josefa.cruickshank - 2015-02-22 17:48:32

a very interesting sport that is amusing in some way (☆^ー^☆)

gibson.lowell - 2014-11-18 18:50:24

daisy88 - 2013-10-18 03:04:03

As always, my reviews are spoiler free.

This review covers both seasons of Chihayafuru.

Let’s get right down to it. Chihayafuru is about a traditional Japanese card game called Hyakunin Isshu, often referred to as Karuta. Do you know what Karuta is? If you don’t, fear not, because I had no idea either when I began watching Chihayafuru. Although you will learn as you go (no previous knowledge required!), a little knowledge up front won’t hurt. Skim this [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uta-garuta] short article about what competitive Karuta is. Don’t worry, I’ll wait.

Now that you’ve got some general idea, Chihayafuru is a josei sports anime about a girl named Chihaya playing competitive Karuta with her friends and eventually her team. Of course, it is so much more than that as well, completely blowing my expectations for a story out of the water by the end of the first few episodes. I went into this anime expecting Karuta to be quite the boring card game (no trap cards to activate or Heart of the Cards), but by the end of the second series, I was on the edge of my seat every second for matches in a game I had never heard of before. Even if the card game itself is not to your liking, the characters, setting, and relationships are handled delicately enough to make the series worthwhile anyway. Hopefully this will help you get over any preconceptions of the subject matter you may have. Without further ado, I bring you my thoughts on the anime Chihayafuru.

Story - 8/10

Like I mentioned above, Chihayafuru is a josei sports anime, and one should understand the genre before investing their time into this series. If you already have some experience with josei, you will know that the genre is targeted at late-teen to adult women. This will of course have a significant impact on the style of the story. For example, there will be a large focus on the feelings of the characters, which is good for character development, but may start to bother you if you want the story to move along at a brisk pace or for the characters to make quick “plot-advancing” decisions. There is also a significant focus on romance in this anime, but I will be touching on this later. Finally, josei has a very particular art style. It is bright and “sparkly” with pastel characters and very feminine character designs. This means that the men are not the most masculine; in fact they are girlish in both appearance and attitude. Female character designs are drawn with the correct human proportions, or at least as close as possible in the anime medium. Speaking of correct human proportions, there is no fanservice whatsoever in Chihayafuru, and none in the genre that I have seen so far. Now that you know what type of genre we are dealing with, let’s progress into the story.

After a brief glimpse at the current timeline, the story truly begins with a flashback to Chihaya, our heroine, trying to find her place in life several years before. In one of her classes, they are required to memorize the Hundred Poems (the poems that are written on competitive Karuta cards). While the majority of the class is having trouble, a quiet boy named Arata had already memorized all of them. Impressed with him, and because he is alone in class, the outgoing Chihaya approaches him, only to have her seemingly perfect friend Taichi knock him into the mud and run. Chihaya accompanies him home, and they begin a discussion about their dreams. Chihaya’s only aspiration is that her sister becomes a top model, but Arata insists that her dream must be her own. Put off by his bluntness, she asks him if he has a dream, and brings out a deck of Karuta cards. Chihaya is immensely impressed by his skill, and is utterly outclassed, but manages to get one card with the poem beginning with the syllables chi ha ya. Arata is impressed by this, and it is the start of Chihaya’s dream: to become the Queen, the best female Hyakunin Isshu player in Japan.

The story progresses, showing Arata, Chihaya, and soon Taichi learning to play and rapidly improving due to total dedication. They even compete in a tournament, but sadly Arata moves to the country, and he is split from the trio for the next several years.

Back in the present, Chihaya competes in tournaments, finally making Class A (the top rank). While she has had almost no contact with Arata since he moved away, she calls to tell him that he has stopped playing Karuta.

From this point forward, the story has two distinct sides. The primary focus is still on Chihaya’s progression in the world of Karuta, and eventually her friends’ progression as well. This involves games which can last several episodes, explanations of strategy, and training. It also has a dramatic plot driven side, which is where the josei side really shines through. It involves Chihaya’s determination to be reunited with Arata, Taichi’s struggles to live in Arata’s past shadow, and the strange pseudo-love triangle between Chihaya, Arata, and Taichi. This is one of weakest points in the anime’s storyline (I cannot speak for the manga as I have not read it; perhaps the subplot goes on to a resolution). Chihaya’s feelings are never really clear, nor are Arata’s, and the whole thing is kind of a mess which goes in and out of focus throughout two seasons. At the end, there is absolutely no resolution of this romantic subplot, and if anything it detracted from the anime as a whole.

The majority of anime is focused on the actual Karuta tournaments, and that is where it really excels. It has a great amount of buildup and tension that I have not experienced in any similar anime. This is likely because when the viewer is not biting their nails over a Karuta tournament or delving into some interpersonal drama, they are treated to some nice SOL elements that help to gain an attachment to the characters. It should be noted that Chihayafuru’s plot is quite slowly paced once the “current time” arc begins, with some tournaments taking three episodes or more and the dramatic and SOL portions following the same leisurely pace.

Overall, the story does a great job of making the sports-oriented scenes exciting and tense while surrounding them with a truly solid plot and above average characters. A balance is achieved here that makes this the type of anime that one can sit down and marathon for the tournaments, or sit back and enjoy for quieter SOL and slow paced drama portions. While the romantic subplot is quite flawed as of the second season’s conclusion (I won’t rule out that it is concluded in the manga or in an upcoming season), the story is still very good. However, it is not as light as the standard sports anime, so those looking for fast paced plotlines may want to give it a miss.

Animation - 8/10

Chihayafuru’s animation style follows that of the manga quite closely; that is to say it is josei through and through, which is explained earlier.

It is always well above average in the animation department, with smooth motion, great backgrounds and good cinematography. Often, however, it will become far more detailed than before. It can be jarring to go from good to jaw-dropping art, and it makes me a little sad that the entire anime was not given the level of detail which is often shown.

Notice the difference?

Sound - 8/10

Both seasons have good soundtracks and two of my favorite openings, both handled by 99RadioService. The backing soundtrack is very strong as well, giving perfect atmosphere to the games, the drama, and the SOL parts of the series.

I think I saw hiragana swirling around my head too when I was learning Japanese.

Characters - 7/10

Chihayafuru has a very small cast (only Chihaya, Arata, and Taichi) for quite some time. However, it expands significantly when Chihaya opens a Hyakunin Isshu club in her high school, introducing three new characters in the first season, and two more in the second.

Chihaya herself has the majority of the screentime, even more so than a normal protagonist with a cast this size. She is a tomboy who has Karuta on her mind 24-7, which has a negative impact on the other areas in her life. She has an amazing game sense, which allows her to hear the opening syllable of a poem before anyone else, making her a force to be reckoned with. Her goal to become the Queen is a long shot to say the least, giving her a bit of an underdog persona and showing that her strong will and passion alone can bring her success. She is amazingly well developed for a sports series, but is only mediocre in a drama series, which makes sense as the story sits on the fence of both. If nothing else, she is a very likable protagonist and the viewer will be attached enough to her to be invested in her success.

Arata plays a major role in introducing Chihaya to Karuta, but slowly fades out of existence to become more of a plot device than a character. When he is around, he is the standard quiet and reserved type with little personality to go on other than his skill at Karuta. By the middle of the first season, he exists almost entirely for the development of other characters, while not gaining any of his own.

Taichi is seemingly perfect at first glance, but internally he struggles throughout the series. He strives for success in Karuta and the affection of Chihaya, but he always seems to come just short of his goal. He also lives in Arata’s shadow, with Chihaya constantly seeking his approval and friendship while ignoring him. He kind of becomes a pitiful character, but I was less bothered because of how arrogant he is in the beginning of the anime.

The remaining club members make a great supporting cast for the most part. Three individuals join the Karuta club in the first season. “Desktomu-kun” is an antisocial intellectual who only joins the club because of Karuta’s strategy, but he slowly becomes more attached to the other members as time goes on. Kana joins because of her interest in the history behind the Hundred Poems, and is interested in all classic aspects of Japanese culture, convincing the team to play in kimonos. Finally “Nikuman-kun” (AKA “Porky”) is convinced to join by Chihaya as he already had experience, and brings another powerful player to the team. As his name implies, he has a weakness for food. Together they bring new personality to the anime and are all enjoyable characters.

The second season gives us two more members, who are sadly not nearly so interesting. Sumire joins because she has a crush on Taichi, but she actually has no interest in Karuta. She is an uncooperative and stuck-up bitch most of the time, and although she starts to settle in towards the end of the second season, she is still unlikable. Tsukuba is a creepy guy who joins after playing a different type of Karuta in high school. He has little screentime and almost no development. I often forgot he existed. These new characters are far worse than the previous season’s members, and I would have preferred they had not been introduced.

The remaining characters all do their jobs admirably, with opponents getting mini-backstories (often more than Sumire and Tsukuba) and often recurring opponents. Chief among these is the cold and calculating Queen, Shinobu, who seems completely shut-off from the outside world, but develops a small connection with Chihaya from their love of cute things. She also has a large connection to Arata, with him being the only person to ever defeat her.

In summary, some characters are handled well with others being completely useless. It is worth noting that this series has handled once occurring characters as skillfully as I’ve ever seen.

Enjoyment - 8/10

Despite its flaws in character development and the lingering romantic subplot, I enjoyed Chihayafuru immensely. It struck a great balance between the competition, drama, and SOL elements and presented many strong cast members who I was emotionally invested in. I think that most anyone should give Chihayafuru a chance, but I acknowledge that the particular blend it offers won’t be to everyone’s taste. That said, it certainly was a great watch for me and left me with a huge interest in an ancient Japanese card game that I had never even heard of.

jocelyn.schaefer - 2013-09-18 12:09:11

The sports genre is a genre that has certain clichés that have been repeated again and again to the point that most anime fans unfortunately dismiss it as an overly repetitive, boring genre. I mean, think about it from the perspective of the common anime fan, why the hell would someone watch something that's basically the same thing, just a different sport/series? Also, the sports genre shares some of the same cliches from the shonen genre; the power of friendship overcoming it all, the team ultimately winning in the end, useless female characters who cheer for the main character and a hot-headed protagonist. I can on and on but I'm pretty sure you get the point.

Fuse this with it's second core genre, the josei genre, which is a genre that suffers from various works using excessive melodrama on it's characters in an attempt to raise tension instead of focusing on building up excellent, well-written chemistry and what we ultimately have is a series that's treading on extremely questionable ground. It would take a lot of excellent writing and dedication for a series like this to work out, and most authors would simply give up to popular appeal for the sake of making sales.

I'm proud to say that the creator of this series as well as the production staff behind keeps an excellent level of quality, making this an immensely enjoyable ride starting with:

Story (9/10):

The story for Chihayafuru is unfortunately fairly generic on paper. Seriously, think about it for a sec; girl is trying to make her childhood friend(s) play a sport they used to play as kids, which results in the love triangle forming and a drive to succeed and surpass each other and so on and so forth.

Yet the story is presented in a refreshing way, as the story is well-paced and fleshed out from the karuta battles to the development of the characters to the amazing slice-of-life moments, which make this series in spite of it's generic premise standing out from the crowd and making watching this an exciting and rich experience, and very few moments in this series feel forced or rushed. The storytelling is craft-fully mastered, as the series never felt like it was info-dumping me or making me feel lost as to what was going on.

Sure, the premise and the somewhat slow but absolutely necessary beginning hinder just slightly what would've been a perfect score, but this is definitely a story I can recommend to just about anyone as the appeal is there for everyone regardless of age or gender.

Art/Animation (10/10):

The artwork looks absolutely gorgeous and detailed, which greatly enhances the experience of watching this series as the karuta matches end up getting drawn with more detail and tension. Madhouse have done a terrific job bringing the series to life with amazing visuals that fit the mood of the series and adds even more tension and details to the amazing karuta matches.

I don't care about art and visuals usually to write a bloody essay about it, but very pleasing to the eyes to say the least.

Sound (9/10):

The soundtrack is excellently composed, and the tracks never feel out of place and always fit the mood of the show at the right time. The same can be said for the sound effects and the voice acting, as all the voice actors fit their respective roles and no one feels out of place. The sound effects during the karuta matches in particular stood out as being exceptional, and in contrast the slice-of-life moments of the series are filled with calm, soothing music, which help add to the amazing atmosphere.

A main flaw however, is that the tracks on their own are not as fun to listen and lack hearing value outside of the series. But these are minor nitpicks to an otherwise excellent sound.

Character (9/10):

The main characters are all wonderfully developed with excellent personalities and love-able traits which make all of them endearing and hard, if not downright impossible to hate. The side characters and the various rivals the main characters face are far from shallow, as they all possess interesting traits which make all of them interesting and endearing characters with fun and diverse personalities. The characters are all entertaining and I don't think there was a single character that I disliked in any way shape or form, due to the fact that whatever drama this series had was carefully executed and didn't ruin the careful writing and attention to detail that the author put into their personalities.

Unfortunately, the only thing that prevents me from giving this a higher score is the fact that the characters unfortunately while well-executed, still fall into certain tropes, which isn't really a problem as I wouldn't have really cared with other series but with a series as well-done as this these flaws are made only more apparent.

Enjoyment (9/10):

Chihayafuru is an excellent anime that plays along with tropes of the sports and josei genres; unfortunately it doesn't avoid certain tropes that both genres have, which prevent me from giving it a perfect score; however, I still highly recommend it to people due to it being one of the most carefully paced series I've ever watched. Don't ignore this series just because of it's genres, as this series is a fantastic watch that you do not want to miss out on.

Overall, I give this series a 9 out of 10.

I hope you look forward to playing some karuta once this series is over.

Thank you very much for reading! Feedback is greatly appreciated :D!

bbeer - 2013-08-02 23:33:44

This review covers both seasons.

You're thinking. It's probably along the lines of "dafuq is karuta?". I know, because it was the first question that popped up in my head. As I looked at the game description, I really thought it would be lame. Hell, I looked up the manga information and saw that it was a Josei manga, an area I don't really look forward to when searching for good stuff to read or watch.

I started watching the first episode, expecting no more than your average sports/game anime. I was't too thrilled when I read the name as I clicked the file. So then I sat through the opening. Admittedly, I loved the opening. My expectations suddenly went higher. As the episode flowed beautifully, I was drawn in closer and then suddenly, the ending song played. The main emotion that took over me since that first episode? Curiosity. That's right. It's a very powerful tool that makes you watch animes, forgetting meals in between. Since this was waaaay before I got into manga, I've never thought of reading the first few volumes. Week after week, I continue getting pulled in by this strange charm that is Chihayafuru.

Story: 9/10

While it's really just about cards, the way the story is told is very delicate and gracious. The pacing is good and the dialogue help make the tournaments look fierce. I think the story itself on the romantic and coming-of-age side is also well-developed.

Animation: 10/10

Absolutely beautiful. The colors are vibrant, animation is very smooth, the drawing style has always been appropriate for the scene (e.g. animation becomes chibi-ish when it comes to comic skits) and does not overpower the whole atmosphere with it. The swinging and anything that's happening in the tournament look convincingly intense.

Sound: 10/10

I really loved both the openings. The endings are just as beautiful. The soundtracks really help you get into the mood, whether it's during those bubbly scenes or cutthroat scenes. Props to Kousuke-sensei for the uplifting soundtracks we hear in almost every episode!

Character: 8/10

One slight flaw in the cast is that they're not as memorable as, say, Celty Sturluson or L. They don't really have unique characters, but although they're quite generic, they still blend well together and they really do fit their roles. With there are still characters that I really like and do think that they're unique (Shinobu, for example).

Enjoyment: 10/10

Like I mentioned before, the show keeps reeling my lazy ass in like any dog in a Beggin Bacon commercial. I sympathize, feel happy, and get mad at the characters whenever appropriate. The show really is something I enjoy and would very much like to watch shows that bring out a similar atmosphere.

Overall: 10/10

I really think this show is underrated. There's a lot of people who thought like me at first, but never really tried to watch it. They should give this a chance imho, and if you're one of those guys, I encourage you to please give this a try.

gutkowski.wilson - 2013-07-24 23:13:45

Who knew that a show about a card game would turn out to be so great? I'm not talking about those fantasy shows either, with characters summoning creatures and other magical things from cards to duke it out with other characters or beings. There is no magic or supernatural occurrences in Chihayafuru, yet the show finds a way to present the card game kurata as an intense form of entertainment. In addition to the various card tournaments, this series contains elements of comedy, drama, and romance, all of which I found well done and enjoyable. However, when I think back on Chihayafuru, there were 3 things that stood out to me after watching this show: the art is beautiful, the music is fantastic, and characters are all well developed and very likeable, especially the main character Chihaya. Her nerdy personality is humorous and endearing, especially when combined with the fact that she is gorgeous. In fact, I personally think Chihaya is one of, if not the prettiest girl in all of anime. The show doesn't have a definite ending, but this is a non-issue since the second season is due to air this winter.If you're not an action buff, you owe it to yourself to watch Chihayafuru. Though listed as a josei and having all the appearances of a chick-flick, I think most anyone regardless of gender will find this series exceptional and greatly entertaining. I give Chihayafuru a 9/10 (Outstanding) and a high recommendation.

jasper67 - 2013-07-23 13:28:51

To review Chihayafuru is a hard task, to describe how brilliant this little-known anime is, to explain why I like it so much, to tell you why it's such a great anime to watch is very hard, because Chihayafuru is unique, the only word I can describe it is unique. It may seem like your ordinary sports-romance-drama series at first glance, though there is absolutely no series of my knowledge to compare it to properly. The way the story is presented, the way the characters interact with each other, the way the atmosphere feels, It's very real and very unique.= Story (10) = The story is one of the most interesting parts of the anime. I won't describe too much or really anything because if I did it would probably spoil a lot of things. What I will say is that the first couple of episodes, Chihayafuru sets it self in the present and the past, interchanging in various lengths, this unique way of starting off the story is incredibly good at letting the viewer get to know the three main characters, Chihaya, Taichi and Arata, It also allows you to see the way they change over time.= Character (10) =What really makes Chihayafuru special are the characters, they're all very likeable and you can at least relate to one. The way you see them develop from little kids into somewhat mature teenagers makes you grow attached to them. The dialogue and the way the characters interact with each other is incredible, just like how people interact in real life.= Art (9) = The art is very nice. The character designs are great, especially the one's for Chihaya, Taichi, Arata and Nishida since you can see the resemblance between the child and teenage versions of themselves. A great part of Chihayafuru is the art direction, the scenes where they're playing Karuta look amazing.= Sound (9) =For a 25 episode series, Chihayafuru uncommonly uses only one opening theme and one ending theme, which is okay since both songs are really great to listen to. The OST can be repetitive at times, though that doesn't really matter. The voice acting is fantastic, each seiyuu (voice actor) really suits their part. Especially Yoshimasa Hosoya who voices older Arata.= Enjoyment (10) =When I first started Chihayafuru, I didn't know what to expect and I was amazed by how much I enjoyed every minute of it, It's amazing how watching two people playing a card game can be so thrilling, the way you can't wait to see what happens next. Not many anime series can do that week in and week out.= Overall (10) =Overall, Chihayafuru is a masterpiece in it's own right, a series which actually has heart, as corny as that may sound. The characters all have had struggles which are very realistic and relatable, the story is original, something hard to come by in recent anime, the art and sound match the series near-perfectly and the enjoyability of this series is unexpectedly great. Chihayafuru is a must-watch and in my opinion the best anime of Fall 2011.

williamson.deion - 2013-07-05 06:50:33

This is my first time writing a review, so bear with me as I try to sort out my thoughts on this wonderful anime.I almost didn't watch Chihayafuru, and I hadn't even heard of it until it was already a few weeks into the show. As time went on, more and more people were raving about how great it was, how it was going to be the sleeper hit this season, so I finally decided to give it a shot and see if a show about a card game really was THAT exciting. And let me tell you, it is. I am writing this review because I really, really, really want you to watch Chihayafuru and love it as much as I do.This show is so much more than a card game. To Chihaya, the protagonist of the series, karuta is also about creating a dream for herself, and the bonds she formed with her classmates Arata and Taichi back when she was twelve. Before graduating into middle school and going their separate ways, the three agreed to meet again when they all became Class A players. Arata moved back to Fukui, and even though he was fantastic at karuta (and the one who taught Chihaya!), he eventually quit playing after some unfortunate events. Taichi ends up at the same high school as Chihaya and helps her to form a karuta club, through which we are introduced to more wonderful characters.I remember someone saying that "Chihayafuru loves its characters." This is certainly true. All of the main characters have grown since the start of the series and seem much more three-dimensional than those of many other shows out there today. Even supporting characters are fleshed out enough to be likable. In fact, there isn't a single character that I dislike. And if you know me, that's really saying something. I love hating on characters.The animation for Chihayafuru is absolutely stunning. From the characters to the backgrounds, everything is breathtaking. The OST for the series is gorgeous as well, one of the best I've heard in a long time. They all complement each other to create a unique and wonderful tone for the series.Maybe this still isn't enough to convince you to watch Chihayafuru yet. Even though it doesn't sound like a memory card game can be entertaining, it really is. The karuta matches are some of the most intense scenes throughout, and you'll probably find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat when it's finally over. Karuta isn't simply memorization either. It's about reflexes, and mental stamina, and Chihaya even has extraordinary hearing which sometimes helps her to quickly win cards over from her opponent.Honestly, I don't know how else to put it. The cinematography of this show is amazing. The characters are developed and lovable. The story, while often predictable, is still exciting and endearing. There wasn't a single episode that I didn't enjoy. I breezed through the seventeen currently-aired episodes in just under three days, which I haven't been able to do even for some of the most exciting anime I've seen. I just couldn't wait to see what happened next! (Also, this show will give you a LOT of feelings. Just wait). I can't believe I waited so long to watch this series. And if you decide to watch it too, believe me, you'll be saying the same thing.

hosea.schamberger - 2013-06-29 02:36:39

Chihayafuru is an under the radar type anime that I'm pretty sure a lot of people simply passed over. After all, it's about a group of high school students playing a card game called Karuta. What is that you ask? Well, to put simply it is a game where you memorize poems on each card try to swipe them up before your opponent as each card is read. I'm sure you really want to watch this right now. Okay, in case that riveting introduction didn't get you pumped for this show you should know that karuta is simply the gateway for everything else.

Everything in Chihayafuru just screams passion. You can tell that every character really wants whatever they are aiming for. The cast is incredible. While it arguably does not have a huge stand out, all of them seem very real and well thought out. You can feel each characters dreams, hopes, and passion in everything they do. Especially Chihaya's and Taichi's. Each character experiences significant growth, and it's especially great how it seems like you're always in their heads it helps you relate to each character. Because of the connection you'll get with the characters you'll find your emotions going all over the place during episodes.

Karuta matches, something that might be incredibly boring under normal circumstances, suddenly become prime time entertainment. If clannad pulled on your heart, and Penquindrum messed with your mind... then Chihayafuru will capture your soul.

Now, as I'm sure a lot of you are aware the anime ended in an incomplete state (the manga is still ongoing after all). So if you want a sense of complete closure at the end you'll be disappointed. However, if you can look past this, you'll more likely than not really enjoy this show.

Also, be sure to check out S2!

edaugherty - 2013-04-23 21:45:25

Chihayafuru is an anime who has for main theme a game of card called Karuta. We are following Chihaya and her friends, as they learn and progress in Karuta in order to become the best Karuta players in japan the world. With this boring synopsis, I never could have imagined that this anime could turn out to be my favorite anime of 2012. 

Every time that I am watching this anime, I just want to applause Madhouse for doing an adaption this faithful, while making a game of cards this impressive to watch. By using great cameras angles when the players is taking a card, Madhouse was able to make the viewer immerse into the game, giving me the chills for some cards. It's impressive, and combined to my favorite soundtrack of the year, it turn each Karuta scenes into a feast for your eyes and ears. 

The second strong point of Chihayafuru is the character development. Almost EVERY characters are developed to a certain extent, making you want to cheer for the team of the main characters, love the family of Chihaya, and even cheer for the enemies. You are following the characters since they are young watching them growing and learning Karuta, and making new friends. It's a delight to watch, and you should know that character-development will pay off later on in the show. 

Lastly, I want to talk about the emotions in that show. It is really hard to explain but my point is : Chihayafuru is a roll-coaster of emotions. It made me cry, yell, laugh, cry again, laugh again and cheer for the characters in the same episode. I was impressed by how easily the creators are playing with our mood. 

If I should resume it, Chihayafuru is a story about a bunch of cool characters who are trying to be the best Karuta players in the world  with awesome visuals by Madhouse and my favorite OST of 2012 by Kousuke Yamashita.