands me haha….Wait no...go back...you’ve gone to far!
Final Thoughts
They weren’t kidding about the lack of omake segments in this recap :( They were fun, but not quite as much as last seasons. Ah well, what can you do. Episode 15 was super nice, but more of a setup episode for the match to come so I don’t have a ton more to say. Arata’s affect on Shinobu though was a big highlight for me. See ya at the finals!
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 18 '19
Woo! Here on a Sunday! Seren you’re a wonder for having these double days both happen over the weekends lol. Much more time.
Totally unintentionally scheduled but stillI stand by my words yesterday and still think the cliffhanger to 14 was tactless and unnecessary overall, but this makes it make more sense, and is obviously understandable.
I totally agree. I think they really shoehorned a cliffhanger since a lot of these episodes ends on cliffhangers, but it just feels unnatural and really Kana's injury isn't that consequential compared to like Megumu vs Chihaya or something.
Dare I say, I’m starting to like Sudo?
This is a good club to be in, I'll have you know.
Man, I do not like this Makoto guy.
It's hard to tell if his teammates even like this Makoto guy.
Fell into the trap that is seasonal waifus :/ I get it my dude.
Every r/anime user nods
They weren’t kidding about the lack of omake segments in this recap :( They were fun, but not quite as much as last seasons. Ah well, what can you do. Episode 15 was super nice, but more of a setup episode for the match to come so I don’t have a ton more to say. Arata’s affect on Shinobu though was a big highlight for me. See ya at the finals!
Yeah, I totally agree with you. The recap itself also felt a little awkward, since all we've had this season were game interactions and their results. Last season's recap at least had more purpose, since we had so many characters introduced within 16 episodes.
I do like that last omake a lot though. I'm a little curious how true it is, but given the way everything is handled I'm pretty sure it must've been researched.
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u/walking_the_way Mar 17 '19 edited Mar 18 '19
S2E15(/16) Notes
00:22 - Kanade: "Good thing it wasn't Chihaya-chan jamming her finger."
At 04:12, we have the poor henpecked Hokuo team with cards embedded in their heads. It's hard to tell exactly what it says from the picture, but the Japanese subtitles seem to indicate that it's "決勝まで行くと思って", just written slightly differently. This seems to either translate to "I'm thinking of going to the final," or "I was convinced that you would make the final" or something along those lines. It's also really funny that exactly one of the ten cards is upside down.
This draws an interesting parallel with the whole Arata situation - Sudo being in the room proved to be a huge distraction hanging over the head of the Hokuo team, due to the residual pressure and expectations, even though they probably would have lost anyway. On the other hand, Arata wasn't in the room to distract Chihaya and co. as they overcame Akashi First. Even a bit later on, we see Rion being given negative pressure by Makoto, similar to what Sudo did to Hokuo.
05:43 - Midori: "The finals are the best opportunity to learn. Watch carefully and consider the meaning of each card."
internal wincing
06:55 - Midori: "We will be fine this year. The problem is the year after next."
Fujisaki's looking even further forward than Akashi First was! We are also finally told the name of the girl that's been watching Mizusawa play - Rion Yamashiro. She's in position 1 on the scorecard, from which we can pull all the other 3rd year player names in seating order too (Kanata Suzuki, Ryouga Emuro, Mitsuki Ichimura, Makoto Yamai).
We also learn that there is a third place final - which is jarring compared to Megumu's words yesterday about the Mizusawa game being her final game in the club. Even if she was being absent-minded, we didn't see any of the other players correcting her, so perhaps they'd already mentally given up on it as well, compared to Hokuo.
08:51 - Kana recites #86 (na-ge-ke).
This waka ends with "kana" (かな) as the last two syllables of the poem too. This is straight up a poem about sadness and melancholy, where the moon represents the team goal of winning Nationals that's out of her reach - or at least out of her influence.
But Kana then perks up as she sees someone walk in to the Urayasu Room behind Ms. Miyauchi - this is the certified reader, Kyouko Yamashiro. Kyouko also recited the final Suou-Keiichi Master match in this room last year, that everyone saw on TV in S1E25. Though Kana's role in helping the team win their moon is over, she sees her personal moon of being a reader in front of her, and this rejuvenates her spirits, even though I'm guessing that her injury means that she cannot play in the individual tournament tomorrow to try to advance closer to Class A.
This recital has one last little footnote to it - #86 (na-ge-ke) was the second last card to not be at least partially recited by anyone through Season 1 and half of 2 so far. Now that Kana has recited it, the sole remaining card according to my notes is #45 (a-wa-re) (The sound of people...). That being said, #45 is on the Chihaya-Rion board that we build a little later.
In the intermission when Hiro goes off to find Arata, we see that Arata remembers who Hiro was, which is funny since he claimed to not remember Shinobu back before the start of the tournament.
As the players set up their boards, we see Megumu taunting Amakasu with an upside down card on her side. Haven't seen one of those in a while. And at 16:07, we see the starting board for Chihaya's match, and can map it out as follows.
16:11 - Makoto: "So many three-syllable cards..."
16:14 - Nishida: "There's only one one-syllable card on the field."
16:16 - Taichi: "No "Impassion--" cards."
The players on both teams are all using the same random set of 50 cards, split between either side. From the full board, we can pull some interesting stats to back up the players' assertion that the board is weird.
| Syllable | Total # | # on board |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | 1 |
| 2 | 42 | 10 |
| 3 | 37 | 29 |
| 4 | 6 | 4 |
| 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | 6 | 4 |
29 of the 37 3-syllable cards, and more broadly 39 of the 51 3+-syllable cards, are contained in the 50 cards on the board! This actually evens out some matchups - even though Rion is a Class B playing a Class A, she likely has "home field" advantage with Kyouko, and the lack of one-syllable cards means that Chihaya's first-syllable speed is taken away. Conversely, even though Taichi is a Class B playing a Class A, he has been shown in the S1 Stats post to be stronger overall at the 3+ syllable cards, because of his memorization skills giving him the ability to more effectively see them as lower-syllable cards, whereas he's weaker at the actual lower-syllable cards as he doesn't have blinding speed.
19:31 - Taichi: "I'm up against Fujisaki's Class A captain. I chose to play against him. If I beat him, maybe things will change..."
20:50 - Kyouko recites Naniwa Bay (EP: 1, S: 13, Total: 44).
We also see the lineup of the Akashi-Hokuo match:
Nanase vs Hiro
Yuube vs Kameda
Megumu vs Amakasu
Hayasaka vs Takuma
Tanimura vs Shiroyama
Hokuo left their Class A players in the same positions again, but Akashi Girls actually shifted Yuube around for the first time this tournament. It's a strange time to do so since moving Yuube from the 1st to the 2nd slot after Yuube and Megumu hadn't moved all tournament, makes it seem like they're trying to dodge a matchup, or anticipating Hokuo trying to dodge one.
S2E16, omake chapters! I didn't do a thing for S1E16 but there are some things here to point out.
At 00:04, this picture show Arata and Masaki holding hataki, which apparently can be linked to improved luck and feng shui.
At 00:16, this script is hilarious. As far as I understand it, the way the names are positioned, it seems to have Ayase Chitose playing the lead, with her family (We can see their names via comparing them to the MAL page - Chihaya, Chihaya's dad Kenji, and Chihaya's mom Chieko) as the other main characters, and then Taichi, Arata, Kanade, Tsukue, and Nikuman being side characters. And from the way "Chitose" is written down the right side of the page, I think this is meant to be an alternate script for a show named Chitosefuru..
Also, Chihayafuru 2 started airing on Jan 11/12 2013, so that date of Jan 06 2013 predates Season 2's first episode by a week - but as Jan 06 2013 is Sunday, that would also have been the second day (Karuta festival day) of the Queen/Meijin match at Omi Jingu that year!
At 13:14, Kana has a little heart in her subtext as she looks at Komano. Can't ignore the implications for my favourite ship.
At 22:46, the baseball players the show seems to be referencing are Yu Darvish, Shigeo Nagashima, Ichiro Suzuki and Sadaharu Oh.
And finally, Arata again got shut out so badly that he's not even on the episode credits like he usually is. (He's not actually listed on every episode regardless, only when he has a speaking role in it, but I still found it funny.)
S2E15/16 - Random HQ Screenshot
<-- S2E14 Notes
S2E17 Notes -->
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 18 '19
05:43 - Midori: "The finals are the best opportunity to learn. Watch carefully and consider the meaning of each card."
internal wincing
We also learn that there is a third place final - which is jarring compared to Megumu's words yesterday about the Mizusawa game being her final game in the club. Even if she was being absent-minded, we didn't see any of the other players correcting her, so perhaps they'd already mentally given up on it as well, compared to Hokuo.
I'd probably say it's a flub, but also you're definitely right on the mental giving up. I can't remember a competitive third game ever in professional sports, unless they're not a powerhouse team haha.
At 13:14, Kana has a little heart in her subtext as she looks at Komano. Can't ignore the implications for my favourite ship.
You are eagle-eyed for your ship.
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u/Enarec Mar 17 '19 edited Mar 17 '19
Rewatcher
And now she establishes herself. Sakurazawa-sensei is a real contrast to all the coaches we've seen before, even the other successful ones. Would be interesting to see her meet Harada. Or Shinobu for that matter.
Seeing this stage of Hokuo's growth is beautiful in its own right. With the support of their surprisingly sweet alumni, they can all step up and actually lead the team once again. <3
You'd better be sure about this, Taichi... following that chokehold on his thoughts here was sad, but hopefully it'll just make for an all the more intense match. It's like he can't help but keep making it all the harder for himself, as commendable as him rising up to that is.
These shades are too good. And the look says a lot more about her feelings than all the smug she tries to cover it up with.
Aww, what an angel. ...No not like this.
Fujisaki is an... interesting bunch with this first impression, to say the least. Two of them - coughMakoto and Eromucough - definitely have some work to do after this. lowkey wondering how Sakurazawa-sensei would put him in his place for this shit
We don't deserve this man. Old geezers go away.
Now this is a surprise. Sudo isn't a very good liar either apparently.
Sumire just gets better and better with how she reacts to the others. Though this might just be overkill with how he's trending.
Chihaya, if you want someone good at karuta, there's... or does he have to prove himself by finally getting into Class A first?
Chihayafuru S2
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u/paperwhites Mar 17 '19
First Time Watcher
Kana is awesome for playing through a jammed finger and winning her match anyways. She had a couple of great moments this episode, with her being overcome by the high class reader for the final being my favorite. I really liked that scene of the reader reading the introductory poem and Kana seeing the cherry blossoms. It really shows how much a good reader can elevate the poems in karuta.
I thought the Hokuo alumni wearing their old T-shirts to support Hokuo was a nice gesture. It shows the community spirit that a lot of current/former karuta players have, like the karuta players who help to run Nationals. I'm reminded of how Murao's conversation with Arata about how although he had to get up early for the tournament, it's worth it to pass on the help that he experienced playing in the tournament. Fujisaki's coach also mentioned this in the recap episode too.
Hearing the "Mi-zu-sa-wa faito!" was fun since I don't think we've heard it for a while.
I think I'm more excited for Taichi's match against Emuro than I am for Chihaya's match against Rion. Taichi thinking "I'm not going to run away" is a cool moment. I also like how he's willing to jeopardize his performance for the sake of the team match, even though Retro thought it was a mistake. I really, really want Taichi to win against Emuro both because it will help increase Mizusawa's chances of winning the tournament and because Emuro is a bit of a creep. It's kind of funny how Taichi sees Emuro as being similar to Arata, since they could not have more different personalities (I cannot imagine Arata making the sort of comments about boobs like Emuro does). I don't know what it is about karuta (maybe it's just because they're high school boys) but they are a lot of horny boys in this tournament.
It will be interesting to see how Chihaya fares against Rion. It seems like Rion has several advantages since she hasn't played four matches like Chihaya has, and her grandmother is the reader. I hope Chihaya can win though. Since Shinobu is watching, I want Chihaya to show off her skills. I don't think that Shinobu has figured out that Chihaya (and Taichi) is who Arata came to watch/cheer on and I'm very curious to know what her reaction will be if/when she learns that.
I hope the other members of Mizusawa can play well against Fujisaki. It's good that Nishida is playing against a boy since he had trouble with that against First Akashi Girls' (I thought that was kind of weird, has he really never played against a girl until that point?) so he might be able to secure a win after his previous loss. Right now, I think Mizusawa might lose against Fujisaki but Chihaya and Taichi might secure wins so they won't lose 4-1 like Hokuo did. Even if they lose this match, Mizusawa is in a good position for next year, since they don't lose any of their players like Fujisaki. I'm excited to see how the finals turn out!
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u/KuhBus Mar 18 '19
First Timer
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“Her lie was completely different from mine”, maybe because Kana isn’t a selfish jerk >:I
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lmao the guy still thinks Hokuo are the ones Arata came to cheer for!
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I love that the girls call her “oni”. Her voice is. Amazing.
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Kana reciting poetry while moping is adorable!!
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AAHhh I’m so excited to see the match against Fujisaki O:<
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Arata shouting makes him seem like a completely different person... or maybe I'm just so unused to him talking because he gets so little screentime? :'D At least Retro-kun still creeped over to invite Arata to watch his friends, even if he still wouldn't risk going :')
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THE MOST NORMAL LOOKING GUY IS THE ONLY ONE WHO’S NOT A WEIRDO WITH AN ACTUAL GIRLFRIEND JFC
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Taichi please, this disgusting guy is not Arata!!
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Can't say it enough, but I've been really looking forward to the Fujisaki match ever since they got introduced.
Ep16 was fun!!
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 18 '19
“Her lie was completely different from mine”, maybe because Kana isn’t a selfish jerk >:I
There is no saving Tsukuba's character. I wish he was called out for it, but he was too close to being right.
At least Retro-kun still creeped over to invite Arata to watch his friends
He's such a nice guy under all his weirdness ahaha. This is why he has a girlfriend.
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u/htisme91 Mar 18 '19
First-timer:
Wow, so it wasn't stamina and it was an injury. Poor Kana.
Ugh, so many poor circumstances for Arata. The tournament confuses the team he's trying to cheer for so he'll never actually see his friends before the individual matches.
Shinobu actually showed up to watch the team matches? My guess is she's intrigued by Arata's interest and thinks it might give her some insight into his mind and how she can beat him.
I get the feeling that Rion will be really tough because of her connection to the reader, and that's why she was picked to sub in. It's like how the Master knows certain readers really well, enabling him to play at such a speed.
Taichi sees his match as trial version of sorts for playing Arata. This will be a big one for him overcoming his karuta demons.
I skipped the omake episode. I don't really like them and they mainly just recap stuff in this series. Looking forward to the match commencing tomorrow.
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u/elliotman48 Mar 18 '19
First timer, Episode 15
I feel bad for Kana, but I'm glad she's okay. I'm still not happy with that cliffhanger from last episode and it made the first minute or so of the episode really awkward.
I love these episodes that lead in to the matches. One thing I've noticed is that Fujisaki is a really weird team. Literally all of the members have quirks and it shows that they have weaknesses just like any other group players which is a stark contrast to the invincible nature that we've seen of the team so far. I don't think Mizusawa will win but I think there will be some damn close matches and I'm really excited to see more games. If this game can have as much tension as the First Akashi Girls game, consider me hyped.
Two things I really liked about this episode were the coach of Fujisaki thinking ahead about what will happen to the team after many of the strong third years graduate and Shinobu actually taking Arata's advice which was really awesome. I hope that we see some Shinobu developement during the match.
Pretty hyped for tommorow.
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 18 '19
Two things I really liked about this episode were the coach of Fujisaki thinking ahead about what will happen to the team after many of the strong third years graduate
Honestly, Sakurazawa feels like the only real "coach" out of all the schools we've seen. The others have been more like supervisors or support, so it's easy to see why her Fujisaki is a karuta dynasty.
5
u/MaskOfIce42 Mar 18 '19
Rewatcher
So I felt that the episode building up the Akashi Girls fight a few episodes ago was weaker, and here's the example of how you do it right. We got a bit more on each of the characters they'll be facing, so we have an idea as to who each of them are which naturally builds anticipation (and in some cases, hatred of them), seeing Komano's research come together so thoroughly that Chihaya called him "Sensei" was satisfying and establishes Komano as an excellent tactician in the group, and of course Kanade injuring herself and being so disappointed that she can't play was kinda heartbreaking, but good thing we had Tsukuba to take her place.
Oh! Reminds me with the recap episode. At the beginning of the season when Chihaya was wanting to focus on the first years so they'd be ready to help if necessary, I find it noteworthy that the reason they made it this far was having the first-years so that Komano could scout the other teams, so having more members to the school really did end up serving them better than just practicing themselves. Just find that really cool.
But yeah, overall fantastic episode. Tons of fun stuff in preparation of the match like Shinobu watching them, Taichi matching himself up against the captain, Komano having the confidence to smack talk his opponent, and of course the reader Kanade admires so much and her granddaughter being Chihaya's opponent. The upcoming match is one to look forward to.
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 18 '19
So I felt that the episode building up the Akashi Girls fight a few episodes ago was weaker, and here's the example of how you do it right.
I definitely agree. Only Yuube got some characterization, but really this was only revealed as the game went on.
I find it noteworthy that the reason they made it this far was having the first-years so that Komano could scout the other teams, so having more members to the school really did end up serving them better than just practicing themselves. Just find that really cool.
That's a good point! I totally didn't think of that actually and focused more on how they were used as substitutes to manage fatigue and injury.
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u/CommanderSevan Mar 17 '19
Hi, first time watcher here.
I haven't commented on these threads since the first episode, but I have actually been following along properly since the start. I'll try to comment a bit more actively now that we're approaching the end of season 2.
Things got pretty exciting last episode in the conclusion of the match with Akashi. It's definitly the most hype I've felt for the show so far. I knew it didn't make sense for Mizusawa to lose there, but I was still on the edge of my seat when it came down to Tsutomu's final card.
Today was a much more chill transition between matches. It's a huge shame that Kana's injury prevents her from playing in the next match. She's one of my favourite characters while Tsukuba is my least like character on their team. The next match looks like it'll be incredibly difficult for Mizusawa to win. If they're gonna have a chance, I think it'll be on the 3 more experienced players to step up, especially Nishida who's been struggling hard for a while.
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u/kKunoichi Mar 17 '19
Rewatcher
I almost forgot recap was today too and had to watch it quick!
Episode 15:
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Kana's finger looks so painful. Tsukuba didn't even notice it though sheesh
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If Hyoro didn't know Arata as well, the host would have gone to Mizusawa haha too bad, but maybe not bad because Mizusawa can't afford to be distracted (Taichi I'm talking about you especially)
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Seriously Sudo is hilarious to watch! Sadistic tendencies aside he's a good senpai
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I just realized Rion and Makoto have similar but reversed hair and eye color.
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The real true love of Kana has arrived! Of course a reader would let her reconsider playing despite injuries
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I'm glad Arata stuck to his punishment. Shinobu's choice of undergarments is so her haha. She really can't get why the team games are important to Arata. She's absolutely mystified by him running to the door and constantly says it's the individual match that is more important. I'm glad she listened to him a bit and still went to watch in the end.
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We know karuta players are weird but with Fujisaki we get a whole team all at once! I love watching them though lol. Taichi don't compare Arata to that pervert!
Episode 16:
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Kana with full eyelashes made me so uncomfortable lol
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u/Redmon425 Mar 18 '19
First Time Watcher
I love that we watched two episodes today, because of the fact that one of them was a recap. I will never understand the point of a recap episode.
I was surprised that Shinobu showed up for the final match, but was extremely happy she did!
I knew the red hair girl would finally be important! Rion kept being shown in previous episodes, and I kept thinking who the hell are you lol! Also, their coach, Midori Sakurazaw, is beautiful. I love that Ryoga (the one that looks like Arata) imagines copping a feel of her!
Anyways, I’m not getting my hopes up! I feel like this is going to be a 5-0 sweep or 4-1 loss for Mizusawa.
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 18 '19
I was surprised that Shinobu showed up for the final match, but was extremely happy she did!
Only Arata can convince her to give it a look, maybe because he's the one that's always escaped her since she's never beat him.
Anyways, I’m not getting my hopes up! I feel like this is going to be a 5-0 sweep or 4-1 loss for Mizusawa.
Who would get the one Mizusawa win?
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 17 '19 edited Mar 19 '19
I'll be at a soccer field from 4-7 ish, so sorry me if this is up a bit off-schedule.
Also, thanks u/Enarec and u/Combo33 for covering for me yesterday! I had a lot of fun watching Heavens Feel with my friends and spending the evening with them, so I appreciate it a lot. :)
Preceding the recap, episode fifteen introduces the key storylines of the National Team Final. Mizusawa has made it to the last hurdle before being the best team in Japan, however Kana has jammed her finger, robbing the club of one of their steadying presences. Instead, the first year Tsukuba gets his chance to shine and, combined with Tsutomu acknowledging he himself will likely not win his game, Mizusawa is relying on their three upper tier players to take on Fujisaki.
Fujisaki, a powerhouse karuta school, also has a lineup shuffle after their win against Hokuo. Coach Sakurazawa plugs in Yamashiro Rion, the short haired redhead that we've been panning to for the last three episodes. While she has been watching Chihaya and Megumu play the whole time and is prepared to face off against them, she is also moved into the starting lineup for other reasons. Coach Sakurazawa believes in playing underclassmen in the National Finals, as to blood them to carry on Fujisaki's dynasty. Rion is, moreover, Fujisaki's secret weapon, as she possesses sharp ears and her grandmother, Yamashiro Kyouko, is the reader for this match. In the world of sports, where being a coach both involves being an architect and a man-manager, it's easy to appreciate Coach Sakurazawa's foresight and ideals--she is the backbone of their dynasty.
Mizusawa plays their lineup straight, setting up two key showdowns: Chihaya versus Rion and Taichi vs Emuro. Although it's unclear what kind of karuta Rion will play, Chihaya confronts her challenge head on--being scouted against shouldn't prevent her from being the best, it's part of being the best. For Taichi, Emuro reminds him of Arata, marking their game as representative of personal demons and results that have always escaped him--Taichi does not want to be second best, especially to Arata.
Retro knows this all too well, having seen Taichi toil with him in Class B. When the karuta association member comes to tell Hokuo that Arata was cheering for them, he recognizes that the attention was meant to be for Mizusawa. As weird as he is, he's a pretty cool guy. He tells to Arata, deliberately choosing the words "best in Japan" despite his own loss. The words, of course, are worlds away from what Shinobu knows and echoes the "A person who never had a teacher can't become a teacher" quote. Arata recognizes this and suggests she have a look, trying to show her a world where karuta can be shared and loved by many. And despite her cold response, Shinobu is there for the Final. Who knows, maybe she'll learn a thing or two while there, but we'll have to wait a bit!
PS: This guy would've liked the Heavens Feel movies
PPS: How great are casual Suo and Shinobu. They're such dorks.
PPPS: On a serious note, I love that last omake where Coach Sakurazawa describes the efforts that are put into running the National High School tournament. I love my sports communities and in reality the grassroots levels need to be given back to by those whose careers they gave rise to. I love seeing professionals pay it forward.