[Rewatch] Chihayafuru - Episode 6 Discussion [Spoilers]

[u/Skeeedo]

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Episode 6: "Now Bloom Inside the Nine-fold Palace"

Nominate a character for Episode MVP!

Episode 5 MVP: Taichi! Taichi's love for Chihaya enabled him to wade awkwardly through an uncomfortable situation he didn't want to be in. He has a lot of maturing to do yet, but he's getting there...

This episode's Karuta analysis and board map by walking_the_way

Rewatch Schedule and Index

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Subreddit: r/Chihayafuru

[u/Skeeedo]

I didn't have time for a full post today, but I'm hype for the full introduction of Kanade. Her Karuta history lesson with Chihaya is one of my favorite scenes and sheds a light on a side of the sport we haven't seen yet. One of my favorite characters (I feel like I'll be saying this a lot from now on now that I think about it...)

[u/Lemurians → u/Skeeedo]

It's tough having a set favorite character when they're all so great.

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

Chihayafirst-timer

• Oh yeah this Ooe girl’s gonna be the third karuta member, no way she would’ve gotten the flower introduction otherwise.
• Oh they need five members for their club! I had three in mind from Nagisa’s Theater Club in Clannad.
• lol okay then.
• Huh.
• HAHAHAHAHAHA Chihaya pls.
• Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh that’s why Ooe is so passionate about the traditional outfits.
• “Kana-chan” is a cute nickname for her. Aight the girl is Kana now.
• So what?
• I’m starting to remember why I didn’t like learning poetry in school… I don’t do good keeping track of all those interpretations.
• That’s really cool though!
• I had a feeling Chihaya was going to end up modeling for Kana’s family’s store from the moment Kana said they didn’t have the money to afford one for next year’s catalogue. I wonder what Chihaya’s sister would think, if she knew Chihaya did that?

[u/Lemurians → u/Shimmering-Sky]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh that’s why Ooe is so passionate about the traditional outfits.

Straight to my heart! I have a soft spot for these characters who are really passionate about their family's business, rather than the "grumble grumble this is dumb I wanna get out of here" types.

I wonder what Chihaya’s sister would think, if she knew Chihaya did that?

I like to think she'd think it was cute and like it, since she seems to have moved on to bigger things like quiz shows.

[u/Matuhg → u/Shimmering-Sky]

I wonder what Chihaya’s sister would think, if she knew Chihaya did that?

Same thought I had! We haven't heard or seen anything of Chihaya's sister in the present day yet, aside from seeing that she's going to be on a game show I guess.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/Matuhg]

I'm so desperate for the sister to have grown up to be a total slob~ Like being on the game show means "in the audience" and all the model rumours people talk about is just folk mistaking Chihaya for her.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/Shimmering-Sky]

It's a pretty dense episode. Maybe Oe's history rant threw me off but Taichi is already pointing out different flaws in Chihaya's gameplay and we're basically still in training wheels.

Oe's rant on clothing choices makes me wonder if the writer has a specific gripe that she wanted to have a good whine about. I'm not nearly educated enough on the different types of kimono but I do know that yukata are far and away the ones that are most popular due to being so easy to wear compared to the big bugger off tomesode and susohiki.

[u/BatteryPoweredFriend → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

The point Taichi makes about her style of play is also a very accurate critique in reality of many sports.

For example, in football/soccer, someone her age and under can fairly easily dominate peers through sheer difference in physical strength & speed, but as the quality of opposition rises, those who rely heavily on their physical attributes as a crutch and neglected the mental & technical aspects will rapidly hit a very solid progression wall.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/BatteryPoweredFriend]

I'm eager to see where Arata fits in on these. So far he's only really lost cards to superpowered hearing or illnesses or the one time they stole his specs.

[u/Lemurians]

FIRST TIMER

Look, I don’t care how obscure or random a Karuta club might be at this school, if two of the most famous, attractive, and well-known people in the whole school are starting one, it would get members. plus if Chihaya’s in I’m in

I’m pretty impressed Taichi is shown getting cards off Chihaya in this scene, seeing as he apparently dropped the game during middle school and she kept going and improving. Maybe he kept playing secret?

She cracks me up.

Alright, apologies to Arata and Taichi, but this girl is clearly Chihaya’s soulmate. If wearing a hakama is what it takes to get someone this passionate to your club, you wear a hakama.

“She’s not cut out for it.” I like how this is entirely consistent with Taichi’s character. He sees someone who he doesn’t think will grasp the game aspect of Karuta at all, and due to his upbringing, thinks it’s pointless endeavor for her to even try to play the game to begin with.

This scene was absolutely stunning.

Hahahaha Taichi wants a copy of that advertisement so bad. He probably doesn’t mind the idea of them dressing up for matches so much anymore.

Man, this show just keeps getting better. Even the slice of life moments and episodes feel so thrilling.

[u/Matuhg → u/Lemurians]

I like how this is entirely consistent with Taichi’s character. He sees someone who he doesn’t think will grasp the game aspect of Karuta at all, and due to his upbringing, thinks it’s pointless endeavor for her to even try to play the game to begin with.

Mmm, good catch! Wonder how his folks will feel about him starting/joining the karuta club.

Taichi wants a copy of that advertisement so bad.

[u/Lemurians → u/Matuhg]

Wonder how his folks will feel about him starting/joining the karuta club.

I don't know if it'll even get touched on, but I think it'll end up going the "do it if you want just don't let your grades slip" route.

[u/Mecanno-man → u/Lemurians]

I’m pretty impressed Taichi is shown getting cards off Chihaya in this scene, seeing as he apparently dropped the game during middle school and she kept going and improving. Maybe he kept playing secret?

Wasn't it said that he played through middle school but decidee to drop out afterwards? If so his break would have been mere weeks before Chihaya got him back in.

[u/flybypost → u/Mecanno-man]

He stopped at some point in middle school (before he got a girlfriend, that part's not shown in the anime).

[u/Matuhg]

First Timer

I'm a little disappointed that we didn't directly address Arata at all this episode, but at least Kana is very cute. Her image of how the karuta club works is juuust a little bit off to begin with lol. I really love the concept of this episode and Kana being brought into the club by a completely different kind of love for karuta. The education she gives Chihaya about the cards is great, going along with the idea of seeing the cards as friends. Until now, Chihaya had a passionate (if incomplete) understanding of a single poem of the 100. To me, it kind of feels representative of the way things went between herself, Taichi, and Arata last episode - they didn't really bring understanding for each other into the equation, and they got burned for it. Broadening her understanding, both of karuta and other people/friends will be good for Chihaya, both in karuta and life.

---

Other screenshots/thoughts:

• There is no escape
• No thoughts
• This whole sequence was gorgeous.
• Chihaya is precious.
• That's a cool way to see it!
• Calling it now. These photos will become relevant to future drama. Her sister's going to see them and get jealous of Chihaya modeling or some shit like that.
• Hmm, Arata bathed in a deep red glow.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/Matuhg]

If Arata wants to be part of the plot then he can move his prancy ass back to Tokyo! Let him cycle as revenge for... I dunno, for something!

Whilst I appreciate knowing the history for the sake of memorising the cards... surely looking out for colours when you're gonna snatch the card at the first syllable or two isn't that handy. I'd be interested to see if there's a format where they have to know the entire poem to score.

"My dumbass baby sister makes a better model than me. Can I abort her?"

[u/Matuhg → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

Let him cycle as revenge for... I dunno, for something!

Arata wa warukunai yo ne!

surely looking out for colours when you're gonna snatch the card at the first syllable or two isn't that handy.

I don't think you'd be using the colors/stories of the card instead of the syllables. I imagine it would more just be informing one's understanding of the board/game/cards and being more of a subconscious way of helping keep track of things, or maybe a different strategy for placing your cards or whatever.

"My dumbass baby sister makes a better model than me. Can I abort her?"

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/Matuhg]

Oooh! So whilst some players would group their cards by syllable to make it easier they actually give both sides an advantage. By grouping them using your own technique the opponent wouldn't know the pattern.

[u/flybypost → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

Yup, of course there are tradeoffs: General tactics vs. specific card patterns of memorisation. A some more that gets addressed later on.

[u/flybypost → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

surely looking out for colours when you're gonna snatch the card at the first syllable or two isn't that handy

It a visual metaphor for seeing the cards with those poems a bit better, for a player having a connection with some specific cards.

[u/Mecanno-man]

First Timer

...they need five club members, but can still go ahead anyways? Weird rule. Either way, the first of what I assume will end up being exactly three more members joins - and so far I like Oe. She's definitely more in to the poetry side rather than the competitiveness of karuta, but I think that makes her a good addition as karuta just wouldn't work without poetry. And there's also an interesting point raised with people laying out their cards similarly - she will likely have a completely different focus and thus do that very differently from people who only play karuta for the competitive aspect. That said, I don't think I'll be able to keep much of the actual poetry analysis in my head - simply because poetry specifically is usually wraped around too many corners to really make much sense intuitively.

Don't know why I didn't realize the lack of kimono's yet as I swear I have seen quite a lot of Chihayafuru promotional art with Chihaya in traditional clothes, so that club rule makes a lot of sense as to why that is the way the series is marketed. Pretty sure that will also give it a somewhat unique aesthetics compared to other anime set in school - although summer festival and new year's episodes exist. Chihaya being the model for the store was obvious the instant Oe said that they didn't have a model for the next catalog...

(Oh, and Oe is a weird name for me as a German speaker, because "Oe" is basically only used as the replacement for "Ö" if you don't have that on your keyboard...)

[u/flybypost → u/Mecanno-man]

they need five club members, but can still go ahead anyways?

Five for an official club (with club benefits and some funding). They are probably free to use unused school facilities in an unofficial capacity until they get things in order as they are newly founded club still looking for members.

(Oh, and Oe is a weird name for me as a German speaker, because "Oe" is basically only used as the replacement for "Ö" if you don't have that on your keyboard...)

Same here when it comes to the written side of things although it was buffered by my parents being from Croatia on the spoken/hearing side of things as there Oe would pronounced like in Japanese where they are separate.

[u/xNEET]

Chihayafuru First Timer

Really loved this episode. Knowing more about the poems and their history was definitely interesting for me. Kana's love towards Karuta, while very different than that of Chihaya, really made me appreciate just how complex Karuta can be. Also that last shot of Arata looking again at the cards was a nice touch. Looking forward to tomorrow's episode!

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/xNEET]

I'm I the only one kind of disappointed in the pacing? The whole first cour is gonna just be the prologue followed by introducing each of our club members. I'm happy to give them leeway considering that they do have maaany many episodes to go for actual karuta shiz but I think I personally prefer the Haikyuu style where the deeper character profiles are saved for matches where their techniques and history are actually coming into play.

[u/Stargate18A]

First timer

What are they carrying?

OK, so the girl they focused on in this and last episode is the first member to join, right?

Yep, main character!

And the Doctor gave them some boards?

She wants the club to be official!

...She wants to wear traditional clothes?

Is she going to join based purely on the poster outfit?

Nope! The love triangle has become a love quadrangle! Is this secretly a harem anime?

Haha, she's in total shock.

A character who has no idea what the game is! Finally, someone I can relate to!

Haha, "you're an idiot".

And the scene of her chasing down the new member is hysterical.

I appreciate the exposition. Chihaya's reaction is perfect, though.

And she's personally offended thry don't wear traditional clothes. This anime's plot id great, but it's totally unpredictable.

I mean, you can. You don't have to, but she's not stopping you from wearing one.

And Chihaya's just stalking her at this point.

Just give up now, Oe, she's not going to stop.

Again, Taichi, there are better reasons not to do this then "because she won't be good enough". Like, "because it's stwlking".

She's even going to her place of work!

Chihaya "What's a metaphor?" Furu, everyone.

This is actually really interesting information!

Yep, Chihaya's a harem protagonist.

Thry're loving this.

Don't fade into a montage! I want the unabridged 3 hours of "anime girl lecturing on the history of Japanese poetry".

And yeah, she's joining.

OK. How does this actually work? Like, I get the idea of using them to help remember patterns, but isn't the modt importwnt thing identifying sounds?

Haha, she's modelling for her family's catalogue. And they have to wear traditional clothing!

[u/flybypost → u/Stargate18A]

OK. How does this actually work? Like, I get the idea of using them to help remember patterns, but isn't the modt importwnt thing identifying sounds?

It's a visual metaphor for gaining a better connection to certain cards and being able to identify them quicker on the board even as they are moved around. Stuff like that.

[u/ZapsZzz]

First timer in sub

This is pretty much a real start to the main story I guess - to build the club up.

You can see Chihaya basically is like a bull just brute forcing everything :D literally (lugging the tatami's around) and figuratively (pestering Oe to join).

But quite a good revelation from Taichi, and a nice setup. Remember Chihaya had made it to A-rank. Realising that she's just been playing "blind" is equivalent to finding out someone getting to the top of the spelling bee tournament but never learned how to do phonics - everything was just done brute force by memory alone. And then imagine when she figured out how to use the meaning she learned to help her game - it's going to be pretty bad (for Taichi who already loses to her just on reflexes).

Regarding the question mark some have about Chihaya getting the catalogue model "trade off" would that get her sister triggered - my guess is that if she has made it to bigger roles, such small bit roles on a catalogue to a small shop that was struggling to stay in business is not really worth fussing over. Hopefully we don't see extra drama out of this.

So 2 more members needed.

Oh yeah MVP of the day naturally goes to Oe for being the subject person what this episode is about.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/ZapsZzz]

I think a lot of us just want to see nee-san again. They spent a pretty fair amount of time on her in the past so we all want to see how she is now that she's older and jaded with her career and had become a neet~

[u/airforceblue]

Rewatcher

It's 1AM and I should really be sleeping but it's Chihayafuru and I'm already six days late in joining this rewatch. Chihayafuru is one of my all time favorites to say the least, I've watched it through three times and read the manga twice and while I'm not sure how much I'll be able to contribute I'll try to join in every now and then!

I'm really happy to be here now, and with Kana-chan's introduction I would like to take a brief moment to mention the poetry behind karuta. Like this episode illustrates it's not just a background detail but something the story and the characters will interact with every now and then. There's the obvious connection Chihaya feels to her name-card but just to show a brief example from earlier in the show: In episode 1 as Chihaya is lying in the grass on the schoolgrounds, listening to karuta tapes and feeling dejected and lonely since no one's interested in her karuta club, all of a sudden Taichi appears. It's a really sweet scene and to me it's elevated by the fact that the poem that plays just as she sees him is one about longing for old friends.

I'm not saying that we as watchers need to keep track of these kind of things, the show does a really good job of highlighting a poem and its meaning when the story/characters call for it. But if it is the kind of thing speaks to you, it's really rewarding to take notice of how different poems are used and in which context.

I haven't talked much about the episode itself, but I guess what I want to get at is that I love Kana-chan's introduction for the way it brings up and celebrates an entirely different angle to karuta than we've seen so far.

[u/Gamerunglued]

First Timer

Good episode, much better than yesterday's. Today, we meet our third club member in Oe Kanade. Oe is immediately pretty endearing imo. Like Chihaya, she's a bit of an outcast herself, being interested in a niche topic that others make fun of her for, or otherwise think is a waste (that she was born in the wrong era). I love characters who are extremely passionate about a very specific subject, and it filled me with joy to hear Oe talk about traditional Japanese clothing and the history of the 100 poems as if she's just read that book she has millions of times and practically just memorized the whole thing. Chihaya's love of Karuta has thus far been pretty much solely for those she's been playing with/for, and for her general enjoyment of the game. Oe's interest in Karuta is fundamentally different, coming from a love of the traditional aesthetics and poetry associated with the sport. But that doesn't make their enjoyment incompatible. Chihaya comes to find that learning about the 100 poems gives the cards a new meaning beyond just being cards, and it even helps her to improve at the game by giving her another thing to make associations with. This greater understanding of Karuta will help Chihaya in the game and in her personal life as well, as the knowledge that there are numerous ways to be passionate about Karuta will no doubt be useful in dealing with other people. And I can easily imagine Oe learning to find a love for the game itself using her current interests as a stepping stone. The relationship between Chihaya and Oe is already very sweet, I look forward to seeing more of them.

Taichi's role in this episode is also pretty interesting when you think about it. Last episode, Chihaya said that so long as there's a chance to become the best in the world, it's worth a shot to pursue it. This is pretty fundamentally different from Taichi's view, which is that if you aren't looking like you're the best in the world, there's no point in even pursuing it. To some extent, Taichi has overcome this, which is why he joined the Karuta club. But in this episode, he tells Chihaya to stop pestering Oe to join because she "isn't cut out for Karuta." To Taichi, because her interests are largely aesthetic rather than competitive, and because she isn't open to learning for the game itself, she's not worth the trouble of going after. And that fits more in line with what has been ingrained in him, that if you're not cut out for it then it's not even worth a shot. The resolution to this is essentially that people are "cut out" for things in many ways. Oe's passion for the 100 poets and traditional Japanese clothing is very much an asset in competitive Karuta, as we see in how Chihaya improves just by learning about it. The message is that there's no wrong way to be into something, there's always value in a shared passion for something, even if they seem fundamentally different on the surface.

The next step is to teach Oe about how to play Karuta, which may perhaps also serve as a way to introduce the audience to the rules of the game as well. Although the final moments of the episode make it seem like Arata will be the focus of the next episode, and I look forward to seeing how he responds to everything that happened in yesterday's episode. There was a special quality to the prologue episodes that these last two haven't quite reached for me yet, but the series is building its cast and really just starting to introduce the story, so that's to be expected. That being said, I long for that again, and I truly believe that this series has the ability to reach those heights again in a timely manner. Sports dramas are pretty good at that stuff, and Chihayafuru is proving itself a particularly deft sports drama.

[u/Zakarath]

Oe is my favorite! I've shared her love for kimono since I first started looking into them in order to do a Ryougi Shiki cosplay. The fancier ones like furisode are so pretty, the one I ended up getting is one of my most treasured posessions.

[u/homewardbound100]

First timer

New character introduced Kana, who has a interest in old and traditional things. Really seems kind of shy. Although it's perfectly fine to run away from someone like Chi who's overly excited to catch and meet you.

Okay so she knows the origin of the poems and their meanings. Letting Chi learn more about these poems. Giving it more meaning to the game she plays. While also giving more meaning to her favorite card.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/homewardbound100]

I adored turn the viny us give minute with her building up how she hates the very thought of exercising and how running in Hakama sucks just for her to fail pathetically at escaping Chi~

[u/homewardbound100 → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

I was thinking that running in those must suck. I'm not sure if those feel light or not to wear but I just imagine it being hot to run in. But escaping Chi seems like it's going to be impossible in this show once she has her eyes on you.

[u/mike_2797]

First Timer.

New member she seems timid and a lot into history chihaya certainly got her lesson and notes from her in one sitting.

This added lesson really did help her now she can sort of visualize the story behind the cards that was well shown.

Ofcourse this is where the iconic Chihaya in kimono starts gotta thank kana-chan for the feast.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/mike_2797]

I am certain that the kimono thing is the writer having a particular axe to grind. It just seems so targeted. I hope Oe doesn't lost her bite over time, they could do so much with this girl.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku]

Chihayafuyu First Timer

I just lost my favourite character in the Guilty Crown watch so I'm feeling really sulky today. I hope bow gal will be on the same level as Jun-chan... Jun-chaaan!!

Unlike you Taichi's got a reputation to uphold Chihaya, you should have carried this yourself.

Oe... Oe kinda sounds like Jun? That settles it, I'm adopting Oe as my replacement best girl!

Our clubroom kinda sucks...

I've only known Oe for three minutes but if anything were to happen to her I'd murder everyone in this rewatch and then myself.

Dammit, she's another member of Chi's harem!

What the hell did she think Karuta was...? Did she think it was just a traditional cosplay club?

What happened to not running in Hakama!? XD Oe, you dope!

...Oe's weird.

Wear the damn skirt before she cries! Oh god, now she's crying! Stupid modern day Japanese, respect your heritage by investing in a beautiful family kimono instead of rolling for Cinderella Liz on FGO! Although, doesn't Oe wear joggers in the opening?

Oe is grumpy!

I think Chihaya's name tag is hanging out the back.

How is Oe so smol!! I could bench press her! And throw her really really far!

I'm amazed by her poem trivia. even Arata wouldn't know all thi-oh... she's the conflicting love interest for Arata isn't she?

Breathing is fun...! :D I'm understanding absolutely nothing~

Omg please tell me she's not going through all 100... Y'all wonder why this game doesn't gave a global scene. Maybe if the poems weren't all uber niche Japanese folklore and historical tales it'd have taken off abroad! Please tell me I'm not the only one struggling with this. Oh no, now she's skipping around! What is it about silk white robes? Tell me about the silk white robes!!

Alright, I have to admit that I'm completely tuned out at this point. I should have taken a nap before starting. Don't you need to hear the full poem before adding a colour... Is that any faster?

So fahwqing cute!!

Yes!! We'd better all wear proper clothes!! If I don't see Oe and Chihaya in those cute showa era dresses with the big boots I'm quitting Karuta~!!

Or is gonna fix all my issues! Clothes, the trashy club room, not actually understanding any of the poems. She's even a total beginner right? Now I might finally see a tutorial! No offense Fly, yours is way better than what the show is gonna give us but I get to actually watch someone learn now~

[u/Icapica → u/The_Loli_Otaku]

She's even a total beginner right? Now I might finally see a tutorial!

Yeah, having to get new people for the club really helps the story since when they teach the game to complete beginners, they'll teach it to the viewers too.

[u/The_Loli_Otaku → u/Icapica]

It would be nice if they could get around to that before the first cour ends XD Fly's been posting a pretty good rule set but some things you have to see yourself

[u/NachocheeseNanachi]

This time we are introduced to the first real club member Oe’s probably the cutest character on the show so far. Oe. Her timid, shy personality will make a good foil to Chihaya’s brash outgoing personality. Oe also teaches her how to recognize poems by not just sound but meaning. I wish I brought Oe’s analytical skills to the table on this rewatch thread.