THE BATTLE CONTINUES. As we return to Chihayafuru, Chihaya and Taichi remain locked in a finals bout that could dictate not just the course of their karuta fortunes, but also their personal relationship, and perhaps even their futures altogether. I don’t expect this battle to outright resolve any elements of this show’s central relationship drama, but it seems almost guaranteed to provoke meaningful changes on that front. Chihaya has never been forced to acknowledge Taichi so directly, and seeing the two of them up there has apparently provoked even Arata to find some small shard of jealousy within himself.
Beyond its emotional consequences, this bout has also been one of Chihayafuru’s most tactically gripping and aesthetically impressive matches so far, and I’m eager to get back to it. I preambled the heck out of this fight last time, so I hope you’ll forgive me if we dive directly into the action this time. LET’S GET TO THE MATCH!
Episode 7
“The storm blasts.” They really saved all the hype-as-fuck poem openings for this match, huh
Harada: “There are those who believe the effort you invest is more important than the results, but that’s incredibly stressful for both teachers and students.” Basically the story of Taichi and Harada so far. Each of them have worked as hard as anyone, for little tangible reward
“Thoughts like ‘I tried’ and ‘it was so hard’ can be blown away by the wind. ‘Results’ are a bedrock, a foundation that holds your efforts in place.” He’s not wrong. It is genuinely important to find joy in the process rather than just the result, but to stay motivated for committed training in a punishing sport like this, you need something more stable to hold onto, some lasting indicator that your efforts weren’t wasted. The rush of “almost getting there” has an unfortunate tendency to fade, compared to the unimpeachable solidity of “I did it”
Chihaya and Taichi’s performance has people already wondering at how they’ll do during the Master and Queen qualifier. While team karuta results might be dismissed as the result of a less competitive field, their performance here is undeniable
“And results will bring to you a powerful tailwind.” Also true. I wonder how our leads will handle being known quantities from now on; neither of them really have any interest in fame
Ooh, I love this soft focus shot of just the final card at rest on the tatami. After all that furious action, this quiet moment with all eyes trained in one direction. There is such an elegance to this sport
Chihaya wins! And what a victory it was, having come after defeating both the last Masters challenger and the five-time former Queen
Such a tough result for Taichi. He worked so hard for specifically this victory, and winning here meant far more for him than it did for Chihaya. I really wonder where his character will go from here – that match felt almost like his attempt at a confession to Chihaya
Kana reflects that it’s probably better for Chihaya’s public perception that she’s basically comatose right now
The Empress comes through once again, telling Chihaya that if she wants to skip the class trip, she’ll be on her side
And Chihaya’s mom arrives!
Aw, this is adorable. Upon being confronted by her mom, Chihaya finally lets out the childish insecurities and contradictions she’s been bottling up, as she sobs about wanting to both go on the class trip and also compete in the Queen match
“Taichi and I worked so hard!” At last, she can release all the tension of the day
And then we get this utterly brutal transition from Chihaya’s joyous “it was fun!” to Taichi alone in the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror. As a teenager who consistently managed to make his own life as joyless and anxiety-driven as possible, I continue to relate to Taichi’s incredibly self-defeating personality
Arata literally stops the faucet running in front of Taichi, echoing how his appearance here also interrupts Taichi’s rushing mental cycles
Taichi constantly hyper-focuses on his own feelings, but he’s not really able to productively engage with them, or set them aside to do what he needs to do. In contrast, Arata seems much more emotionally self-possessed, and is consciously, productively examining the feelings that match provoked in him
“I always thought of Chihaya as yours” OH SHIT
Taichi just cannot honestly engage with Chihaya, whatsoever. Even now, he thinks of Arata as equally close to her – and he’s not even necessarily wrong, because he himself is so unwilling to share his own emotional baggage with Chihaya. It’s a classic scenario, but no less maddening than ever – his fear of losing her prevents him from ever getting even an inch closer to her
“But she really doesn’t belong to anyone, does she?” Meanwhile, Arata is able to embrace a far healthier attitude
And so we jump to the class trip, which Chihaya has actually chosen to go on
It’s almost weird seeing these characters in the context of a conventional high school event. Does Chihaya even attend classes?
How did Chihaya even fit that Daddy Bear candy in her mouth
It looks like Taichi’s defeat really has drastically affected him. He called in sick to the Kyoto trip, and might be heading off to prove himself at the Masters all by himself. It’s the same thing he did last time he felt overwhelmed by his insecurities: throw himself into as many tournaments as possible, seeking both “training” and also more validation for all the work he’s done. Just like his relationship with Chihaya, he’s unable to really step back and fully assess his relationship with karuta; he’d rather simply “keep striving” than be honest with himself, and so he often ends up banging his head against a wall rather than addressing his core problems. More than any of the other characters, Taichi needs the validation of results that Harada was discussing
To be honest, it feels like at this point that neither this relationship nor this hobby are healthy pursuits for Taichi in any way. But I suppose that’s the stuff fun dramas are made of!
Chihaya can’t really enjoy Kyoto because she’s so worried about Taichi. Chihaya truly does love Taichi, and Arata too, but she still seems pretty emphatically karutasexual
Taichi claims he really does have a fever, but Nishida says his name is on the East Qualifiers list
“He’s trying to get ahead of me!” I love this response. Chihaya is so friggin’ oblivious to Taichi’s full motives, and can only parse his actions in terms of what she might do. Taichi’s probably at this tournament as much to avoid her as to compete for himself, but Chihaya just thinks “CLEVER PLOY, RIVAL”
Meanwhile, Hanano is being tortured by Tsukuba’s siblings. Thank you for the delivery of silly faces, Hanano
Harada can’t find any equally hardcore opponents to train with, but then Taichi shows up. I suppose Taichi’s laser-focused obsessions are actually pretty convenient for Harada
Ooh, lovely shot of the Kyoto skyline as we return to the trip
Chihaya says with tears in her eyes, “I never heard Taichi say he wanted to be the Master!” Chihaya’s a very oblivious person, but it seems she might be finally realizing how much Taichi keeps from her, and feeling rightly upset that he’s so unwilling to confide in his closest friend
Tsutomu points out that given Taichi’s theoretical career track, this is his last chance to really fully invest himself in karuta
Chihaya is suffering through a common feeling – being on vacation while anxious or unhappy, and thus feeling both anxious/unhappy, and also regretful that you’re not properly enjoying your vacation. Vacations can have the same negative energy as the holiday season, as the things you lack are brought into stark relief
Meanwhile, Arata’s also been off his game since the tournament
Arata’s relationship with his hometown friend Yuu is adorable. I’d watch their rural romcom – then again, I’d watch basically any low-key anime that takes place in rural Japan. There’s something about the atmosphere of shows like Flying Witch or Natsume’s Book of Friends that is so uniquely calming, something about the town they celebrate that really makes me feel welcome
Yuu successfully cheers Arata up. She’s a good girl Arata, take care of her!
SHINOBU’S NEW BATTLE ARMOR IS SO IMPRESSIVE. Oh my god this girl’s fashion sense
And Done
AW SHIT, IT’S ONCE AGAIN SOMEHOW ON. This episode managed to fit the resolution of one tournament and the lead-up to the next tournament into just one twenty minute package, and oh my god I love this show so much. Here in season three, we’re not building up new teammates or establishing future rivals or anything – it’s just payoff after payoff, as the skills these characters have spent over fifty episodes honing collide in epic, glorious fashion. And with all three of our leads having been thrown off their game by either the results or aftermath of the last tournament, I’m expecting to see as many emotional clashes as there are tactical ones for this next battle. CHIHAYAFURU IS SO GOOD.
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