My, it’s summer again, meaning my laptop will overheat more often and that I will have even more troubles watching anime, yes! (I’m French, I love complaining)
Now though let’s go back to the main topic, this week is Chihayafuru week! Chihayafuru is an anime about karuta, a Japanese card game when you need to take cards from your adversary according to which is read by the reader. These are the basics, for more rules, watch the anime. In Chihayafuru, the heroine is a big fan of karuta and her dream is to become the best player in Japan. She establishes a club in her high school, recruits some players and then we’re transported into a world of youth adventures and karuta. But mostly karuta.
The plot seems a bit strange when you read it like that, and I’ll admit that I was a bit skeptical at first. I mean, it was presented like a sports anime with a shoujo side and about a card game? Really? But then I started watching and I discovered that while it was exactly what I thought it would be, well, it worked. I am still pretty baffled by the fact it managed to treat the subject of karuta as an actual sport anime with its endless (but never boring) matches and its training and its unbeatable rivals. It made me want to play karuta (and I have cards! They give them away in the French manga edition).
And, while it gave me shoujo vibes at the beginning, mostly in terms of art style, I am pretty happy that the whole romance aspect is forgettable while still being present sometimes (then again, if I had checked earlier I’d have realized it’s a josei and thus easier to get into).
I really liked how Chihayafuru manages to mix up one of the traditional aspects of Japan (meaning, the collection of the hundred poems and karuta) with the modern life, in a way it embodies one of the thing I really like about Japan.
As far as characters are concerned, I fell in love with Chihaya. I don’t even really know why, I mean, she is a pretty average girl, she’s pretty but clumsy and can only think about karuta, but that what’s pretty cute about her. I also not-so-obviously fell in love with Mashima. I don’t usually like this kind of perfect character but while Mashima is indeed perfect he is because he works hard and that is also pretty cute. Same goes with Arata, except he does it in a more sneaky way, so sneaky he felt like a genius until the last episode of the second season. Guess that is why I loved him as well.
Actually, I loved everyone, absolutely everyone, there is not a single character I disliked in this anime, all of them have that little thing about them that makes them interesting. I honestly thought I would dislike Hanano but even she had that little something I grew found of.
I cannot stop without saying a little word on the seiyuu, they were all so awesome! (I needed to say it.)
In short, just go watch Chihayafuru, I think many members of the team will agree with me.
