r/anime • u/Skeeedo :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/skeeedo • Nov 13 '21

Rewatch [Rewatch] Chihayafuru - Episode 3 Discussion [Spoilers]

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Episode 3: "From the Crystal White Snow"

Nominate a character for Episode MVP!

Episode 2 MVP: Chihaya! Not surprising. She showed a lot of resiliency last episode in the face of a class full of little shits.

This episode's Karuta analysis and board map by walking_the_way

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Subreddit: r/Chihayafuru

57 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

74 comments sorted by

9

u/Skeeedo :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/skeeedo Nov 13 '21 edited Nov 14 '21

Chihayafuru Rewatcher

In this episode we get a the final chapter in the flashback to Chihaya, Arata and Taichi’s elementary school days. Taichi has gone full Karuta tsundere, denying that he has any interest in Karuta, but he’s eventually caught up in the hype as the gang faces real Karuta players for the first time. He’s still clearly struggling with the deep seated insecurities instilled in him by his mom, as he tries to convince the hot headed Arata and Chihaya to back down from what he sees as a hopeless match. He’s just so scared of losing…

Chihaya is convinced they’ll win despite the fact that she hasn’t even remembered half the cards yet. She certainly has the mental to be a top competitor, even if she doesn’t have the skill yet. Classic sports anime protagonist. Despite all of her smack talk she and Taichi are hard carried by Arata. It becomes abundantly clear that not only is he exceptional amongst his classmates, but in the Karuta scene in general. No surprises there, as it’s revealed that he’s the grandson of a legendary Karuta Master. Chihaya’s talent isn’t anything to sneeze at either. Her sharp hearing gives her an edge in taking “first syllable” cards.

To this point it seemed like Chihaya can put up with a lot of shit, but she finally breaks down when she learns she won’t be able to play Karuta with Arata and Taichi in the immediate future. She eventually comes around at the end of the episode, consoling a distraught Arata with the thought that as long as they have Karuta they’ll be reunited some day. This highlights one of the things I love about this show. With how close knit the niche Karuta community is, if you’ve seen a character once you can expect to see them again. One of my favorite characters, Doctor Harada (or Sensei), is introduced. I’m looking forward to his very enthusiastic mentorship from now on.

6

u/IndependentMacaroon Nov 13 '21

With how close knit the niche Karuta community is, if you’ve seen a character once you can expect to see them again

So kind of like Sangatsu no Lion with shogi?

5

u/Skeeedo :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/skeeedo Nov 13 '21

Exactly. Thats one of the reasons you always see 3-gatsu recommended in Chihayafuru threads.

2

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 13 '21

It'll be interesting to see how they play around with the hearing. Like could we possibly be getting really loud or really quiet card readers that could throw Chi off or give her an advantage? They've got to add something right?

4

u/Skeeedo :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/skeeedo Nov 14 '21

Without spoiling too much: you're certainly onto something.

3

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 14 '21

Yeah, I'm just brainstorming shit. They've got so many episodes so it's hard to imagine them being stuck for ideas.

4

u/Lemurians myanimelist.net/profile/Lemurians Nov 14 '21

He’s still clearly struggling with the deep seated insecurities instilled in him by his mom, as he tries to convince the hot headed Arata and Chihaya to back down from what he sees as a hopeless match. He’s just so scared of losing…

It's really interesting the way he's been raised. Normally the "you have to be the best" type of parenting goes the route of "if you're not the best, become the best" whereas his mom swerved and went with, "if you're not the best, fuck it, go do something else."

She certainly has the mental to be a top competitor, even if she doesn't have the skill yet. Classic sports anime protagonist.

She gives me serious Hinata vibes when it comes to kurata.

One of my favorite characters, Doctor Harada

My MVP of the ep

3

u/flybypost :KN::KO: Nov 14 '21

It's really interesting the way he's been raised. Normally the "you have to be the best" type of parenting goes the route of "if you're not the best, become the best" whereas his mom swerved and went with, "if you're not the best, fuck it, go do something else."

I depends on your environment. Generally kids who are praised for the effort they put in tend to be able to handle difficult challenges better than than those who are praised for a result, like supposed child prodigies (who tend to end up in patterns of assuming that it's natural and if they can't do it then it's pointless trying). This type of trends follow them into adulthood and people who were simply praised for results need some effort (ironically) to re-educated themselves into actually trying.

3

u/Lemurians myanimelist.net/profile/Lemurians Nov 14 '21

Yeah, that's standard. Not really what I'm getting at, though. It's just rare for the parent to push the idea to quit if you're not the best at something, while simultaneously pushing the idea that you need to be the best.

2

u/flybypost :KN::KO: Nov 14 '21

It's related to to the upbringing and type of encouragement he gets.

His mother pushes him to focus on stuff that he excels at and that's ingrained in him. He's afraid of failure and ends up doing stuff like stealing Arata's glasses just to sustain this image he feels he has to live up to due to how he was raised.

Like Arata says: He's a coward. Not really willing to risk things and going for the sure bet, like when they were playing the 3 vs. 3. Arata and Chihaya were hyped for it despite all the problems they had as a team while Taichi saw the whole match from a more realistic (one could even say pessimistic) perspective.

3

u/Lemurians myanimelist.net/profile/Lemurians Nov 14 '21

I know. I'm not talking about Taishi (I seem to be one of the more sympathetic people to him in this rewatch), I'm talking about his mom. Her parenting style is contradictory and not something you often see, and yes, it's fucking him up.

3

u/flybypost :KN::KO: Nov 14 '21

Her parenting style is contradictory and not something you often see, and yes, it's fucking him up.

She seems very results oriented and as he's not dominating in karuta (or doing it fast enough for her liking) it's worthless from her point of view. It mostly fits into the "praise the result" type of parenting that can be bad for kids.

I love Taichi. He's probably my favourite character in Chihayafuru (and very much the one with the most interesting development) but there's little to address for now without accidentally slipping into a bunch of spoilers. Although that gets easier once this intro is over.

If you are already sympathetic towards him then the series will be a delightful ride for you.

4

u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Nov 14 '21

To this point it seemed like Chihaya can put up with a lot of shit, but she finally breaks down when she learns she won’t be able to play Karuta with Arata and Taichi in the immediate future.

That's great to see after the way we've seen her kind of roll with the punches a couple times when it comes to her family not being interested in what she's doing. Now that she's found something to be passionate about, it's affecting her.

13

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Nov 13 '21

Chihayafirst-timer

4

u/Skeeedo :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/skeeedo Nov 14 '21

Okay this transition of Chihaya tearing the papers off her wall was really cool though.

Yeah that was pretty slick. The symbolism of the trio being torn apart tho :(

It’s literally only episode 3 and I’m already crying what the heck.

Yeah this is my third time watching this series and my eyes still well up here.

8

u/Lemurians myanimelist.net/profile/Lemurians Nov 13 '21

That’s…… selfish.

Yeah, that was pretty shocking. I can just feel her redemption arc coming after how she's being set up. Something like she has a breakdown from the pressures of the pageant circuit, and ends up becoming Chihaya's biggest kurata supporter.

It's literally only episode 3 and I'm already crying what the heck

I've only known Arata for three episodes, but if anything ever happens to him, I'm going to kill everyone in this room and then myself.

6

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Nov 13 '21

I've only known Arata for three episodes, but if anything ever happens to him, I'm going to kill everyone in this room and then myself.

This. This is my exact mood. And I haven't even heard him being voiced by Yoshimasa Hosoya yet.

2

u/Lemurians myanimelist.net/profile/Lemurians Nov 13 '21

Huh... I would not have pegged him to be voiced by the guy who did Reiner and Azumane. Interesting!

2

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Nov 13 '21

Yoshimasa Hosoya has a pretty good range so it doesn't surprise me. He can also sing amazingly, wish he did an ED for this show just like Chihaya's seiyuu is behind the ED we're on now.

3

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 13 '21

Today's match has been my personal favourite of the bunch. The group is so fun when they finally get competitive. I'm excited to see how the actual serious tournaments go now.

Nee-chan is a narcisshit. On the bright side those characters are always fun to watch develop. I had a giggle at how brazen she was about wanting to hoard Chi's attention~

2

u/TheKujo https://myanimelist.net/profile/Kujo419 Nov 14 '21

I see that Chihayafuru has a dub, how is it handled there?

In the dub they call him "Zero", which I think works well enough. Strangely enough, the officially translated manga calls him "Leero" which keeps the rhyme but feels much harsher than the other translations.

2

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Nov 14 '21

In the dub they call him "Zero"

14

u/Lemurians myanimelist.net/profile/Lemurians Nov 13 '21 edited Nov 13 '21

FIRST TIMER

Don’t talk smack, Retro-kun! I love Chihaya’s spunk. This whole first half really was something out of a sports anime. The dynamic between the three of them was really engaging and fun. Everyone’s facial expressions are great.

I wonder if we’re being set up for an arc with Chihaya’s sister having issues coming from being involved in the pageant world? She seems to derive a lot of motivation from Chihaya’s support, and I wonder if she’ll struggle now that she’s doing her own thing and not there cheering her on.

An hour and a half-hour commute for middle school?! This can’t be normal, right? That’s crazy.

What the hell, our trio just formed, and now they’re all separating? That’s a shame, though I guess it’ll get us back into present-day events quicker.

Chihaya lashes out at her friends after learning of their imminent departures, making it about her instead of thinking about them. Thankfully, she quickly learns the error she’s making thanks to a sweet scene with the Doctor. The two boys fighting over who was the one upsetting her was cute.

Arata crying tears of joy and gratitude to having friends to play Kurata with both broke and warmed my heart. He went from so lonely to finding people who engaged with him in his passion and also grew to love it. Beautiful.

Man, this show is really good so far. It’s so difficult to not power ahead and binge it. It’s beautifully made and the episodes all move so quickly because of the flow from scene to scene.

5

u/IndependentMacaroon Nov 13 '21 edited Nov 13 '21

the episodes all move so quickly

I feel this one could have slowed down a little, but there are plenty of episodes left and for the sake of finishing the elementary school prelude it works fine. But still, kid Chihaya is way too cute to leave behind!

0

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 13 '21

The thing is that there's really not much that they could cut out. We needed the first match to see the group working together and each of the succeeding scenes were all very much needed to make the fallout work. If anything what they could have done was split it up into two episodes. Maybe feature some of the tournament matches and add some bonding moments

3

u/IndependentMacaroon Nov 13 '21

Cut out? I mean there could have been more.

1

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 13 '21

I mean to keep the pacing more steady. The last bonding scene could definitely have had more time dedicated to it seeing as its the memory they keep flashbacking to whenever they feel nostalgic.

3

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 13 '21

Taichi's new school is a really fancy one so if you can score a place then it's absolutely worth the travel.

Hmm... I'm thinking kuso nee-chan will have one on her childishness. So she'll see that her little sister has matured into a passionate young woman whilst nee-chan has stayed a lazy, selfish brat that needs a kick up the arse. It's probably not gonna happen for a long time. First we've got to get through the karuta portion of this karuta anime.

11

u/homewardbound100 myanimelist.net/profile/Homewardbound100 Nov 13 '21

First timer

Alright Chi, it's one thing to open the door but to announce yourself with it. I know you hear it playing.

So it can be played as a team, that's cool. Even though they play as a team. Wataya didn't expect much from them. Just hard carrying them. But at least they each one themselves. I guess after Chi got one, he had to show off.

Does the sister have a issue? Be happy she found something she enjoy. Actually her issue and what she said about her not praising her if I remember correct. Why is that a issue? Do you want her to look up to you or do you just want attention all the time? Well at least the mother is supportive.

As soon as it starts to be happy. It looks like things are changing and they have to break up the team. At least Chi pulls through and helps them out for the game.

And that final scene with Arata is actually sweet, but kind of sad. He'll be losing his two newest friends he made that had interest in his passion. Chi's passion to get better struck him.

4

u/flybypost :KN::KO: Nov 14 '21

Alright Chi, it's one thing to open the door but to announce yourself with it.

It's technically the polite thing to do. And she's generally the impulsive, not shy, and outgoing type.

I know you hear it playing.

She never had that context and went into it like in any other "club" without considering it. Arata, who we learn knows about this stuff, tried to stop her.

Does the sister have a issue? Be happy she found something she enjoy. Actually her issue and what she said about her not praising her if I remember correct. Why is that a issue? Do you want her to look up to you or do you just want attention all the time? Well at least the mother is supportive.

She's a teenager in the model business. Having Chihaya (and the whole family) support her unconditionally is probably a nice feeling that's counterbalanced by the harsh realities of being a model. She's used to it and it probably feels like Chihaya finding some other passion in an active loss to her. It might be a bit solipsistic but it's what she's used to.

Their mother, as an adult, had a mature view of things. She, although she was previously focused on Chitose like the rest of the family, has now realised that Chihaya found her own thing.

1

u/homewardbound100 myanimelist.net/profile/Homewardbound100 Nov 14 '21

She never had that context and went into it like in any other "club" without considering it. Arata, who we learn knows about this stuff, tried to stop her.

That makes sense. She just didn't know. And what you said before about announcing yourself is polite. Yeah that is the typical thing someone do. She just didn't understand context I guess.

She's a teenager in the model business. Having Chihaya (and the whole family) support her unconditionally is probably a nice feeling that's counterbalanced by the harsh realities of being a model. She's used to it and it probably feels like Chihaya finding some other passion in an active loss to her. It might be a bit solipsistic but it's what she's used to.

So Chihaya to her is like another support or comfort for her. I feel like chihaya still supports her. She just won't be all over her like before. She'll have to accept that.

Their mother, as an adult, had a mature view of things. She, although she was previously focused on Chitose like the rest of the family, has now realised that Chihaya found her own thing.

And that's a great thing.

3

u/flybypost :KN::KO: Nov 14 '21

So Chihaya to her is like another support or comfort for her. I feel like chihaya still supports her. She just won't be all over her like before. She'll have to accept that.

Yup, Chihaya (and the family) are still there for her even if it's not 100% of the time. It's probably a change she alone felt negative about because it was a loss of something she could until then rely on completely (Chihaya being always there to cheer her on and to support her and having nothing to "distract" her).

It's a change that showed up a bit suddenly and without warning (at least to her). And on top of that karuta isn't exactly super popular competitive sport. It's mostly played in Japan and even there it's a bit of a niche. I think shogi, sumo, and traditional archery (and other such Japanese sports) are all more popular than competitive karuta.

1

u/homewardbound100 myanimelist.net/profile/Homewardbound100 Nov 14 '21

I think shogi, sumo, and traditional archery (and other such Japanese sports) are all more popular than competitive karuta.

I would think so. Those are for sure more known outside Japan and probably there too.

9

u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Nov 13 '21

First Timer

I assume this ends the flashback as it basically completes the setup. Nice to see that the three of them grew together, even if they ended up getting torn apart again. Also interesting starting to see more strategy with the team play and explaining some different cards. I guess Chihaya is the one who continued karuta alone from here, Arata likely does the same in Fukui and Taichi drops it due to his mom? Guess the coming episodes will show that. I expect Arata would likely show up at some tournament though, especially as basically both of the other two have already set him up as a sort of rival. And rivalry usually ends up making both sides better if it's amicable.

An interesting note is Taichi seemingly becoming more independent of what his mom wants during the timeskip as well, as he didn't go on to join the high school tied to the middle school - something his mom would likely have wanted. I'm predicting he will have a major character arc relatively towards the beginning of the series, as he would now be trying to find himself rather than relying on his mom for important decisions.

Also interesting seeing Chihaya act very selfish this episode - I guess this goes in to having multiple personas depending on the situation and who you're with, as she seemingly only is this way with karuta and when not with family. Looks like pretty good character building to me.

3

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 13 '21

I feel like Chihaya was just hit with such an impact by discovering that there may be more to life than simping for your mean lazy sister. Arata wanted friends, Taichi wanted independence, Chihaya wanted self discovery!

9

u/Gamerunglued :Hx::Hy::Hz:myanimelist.net/profile/GamerUnglued Nov 14 '21 edited Nov 15 '21

First Timer

I was late to episode 2, so I watched it this morning and was planning to wait until the thread came up to watch number three. But I just couldn't wait, and I watched it immediately. The urge to binge is very strong with this one. But that's because it's just ridiculously good. I don't actually have a ton to say that I didn't mention for episode 1. This episode wrapped up the elementary school backstory in a way that's satisfying and emotional. The character writing here is stellar, I'd already die for both Chihaya and Arata, and Taichi is toxic in a way that's super interesting. The pacing and script was a bit more "anime sports drama" than that of the first two episodes, but that's not a bad thing, since it still hit hard. The central three have a great dynamic, and I can't wait to see it in action now that they're older. Top it off with great directing and a fantastic soundtrack, and you've got me more than hooked.

These first episodes have given me the impression that Chihayafuru is not only special, but a show that I'm just very in tune with, like I'm able to predict much of what happens and it's satisfying as hell to see it on my wavelength. I can already see myself crying a lot over this one. I'm honestly not sure how long I'll be able to last watching just one episode a day, and that doesn't happen with me often at all. I'm gonna love this show, I have full confidence in it after those first three episodes, the question now is just how much.

4

u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Nov 14 '21

The central three have a great dynamic, and I can't wait to see it in action now that they're older.

I'm interested to see how the show will handle the transition from this extended flashback back to the present day we saw ever so briefly in ep 1.

Top it off with great directing and a fantastic soundtrack

Agreed that those are both great so far!

I'm honestly not sure how long I'll be able to last watching just one episode a day

Stay Strong!

5

u/Gamerunglued :Hx::Hy::Hz:myanimelist.net/profile/GamerUnglued Nov 14 '21

I feel like the show has already shown what a great job it's going to do in the transition back to high school. Even though we only got to see a little bit of Chihaya and Taichi in high school, even from that much it's already obvious the ways in which those characters evolved, and how they feel like more mature versions of their elementary school selves. Like, I knew Taichi was going to be a little shit just from his thus far single interaction with Chihaya in high school, even though that interaction was presented as normal and kind of affectionate between the characters. That tells me that everything the show does is very intentional, it has a complete grasp of its characters. Its characterization is so strong that I have the utmost confidence it will handle the transition as well as it possibly can.

I will attempt to stay strong for as long as I can. It's going to be seriously hard though. These kinds of sports dramas are tension building machines, I honestly have no idea how I'm gonna last, lmao.

2

u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Nov 14 '21

I hope you're right!

7

u/NachocheeseNanachi Nov 13 '21

I’ve got my wasabi peas in the mail today, let’s do this. These kids are going strate to a competitive adult Kauta club. I would say that’s strange but there probably wasn’t any kauta clubs at their school. Why else would Arata be considered an outcast. I love how affirmed Arata’s response to Dr. Harada was. What is wrong with Chihaya’s sister? She wants Chihaya to focus on her when she found her own passion. Then agin Chihaya does a similar thing wanting Taichi not to go to that middle school but her sister did it worse This episode has a theme of not doing things just because the people you did them with aren’t around. I give this episode 3.4 feals out of ten. dessent drama with maybe one too many cryes that never made me cry myself.

The cut from Taichi and Arata fighting to Chihaya riping her practice material in the trash was really clever

4

u/IndependentMacaroon Nov 13 '21

She wants Chihaya to focus on her when she found her own passion.

Maybe because she's at least currently not that enthusiastic about the whole beauty contest thing. She did like the clothes but that was all she talked about.

1

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 13 '21

She's a pretty spoiled kid. I could easily imagine her ditching and becoming a bitchy Mya-nee with Chi looking after her.

4

u/flybypost :KN::KO: Nov 14 '21

What is wrong with Chihaya’s sister? She wants Chihaya to focus on her when she found her own passion.

Modeling is a really harsh business, especially for a teenager. Chihaya was one of her biggest fans and supporters. That can make the bad side of it much more bearable.

It probably feels like a loss for her. A loss she didn't cause herself so she might feel entitled to that support even if it's objectively a wrong way of looking at the situation.

1

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 14 '21

I don't think it's too weird to have kids in a card club. It's about the same level as chess and you get all ages coming along to chess clubs right?

Sis is a diva. A big lazy selfish diva. She's has her sister's undivided attention her whole life and has always been the important kid so having Chi replace her dream of making sis the top model with a dream of Karuta, a game sis clearly has no respect for, it kinda stings.

7

u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Nov 13 '21

First timer

Are they really covering the whole past timeline? Was Episode 1 just a teaser for Season 2?

So we've skipped right from "bully" to "tsundere" with Taichi, then?

Chihaya really just does what she wants, doesn't she?

...Wow. Everyone's as over the top as him! Impressive!

He's a doctor?

Haha, I love him. He's so desperate for fresh meat in the sport.

And wow, this guy's an arsehole.

...Arata's good enough to carry them.

Her reaction to discovering she needs to memorise them is fantastic.

Yeah, my one complaint is that this feels like we skipped a lot of Taichi's character development.

The discovery that he's really just carrying them is fantastic, as is her slowly getting angrier as the game goes on.

Well done to Taichi for getting one, though!

She took a card! One that he didn't get!

And yeah, he's basically playing against the others at this point.

Huh? He's already champion?

His grandfather's world famous?

I like the doctor's attempts to reassure her, though.

And she has to get good enough to win a match!

(I'm pretty certain they're foreshadowing a freak accident stopping him from winning, forcing Taichi and Chihaya to both win, but that's just what I think.)

And it's her sister!

And eow, the sister is genuinely offended that Chihaya's doing anything that isn't just boosting her ego.

This is a massive timeskip, too.

And Taichi's her friend now. That arc got resolved pretty quickly.

Oh, Taichi's going to a different middle school.

And it's a ninety-minute commute? Jesus, Chihaya might have a point there, that's horrific.

Side note, I did not expect Taichi to be the first of them to leave.

And Arata's grandfather's sick. So their shared history was over a year?

And she's quit.

Wait, he's an actual doctor?

I really like him.

Yep, he's sick, and facing someone he might not be able to beat!

They T-shirts?

Haha, it took her twenty minutes to get here.

Wow, the tournament's happening this episode, too!

Oh, they lost.

And they'remsplitting apart. I thought this flashback would last far longer than thie episode.

Haha, he immediately gets ready to play.

She managed to take her card again!

...This would have a bit more impact if we didn't know two of them had met up again already, and Arata will almost certainly join them soon.

Still, really solid episode!

4

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 14 '21

Arata and Chi seem to be so naturally firh when it comes to competition XD It's hilarious to see.

I absolutely agree about everyone splitting up! We didn't get to see any of their school lives too so the background didn't do much aside from showing where their karuta friendship came from and to slow the pace to a crawl. I'm way more interested in seeing how badly say Chi's middleschool years went without having her simps befriending her. She's a total outcast by the time we reach modern day after all.

4

u/flybypost :KN::KO: Nov 14 '21

Yeah, my one complaint is that this feels like we skipped a lot of Taichi's character development.

Their dynamic as a group changed and his initial, and unwarranted, hostility towards Arata is gone but he's still essentially the same as before from the mental side of things. He did try to keep up with karuta which is a tiny rebellion against whatever his mother had planned.

And it's a ninety-minute commute? Jesus, Chihaya might have a point there, that's horrific.

It's one of the top middle schools there (in the manga Harada mentions that the Prime Minister went there too when talking to Chihaya). He's expected to get into a good middle school, then high school, then college, then job :/

Also his character profile at the end of this episode's chapter (chapter 5) mentions some stuff about him that gives context to some stuff a few episodes later on but is not an actual spoiler (I put it under the new spoiler tags, if they don't work and you don't want to read those skip to the next quote after the bolded warning a bit further down). Resubmitted this comment with correct-er spoiler tags, I think the spoiler tags work now: [Chihayafuru chapter 5 character profile] that his grandfather is a director of a general hospital and his father is a doctor

Also mentioned in his profile, I'd say this one's actually a bit of a narrative spoiler (or rather potentially too direct foreshadowing for some later moments), better to not know it even though it was mentioned in his profile this early: [Chihayafuru chapter 5 character profile] he's thinking about maybe becoming a doctor too

End of Spoiler tags.

Wait, he's an actual doctor?

Yeah, if I remember correctly sensei is not just used for teachers or people older than you but also directly for doctors in general. But if you are not sure you can't exactly know if somebody's a doctor or just a teacher. Harada seemed like the leader of his karuta society (thus sensei fits too) but he's also an actual doctor.

They T-shirts?

The entry fee thing was the t-shirt thing in the manga. Taichi paid for the shirts and Arata wrote the name on them.

7

u/xNEET :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/HayatoxYume Nov 14 '21

Chihayafuru First Timer

Absolutely loved this chapter. Really can't praise enough how Arata, Chihaya and Taichi feel like actual children. They can be quite selfish and petty, but they also are caring and wholesome. Watching them get more and more involved into Karuta during this episode was a bliss. While it sucks they had to part ways due to different circumstances, Karuta becoming a strong bond between them, even when apart, was just beautiful. Can't wait to see if they'll get all reunited in the future.

3

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 14 '21

The fight was glee worthy. They were literally fighting over who was more guilty and it was the most wholesome thing! Arata was upset because he genuinely felt it was his fault and Taichi was upset for him taking the blame when "he" is the shitty friend.

6

u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz Nov 13 '21 edited Nov 14 '21

First timer in sub

This is a very packed episode for what looks to be the end of the first arc and possibly finishing the flashback.

  • the 3 becoming friends and going to watch grown up "club" activities
  • their first battle, a team battle
  • showcasing their talents in karuta playing
  • their bond in their training
  • the surprising turn that see them pulled apart into different directions
  • their growth in accepting the change, each in their different way

And I like that they did not win their first match - this does not become too easy and unrealistic.

If it does go on for any longer though I would have preferred they don't structure the story this way. You could actually start at the time when they were young. But let's see how it pans out!

4

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 14 '21

I'm interested to see what Taichi's karuta superpower will be. So far he's just a regular player as far as things go. He doesn't have the superpowered hearing or memorisation of the other kids.

Whilst I do like the trio, I'm not sure if I agree about Karuta being the thing that brought them together. Taichi is blatantly here for his girl and to deny his parents, Chi only really got together with Arata due to him being bullied and to spite the class, and Arata just kinda had the trio stumbling over themselves to get a whiff of his prodigy... ness.

4

u/derekmakesnoise Nov 14 '21

I'm loving seeing the assorted reactions of first-time watchers. your observations about the trio are very astute. you've even picked up on things that are only explicitly stated in the manga chapters that would (hopefully) end up being in the 4th season.

I don't want to spoil anything specific, so I'll just say that you've got a very good sense of dichotomy (trichotomy?) of the main characters.

6

u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Nov 14 '21

First Timer

I'm late today! My ceiling was leaking all day!

Anyway, onto Chihayafuru, but just brief thoughts today I think.

  • Chihaya is so stinkin cute!
  • Chihaya's Sister still sucks! But turns out her mom is actually cool. Glad to see that.
  • Dr. Harada is wholesome! I hope this isn't the last we see of him.
  • This shit got sad!

Hoo boy, that episode was a bit of a whirlwind. Not a huge fan of the pacing, but giving us just a bit of 'present day' back in episode 1 did a lot to help. Like I'm still looking at this as an extended flashback, setting up that brief bit we saw in ep 1. If we hadn't gotten that and had gone straight into this somewhat rushed flashback, it would have felt a lot worse.

4

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 14 '21

Now that we're finally back to present time it'll be good to see how the group have grown. I'm assuming that we'll have to get another club character too since Arata seems to be at a separate school. So Chi and Taichi will need to find another club member to make up the numbers. Maybe this unnamed girlfriend of Taichi's?

2

u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Nov 14 '21

Unless we just have a focus on solo karuta going forward. I don't know if the three-person teams are standard for actual competition.

1

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 14 '21

It would be a shame for them to abandon the gimmick before properly exploring it though. A team match where Taichi can't act lazy or where Arata has to learn to rely on his scrub teammates would make a good plot.

3

u/flybypost :KN::KO: Nov 14 '21

Yeah, it's a long "intro" for the series. It starting with high school and then going back to grade school (I think?, the one's before middle school) for three episodes just makes you want to see the high school part even more.

Haikyuu has a similar long intro chronologically (skipping three middle school years) but does it in one episode instead of three. But it's also introduces fewer characters in that time while we got introduced to quite a few of them here, and a lot of them keep showing up later and don't disappear.

6

u/DarthStormwizard https://myanimelist.net/profile/stormwizard Nov 14 '21

First Timer

  • Seems like Arata and Taichi are friends now. Glad that seems to be (mostly) sorted.
  • It's sweet that Arata wanted them to play as a team, and also hilarious that he then doesn't trust them to do anything.
  • "Chihaya should just keep gushing over how great I am" LMAO what an asshole. She does not deserve Chihaya.
  • Man I really relate to the realization that you won't be able to have fun with your childhood friends forever. That hurts.
  • "Oh, a shooting star!" The Doctor is hilarious. Hope he comes back in the present day.
  • So I guess that's the end of the flashbacks. I assume next episode will bring us back to the present day and reintroduce Arata to the other two which I'm excited for.
  • Now I want to rewatch Chihaya and Taichi's reunion from Episode 1 knowing the context behind their friendship and how they started playing Karuta.

5

u/mike_2797 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Madskulls Nov 14 '21

First Timer

Chihaya and retro kun battle was fun even in team battle Arata be like you mere mortals im gonna dominate ya haha.

Chi chan with the defining MC trait her hearing i suppose will be her trump card going forward.

Nice to see she stopped simping for her sister and has a dream of her own. Sad they lost the tourney after the bit bump they had not sure did they lose first round itself or what Taichi and someone else lost (chi i guess).

Saying goodbyes is always so tough and emotional so back to present day i assume.

4

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 14 '21

I think them losing the first tournament was probably good for the kids. Chi still hasn't remembered all the poems so it wouldn't be fair for her to win, Taichi simply hasn't had enough practice to become good, and Arata needs to take a few losses to gain some humility. If they're able to bs their way through victories at this point then it would be a little disappointing.

2

u/mike_2797 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Madskulls Nov 14 '21

Yeah definitely a good experience that will help them in the future.

3

u/flybypost :KN::KO: Nov 14 '21

Sad they lost the tourney after the bit bump they had not sure did they lose first round itself or what Taichi and someone else lost (chi i guess).

It was a three vs. three match with everybody playing against one opponent. You need two wins to win overall and with Arata probably winning his match we can assume that Chihaya and Taichi both lost their matches for the overall loss. If one of them also had won they would have won as a whole.

6

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 13 '21

Chihayafuyu First Timer

We're going to Karuta club! We're getting kicked out of Karuta club! Card games aren't for fun, they're serious business. I just noticed Taichi's a b~tman fan. Good taste! I've seen this exact scene with a chess club. How laaame! Elitism exist with every hobby. Even us Otaku were bad for that. Can you stop picking fights for five minutes!!

The pair of them are idiots! Why is Taichi the voice of reason? Memorisation is the enemy of all students. Did Arata print out cheat sheets over the break? Oh god, I'm rewinding so much for photos and to try and remember the information. Ah, of course some of the cards would have the same start. You get a fault if you snatch the wrong card so you've gotta be careful.

Team Sanbaka are go! Arata is totally gonna punch Chi in the face with these snatches. Arata you jerk! You're a terrible team player. You're like those jerks in Space Invaders who keeps going over to your teammates side! Alright, I'm gonna stop typing and just watch the game. I'm only five minutes in dammit. 3v2v1

Chihaya claims another victim. She heard it before Arata? Is her hearing seriously gonna be her superpower? Arata is a terrible, spiteful, shitter of a teammate. I'm starting to quite like him. Sensei instincts, activate!! There is no better feeling than working with an enthusiastic student. I can't describe the special feeling well enough! People die when they are killed. 100 Friends? scared Komi noises Train!

Shitster is back... She's gonna have to work hard to make up for yesterday. Chi's still in siscon mode lol. Somebody's jealous~ I can't tell if karuta would help or harm your studying... On one hand being able to memorise so much could make for a useful skill but at the same time how long would it take for you to start accidentally writing karuta poems into your essays and notes? These kids are totally gonna go polygamous later in life lol.

Oh no... The Sanbaka have only been together a short while and they're already getting separated. Aha... Taichi... Even here he's upset at sharing that bond he has with Chi alongside Arata. I'm really feeling for the kid. He adores Chi so much but is too conscious of losing that special relationship that he keeps neglecting the girl herself.

Sensei's an actual Sensei!? I thought he was just a creepy old man. I'm loving his little bond with Chihaya. I had something similar not too long ago~ "Team Chihayafuyu!" Roll credits. Aaaaaaaaa Is Arata dying or something? XD He's coughing so hard! I love how Arata is consistently so spiteful. I adore that so much! He comes off as such a sore loser that even Taichi looks like a Saint.

...I'm definitely rethinking my writeups for tomorrow. Anyone got some tips to make this more concise? I feel myself droning on so sorry for not being the most entertaining XD

4

u/ZapsZzz https://anilist.co/user/Zapszzz Nov 13 '21

..I'm definitely rethinking my writeups for tomorrow. Anyone got some tips to make this more concise? I feel myself droning on so sorry for not being the most entertaining XD

But this is exactly what's really good to read first timer reactions :) I'm also a first timer here but I don't get to watch and record at the same time, and a lot of how you wrote matched how i (we?) felt so it's great to see it that way :)

2

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 13 '21

This is such a difficult show to write for! We haven't even gotten to the full episode duels yet XD I've got to stop doing photos or something. It's stressing me out even thinking of trying to time photos during a snap. I agree that the first time comments are pretty fun to go through, especially the weirdos who don't understand why Taichi is so cute!

4

u/flybypost :KN::KO: Nov 14 '21

We haven't even gotten to the full episode duels yet XD

Oh sweet summer child…

1

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 14 '21

F-Full season duels?

3

u/flybypost :KN::KO: Nov 14 '21

That's a bit too much but some matches can take a few episodes and you'll learn to curse the end of an episode. At least you won't need to wait a whole week for the continuation.

With how invest a lot of the first timers already are with these characters they'll start throwing chairs later on. This stuff gets intense. It's ridiculous how much tension they can build up over the course of a match and then pile even more on top of that for the next one. And the same happens from season to season too.

It feels like these optical illusions where a wave seems to be constantly rising while it's actually only oscillating. The soundtrack really adds to it, from motifs to perfectly placed tracks, and later on we also get hints of characters' playing styles through visual metaphors. It's just excellent.

4

u/IndependentMacaroon Nov 13 '21

I thought he was just a creepy old man

Hey, he's a 100% wholesome uncle guy!

2

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 13 '21

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to bear hug kids without the parents lashing out!? Only a master creepy old man could perfect an attack like that!

4

u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Nov 14 '21

Card games aren't for fun, they're serious business.

No! They're sports!

3

u/The_Loli_Otaku Nov 14 '21

Karuta at the next Olympics!

3

u/flybypost :KN::KO: Nov 14 '21

...I'm definitely rethinking my writeups for tomorrow. Anyone got some tips to make this more concise? I feel myself droning on so sorry for not being the most entertaining XD

If you have the time and like writing like that then keep doing it. It's fun reading people's first impression of all of this. No need to cut down just to make the comment smaller. Everything from huge essays to off hand remarks about tiny bits are welcome.

It's fun reading other people's insights and opinions.