We'll forgive you. You are French, a people with no sense for poetry!Originally Posted by David75
We'll forgive you. You are French, a people with no sense for poetry!
Episode 9 - HS
- - - - - --
Holy shit, Arata... I honestly wouldn't have predicted this even if I had earlier sat down for two hours to try to come up with stuff that might happen in this episode. It was just so much out in left field. Still, I'd be pretty surprised if they are so nazis they would disqualify him. After all, there was hardly any damage done with the team losing anyway. It was kind of like a practice match for Arata, nothing more, and with their team winning, the same goes for his opponent. I'd expect there would be a far larger fuss if they announced the next day he has been kicked out of the individual matches. I bet lots of people were looking forward to seeing his games as well as playing against him.
And Shinobu... Will she skip the tournament to watch the birdman event? That would be too funny.
Comes down to a principle thing, really. Is it the idea that you shoiuldn't cheat the system or disrespect it that counts, or is it simply the damage that counts?
It would actually be interesting if he was barred from the tournament, which would send a huge shock to Shinobu and force her to ponder why Arata would risk his chances to participate in a team event. She might even quit the tournament halfway to go watch the birdman event after learning of the fact.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
The Shinobu parts were the best part of this episode. I wasn't really engaged by the match or what understanding Arata got out of it. He could have come to the same conclusion if he just thought harder about what Shinobu had said to him about team matches.
They're remarkably similar, with the notable difference that Arata once played as part of a team, and Shinobu never has.
Omg, I think Iīm turning into a complete wuss. I actually had tears of joy in my eyes when Arata put on his glasses and started playing for real. Such an awesome scene, both thematically, visually and in terms of music. <3
That guy would be a real ass if he banned Arata from the single tournament, though.
Well, this is a traditionnal game that carries an heavy weight of tradition and culture. Also, the age average seems a little high.
So I'd say the context would have us witness a harsh decision against Arata.
Even if the Karuta federation would like to be somewhat less severe, lots of people witnessed Arata playing in that team, so it leaves little room for an escape.
After all, Arata must have been wishing for disqualification. He knew the risks and still decided to play his usual skills. He even decided to unmask himself in front of everyone instead of doing it like 5 minutes later, far from the playground...
In the end, I guess they'll find out some kind of punishment that will satisfy everyone... or at least be in line with the rules, and have him still play the individual matches.
On a totally different note, I really would love to have some of the players train with cards reversed again. That was awesome.
Also, I thought LASIK was more for older people (like over 50 or 60), when your eyesight is a lot more stable, as you have a limited number of correction you can perform. So I was a little surprised a high-schooler would have had one.
All the things I really like to do are either illegal, immoral, or fattening. And then: Golf.
You are generally not supposed to have LASIK or PRK until you are at least 18, or the doctor has decided your eyes have stabilized (a few years after that).
Yeah, that is kinda weird. Maybe Japan just doesn't care.
Who's had LASIK? Unless I missed someone else, the point was that Arata couldn't see without his glasses..
edit@below: oooh, him.
Last edited by Buffalobiian; Sat, 03-09-2013 at 10:52 AM.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
The third guy in the team, the one who almost never spoke.
About him, the captain said he even had LASIK for the tournament.
All the things I really like to do are either illegal, immoral, or fattening. And then: Golf.
Fuck Chihaya. Arata X Shinobu is perfect.
Arata is awesome for risking everything on that match. That is what separates him from Taichi.
Peace.
If only.
But projecting through Taichi will have to do.
[Shin-S] Chihayafuru 2 OP Single - STAR (FLAC) [99RadioService].zip
[Shin-S] Chihayafuru 2 OP Single - STAR [99RadioService].zip
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
Episode 10 - HS
- - - - - - - - --
When it started to look like Arata won't get an automatic amnesty, I began to expect Shinobu's appearance and ultimatum. That's exactly what you'd get from an excentric like Shinobu, but such things certainly don't suit a gentleman like Arata. Nevertheless, I reckon it'd be quite outlandish if he's not half-forced to swallow his stupid pride and accept a null punishment and a chance to play. God knows this story has avoided showing his games for too long already. I still wouldn't bet Bill's second pair of headphones on an Arata-Chihaya match happening during this tournament, but at the very least I hope Chihaya will be able to watch one of his matches (and vice versa).
Anyway, as much as I like this show, I still must say that this episode didn't really move the plot anywhere. Arata's fate remains unknown and Chihaya's team played against another weird team of ambiguous importance.
The development was really in the short side-scenes more than anything. First, Sumire's seemingly useless notes were praised by Deskmoto. He seemed to be able to glean quite a bit of information from Sumire's personality-only notes. Of course, that backfired on her a bit once she said that she didn't really care about playing, and didn't feel she had the fighting spirit to compete (implying Deskmoto does). That seemed to hit him in a raw spot. It appears that is what Nikuman was getting at during the end sequence/cliffhanger. Deskmoto isn't really improving, he's already plateaued. But what he excels at is strategizing and guidance, but he falls flat at the implementation of those strategies, because either his heart isn't in the actual play, or his skill level just isn't there.
That's a sad state of affairs if it is indeed the case, because this series has always hit on the fact that someone can always get better, and there are dozens of ways to play competitively and at least get to A-rank. I guess I just can't see how Kana can usually be within ten cards of winning routinely with her unconventional, emotional-connection playstyle, while Deskmoto's intellectual style fails. He's like an even more strategic, but slower version of Taichi. How can than not be productive in the long run?
The other small but important part of the episode was of course, Shinobu's role and Arata's ban. The officials really want to find an excuse to let him play with just a slap of the wrist, but he's so damn hardheaded that the Queen herself was forced to intervene.
Shinobu has really grown as a chararacter as they've slowly peeled away her aloof, robotic personality, and gave her a real personality. She's still a weirdo, but so is Chihaya. They're basically a perfect match for each other. Plus, I find her accent irresistible the more lines they give her. She hasn't really changed, but she's blossoming with each quirk they introduce.
It's hilarious she treats Arata like a little brother or an ex-boyfriend.
Personally, I expect that Arata and Shinobu play in the final match in the individual tournament, but I hope that they get paired right away, with Arata getting taken down. Then they could have Shinobu facing off against Chihaya again, with Chihaya closing the gap substantially this time. It's not hard to see that Shinobu only has eyes for two other people, Arata and the current Master. Playing match that didn't result in her overwhelming victory would make Shinobu pay attention to Chihaya twice over. Once for having a connection to Arata, and another for giving her an actual rival in a few years. I want Chihaya and Shinobu to be friend-rivals. Shinobu needs a female friend, and they share a lot of interests.
Kana's playstyle makes no sense. I'll give her the benefit of doubt that she can memorise cards' playing positions better by categorising them into small groups, but you still have to know which cards are where. The whole "cards light up as a different colour when I attach emotions to them" doesn't make any sense when you think about it.
Taichi became more physical as a result of training, but I'd say his true difference to Deskmoto lies more in his intellectual focus. Deskmoto relies on knowing his opponent's strengths/weaknesses, and pairing that with his own in order to get the upper hand. Taichi is observant, but in the end it doesn't mean too much. His perfect memory means he only needs to focus on his own accuracy and speed to boost his own performance regardless of what the opponent does.
It annoys me a little when I see Taichi deliberately avoiding conversations about Arata while using "Chihaya distraction" as the reason. I'm not sure if he's aware that his being distracted is at least half the true reason, but at the same time it's natural that he's projecting his own feelings onto Chihaya all the same. She reacts and gets off-track when they mention him, after all. If she was any normal person, you'd certainly call it distraction.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
So, you wish that after all this ruckus Arata will get out of picture after his first match? Man, I don't understand all this Arata hatred... I admit Shinobu's stocks have raised immensely in my eyes during these last episodes and, in fact, I probably wouldn't rip Shinta's favourite poster off the wall anymore if Arata ended up with Shinobu, not with Chihaya (although Chihaya x Taichi would be a plain meh combination for me because I've found Taichi's personality annoying from the beginning).
He's good at masking his jealousy behind pretty words.
Who said that would put Arata out of the picture? He's still at the tournament. He'd be watching Chihaya the rest of the time and driving Taichi up the wall.
Arata losing isn't that much of a surprise, he's still out of practice, relatively. There are better players than him in Fukui (he lost the regional for the first time). Losing to Shinobu would be a foregone conclusion. Who knows, perhaps the opposite will occur, Shinobu losing to Arata, and the Karuta world will explode. Shinobu will get even more possessive of Arata, and then we'll see Chihaya scrambling the way Taichi does.
I've always been part of the Chihaya x Arata camp.
Yeah, right. The first time Chihaya and Taichi see him play after such a long time and he loses the first match and is out? All the buildup would be for nothing. He needs to beat somebody soundly in front of those two. Let him play Shinobu later. He's not a mysterious genius player, so getting better gradually would suit his image, but he shouldn't be any shounen underdog either.
Shinobu is a mysterious genius player, so her level of performance isn't set in stone but should fluctuate more.
After Shinobuīs blackmail attempt, I really hope the officials ban Arata from playing in this tournament. No, Im not anti-Arata, but itīd be such an extremely poor showing of these Karuta officials, if theyīd let themselves pressure by a little girl. Thatīs just not right, and itīs ten times worse than when Arataīs old school mate came rushing into the discussion room to explain things. Hope, Arata doesnīt accept that, and neither should the officials.
Chihaya was somewhat annoying. For one, because of how she loses focuses when some measy opponent does something unexpected. Come on, girl, youīre so skilled, just use that. As if itīd be that hard for her to just re-remember the new layout of the cards instantly. For second, her Arata-fanboying is sickening. Just shut it!
As far as pairings, Iīm for:
Taichi - Sumire
Chihaya - Deskmoto
Porky - Shinobu
Arata - Kana
Come at me!
Your inability to comprehend what you watch, on even a basic level, astounds me.
Shinbou is the current Queen, she just happens to be the youngest ever. Say what you want, but she has a tremendous influence over the game. The officials inferred that, noting that the current Master is a strong negative influence on the respect of the game, quite the opposite to Arata's grandfather. He is reason they are willing to be lenient toward someone of Arata's skill. On the other hand, they also mentioned that because he is Arata's lineage, it would be a good reason to make an example of him.
But, when it came down to it, any other Master would be an improvement over the current one. At least Shinobu is a polite and composed Queen, despite being a weirdo.
As for your remarks about Chihaya, you illustrated quite adequately that you don't even pay attention beyond learning their names.
The only thing astounding here is your random rage, lol.
Ironically, you failed to understand the intent of my posting, rather spectacularly, too.
It shouldnīt matter WHO Arata is. He broke the rules, he should suffer the consequences. The sheer fact that the officials were even having a conference about whether or not to punish him is ridiculous. Imagine a popular soccer player fouling another player of a rather unknown team - then the FIFA says "oh well, letīs not give him a red card, that would ruin the upcoming truly important games, wouldnt it!" Surely, you understand why thatīd be unfair, right? Or maybe you donīt ... :/
And I payed quite a lot attention towards Chihaya. Yes, you can interpret everything she did in another light, BUT the fact remains that she lost composure due to her opponents play style. Thatīs something that simply shouldnīt be happening anymore at this stage. At least, I find it tiresome for her to fall back into such state. Sheīs about to duel the queen. Come on.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
