Chihayafuru

[MFauli]

I don´t disagree with anything you said. I just hate that a character like Nikuman is destined to always "stay behind". Really, same goes for probably all of the other team members, be it Taichi, Desktomu-kun, Boob-girl or the two younglings. They won´t ever get the chance to overcome the "chosen". I remember watching Prince of Tennis, and actually hated how Ryoma would ALWAYS win. Everyone was second to him, without fail. Frustrating. I´d love to see more anime with a balanced main cast. Which is why I like Gantz, which is why I (so far) like Shingeki no Kyojin.

It´s easier to bear the "chosen one"-dilemma in straight forward shounen-series. But in anime like this one, where there´s a team, it´s easy to turn sour. And that´s what´s happening to me right now, after having watched Nikuman-kun losing to Arata. You don´t have to agree with that, it´s just how I feel about it.

[Ryllharu]

I remember watching Prince of Tennis, and actually hated how Ryoma would ALWAYS win. Everyone was second to him, without fail. Frustrating. I´d love to see more anime with a balanced main cast.

Read Happy! and I think you'll find something agreeable. If you're not sure about picking it up, this is the guy who wrote Monster.

Though I agree with you that Nikuman's level of experience should have him winning more. For him, there are only easy victories or crushing losses. Whenever he loses, they focus on it, but when he's easily securing a win, they push him to the sidelines.

But don't forget that he got out of A-class pretty easily after taking a break for a few years because Arata was routinely beating him. Taichi is still stuck in B-class, because Nikuman is a better player. He's good, but he doesn't have a lot of skills that help him power through against unfamiliar or unconventional opponents.

[Buffalobiian]

I don't get Nikuman's skill. "You can methodically guess where cards are." <-- wtf?

[Ryllharu]

To a degree. He doesn't mean where the exact card will be, he means quadrant at best. People will place their own single-syllable cards near their dominant hand, as will the opponent. The high syllable cards will be pushed to the far corners. Play enough games, play against multiple people from the same schools or karuta societies, and he started to recognize similarities and common placement strategies.

As for which cards will be read next? That's pure superstitious bullshit. That's like thinking the number 47 has some huge significance because you keep seeing it all the time, when in reality you're just manufacturing a pattern out of it because you keep noticing it under the belief that it has significance. It's like a self-reinforcing delusion.

[Kraco]

Episode 22 - HS




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Even injured, I thought Chihaya could get a few cards more. I expected quite a loss, but still Chihaya saving a bunch of cards from her own side. I thought she would let go some of the restraint and go for more pure speed, even risking faults, especially after she noted Shinobu is holding herself back to absolutely avoid faults. But in the end, I think the pain did beat Chihaya. It takes more than a high school kid has to be able to ignore it, and even milliseconds mattered in this match.

We never learned how Arata fared (other than that he seemed to dominate the beginning, I believe), but at least we got to see Taichi getting to the A class. He still, probably, has a long way to the top. I don't think a slight change in attitude is all it takes, even if it took him from B to A. But of course the road is open now. He just needs to develop a killer technique like the other monsters have.

Edit: I bet Taichi will be secretly exceedingly glad Chihaya didn't get a chance to play against Arata. After all, Chihaya defines her human relations through a karuta filter.

[Ryllharu]

I felt bad for Sumire. I think with all the "karuta freaks" around, we could use a little more of a normal person's entry into the game.

As always, Chihaya and Shinobu are two of a kind. I was a little disappointed that Chihaya didn't say, "When my finger heals, come over to my place," but instead implied that Shinobu has to wait until Chihaya is good enough to beat Megumu or even Yumin again. Not cool Chihaya. Missed opportunity to make Shinobu your super best friend/rival. Chihaya could've earned a valuable practice partner by directly playing her over and over again, and Shinobu would have gained an opponent who would never get discouraged no matter how many times she loses or how badly.

[Kraco]

I was a little disappointed that Chihaya didn't say, "When my finger heals, come over to my place," but instead implied that Shinobu has to wait until Chihaya is good enough to beat Megumu or even Yumin again. Not cool Chihaya. Missed opportunity to make Shinobu your super best friend/rival.

Come on, she hasn't even invited Arata over, despite having visited Arata's place. How on Earth would she have suddenly become so smooth and smart talker she could have told Shinobu that? Instead she uttered the most obvious place of meeting they ought to meet at even if they were enemies now. That fits Chihaya's personality.

Sumire needs to get serious. Perhaps she now will. I bet there were genuinely serious people there, and she had no right to win them yet.

[MFauli]

Worst match in the entire series so far. Not fun, not interesting, not exciting. I don´t care that she took Shinobu´s best card, Chihaya sucked.

Almost decided to fastforward, that´s how irritatingly bad this shit was.

Oh well, at least it´s Taichi-time now.

[Buffalobiian]

Worst match in the entire series so far. Not fun, not interesting, not exciting. I don´t care that she took Shinobu´s best card, Chihaya sucked.

At least she lost though, without any BS "get freaked out in the first half only to recover" plotline.

Taichi still has one more match to play next in order to win his Class B tournament, so yeah.. hopefully we'll get to see a match with him in it. I'd better be packed with internal monologues. I actually like it when he's all pissed with himself and shit.

[shinta|hikari]

Did anyone really expect Chihaya to perform any better than she did? Shinobu owning her was a foregone conclusion. Getting 2 cards was pretty apt in her situation, with the injured finger and no handicap from Shinobu.

I loved every moment of that match. Shinobu's style is really awesome. It is a display of mastery, not simple talent or potential. It shows finesse, not just speed or passion. She really deserves the title of queen, no matter how stupid her aesthetic sense is.

Chihaya pulling up her shirt like that in the middle of a room filled with people was so like her. The fact that Shinobu did not give a damn about propriety and simply ogled the rare shirt was also just like her. Those two can become best friends, that is until they realize they both like Arata.

@Buff - I can't really say I understand your preference this time, but that's cool.

[Buffalobiian]

@Buff - I can't really say I understand your preference this time, but that's cool.

Well, I just like Taichi - and when he's pissed at himself he's sort of self-reflecting, so that's cool. When he's doing that, he's also not having dark thoughts about Arata (and if he's stricly self-criticising, then he's looking at his own faults instead of comparing himself to Arata) which is also nice to watch.

I don't really dislike his jealousy though. While those thoughts aren't something to be proud of, they do give a human aspect. It's also interesting to see how far he can reject them or keep himself composed.

[shinta|hikari]

I am fine with jealousy. It is his petty and deceptive nature that irks me. If he had been more straightforward with his feelings and his "competition" with Arata, it might have worked out better for him, and made him more likable at the same time.

Shinobu vs Arata for the finals!!! Bets are on.

[Buffalobiian]

Shinobu vs Arata for the finals!!! Bets are on.

I'm expecting a Taichi vs Arata battle at the Master tournament, but I'm not sure I want to watch it.

[Kraco]

Episode 23 - HS




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Taichi winning was a foregone conclusion, yet as opposed to how I expected, I didn't spend all the time hoping the camera would return to the far more interesting match of Arata vs Shinobu. Perhaps it was largely due to logic telling Chihaya watching Taichi's match would keep the scene there, but I can't claim the match itself wouldn't have been somewhat interesting as well. Taichi really seems like he has dropped some invisible shackles and this is his real level. Even though he almost lost it due to Chihaya being Chihaya. I can't believe she couldn't even keep it together to be able to hurry to the Class A room. It's obvious she wants to be there, but she's so fricking irregular that it can't be helped.

Arata really is playing the cool guy role here. He's shaking Shinobu pretty badly by those smiles and those nonchalant remarks. There's zero stress visible on him. Shinobu doesn't really look like she especially wants to crush her opponents by her fame, but on the other hand she does look down on everybody nonetheless. Perhaps not Arata, but that only makes her more vulnerable to his attacks. I guess Arata's grandfather's performance and behavior were quite similar to Arata's now. In the end he's really enjoying the game, no matter how daunting the opponent should be, no matter the stakes, and that ought to help a lot. Taichi almost lost it because he thought about everything but the game, but I don't think that error is even possible for Arata.

A very short episode in subjective time.

[MFauli]

Wow, I would have been sooo mad if Taichi had lost the match because of Chihaya´s idiocy ruining his mental balance. Not that this would have been Taichi´s fault, too, but seriously ... ugh.
Though I´m still pissed that his play style and attitude changed because of that. When he was like "What am I even doing here?", he reminded me of Suo. Would have been nice if Taichi turned into another delinquent Karuta player.

And nobody cares for Desktomu Hope he won his final, too.

What felt fresh was how Arata broke Shinobu´s cool. Really liked that. The oh-so composed queen lost her firm attitude. Would be interesting to see how she´d react if Arata beat her by a crushing difference in cards.

[Buffalobiian]

Wow, I would have been sooo mad if Taichi had lost the match because of Chihaya´s idiocy ruining his mental balance. Not that this would have been Taichi´s fault, too, but seriously ... ugh.
Though I´m still pissed that his play style and attitude changed because of that. When he was like "What am I even doing here?", he reminded me of Suo. Would have been nice if Taichi turned into another delinquent Karuta player.

edit: at first, "compare her to Chihaya" seemed to me it'd do more harm than good, given she's his biggest distraction

I would have been super-pissed as well if Taichi lost because Chihaya came into the room, but at the same time I can't blame her because she's not the sole reason - Taichi lost all those other B-tournaments in the past that he snuck off to as well. When he said that he tensed up because he was treating the opponent like Suo, I immediately thought the solution was to treat himself like Suo (along the lines of you hoping he'd be like him too, I think). Thinking back now, that's a pretty absurd thought. Their strengths are completely different.

Arata vs Shinobu.. I'm thinking it'll turn out like the B-tourament. Arata won't be able to beat Shinobu head-on against the one-syllable cards. His "cross" method is obviously legal now, but I wonder what stops people from keeping their hand over the field? Does the reader have to start saying the actual poem before they're allowed to move their hands from the mat? If so, Arata can't match Shinobu on the 1st-syllable cards (just like Taichi), but he'll move as soon as she speaks anyway, so that when the syllables are read his hand's already on the field to take them all (whereas Taichi has to use his memory and positioning instead).

edit: watched that part again. Arata can wipe the floor with her. He actually matches her speed.

How Taichi is supposed to beat Arata when Arata's a monster, I don't know.. but I'm glad they threw in that he's ready to take down talent. It makes me hopeful.

edit2: what finished this episode was that Taichi and Chihaya ended up looking after each other's interests more than their own.

/waves-Taichi/Chihaya-shipping-banner.

[Kraco]

How Taichi is supposed to beat Arata when Arata's a monster, I don't know.. but I'm glad they threw in that he's ready to take down talent. It makes me hopeful.

He has got ways to go. Forgetting Nikuman, Chihaya has been in the A class for a long while now, yet I don't think she's ready to seriously face Shinobu - or Arata. Taichi doesn't even have any super hearing. He has his tactics, but this episode showed us Arata was taught tactics by no less than the Eternal Master himself. Taichi also needs more speed. I'd say he has still other people and obstacles to conquer before he's in a place to dream of crushing Arata.

If Chihaya can get her head together, she would be an interesting opponent for Arata. Aside from a physical injury, her greatest weakness undoubtly lies inside her brain that loses focus too easily. Though maybe she fares a bit better in the individual tournament in that regard, unless it was just the fewer episodes that made it look like that.

[Buffalobiian]

He has got ways to go. Forgetting Nikuman, Chihaya has been in the A class for a long while now, yet I don't think she's ready to seriously face Shinobu - or Arata. Taichi doesn't even have any super hearing. He has his tactics, but this episode showed us Arata was taught tactics by no less than the Eternal Master himself. Taichi also needs more speed. I'd say he has still other people and obstacles to conquer before he's in a place to dream of crushing Arata.

That's why I never liked that his only talent (memorisation) doesn't seem to affect other people. Neither Arata, Shinobu, Suo nor Chihaya (recently) seem to fault on screen anymore. It makes it hard to visualise Taichi getting the upper hand against them whey they seemingly have the same memorisation ability as him. The exception is perhaps knowing which long syllable cards are read such that the remaining ones can become 1 or 2 syllables effectively.

Tiger Woods is often the best in the world not because he plays heaps of awesome games, but because he avoids playing badly. Taichi's talents could arguably put him up there, but no one seems to play badly. Everyone else is warring over speed and precision as if they won't commit faults.

[Xelbair]

Memorization, in Taiichi's case, helps achieve greater speed - you can hear 2 or 3 sylabe card, but you can react on 1st one - because you know that other cards with such sylabe have been read. You can also quickly calculate probability of card with XYZ sylabe being read and focus on the one with highest probability.

[MFauli]

To be honest, I could see Taichi´s "special move" become his imagination of being someone else. Buff touched upon that topic. So Taichi can just flip a switch and imagine his opponent being Chihaya. Now let him indeed imagine to bee Suo ... what would happen? Sure, it´s unrealistic to actually match those "images´" capabilies. But it could get him close, maybe even match them, only with a higher error margin.
It´s be a speciality befitting Taichi, who´s all about his brains. He´s like a computer that keeps gathering EVERYTHING. That´s why he´s the best at memorizing cards. Let him memorize Suo and ... start playing like him.

:>