The Master and Queen matches have evolved into an emotionally and physically exhausting battle for the future of karuta, with all four contenders playing as though their very lives were at stake. And in a way, they are – all four of these competitors have given a great portion of their lives to karuta, and all four of them are hoping to honor that time, and validate the karuta philosophy that has carried them this far.

For Harada, this match represents his last, best chance to become the Master, before his body is no longer up to the task of holding out for full tournaments of competition. He cannot possibly match Suo in physical dexterity, but what he lacks in youth, he’s making up for in endless tactical invention, as he deploys new weapons for each separate round of play. For Haruka, her approaching third child means this is her last chance as well – and she’s fighting not just for herself, but for anyone who’d hope to balance both karuta and family life.

On the defending side, the reveal of Suo’s vision problems may imply he’s facing a physical clock as unforgiving as either of his opponents’, while simultaneously standing on the precipice of adult life and its time-sapping demands. And yet, in spite of the stress-inducing finality of all three of these positions, it might actually be Shinobu who needs this win the most – Shinobu, who has chosen never to compromise on her passion, and who has instead worked to wrap herself entirely in karuta, and build her identity solely out of love for the sport. Shinobu is strong, but her single-mindedness also makes her fragile, and her fate in this tournament may ultimately rest on those human connections she’s so long denied. However these matches end, the landscape of Chihayafuru is sure to be forever altered as we enter the final battles!

Episode 19

“Bring a life of everlasting love.” An appropriate title for the climax of this battle, which has consistently interrogated the meaning of a “life spent with karuta”

At this point, I’m not really sure where they’d even go with Suo’s character if he won. He acts as a nice parallel of Shinobu in terms of single-minded karuta monsters, and he also fits neatly into this arc’s “what does it mean to grow up with karuta” themes, but he has almost no relationship with the rest of the cast. In contrast, Harada has a close bond with all of Chihayafuru’s stars, and the only dramatic hurdle presented by him winning here would be avoiding a retread of his Arata battle

Incidentally, the logic of guessing where stories will go generally has very little to do with what makes “logical” sense given the constraints of the narrative, though it can obviously be fun to try and predict narratives based on that stuff. Instead, a more useful question to ask yourself is “what direction could this story go that would facilitate the most interesting narrative, and make best use of these characters?” The storyteller’s goal is not to pursue the logical, but the exciting and revealing – if you assess a narrative from that perspective, you’re far more likely to predict the author’s intentions

We at last receive the reveal of who Suo has been talking with on the phone, though we’ve never met these people before. I assume his mother and brother?

Everyone’s favorite reader Yamashiro is handling commentary this round

When Yamashiro asked Suo why he plays karuta as a young man, he responded that in karuta, he could make something of himself. So is karuta itself Suo’s way of growing up?

“Precure Expecto Petronum!” I did not need that mashup

Lush colors for Suo’s childhood, as we explore his adoption by a much larger estate

His caretaker and aunt, Yukiko, suffered from the same progressive vision condition that he does

Harada mentally accuses Suo of not trying hard enough to recover after making a false swing, an accusation which is entirely true. It’s been clear from the start that Suo is not taking this as seriously as Harada; even if his head were entirely in the game, he’d still be far behind Harada in terms of physical and mental preparation. It’s maddening to admit, but it feels like Suo’s ability to win basically any match largely comes down to how much he personally is willing to apply himself

Entering college, Suo still had no passionate interests he excelled in, and was motivated only by Yukiko’s plea that he make something of himself

Of fucking course he just got into karuta because a cute girl suggested it

That’s a perfect lead-in to the introduction of his eye condition, though. It was at that point that Suo understood he was on a harsh clock, and could no longer just sift around to find something he was passionate about. At that point, it no longer mattered that karuta wasn’t necessarily the “one thing” he wished to dedicate his life to – karuta was his current specialty, and his goal was no longer to find his passion, but to succeed at literally anything at all. A diagnosis like that can dramatically shift your life priorities – and at the same time, the full explanation of Suo’s situation confirms that he is just like Harada and Haruka, facing a biological clock that will shortly prevent him from fully dedicating himself to his sport

That reveal sharply recontextualizes his behavior during this match, as well. Rather than coming across as lazy or disinterested, it seems he really is taking in this match as a culmination of his whole career, and acting with an understanding that this match will be his legacy. Knowing he can no longer hold the throne, he’s offering one last show, and forcing Harada to prove he is worthy of it

Yamashiro articulates one of Suo’s natural advantages – as more cards are read, the unique syllables start to come closer to the start of the phrase, and thus Suo’s reaction time starts to overcome Harada’s board control strategy

It seems Suo did put at least some thought into his karuta career, as he understood his uniquely powerful hearing lent him a true edge here

And his habit of managing the overall score balance and number of faults isn’t a reflection of simple callousness, either – these are the games he ended up playing for himself, once his extreme abilities started isolating him from any genuine friendships. Like with Shinobu, mastery of karuta was a very lonely thing for Suo

“It’s not that I like karuta. I’m hollow. I have to feed on other people’s passion.” What a poignant goddamn explanation for Suo’s disagreeable nature. Suo was a quiet child who naturally felt like an outsider within his home, and thus he’s grown up to be an emotionally quiet man who can’t really express his own passions, and who’s still working to justify his existence to the aunt who cared for him. Suo’s story might be even lonelier than Shinobu’s

This image of his child self standing in the doorway of his new home perfectly encapsulates his feelings – he plays karuta in order to feel like he belongs, like he has earned the right to step into that home

Harada’s failing knee painfully represented through splotches of charcoal-like ink

“I’ll be the one to perform your last rites!” Harada scary

We’ve barely focused on the cards at all this episode, which seems appropriate – this is an ideological battle, not a tactical one. We’re comparing their emotional strength and resilience, not their established mechanical skills

With his body in pain, Harada is refocusing on the basics, a reflection of his identity as a karuta teacher. The lessons he’s repeated so many times now come back to him in his moment of need

“This is the first time you’ve gone four rounds in a Master match. This is much harder on you than it is on me!” Oh damn, I didn’t realize Suo had swept all of his previous challengers in three rounds. And he very rarely practices, and never shows up for tournaments, so he’s not likely to have more stamina than Harada – particularly since Harada is so hyper-aware of the condition of his own body, and plays every match with an eye to intentionally minimize unnecessary physical exertion

Harada has shifted from sending cards that make tactical sense to cards that seem intentionally incorrect, in order to mess with Suo’s mental game. And at last, Suo seems to realize he might not be the favorite here

Meanwhile, Sakurazawa is busy hammering out the finer points of Shinobu’s psychological relationship with the karuta poems

Shinobu is once again enjoying herself, though she doesn’t seem to realize that’s largely due to Chihaya

Damn. Haruka commits a double fault, and the match goes to Shinobu

And seeing Haruka in despair, she actually offers some words of consolation. Shinobu is figuring this shit out!

Aw fuck, of COURSE the Master round comes down to luck of the draw

And Done

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH IS HERE AT LAST. I was frankly surprised to see the Queen match resolved with such little fanfare this episode, and feel Haruka’s journey isn’t necessarily completed yet, but I absolutely loved this episode’s dive into Suo’s history, and the mentality that guides him through karuta. Chihayafuru articulated Suo’s true feelings with its characteristic sympathy for the strange circumstances that motivate any of us, revealing his distant, seemingly emotionless affectation and approach to the board to be a reflection of his lifelong search for personal meaning, as well as the natural loneliness of karuta mastery. Both Harada and Suo are fighting to dictate the terms of their legacy, and at this point, it actually seems like Harada, rather than Suo, represents karuta’s path forward. However this battle ends, a new age of karuta is surely beginning!

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