Chihayafuru

[Ryllharu]

Description: After her sister ranked well in a beauty pagent, 6th-year grade-schooler Ayase Chihaya dreams of seeing her sister become a top model in Japan. However, while she befriends transfer student Wataya Arata, he admonishes her to seek her own dream. Thus, she takes up karuta, Arata's favorite game, competitively. Together with Arata and Mashima Taichi, Chihaya's childhood friend, they have great fun playing each other, but separate before junior high. 4 years later, Chihaya returns to town. She believes that they will eventually reunite as long as she continues to play karuta and she strives to establish the Zuisawa High-school Karuta Club.

Genres: Josei, Romance?, Children's (Traditional) Card Games

Links: AniDB, ANN, Official Page

HorribleSubs: 720p

Notes: Other subbers provide CR translation critiques and additional karuta rules.


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So I really liked this first episode. Others have been throwing out that it gives off, "Hanasaku Iroha vibes," which fits. Chihaya is a very non-conventional heroine. She doesn't care how she appears to others, has very strong opinions and lets them be known. While she is pretty, she usually destroys her own air of femininity by doing anything or opening her mouth.

Okay, so she is a typical shoujo/josei anime heroine.

She's very easy to like. She's definitely a tomboy in the past, and it's clear she stayed that way despite her current appearance. During the high school segment, you can see that while she listens to others and authority, she does what she feels is best anyway. During the elementary segment, while she's got a lot of friends and is very proud of her sister, she's quick to defend the teased and avoided transfer student before she even tries to actually befriend him. She exactly the type to get knocked down, but get right back up and keep going. She closely values her friends, but it's clear that she's got a fiercely competitive streak and won't stand for cheap shots, and she won't just go with the flow.

It's a bit too early to get a feel for her childhood friend, and Arata has so far only made an appearance in the elementary school segment, so it's a little early to judge him as well.

The cast is strong, a mix of veterans and those who have only a few major roles. Chihaya's fits her personality perfectly.

Animation is both detailed and fluid, and it is able to convey a decent amount of intensity during the karuta game, without having to go over the top or into the land of unreality.

[Kraco]

How heavily does this karuta feature in the show? Would you need to become a fan of it to find this series worth watching?

[Ryllharu]

If you know the basics of how the game works (first half of the verse sung, second verse is on a card, card gets grabbed, more cards at the end is the winner), I don't think you'll have a problem. Whatever subtle nuances the game has beyond that were not brought up during the first episode.

I imagine they'll get more into the details later.

[shinta|hikari]

That was pretty awesome. I love Arata and his accent. I just hope this does not develop into the typical shoujo love triangle. The other guy is pretty much a douche, so there is a 25% chance of it not happening. Yes, it is that common in shoujo stories.

Chihaya is fantastic. I liked her better with short hair though (not because she was younger, mind you).

[Kraco]

(not because she was younger, mind you).

Sure, sure, whatever you say.


I liked this a lot more than I expected. The game is fortunately simple enough to follow. Chihaya's personality was interesting and promises a lot for this show. But I certainly hope the setting isn't there for a triangle. Taichi so quickly adding he's not really that into his current girlfriend is not a good sign in that respect, but on the other hand Arata still being a big unknown leaves everything in darkness for now. Maybe he's not going to be interested in Chihaya, creating a chain of unilateral interests. His might be a sad case, and I'm not sure if a plot of Chihaya saving him (through karuta, of course) could be good or bad in its clichedness.

[Buffalobiian]

So I really liked this first episode. Others have been throwing out that it gives off, "Hanasaku Iroha vibes," which fits. Chihaya is a very non-conventional heroine.

Personally, I find this show more reminiscent of Ano Hana. At least as far as the core characters and their situation is concerned.

[Ryllharu]

Chihaya's got guts!

[HorribleSubs] Chihayafuru - 02 (720p)

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Chihaya is totally awesome. Her limitless energy really made this episode. Every time she ran off or did something crazy impulsive just put a huge smirk on my face. Her bursting in, covered in leaves from searching for Arata's glasses, shoving him aside to defend his honor was particularly wonderful. It was nice to see during the first episode that she hasn't lost any of that energy even going into high school. Taichi's a little shit. Even if his mother is a bitch, he crossed the line. Chihaya showed him that much by beating him despite his antics.

I love this show.

[shinta|hikari]

I hope Taichi dies a pathetic death. Even returning the glasses was merely an act to alleviate his guilt. He steals the glasses THEN changes the position of the cards. How cheap does one have to be?

Arata is great. I hope he retains his personality even after growing up, though I'm sure due to the genre of this show, there will be an episode or two where he seems to have changed, just for the drama.

The only thing I dislike about Chihaya is that she grew up.

[Buffalobiian]

The only thing I dislike about Chihaya is that she grew up.

Me too. Her older appearance is just so much of a mismatch compared to her personality.

Arata looks like he's god-mode already, so I have no idea how he can actually improve.

Regarding the rules of kurata, is there a rule that states the maximum number of cards you can dislodge in one move? Because if you really wanted to be underhanded, you can sweep the entire playing field...

[Kraco]

I found Taichi's actions pretty interesting psychologically. Of course I also thought he's a grand dick, but it was also plausible and understandable. He seems to be the combination of a tough guy and capable guy in the class, plus everybody knows his parents expect a lot from him. Yet they probably don't know how he needed to work hard to reach that position and it wasn't just god given talent. Yet unfortunately he created himself a reputation of such a talent. So, he was pretty stressed about the whole situation in this episode, and being a kid, he did what first visited his mind.

I have hard time deciding which ones are worse: Taichi or Chihaya's parents.

[Ryllharu]

Arata looks like he's god-mode already, so I have no idea how he can actually improve.

I think that one is going to be pretty obvious. He doesn't improve. Similar to Taichi after getting a girlfriend, Arata probably doesn't play it anymore for some reason. They're casting karuta as a game primarily played by children. Maybe he switched to studying real hard to get into a very good high school, or goes to cram school for university. Maybe he spends all his time working to bring in extra income now. But Chihaya seems to be the only person really into karuta anymore. She posted all those flyers and didn't get a single response.

Regarding the rules of kurata, is there a rule that states the maximum number of cards you can dislodge in one move? Because if you really wanted to be underhanded, you can sweep the entire playing field...

From what was implied, it doesn't matter so long as you get the right card in your sweep. But the disadvantage is that you must replace the cards, and unless you have an amazing memory like Arata, they're going to be in a different place. That destroys your advantage of slowly learning where each of the cards are as the game progresses.

I hope Taichi dies a pathetic death. Even returning the glasses was merely an act to alleviate his guilt. He steals the glasses THEN changes the position of the cards. How cheap does one have to be?

The link in the opening post has an interesting tidbit: "Players are allowed to change the order of their cards so long as the opponent is notified. Switching too many cards are considered to be bad manner." Taichi was only cheating there because he didn't tell Arata. If Arata had his glasses, he might have noticed and called Taichi out on it, but the only real problem was Taichi did it secretly.

The only thing I dislike about Chihaya is that she grew up.

Me too. Her older appearance is just so much of a mismatch compared to her personality.

Her sister is a leading model now, she's got good genes. I don't agree though. I really like that despite the obvious lack of enthusiasm her parents have for any activity she does, and her sister's complete selfishness, Chihaya remained largely unchanged. She's still fully embracing her newfound passion. I love that her appearance is elegant, but her personality is anything but. She's not a bitch, she's not fake, she's true to herself. I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere she was asked to follow her sister's footsteps, but rejected it. That mismatch of appearance and demeanor is what makes her refreshing. No different from her brash, tactless tomboy behavior when she was younger.

It's pretty obvious the two of you are hardcore lolicons.

[Kraco]

I like her older looks. She reminds me of Kokoro from Aishiteru ze Baby. Not that I'd have anything against her younger looks either, because they were perfect for the tomboying behavior.

[shinta|hikari]

It's not just about me being a lolicon. If she had short hair in her teen version, I would have liked that a lot.

Just to clarify, I am not just a lolicon. I like a lot of other things as well, pretty much on the same level. Heck, none of my top favorite female characters are lolis.

[Buffalobiian]

Her sister is a leading model now, she's got good genes. I don't agree though. I really like that despite the obvious lack of enthusiasm her parents have for any activity she does, and her sister's complete selfishness, Chihaya remained largely unchanged. She's still fully embracing her newfound passion. I love that her appearance is elegant, but her personality is anything but. She's not a bitch, she's not fake, she's true to herself. I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere she was asked to follow her sister's footsteps, but rejected it. That mismatch of appearance and demeanor is what makes her refreshing. No different from her brash, tactless tomboy behavior when she was younger.

It's pretty obvious the two of you are hardcore lolicons.

You remember the opening episode where everybody says her beauty goes to waste (or that it's a shame) when she opens her mouth? It's exactly that. The mismatched feeling. When she looked like a tomboy it felt right for her to do what she did. With her current form it doesn't feel as right.

Another reason is that she doesn't look like a mature tomboy neither. I'm sure if she was more like Ayuzawa Misaki I would have said otherwise. The segments where it has her appearing dreamy/slightly sad, taking off her clothing (I forgot which part) in front of the public, and listening to her headphones without making contact with the world all makes it seem like she's a more quiet, shut-in version of her younger self.

[Ryllharu]

As I said, that's why she's refreshing. She doesn't have your standard tomboy appearance when she's older. It's that mismatch that adds to her charm rather than detracting from it.

A girl being a tomboy isn't about appearance, it's personality. I view the scene where she's taking off her track pants (while still wearing the skirt) the moment the teacher asks to be a perfect example that she's still the same. She's prettier now, but she's not at all embarrassed about that behavior in front of others. Taichi called her out about lying in the grass not because she was by herself, but because she'll just lay down wherever she feels like (...and probably with disregard to whether or not others can see up her skirt). The rest of her melancholy appears to be because she can't play karuta with anyone yet.

[Kraco]

Episode 3 - HS




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For some reason this seems to have taken Hanasaku Iroha's place on my currently airing anime list. That means this feels like one of the best shows this season. I certainly wouldn't have expected such a thing from a show centered around an outlandish card game I'd never heard about. But the characters, mainly Chihaya, really do the trick. She's so awesome. I suppose I find her so much an opposite of my own personality that it's immensely entertaining (since this isn't an action show where it could be equally annoying). Like the scene where she just bursted through the doorway into the playing room, disturbing all the players and halting the games. Or when she honestly and without reservation told she knows hardly half of the poems but still will join the club.

[Ryllharu]

I found it much harder to hate Chihaya's sister after the scene where Chihaya apologized for not being able to keep the dream of seeing her sister be the best. Chitose obviously loves to be idolized and doted on by her little sister the most. It's perfectly understandable, and the previous episode where she talked to her little sister just to brag made a lot more sense. At the time, she still thought Chihaya wanted her dream fulfilled more than anything else. I found the scene where Chitose is laying on the table, lamenting about how Chihaya no longer praises her to the heavens to be rather...endearing.

Chihaya really makes this show. Elementary schooler or high schooler. She's a great character. Of course, Arata and Taichi are good characters as well...

[shinta|hikari]

Taichi still sucks for me.

Arata being obstinate about winning was really fun to watch. I really like him, and I usually dislike the serious glasses type male characters.

[Buffalobiian]

For some reason this seems to have taken Hanasaku Iroha's place on my currently airing anime list.

A lot of their similarity is due to their use of lighting as well. Hanasaku Iroha and Chihayafuru both employ styles that end up looking like HDR lighting while most anime settle with bloom, if at all.

So Taichi is just smart, Chihaya has uber reflexes and dedication, while Arata is god world-class memory plus lots of practice.

It'll be interesting to see them match up again in the inevitable adult tournament, though the winning (or rival) pair will obviously be Chihaya and Arata. I won't mind seeing some romance issues down the track to add a bit more depth to this (like how the boys' situations created a bit of drama here), but an all-out romance focus would suck. Something like this episode where it's wrapped up in 20 minutes would be ideal.

[shinta|hikari]

Chihaya's main asset is her super hearing. Her reflexes are there to make use of that.