Folks, it is Chihayafuru time, and we do not have a goddamn minute to lose. After nearly a full goddamn season of building up the Master and Queen challenger matches, I at this point feel like a finely squeezed orange, my emotions entirely drained out of me, nothing remaining but a bruised shell of a human being. Haruka has been built up into one of Chihayafuru’s most distinctive, sympathetic characters so far, and last episode saw her defeated by Shinobu, and step off the professional stage for what is likely the very last time. My only consolation regarding that match is that, now that it’s over, the trials of competition can’t hurt Haruka or Shinobu anymore.

Over on the Masters’ side, Harada and Suo’s grueling faceoff is ending on one more goddamn luck of the draw. I definitely feel these recent matches have abused luck of the draws enough to result in some diminishing returns, but I also can’t deny that they’re one of the most powerful dramatic tools in karuta’s toolbox, and furthermore seem particularly appropriate for a match that may influence karuta’s overall destiny as a sport. Let’s see how this brutal battle ends!

Episode 20

Once again, the cold open allows us to highlight a new perspective on the match, as we settle in with the news crew who are presumably broadcasting this match for the stream. Recent episodes have regularly been using the cold opens and end-of-episode stingers to convey perspectives outside of the actual Master and Queen room itself, likely to increase the sense of claustrophobic tension within the episode proper. If you want to keep tension high, avoiding any breaks in that tension, or a tonal “escape” provided by a cut to a different scene, is very important, particularly if the other scenes you’re highlighting don’t possess an equal level of dramatic tension

The opposite is also true, of course – if you want to lessen dramatic tension, or perhaps create a humorous dramatic contrast, you can undercut a scene’s intensity by cutting away to a less intense sequence, and then returning. Horror and thriller films often use this to genuinely give the audience a break, before ramping the tension back up again; it’s a rare film that wants to be continuously pumping on the gas all the way through, as that has a tendency to either exhaust the audience or dull the impact of the genuinely important moments

The old men of karuta lament what a crappy Master Suo has been, and how Harada might not be much better. Arata is clearly the Master they want – a reputable, soft-spoken young man who both embodies karuta’s past and points to its hopefully youthful future

In spite of the tension of the moment, Harada’s thoughts are still slow and deliberate. Harada’s consistent mental state is one of the major advantages he possesses over karuta’s faster, but less confident young stars

Even when he gets too much in his head, he immediately recognizes that, and asks for a moment to collect himself. He may be the strongest competitor we’ve seen when it comes to temperament and self-awareness

And after breaking down all of the luck-of-the-draw’s parameters, he ends on a mental command that will hopefully allow him to stay loose and reactive: “let’s have a fun time, Suo”

Luck of the draw really is a uniquely useful dramatic setup in karuta, and I can see why Chihayafuru is leaning on it. Nothing else quite captures this sense of two gunslingers facing off, each with their hands hovering over their revolvers, each also wondering whether they’ll have to lunge for their opponent’s revolver instead

Fuuuuuck. Suo’s intense pressure actually gets to Harada, and he ends up faulting as a result. Suo wins round four with his usual strategy, meaning Harada will have to try and fight through another full round, which seems impossible

And yeah, the next match is coming in twenty minutes. Harada will likely be playing at a significant physical disadvantage from now on, which means the results of this match may actually come down to Suo’s mental state, and whether he wants to relinquish the crown willingly or leave as Master. And right on time, Suo leaves the room, followed by Chihaya – one of the few people who can likely impact his perspective

Shinobu very gently lays out the cloth straps Chihaya used to tie back her kimono. Her softness here echoes her approach to the karuta cards – Shinobu rarely expresses her feelings directly, but her body language implies that Chihaya’s acts of concern mean as much to her as her one stable relationship, her love of the cards

Meanwhile, Chihaya is lamenting the fact that she wasn’t born male, and thus can’t trounce Suo in a Master match of her own. Reasonable background effects here for her lamentations, as the cold colors, jagged lines, and reverberating light levels evoke anger and migraine headaches

But Shinobu’s victory comments dispel these dark clouds, as she demonstrates that Chihaya has genuinely reached her, by acknowledging that she won in part because of the people beside her. It is extremely Shinobu of her to respond to “but you say that every year” with “yes, but I actually mean it this time”

It’s wonderful to see Shinobu finally reciprocating Chihaya’s concern, and raising her out of an emotional slump, even if Shinobu doesn’t realize she’s doing it. The great thing about treating karuta as a communal activity is that for every player you inspire, you gain someone who might help inspire you in turn

And Arata arrives at last! Please Arata, somehow give Harada the strength to win this match

Suo just eating the shit out of a ridiculous pile of dumplings as his supporters look on in shock and horror. Very smart choice to cut the sound design to just his atrocious munching noises for this sequence

Taichi comes to the same conclusion I did – that this match is largely in Suo’s hands, and if he plays with full intensity, it’ll be extremely hard for Harada to win. And then Suo passes by with his hair tied back, a clear indicator that he’s giving this round everything he has

“A show of respect is also a show of fear. Suo-kun won’t be showing Harada any more weaknesses.” In many competitions, victory can be seized from a stronger opponent if that stronger opponent doesn’t immediately bring their full force to bear. Harada really, really needed to win this match in the earlier rounds, while Suo was underestimating him and his stamina lasted

Harada also understands the position he’s in, which means that even in his head, his efforts have a hint of desperation in them. As someone who calculated every inch of this match in order to extract the best possible tactical advantage, he knows better than anyone that the window he created for himself has essentially closed

Chihaya sees something honorable in Harada’s play, something she feels lacking in herself. Harada never submitted to anger or bitterness regarding Suo’s nature – he faced his opponent head on, whereas Chihaya has perpetually lamented that the Master is a man like Suo, and essentially discredited him due to her distaste for his personality

No big surprises here – with the disastrous conditions of this final round set, Suo wins with ease, and Harada must content himself with thinking that a future, younger player will carry his lessons to victory. Damnit

What a bitter conclusion in all regards. All that time spent with Haruka and Harada fighting so desperately for these seats, and then each of them are defeated by the precise physical advantages that they were so determined to overcome. Who knew an expected conclusion could hurt this much

Suo can’t express his true feelings, likely because “it was fun” is not an answer that he thinks supports his mission of “making something of himself.” Even in victory, he is bound by the limitations of his lonely relationship with the sport – and in sharp contrast, Harada’s wife immediately declares to him that she doesn’t care that he lost, because she just wanted to see him happy. Harada’s healthier attitude towards karuta grants him joy even in defeat; Suo’s lonely road means he can’t even celebrate the fun he had achieving victory

It’s a painful thing, feeling you must live your life in such a way as to pay back the person who raised you. It can lead you to a total lack of joy in life, as the idea of having fun can seem like “goofing off” inherently, and thereby betraying the efforts of the person who brought you this far. I remember, when visiting my parents, how I used to emphasize how tired from work I was all the time, as if perpetual exhaustion were the only way I could pay back their support

Arata says what are likely the precise words Chihaya wishes she could say: “don’t retire. I’ll come here and beat you!”

Another rare smile from Suo. He’s spent most of his career defending a lonely throne, lacking either competitive rivals or even just players who can hope to match him. Now he’s finding both at the same time, and discovering he actually really enjoys karuta

And so he gives Arata one more year. I appreciate the “is this becoming a shonen manga now” comment from the streaming crew

This declaration earns a great big belly laugh from Harada, who’s now already seeing his final hopes for this match fulfilled. Even though he lost, his student Arata is beyond eager to carry on his legacy

Haruka believes this truly is the end for her, but Suo’s favorite reader assures her that from her own perspective, Haruka is still very young. A charming turn for her narrative – and yeah, if Harada can still fight at his age, then Haruka is far from out of the game

Oh goddamnit, Taichi’s playing in ANOTHER tournament TOMORROW

And Done

Whew, what an arc! I’m somewhat disappointed that both Harada and Haruka lost, but in retrospect, that choice likely resulted in the most satisfying validation of both their perspectives. As I mentioned at the start of these matches, both Suo and Shinobu needed these victories far more than their opponents – their senses of self are both closely tied to victory in karuta, and they lack the strong support structures of their opponents. And yet, though both of them won their actual matches, the greater victories for each of them were how they managed to adopt some portion of their opponents’ healthier philosophies; Shinobu through acknowledging her bond with Chihaya, and Suo through actually finding some joy in his rivalries with both Harada and Arata. Harada may have lost, but it is his philosophy and communal approach to karuta that is guiding the sport forward – and his students who must now take the stage, and drag karuta into the future.

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