oops, sorry, the HorribleSubs-website is kinda messed up for me atm
Wtf, Shinobu. Too much ice cream is too much! I can't even consider her a robot anymore.
This episode managed to be mildly exciting despite the players being people I don't care for. If the next, last, ep shows the end of the King final, I guess there won't be any time left for anything much else anymore. As outrageous as it is, there won't be a match between Arata and Chihaya, leaving us forever in the dark about their relative skills levels.
Last edited by Kraco; Wed, 03-21-2012 at 03:42 AM. Reason: I keep writing the name wrong.
Yes, but Shinobu finally got a personality. It's interesting that she and Kana are so opposite, yet so alike. Both are in love with the material, rather than the game. Kana loves the poems, Shinobu loved the pictures, or the cards themselves. Her weight gain also seems to fit with her newfound personality. For someone who as a child would seek out the scattered 100 cards, it would carry that she would eat however many ice creams it took to get the super-rare item(s) of her favorite niche character.
She's a bit more human now, and Chihaya displayed an alarming level of insight for someone so dense. While the audience had to learn all this through flashbacks, Chihaya learned it through careful observation and the slow-motion replays of Shinobu's play style.
It is also intriguing that Shinobu finds Hisashi repellent. Certainly not an emotion we would expect to see out of her. Yet, it was pretty obvious he was actively matching the score differential of the Queen match, as if to shove it in the two girl's faces that he is that much better than they are, he can simply control the game however he wishes. Perhaps the previously-robotic Shinobu is disgusted that he's more egotistical, and has no love for the game. He's willing to throw a domination victory away for the sake of displaying he's superior in every way to Shinobu. Not only is he mocking her with the scores, he also hit her with that card, seemingly deliberately. He has no love for the cards or poems, only his display of skill. No wonder she hates him.
Of course, no episode of this series would be complete without a little humor (and Chihaya Reaction Faces), and Chihaya being harassed by Taichi's mother certainly covers that angle.
Episode 25 Final - HS
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I'd say this was a very good last episode, considering the series, but I'm too pissed off by the lack of a Chihaya vs Arata match. I suppose they simply ended the anime at a totally random point of the manga and thus from an artistic or narrative point of view this is cool - the mangaka is (or was) simply saving it for a later time that will work well in the manga, but it ruined much of this anime show for me. As much as I enjoyed this, and consider this easily a top show ending this season, it still makes this feel disastrously incomplete on its own. Like any canned story without an ending of any kind. Yeah, I don't care about the Master/Queen match in that sense, only the omission of the C vs A match.
Yumi's sensei is annoying, but he did have a very good opinion of the waste of having such a master and queen with little prospects of becoming teachers themselves.
Taichi becoming a sadist was funny. He totally has the personality and looks for it.
With the series ending in a "random" spot, there's hope that it will get a second season if it is popular enough. The manga is surely well ahead at 16 ongoing volumes. It's the kind of series with mass appeal too, so I'm keeping my hopes high.
I felt like the true climax this episode was Deskmoto telling Chihaya that she has 20 first syllable cards. She was pretty downtrodden after watching the Master and his supposed 28 singly syllable cards. If she has 20, that means she has a strong chance of dominating any given match, especially now that she's got a handle on managing her speed to reduce the number of faults she has.
The other important point for me at least, was Taichi realizing that Arata doesn't think of himself, or anyone really as a genius. There are many strategies, many ways to win at karuta. Chihaya saw this in her own way by facing powerful opponents. You only have to make sure that you get to the card first. The how isn't important. Now Taichi has learned he doesn't need super-human hearing, insane focus, or spending all his brainpower trying to remember which cards have been read already (and thus treat remaining cards as single-syllable cards). He can use a combination of these skills, and make up for his lack of pure speed, and or other specialized skills.
If it is possible to have a three separate climax moments in an episode, it was Kana seeing that competitive karuta still has a subtle reverence for the poems themselves, as long as they are read in a way that evokes the whole poem. It can be abbreviated, the reader is still imagining the rest of the poem in his/her head. It allowed Kana to make peace with her perceived rift between playing and reading. Which tied nicely into the next bit, as I also gained great amusement at Kana's ORZ moment learning she had to become A-class anyway. There is no avoiding getting good at karuta for Kana.
I was similarly amused at the Empress' vehement defense of the karuta club. That was a bit cruel on the school staff's part. Demanding five new members, or they give it to the band, who can certainly cram into a classroom. The karuta club's room really isn't that big, unless the building has a much larger storage room we hadn't seen.
Great show. Far and away the best show ending this season.
So thereīs no second season confirmed? Bummer.
Really enjoyed the whole show, not a single boring episode. Initially I feared that is would be a shallow romance anime, featuring a stereotypical love-triangle between Chihaya and Arata/Taichi. But it turned out to be a much more Shounen-like experience, though with a more delicate approach.
Iīd love to see more, especially from Taichi and Arata. Chihaya is the main character, but she already dueled the current queen and didnīt seem too much weaker than her, so Iīm not that interested in her progression - sheīs already at the top. Meanwhile, the current meijin seems invincible, but both Taichi and Arata seem to be extremely passionate about becoming stronger. Worst omission is a fully-featured Arata-match. Afaik the only one we got, after the time skip, was one he lost, because he had just returned to playing Karuta. He seemed to be a real prodigy, so I really wanted to see him playing after he got back into the game.
If I had to name one complain, itīd be the steep, narrow power up, or power levels. I mentioned it in an older posting, but maybe itīs the fault of the time skip. Anyway, with Chihaya having already fought the queen, it feels like the world of Karuta is a very small one. 16 volumes you say, Ryll? I wonder what all those volumes are filled with.
And again, aaanyway: Great anime, bit of a random ending, but highly enjoyable.
I was never fixated on a Arata vs anyone-else match, so this ending point was as good as any for me. As Ryll pointed out, there were plenty of parts here that made for a suitable climax.
This episode had our main characters see the peak of Karuta for the first time (or the first time that it really mattered anyway), and at the same time made them realise how steep a climb that peak will be. Regardless of that fact, they mustered the resolve to head towards that instead of turning back (be it qualifying for Master/Queen or just Class A). With an ending like that, I really can't complain.
A second season would definitely be welcome. Chihaya's hot, so I'll always look forward to more of her, but more than anything I want to see how much more S Taichi gets. xD (It's funny because I can't imagine being more S will win points from Chihaya, but he'll do it anyway).
Deskmoto will need to build up some of his own skills before he can utilize that scholar-brain of his to his own benefit, otherwise he'll just be the data centre for the team. If this club had a manager/coach roll, it would be him.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
WTf
NICE
Didnīt expect a second season for this anime. Were happy about that news.
Holy muthafucking shit! I seriously wouldn't have expected to see this kind of news outside of April 1.
Fantastic news.
S2 Episode 1 720p | 1080p - HS
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I'm satisfied with this beginning of a season. While I can't say I'd be interested in any of the characters aside from the main ones from the first season, adding first years is essential in the bigger picture. They are a school club, after all, and constantly on the brink of destruction due to low numbers. So, even if this takes time away from high profile matches, it's still much needed. And I won't actually mind n00b matches either, should some of the newbies actually stick around to play now that they noticed they can't simply loiter in the club room ogling Chihaya and Taichi. A match is a match and good as long as both participants give it their all (and their levels aren't too far apart).
Hmm, I don't know if I agree, because I thought Sumire was a great addition to the cast. She is a refreshing bit of "normal" to contrast the two karuta-obsessed female members of the club. Sure, she's crazy in her own way, but between the, "I'm the ideal shoujo heroine" scene, tearing up over her own type of poem, and madly chasing after Taichi only to be shot down in the same episode, she's exactly the type of character who might grow to love karuta on a secondary basis, rather than liking it beforehand. That makes her more like Deskmoto, who was dragged into it, but found his place.
Aesthetically, she plays off Chihaya as well, considering she cares about her youth and physical attractiveness, whereas Chihaya is "Beauty in Vain." Sumire puts effort into her appearance and looks "above average" according to herself, while Chihaya miraculously resembles her model sister, but doesn't care about her looks or general style (any stylish clothing is 100% hand-me-downs from Chitose, given away after being worn once or twice).
Besides the fox-faced guy who will obviously get his own episode shortly, the other 18 members obviously aren't going to stay, especially after they find out that Taichi won't even be there two days a week, nor will they be allowed to participate in tournaments unless they are good enough. Maybe a token set of 3 or 4 will stay so that the karuta club can keep the room, but they'll just be playing the easier, more casual versions of karuta I'm sure.
This episode did not disappoint though. I smirked and chuckled throughout.
Last edited by Ryllharu; Fri, 01-11-2013 at 09:50 PM. Reason: formatting
If she starts to play, she will be a great addition. But I'm not sure I'd want a character who doesn't play, yet would still chase Taichi and possibly make light of karuta.Originally Posted by Ryllharu
If she broke out into tears, she will at least look into reading more of the poems, so that's a good step in the right direction. She's also chasing after Taichi and following him to the society. I don't think she would dare make light of karuta once she sees how much Taichi enjoys it. It would ruin her chances (slim as they are). She might later in a fit of frustration, but I'm certain Chihaya can win her over.
On an unrelated note, I want to see more Chitose this season. She's a more complex character than they let on at the beginning, considering her major reason for becoming a model is to pay off the mortgage on the house. She deserves a little screen time. Maybe her bossing Chihaya around or even cheering her on a little.
Same with Shinobu now that we saw the Meister and how much she hates him. She's not just a karuta robot that we first thought.
What I want to see is the bloody Arata vs Chihaya match. Everything else is secondary.
You mean Arata vs Taichi, yes.
@episode 1: Enjoyable, but nothing special. I actually find myself rooting for Sumire in her quest of making Taichi fall for her. A beauty like Chihaya not realizing how pretty she is, is rather annoying. Itīs the kind of girls that get anything without having to put effort in it. Sumireīs "I want to have a choice, too!" made my like her.
And yes, obviously the grey haired first-year is gonna join the main cast.
Not at the moment. I at least hope Arata is still closer to Chihaya skills wise, not Taichi. That's why I, in fact, wouldn't really want to see Arata beat Taichi. A match with Chihaya could go either way realistically, and I'd be happy with either outcome. But Taichi beating Arata right now would basically remove Arata from the picture completely, which would be a catastrophe as far as I'm concerned.
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