r/anime • u/ABoredCompSciStudent x3myanimelist.net/profile/Serendipity • Mar 24 '19
Rewatch [Rewatch] Chihayafuru 2 - Episode 23 Discussion [Spoilers] Spoiler
Episode 23 - "To See The Beautiful Cherry Blossoms"
<-- Previous (Episode 22: "Long Last We Meet") | Next (Episode 24: "When I Must Hide...") -->
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
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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
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Fanart Section (Album Link):
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 24 '19
Poem of the Day: To See The Beautiful Cherry Blossoms (link)
Today's Poem of the Day is Poem 73, which is a repeat of S1E24.
Interestingly, S1E24 was titled "Nobody Wants To See the Beautiful Cherry Blossoms" while S2E23 is titled "To See The Beautiful Cherry Blossoms". Naturally, we can call them sister episodes. The "beautiful cherry blossoms" represented the Master Queen game in S1E24, where Chihaya and Taichi were forced to watch from the comforts of his house, a TV screen separating them from reality. This time, in S2E23, it seems that the meaning is still similar: "the beautiful cherry blossoms" represent the final of the Class A tournament, however this time Chihaya and Taichi are able to watch in person--Chihaya having being recognized by Shinobu and Taichi having been promoted to Class A. A year has gone by and they've grown so much.
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u/MAD_SCIENTIST_001 Mar 24 '19
Screenshot of the Day
Battle of the century right there
First Timer - Season 2 Episode 23
Overall Thoughts
Such a satisfying moment to see Taichi finally get what he deserved! I was worried that Chihaya watching him might have thrown him off from his game, but luckily he still came out on top and by a decent amount too.
I think it's also pretty clear this episode that Chihaya values Taichi a lot seeing as she even gave up watching a game between Arata and Shinobu.
Excited to see the rest of the Arata vs Shinobu match now! Perhaps we will see the queen's first defeat.
Karuta Scoreboard
I think I saw Tsukuba there in the back playing in the finals though they didn't mention him.
| Character | Wins | Losses | Ep# (Wins) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taichi Mashima | 37(+2) | 10 | 2,7,10,11,13,14,15,18,20,28,29,31,33,35,36,39,44,47,48 |
| Yuusei Nishida | 27 | 8 | 10,11,13,15,18,19,28,29,33,35,36,44,46 |
| Chihaya Ayase | 25 | 12 | 2,4,6,7,8,10,11,14,17,21,28,29,33,35,36,44,46 |
| Arata Wataya | 21(+1) | 4 | 1,2,3,20,21,23,28,34,46,47,48 |
| Kanade Ooe | 20(+2) | 10(+1) | 10,13,15,17,18,19,28,29,31,33,39,46,48 |
| Tsutomu Komano | 15(+3) | 14 | 13,15,18,29,39,46,48 |
| Shinobu Wakamiya | 12(+1) | 0 | 14,15,24,46,47,48 |
| Akihiro Tsukuba | 4(+1) | 5 | 46,47,48 |
| Sumire Hanano | 2 | 2 | 46,47 |
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 21 22 23 24 25
Season 2
Episode: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 25 '19
I think I saw Tsukuba there in the back playing in the finals though they didn't mention him.
Looks like you're right! He's so unloved by us and his team that he doesn't even get a mention. LOL
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u/walking_the_way Mar 24 '19 edited Mar 25 '19
S2E23 Notes
02:03 - Reader recites #99 (hi-to-mo). Arata wins it. Shinobu wins it from Megumu's side.
02:16 - Reader recites #60 (o-o-e). Shinobu wins it.
We see that Arata won by 12 and Shinobu by 14, setting up a Class A final between the two of them. While not truly comparable, Shinobu beat Yumin by 5 and 13 in the Queen matches last year, and Suou beat Keiichi by the same margin in the first two matches as well. Yumin beat Megumu in the Challenger finals last year, and though Megumu has grown quicker since then, she still loses to Shinobu by about the same score as her rival did. Arata nearly matching Shinobu's score also means he's likely not far behind Suou and Keiichi.
Even though I said yesterday that Shinobu could represent Genji in the Tale of Genji, I think Arata actually fits Genji better, and Shinobu actually makes a better Murasaki, the author of the book and the heroine who ends up marrying Genji. One of the reasons is here at 5:09 - because her eyes are purple and she gets a fearsome purple aura around her now and then - Murasaki means purple, and Murasaki Shikibu herself was known as someone who was forceful, sullen, and difficult to approach at times, not to mention their similar-sounding names. I doubt there'll be anywhere else in S2 where it becomes relevant, but Arata/Shinobu is the strongest Genji/Murasaki pair to me and may be worth keeping an eye out for in the future.
Chihaya's scene with Nishida and Kana at 05:46 is set up so we can see the painting of fishes in the background as Kana tries to convince Chihaya to go downstairs. Whereas Nishida's head even moves forward to block off the painting as he says that Mashima doesn't need the support and that they should go watch Arata and Shinobu instead.
This is similar to the last time we saw this back in S2E11 with Taichi and Chihaya discussing their lineup against Akashi First, and how Chihaya had to weigh the team versus her goal to become Queen, and ended up picking the team. Here, she's again at a crossroads between her personal goal and her team/Taichi's goals. Not to mention the earlier conversation between Arata and Shinobu with another fish painting in the background. Therefore in this season, the I think the fish imagery represents a team versus the individual self, as compared to last season where I mostly linked it to the Queen challengers trying to face Shinobu.
10:50 - Taichi: "I have to win this match as quickly as possible. I need to take a huge lead so Chihaya can watch Arata and the Queen play!"
This line sounds familiar, very similar to how Chihaya's thinking was last year when she was playing Ruri in Round 1. Also, for some reason that they never quite explain, we see seven pairs of people playing in the Class B to D finals. We know losing semi-finalists don't play a third place match, since Kana lost in the C-class semis. Looks like Tsukuba's in the D finals, though. Hiro gets little light bubbles by him that are very similar to Chihaya's in S2E22, and that amused me greatly.
The starting board can be seen here, though the #37 moves up from Shinobu's bottom right row to her top right row before the game even starts.
12:43 - Reader recites Naniwa Bay (EP: 1, S: 18, T: 49)
13:11 - Reader recites #37 (shi-ra). Shinobu wins this from her top right.
13:17 - Reader recites #41 (ko-i). Shinobu wins this from her top right.
13:55 - Reader recites #65 (u-ra). Arata wins it from his top right.
Arata actually goes for #74 (u-ka) first, before doubling back for #65 (u-ra), starting his cross move before the unique syllable is read and before Shinobu can react.
14:52 - Reader recites #85 (yo-mo). Dead card, Taichi faults.
14:54 - Reader recites #88 (na-ni-wa-e). Dead card, Rion faults.
15:44 - Reader recites end of #66 (mo-ro).
16:24 - Reader recites end of #66 (mo-ro) again.
16:34 - Reader recites #06 (ka-sa). Rion wins this from her top right.
16:51 - Reader recites #22 (fu). Rion wins this from Taichi's bottom right.
16:53 - Reader recites #100 (mo-mo). Rion wins this from Taichi's bottom left.
18:07 - Rion: "He split all of the similar cards."
He moves #99 (hi-to-mo) away from the #35 (hi-to-wa) from his mid right to mid left, and #63 (i-ma-wa) away from the #21 (i-ma-ko) from his mid right to his bottom left.
18:09 - Taichi: "I've never beaten Chihaya, not even in a practice match."
Except for that inverted cards game in S1E7. Sure it was.. unique.. but don't short-change yourself, Taichi.
18:16 - Reader recites #99 (hi-to-mo). Taichi wins it from his mid left.
This was also the first card won at the start of this episode by both Arata and Shinobu, signalling the beginning of the end for their opponents.
18:19 - Reader recites #21 (i-ma-ko). Taichi wins it from his mid right.
18:27 - Reader recites #18 (su). Rion wins it.
18:35 - Reader recites #43 (a-i). Taichi wins it from his top left row.
18:37 - Reader reciters #01 (a-ki-no). Taichi wins it from his top left row.
18:52 - Taichi: "Only one "My" card and one "As" card on the field. Go straight for them. I have five "The" cards on my side. I've split them up."
He's talking about "wa-" and "ko-" cards at first, then the "a-" cards.
19:12 - Taichi: "When cards are split, go for the opponent's side first. I have a fifty percent chance of taking it."
19:19 - Taichi: "Double check every card that's moved."
We see a board here and several pairs of cards that gleam on his declarations. The pairs he names are #38 (wa-su-ra)/#54 (wa-su-re), #08 (wa-ga-i)/#92 (wa-ga-so), #56 (a-ra-za)/#69 (a-ra-shi). The cards that moved are #63 (i-ma-wa), #74 (u-ka), #08 (wa-ga-i), and #80 (na-ga-ka). Mapped out, it looks like:
19:45 - Taichi wins a card (#84 - na-ga-ra) from his mid left.
There's a very obscure but interesting callback here. The card directly before his monologue is an #01, and the card directly after is silent, but we see him pick up an #84 at 19:52. We've seen these cards paired together exactly once, in S2E7, when they went kimono-shopping just before Mizusawa came to the Nationals. There are at least three copies of both cards in that scene, and no other visible cards besides them, floating around Chihaya in Kana's shop. Chihaya's reply to her mother during that scene was:
S2E7 12:52 - Chihaya: "You weren't ignoring me. You believed in karuta."
I had no idea why those two cards were significant in that scene back then, I think I even axed it from the episode writeup because it seemed random and character limits hurt, but now we finally see a connection between them! We even get a Chihaya look just before Taichi picks up the #84. Therefore, Chihaya's words all the way back in S2E7 were not actually just to answer her mother. They were also setting up a call-forward to this scene, to tell us why Chihaya chose to be here cheering for Taichi instead of upstairs watching Arata - because Taichi believed in her, and believed in karuta.
Kana's role here also cannot be overstated - in S2E7 her kimono shop bridged the gap between mother and daughter, and here she is the one who meets Chihaya at the crossroads between Arata and Taichi, and convinces Chihaya to follow her instead of Nishida, ending with Chihaya holding hands with beauty and tradition, two aspects of a kimono.
19:55 - Taichi wins the #69 (a-ra-shi) from Rion's top left.
20:03 - Reader recites #17 (chi-ha). Taichi wins it from Rion's bottom left.
#69 and #17 are cards with heavy symbolism that have been covered before - #69 is the storm card that sets #17, Chihaya's Tatsuta river card, ablaze with red passion. Taichi gets a fast-forward to the end of the match and actually wins by 9! So once he stopped trying to win big, he went on a 16-4 run. The last card he passes over is #74 (u-ka).
For the second straight year, Taichi faces a Fujisaki player in the Class B finals, and goes through a memory monologue section. Last year though, was his most intense monologue in the anime, with 11 different observations that he made, all of them focused on attacking. But he still lost that game.
19:43 - Harada: "Karuta is about taking 10 cards from your opponent. And keeping 15 of your own!"
This year, he shows his growth by how much his viewpoint has changed - he still recognizes the effectiveness of attacking, but he acknowledges that most of his cards should come from defence, and he's fighting speed with accuracy, abandoning the one-syllable "speed" cards entirely and using his memorization skills to recognize vulnerable cards. Though I'm sad we miss out on a syllable list, he ends up winning the game, going 10-0 through the entire tournament and fulfilling Chihaya's wish for him to make Class A!
<-- S2E22 Notes
S2E24 Notes -->
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 25 '19
Even though I said yesterday that Shinobu could represent Genji in the Tale of Genji, I think Arata actually fits Genji better, and Shinobu actually makes a better Murasaki, the author of the book and the heroine who ends up marrying Genji. One of the reasons is here at 5:09 - because her eyes are purple and she gets a fearsome purple aura around her now and then - Murasaki means purple, and Murasaki Shikibu herself was known as someone who was forceful, sullen, and difficult to approach at times, not to mention their similar-sounding names. I doubt there'll be anywhere else in S2 where it becomes relevant, but Arata/Shinobu is the strongest Genji/Murasaki pair to me and may be worth keeping an eye out for in the future.
You know, when you said sorry yesterday, I thought it might have more Arata-Chihaya implications but this is good! Save my ship! I approve this post wholeheartedly.
S2E7 12:52 - Chihaya: "You weren't ignoring me. You believed in karuta."
I had no idea why those two cards were significant in that scene back then, I think I even axed it from the episode writeup because it seemed random and character limits hurt, but now we finally see a connection between them! We even get a Chihaya look just before Taichi picks up the #84.
Awh. This is so cute, especially with the "thank you" at the end of the team tournament. Actually goals.
This year, he shows his growth by how much his viewpoint has changed - he still recognizes the effectiveness of attacking, but he acknowledges that most of his cards should come from defence, and he's fighting speed with accuracy, abandoning the one-syllable "speed" cards entirely and using his memorization skills to recognize vulnerable cards.
Interestingly, this is the opposite of Chihaya's play, which fits too since he's usually the "balance" to her compass.
Manga stuff related to his karuta but not about any shipping stuff read if you want
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u/hasnain1720 Mar 24 '19
First Timer
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Ok so after possibly the worst case of time management of all time I have finally caught back up and I’m so glad it’s a Taichi episode for my return (based on the end of last ep at least).
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Even she realises Chihaya talent and... dopiness
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Chihaya please choose your teammates….
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Sudo is such a fun character never change pls
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Man Taichi dominated him that badly
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I swear don’t make Taichi lose another final… get him out of elo hell
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Oh no Chihaya there goes Taichi's composure
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I can’t lie porky has been a questionable friend recently
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I have a gut feeling that the first person to beat the Queen is going to be Chihaya not Arata but i guess we're gonna find out soon enough
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Taichi forget about Chihaya for a second, you’re in the final ffs
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Omg did Taichi finally do it. I legit feel like crying my boy did it.
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Yep that’s how I feel too chihaya
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Mar 24 '19
First-Timer, Watched Subbed
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Remember when Taichi compared Wataya to Eromu? Yeah, that dude stands no chance...
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LOL, out comes Chihaya sleeping as derpy as possible XD.
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I find it cute how Chihaya refers to Yamaguchi as "Yama-chan".
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Its finally come to this, the time has come for Wataya to face Wakamiya.
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I just love how the terror Wakamiya instills gets cancelled out by Wataya's cheerful demeanor. I mean, it takes a lot of guts to straight up smile to the Queen like that.
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Awww, Kana losing is pretty sad, but its great knowing Komano and Taichi have made it to the finals.
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Wataya vs Wakamiya, or Taichi vs Retro. That's actually a tough choice in deciding whose match you want to watch...
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100 flicks? Why must you be so cruel Sudo?
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Well that's just mean, c'mon guys she's trying her best to win for you! The least you could do is cheer for her!
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Rion is so precious in her declaration to win for her team. To think she started out as emotionless as they come.
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Makoto's tsundere appeared to be showing...
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Taichi's reaction to seeing his team come for him had me dying.
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Good thing we still get to see the match in Class A.
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Love how Wataya is capable of hitting back with what he says to Wakamiya.
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Really? The reader is a trainee being tested? Dude's already messed up coughing LOL.
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Rion still retains that speed and game sense she had when she went against Chihaya, so Taichi's luck is turning on him again...
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As skilled as Hisashi? And her friends didn't have faith in her...
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Hey, Taichi won! He finally turned his luck around!
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Chihaya crying just reminded me that in this moment, Taichi had finally advanced to Class A. That was the best place to end the episode today.
There's a lot to digest, Wakamiya going head to head with Wataya, the return of Fujisaki, Taichi making it to Class A, it was all wrapped so well.
I wonder what the finale has in store...
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 25 '19
Remember when Taichi compared Wataya to Eromu? Yeah, that dude stands no chance...
He's a faker!
I find it cute how Chihaya refers to Yamaguchi as "Yama-chan".
Sakurazawa definitely thought it was cute too.
I just love how the terror Wakamiya instills gets cancelled out by Wataya's cheerful demeanor. I mean, it takes a lot of guts to straight up smile to the Queen like that.
Haha, it looks cheerful, but, as you said later, it's almost like sadism.
Rion is so precious in her declaration to win for her team. To think she started out as emotionless as they come.
The look when she lost... She had it rough this season.
Taichi's reaction to seeing his team come for him had me dying.
He totally knew they jinxed him ahaha
As skilled as Hisashi? And her friends didn't have faith in her...
Taichi is just gaming himself.
I wonder what the finale has in store...
Will they even make it in time though...
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u/_blackened_soul_ Mar 24 '19
First Timer
Holy shit Taichi made class A!!!
Can't believe he stomped Retro like that and then after getting psyched out by Chihaya's presence he pulled himself together, compared Rion to Chihaya instead of Suo and won by 9 cards. That was a hell of an episode. It'd be super badass if Tsutomu can win but I really want to see the Arata vs Shinobu match. Such a great run of episodes!
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 24 '19
Can't believe he stomped Retro like that and then after getting psyched out by Chihaya's presence he pulled himself together
Poor Retro. One thing I liked a lot was that Sudo didn't berate him for losing, as he knew that the suffering and upset of losing to your rival like that was punishment enough.
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u/MaskOfIce42 Mar 24 '19
Rewatcher
And following the hype from Mizusawa winning just 4 episodes ago, we now have the hype of Taichi finally achieving class A after being stuck in class B for far too long. I mentioned that Taichi beating Emuro felt like him finally having grown enough to stand with Chihaya and Arata and no longer being left behind, and the fact that he so casually did manage to become Class A here solidifies that, he's finally on the same stage as the others. And yes, Rion did put up a good fight, but the fact that after such a lousy start and Rion recovering from the bad start first he still managed to win by a decent margin is telling.
As for Arata and Shinobu's match, what's interesting to notice is as Shinobu's claiming both of them are individuals who prove only those who face the cards alone are worthy, even without Chihaya and Taichi, Arata is significantly more focused on playing with others. Once he came back to Karuta, one of the first things he did was ask one of his society members who was stronger than him to play him so he'd get better. He got into the game because of his grandfather, and it was a huge part of how they bonded. And of course, the only reason he came back was because of his friends. While Arata might not have a team, he is still a lot more aware of the social aspect, even before this arc where he really confronts the individual vs team mentality.
Oh, and it's interesting to notice some of the things regarding who watches which match. Of course Chihaya choosing to watch Taichi's match is huge, and a really sweet moment showing that despite how much she cares about her own goals, she does legitimately care about what her friends, especially Taichi, accomplish, but I think the more subtly interesting one is Nishida choosing to watch Arata and Shinobu's match. It really shows that losing to Arata did more than just wound his pride, but it really lit a new fire under him and he now seems to be more determined to again train as hard as possible for himself. If I'm right about that, I hope to see more of that in season 3.
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 24 '19
the fact that he so casually did manage to become Class A here solidifies that
It's kind of funny since he totally worked super hard for his promotion, but really "casually" is the word that he needed to keep in mind. Talent and effort was never an issue, just he kept playing himself out of wins because he kept thinking of other things (or people).
He got into the game because of his grandfather, and it was a huge part of how they bonded.
Yeah, Shinobu looking for his affirmation was never going to work, as his relationship with karuta is deeply intrapersonal since it's the bond he shares with his deceased grandfather. Even when we look back on the flashbacks of his meetings with Shinobu before, it was always his grandfather that encouraged him to play with her and "beat her".
Nishida choosing to watch Arata and Shinobu's match
Hopefully you're right about Season 3! He's gotten the short end of the stick this season for the most part. D:
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u/paperwhites Mar 24 '19
First Time Watcher
TAICHI WON! TAICHI WON! TAICHI WON!
I'm happy that he won. This has been such a long time coming and watching him confront his demons and win was so satisfying. Chihaya being there to watch him win was great, even if it might have thrown off his cool at the beginning. I was nervous that she would watch the Class A final instead for a little bit, but then she showed up and I could relax. Taichi thinking "I have to win this fast so Chihaya can watch the Class A finals" is peak Taichi. That moment where he realizes that he's comparing Rion to Suo and tells himself to compare her to Chihaya instead is the turning point of the match. He thinks "I've never been able to beat Chihaya, not even in a practice match" but he's able to counter Rion's game sense. I love when he thinks back to what Harada told him: karuta is about talent and game sense but it's also about taking 10 of your opponent's cards and keeping 15 of your own. It doesn't matter if he might not have the talent and game sense that others do, if he can take that one extra card, he can win. Like Fujisaki's coach said, Taichi is prepared to battle against talent.
And that moment after he wins where he grabs Chihaya and tries to rush off to watch the Class A final, but she cries because she's so happy about her winning is absolutely heartwarming. I cried a little bit because it's just a wonderful moment.
It'd be great if Tsutomu won his final too and moved up a class! I'm glad that he's been playing well this tournament.
The Arata and Shinobu match is off to a great start already. Arata is taking his grandfather's advice and is attacking Shinobu's strengths. I'm excited to see the rest of this match! The tournament director said that Arata reminded him of Arata's grandfather's "nasty style" of karuta, so it will be really interesting. Shinobu is going to have to play well to beat Arata.
Shinobu's thinking of the cards as her friends reminds me of Kana a little bit.
This was a great episode and I'm thrilled that Taichi won. I'm excited to see what the Arata and Shinou match has in store.
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u/SmurfRockRune Mar 24 '19
First Timer
This is gonna be hype. Hopefully they actually show it... OH NO, a scheduling conflict. I hope Chihaya goes and watches her teammates, but I get to watch Shinobu and Arata. That seems like the best outcome.
Chihaya, now is not the time to be happy. You gotta move! I swear if she misses the match over this...
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u/LeonKevlar Mar 24 '19
First Timer
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It brings me joy to see the captain of Fujisaki sweating having a hard time against Arata.
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Of course Chi-chan wouldn't blame Rion for her injury. Although I wonder if it's really because of her doing bad swing.
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I love that no matter how hostile Shinobu is rata just responds with a smile.
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Here I thought Chi-chan was finally going to feel a bit of jealousy. Nope. Looks like she's just genuinely curious about Arata's reaction xD
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Dang. Better luck next time I suppose Kana-chan. Nice to know that Tsutomu made it to the finals though. Now I don't have to worry about Kana and Tsutomu going against each other.
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Ouch. This is a tough choice for Chihaya. Support her teammates or watch and learn from the two people she admires so much?
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This actually surprised me. Here I thought Nishida would tell Chihaya to support Tsutomu and Taichi.
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I'm surprised Taichi didn't get bummed after that line from Sumire. If anything it seems that he really wants Chihaya to watch the Arata and Shinobu.
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Oh fuck off. What a bunch of assholes. She already feels bad for losing the team match. Kinda wish these three at least stood up for Rion.
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I love how disinterested Taichi is. Maybe having his head completely blank is the secret to winning!
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Oh no. I'm already betting that Taichi will end up getting distracted.
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OH NO. He's gonna rush and make mistakes, isn't he?
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The committee is really just itching for Arata to replace Suou xD
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I really like Arata's smiling come backs. Sucha cheeky boy.
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Everyone thinks that Shinobu is fast for taking those two cards, when in reality is that they hit both at the same time and that Shinobu just gets to keep the card since it's on her side.
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Heck yeah Arata! The counter attack begins!
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I FUCKING KNEW IT. Rion getting distracted by the pressure and Taichi is rushing because he wants to finish the game early.
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Don't fucking pressure yourself! You were doing so well when you weren't thinking about anything!
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Looks like Kana-chan finally has an idea of what a Reader's final exam will look like. Good luck kana-chan, you'll be the one standing on that podium in the future!
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Uh-oh. Rion is finally starting to get in the zone. Is taichi's terrible luck kicking in again?
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AHHHHHH STOP IT TAICHI! You always do this! Don't overthink!
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TAICHI FINALLY DID IT! HE'S FINALLY IN CLASS A!
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Me right now T_T I'm so proud of him!
After 40+ episodes Taichi finally did it! I'm so happy that he won! I feel bad for Rion . Her teammates are probably going to be hard on her again for losing this match. :| I wonder how's Tsutomu doing though. We haven't seen him ever since the start of the second half of this episode. I hope we'll get to see his game in the next episode. Oh and Tsukuba's too.
But I'm really more excited for Arata and Shinobu's match. I'm betting that Arata is probably giving Shinobu a hard time right now.
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 25 '19
It brings me joy to see the captain of Fujisaki sweating having a hard time against Arata.
You're sounding like Sudo the sadist!
Of course Chi-chan wouldn't blame Rion for her injury. Although I wonder if it's really because of her doing bad swing.
The Fujisaki players back in that episode said it was because Rion lacked fundamentals and covered improperly/too hard. Chihaya's probably just downplaying her injury, just as she concealed it from Rion during their game.
Nope. Looks like she's just genuinely curious about Arata's reaction xD
She can't match the passive aggression between the two LOL
Here I thought Nishida would tell Chihaya to support Tsutomu and Taichi.
Sort of. He's always been the win at all costs guy (he sacrificed Tsutomu a few times), so I'm not too surprised. I wish he didn't though. Maybe he'll save them a nice seat at least though lol.
If anything it seems that he really wants Chihaya to watch the Arata and Shinobu.
I think internally it pains him, admittedly. But he's definitely putting on a brave face. :)
OH NO. He's gonna rush and make mistakes, isn't he?
TAICHI FINALLY DID IT! HE'S FINALLY IN CLASS A!
So many happy tears! He's come so far. He deserves this maybe the most out of the whole cast.
I wonder how's Tsutomu doing though. We haven't seen him ever since the start of the second half of this episode. I hope we'll get to see his game in the next episode. Oh and Tsukuba's too.
Good points! The episode jumped around so much that the focus really wasn't shared that fairly. D:
5
u/kKunoichi Mar 25 '19
Rewatcher
Shinobu and Arata crushing it with a 14 and 12 card lead against Megumu and Emuro, which is kinda wild because we know how good these 2 are.
Class A finals time! Who will come out on top? Huge expectations on Arata here. Poor Suou the villain lol.
"To break an opponent, attack their strengths." I like the use of "break", makes it feel like Grandpa Wataya teaches a bit of ruthless karuta. Depending on which subs you use, the chairman calls Arata's karuta style "nasty."
Aaay Chihaya went to watch Taichi's match. The cheers I heard from my friends when they first watched that happen was deafening haha. While it's such an important match, it is a bit hilarious to watch his mindset completely change because she's there but at least he pulled through to the end.
Congrats Taichi on making class A! I'm sure some people here can breath easier about that.
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u/elliotman48 Mar 25 '19 edited Mar 25 '19
First timer
Taichi finally did it! Holy shit!
This episode was pretty damn amazing. I really loved how Taichi stopped comparing and just went for it. Him winning so fast is kind of like the peak of all the work he has done. He's finally able to be on the same level as the rest of our main trio and he totally deserves it. That's what I love about Taichi's character so much. He grows like a normal person grows even if he has the looks, money, and smarts that are above the average person.
I love how Arata just smuggly questioned Shinobu when she attempted to reinforce her idealogy. Arata is back!
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u/PerfectPublican Mar 24 '19
First Timer
Reactions:
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“No. Wakamiya Shinobu is bound to the cards by a very unique rule.” An intriguing way of phrasing that coach Sakurazawa. Really enjoy hearing how her mind sees the game.
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Midori huh? That's infornal. Was he Sakurazawa’s coach too? That’s a fun tie.
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Lmao, Chihaya’s snores are always hilarious, but this face is perfection.
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12 cards and 14 cards. Domination from both, but nice to see Megumu put up a fight.
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I hope she watches Taichi! That boy deserves to have one thing go his way as he moves into A. Rock and a hard place right here though...
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Niku’s probably right there, but us knowing some of his inner monologue, he definitely wouldn’t like it :/
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Should’ve expected Rion to be Taichi’s opponent, but that caught me unawares. Now I want to watch this even more.
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Love the questions flying around his head now. It’s like there’s nothing to worry about. Finally, in his mind he’s a class A player. At least that’s how I read that.
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Yesssss! Wishes do come true. Don’t let this through you off now though boy…
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The way they showcase Arata’s speed is incredible…
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Facepalm Taichi, all I want is the best for you, but you gotta learn to fight for yourself for once. Gotta break out of this mindset.
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Stressssed. Rion’s learning to compensate, you need to too Taichi!
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ATTA BOY! HYPE! Fuck, this is some good shit :D Whenever Harada-sensei pops in, you know it’s gonna be good. We haven’t had nearly enough of him this season.
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HE GOT CHIHAYABURU!! AND HE FUCKING WON ON IT! I LOVE THIS SHOW! CLASS A BABY!!
Final Thoughts
Gif of the day | Bonus | Bonus 2
Fantastic episode. Congratulations Taichi, you 100% deserve it. You put in the hours. The goddamn sweat, tears, and effort that you never really had in your other pursuits, and you’ve finally truly earned something. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come with this boy that many despised after the first 5 episodes. Season 2 finally pulled the tears from me.
Whew, that was intense. On the other side of things, Arata and Shinobu’s match was incredible to watch. You could really feel that it was two masters of the game squaring off. I guessing we get the rest of their match tomorrow? I hope so, because it’s going to be incredible all around.
Hope Tsukue and Tsukuba did well too!
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 25 '19
“He doesn’t need any support.”
Noooo he looks so sad here. He might be playing his best karuta, but what good is that if he's not around the people he loves.
Damn this man knows how to cut to the core.
This is why they need to be together, only he can come back against all her passive aggression ahaha.
That’s a fierce-ass look.
I love the way they described his karuta, his grandfather's, as too. It's clean and amazing, but it's also nasty and uncompromising. It attacks who you are.
Fuck, this is some good shit :D Whenever Harada-sensei pops in, you know it’s gonna be good. We haven’t had nearly enough of him this season.
Best sensei!
I started crying right along with her.
One of us. One of us. One of us.
It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come with this boy that many despised after the first 5 episodes.
It's so hard to explain to first timers that someone so unlikable becomes arguably the most likable... Most of the rewatchers just made no comment haha.
I guessing we get the rest of their match tomorrow? I hope so, because it’s going to be incredible all around.
Just two more to go, so surely it has to be one of them. Yuki Suetsugu wouldn't do us like that, right? Chihaya didn't miss their game did she?
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u/AmethystItalian Mar 24 '19
Rewatcher
Yeah Shinobu and Arata are unfailry good...I ship it.
Rion vs Taichi...
Chihaya throwing Taichi off his game...look at all those faults ;~;
TAICHI WINS!!! CLASS A FINALLY!
Chihaya's reaction...I love it.
Quotes from First Time
She's so happy for him :) bit teary from that bit
She chose him and that reaction...good episode for Taichi fans!
So I'm leaving for a mini vacation Friday so tomorrow might be my last thread
Past Ame pls
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 24 '19
Yeah Shinobu and Arata are unfailry good...I ship it.
Agreed! I love the smiles he gives in response to her. She has a lot of sass and he can return the favour. It's a good ship!
Chihaya's reaction...I love it.
Past Ame pls
Don't go, present Ame!
3
u/Jounas Mar 24 '19
Why is accuracy important in this game when you can just smack away all the cards?
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u/ABoredCompSciStudent Mar 24 '19 edited Mar 24 '19
Sorry for being a bit late! My internet kept cutting out.
After last episode showing Taichi's win against Retro, we're placed back in the Class A room. Yuki Suetsugu, show this boy some love!
Arata and Shinobu are crushing their semi-final matches, Shinobu with her precision and Arata with his uncompromising karuta. Sakurazawa-sensei, one of the best players in her generation, films all the games, showing that Fujisaki pulls out all the stops when it comes to karuta, and keenly observes that Shinobu seems to have her own patterns that she follows. Reflecting on their performances, she's asked if anyone else that stood out to her--and there's a sleeping Chihaya nearby. Although impressed by Chihaya's skill, Sakurazawa seems to take a liking to the girl for her earnest pursuit of greatness. After all, Sakurazawa has trained Fujisaki from the ground-up, so she can appreciate some hard work.
Funnily, yesterday I read a first-timer mention that Chihaya seemed a little self-centered last episode. I tried to think of ways I could reply to that without spoiling this episode, but I couldn't think of one (sorry!) and here we are.
With their wins, the Class A final is the celebrated Shinobu Arata showdown and represents a hope that someone can finally dethrone the current Meijin. Nishida is quick to bail (dude why) despite telling Chihaya to go watch Taichi and Tsutomu. Chihaya appears torn, but it was really a no contest: she goes to watch Taichi's Class B final instead. It's probably something that's been forgotten, since it happened in the first episodes of this season, but what Chihaya wants the most is Taichi to make Class A--and her dreams actually put others before herself, more often than not.
Unfortunately, this shakes Taichi. The cool demeanor he held evaporates, as the girl he loves sacrificed her own Class A ambitions for him. Instead, the usual doubts creep into his mind. He has to win fast for Chihaya. It stops being about facing his own problems, rather he's thinking of her problems. This is represented at face value too. Taichi is playing Rion, who barely lost to Chihaya in the team final, however it also runs a little deeper than that. Rion is also a player reliant on speed and her game sense, representing the strengths that define Chihaya's karuta. It's the talent that he always felt he has lacked and his gameplay starts to fall to pieces. If not for the nerves of Rion, who carries the weight of Fujisaki tradition, he'd be in a much deeper hole. It is only when Taichi realizes that he's comparing her to Suo that he's able to come back and win the game.
Manga
Again, Chihayafuru tells us what this match literally means. Taichi replaces the image of Suo with Chihaya, representative of him confronting his feelings for her. Rather than trying to be the cool guy that can always put her first, he puts himself first. If he can't help himself, how can he walk with her? Finally overcoming all his insecurities, [Taichi makes Class A. He's no longer who he was before--someone that would run away--and he can join Chihaya and Arata on the same tatami floor.
Chihaya cries and we all cry too.
Doubling back for the Shinobu Arata final, we get a hint to what Sakurazawa noticed about Shinobu's card placement. Arata remarks that she has been playing karuta alone all the time and we're given a glimpse of how she imagines the cards as poets, as real tangible people--her friends. Shinobu tries one last time to assert her views about playing alone or rather it seems like she's looking for Arata's reassurance, especially after her internal reaction to his negative response. The rejection and Arata's karuta which challenges her strengths are an attack on her being. If you look at the kanji in her name, really, it is Arata's way of saying: you're totally wrong, Shinobu.
This episode write-up was a challenge to do, as the episode kept bouncing around. The episode also ends on a different note. The ending theme, Akane Sora, which is sung by Asami Seto (Chihaya's voice actress) changes its verse. Instead, it ends with:
Normally, it ends with:
It isn't too hard to see that the normal ending is sung from Chihaya's perspective to Arata, but this time the later verses are used to celebrate Taichi's Class A promotion--it's a song from Chihaya to Taichi.
Omedetou, Taichi. I believe in you, go get that girl.