Pile in folks, it’s time for more Chihayafuru! When last we left off, the Masters qualifiers had just ended on a surprising conclusion: Arata and Harada would be competing for the challenger seat. Taichi fought his hardest, but his run through the qualifiers was ended by one more luck of the draw, and he was forced to shuffle off to Kyoto in total defeat.

Where this leaves the overall Chihayafuru narrative is a bit of an open question. Taichi had seemingly planned on treating the Masters tournament as his karuta swan song, but I can’t really imagine him happily submitting to his mother’s wishes from here out; additionally, his struggles over the course of that tournament also seemed to indicate he might be moving towards a more positive and fulfilling relationship with karuta, and not just seeing it as an avenue to get closer to Chihaya. Meanwhile, Chihaya seems to have possibly realized that Taichi is love with her, while Arata has discovered that acknowledging that fact prompts feelings of jealousy.

And over all of this, Suo’s strange prediction still looms, dictating that Arata will be the Master one day, but not the next Master. Does that mean that Harada actually has a chance here, or will Suo remain unchallenged for another year, and only fall when Taichi takes the crown? Either way, the Harada-Arata match hovers in the distance, and I can’t wait to see Chihaya and Taichi awkwardly stumbling through their new relationship dynamic. Let’s get to it!

Episode 11

We return with the class trip over, and Chihaya actually being grilled by her teachers on her plan to become a teacher herself

Ahaha, Chihaya’s blank look when she’s asked what subject she wants to teach

The Empress wisely advised them to not pick any subjects where students could actually die. She loves Chihaya, but she also knows who Chihaya is

Taichi’s been off his game since the qualifiers, and Chihaya’s still on fire since her tournament win, so she’s just been brutally destroying him in all their practice games. You can always count on Chihaya to never ever hold back ever

But as our further zoom into Chihaya’s own thinking proves, she’s not doing this thoughtlessly, like she used to. Chihaya has become far more attuned to the feelings of those around her, and understands that if she were to hold back against Taichi, he’d see it as pity. Taichi’s most fundamental reason for playing in that tournament was to prove he’s Chihaya’s equal, that he’s worthy of her attention and respect – pity from her is the absolute last thing he wants, and very well might prompt him to abandon karuta for good

Her new awareness of the feelings of those around her also extends to her behavior regarding Arata. In the past, any potential contact with Arata would send her into a single-minded frenzy, and her conversations with Arata were often deliberately staged as apart from her relationship with her own team. But this time, when she raises the phone, Arata’s presence is deliberately contrasted against Taichi still visible in the background, who’d clearly be hurt by hearing Chihaya praise Arata for the accomplishment he himself failed to achieve

All the Shiranami society members get called to an emergency meeting

Oh my god, Harada is demanding the whole damn society help him train for a month. “I built the Shirinami society so I could become Master one day.” Goddamnit Harada

Harada wants Taichi specifically to practice against him using Arata’s layouts. In practical terms, this makes sense – Taichi is one of the best players around, and has specifically demonstrated he is comfortable making dramatic shifts to his card layouts. But in emotional terms, forcing Taichi to pretend to be a substitute Arata, in order to train his teacher for the match he himself failed to qualify for, feels terribly cruel. Taichi is already worried enough that he’s simply an insubstantial substitute Arata

Oh shit – apparently Sudo actually conceded to Harada in the finals, undoubtedly because of his wager with Taichi. Thus Taichi really did send Harada to this upcoming match

This seems better for Taichi than Chihaya’s respectful distance, as well-meant as it is. Taichi doesn’t want people to pity him, and “for the next month, you are my exclusive sparring tool” is about as far from pity as you can get

“I want to fight with everyone in the Shiranami society!” And as at the tournament itself, Harada’s influence once again points Taichi towards a healthier relationship with karuta

And Chihaya declares she’ll try and learn Suo’s layout, which should actually be good practice for her, considering they share the same karuta specialty

Followed by her at last calling Arata to congratulate him… but mostly to also declare that Shiranami Society is the Best Society and will Absolutely Defeat You

Sakuzawa and Haruka are practicing together, which is I guess as close as we’re gonna get to an actual Sakurazawa match. Good vocal performance by their reader here, in that you can really tell this is a less practiced reader than the ones from the tournaments

It seems Sakurazawa has truly accepted her retirement, and is essentially treating Rion as her successor

Rion Likes Rice was a good piece of character development

“My Yamashiro’s a fine raw gemstone.” Excellent Bisky vibes from Sakurazawa

Meanwhile, Haruka’s game sense has declined. You’re never as sharp as you are in your teens and early twenties… something even I’ve come to realize, if only in the context of videogames

Oh wow, this sequence with Haruka on the train is so good. Significant time spent on this mundane process with the breast pump, contrasted against the news that her youngest son has come down with a fever. There’s no music at all over this frank, painful sequence – no victory to be gained, no consolation to the fact that aging into adulthood and competitive passion are often incompatible. Haruka’s milk trailing into the toilet is a brutal metaphor for her self-doubt, as she wonders how selfish she’s being, and whether she’s squandering time that’s meant to be spent with her children

I really like how much this season has embraced the anxieties of its adult characters. It’s covering a lot of poignant dramatic material that anime rarely prioritizes, while at the same time, the focus on aging out of competitive viability neatly parallels Taichi and Chihaya’s concerns regarding their own futures

I’m glad at least Kana acknowledges how mean Harada is being to Taichi

This should ultimately be good for Taichi, though, if he truly wants to beat Arata

Oh god, Chihaya’s gone so deep into Suo’s headspace that she’s become a second Suo

This is the silliest match concept. Chihaya-as-Suo against Taichi-as-Arata

Exercises like this are genuinely helpful, though. Embracing other styles of play in order to expand your understanding of your options, notice weak points in other playstyles, and come to a more conscious understanding of your own assumptions about effective play, is a useful practice in any competitive game

While Chihaya is actually able to imitate Suo’s incredible hearing-based play, Taichi is taking something very different from his imitation of Arata: a better mental state, as he counters his own anxieties with what he’d imagine Arata’s measured responses to be

In this case, Arata’s response to Chihaya’s superior speed is better control of the board state – working on physical techniques like cross counters that let you both guard and attack

And their relative approaches to this practice also bear out in their reports to Harada – Taichi actually explains the psychology underlying Arata’s choices, whereas Chihaya says “he’s quiet and moves quick.” Very helpful, Chihaya

Haruka’s kids start acting up just before the big match, emphasizing her core conflict once more

Her anxiety is resolved by, of all people, Mama Oe, who teaches her how you can breastfeed out of the side of a kimono. A neat conclusion to the metaphor presented by her earlier scene on the train, implying that motherhood and karuta need not be incompatible

“I’m sorry, Aki, Jin. Wait for me. I’m going to become a Queen.” HARUKA. She’s only been around for a short while, but goddamn has she made the most of her material so far. Chihayafuru’s brilliant ensemble approach shines through once again!

And Done

AW SHIT, WE’RE RIGHT BACK IN IT AGAIN. Has this season even really had a “cooldown” episode? I figured that would happen last week, but instead we got that intense Arata battle – and though this episode was technically a “training arc” sequence in some respects, it sure didn’t feel that way. Everything is just too urgent at this point – our main trio’s romantic prospects, the oncoming responsibilities of adult life, and of course, the battle for the karuta crown. After the last few episodes’ poignant focus on both Harada and Haruka, at this point, I’m firmly rooting for both of them to claim the challenger spot. COME ON ADULTS, BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF THOSE KIDS!

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