Chihayafuru

?Impassionate gods have never seen crimson that lies in the Tatsuta River?

The poetry of Ariwara Narihira tries to express too much content in too few words. It resembles a faded flower with a lingering fragrance.

This is a quote that I think applies well to Chihayafuru S1, because the story is so densely packed that it should be (and was) told across multiple seasons. Despite this, I think this show does an excellent job of describing and depicting the emotions of competing and how relationships can persist and evolve over time.

#Plot (8.5/10)

The plot of Chihayafuru is simple and straightforward. Being simple is not a bad thing however, as evident by Chihiya’s one-track Karuta mind.

Karuta was not something I was familiar with prior to watching this, but as someone who has played multiple sports, the feeling of competition, frustration, and wanting to grow as a player was immediately palpable. I think Chihiya’s initial goal to find Arata again using Karuta worked well to initiate the story, which then evolved into her own passion and goals over the course of the season. As mentioned in a previous review, this is a “sports” anime that even non-sports lovers can enjoy.

#World/Setting (8/10)

As with most sport anime, the setting is not often varied by nature of the sport the characters are playing. That said, I think the show does an excellent job building out the “world” of Karuta, and introducing different competitions, milestones, and goals within the sport. It also does what it can to vary the location of the Karuta matches themselves, so that we don’t find the characters in the exact same location every time.

#Characters (9/10)

For me, this section is where the show shined the most. Seeing the Mizusawa team grow as players was rewarding and entertaining. Outside of the standouts Chihaya and Taichi, one of my favorite moments was Kana securing her first legitimate victory and how emotional it was. Again, anyone who has played a competitive sport or activity can understand the grind that comes with improving and how it feels for that grind to be rewarded. It was particularly enthralling seeing Desktomu-kun congratulating her as well.

Outside of this, I think Taichi’s character was the most individually interesting, in how he seemed to mature as the season progressed.

Doctor, I’m not so much focused on making Class A, as I’m focused on becoming someone who doesn’t run away.

Taichi started out as a rich brat who was trying to flex to impress the girl he was crushing on. I believe that truly losing for the first time (to Arata) is what spurred his transformation, which is them amplified after reuniting with Chihiya in highschool. Arata serves as a foil to Taichi, even if he doesn’t really know it, and pushed him to no longer be embarrassed about appearances, and to push himself to achieve what he really wants (which Kana seems to be the only one aware of this). By the end of the season, he’s seen practicing his swings in order to reach Class A and truly compete with his rivals.

Chihiya was a character I thought I’d get tired of quickly, but honestly there was a great balance of airhead and pure focus. The comedic aspects were well timed, and I don’t think any of them took away from the “main event” that is her playing Karuta. I expect to see more of her development (as well as Arata’s) in subsequent seasons.

#Visuals (7.8/10)

Nothing crazy here, I think the show looked good. No truly stand out animation, but the animation was consistent throughout, which isn’t always the case.

#OP/ED/OST (7.8/10)

Similarly, nothing stuck out to me. Not bad, but not very memorable either

#Enjoyment (9/10)

Chihiyafuru is really only the second sports anime I really really enjoyed, which is important as someone who doesn’t watch much of this genre. The first of which was Bluelock, but I’ve played soccer and been a fan since I was a kid. And I think the beauty of Chihiyafuru is that although the sport is integral to the plot, the drama and romantic undertones are almost at the forefront, making the show really accessible. If you had told me that I should check out a show about reading poems, I’m not really confident I would have given it the time of day. But Chihiyafuru has opened my mind to the possibilities of other lesser known sports succeeding in anime form (something like Burning Kabaddi). I’m excited to watch more of this, and expect to see even more development out of the main characters.