natsumi-no-hotaru

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

Chihayafuru #55: Karuta is so unpredictable... and fun!

AKA. I was completely blown away by how AWESOME this episode is. 

[Previously: The four-on-four team match and all hail the Shiranami Offensive!]

Gosh, what an episode. Absolutely wild, chockful of surprises and oh so meme-able! The pacing is faster and so much happened in 20 minutes. Seriously, a lot and wow, I haven’t felt that energized after watching Chihayafuru in a long while. Not that the last couple of episodes were dull or anything, but they kind of lack a certain spark that makes them truly memorable and leaves viewers at the edge of their seats. This is definitely not the case with Chihayafuru #55. As soon as I finished watching, I felt compelled to start writing, and had it not been for the intense workload and pressure at the office, this post would have come out much sooner. 

Picking up from where we left off, the match between Chi-chan and Haruka entered its most critical juncture, as Chi-chan snatched back the Chihayafuru, the one card that Sakurazawa never managed to take from the former Queen. 

Why she plays karuta

The loss of Chihayafuru was a considerable blow to Haruka, whose inner tumult gave Chi-chan the chance to reduce the card difference and turn the tides in her favor. Facing a fearless young opponent who played with such tranquility and enjoyment, Haruka became trapped by strenuous thoughts of having to “throw off [her opponent’s] pace and not let her have fun”. 

Her elder kid is so cute!!!

Instead of making the overly enthused Aki a burden to Haruka and her pursuit of karuta, the narrative took a step far from the beaten track, in turning his curiosity and budding interest into a source of strength and encouragement for the young mom. 

The game was momentarily interrupted but it gave Haruka just the needed headspace to recall her karuta origin story. Turns out that her parents were also karuta players and she, along with her sibling, joined their karuta practice ever since they were little. Haruka grew into a successful player, as proven by her holding the Queen title for 4 consecutive years, and became a young mom with two adorable kids. Convention would dictate that she should be satisfied with what she had, with the implication of giving up karuta, akin to a part of herself, to focus on her kids. But that was not the choice that her parents made, and this is the one case where “history repeats itself” does not mean a negative thing.

“But the realization that parents can have something they treasure as much as their kids set me free.”

I am once again blown by the bold and mold-breaking direction taken by Suetsugu-san (the mangaka), and subsequently honored by the animation, with regards to Haruka’s storyline and character. At first glance, Haruka had all the family trappings that, in your run-of-the-mill competition narrative, would have weighed her down and turned her into a past-her-prime mom player. But this is definitely NOT the case here. Previously, we have seen how supportive her husband was of her karuta to the point of sharing in the child-rearing and caretaking responsibilities and how Haruka herself was not content to rest on her laurels. All of that culminates in this episode, where she demonstrates a solid conviction to be a model for her children, to show them that a rewarding lifelong pursuit does not need to come at the cost of family. She plays karuta because she wants to stay true to herself and believes that by not giving up on her passion, she is passing on her parents’ gift to her children - a chance to embark on the journey of self-validation and self-affirmation from a young age. 

To this end, there was no other way for Haruka to proceed but to play the karuta that she excels and enjoys. Instead of dwelling on how to break Chi-chan’s momentum, she recovered herself in time to showcase the top-tier hearing that carried her through past games and astonished all. 

In a battle over a multiple-syllable card, Haruka emerged victorious when she swiped at Chi-chan’s card after hearing only the first syllable, which, technically, should not be enough to let her know which card the reader was reading: hers or her opponent’s. Yet it was not a grab made in desperation or blind luck. Haruka knew which card was read with dead certainty because she could pick up on the tonal variations of the card reader (who is from the west like her). There was simply no contest possible for Chi-chan in this regard.

Just as the match was about to take a more serious turn, a curveball came out of nowhere in the form of a card being slightly moved upon the reading of a dead card. 

A moment of confusion gripped the room as everyone tried to figure out who moved the card. 

But for the two persons in question, it was no more than an amusing incident, a much-appreciated reliever of tensions that brought them closer. It is also another instance that highlights Chi-chan’s growing maturity as a karuta player; she would have been so flustered had this been a year earlier. The fact that she could laugh about it and enjoy a bonding moment with her opponent, a former Queen for 4 consecutive times no less, speaks volumes about her mindset and approach to the game. Her little routine of wiping her face, fixing her sleeve ties and hair, and exhaling deeply before returning to the game without a hint of stress viscerally reflected Chi-chan’s inner composure and enjoyment of the game itself.

“I’d thought she’d tense up against a former Queen, but right from the start, and even this close to the end, she’s not getting worked up. Maybe in Ayase’s mind, the only Queen is Wakamiya Shinobu.”

Damn, this moment gave me the shivers. It is precisely why I ship Shinochi - this fleeting yet tenacious connection between two very talented and quirky players, both in search of personal fulfilment through competitive karuta. Previously, Shi-chan found in Chi-chan a promising rival who wants nothing more than going head to head against a Queen that went all out. In Shi-chan, Chi-chan found an indomitable will to aspire to, a constant source of inspiration that buoys her up at challenging moments. If Chi-chan can face Shi-chan after a merciless match and came out all the more gratified for it, then how can she lose heart in front of an opponent lesser than the latter?  

What puts the cherry on the top for me is how these insightful observations do not come from the usual sources, like Kana-chan, Tsutomu, Taichi or more recently, Sakurazawa-sensei, but from Nishida. The fact that he could grasp this facet of Chi-chan’s psyche so well speaks to the bonds between Mizusawa karuta club members. It’s a very beautiful and understated way of showing how much they care for one another’s progress.

“This is it, Taichi”

“Even Wakamiya Shinobu isn’t invincible.”

Mentions of Shi-chan and her defeat at the hand of Arata made for a smooth transition into Arata’s unanticipated loss against the unfavorably compared Tsuboguchi. The latter’s victory was such a major upset that left everyone dumbfounded in the most hilarious of ways. 

LOL, look at their faces. I absolutely DID NOT foresee this turn of event at all, too. Kinda bet on Chi-chan facing Arata in their first official match in this tournament. Turned out that would have to wait. 

Me very glad that it was not an actual bet me made. Would be a major loss here lmao. Who would have thought that Arata would lose here, to high school karuta coach Tsuboguchi-san of all people, cursed or not by the latter’s student? 

Nothing seemed to go according to plan for opponents of the Shiranami Society. Murao-kun, Arata’s senpai, managed a win against Harada-sensei, but at great expense to his stamina. Imagine the kind of unyielding battle Harada-sensei must have waged against this much younger player, to have brought the card gap from 10 down to 4 at the end. 

It was a vicious tug of war for Chi-chan and Taichi, both locked in a tie against their opponents. At a juncture where many would play cautiously, our beloved President and Vice President persisted with the Shiranami-famous offensive style, living on the edge as their sensei and senpai would have it. 

The imagery is a little silly in how it made Harada-sensei and Tsuboguchi-san the dearly departed, instead of the still kicking members of the Shiranami Society; but the emphasis on the bond between all members and the influence they had on each other’s mentality, playstyle and decisions rendered depth to the story, neatly harking back to the team-tournament spirit espoused by Harada-sensei before the quarter-finals, as well as to the desire to stay true to oneself in karuta, as embraced by Haruka at the episode’s beginning. 

Chi-chan ended the game victoriously on the poignant note of “Since I could not hide my love” (remember when Taichi himself pulled through the class A ascension game with this same card?) and promptly fell into sleep on the spot, to the joy and dismay of Kana-chan and Nishida. The only match undecided left was Taichi’s, and as per his usual luck, it came down to a luck of the draw, again. Good thing this was not a cliffhanger cos I was literally holding on to my tea mug for support. 

Feels like Taichi is becoming a Master on his own at luck of the draw...

The instant the reader started reciting, Taichi reached for the card on Sudo-san’s side, before the latter even reacted. It was not that he could hear a decisive sound as the basis for his judgement. It was simply a move borne out of much arduous experience.

Lmao, it was too outrageous even for Sudo-san.

Regardless, GO, Taichiiiiii!!!! *exhaled in relief* Semi-finals, here we come!

Well, before the semi-finals was a somewhat out-of-the-blue segue about Chi-chan’s mother, who sought to juggle between doing her own work and supporting her daughters in their career/pursuit. 

It did find its way back to an unconscious Chi-chan cradled in the arms of friends but still, bit disjointed, albeit an interesting glimpse at the dynamics among the Ayase women.

“I’ll take the loss by default.”

In another surprising turn of event - well not the post-march dead-to-the-world Chi-chan, Hiroshi chose to lose by default to Chi-chan, instead of making her lose by not being able to show up for the match. Certainly one may chalk this up to team spirit but that would not be ... sufficient. Hiroshi’s concern for Chi-chan - “just let Chihaya-chan sleep” felt very brotherly, which is nice because it didn’t seem like she was showered with enough familial care and affection at home.

Taichi is a different story though. It’s not that Hiroshi did not care for Taichi but like a big brother, he knows exactly which button to push to get his sibling fire up, the way he did back at the Omi Jingu team tournament as a karuta high school coach. Hiroshi knew that Taichi needed someone to acknowledge his efforts and progress without sugarcoating the thornier parts.

“Most people here think you’re just a kid who rode a wave of momentum to get here.”

As Hiroshi rightly said, Taichi could never rely on momentum or luck, but pure skill. This helped to bolster his spirit but also placed the weight of expectations on him, as someone with the skill. Thankfully, he was motivated by the fact that Arata would be watching him - a chance to show Arata what he could do now. 

An easy win is not gonna help Taichi mentally and I think that’s partly why he said that he would not have yielded to Taichi, the way he did to Chi-chan, in response to Harada-sensei’s question. Certainly, rivalry also fueled this answer but at the core of it is Hiroshi’s desire to show that he takes Taichi seriously as well as his deep awareness of Taichi’s inferiority complex. 

“This is my first time watching Taichi play.”

Gosh, that cute chuckle of Arata. This is, if memory serves me well, the first time that we got to see Arata showing an interest purely in Taichi, without being occupied by other considerations such as forming his own karuta club or joining group tournaments. His flashback was of the few interactions with Taichi that did not directly involve Chi-chan too - the incident with Arata’s glasses in their early days and Taichi’s tsundere attitude towards playing karuta with his childhood friends. I personally enjoy very much these brief moments of camaraderie between Taichi and Arata and look forward to more of them, be it in the rest of season 3 anime or in the post-s3 chapters of the manga. There is a lot of potential to flesh out meaningful character developments from these interactions, not just from Aratachi or Taichihaya moments. 

Before getting back to Serious Land™, and I do mean it, cos oh boy the ending, here are Chi-chan’s lovely selves.

I do want to see Chi-chan and Shi-chan decked out in all their goofy glory for a karuta game lol.

The perfect defense

In previous episodes, Taichi has shown a certain affinity towards incorporating others’ techniques into his own mentally rigorous playstyle. Against a Murao-kun whose "simple-minded aggressiveness” has been whittled away by the attrition battle waged by Harada-sensei, Taichi held his own and maintained a large card difference against his opponent, even finding opportunities to test out a new pull-back move (which is Sudo-san’s move right?).  

While this battle’s outcome is more or less decided, especially with the large card difference and Chi-chan already being slated for the final, it would be nice to be able to delve deeper into Taichi’s state of mind here. Seemingly in response to the unvoiced question from Tsutomu-kun and Nishida, Taichi mentally pointed to the presence of Arata in the audience, Harada-sensei’s previous whittling effort, and Chi-chan’s absence. I am not quite sure how all these pieces fit together to bring about this version of Taichi; hopefully we will get some insight in the next episode. The most ominous piece is Chi-chan’s absence... considering what several people already said regarding Taichi’s performance in her absence. 

In the meantime, Harada-sensei clearly sensed that in spite of the offensive karuta he was taught, it is defensive karuta that increasingly defined his playstyle and brought him victory this time. I vaguely recalled someone already making an observation to similar effect, was it Sakurazawa-sensei, during the team tournament in season 2? 

And here we go, the match that has been hinted at for quite sometime now - an official match between Taichi and Chi-chan!! 

Chi-chan certainly is the better player and she has proved herself against very strong players, from Queen candidates to actual Queens, so I think there should be no surprise as to the final outcome of this match. Nonetheless, I am certain that Suetsugu-san would not have this important turning point to be without its share of twists and drama. 

Can Taichi hold his own against Chi-chan? Will he lose to himself? And more importantly, what will he do to improve his karuta, especially the defensive playstyle, in the aftermath? I eagerly await the next episode (or episodes, since the match may take longer) and what it has in store for Taichi.

Before ending this post, I just wanna drop a quick note for all readers, new or regular (gosh, do I have any left after more than a year of hiatus). Thank you so much for your support and I am sorry for disappearing for so long. Life has been putting me through the wringer ever since and drained me of any interest in putting out my own written word. This is not the first time this happened, unfortunately. But regardless of my pre-occupations, be it professional, gaming or anime-wise, I remain invested in seeing my series of posts on Chihayafuru to its completion. So buckle up, cos this train is resuming service, to the next episode of Chihayafuru and beyond!

#natsumi talks #Chihayafuru #chihayafuru marathon #chihayafuru anime #chihayafuru season 3 #chihayafuru s3 #Chihaya Ayase #ayase chihaya #Mashima Taichi #Taichi Mashima #taichimashima4tw #Wataya Arata #Arata Wataya

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

Chihayafuru 54: Who is there left now that can claim to know me well?

AKA. In which the former Queen reminded all of what she’s capable of.

[Previously: Arata gave Taichi advice on memorization mid-match and Taichi’s adorably awed face]

I really should have been more careful about what I wished for. 

Bad bad Sudo-san, so misogynistic. Can’t wait to see Chi-chan handing you yo ass. Or Taichi, I’m not picky.

Yeah... next up against Sudo-san is Taichi. 

I get it though, it really can’t go any other way. Fellow Shiranami members aside, anyone would also be a tough match-up. Haruka is a former Queen, Murao-kun had way too much experience under his belt and had been playing against Arata-kun for ages, and well, Arata is Arata. Would be fun to see Arata vs Taichi in an official match but that is probably too soon for now - like an premature final of sorts.

“Can I make through a match with Sudo-san?”

Taichi’s anxiety and wariness make for a sharp contrast with Chi-chan’s lack of awareness of her opponent and buoyancy in getting to play more karuta.

Once again, Nishida tried to be the voice of reason and a stand-in coach for Chi-chan but it kinda backfired? lol

Chi-chan’s reaction to Nishida’s revelation and words of counsel truly showed how much she had grown. Gone were the days when her game play would be affected by her opponents’ track record, like with Yumin and Megumi Ohsaka. What matters to her now is to play her karuta and enjoy karuta to the fullest.

Meanwhile, the question on the tip of everyone’s tongue was how strong the former Queen is, and another for those in the know is whether she had returned to her former glory. The anticipation was almost palpable, as even the head of Suihoku Society exclaimed that no one wished to have Haruka as their opponent in a conversation with Yumin. And Nishida is not given to exaggeration, so someone who could surpass Shi-chan in terms of game sense is truly worth watching out for.

The individual-turned-team tournament

I absolutely love how exuberant Harada-sensei was - and why wouldn’t he be proud of all his treasured proteges making into the quarter-final stage? 

Like a general rousing the troops before a major battle, Harada-sensei sought to inspire fellow young Shiranami members with his infectious confidence and unshakeable self-assurance. 

All in a such a loud and assertive tone too, lmao. 

Would have made for a good intimidation tactic, had it not been for these battle-hardened veterans and their formidable charges.

Meanwhile, Chi-chan was on cloud nine. 

Before the match began, the audience was far more interested in Haruka than Chi-chan, for obvious reasons. Our dear protagonist was viewed as no more than a capable player who could help them assess Haruka’s performance. 

Chi-chan of course had no idea of such expectations and she went into the game with no more than the usual desire to play her karuta. 

Much as Taichi would like to take heart in Chi-chan’s presence right by his side and the team spirit of Harada-sensei, he was also keenly aware of his own battle and the need to not let Sudo-san’s taunting get to him.

The qualities of a sound

Without further ado, the reader recited the Naniwa Bay verse and the quarter-finals kicked off. All eyes (well, nearly all) were on the highly-anticipated match between Chi-chan and Haruka, and it was certainly the wise thing to do, though not quite for the reason the spectators had in mind.  

No-one could have thought that Chi-chan would take the first card right off the bat, with such decisiveness and surety in her movement. 

Rising to the challenge, she made use of her newly-gained grasp of low and high pitch from Yama-chan to seize the momentum. 

“Maybe what we’ll be seeing today isn’t Inokuma Haruka’s comeback, but a new generation’s takeover!”

Unlike Chi-chan, the former Queen was certainly more conscious of the crowd’s dimming interest in her and rising expectations for Chi-chan’s ascendance. But far from letting it affect her play, she seemed only more determined to assert her presence and reclaim her rightful place. 

Because that future, until which,

you say, you will “never forget”

is hard to rely on, 

oh, if only today could be 

the last day of my life!

In true Chihayafuru style, no poem is coincidental. The poet’s fear of being forgotten by her love resonated deeply with Haruka’s desire to not be dismissed and replaced by a new star, and the second verse’s desperate prayer echoed her perseverance to not give up on karuta after her pregnancy. As Coach Sakurazawa said, she could not be here had she not such enduring passion to come back to the game. 

“It is hard to discern the pitch for the “The” cards, yet she could hear it?”

As befitting of a 4-time Queen, Haruka immediately picked up on what Chi-chan was trying to do and moved it up several notches. 

Haruka’s genius-like hearing was shown to be honed by her experience of many many matches and readers. Pitch is not the only quality of a sound that she could discern, for a sound has many colors. 

“High and low, strong and weak, feminine and masculine, soft and sharp...

Whether the reader is from the east or the west...”

The match heated up as Haruka finished her warm-up and got her hearing back to her usual competitive *read: insane* level. But that is not the only “trick” she has up her sleeve. 

Unlike most players, she does not move her cards to fill the gaps left behind by those that were read. The positioning of her cards does not change for the entirety of the match. I am still not sure as to what she would substantially gain from this unique play style, besides it being a lesser burden on memorization. Nonetheless, regardless of the rationale behind her strategy, Haruka was certainly living up to her reputation and more, convinced that she had yet to reach the peak of her abilities.

The Shiranami Offensive

Things were not looking exactly favorable for the other Shiranami members.  Their attacks were pushed back while their opponents were all taking the lead. Harada-sensei had the biggest card difference of 10, and Hiroshi was not faring much better against Arata and his insane acceleration speed. But the matches were far from a done deal, as the 4 Shiranami members had yet to give up on turning the tide of battle. 

“I still don’t know much about the finer points of karuta but...”

And though all eyes were on Chi-chan’s match and Haruka, one can always rest assured that there would always be a certain avid fan following Taichi’s progress at every step of the way. 

The game was doubtlessly arduous but if there’s anything, Taichi is no stranger to the sort of mind tricks employed by Sudo-san to confound and rattle his opponents. Even when he lost a card to Taichi, albeit by a hair, he still managed to put a demoralizing take on what happened by claiming that Taichi could not see exactly how things went down. 

Since this tactic did not work so well, Sudo-san lived up to his name by taking digs at Taichi’s lack of love life.

oops.

Taichi did not take it well. Nonetheless, true to Sumire’s assessment, he quickly recovered from the psychological attack and gathered himself together. The little voice of belittlement was conspicuously absent and he still retained enough composure to be aware of Sudo-san’s increasing fatigue (thanks to Nishida’s valiant effort to sap at his stamina!) and not be taken in by his aggressive act. 

Taichi’s balanced perspective of his opponent’s strength and weakness in this match helped him clear his head and be free from the usual self-doubt.

And a calm and collected Taichi is one hell of a player. 

It was time for him to display what he had learnt from recent tournaments and the Fujisaki camp, including an upgrade to his movement speed and the tactic to cover multi-syllable cards with few unique syllables, taken straight from Emuro-senpai’s book.  

Sudo-san, he’s not the same Taichi that you met at Omi Jingu anymore. 

While Taichi was pushing himself, Chi-chan exploring the depth of sound, and Hiroshi holding on against Arata, Harada-sensei seized the spotlight with a loud and clear rally call, delivered in his usual style of intimidation. 

“GOT THERE IN TIME!”

He shouted “Got there in time!” after executing a swift and powerful turnabout that allowed him to grab his card after making a move at his opponent’s.

While it’s true that Harada-sensei’s game etiquette was questionable in that instant, I absolutely love that he was still so energetic, at his age and after several games in a row, not to mention during such a tough game.

Harada-sensei’s triumphant shout was a spontaneous move but it was just in time to lift the morale of his “troops”, a call to stay true to the Shiranami method.

First to respond was Chi-chan, who pulled off yet another unexpected feat against the former Queen. 

Sliding a finger into the gap under Haruka’s hand, she managed to take a multi-syllable card that seemingly was already in Haruka’s grasp. But that’s not the only outrageous thing that she aimed for. 

“She’s sending ‘Chihayaburu’ to Inokuma’s side, despite her tight defense? Even if this is offensive style karuta, just how offensive can the Shiranami Society be?”

I absolutely love Suihoku coach’s aggressive commentary that is a constant dig against Shiranami Society. Nonetheless, while it is true that Chi-chan made a rather risky gamble in giving her best card to such a formidable opponent, it was not an act made in the heat of the moment.

Pushing herself to the limits has always been Chi-chan’s creed in karuta. If she’s gonna “be greedy” and aim for the best, then she will need to face opponents head on and make use of all learning opportunities for self-improvement. That translates to not playing safe against a former Queen and sticking to her chosen style of card taking, no matter how unique the placement. 

Even Haruka could feel the mounting pressure exerted by Chi-chan...

The moment of truth!

Both of them were so fast (all I could catch of the animation is their blurred hands)! But unlike the stalemate 2 cards before “Chihayafuru”, there was no doubt as to who reached the card first.

She did it!! The flames behind her are incredibly apt in representing her passion, all the more so given that she got the one card that Sakurazawa-sensei had never been able to take from Haruka, back in her competitive days.

The other battles were far from decided as Hiroshi, Harada-sensei and Taichi did their best to wrestle control of the match from their opponents in their own ways. Hiroshi held on by the virtue of taking cards carefully and relearning the basics while coaching his merry band of karuta club kids. It’s sweet that the kids came to cheer for him and got a shout-out too (in Hiroshi’s mind LOL, not out loud a la Harada-sensei).

Against Sudo-san’s cutthroat karuta, Taichi’s relaxation technique worked wonders in ensuring a clear focus on the cards themselves, prevent him from second-guessing himself and worrying about what his opponent might be up to. 

Among the four match-ups, it is likely that Taichi and Sudo-san are the pairing with the greatest knowledge and understanding of each other’s strength, mentally and physically. This makes for really interesting dynamics, as if they mirror each other. They were both acutely aware of the other’s growing fatigue, particularly after their fumble over a dead card. They ended up being fired up over the same thing - Retro’s victory in his class B final, as their game neared its closing. It would be interesting to see more interactions between these two after the match because difference in play style aside, they are more alike than expected. 

LOL, Harada-sensei looked so fierce here. He’s certainly not one to give up early or easily. 

I truly appreciate the show’s dedication to realism when it comes to portraying the trials of child-raising faced by Haruka and her husband. It’s not easy to keep an eye on a toddler and a baby at the same time, and I’m really curious as to how Haruka would handle her child’s presence in the thick of action. Would she be distracted or remain calm and cool?

This episode wound down with shots of players making tenacious grabs for cards at the last stage of the game. It made for a very intense cliffhanger but as Chi-chan said, this four-on-four team match has been so much fun! All in all, that’s the kind of energy that only true lovers of karuta could manifest, and I can’t wait to see the outcomes of this team match!  

Thanks for reading and see you next episode!

#Chihayafuru #chihayafuru season 3 #chihayafuru anime #chihayafuru marathon #natsumi talks #ayase chihaya #Chihaya Ayase #Wataya Arata #Arata Wataya #Mashima Taichi #Taichi Mashima

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

Chihayafuru #53: What it takes to be the Queen

AKA. In which Chi-chan and Taichi were treated to an overwhelming show of support and older female players bonded over child-raising.

[Previously: Welcome to class A, Taichi]

Welcome back, me, to the world of competitive karuta. 

Though I did technically come back to Chihayafuru with my previous post, I was just finishing off the draft that was half-written prior to my disappearance. So this time feels more like my actual return, since every word is fresh out of the press. Keeping up the writing is proving to be quite a challenge (again, lol) but I will do my best and your company is much appreciated, as always, on this lovely journey. 

While the matches are the focus of this episode, there is just as much to unpack off-stage: the appearance, or more correctly, the return of an extraordinary female player (not Shi-chan), the strangely nice (until not) chat between Taichi and Arata, and the coaches’ thoughtful exchange about Chi-chan’s potential to be the Queen. These little surprises unfolded rapidly before viewers even get to the halfway point, and while they could do with some more congruence, together they highlight the theme of “pursuit” as central to all players present.

The former Queen

And, tada, this is Haruka Inokuma, 4-time Queen and proud mother of two, one of whom is still at breast-feeding age! She is such an inspiring character, what with returning to karuta after pregnancy to reclaim her title and breastfeeding her littler one during break. She is so cheerful, energetic and filled with that fervent, yet unassuming, tenacity that makes you want to immediately root for her. Truly, I am so grateful for Chihayafuru’s wonderful array of strong female characters who all have their stories to tell, and Haruka is another welcoming addition to the cast. If only there are more mangaka like Suetsugu-san, imagine the kinds of empowering stories and positive role models manga and anime would bring to girls and young women!

A husband who’s supportive of her passion and patiently looks after the young ones during her matches - gosh, she’s so blessed and I am so happy for this heartwarming portrayal of Haruka’s partner. Together they make an enviable real-life power couple and a warm, loving family. 

Chihayafuru - Suetsugu-san - truly excels at the little details. It was incredibly endearing to see Haruka’s husband putting on the breastfeeding covering on her. And I love that Coach Sakurazawa came over to enquire after Haruka and ending up being awed by the latter’s dedication as both a mother and a karuta player. You know me (or you would, if you go back to read a couple of old posts, lol), I’m a big sucker for women’s bonding over topics unrelated to any male figure, and Chihayafuru has never disappointed me on that count. 

What is my problem?

Fun as it was to get to know Haruka and her connection with Sakurazawa, it’s time to check on the Mizusawa gang. 

Chi-chan won against fancy-hair senpai from Fujisaki but still needed some time to get used to the feeling of using her right hand instead of her left. Nishida-kun seemed rightfully worried about Chi-chan’s right hand as not having returned to its full strength. 

Interestingly enough but not so surprising that Chi-chan was the one surrounded by her clubmates, and Taichi spent his break by himself - well, not for much longer.

ARATAAAAA!!!

No man is an island, and Taichi is no exception. 

His surprised-blushy face is so adorbbb! And it was just like Arata to be the one reaching out, especially given his heartfelt desire to come to Tokyo and reunite with his childhood friends. He found Taichi at the perfect moment for them to have a lovely chat too!

Turned out that Taichi was using his alone time to forget the card layouts of the previous matches by humming his school song (seriously though, the lyricist’s urm... name is Karuta? lol). Though flustered by Arata’s question, Taichi soon got over his initial hesitation and the conversation flowed naturally as the two boys exchanged methods to reset one’s memory post-match and approaches to memorization during matches with unexpected earnestness.

On memorization during matches

Taichi’s excitement was palpable and Arata just gave away his tactics and tips without any reserve. Gosh they are so so precious. 

You can hear in Arata’s gentle cadence his wholehearted attention for Taichi. Lol, now that I think about it, Hosoyan and Mamo-kun have quite the voice-acting chemistry, huh. It was with Arata and Taichi, and then with Kunikida and Dazai in BSD. So amazing. 

Wide-eyed Taichi ~

A moment of self-awareness dawned on Taichi, who was truly surprised by how easy it was to talk to Arata and how much he wanted to reach out to Arata through karuta. Taichi himself might find it “weird” but it is far from the first time that he found encouragement and support in Arata, even when he did not know of Arata’s presence and despite viewing him as more of an enemy than as a friend at times.

Unfortunately, the good vibes did not last and the conversation soon left the comfort zone for rocky waters. Similar to their last meeting at Omi Jingu, it began with Arata expressing his desire to play as a team, this time not with Chi-chan and Taichi, but as part of his school’s karuta team. 

“He wants to play team matches, too?”

Unlike the last time, what irritated Taichi is not just being on the same team with or facing his enemy but more deeply rooted in his perceived inferiority to Arata in terms of karuta. And as typical of Taichi, he downplayed his contribution to the creation of the Mizusawa club, citing Chi-chan as the one who “brought our club together”. 

The conversation took a swift turn for the awkward and was cut short by one of Taichi’s rare outbursts. 

“I thought you were focusing solely on the Master match.”

It’s ultimately a great shame because confidence or arrogance was far from what motivated Arata. It was his own participation in the school national team tournament, limited as it was, and the bittersweet joy derived from it, that drove him to give team karuta a go. But Taichi, who is still bogged down by insecurities when faced with Arata, read the latter’s desire as an expression of his self-assurance in all things karuta. Mere moments later, after leaving Arata to himself, it seemed that even Taichi did not believe in his words, frustrated as he was by his overreaction (poor kabe-kun had it bad). 

“Think of all those ugly matches where I lost to myself!”

As someone who was stuck in a hyper-competitive mindset for a good part of 2020, I truly worry about Taichi. The more he sees Arata as an insurmountable peak that he had to overcome no matter what, and less as a childhood friend whom he could count on, the more he will be fighting a battle he can’t win, not against his rival, but against himself. 

Taichi was aware of his own psychological pits, but it didn’t seem like he had fully gotten hold of himself. And that gave the Mizusawa gang and Shiranami Society peeps cause for concern. 

The pairings

Chi-chan would face a runner-up Master, aka. a challenger sorely defeated by Master Suo. Setting up the old vs the young, Harada-sensei was paired with Ririka-chan, the talented young girl that Chi-chan once played against.

Another interesting pairing is Sudo-san vs. Yama-chan (Rion). Sudo-san plays a tough game but Yama-chan is not so easy to budge.

Taichi oftens gets paired against uhm... peculiar dudes. Last time, it was Emuro (Ero-senpai) and this was curly-hairpin-kun. Feels like the more hyped up Taichi is for a match, the more likely he will encounter very memorable opponents.

How incredible it is that Chi-chan and Taichi are playing on the same stage! They have come so far, especially Taichi. And this brings us to the question - who’s to watch? Seeing Nishida torn between Yumin, his club senpai, Taichi and Chi-chan, and unable to stop worrying about Chi-chan’s right hand and performance is absolutely precious. Troubled by the same dilemma, Kana-chan stayed true to herself and took the best seat in the house to shadow this round’s reader, whose voice is the textbook audio of karuta.

I love that amid the main action, an amount of screentime is still devoted to exploring Kana-chan’s passion for poetry reading and her ambition to be an accomplished karuta card reader. And the awe-struck expression on her face when the card reader raised his voice and filled the room with the melody of poetry - it was truly visceral.

A dream of silent karuta

The “Naniwa bay” verses recited, the matches began. Takemura took the first two cards with bursts of power and speed; his “tank-like” show of force seemingly overwhelmed Chi-chan.

There was something different about Chi-chan in this match. At the beginning of the episode, she looked like she might be struggling to keep up but Nishida-kun and all of us were in for a pleasant surprise. 

It’s not that her swing was too wide or her capture lacked force. 

Chi-chan’s time with her left hand did not weaken her right hand like Nishida-kun worried; in fact, it even helped her to be more judicious in the application of force and come a step closer to the silent karuta, the karuta that Shi-chan so excels at and that she ardently aspires to. 

While Nishida-kun’s worry for Chi-chan was proven unnecessary, others’ worries might not be so quickly set aside. Just as Chi-chan realized that she forgot to put up her sleeves with the bands given to her by the Empress, the point of view switched to the two karuta club advisors of Mizusawa and Fujisaki. 

It was quite a leap of faith that Miyauchi-sensei took, even in desperation, to seek advice about the possibility of Chi-chan becoming a Queen from a newly-acquainted coach of a rival school. Granted that Coach Sakurazawa took an interest in the Mizusawa students, particularly Chi-chan, and could draw from her own experience as a runner-up Queen to provide a reasonable answer, I still found it incredibly moving that the Empress posed the question without any reserve. Such bluntness shows how much she cares for her student and desires to be on their side as much as possible, even if she is not sure of the proper way to proceed. 

Perhaps Miyauchi-sensei could sense something from Coach Sakurazawa, a certain willingness to engage with the question through her inquiry about the former’s reasons in asking. Perhaps it was for this reason that she let her guard down and revealed the extent of her worry for Chi-chan’s future in karuta and in life, like a silent plea for empathy from her younger colleague.

All of this once again highlights the care that Chihayafuru devotes to character development, even of minor supporting characters like Miyauchi-sensei. I love that the Mizusawa kids, especially Chi-chan, can count on surrounding adults and teachers for genuine support and encouragement. It’s a truly heartwarming moment to watch and so well-placed amid all the tension of the matches. 

Deep in the snow of Yoshino 

The game entered its most heated as tensions and fatigue began piling up. Some thrived in it, like Harada-sensei and Sudo-san who sought to overwhelm their opponents and demoralize them, while others struggled to keep a clear head, like Taichi and Yama-chan. 

Even though his opponent seemed to be of a lower caliber than himself, Taichi refused to let his guard down and demanded nothing less than perfection from himself in his grabs. 

What a misjudgment. Yama-chan is the kind of girl who would get rattled by her opponent’s mid-game injury, not by their taunting about her personal flaws.  

And there are those who remained unfazed by their opponents’ antics and steadfastly marched on toward their goal. Arata was paired against Yumin, a tenacious sort of opponent who would contest for every possible card by claiming that she touched it first. It seemed like a very Arata thing to not argue and like Yumin said, “strive to play clean” and not let his mind be swayed by anything but the cards themselves.

Meanwhile, Chi-chan was steadily gaining the upper hand over the runner-up Master. As Nishida-kun came to realize, Chi-chan’s hand-eye coordination improved by leaps and bounds, thanks to her time playing with her left hand, which enabled her to go after her right-handed opponent’s weakness on the left side with surety and ingrained skill.

“There’s no way that she even realizes it. She doesn’t, but practicing with her left hand all that time resulted in mirroring her body and attack positions. Going after her old weak spots, her own left side and the opponent’s right side, broadened her awareness of where her hand is going!”

Fierce collision burgeoned forth at the instant the Chihayafuru card was read. Both Haruka and Chi-chan sent their cards flying so far that they had to literally go around and ask for the right cards from their decks.

What are the chances that Chi-chan would be meeting her next round’s opponent, the former Queen, this way? 

It was a powerful set-up for a true moment of serenity, aptly amplified by Coach Sakurazawa’s realization of how their cards collided and her ongoing pondering on the Empress’ question of whether Chi-chan can become the Queen. 

For Haruka, tension was just a way to warm her up and get her in the groove. 

I love that Chihayafuru did not shy away from such candid revelations! She is a mother in the breastfeeding period, so she would very likely encounter a situation like this one. 

And look at how supportive and excited her elder kid was! It’s super encouraging to see depiction of family as not an obstacle to the pursuit of one’s dream.

Haruka, from the flashback of Coach Sakurazawa, is certainly intriguing, not to mention a formidable opponent, whom Sakurazawa challenged 4 times but failed to dethrone. Unassuming and modest, Haruka openly shared the “secret” behind her success with the now Fujisaki karuta advisor - simply the ability to “hear well”. Not only does she have a genius level of hearing the likes of Yama-chan, but she also carries herself through the games with solid technique, rich experience, and a vibrancy and composure befitting of a Queen. It would be super fun to see her playing against the current Queen, especially since they have such opposing vibes: warm vs. detached, agile vs contemplative. 

Sakurazawa’s insight proved valuable and enlightening again, as she compared Haruka to someone whose strength we are well aware, aka. Master Suo, the playful trickster that I can’t wait to see again. 

For the team

Haha, this is so deja vu, huh. Another match, another struggle with your psyche at stake. Taichi initially dismissed his opponent for his “too heavy” movements and slowness but halfway through the game, he found that a reduced speed enabled curly-hairpin-kun to make grabs without having to slow down, and with considerable precision. Adding this to the pressure of being “perfect” and there you have it, Taichi’s mind was again encumbered by needless stress, even when he was actually in the lead.

At the very instant where things seemed to fall back into that loop of self-doubt and self-destruction for Taichi, he was struck by the realization that his opponent was not fighting merely to win for himself but also to drain as much of Taichi’s stamina as possible, in the likelier event of losing the game. 

This quiet awareness gave more meaning to his struggle, in the sense that all is not lost even if he could not bring his A-game to the table. As long as he chipped away his opponent’s strength so as to make things easier for fellow members of the Shiranami Society, he still succeeded in making a productive contribution. And I think that helped him tremendously at this lost-in-his-head moment. 

And it’s incredibly moving that both Harada-sensei and his Shiranami-society senpai (Hiroshi-san...?) somehow intuitively gave those lovely pats of encouragement to Taichi with such good timing. It’s like telepathy, I swear. I think it also spoke of how well they understood him and what he needed. Absolutely heartwarming to see that Taichi, in spite of all the things that sought to bog him down, always received the right support from the right peeps at the right time.

Gosh, that adorable face all wowed and awed by that reassurance of affection and care. 

Ehehe, isn’t it nice to have someone looking after you right?

Mamo-chan’s exhale here was the very sound of burdens lifted.

Taichi recovered in time to take advantage of his opponent’s lack of speed. What use is a perfect movement when just covering your card or blocking his grab would suffice?

yayyyyyyy go Taichiiii

Contrary to Sudo-san’s expectations, Yama-chan was only more motivated to put up a good fight the more tired she got. She might not be able to come back from the lead that Sudo-san held but still managed to make Sudo-san expend efforts and stamina to maintain his not-that-significant advantage. 

I’m sorta rooting for this senpai now, lmao. Hope he’ll get Yama-chan’s attention one of these days? But maybe you’ll need to get a bit better at karuta first....?

Sudo-san, don’t underestimate Yama-chan!!!

I love how energetic and radiant she looked, all sweat-drenched and reddened with exertion. It’s all the more perfect that she didn’t bother responding to Sudo-san’s taunts. Action does speak louder than words, after all.

Senpai so moved by Yama-chan’s shining determination ehehe

Don’t ever change, Yama-chan. Please stay like this always. 

Poor Yama-chan finding it hard to keep her priorities straight, thanks to Chi-chan’s enthusiastic meddling from the Fujisaki boot camp. 

Lightning speed on her favorite card!

Bad bad Sudo-san, so misogynistic. Can’t wait to see Chi-chan handing you yo ass. Or Taichi, I’m not picky. 

I kinda enjoyed seeing Arata perplexed by how tired it was to not rise up to Yumin’s card contest bids. But Yumin’s assertion about throwing off his pace if she was able to argue for 4 more cards is pretty worrisome. I am not a fan of Yumin but mm, wonder if Arata might be meeting someone troublesome in the future. He had a close match with Shi-chan back at Omi Jingu but it did not seem to give him this much fatigue...

Runner-up master beaten by Chi-chan, yayyyyy!!! Poor guy though, being trounced by Master Suo and unable to do karuta for half a year is pretty rough.

Love how everyone is so happy for Chi-chan!!! And it makes sense too, considering she was up against a Runner-up Master no less!

Taichi dashing over, out of breath as usual.

Yayyyyy everyone is here to cheer on the gang!!

Another match done and dusted, good job, Chi-chan!!! 

There is no answer in sight yet for the Empress’ question, though Coach Sakurazawa did mention the factors of “fate” and the “times”. Perhaps there is something to be said about them in the coming episode(s)? 

It’s time to face Harada-sensei next! 

Oh wait, I mean, the former Queen Haruka!!! Onwards, Chi-chan!!!!

#natsumi talks #natsumi watches #Chihayafuru #chihayafuru anime #chihayafuru season 3 #chihayafuru marathon #chihayafuru s3 #ayase chihaya #Chihaya Ayase #Taichi Mashima #Mashima Taichi #Kanade Oe #komano tsutomu #Yusei Nishida #sumire hanano

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

Chihayafuru #52: Here comes the Yoshino Tournament

AKA. Kanatomu is back and absolutely here to stay. 

[Previously: There’s a kind of confidence only Ayase-san can give him.]

Gosh, picking this up after a hiatus of 1.5 years is not gonna be easy, lol. Can’t believe that this partial post on Chihayafuru season 3 episode 2 has sit in my drafts for that long. I would like to blame Netflix for getting me hooked on The End of the F*cking World and Haikyuu, but to be fair, it was Genshin Impact. Okay, fine, it’s me. But I dare you to be unaffected upon the sight of and acquaintance with the one true Queen (of GI, obviously not karuta), I dare you. 

... Jokes and finger-pointing aside, I am truly glad to return to rambling about this wonderous world, despite feeling lost and out of tune like Taichi making his way back to karuta in the beginning of season 1. I must admit that I have forgotten quite a bit of what happened in the past seasons - the matches, the characters’ struggles and dynamics. Before sitting down to finish this post, I have re-read my Chihayafuru collections in the hope of filling up the gaps in my recollection but the fact remains that I am truly worried about my ability to do the rest of Season 3 (which is a lot left ahahaha) and the entire Chihayafuru story justice. It is such an intricately and tightly written work thus far, with so much depth and all the details that all tie together.

Nonetheless, seeing Taichi and hearing Miyano Mamoru have never failed to inspire me to do my best at any given moment. So this is for you, Masuge-kun, and me, for us idiots who ran away and could not help coming back to home.  

*deep breath* Now that I got that out of my chest, let us go back to episode 52 because Kanatomu is a thing already. I’m just literally waiting for either of them taking the next step of confession because really, it’s just a matter of time that Kanatomu is canon. So excited for them to be actively turning toward each other and walking the same path hand in hand!!

Before snow falls on Yoshino Village

So many heartstrings were tugged on hearing that sweet bumbling hesitancy in his voice. 

There’s so much about the opening scene of this episode to love, from Arata’s cute blushy face, the return of his less-seen shy self, to his gentle and whole-hearted conviction in the need to keep the karuta world growing via school teams, which are often regarded by traditionalists as lesser players. It’s truly heartening to see friends cheering on our resident soft-speaking, socially distant boy and him declaring his intention to enter the next national team tournament. 

“Our world of karuta can only grow because of team players who keep the game alive, right?”

It was not until this scene that I truly felt the karuta world’s transformative power on Arata and how much he has opened up since his reunion with Chi-chan and Taichi, and his return to karuta. Had it not been for such experience, Arata might have been much more like Shi-chan, closed off and passionate all on her own. While Arata’s plan to form a school team for the national tournament quickly came to a bust, there’s no denying that Arata’s world has vastly opened up, the moment he wished to spread the word of karuta. 

Our fun and peaceful school life rounds continued with Chi-chan and the hardship of figuring out a future path. A certain obstacle will soon be placed in her path but before that, here comes training time. 

You’re not the only one lol. The only move Taichi made was to declare war on Chi-chan... so we’ll have to wait and see. 

Reality, as it looks, is pretty disheartening, huh?

Taichi’s progress was all noted by Chi-chan, especially how much further his strength in memorization had taken him in the game, making him a very formidable opponent in the later half.

Boy is aiming much higher now, heh? Well, one thing is certain - he definitely had Chi-chan’s attention now. A poor shipper can only hope that he would build something substantial out of it, while Arata is not yet back in the picture permanently. 

Perhaps not so surprisingly, Taichi is not the only whose spirits ran high. #everyone_wants_taichi

It’s absolutely hilarious to see these 3 fighting over who got to play Taichi and even better to see the ever gentile and soft-spoken Tsutomu-kun literally snap after an ill-advised argument from Nishida lmao.

Achievement unlocked: one snapped Tsutomu.

There’s a real sense of momentum in Tsutomu’s progress and it would certainly do him good to keep riding on that wind. As Kana-chan so shrewdly observed, going undefeated for an entire day can truly change a person’s mindset. 

And Tsutomu is not the only one energized by the team and individual victories of the club. The competitive bug has taken hold of another, one who has found a guiding goal for herself and started to walk firmly towards it. 

If Tsutomu’s spirited outburst was already quite unexpected for someone of a quiet disposition, Sumire certainly took the prize in being the greatest surprise of them all. She was asked by Taichi to take a turn playing against Chi-chan, who have started to get comfortable playing with her left hand. Sumire was meant to be an “easy” opponent so that Chi-chan could slowly reacquaint herself with using her right hand. While her level may have not seen a big leap but the same could not be said for her determination and resolve to do exactly what Taichi is trying to do - getting on the radar of her love interest. 

That look in her eyes certainly said all. No longer directionless, she now takes tenacious steps with her eyes dead-set on the goal. Her no-nonsense attitude, previously dormant, has taken hold and redefined her character in such a way that completely captivated everyone’s attention.

“I’ll win more in the next tournament. I’m not gonna be class D forever.��

Sumire’s desire to catch Taichi’s eyes being a powerful motivator for her karuta is just in her character. What really strikes me is how enduring such motivation has turned out to be. Seeing this once-flippant and thoughtless girl putting her mind to some real serious pursuit and self-development is truly gratifying. 

It feels a little strange to go back to school with these guys after a whole season of mostly tournament matches in Omi Jingu. Suddenly, school trips are a thing, even Chi-chan is hyped over it. These reminders of them having some sort of life outside of karuta will need some getting used to, lol. Unfortunately, seems like school and karuta will come head to head at some point. 

Apparently, school trip is not something Chi-chan can easily skip for karuta. Even her literature teacher, after reading her love poems to karuta, took upon himself to forewarn the Empress, aka. the karuta club adviser, on how Chi-chan is a flight risk. Downtrodden by thoughts of not getting to go to the Qualifiers, Chi-chan was shaken out of her funk by Kana-chan, who has always sought to instill feminine grace in our heroine.

I do like the idea of performing small acts of good behavior to accumulate good luck. It is similar to building good karma through acts of kindness and charity, and is a very Kana-thing to believe in.

Then came this somewhat bewildering insert of a Japanese lit. period, which touched upon the age-old debate of creator vs. critic and the role of literature teachers as those who pass on “the words of the many who came before”. Like I do appreciate the insights but I’m not sure of their relevance to the story, now or later. But it did make Chi-chan’s face light up so is this some sort of placeholder for some discussion of future career pathway? *shrug* still weird. 

There is finally some good news for Chi-chan: her finger has recovered well after the surgery and her right hand is back! And the Yoshino tournament is literally around the corner, so let’s go! 

Team or individual...?

The arrival and clashes of karuta societies made the Yoshino tournament livelier and stand out from previously seen tournaments, where either the schools or the individuals took the center stage. Chi-chan and company were here to play for themselves and to also represent the philosophy of their respective societies. 

Here comes the Nagumo society, from Fukui. 

And their arch-rival.

I miss Harada-sensei!!!! 

Love how the members are so gentile, except for the coach...

There are also some peeps whose schools are akin to karuta societies, me thinks.

Yay, Rion made it to class A too. That should put her in matches against Chi-chan and Taichi at some point!

Lest I forget amidst all the excitement, but this is Taichi’s first-ever tournament as a class-A player!!! 

Harada-sensei welcoming Taichi to class A and being a proud papa is all the fluff I need. 

Fired up by his own agenda for the Shiranami karuta society as he was, Harada-sensei never forgot to cheer on his Eyelashes-kun, the prodigal child that returned home to karuta.

Meanwhile, Chi-chan had a sweet moment or two with Arata, and then promptly got herself caught up in shenanigans, again. 

blushie from Arata. Now that I think about it, when was the last time that Taichi was this blushy around Chi-chan... Though to be fair, he was too busy keeping up with her antics and too jaded by her less-than-feminine comportment to have time for blushies... 

She looked so cute here, reminding me of younger Chi-chan - so pleased by praise from Arata.

But above all, they are here for the karuta.

Certainly not before meeting Arata again, right?

And here came Sudo-san, whose “s” stands for shenanigan, sadist and stalker.

... Oh come on, he provides commentary for all of Chi-chan’s matches, whenever he’s not playing himself. If that is not stalker-ish behavior, then it’s secret admirer, mwhahaha. 

Taichi = Chi-chan’s tamer.

The stakes just keep getting higher, huh? DON’T TAKE IT, TAICHI!!!

Though I must say I do look forward to a rematch between Sudo-san and Chi-chan, if the mangaka karuta god wills it so. Actually, Sudo-san has yet to play against Taichi thus far, right...? 

*fingers cross* my memory please come backkkk

Lmao, bit early for this pairing to be exciting, considering the last round of team tournament at Omi Jingu. But I would like to see this senpai again, for sure. His puppy love for Rion is so hopeless lol.

It sure is the thread of fate lol. Awww, I do like this President Cheers/Yoroshiku. 

Poor Nishidaaaa, gambatte ne. 

With Chi-chan and Taichi growing by leaps and bounds and having exciting reunions with friends and rivals, it can be easy to forget about the lower-level players like Tsutomu-kun. To think that it only took him about a year (or less?) to reach class B. That, in itself, is quite the feat and his progress deserves all the recognition and spotlight from before and here onwards. While class B proved to be more challenging than he expected, and Tsutomu-kun has a long way to go before becoming a strong player, I do hope that he will have more chances to show his resolve and be more than a supporting character. 

“I should have known a class B match wouldn’t be like class C.”

Unfortunately, this is as far as he got in this tournament. I find it such a shame that we won’t get to see more of Tsutomu-kun the karuta player for now, but I understand that the narrative is building up something spectacular for the trio in Yoshino so Tsutomu-kun’s early elimination would help with the story’s focus, which has been a little all over the place in this episode. 

Before moving on, some appreciation from the girl who has been walking the same path with him since the beginning. 

Kanatomu has always been my comfort ship, especially whenever Taichihaya feels like the most hopeless thing ever. Kana-chan’s openly-expressed affection and care for Tsutomu-kun is truly balm for the soul.  

“You said were going to win so I wanted to be there to see it.”

Both Kana-chan and Tsutomu-kun are the quiet strength that supports and holds the team together. They make for an adorable couple-to-be, with all the chemistry that any pairing could ever hope to have. 

Back to the class A matches, it is with another untimely elimination that this episode ends on.  

Nishida’s tenacity was amazing as always, but I wished that we could have seen more of his match against Sudo-san. At least his Nikuman roll. 

Overall, this episode is a bit of a mixed bag. I do get pumped for the upcoming matches of Chi-chan and Taichi, as well as reunion match(es) with Arata but I am not so sure about two eliminations in one go. I don’t enjoy seeing support characters being used so blatantly as plot devices, especially when they barely have any screentime. Nonetheless, this speaks to Chihayafuru’s strength in character writing, in how the series really gets viewers invested in all characters, regardless of how brief their appearance or their importance to the main storyline. 

Wow, I am here, at the end of my post on the 2nd episode. I still can’t believe that it took me so long to finish it. All the excuses I could have said I did, so allow me to leave you with these parting words. 

Even while in the thick of GI, Chihayafuru still colored my world. There are many reasons as to why one would choose to pull for Kazuha, but for me, it was how he embodies classical Japanese poetry and aesthetics, and manifests it in every aspect of his character design and lore. I literally decided to pull for him because of his maple-themed kimono (which feels so quintessentially Japanese to me) and the name of his Elemental skill - “Chihayaburu”. It doesn’t hurt that his kit (skills) is awesome and totally kicks ass, but truly, I was sold at the moment I saw the leak with his Elemental skill’s name.

And while his “Chihayaburu” does not come from Chihaya’s favorite poem #17, it is still a reference to classical Japanese poetry - the Man’yoshu, or “Ten thousand leaves” collection. And the more you dig into Kazuha’s character, there are more references, like in the voice-overs for his Burst animation (a splendid affair of maple leaves caught in whirlwind) and his musing on maple leaves (in which he recited Ogura Hyakunin Isshu’s poem #5). In a character demo video, Kazuha is also shown to be composing a haiku, while wandering the world. 

There is so so much about Kazuha that appeals to me, and it would take much longer than 2 paragraphs to say it all, but all in all, it is the Japanese poetry so richly imbued in his design and character that speaks to me. And I would not have any appreciation of that, had I not been exposed to it in Chihayafuru.  

Thanks for reading thus far, lovelies! I’ll be dashing off to watch the 3rd episode now! See you, for sure. 

#Chihayafuru #chihayafuru season 3 #chihayafuru anime #chihayafuru marathon #chihayafuru s3 #natsumi talks #natsumi watches #Chihaya Ayase #ayase chihaya #Taichi Mashima #Mashima Taichi #Wataya Arata #Arata Wataya #Kanade Oe #komano tsutomu #sumire hanano #Yusei Nishida #kaedehara kazuha

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

There and back again: a megane-ko’s adventure

Part 3: In memoriam of a bygone winter

AKA. A more-than-1-year anniversary post. 

This is for you, 002. 

[Previously: Part 2 - in which I couldn’t stop ogling at My Lady’s legs and made known my Zhongguang Manifesto. But content-wise, this is more a continuation of my GI experience in Part 1.]

Osmanthus wine tastes the same as I remember... But where are those who share the memory?

Nostalgia is perhaps an unusual mood to indulge in at the beginning of the year, when it’s the norm to look forward and not backward. But at some parts of the world like mine, where the lunar calendar still holds considerable importance, the Gregorian New Year heralds the end of another zodiac year, reminding all to wrap up unfinished work for a fresh start.

If you are not a first-timer to my tumblr, you may be aware that I have recently taken even more of my sweet time with posting, all the more so on GI. So in a way, part 3 is a challenge for myself - can I finish it before the Year of the Tiger arrives? 

... Yeah, given my track record, you know where to place the bet. To put in gacha terms, I don’t think you’re gonna win the 50:50. 

Self-defeating thoughts aside, it is high time to deliver on the promise made since Part 1 - to recount my adventure with the Samaritan in the snow. 

To briefly recap, winter 2020 was a time of equal turbulence and excitement for me. Overloaded by work at the office, I sought escape in GI, accompanied by my coworkers, A-senpai (who has long quit the game by the time I was writing this post) and L-kun (who has now become Y-kun). After much fumbling and failing, not to mention the self-inflicted hurdle in the form of an inferiority complex, I finally arrived at a place of mental equilibrium, where I could enjoy GI without being wracked by hyper-competitiveness and torn by the stigma of spending money on game. It was tough weathering the mid-game - the period from Adventure Rank (AR) 35 to 44 - when the world level (difficulty of mob and bosses) went up much faster than the pace of investment into my characters, and the 5-star artifact drop rate was pretty dismal. Yet, it was an unforgettable time, filled with lovely moments of camaraderie, hours of joint exploration, and merry, nail-biting co-op trips for artifact grinding or event bosses. The struggle was so much fun because I never lacked for good company. 

The next leg of my journey took me to Dragonspine, a then-newly released region with wintry aesthetics and mountainous setting perfectly made for a Christmas adventure. Dragonspine was also very special for it was the first area with adverse environmental effect. The arctic climes were not just for show - you would start to feel the chills settling in as soon as you step away from a heat source, and once the Sheer Cold bar is full, your HP will steadily drop unless you have a way to keep yourself warm. This made exploration of Dragonspine particularly challenging, especially when you may be waylaid by mobs in locations without close access to a fire or a brazier, and your Pyro characters may not be very strong or properly invested. Given such conditions and my noob skills, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that my exploration progress in Dragonspine was well, quite modest in the early weeks of this region’s release.

One beautiful day, taking a break from Dragonspine’s chills, I went to a pond in Mondo to catch frogs for Dustproof Potion (enhances Geo damage). Suddenly, my therapeutic routine was disturbed by a request to enter my world (aka. co-op mode). Normally, whenever someone wants to visit your world, a message will appear asking if you wish to welcome this person or not. Unbeknownst to me, the co-op settings were changed to welcoming all visitors automatically, without the inquiry message. Out of nowhere, a Diluc appeared. With no more prompting than my casual “hi”, the stranger asked if they could pick some of my Windwheel Asters. I had no need for those flowers so I told them to feel free and take as many as he needed. Normally, I would pay some attention as to where the stranger teleported to and what else they might be doing. But it was my chill time and I have not caught all the frogs yet. 

Fifteen minutes or so passed and I was just about to forget about the stranger’s presence in my world, if not for a message cropping up on the left, something along the line of “I’m done. What are you up to?” Unsatisfied that I was more or less up to not much usefulness, he asked if I finished exploring Dragonspine and, upon my reply to the negative, immediately proceeded to drag my ass off to said freezing and inhospitable place offered a helping hand to speed things up. It was not everyday that a thankful and courteous fellow traveler made such an offer so I took them up on it and teleported to the Frost-bearing Tree. 

Thus our joint exploration began along the meandering path up the snow-capped mountains. Helpful Stranger™ quickly set themself to work - getting rid of ice-shield hilichurls and Frostarm Lawachurls that barred our way or guarded treasure chests (or “boxes”, as the stranger liked to shorten), lighting the torches and braziers on the way to keep the Sheer Cold at bay, and pointing out the locations of Crimson Agate (items to level up the Frost-bearing Tree and earn its rewards), all the while keeping up a steady stream of solicitous questions about my progress in the game. It was lovely to talk to Stranger - they were baffled about my decision to skip commissions to stay at AR 35 (”but why not get free primogems?”), but most understanding about my frustration over artifact grinding (”you will get better artifacts after AR 40″) and super encouraging when I talked about my wish to be a Ningguang main (”your Ningguang will get stronger”). We totally bonded over being absolute simps for the dragon-tattooed lady - “no need for reactions!” and could not stop singing praises of Ningguang to save our lives (not that we were in any danger with a very capable Diluc). 

Time flew by when one was on a mission and soon enough it was approaching midnight. Yet Helpful Stranger™ was only more fired up, pushing forward and taking the lead in the spirit of Caesar - they came, they saw, they conquered and kicked ass. Often enough, my horrid navigational skills would slow me down; hardly did I arrive at the scene of action only to find the fight already over and Diluc was jumping up and down near a chest or a Crimson Agate, as if to mark the spot with an X. We traversed the desolate landscape, combing through the columns and ruins at the Entombed City, dropping down the Starglow Cavern to solve the Fire Seelie puzzles, and frantically searching for Scarlet Quartz while scaling frozen ridges. What still impressed on me, a year later, was how patient  Stranger was, no matter how often I fell down from slippery ledges, how long it took for me to clear the time trials we came across (or not clear at all). Helpful Stranger™ was nothing but sincere and and supportive, constantly telling me that it was fine, that they were not going anywhere, that they were still waiting for me to slowpoke my way to get here. I’m sure that if I were to play with them in person, there would likely be exaggerated eyerolls or the occasional bursts of laughter at my various failings, but even then, not an unkind word would be uttered. They would still believe that I could do it, be it battling a Ruin Grader or solving a Seelie puzzle --- well, at least let me have a couple of turns at it, before jumping in to incinerate all with a sizzling Phoenix. 

Three hours have passed since we travelled together and the second hour of the morning had struck. It was time for Helpful Stranger™ to leave, cos it was quite late and their phone was close to out of battery. We bid a swift but fond farewell, eagerly looking forward to the next time we join forces to conquer all. One Ningguang lover, added to the friend list!

The heady excitement of the late night spilled into the next day, as I told my colleagues of my encounter with this super nice person who helped me explore Dragonspine for three hours straight, with only some Windwheel Asters for compensation. Y-kun was quite impressed, especially at the luck that Helpful Stranger™ had to have pulled Diluc as a F2P, and agreed that we would try calling on him for extra firepower, literally, during our co-op artifact domain runs. In high spirits, I called them my Samaritan, or Sama for short. The title grew on me and became the way I referred to them from then on.  

My next outings with Sama took us back to Minlin and Lisha, where plenty of treasure chests awaited discovery (”go for a walk with me. I’ll get you free primogems.”) Along the way, we talked a bit more about ourselves and our Travelers’ namesakes. Sama turned out to be a Filipino boy in university, currently dating a girl, and raising a cat (or cats?). His Traveler’s namesake is a reference to the anime Darling in the Franxx, a big favorite of his. He asked if my Traveler’s name (Altair) came from Assassin’s Creed, to which I said nope (Shoukoku no Altair is a bit obscure for most people, huh?). Sometimes, we would share brief snippets of our lives - the food we ate (”do you eat chicken with adobo?”) or the kind of day we had. But more often than not, the topics of our conversations would return to our progress in GI, our luck with gacha pulls (”are you luckier because you put in money?”), whales (”I wish I had that much money!”), and my laggy gaming experience (”try to switch to xyz settings”). 

Sama’s generous spirit and all-time readiness to lend a helping hand quickly endeared him to me and I truly looked forward to introducing him to Y-kun in game, and to us three playing in co-op. Such an opportunity soon came to us in the form of Hypostatic Symphony, a series of combat challenges against elemental cube bosses with greater variety of attacks than those found in the overworld. Suffice to say that this event exceeded my abilities and was far too draining for Y-kun to go solo. Of course, it would be simple enough to do the challenge in easy mode to get primogems, the most valuable reward, and skip hard mode which gave useful but farm-able stuff like Mora, talent books and crystals. But somehow neither of us was willing to settle for the minimum and I couldn’t, for the life of me, say exactly what drove us to go the extra mile.

And so, the long-awaited moment arrived at last: Sama was introduced to Y-kun, also known as “the guy with Ganyu”, and off we went to conquer the Hypostasis challenges. It took us a while to put together the right team and strategy for taking down those pesky cubes, and for me to remember the cubes’ attack patterns and mechanics. I recall us taking all sorts of buffs from food items and potions, even running out of ingredients (lizard tails for cryo buff) to make them, and still struggling to survive and deal sufficient damage at critical moments. For me, the worst of them was the Anemo Hypostasis. My abysmal coordination and laggy laptop prevented me from gliding properly to collect all the anemo particles to prevent the cube from healing itself. What ended up happening was Sama and Y-kun taking on collection duty, instead of dealing damage, and me well... making sure to stay alive. The less painful one was the Geo Hypostasis, in which I was marginally more useful in using Zhongli and Noelle to break the basalt columns. 

But the harder it was, the more rewarding victory became. We had so much fun throughout the whole 7 challenges - having each other’s back, healing, picking up the slack, being bait (dat me), coming up with the most optimal strategies for our handful of usable characters. Having me as part of the team sometimes hindered more than helped, but both Y-kun and Sama did not mind it at all. Their patience and tenacity pulled us through, and we each ended up with more than 14000 points for the entire event, enough to get all the primos, talent and experience books, and best of all - the event namecard to commemorate our success. The moment of claiming those rewards is certainly one of my most exhilarating GI experiences to date. 

After the Hypostatic Symphony, the three of us teamed up often for domain runs, mostly Clear Pool for the Noblesse Oblige set (when the exchange mechanism of Artifact Strongbox had yet to exist), Domain of Guyun for Archaic Petra and Retracing Bolide (way back when these were the only sets available to Zhongli) and Midsummer Courtyard for Thundering Fury (goodness, the drop rate was abysmal but again, not much choice in artifacts for Fischl back then). If memory serves me well, we often suffered casualties in Clear Pool, because of the three Abyss Mages ganging up and none of us had a well invested Anemo character to swirl. Our usual strategy was to split up the Mages, with us taking care of one Mage each, or to divide the team in half, with 2 persons tackling the Pyro Mage first and then coming back together for the other two. Y-kun would often use Childe, Sama sticking to his trusty Diluc and I would bring Zhongli and Qiqi or just Kaeya/Xingqiu, depending on whose world we visited for co-op. Soon enough, the time spent on each domain run started to drop with practice and improved teamwork. Artifact farming, for a while, felt less like chores and more like fun, relaxing times with some occasional mishaps (poor Sama, sometime I didn’t heal him in time lol).

Once our daily resins were all spent, we would run around in the open world (often mine), having so much fun from chasing each other, gliding to pretty spots, gathering materials and beating up world bosses. Genshin felt much more novel back in those days, when the lack of time, not space for exploration, was the issue. The continent of Teyvat was much smaller than what has been unveiled to date, but I enjoyed myself greatly, especially the excellent company. And how could I not, when there was always a companion who would jump over to help out, regardless of whether he had already used up his resins or not, and be so generous with his time in tagging along my exploration of the open world?

And so these tender days passed by and the Lunar New Year of 2021 came, bringing with it the first Lantern Rite celebration of GI. The festive atmosphere was truly a welcoming change of pace, immersive and heartwarming. Making the Xiao lanterns, spreading the joy of Lantern Rite to faraway corners of Liyue, and persuading Xiao to join in the release of the giant Mingxiao lantern (shaped like a Qilin, the illuminated beast of Ganyu’s heritage) were all the things that I greatly enjoyed and still fondly recalled. And no Lantern Rite is complete without a few runs of Theater Mechanicus. This rendition of the tower defense is special not only because it was the first time, but also the only time that I solely played it in co-op mode. 

I did not expect to enjoy it so much, given my general disinterest in the more strategic side of gaming. Reluctance was my initial reaction and I felt quite lost in trying to tackle this challenge on my own. But Sama came to the rescue, as per my request to team up, and I soon had a change of heart. There was this sense of exhilaration in following Sama’s directions on where to place this and that tower or a Geo construct, the way one would a commander in battle, and seeing how well it all turned out. At some point, I even called Sama “general” and he was inordinately pleased about it. It felt great to entrust him with leading us to victory and just do my part (and laugh a little at his occasional miscalculations). One stage after another, we cleared them all without breaking a sweat. 

It was also around this time that Sama’s misperception about my gender was cleared up. Honestly speaking, I would have liked him to continue calling me “bro” for a little longer because being mistaken for another gender was actually pretty fun. The cat was out of the bag during one of our three-person co-op sessions. Most of the details have escaped me but in short, Y-kun saw Sama addressing me by “dude” or some similar form of masculine address, found it to be quite hilarious and decided to rectify Sama’s mistake via in-game private messaging. I was not wholly on board with the revelation but from Y-kun’s report, Sama was a real good sport over it. He was very surprised (to the point of even asking Y-kun if I was a male but preferred to be addressed as a female) but not unpleasantly so. Upon Y-kun’s explanation that I hid my gender to avoid being treated differently, Sama simply sought to reassure Y-kun of his respect for gamers, regardless of their gender. Female gamers were pretty cool to him, as his girlfriend was one too. 

And so our gaming routine continued, with no substantive change in how Sama interacted with me. While I was no longer a “bro”, I was given a new term of endearment - “Ningbabe”, which, admittedly, was quite sweet. It really felt good, seeing it in the chat. I even jokingly told him to not go behind his girlfriend’s back when he first called me that, and got another sweet reply (of a different kind) - “Nah, I would never do that to my girl”. I really enjoyed how comfortable it was to speak my mind with Sama, because he faced my queries straight on, no flinchin’. 

Spring went by leisurely in Genshin, in spite of the tumultuous drama engulfing my life back then (of which A-senpai’s departure from GI was part of the fallout). As if to evoke the guardian Archon of the city himself, the Windblume festival came like a breath of fresh air, relieving me of my woes and wrath (for a while) with a storyline starring all my old Mondo favorites: Venti, Kaeya, and Razor. And of course, this was also when I finally got the drunk bard, the “clickbait” that drew me to GI from the very beginning. 

Then came version 1.5, featuring the second act of Zhongli’s Historia Antigua quest. The Traveler came face-to-face with Azhdaha, an old dragon pal of Morax, who sought to break free from the seal placed on him for breach of contract. It was a beautiful continuation of Sal Flore (the first act), further driving home the message of irreversible erosion by time, be it a primordial bond of friendship or your very own self. The ironic mirroring of loss between game and life cuts deep, considering how good we (senpai, Y-kun, and I) had it in January and how rapidly things fell apart. 

Nonetheless, a haven from the suffocation of workplace drama was what GI meant to me, with solace and rejuvenation to be derived from designing your Traveler’s own realm, aka. the Serenitea Pot. Upon arrival, you would be taken to the wide open space of your choice - be it an isle surrounded by clear azure waters, mountain peaks adorned with rushing waterfalls, or a retreat in the clouds a la Laputa, and treated to views of endless horizon and perpetually beautiful weather. It was approaching summer and I was yearning desperately for holidays at the beach, so naturally, I went for the Cool Isle realm layout. Feasting my eyes on the sands, sun and sea, I turned around to find a delightful mansion in the style of Dawn Winery, complete with a spacious verandah, wooden pillars, balconies, red brick roof and spires. A soothing calmness took over me and construction work began in my little corner of Teyvat. 

This new feature also enabled me to spend more time with my friend, Sama. As I reached higher AR and made more informed investments on characters, farming artifacts and world bosses became much easier, and later down the line, even faster on my own. Such independence was liberating on one hand, but on the other, it reduced the opportunities for Sama to hang out in my world. For a while, the Serenitea Pot mechanism gave the co-op mode a new sense of relevance. Friends dropping by your Pot can help shorten the time in crafting all furnishings by 4 hours, or in case of Y-kun, help out and use Diluc to burn down the lawn and grass around my mansion. This provides an excellent incentive to visiting each other’s Pot, considering that all furnishings normally would take up 12 hours++ to craft. The faster and the more you craft, the more realm currency you would obtain, which in turn allows you to buy more goodies for construction or valuable items for character investment. 

At the beginning, Sama was pretty reluctant to show me his Serenitea realm, claiming that it was not ready or not good enough. So I gave him a tour of my pot first, albeit still in its early stage. My idea was to re-create a sort of old-timey and quaint country-home vibe, with the mansion encircled by tall golden and amber-leaved trees, gardens, fountains, flowers, benches and tea-tables, where you can relax and enjoy the sun setting over the water. Charming little cottages would dot the isle and the adjacent shoreline, complete with grapevines, hay bales, wine barrels, wooden carts and stone wells. Scant be the furnishings and decorations that I managed to put up, Sama still very much enjoyed the arrangement. We had a lovely time catching up and indulging in the simple pleasures: running, gliding and taking in the views that the island has to offer. 

After much prodding, Sama also invited me to his realm. Decked out in the Floating Abode style, his space is less of an escapist hangout and more where you can be far from the madding crowd in your mind. Sama lacked a clear direction of what to do with his realm but he did not give himself enough credit for these small lovely ideas for indoor decor. One of them was to place wooden round tables and chairs along the hallway outside the rooms on the 2nd floor, especially where light shines through windows and cast shade on the furniture. 

This nifty detail ended up inspiring me to turn my mansion into a cross between college library and cozy book cafe. Tall gleaming wood shelves, stands and cabinets, filled with books and decoration trinkets, are placed in close vicinity with comfy sofa sets and seating arrangements, and together they give off this feeling of lived-in tranquility that is incredibly comforting. Add in the cute doggies and kitties frolicking around the house, and there you have it, the perfect summer getaway for me. 

After the Serenitea Pot, our next spot of fun was to be found at the Golden Apple Archipelago, a limited-time area to keep impatient travelers in their seat and drum up hype for the then-upcoming release of Inazuma, also another set of islands. After having only Liyue, Mondo and the tiny Dragonspine to explore for so long, the new summer-themed area brought a brief moment of freshness to the game. As Sama said, exploring the Archipelago felt like playing GI anew. Travelling from shore to shore on a little vessel, discovering the islands one by one and tinkling with new puzzle mechanisms gave one a taste of that sorely-missed exhilaration and thrill, as if time was rewound to when the Traveler woke up on the beach of Mondo and made his first steps in this brave new world. 

Despite this excellent filler (and other quests and events), there’s no denying that the exasperating wait across several patches for the next big update (aka. Inazuma) took a toll on most players, especially those who had long finished all exploration and reached a high AR early on. Since patch 1.4, there was nothing else to do but farming artifacts when you have gone through the crumbs of new content doled out. So it was no surprise that Sama started showing up less and less, and every time I logged in, only the status of “online 1 day ago” on his namecard gave me any indication that he was still around. This state of affairs saddened me but I brushed it aside, believing that it was only temporary; certainly, patch 2.0 would certainly alleviate his fatigue of GI and rekindle his excitement, like in the cases of me and Y-kun. Little did I know that my time with Sama was running out, engrossed as I was by the contentious release of Raiden Shogun, the new Archon quest, and Yoimiya’s melodious Kansai-ben twang.

Exploring Inazuma and farming handguards with Y-kun

As summer drew to an end, Sama shared with me the reason for his decreasing online presence. As a new graduate, real life (read: new job) had him very much occupied and left him with little time to explore Inazuma. These days, he logged in only out of routine and a longing for that sense of belonging again. Our chats, brief and far in between, often took a nostalgic turn as we reminisced about the good old days. I told him of how awed I still was by how he ended up helping me explore Dragonspine for 3 hours straight in exchange for just a few windwheel asters. Apparently, the flowers were to ascend Bennett, whom he just got that day, so in his own words, I gotta “say thanks to Benny”.   

Not only time but also technology was not on Sama’s side. With every new patch, GI took up more space on one’s device, adding to an formidable size for a game supposedly playable on a phone. And Sama’s phone, though recently bought, couldn’t keep up with the pace of GI’s expansion. There was a question that needed answering, and even though he had made up his mind for a while before telling me, it was not as simple as to just quit. Once in September, he even asked if I could take over his account because he did not like leaving it to collect dust. He truly wanted someone to keep playing it, and at that point, was seriously thinking about entrusting it to me. I did not take the offer because I was hoping against hope that he would just take a break for some months and return if he had the account still. 

Things did not turn out that way and after roughly a month of Sama’s absence, the parting of ways came on a fine autumn weekend. 

It was a small blessing that both Y-kun and I were available to log in then. While waiting for Y-kun, I took Sama to Watatsumi Island, where he had yet to open on his map. It felt pretty good, showing him the view from the Sangonomiya Shrine next to Sama’s Kokomi, the "lovely lady” he got with what’s left of his primos. 

Together, the three of us had one last hurrah, roaming around and having a real blast over taking out overworld and weekly bosses for old time’s sake.

Our last pictures taken, farewell was said and all good times must end. 

After the boss fights, Sama asked us to log off first, because he wanted to stay a little longer by himself. Later on, I got his last message. 

There’s no helping the inevitable but I am thankful that we got to give him a proper send-off. Y-kun said that he must have felt pretty proud of me, cos I am his living legacy. I felt quite embarrassed and also incredibly humbled by those words. Indeed, I have come a long way from being bogged by self-doubt and assorted mental baggage, and can now face challenges head-on. But, for such transformation to be possible and so enjoyable, it is in no small part thanks to Sama and Y-kun.

My story of Sama may have come to an end but my journey in Teyvat still goes on, with new encounters to be had and new friends made. His departure taught me to be bolder in accepting people’s requests to join my world and sending my requests to others. Earlier this year, close to the end of the Lantern Rite, a player named Luna asked for permission to visit my world. Out of some whim, I clicked yes and was in for the biggest surprise ever. They did not come over for some resources or materials, but to make a strange request - to follow them to a hill in the surroundings of Wangshu Inn, sit on a boulder and wait. 

And voila, fireworks! They cleverly set up the firework launcher behind a bush at lower elevation, took position and then started to play Twinkle twinkle little star in accompaniment. The suspense, the lights and music together bowled me over, all the more so since this was a complete stranger, who only wished to be a messenger of joy. I could hardly believe my eyes and ears - it felt more like the stuff of dream and fantasy than reality!  

The display was short but sweet, and I thanked them profusely for it and the kind wishes that followed. I did not want the moment to end too soon so I suggested that we both put up our firework launchers and set them off at the same time. After all, the seats were made for two. 

It took us a second try to coordinate the settings so that our fireworks would explode and end at the same time. 

Oh what a night!  

Inspired by this well-meaning stranger’s impromptu gift, I was super motivated to make it the “gift that keeps giving” and pass on the exuberance running through my veins. Luckily, some one on my list was online - an affable player named Liliana, another ardent fan of Ningguang (and collector of kickass ladies like Yae and Yelan) I met while looking for a world to get some Cecilia. And so I came over to their world, asked for a few minutes of their time and put on the firework show, albeit without music accompaniment. 

It was super gratifying to see that Liliana enjoyed the gift so much, and at that moment, all was all right with the world, as strangers and newly-made friends shared in the festivity and did something unconditionally nice for each other.

Every now and then, a bittersweet yearning would rise in me for those long past days, when there was no goodbye to be had. But not all is lost - Y-kun is still playing with me, for which I’m very grateful and much comforted. New doors will lead to new people, if I choose to be adventurous and welcoming. Like the stories of Inazuma, though filled with tragedy, pain and loss, there is hope and healing at the end; perhaps I will also find worthwhile connections so long as I continue on this journey.   

I shall stop my rambling here. Again, sorry for taking so long with it, Y-kun!!! After this, I will stop writing about GI for a while to return to Chihayafuru season 3. It’s something I’ve been dying to do, especially since I’ve got such an enthusiastic cheerleader (thanks @comfysocksfirst​)! 

To all who have read any of my megane-ko adventure posts: thank you so so so much, even if you’re only hear to see the pictures. To those who have read all 3 parts: you are amazing!!!! *gives out tricolor dango*

Until next time. Altair, out. 

#natsumi talks #genshin impact #dragonspine #benny adventure team #bennett genshin impact #tribute to a ningguang lover #tribute to an online friend

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

Will you be returning to season 3 of Chihayafuru? I absolutely love your season 2 posts. I’m saddened I just discovered them

*gasp* omg someone actually cares *wipes tear*. I will, I will return! Thanks so much for the message, you totally made my day. I thought most people just liked the posts for the screenshots :))) Please stay tuned for season 3. OMG I’m so happyyy!!! 

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

Karasuno Fighto! (part 1)

AKA. Thoughts scribbled down while accompanying the crows on the quest to retake their rightful place...

So there’s this show that I’m sorta obsessed with, hahaha. Been watching it since last October- uhm, actually, nope I mean October 2020. Damn, it’s already the new year. Time flies. Happy New Year, y’all!

Anyhow, anime posts are, to put it simply, the bread and butter of my tumblr. Everything began with my desire to talk, rant, ramble, dissect and celebrate the anime and manga that have changed and continue to change my life for the better. And while for the past 12 months and more, this space has been taken over by Genshin Impact (ehe?), it’s always my intention to return the roots. I still have a couple of GI posts tentatively planned but for now, it is Haikyu’s time. 

Truth to be told, I went in with not much of an expectation for Haikyu!! beyond some light-hearted fun with a bunch of my favorite seiyuu. Sports anime is not my cup of tea and I haven’t watched any besides Yuri on ICE!!! Though I suppose you can make a case for karuta being sort of like a sport (Chihayafuru), what with physical movement being as important as the mental work involved. Little did I know that I would be in for a spectacular ride, a truly compelling story with striking leads, strong support cast, and well-executed animation that completely swept me away. Chasing and enjoying your passion and living your life to the fullest are all familiar themes of the shounen/ competitive manga genre but somehow Haikyu!! managed to deliver an entirely refreshing take on these oft-explored topics. And gosh, the seiyuus were golden on their own but together they were just explosive. I could go on for the whole day but suffice to say that I love every moment of the fiery and spirited exchange between Hinata and Kageyama (Ayumu Murase and Kaito Ishikawa really brought the house down many many times throughout the show) and every single appearance of Noya-senpai (need I even go into depth on how amazing Nobuhiko Okamoto is cos he is the BOMB) is just pure gold. Kouki Uchiyama’s Kei Tsukishima is such such a jerk, lol (he’s so perfect for this kind of role - point to my profile pic and header) and Hiroshi Kamiya’s Take-chan is so so so adorb (I wanna hug him every time he gives one of those rousing pep talks). Yuuki Kaji’s short appearance as the cat that Kenma totally is is much much welcome, too.

Those are some of my brief impressions after watching the first season of Haikyu. To date, I have finished the 3rd season and am super looking forward to starting on the 4th season (can’t wait to hear Miyano Mamoru-san as Miya Atsumu!!). But before getting to it, I really really want to share with you my notes on the 3 seasons I’ve watched (no more months of waiting, whoohoo), beginning with season 1. They were jotted down while watching so a lot of the names are abbreviated or replaced by my own nicknames to aid my memory. Even though they are not polished as my usual anime posts (like the ones I did for Chihayafuru and Shoukoku no Altair), to me, they are still valuable records of moments of joy, excitement and suspense. I hope you will enjoy reading them as much as I did writing them. 

Season 1

Ep 1-5: Power duo

- kage: humbled down, willing to listen to senpai for improvement, recognized hina’s talent long ago, major breakthru coming from willingness to place himself not as the dictator of gameplay but as the facilitator for others to shine (bring their strengths to the fore). Able to accommodate hina thru his wealth of exp and precision.

- hina: willing to work very hard, to trust others' judgement and exp (when kage told him he bad at receiving, better work on that before thinking abt spiking) but still hold his ground. Ability to be always bring his 110% to the game. Always be supportive of kage, esp front of those dissing him. His eagerness and happiness to receive sets from kage, regardless of how difficult, make him such a natural cheerleader for kage (never worry that no one would care to receive his sets).

Ep 6-9: Senpais' time

Sugawara, Tanaka and Daichi all had their shining moments.

Previous eps, with the first 2 being always ready to jump in the fray and offer immense mental and technical support to the hinakage duo. Daichi is a great captain thanks to his calming influence, stern discipline (precisely delivered) and his ability to quickly read the situation.

However these eps revolve around another set of senpais - Nishinoya and Azumane. Nishinoya completely stole the show from the very instant he appeared - his enthusiasm and passion for volleyball that rivals even hina, his positivity and conviction (praising Hina for his jumps and encouraging his dream, Noya’s own reasons as to why he wants to be libero), and his earnest effort to support others by compensating for their weaknesses (practicing retrieval of blocked balls). He is at the back yet he shines brightly and exudes incredible reliability.

Compared to Noya, Azumane seems much more subdued character. He is the ace yet he must be the most humble ace on the show (lol and have only watched 1st season). His fear of being blocked and disappointment himself provide the fuel for the drama that drives the team's 2 best players apart. The final lesson is once again to have trust in ur teammates, to not place the burden of failure entirely on yourself, and to not give up when others have not done so.

Our duo also contributed to the untying of the Gordian knot through their own refreshing take on camaraderie - the blind and earnest trust between people who simply click, and their sincere desire to just see the team at its best. They also lent much to the story in way of humor; I dont think anyone can keep a straight face after seeing a hypertense and super nervous Hina serving the ball directly on the back of kage's head at the match vs Aoba Jousai. I could not stop laughing like a hyena, and be absolutely moved by how kage made use of said incident to help Hina get over his nerves (u have done the worst by hitting my head with the ball, what else can be worse than that?).

Oh dear, and before I forgot again, goddamn, but can Take-chan be more inspiring than the pep talk he gave at the end of the 3vs3 match? Dammit, Hiroshi Kamiya, you're gonna be the death of me.

Ep 10:

Feels like it deserves its own entry, given how beautifully, explosively and poignantly it explores the chemistry of hinakage.

Azumane's return to the court and the fact that he had not lost his touch even after a month of not playing at all are certainly a cause for celebration for all. Yet, its only natural that chibi Hina would feel jealous of and inferior to Asahi, in terms of height and power. Once again, kage (after some extremely cute pouting from Hina’s failing to take notice of his pointers and getting a ball literally to his face, being distracted by Asahi the ace) shook him out of self-doubt and height inferiority complex by reminding him of how he had yet to be blocked on receiving sets from kage — "when I set for you, have you ever been stopped by blockers?"  With another one-liner, he offered the ultimate assurance — "as long as i’m around, you're the greatest". Don’t I enable u to shine so brilliantly? Take pride in yourself as I take pride in you, is what sweet tsundere kage was saying.

Lovely parallels:

- Asahi (voiced by Hosoya) leaving volleyball and Arata quitting karuta for a while

- Hina (voiced by Ayumu) comparing jumping high to flying, and Venti flying on his wind

Ep 11-12:

- Kenma. cute awkward child out of court but closeup of his watchful, no-blinking cat eyes is creepy and hypnotizing.

- Fun metaphor time: the demon and his iron club (kagehina)

- lmao what with Yuuki Kaji and voicing chars bad at social interactions and making friends.

- hina's fast attack getting blocked several times by a single blocker who could read his moves by midway of game. Though not able to execute his ultimate like he did earlier in the game, he was not disheartened or caught by fear. Instead, he was able to see the effort exerted by the blocker to block his spikes, and believed that with a plan and kage, he could overcome this wall.

- so kage will now try a different toss that would give Hina some flexibility in receiving midair, now that hina would like to do some aiming. This is unlike when kage would pretty much set up so that hina just needs to jump and spike, without thinking,... it’s still of course a wip. But yayyyy he managed at least once?

Ep 13:

- fun metaphor time: demon and demon

- dont need to see the celebrating booyah routine of Noya-san and Tanaka-san ever again.

- its hilarious to hear the uplifting music played when Ukai assessed the versatility and fluid game of Nekoma in comparison to the sloppy, uncoordinated gameplay of karasuno

- comrades in despair: no I dont have the courage to talk to her.

... kiyoko-san. Shimizu kiyoko-san Dis like tetsutetsu Vs kirichan — lol kenma after the intense barrage of questions from kage

- bababoom idiot duo.

- take-chan so cute with all the blushes and teary eyes

- hina so cuteee: ill make u desperate to win next time and we'll win. No more same old thing for awkward neko boyo.

Ep 14:

- kage chan asking for feedback on sets from azumane-san is so cutee

- its nice to see everyone hyped up in their own wayyy

- Lmao the snapshot of the whole team standing outside gym after practice and gazing at the bright full moon in wonder

- Gotta love kage intense direct gaze lol

Ep 15: The first match

- poor asahi—san, what with horrid rumors about being held back 5 years

- Take-chan: the old Warhorse 

Ep 16:

- the back and forth sequence between the bogs' match and girls' is so well-done, fluid and rousing.

- noya-san: time to win against dateeee no worries me got yo backkk. He’s so kira kira its so beautifulll

Ep 17: Against Date

- ooo kowai blockerss

- yay crazy fast attk for the winnn  

- its scary how aoba jousai couch can still watch karasuno playing and making insightful commentary while his team is playing???

- kage backward set to hina so insaneee  

- ehh is the decoy workinggg? Ehehehe 

Ep 18:

- mmm. Tsukki's role... what will he be

- Tsukki bonding time with Asahi-san

Yayyyy Tsukki and Asahi blocking a fast attk together

- Noya-san beautiful save with his foot and asahi's persistence to make good on the set point 

Ep 19:

- lmao everyone be like oikawa is scary formidable serves setting like conductor and the shorty duo be like so awesome cant wait to out his serves

- lol aint no tv appearance for poor karasuna ;))))) oikawa totally dominated screentime "fall to pieces” lolll

- Pressure on kage-chann cos scary senior oikawaaa

- but hinachan up to his usual antics of teasing kagechan "u need to practice looking pleasant on tv”, so things are sorta looking better...?

- oh dear even oikawa-san has a cd of karasuno match against date.... dis not looking good

- ukai needs to stopp chain smokinggg goood lawd

- i like how oikawa has something to say for every player doing warm up receive before match. It goes a long way to show how much he understands their capability and performance.

- hiroshi kamiya as take-chan is so so perfect. Take-chan is so refreshing how hes noob to all things volleyball but still observant enough to make insightful pep talk. And hiroshi kamiya totally nailed it, along with take-chan's enthusiasm

- 2 setter dumps right off the bat is hard to take.

Lol last one everyone gets wrong. Its not hina, not tanaka, not even Asahi-san. Return setter dump by kage-chan.

Ep 20: Against aoba jousai or oikawa?

- kage-chan Why u follow up that setter dump with such a sad serve  

- oikawa is so scary, figuring out the signals between kage and hina for the normal and super fast attacks.

- seeing kage-chan feeling the pressure and tension is kinda painful, and worrisome. Doesnt look good at all, against such a calm and allected oikawa.  

- tanaka under fire..

- stopping momentum is the keyword here but mmmm yeahh kage-chan gotta stop stressing so much... or hes gonna make mistakes. Boy needs a breakkkk

Ep 21:

- suga-san is like spongeg cakeggg awwww lol and hina making not so subtle comparisons with a certain frowning person lol

Aye aye u lost it pretty bad boyo, thats why even hina can tell. Ur silence is scary, kagechan.

- omg tsukki is so polite and soft talking to suga-san, and who would not be with a person whos well aware of his disadvantages and strives his best to bring out his teammate's strengths in compensation?

- suga-san is so amazinggg but damn oikawa serves are insane

- yayyy for more suga-san in matches, how is he so so supportive and still so competitive (in a healthy way!) with kagechan

- soo is the senpai's advice about not doing all the thinking for the team/spikers?

- how to say this --- the connection between competing setters who share the same goal of getting better and leading the team to victory as the one between suga and kagechan is so uplifting. They can play at 100% because they know that theres someone at their back, that its not game over if either one of them is stuck. Thats incredible camaraderie.

Ep 22:

- “our grumpy kage (read as child) is making the effort to smile" lol

That pretty much sums up this ep me thinks.

- whyyy u need translation for double high fives kage

- they understand each other best, huh? kage and hina. Its so intuitive and so dazzling.

- anyhow u can be nice just be nice to each other for crying out louddd goddamn just talk to tsukkii

- yayyyy tsukkiii

- lmao he real bad at compliments

- iwa-chan so in timeee, damn it, dont hit young and kira kira kagechan

- omgg why young kage so cuteeee, offering tissue to crying oikawa

- the flashback does give weight and explain why hard work oikawa is so bent on defeating prodigy kagechan.

Ep 23:

- aoba still proves their superior skills and experience

- but hina powerhouse is still going strong and storing up heat for release

- lmao oikawa is so wary of the kagehina duo attack and keeps hoping to last long enough until hina goes to back row again.

- yayyy use full width of the court instead of just the center

- rally: back and forth passing of ball between the sides

- hina broad jump got picked by opponent libero

- so far, a fierce and desperate battle for the momentum. So tense that even Yamaguchi was pulled in to break the opponent's momentum. But uhm... pressure is rough and poor boyo was yet to master that jump float serve. Ah well, the worst is over... ? Air is cleared nonetheless.

- yayyy one-handed set from kage that took the set point away from aoba

Ep 24:

- the deuce fight is crazy intense, with hina saving kage and teams butt and oikawa even flubbing his fave serve. Now turning into war of attrition, with the score surpassing 30 points on either side

- but damn, iwa-chan is really really cool.

- damn dont get caught in the past, kage-chan. Not when u have so many awesome teammates who are so understanding and supportive.

- its unfortunate that hina final attk got blocked at the end.

Damn oikawa is so formidable with his on-the-spot people reading skill, did a good job predicting that final fast attk as the thing that kage would use as the ultimate fail-safe

- dont apologize idiot kageee

- take-chan gets the final word in this episode eh? Aww. Its kinda perfect yeah.

- oh theres the post—match meal. Looks gummy, come eatt. Awwww taro with squid stew. Yummmy. Maybe without the extra flavoring thoughhh...

Ep 25:

- daichi-san contemplating leaving so the team can be restructured around the 1st and 2nd years but suga asking if that is what he truly wants. cos otherwise all 3 of them stay on, until the younger members have no need of them.

And me be like nooo stay, ill misss your voices so muchhh

- and uhm maeno-san as shimada, yamaguchi's jump float serve coach is really really growing on me. So yeah, gambatte ne Yamaguchi-kun.

- and suga-chan is kinda killing me softly with the "i dont play barre because theres something to gain, sir". Cos fuck that really hits the spot.

That’s it for season 1. Season 2 incoming, with more detailed observations and commentary and more pictures too! 

KARASUNO FIGHTOOO!!!

#natsumi watches #natsumi talks #haikyū!! #hinata shouyou #tobio kageyama #yū nishinoya #koushi sugawara #daichi sawamura #kei tsukishima #ryu tanaka #tadashi yamaguchi #karasunoftw

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

There and back again: a megane-ko’s adventure

Part 2: Romance of the Rock

AKA. My love letter to Ningguang, Zhongli, and all that Geo goodness.

[Previously: Part 1 - I went back to make some changes, mostly at the beginning to give non-GI gamers some information about the game’s premise - the  Traveler’s backstory]

[Spoiler warning for the Liyue Archon story line and relevant character stories. Also, I may use “he/him” when referring to the Traveler simply for convenience’s sake, as I picked Aether as my protagonist.]

It is now late of June, with barely 10 days left. Soon enough, 8 months will have passed since I took the first step (and fall) in Teyvat. It’s absolutely absurd (and come on, kinda hilarious too, right?) to think that right now GI is a quarter of the way through patch 1.6, and I have yet to recount the best part of my patch 1.1 experience! I could give a slew of reasons as excuses for my slowpoke writing but the fact remains that I really, really need to catch up on my storytelling, before forgetting at which point in the story I have stopped like Tea Master Liu Su, or being too busy to explore the new region coming in patch 2.0 to even go on tumblr to write! And I would hate it to still tell stories of my Liyue adventure when everyone else is going gaga over the new land of Inazuma, especially when I hold many Liyue characters dear to my heart - most of all, my ever-reliable and wonder duo of Ningguang and Zhongli. So without further ado, dear readers, allow me to pick up from where I left off…

A panorama of Liyue city and harbor, as viewed from a nearby peak

*clears throat*

Having just recently arrived in Liyue, our Traveler was immediately embroiled in a most serious and dreadful matter - the deicide of Rex Lapis, Liyue’s archon of many epithets. To clear his name from being a suspect of this gravest crime, the Traveler reluctantly accepted the help of Childe, a smooth-talking Harbinger of the antagonist Fatui. Childe advised him to get his story straight with the adepti, enlightened beings in the departed archon’s service, and arranged a meeting with the person who could give him the opportunity to see the archon’s vessel. After Childe’s interestingly-worded introduction about his associate’s work in-the-shadows (that totally misled Paimon into thinking that they were to meet an assassin), this was revealed to be Zhongli-sensei, a consultant working for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Since the Geo Archon was essentially the first adeptus, he was to receive a memorial service in his honor, and there was no better candidate for the job than the very organization versed in performing send-off ceremonies for the adepti for ages. As access to the divine vessel was barred to all by orders of Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Qixing and de facto leader of Liyue, Zhongli-sensei invited the Traveler to join him in the preparations for the Rite of Parting. 

A view of the harbor at dawn

While accompanying Zhongli-sensei on a glorified shopping tour for necessary items, the Traveler was immersed in the customs, culture and way of life in Liyue. Commerce and fair trade are at the heart of Liyue and it was no other than the God of Geo who laid down the bedrock of her prosperity through the minting of Mora (the currency of Teyvat, named after Rex Lapis’ actual name, Morax) and the long cultivation of respect for contractual obligations in all forms. In return, the people of Liyue show deep reverence towards Rex Lapis, who, as the God of Contracts, had always held up his end by protecting their safety and supporting their livelihood. For this reason, while the savvy merchants and craft artists were all keen on driving hard bargains, they quickly gave the Traveler and co. a discount (or even gave away their goods) upon learning about the intended use of their products - their tribute to the departed God and their oldest patron.

My two favorite claymore users, Razor and Chongyun, by the busy shops and food stalls of Liyue

The preparations for the Rite of Parting also offered many windows into the fascinating character of Zhongli-sensei, the Traveler’s Liyue tour guide. From the beginning, he showed himself to be single-mindedly bent on ensuring that Rex Lapis would receive a farewell proportionate to the grandeur bestowed upon him in life. Since the Liyue Qixing was occupied with finding the killer and thus less than interested, Zhongli-sensei had to look for funding from elsewheree, which was how Childe came to have a role. As long as Liyue’s thousands-year-old traditions lived on, Zhongli-sensei had no reservation about involving the Fatui, despite their tense relations with Liyue’s ruling elite and ulterior motives. 

Zhongli-sensei by the stall selling kites, an item on the shopping list

Yet, sensei was no snobbish stickler for traditions, even while conducting himself as an erudite gentleman who asked for quality goods but somehow had not a single Mora in his pocket (and always forgot about it at payment). Indeed, great care and thought went into the preparations, for every item in the shopping list harkened back to the profound historical, cultural and even personal bonds between Rex Lapis and the land, adepti and people of Liyue. The Noctilucous Jade was top at the list because the departed archon hewed Liyue from the rocks and stones over which he held command. Next up are the perfumes freshly decocted from three varieties of Silk Flowers, a traditional offering to Rex Lapis but now long-forgotten, the Cleansing Bell obtained from the adeptal realm contained in an innocuous teapot, the kites decorated with symbols of the Seven, and the Everlasting Incense obtained after a hilariously failed peer-to-peer transaction with Qiqi. At every turn, the Traveler was intrigued by Zhongli-sensei’s wealth of knowledge and experience, his curious adeptal connection, and most of all, his lack of familiarity with spending money given his gentile background, and bargaining despite his “poverty”. 

Childe: I see Mr. Zhongli’s the same as ever. When paying— Well, when getting others to pay for him, he neither looks at the price tag nor his wallet. He knows a great deal about money, and about the trials of the common man. He just doesn’t consider poverty to be something that could ever happen to him. Or perhaps you could say that he cannot imagine himself lacking money.

Zhongli-sensei at the Third-Round Knock-out, being regaled with stories about Liyue past and living legends

As the Rite of Parting preparations were more or less in place, it was time to turn to the tug of war between the Fatui and the Qixing, and subsequently, the tug of power between the Qixing and the adepti. On the Fatui’s side, Childe needed information to make his next move. Cautious as the Traveler was to not provide him with any ammunition, “the walls have ears” and word about the Qixing’s deployment of additional security to the Golden House, the one and only mint of Teyvat, still got out to Childe. Being no fool, he quickly figured out that only the guarding of Rex Lapis’ vessel would warrant such forces. 

Keqing: The time of the adepti has long passed. If even the Liyue Qixing don’t want to face that truth, then what future is there for Liyue? 

In the meantime, it was the Qixing’s turn to make a move. An invitation from Ningguang to the Jade Chamber was delivered to the Traveler, just as he was to partake in a meal at Zhongli-sensei’s treat (the one time sensei actually brought mora, too!). On their way, the Traveler and Paimon encountered Keqing, the 2nd most important person in the Qixing, who gave them the directions that Ganyu, the emissary, accidentally forgot. She helpfully informed them of Ningguang’s intention, that is to request the “savior of Mondstadt” to take a more neutral stance. Interestingly enough, Keqing made no mention of the Fatui and chose to voice her discontent with the adepti’s condescension towards the humans under their protection, including the Qixing. Her belief in self-reliance over dependence on Rex Lapis and the adepti, left a strong impression on the Traveler, who made his way through this world without a Vision - the Archon’s blessing that allows wielder to use an elemental power. 

Ningguang: The departure of Rex Lapis will be no small test for both the Qixing and the city of Liyue. Seldom has any matter kept me tossing and turning at night like recent events. Nevertheless, I shall not lose sight of my goal. There will come a day when the shadow cast by the Jade Chamber reaches every end of Teyvat.

The Traveler, after painstakingly preparing a Sugar-frosted Slime, a greeting gift that is totally “boom shaka-laka“ in Paimon’s words, finally ascended to the Jade Chamber. It was a veritable palace, floating higher than all the peaks of Liyue, from which one could look at the entire land of Geo. Greeting them cordially, the Lady told them of the laborious construction of the Jade Chamber and her ambition for it to “overshadow” the whole of Teyvat. She had heard quite a bit of the Traveler, from her eyes and ears at Wangshu Inn where he met an adeptus, to her communications with Jean, the Acting Grand Master of Favonius Knights. Seeking to gain the Traveler’s support, she began by dispelling all notions of the Qixing plotting Rex Lapis’ death in an attempt at usurpation. Referring back to how Archons fought the long and bloody war to maintain their dominion and become one of the Seven, she spoke of the Qixing’s concern over the scenario of Liyue being up for grab by another Archon, and what it might mean for the former subjects of Rex Lapis. To root out chaos and defend Liyue, hiding the Rex Lapis’ vessel was a bid to gain control of the situation, while allowing the Rite of Parting would give the Qixing more time to act. She then deftly turned the Traveler’s attention to the enemy long hidden in the harbor, a “him” that could have meant no one else but Childe. The difference between her take on the situation and Keqing’s became quite apparent- her concern lied with the Fatui’s maneuvering, not the adepti’s lack of recognition of humanity’s strength.

View from the Yujing Terrace 

Iron Tongue Tian: The saying goes, the rarest treasures in the land are the words brought by the paper snow. For the words of the Tianquan have the power to move mountains and all throughout the land know it. These are but scraps of paper, and yet they guide Lady Ningguang’s hand — such is their value.

Hospitality and food for though were not the only things that their eloquent and charming host offered. Upon Paimon’s point-blank inquiry after a present in return for the greeting gift, Ningguang laughed in genuine amusement and invited them to take any object in the Jade Chamber. True to her materialistic tendency, Paimon asked for a piece of paper from the legendary wall containing intelligence documents collected for Ningguang’s deliberation on important mercantile and state affairs. The papers on this wall made for a famous sight in Liyue, for after Ningguang made her decision, they would be shredded and scattered in the air, resulting in a “paper snow”, and no merchant would not pay a fortune to know what the Tianquan had in mind. It was no coincidence, as the Traveler conjectured, that the paper they chose had information on the Sigils of Permission, the very same talisman Childe gave them for passage into Jueyun Karst, the adepti’s land. It was time to learn the truth for themselves. 

After verifying the suspicious activities of the Fatui, the Traveler and Paimon went to meet Zhongli-sensei at Dihua Marsh for the final addition to the Rite of Parting - fresh wild Glaze Lilies. The pair shared their impressions of Ningguang, with Paimon liberally praising her kindness and generosity, and the Traveler taking a more skeptical view of her “friendliness” while noting her intelligence and ambition. Zhongli-sensei agreed that contrary to the bold and frank Keqing, Ningguang was a self-made businesswoman at heart, whose true intention was harder to discern. After advising the pair to exercise caution toward the Fatui, Zhongli-sensei showed them the tradition of picking Glaze Lilies - singing to the flowers to release their fragrance. Their exploration of the marsh was not very productive, but serendipitously, they met with a grieving Ganyu, now the Qixing Secretary, who gave them the flowers in honor of the ancient lord she served. 

The Dihua Marsh

At the city, the situation rapidly took a turn for the worse. The adepti had arrived at the outskirts of Liyue and some of the Qixing went to meet them, in fact to stall them outside the city, as the adepti did not recognize the Qixing’s authority and chose to act on the basis of their contracts with the Geo Archon. Meanwhile, the Millelith was given orders to rein in the Fatui. Before leaving to check on Wangsheng, Zhongli-sensei advised the Traveler and Paimon to find the fuse first if they wished to help defuse the situation. And the fuse could be nothing else but the divine vessel and no one was more interested in it than Childe. 

The pair arrived at the Golden House, where the vessel is kept, only to find the guards all unconscious and Childe up to no good. Like the previous time with Barbatos, the Anemo Archon of Mondstadt, Childe acted under the order of the Tsaritsa, the Cryo Archon, to steal the Gnosis, the source of an archon’s divinity. The Traveler crossed swords against Childe, who momentarily outwitted him to get at the vessel, only to find out that the Gnosis was no longer there. Believing that the Traveler got it before him, the enraged Childe brought out his ace card.

Childe: The battle has already left me satisfied. Anyone who strives as I do to grow stronger shall be called a friend, even if our friendship can only be shown in battle against one another.

After an arduous battle (but seriously fun and adrenaline-pumping), the Traveler defeated Childe in his Delusion form. Childe, while acknowledging the Traveler’s strength, still had a mission to do. Since the Gnosis was not in the vessel, the only explanation possible was that the corpse was faked, and a certain god might not really dead. Desperate times called for drastic measures: if the god had not deigned to make an appearance yet, then it was time to up the stakes. And Childe had one more trick up his sleeve for that - the Sigils of Permission, conduits of divine power once used by the adepti and Rex Lapis himself. Combined with the power bestowed by the Tsaritsa, he would be able to briefly release an old enemy of Rex Lapis, Osial, Overlord of Vortex, from the seal imprisoning him in the Guyun Stone Forest, thus allowing Osial to unleash his anger upon the entire population of Liyue. And so thwarted mayhem and mischief were taken up several notches to reach mass murder and destruction. 

The Guyun Stone Forest are but the remnants of the stone spears thrown by Rex Lapis to subdue an ancient god…

Lost as to what to do, the Traveler and Paimon came upon the Jade Chamber flying by the Golden House and reunited with the adepti and the Qixing. Facing the dire threat of Osial, the two parties called a truce and pooled their power in defense of Liyue. It was on the Jade Chamber where they made their stand against the Overlord of Vortex, and where one got a glimpse of the full extent of Ningguang’s power. Through a series of hand commands, the Tianquan used her Geo power to raise a translucent platform of light, on which the Guizhong ballista, offensive adeptal mechanisms, were mounted and manned by the adepti present. The ballista quickly launched a volley of attacks on Osial, but came under attack themselves when waves of Fatui teleported onto the platform. Blessed by the adepti with enhanced offense, survival capability, and speed, the Traveler fought alongside Keqing and the Millelith in getting rid of the Fatui, while evading attacks from Osial himself. Just when the adepti could finally focus on raining fire on Osial without the meddling Fatui, the Overlord concentrated his attacks and took out all the ballista, along with the platform. 

The Lady Ningguang activating the platform mechanism, turning her Chamber into a veritable flying fortress.

The loss of the ballista may well have spelled instant defeat for the Qixing and the adepti, had not been for Ningguang’s quick thinking and unwavering will. As the fate of Liyue was hanging by a thread, Ningguang, with not an ounce of hesitation, decided to sacrifice the Jade Chamber, the fruit of her tireless efforts and symbol of her power. All took to evacuation, while the Chamber flew closer to the ancient god, plummeted and exploded upon collision. 

Madame Ping: I’ve heard that when Ningguang began learning to do business, she had already started setting aside part of her then-limited income in preparation for building the Jade Chamber. At first, it was only the size of a small room. But with continued expansion, it has become the palace that lies before you now.

Now that the immediate threat was done and dusted, it was time to get back to the Qixing vs. adepti debate - who should take over control over Liyue, now that Rex Lapis was no longer in charge. Among the adepti, Madame Ping, who kept the Cleansing Bell earlier, was the only one who still lived among the people of Liyue and had the most balanced perspective of the Qixing and their efforts. After all, it was no small feat for Ningguang to sacrifice the achievement of her mortal lifetime in a blink of an eye, and still retain much collectedness to make her case to the adepti in a courteous yet unyielding manner. While recognizing the extraordinary contributions of the adepti in upholding their contract with Rex Lapis to protect Liyue from all foreign, often godly, threats, for thousands of years, she gently but firmly reminded them that Liyue and its lands, while still immovable as stone, had changed much since its founding, and so should the approach to and means of protection. Some adepti took offense at what they saw as a criticism of their way of doing things and scoffed at Ningguang’s request for the adepti to see the Qixing as their inheritors. Yet, once again, Ningguang’s power of persuasion prevailed, this time not via a show of power, but a confession of heartfelt humility. 

Ningguang: In the dream, I yearned to tell him that we Qixing, though mortal, are equally bound to the contract. Each passing generation of the Qixing leaves many things of value to be inherited by the next generation. 

I also thought to tell him how the past generations of Qixing had strove under his rule to survive in our mortal world, establishing a network of contracts which has since come to be known as “trade.“ 

But I dared not speak. I could only gaze at him in silence until the moment I awoke.

Skeptics of Ningguang’s sincerity might argue that her words were well-aimed manipulation in the guise of modesty, that she knew how to best sell herself and give way when needed, as befitting of a self-made businesswoman. Perhaps. But since they were her final words on the matter, one can give her some benefit of the doubt. As a holder of a Geo vision, how could Ningguang not appreciate and be awed by all that Rex Lapid did for Liyue? Her silence, in dream as in reality, spoke louder than words, than any promise she could have made. 

Liyue from above

The power struggle between the Qixing and the adepti came to a conclusion with the Traveler’s remarks on the importance of harmony between a land’s guardians and those under such protection, in light of Mondstadt’s recent painful lesson. Further reparation to the ties between the adepti and people of Liyue came in the form of the debt of gratitude expressed by the Millelith for the adepti’s grace and strength, and the joy of innocent children upon seeing the legendary heroes who saved the day. Realizing how out of place and out of time they are in the modern Liyue, the adepti bid their farewell and left their beloved land of Geo in the hands of the Qixing and mortals. 

Paimon: Yeah, you don’t think you went a little bit too far with that whole fake death thing!? Everyone was preparing the ceremony for you when splat, this big dragon falls out of the sky and all of Liyue goes into an uproar. Talk about a disaster!

All was well that ended well at the harbor but the Traveler and Paimon still needed answers as to a certain archon’s death. So to the Northland Bank they went to find Zhongli-sensei. In addition to the expected sight of Childe, there was another unexpected familiar face - Signora, the Fatui Harbinger who stole the Anemo archon’s Gnosis. While there was no love lost between the Traveler and Signora, Childe still hoped to stay on the Traveler’s good side, and quickly pointed to his “colleague” and Zhongli-sensei as the true masters of deception. Without further ado, the Traveler became a witness to fulfilment of the “contract to end all contracts”, as Zhongli-sensei handed over the Gnosis to Signora, the Cryo archon’s emissary. While the revelation of Zhongli-sensei as the earthly vessel of Rex Lapis was shocking enough, to see him giving away the Gnosis, even for some yet-to-be-revealed super mysterious benefit in return, was outta this world, even for the Traveler (pardon my pun). And as Paimon put it very eloquently, the Geo archon (more like ex-archon now) had quite a lot of explaining to do with the funeral drama he directed, gathered the cast, and played a role himself.

Zhongli: I stood motionless among the crowds, asking myself, "Have I already finished my duties?”

Being the oldest archon of the current Seven and the one watching over Liyue for millennia, he had never thought to take a break from his divine role. Until one day, while visiting the harbor incognito, he heard an employer telling his worker to rest up after a day of work and the question started haunting his thoughts. Yet, it was no easy thing to just relinquish his role, for the road to the present Liyue of incomparable peace and prosperity was lined with blood, sweat and toil. A test was needed to make sure that Liyue’s guardians and inhabitants were ready to take on the mantle in his absence, with the Gnosis that he held on till the last minute as insurance. The script unfolded more or less to his expectations, with the ancient adepti doing their best to adapt to the changing times and people, and the Tsaritsa’s emissary Signora keeping his plan under wraps and far from the prying Childe. The one plot twist that surprised and pleased Zhongli the most was the Qixing’s bold and decisive move to gain complete control over Liyue, in place of her adeptal protectors. After all, it was the time for mortals to take over the contract of Liyue and what could be a better parting gift for the ex-archon than the Qixing’s tried and tested readiness to lead them in the new era? 

Ningguang: Now that we have awoken from our dream, we must learn to say farewell.

The Rite of Parting finally arrived, amidst much speculation about Rex Lapis’ death, the Fatui’s involvement and the now-twice-defeated Osial. To the Traveler’s and Paimon’s great surprise, the Qixing announced that Rex Lapis was not murdered but died after failing a divine trial. The pair then deduced that since the Qixing dropped the search for the murder, the truth about the God of Geo’s departure was somehow made known to them. After the ceremony, the Traveler and Paimon got to bid a personal farewell to the ex-archon himself, who was very much enjoying his life as the mortal Zhongli. While adjusting to being no longer able to make Mora whenever and wherever continued to be a work in progress for the ex-archon, he considered it as part and parcel of living a mortal life and thus tried to “rehearse” for it during his journey with the Traveler, with shall we say, limited success, given his access to Childe, the Northland Bank ATM. The Traveler’s conversation with Zhongli confirmed his suspicion of the Qixing’s knowledge of the truth to their Archon’s death and revealed Zhongli’s high regard of Ningguang’s ambition to govern Liyue and Keqing’s likely role as the person who advised the seizure of power. As the end of one journey opens another, it was only a matter of time that the Traveler would need to leave Liyue to other lands in search of his lost sister. But that is a story for another time…

(even though it is already the first week of August as I’m writing these lines, and parts of Inazuma have already been opened for exploration.)

*put down the fan* 

Now that I have finished playing Tea Master Liu Su, it truly amazed me how long it took to recount the story, despite my best effort to be as succinct as possible. There was so much to unpack in this chapter of the Archon storyline and there were things that only after revisiting the text did I pick up on. Notable is its cyclical nature: the story ended at the same place where it began. The Traveler’s journey began with Zhongli-sensei’s question as to which place he preferred more - Mondstadt with the prone-to-absent Barbatos or Liyue under the more involved Rex Lapis. Regardless of which answer the Traveler gave, Zhongli-sensei would remark on Liyue’s rich and millennia-long history as an experience that the Traveler should not miss. And if the Traveler was to talk to people in Liyue around this time, most of them could not imagine living under an absent Archon for as long as Mondstadt did. In the end, Liyue ends up not so different from Mondstadt now - both are now archon-less lands, both led by strong female leaders (who stay in regular contact with one another no less). The conclusion of Liyue’s chapter more or less mirrored that of Mondstadt’s chapter (the Prologue). And if one is to go back a little further, the cyclical nature would become even more apparent - this chapter began with the Rite of Descension at the Yuijing Terrace, and ended with the Rite of Parting, carried out at the very same place.

I feel like this would be my fellow bookworm’s favorite place in Mondstadt, should he ever come by to visit the land of Wind. 

I’m sure if you are patient enough to read this far, the question that you must be burning to ask will be why I devoted so much time to telling the Archon storyline in Liyue, when I didn’t delve much into it in my previous post on Mondstadt, and more importantly, what’s the point of doing so? 

The reason for my going to such length is to remind you (or immerse you in, if you are new to GI) of the circumstances and events through which we get to meet the cast of Liyue and I fall head over heels for Ningguang and Zhongli. I could just launch into tirades upon tirades of how awesome they are but that would not be quite as persuasive as leading you into making them yourself, right? I think this archon quest is a good starting point to understand and dig deep into their character and motivations, all the more so with Ningguang, since that is the most that we’ll see of her thus far. 

[the following was written prior to the Moonchase festival]

The moonlight pales in comparison to the radiance of My Lady Ningguang 

It’s easy to misconceive Ningguang as purely a ruthless, manipulative, Mora-loving businesswoman, whose only ambition is personal aggrandizement. And while she exhibits these qualities, she is so much more than this simplistic understanding, which disregards the complexity and nuances of her character. 

Undoubtedly, she is ruthless in dealing with the threat posed by the Fatui’s schemes, as evidenced by her swift and unforgiving declaration to make all Snezhnayan diplomats answer for the Fatui agents’ attack upon Childe’s orders after the summon of Osial (and My Lady kept her word). Such relentless pursuit stems from the fierce competitive spirit that defines her approach to business and enables her to triumph in the harsh mercantile world. Yet, it is this very ruthlessness, business- and politics-wise, that brings wealth and prosperity to Liyue, and more importantly, defends her shores against those who seek to bring her people to their knees. As a savvy businesswoman and the powerful Tianquan, she is well aware of how prosperity can only last with peace and order, and the benefits of aligning her interests with those of Liyue. 

Zhongli… Of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. He’s very versed in a great deal of affairs. Although… such excellent pawns are of no use to me until I know their weaknesses.

[Ningguang, “On Zhongli”]

Manipulation is certainly one of the tools that My Lady uses to great effect. Her mastery of it is showcased at the meeting with the Traveler at the Jade Chamber - how she skillfully convinced him of the Qixing’s innocence in the death of Rex Lapis and well-meaning intentions, then redirected his attention to the real foe, and even roped him into finding out about the Fatui’s scheme on the Sigils of Permission. Though the Traveler saw her friendliness as part of her subtle maneuvering to get him on the Qixing’s side, after her earlier persecution of him no less, he did not begrudge it and even helped to reconcile the adepti to the Qixing’s vision for the future of Liyue. All things considered, subterfuge is not part of her arsenal, given her willingness to tell the Traveler straight up how she gathered information about him, and mutual benefit is her go-to motto. 

SImilar rocks with green plaustrite ores were used to keep the Jade Chamber afloat in mid-air.

Ningguang’s first and foremost love of Mora is well-noted by other characters,  not least Zhongli himself. One of the in-game character briefs (Story 3, to be exact) speaks of her glee in winning over wealthy merchants, despite how rich she is already. To use her own words, “Vast wealth is a wonderful thing. Adding another Mora to the pot can hardly make it any less wonderful, now, can it?” After all, given her modest beginning, every Mora she earns is a credit to her industriousness and business acumen, a testament to how far she had come since the days of collecting shells on the Yaoguang shoal, as recalled by Zhongli. Nonetheless, her limitless passion for Mora does not blind her from doing what’s needed for the common good. After 2 and a half Archon quests (yes, counting the ongoing one in Inazuma), nothing has yet moved me as much as Ningguang’s resolved visage to sacrifice the Jade Chamber, the ultimate manifestation of her lifelong toil and triumph, in exchange for the safety of Liyue and all her people. Certainly, not all of her wealth went along with the Chamber but her readiness to give up what she held so dear is just inspirational.

By the Yaoguang Shoal of her earlier days of entrepreneurship

While the archon quest chose to highlight Ningguang’s unshakeable resolve, acute mind, and tremendous power and ambition, there’s still much about her that only comes to one’s notice through better acquaintance with her and finer grasp of her background. Perhaps one of the most surprising and striking traits of Ningguang is her intolerance of pretentiousness. This down-to-earth approach (no pun intended) is likely rooted in her humble background, which she does not shy away from or conceal beneath a veneer of grandeur. Her status and position make her a frequent customer at the fancy restaurants of Liyue, but she has no qualm about preferring a simpler fare. To her, there’s no sense in making a show of wealth by demanding Golden Crab everyday, when staple dishes like “a slow-boiled soup of leftover chicken and pork bones drenched over some cabbage leaves“ are more to her taste. 

Here at Aocang Mountain the Traveler came upon the adeptal abode of Cloud Retainer and learned the recipe of Mora Meat, a common offering to adepti in the old days of yore. It bears the association to Morax, and to Mora, his “flesh and blood” manifested as currency, and the “guarantor of the people’s hard work, wisdom, and future”. What significance does this dish indicate, as the Tianquan’s specialty?

Even her specialty dish, the Qiankun Mora Meat, harkens to a time of more modest means, when it’s important to have a filling meal that does not take her away long from work. True to its name, it’s a round-shaped, Mora-stamped pastry filled with minced meat that you can conveniently eat without cutlery like a burger, and eating it is like making a wish for fortune. I can’t help smiling on thinking how Ningguang would make one of these lovely pastries after a long day of work to “revive” herself and become even more driven in her pursuits. A delicious Mora Meat is said to be so good that not even Mora placed in front of you can distract you from enjoying it, thus making this meaty saucy sizzling bun the perfect food for the hardworking Tianquan. 

Ningguang complimenting on how much the “Glittering Street” furniture set (in the Traveler’s teapot realm) resembles the streets of Liyue and embodies their “lack of discord”. I’d like to think that her eye for such meticulous details comes from a place of devotion to Liyue and all its people, regardless of background. 

Her aversion to displays of snobbery makes her approachable to the common folk in Liyue. As shown in the cutscene after Osial is defeated, a little girl named Changchang cheerfully approached the heroes who saved the day, with little care for etiquette, even toward the powerful Tianquan. To the children at the harbor, Ningguang is but a kind and friendly “big-sister”. Of course, her attention to children can be read as a kind of manipulation, for she does give them treats in exchange for their information on all goings-on in Liyue. They are Ningguang’s eyes and ears, and between them and other sources of intelligence, there’s little that could evade her. Indeed, there is always some benefit to her in keeping relations with a certain party, but it is a two-way road and does not necessarily exclude genuine feelings on her part. Personally speaking, I choose to take a leap of faith in her fondness for children’s smiles, regardless.

I presume you mean the girl whom Ganyu has taken under her wing. Do not worry, I have no plans to make this matter public. I am content to extend some leniency to the odd bit of mischievous maneuvering by that boat captain. One thing, though — Yaoyao seems to have become somewhat enamored with seafood lately. You should try to convince her to include some more fruits and vegetables in her diet.

[Ningguang, “On Yaoyao”]

On her peers and notable residents of Liyue, Ningguang’s opinions (as voiced to the Traveler) are often more revealing about herself than about a particular character or the nature of her relations with them. The lesser the acquaintance, the franker she is in voicing her thoughts. With Xingqiu and Xiangling, who are clearly not very fond of her, she finds it perfectly fine to live and let live, despite their differences. Since Xingqiu’s chivalric ideals of justice are irreconcilable with her material approach, she simply accepts that their personalities do not work well together and moves on. Xiangling’s “suspicion” and wariness is no secret to Ninggguang, but that has no bearing on her willingness to financially support Wanmin Restaurant. A good deal is a good deal, and she does enjoy a good rivalry (and even finds ways to gain from it), as proven by her assessment of Yanfei’s deftness in making use of legal loopholes in her client’s interest. She values Ganyu’s indispensable work but that does not mean she is going to leave all her affairs in the hands of her very capable secretary.  

An off-the-record meeting between two formidable women of Liyue?

I absolutely love that Ningguang’s most fleshed-out relations are with powerful, independent and opinionated women - Beidou the larger-than-life Captain of the Crux Fleet, slayer of the sea beast Haishan, and Keqing, the uber-efficient, pragmatic workaholic Yuheng of the Qixing, who’s in charge of the administrative and civil side of things. From Ningguang’s side, her voiceovers barely let on about the extent of their relations. Beidou seems to be no more than a thorn in her eye, given her proclivity to break rules (especially when the one makes them now is Ningguang herself) and her popularity with the common folk, to the point that she asks for Beidou to be kept out of her sight, as if she couldn’t care less. However, reality is more nuanced than that, as Beidou’s story would tell us. Whether Ningguang is actually Beidou’s boss or not is up for debate, it’s clear that they do have a partnership that works well on a personal basis, regardless of either character’s affiliation. Beidou is trusted by Ningguang to do the so-called “dirty work” for her, in spite of their personality clash. She called Beidou the “most reliable person in Liyue”, in response to her advisers’ comments on Beidou’s unpredictability, even saying that this is always the case as long as Beidou is given the whole picture and made known of the benefits for her. Even Beidou appreciates Ningguang’s rarely-seen frank side, be it her direct criticism or explicit trust, and praises for her good work in the Qixing.

Keqing recounting her blunt reply to a person’s inquiry on “gift suggestions for Lady Ningguang”

While there is much more to say about Ningguang and Beidou, let me quickly jump over to the less discussed relations between Ningguang and Keqing, which is not easy to do as there are much less materials to go on. Nonetheless, as they are incredibly key members of the Qixing and run into each other often enough in their work, their relationship certainly deserves a mention. Ningguang is purposefully vague when speaking about the Yuheng. Remarking on Keqing’s recent change, she wonders if they are better off with the new Keqing or her old self. While this doesn’t give us much to work with, it’s noteworthy that she picked up on Keqing’s newfound appreciation and respect for Rex Lapis. As shown in the archon quest, Keqing has always been a bold, self-assured person, openly skeptic of the idea that the gods have all the right answers. After the Qixing officially took over Liyue and she took on management of more Liyue’s affairs, it dawned on her that she could learn much from Rex Lapis’ hard work over the last millennium. And such appreciation is further extended to Ningguang, who Keqing has very strong opinions about; she’s the sole person with 3 voice-overs about Ningguang! She used to be much more disparaging about the Tianquan, deeming profit to be the Tianquan’s only principle. That is now changed, since the departure of Rex Lapis. She is now more aware of the common grounds they have and how she was too judgmental of Ningguang, even going so far as to call her a “comrade in arm”. This kind of growth in their relations is nothing short of amazing, all the more so given the intra-competition in the Qixing, their personality clash, and the occasional stepping-on-each-other’s-toes. 

“Ningguang” means “condensation of light”, which is such a poetic way of describing precious stones and their sparkle. Her name is even more apt, considering her attack is literally a barrage of Star Jades, rocks that resemble light condensed by her Geo power.

Like a well-cut gem, Ningguang is a lady of many facets, of which most people are only privileged to a glimpse. This is not the case for the Traveler, who is given the opportunity to learn how to “observe” and invited to “observe [her] right down to [her] very core”. More importantly, she expects him to form his own judgement, free from the influence of rumors and hearsay. With his deeper understanding and changing impressions of her come the revisions in her view of the Traveler’s role. She deems it right to forego “pretentious formalities” - the cordial facade she adopted in their early acquaintance, for he is now a “[partner] bound by contract”. While others can hardly discern her true intentions, there is a distinct sense of openness and lack of reservation in her voiceovers with the Traveler. She prefers asking him directly for worthwhile intelligence as the kind she would get from the kids at the harbor, rather than mincing her words about it. Just when it seems like the Traveler’s relations with the Tianquan would only go far as a mutual benefit deal, granted with both sides growing more appreciative of one another’s capabilities, the Lady surprises me with how “invested” she is in the Traveler and what it truly means to gain her trust.

An environment can't be judged purely on its size or opulence. I sense the time and effort that you have put into this place, which reminds me of the time and effort when constructing the Jade Chamber.

[ Ningguang, in a conversation about the Traveler’s own adeptal realm]

With every friendship level gained, Ningguang pays greater and greater attention to the Traveler, wishing to gain further insight into him, in a way that far exceeds a mere transactional partnership. She shows herself to be fully aware of the fact that as much as she invests in her relations with the Traveler, so does he in return (well, if a player is fond of her enough), especially to aid the growth and ascension of her combative power. Despite her initial disdain for using violence (when Mora is at disposal), she soon grew intrigued by the potential of “cashing in time and mora for power”, and even more by “what [the Traveler holds] so dear” that makes him so “persistent” in this pursuit. What is so noteworthy about her interest in the Traveler’s motivation is her earnest desire to find it out on her own, not by hearing it from him. To have a lady like Ningguang asking to “give her more time to understand you better” is one hell of a boost to your ego and self-esteem, and it really goes to show that Ningguang considers the Traveler a partner on equal footing. It seems only fair that she would put in her own work to understand the Traveler, after she asked him to do the same through his own observations. 

You can learn from me, and use Mora to make things a little easier on yourself. But remember, relationships built on Mora can only be relied on for a time. Hehe... And that is why I have never brought Mora into our relationship.

[More about Ningguang: IV]

Together with her growing desire to learn more about the Traveler and count on his insights, Ningguang also seeks a relationship rooted in genuine fondness and familiarity. Much as she loves the infinitude of Mora, she well understands its limits in forging meaningful personal connection. It is precisely why the companionship she enjoys with the Traveler is so precious, for it is “something that Mora cannot buy”, to use her very same words. Unlike the merchants and bigshots seeking an audience with her only to further their interest and influence, the Traveler has no such ulterior motive in asking for “a simple chat” on anything that she likes. It would not be an exaggeration to say that his offering of "a carefree, honest chat” truly moves her, as keen as she is to ask him to stay and talk with her about the “simpler things in life”. And in return, getting to see her in the rare moment of letting her guard down, to see her as just Ningguang, and not the mighty Tianquan, makes one feel so special in a way that no amount of Mora can compare.

Doesn’t My Lady look like she is covering her yawn here? eheheheh *squee*

After many an adventure, one would achieve the much coveted pinnacle of friendship with Ningguang, that is to merit her full and complete trust. For a self-made woman who has built everything up from scratch and still prefers to take a hands-on approach in her career, it makes sense that she would find it hard to trust someone, immersed as she in the battleground of commerce and politics. Yet, she finds herself placing her trust in this mysterious outlander who she has not known for long, happily convinced that she has made "put [her] money” aka. her time, “on the right person”. While her language of friendship and partnership is shaped by mercantile vocabulary, it does not mean that she treasures the Traveler in any way less profound than others would. Her material greed does not blind her to his true value and what he means to her, on a personal level. 

 ...You’ve done splendidly. If only I had more like you... No, perhaps you alone are enough.

[Feelings about Ascension: Conclusion]

To hear that you are so indispensable to someone else (hopefully in a non-creepy, non-obsessive, and non-stalker kind of way) is often enough a lovely thing, but to hear such an admission from My Lady is incredibly rewarding, for lack of a better word to describe that sensation of being validated in all the right ways. As an equal partner in important decision-making, the Traveler has proven himself to her and is asked to stand beside her and share in her dream - her raison d’être. Her offer is not phrased as a sort of honor to be bestowed on a worthy person, simply a demonstration of her confidence in the Traveler and admiration for all that he is now and to be. For when Liyue is “due another paper snowstorm”, the Traveler will be the one to cause it.

When the time comes that [the Jade Chamber] hangs above all of the seven nations, you shall stand by my side on that day too.

[About Us: Jade Chamber]

And while my Lady’s birthday was already some moons past (aye, it’s already the beginning of October...), let me gush about her wonderful message to the Traveler on this occasion. It is so heartwarming to read because it is literally the best of her condensed in less than 100 words, and unapologetically so. I absolutely adore that she decided to do away with all the nonsense of hosting guests (most are just suck-ups anyway) and goes for what she really wants - “simple” time with “one or two of [her] best friends”. Her preference for the little pleasures of life shine through, in the way she gifts the Traveler with her homemade Mora Meat and shares with him the blessings of her promenade outside the city - the blooms she dearly loves. There’s something earnest, and dare I say it, even awkwardly endearing, in her slightly roundabout way of showing appreciation for the Traveler. You may chalk it up to just my wishful reading (and the translation from Chinese to English); nonetheless, the succinct words of the first two paragraphs are exchanged for the more drawn-out language of narration, as she took a little longer to arrive at the key message. A hefty sum may come from selling the wild Glaze Lilies, handpicked by the Tianquan no less, but the value that the Traveler holds as her “good friend” trumps any material gain. And you might brush it off as common sense, perhaps with a dismissive “only Ningguang may consider otherwise”, but for someone so knowledgeable in all the ways to turn profit to show high regard for a friend, not just in word but also in action, it does matter. 

Last but not least, if all of these reasons have yet to inspire love or admiration from you for My Lady, all I can say is *cough* legs *cough*. 

Ahem. Inappropriate ogling aside, I must confess that it was her on-point design that got me so attached to her right off the bat. From the way she looks, how she moves and conducts herself (aka her idle animation), to her combat style and moves, everything about her exudes effortless grace and understated elegance. From the first glance, her sumptuous patterned-silk robe, a stylized version of cheongsam, immediately draws one’s attention, with its long brownish-black sleeves and gold-ivory body trimmed with thick curlicues, a bold fan-like decoration bearing her Geo vision and attached at her left hip which highlights her hourglass figure, and a white fur collar that both imbues the outfit with class and gives Ningguang that commanding air, even while at rest. Upon a closer look, the cut of the sleeves, front skirt, and flared back skirt is meant to evoke the image of a bird’s wings and tail, which is perfect for Ningguang, who’s often compared to a phoenix herself, having remade herself into the Tianquan of present days. 

Ningguang in motion is truly a vision in every shot. When she walks, her long white hair, demurely secured by the hairpin adorned with gingko leaf charms, softly flutters in the wind along with her robe’s sleeves and back skirt. The high slit of her robe on the left side that I used to find so scandalous (and yet could never take my eyes off) would ride up a little, giving teasing views of the kickass dark red dragon tattoo winding up her thigh. When not in combat, Ningguang would balance the long pipe on her gloved fingers, making a show of examining the antique, or twirl little star jades on her palm, perhaps wondering why this power was bestowed on her or how it would be of use to her. There is literally nothing in her design that is out of place, not even her rather plain black shoes whose simplicity serves to draw attention to the golden bands decorating her lovely calves. It’s truly no exaggeration at all for fans to lovingly dub her as the Geo Goddess. 

Now that I have more or less done singing praise of My Lady, it’s good time to move to the next part, my shipping manifesto for Zhongguang. 

I’m joking. Okay, no, I am going to talk about Zhongguang but it’s not gonna be that long. I hope. 

So, why Zhongguang, right? A cursory glance at Zhongguang would immediately let you know how this is far from the most apparent of ships. Story-wise, there’s barely any material for one to draw from because Zhongli and Ningguang have never personally talked or interacted with one another onscreen thus far. Digging a little deeper, you may come across the wishful theory of Ningguang being the reincarnate of Guizhong, the Archon of Dust, Zhongli’s trusted friend and long-time ally who perished in the devastating Archon War. As fascinating as this theory is (and I will speak more of it later), it was not what drew me to this ship in the first place, nor what kept me being an ardent fan of Zhongguang ever since.

Instead, shipping Zhongguang came to me as natural as twirling Star Jades to My Lady - no exertion is necessary, no intricate case is required. How is this possible? It all began with aesthetics.

Or to put it more colloquially, they just look damn good together. Standing side by side, their outfits are a perfect match in both style and palette. Decked out in formal wear, they are dressed to impress in sumptuous shades of gold, ivory, burnished bronze and onyx. Bold decorative motifs highlighted their association to oft-paired mythical creatures. If Ningguang’s robe gives off the impression of a soaring phoenix, the patterns on Zhongli’s long jacket call to mind his adeptal dragon form and command over Geo. Subtle but no less striking is the similarity in their silhouettes, created by the cinching of their robes at the waist. All in all, as two characters from Liyue and both Geo wielders, their visual designs complement one another so seamlessly to the point that speaking from a purely aesthetic perspective, they are just made to be together. 

Already off to a good start, it’s on the field that Zhongguang press the advantage and show their complementarity to the fullest. No longer just aesthetically pleasing, their chemistry takes on a whole new dimension in combat and transforms them into a veritable tour de brute force. Their mechanic is incredibly simple (aye, perfect for a dummy like me), comfortable and hassle-free, partly because Geo does not involve any reactions besides the Crystallize shields, to the point of that some would call it braindead. But to me, it is the epitome of ruthless elegance and stone-cold efficiency. Allow me to give you a play-by-play breakdown. First, Geoda- I mean, Zhongli would take out his Jade Shield and ere- plant his pillar. Next, Ningguang would use her E (elemental skill) to put up the Jade Screen for blocking projectiles if needed, but more importantly, for her to pass through and gain that lovely 12% Geo damage bonus. She would then fling her rocks gems at enemies, gaining Star Jades for charged attack and generating energy for both her and Zhongli’s Q (ultimate attack). At full energy, switch to Zhongli, walk him through the Screen and let him throw his meteor (Planet Befall) to petrify enemies (literally turning them into stone). Lastly, switch back to Ningguang, use her Q (Star Shatter) which would collapse the Screen and give her extra Star Jades. Rinse and repeat. 

For a duo that does not have any reaction to augment their attacks, Zhongguang still deals a staggering amount of damage, all the more so after the buff to Zhongli’s shield and multipliers, and changes to the Geo resonance that give bonus to both damage and shield strength. While the recent rise of enemies with elemental shields does reduce my use of this duo (as well as new additions to the roster), Zhongguang still is my go-to team when it comes to weekly bosses (okay, except for Azhdaha). It feels darn satisfying to hurl bunches of rocks Star Jades at Signora’s condescending face every single time, lemme tell you. All in all, Zhongli and Ningguang go so well together, especially by the way their attacks are designed, visually and combatively speaking. I absolutely love that they share the same modus operandi of throwing things at opponents and both of them excel at making it look so effortless. Even the names of their Geo constructs and talents mirror each other: Jade Shield/ Jade Screen, Rain of Stone / Sparkling Scatter (normal attack), Planet Befall/ Star Shatter. 

Only after Zhongguang won me over with their visual chemistry and combat synergy, did the little pieces of lore hold real appeal to me. Most fascinating is certainly the significance that Glaze Lilies hold for both of them. In her birthday message, the lady spoke at length about her fondness for wild Glaze Lilies - not those cultivated in mass at Yuijing Terrace. Valuable as this rare gift is in material terms, it pales in comparison to the friendship offered by the Traveler. This night-blooming flower is popular enough as a present choice, considering that Zhongli also gifted the Traveler a dried Glaze Lily that bloomed on the latter’s birthday. It conveys Zhongli’s blessing, for the people of yore believe the flower to “bear the weight of the beautiful memories and prayers of the land”. Perhaps the gift is also to remind the Traveler of the painstaking search in Dihua Marsh for these same blooms, of the memories they share in preparing for the Rite of Parting. 

You may pass this off as me reading too deeply into this but it can’t be mere coincidence that Zhongli and Ningguang choose the same flower to show how much they treasure the Traveler. The Glaze Lily symbolizes a lasting, intergenerational link with people, be they alive or dearly departed, and by the same reasoning, it serves as a connection between Zhongli and Ningguang, two people who have never spoken to one another but are intimately associated with this blossom.

Essential as these flowers are to Ningguang in the form of ascension materials, they, more importantly, are a poignant evocation of Zhongli’s ancient past, as recounted in the lore of the Memory of Dust catalyst. It was at a field of wild Glaze Lilies where he met Guizhong, the young Archon of Dust and later his partner, for the first time. These delicate flowers were in bloom when Guizhong presented Morax with a stone dumbbell with all her wisdom locked inside, as both a challenge to him, the mighty God of War, and as a token of their “pledge” of partnership for the sake of their people. Together they oversaw the rise of Guili civilization (a portmanteau of their names) with the adepti, protected their people and fought in the Archon War. With her brain and his brawn, they had a good long run until Guizhong was slain during the Archon War, the Guili Assembly falling into ruin, and Morax leading the survivors down south to found the present-day Liyue. The story and alliance of the 2 Archons ended where it began - among the wild Glaze Lilies.

"If you can unlock it—" Many years passed, and he was never able to unlock that dumbbell, nor would he ever learn what might have followed that sentence. Over the years, the wild Glaze Lilies, too, dwindled till they were no more.

It is hard to tell with any measure of certainty what Guizhong meant to Zhongli from such a brief account. Doubtless, she is a close and valued ally of Morax, as evidenced by the stone seats with their names inscribed at the stone table on top of the Aocang Mountain, where they partook of offerings with the adepti, with Mora Meat (remember Ningguang’s specialty dish?) being part of the usual fare. However, the wistful tone of the narrative and Zhongli’s attachment to the Glaze Lilies after all these years (for them to feature in his own Rite of Parting) hint at Guizhong being more than just a partner in nation-building to him. In one of his idle animations, Zhongli strikes a pensive pose with crossed arms and eyes closed, while a flying object that looks very similar to the Memory of Dust circles around him. Perchance he is lost in thought, trying to unlock the dumbbell Guizhong left behind? It seems that whoever Guizhong might be to him, she was nevertheless someone he truly cared for.

Could there be any kind of connection between Guizhong and Ningguang, something that might suggest that the latter is the former’s reincarnate? Frankly speaking, it’s a lot more conjecture and linking the dots than clear evidence. Both of them have meaningful connections to the Glaze Lilies - for Guizhong, they bear the memories of her time with Zhongli and the civilization that they gave rise to; for Ningguang, they symbolize the treasures that no Mora can buy - friendship and genuine connection. Memory of Dust, the stone dumbbell of Guizhong, is now a weapon/catalyst that Ningguang can make put to good use, despite not being her best-in-slot. Its amber and gold tones also go exceptionally well with Ningguang’s outfit, making it almost worth getting, if only for fashion’s sake. Both ladies enjoy close ties with the adepti. Guizhong, when alive, took her meals with Morax and the adepti at Mount Aocang and collaborating with Cloud Retainer in the construction of the Guizhong Ballista (later mounted on the Jade Chamber platform in the fight against Osial - how propitious, right?). My Lady Ningguang of course can’t run Liyue without the help of Ganyu, her adeptal secretary, relishes her professional rivalry with the half-adeptal legal advisor Yanfei, and gains the recognition of Madam Ping, Cloud Retainer, Mountain Shaper and Xiao after dropping the Jade Chamber on Osial. One should also not forget how the Wangshu Inn was founded to support Xiao in his duty to subdue evil, and is run by 2 agents reporting directly to Ningguang. Last but certainly not least, if the dissolution of Guizhong’s form into the “finest dust” equates to her death, then why not the one and only phoenix of Liyue, aka. my Lady Ningguang, be her return to life? 

There’s nothing that confirms Ningguang as the reincarnate of Guizhong but there’s naught that wholly rejects it. I am quite fond of this theory and the rich lore behind it, but candidly speaking, it is a little too wishful. In the end, this life matters more than any previous life. Considering Zhongli’s decision to let go of his Gnosis (souvenir from his Morax days) and live like a human instead, I don’t think it’s a terribly great loss if the 2 ladies are revealed to have no connection whatsoever down the line. Ningguang does not need to be Guizhong reincarnated for her to be special to Zhongli. To him, she is already a “rare gem” purely by virtue of her tenacity and drive to “press on”, albeit the “multitude of affairs” she handles. He has watched over her for a long time, ever since her days of walking barefoot and hawking wares from the Yaoguang Shoal to the south wharf, and for some reason, has quite the knowledge about her teacup collection (check Sal Flore’s 2nd part - Vortex’s Wake), despite not having much contact with her. 

Okay *haha* maybe the latter is more the result of deduction than actual knowledge, as the teacup is found close to the Jade Chamber’s ground zero and Zhongli’s expertise in antiques would allow him to distinguish between the real ancient stuff and the more recent ones. Nonetheless, this seemingly insignificant detail reinforces the continuity between the 2 story lines: the Archon quest that culminated with Ningguang’s defense of Liyue and Zhongli’s own character quest, and in turn, gives prominence to the threads that tie the two characters. Ningguang’s act of bringing down the Jade Chamber upon Osial is not just a case of “history repeats”, but more significantly, also is a perfect mirror of Morax’s hurling of stone spears to seal the same enemy. The eroded remains of the spears then became the Guyun Stone Forest, the place where Ningguang’s teacup was incidentally found, making this circle, millennia-in-the making, finally complete. 

Beautifully matched in aesthetics and combat, intricately linked by the Glaze Lilies and a deep love for Liyue, Zhongguang is truly a kick-ass ship to die for (and yes I am strapping myself to it, come Osial or new lore revelation). With all that transpired during the Archon quest - Morax’s visitation on the Tianquan in her dream, her contribution to subduing Osial, and the aftermath of said battle, Ningguang is set to be the inheritor of Zhongli’s will. And that for me, is the sweetest thing about this ship. Regardless of their completely different and, for the most part, unrelated lives, they are bound by the same dream, same vision. Who knows, Zhongli may end up being a consultant for the Tianquan on a certain matter, and they may have their first on-screen interaction for us thirsty Zhongguang shippers? I’ll live in hope, at least for them lol. 

To bring this long-winded love letter to an end, there’s something about the element of Geo and Geo characters that I can’t help but being drawn to. They are reliable in both personality and combat, often portrayed as incredibly driven and persevering in their convictions. They take great pride in their work and pursuits - like Noelle with her maid duties and quest to become a knight, Albedo with his alchemy, Gorou with his duties as Kokomi’s General and side gig as Ms. Hina, and Itto with his earnest desire to promote respect for Oni (and in playing with children lol). Their mechanics are also on the easier side so they are wonderfully friendly to new players. I absolutely adore them all and can’t wait to get them all -- please come home soon, Gorou!!! Itto is waiting for youu and so am I, so come home, Gorou!!!

And so here concludes part 2. I really thought I could get this one out at least a month earlier and way before Christmas, but truly man proposes, God disposes. I still have so much to say about my dear Geo characters, especially the storylines of patch 2.3 aka. Geo Impact, but alas, that will have to wait. Next up is a bit of a late anniversary post for GI and more importantly, a tribute to last winter - and yes, definitely to the Samaritan in the snow. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone! Thanks for reading and don’t hesitate to message me about anything on this tumblr!

#genshin impact #zhongguang #geomanifesto #zhongli #Ningguang #natsumi rants

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

There and back again: a megane-ko’s adventure

AKA. An ode to six months of time wasted backpacking across Teyvat and counting

Act 1: The call of the wind

[Spoilers for the Mondstadt Archon story, character quests, and past game events] 

It started out innocuously enough, just a game ad among hundreds of tasteless ads appearing on a mobile game that the girl plays religiously everyday. The animation caught her eyes and the sound was automatically mute, unlike those other annoying shopping and body training ads, so she actually watched the entire ad without skipping after 30 seconds were done. What a pretty-looking thing, and not least, playable on mobile, she thought. Skip to a couple more times the ad reappearing on her game. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to check that intriguing adventure game out, she mused. After all, things were getting a little stale in Animal restaurant. 

Turned out the 100+ MB download was just the beginning, to be followed with 5G+ worth of game data. What was originally a half-hearted bid to satisfy her curiosity at her convenience quickly became an serious contemplation over picking up video gaming after bidding it farewell for more than a decade. This called for a tour of the Genshin Impact website to bring an end to the back-and-forth debate. And true to her character, for all things anime-related, it all came down to that all-time make-or-break factor - you guess it - voice actors.

There is just no saying no to Ayumu Murase, who voiced the inimitable peace-loving Pasha Mahmut of Shoukoku no Altair, the mysterious, cold-blooded yet so human Cartaphilus of the Ancient Magus’ Bride, the ever-buoyant, passionate and so lovable Hinata Shoyo of Haikyu!!!, and Muhyo Toru, the arrogant but fiercely loyal genius of Muhyo and Rouji’s Supernatural Investigation Bureau.

… And Kouki Uchiyama, who lent his voice to Yuri Plisetsky, her beloved angry teenage son from Yuri on ICE!!, Ruth, the gruff but sweetly protective familiar of Chise from Mahoutsukai no Yome, the jerkish yet dependable Kei Tsukishima from Haikyuu!!!, the chilling and calculative villain Shigaraki Tomura of Boku no Hero Academia, and lately, the adorable, warm-hearted, kakkoii emo heartthrob of Horimiya.

With such a persuasive sales pitch, it was no surprise that she sold her soul to the corporate devil decided to give the game a go. 

…. Yes, it’s me we are talking about.

The protagonist’s world-crossing storyline and exploration of Teyvat quickly drew me in. At a first glance, his flying mascot of a travelling companion, Paimon, looked very cute drifting in and out, but the language option existed for a reason and it was an easy choice to swap English audio for Japanese one. I thought it would take a while to meet Venti, so it was such a pleasant surprise to hear Ayumu Murase’s voice within the first hour of gameplay, with Venti whispering reassurances into the Traveler’s ears and being the literal wind beneath his wings as he took to gliding for the first time. It went without saying that Ayumu-chan outdid himself as Venti, the playful, gentle yet mysterious and elusive bard, someone who’s more than what meets the eyes. My first impressions of Genshin Impact were certainly so far so good, at least on the voice acting front. 

Venti, Teyvat’s very own tone-deaf bard lord of song 

Before diving into my adventures, perhaps it would be good to take a few steps back and familiarize you a little bit with the game’s premise. Our protagonist, (I chose the male twin for his long braided hair which reminded me of my own), is a Traveler from a distant world. Upon his arrival with his twin sister in this new world, they were drawn in to a battle with a Goddess, subsequently separated and sealed away. After an indeterminate time, the Traveler found himself awakened in the continent of Teyvat and ardently sought to reunite with his twin. Thus he set out on a journey to meet with the gods (Archons) in Teyvat, known as The Seven, in order to find clues about the Goddess and his twin. As the Traveler embarked upon his quest with Paimon, new characters began to pop up, tag along and show him the ropes in this world that he stumbled upon. 

Noelle, the knight-in-training, bids newcomers a warm welcome to Mondstadt.

Arriving at Mondstadt, he was welcomed by a company of Favonius knights, all with colorful personalities and quirks. Most memorable were certainly Amber, the Outrider, for her endless reserve of energy and enthusiasm that was neither cringing nor evocative of the manic pixie stereotype (and her simple but adorable costume!), and Kaeya, the Cavalry Captain (I had yet to see a horse in the 2 nations introduced thus far), for his tactical calculations, quick wit, beguiling charm, and his dope outfit. His voice actor (Kohsuke Toriumi) did a beautiful job conveying Kaeya’s duality: the easy-going, agreeable, glib facade that skillfully disarms and provides diversion, and the serious, dependable, independent-minded soldier - both sides are ruled by his special brand of cold, detached rationality. To use the Traveler’s own words, Kaeya’s actions may well be interpreted as “flirting with the dark side”, but truly, other than Jean, the de facto leader of the Knights, there is no one more protective of Mondstadt than Kaeya (for now at least). 

If you ever need me, let me know. Let’s not make this a transaction relationship.

[Kaeya to the Traveler, on Employment Relationship]

As much as I enjoyed Kaeya’s convenient and easy-to-use skills, it did not take long for me to put the Cavalry Captain on the shelf. My judgement was then overly influenced by the opinions of others, particularly the tier lists of gaming sites, most of which consigned Kaeya’s usefulness to that of building bridges (he can freeze water to make walkways). Given the nature of gacha games (lottery to get high-tier characters and weapons) and GI’s gameplay which overly favors DPS (high-damage) characters, offense over defense, it seems to be no great loss to relegate free-to-play characters to the benches, all the more so if one only seeks to get the big numbers ASAP and is ready to pay for higher ranked characters via gacha pulls. About a week of playing, I got my first 5-star character, Qiqi, offense healer extraordinaire, and Kaeya lost his position in my party. So much for claiming to be Kaeya’s biggest fan, oh heartless me.

I am Qiqi. I am a zombie. I forgot what comes next.

It was around this time (early November) that my coworker friends joined me in Teyvat. Both are veteran gamers so they quickly caught up to where I was (which was not that far ahead) and soon overtook me in both level and mastery of gameplay, to the surprise of no one (lol). I may have come to GI for the single-player experience (with none of the PvP pay-to-win stuff that made the 2000s MMORPGs I played so cancerous) but the company is much, much appreciated. There’s just nothing like playing the same game with a tight group of friends, laughing over silly but oh-so-accurate memes, helping each other (read: me) out with crazy daily commissions (seriously Ellin the wannabe knight, how the archon do you expect to learn the technique of felling 5 wooden dummies in one go as executed by 5-star characters?), commiserating over red ping (too many players on the server at the same time), and amusing ourselves with my spectacular fails (if I had an Acquainted Fate aka. lottery pull for every time I fell down a cliff, a mountain ledge, a domain’s platform… I would definitely have Diluc C6 by now) and general tomfoolery (innumerable attempts to bouken da bouken poor Benny from the peaks of Dragonspine by L-kun, and my obsession with shooting down all manners of poultry). Without them, I would still be fumbling around with under-leveled characters and ineffective team compositions (party of 4 characters). I would have given up on all sort of bosses and challenges, and might very well have quit the game by now.

… Actually, my wallet may thank me for it, even if I’m no where near a whale (just a baby dolphin?) but I digress.

Benny, the unluckiest (and most self-depreciating) adventurer alive

Much as things were getting exciting in game, so was real life in terms of work. The last months and weeks of 2020 were draining in all senses of the word - physically, mentally, and psychologically. One could hardly take a breather, only to get plunged into urgent work again, rinse and repeat. In that state of constant stress and vigilance, I found it all the more tempting to shut out the world in favor of seeking out the oasis that is GI. As overworked and high-strung my brain was, I spent whatever little pockets of free time indulging in hedonistic oblivion. My novels, manga and anime were put to the side, not just because I no longer had time for them but rather I felt incredibly guilty for not writing about the interesting things I watched and read and thus decided on abstinence until I, metaphorically speaking, could pick up the pen again. This, of course, would soon enough lead me down a slippery slope of from which I am trying to make my way up again, through no other way than writing to give meaning to this new obsession. 

My Lady Ningguang, for whom I would go to the end of Earth Teyvat

November came and went like a whirlwind in hindsight, but back then it felt as if the routine of jumping through lit-up hoops after hoops like circus-trained lions would never end. That was all I could recall of what happened in the so-called real life. In GI, it was an entirely different affair - if only time could just slow down a little. So much of the open world to explore, an abundance of game lore (so much of it presented as actual books even) and world quests to delve in, characters to level up and team comps to try out. The arrival of patch 1.1 on Nov 11 (so many ones, now that I write it out lol) introduced even more new features, characters, and Unreconciled Stars, its flagship event. It consisted of a series of timed combat challenges to salvage the strange meteorites befallen upon the lands which, upon direct contact, threw people into deep slumber and embroiled them in unnatural dreams of scaling a treacherous frozen mountain. The accompanying storyline and quests made for an absorbing experience, especially with the subsequent revelation of the Fatui’s (a major antagonistic faction with expansive influence across Teyvat) string-pulling behind the meteor shower and Scaramouche’s cryptic parting words of “the stars are a lie, the sky is false”.

Amber, the fire amazon goddess that captivated A-senpai (my other coworker) from the start

Unreconciled Stars was also the first event that my coworkers and I took part together. The challenges allowed for completion in both modes: solo and co-op (as in cooperation with other players), with different levels of difficulty and rewards. To put it simple, my coworkers could go solo, even at the highest difficulty, but I could only manage the lowest. Besides the classic mistake in allocating resources (spreading them across all characters instead of prioritizing a few) which made it incredibly hard to have strong characters and teams, my game play also suffered from weak hand-eye coordination (it took me forever to learn dashing, and dodging is at times near mission impossible with my laptop's processing speed) and a general reluctance to try and figure out the more challenging portions of the game (let’s just say my first fight with Dvalin was long, long overdue). So, to get any meaningful amount of loot, I had to enlist my coworkers’ help. They were, of course, perfectly ready to lend a helping hand. It was so much fun to fight alongside them one battle after another, with A-senpai commandeering Amber as if she was a 5-star character (she was damn good), and L-kun’s newly gacha-ed Childe brandishing his envious bow and dagger combo. Things went swimmingly; all of us cleared shop, got the level-up materials we needed and obtained Fischl, the Prinzessin de Veruiteilung (in the case of L-kun, a Constellation of Fischl - think of it as a character upgrade). All’s well that ended well, right?

Fischl: Ozzie, my dear familiar… Oz: “Ozzie?” What’s gotten into you… Fischl: Her Majesty beseeches you to unfurl your blessèd wings, and with them blot out the heavens, plunging the world into eternal night… Oz: If you didn’t bring your parasol with you, that’s your own fault, mein Fräulein!

[Fischl and her familiar, Oz the Raven, on When the Sun is Out]

There was no doubt at all that I was having the time of my life in GI, playing alongside my incredibly supportive coworkers. Yet, as the fun doubled and tripled, tendrils of frustration crept in. Why am I so bad at this game? Why am I not good enough to handle these challenges by myself? Much as I tried to squash these thoughts of self-doubt and inferiority, they kept cropping up and tainted my enjoyment of the game and the company of my coworkers. L-kun’s constant reassurance that it was fine for me to rely on others’ help to get by until I had more resources and stronger characters, did not make me feel better for long. A-senpai often reminded me to not rush because games like GI are supposed to be a long run unless you are a whale, along with a plethora of insightful observations about the various “gates” that GI put in to slow the progress of gamers due to the limited initial game content. Simply put, if gamers can easily gain adequate experience from grinding to level up characters like any other game, freely farm leylines for experience cards, and domains for artifacts and materials without having to use the daily pittance of resins to obtain rewards, and/or have better rates of gaining decent artifacts (equipment for characters), most gamers will finish all the available content too quickly and quit the game before the next update. Yet, be it logical appeal or friendly support, neither could fully convince me to stop comparing myself to them, to not envy their skills (and feel bad about my own sad incompetence), and to just enjoy the journey, without overthinking about the destination. Ironically enough, I came to GI to get away from the stress of work and the ennui of yet-unrealized dreams, yet somehow I ended up with even more baggage. 

Xingqiu is one of the few characters whom I instantly fell in love with at the character trial. His Hydro blades are the heights of effortless and functional elegance. Be they swirl around him for protection or perform a volley of multiple slashes, they are absolutely mesmerizing in their deadly ease.

Thankfully, I was not doomed to languish in the depths of inferiority complex and disheartenment. December brought with it the brisk Northeastern winds, the comfort of bundling up in warm layers, and the end of a much tumultuous year. Though our workload lessened at a much slower pace than expected, a weight was nonetheless lifted off our shoulders. Less work, more GI led to a greater awareness and recognition of the unhealthy one-sided competition that turned GI into some alternate version of work, where instead of enjoying some peace of mind, I still forced myself to meet some absurdly high standards from god knows where. I wonder what was so wrong with getting help from peers with more gaming experience than I do? If spending some money now and then (reasonably and within my means) would make GI more enjoyable and less of a steep climb, why not? It’s my gaming experience, why should I be concerned with anyone’s assessment? Female gamer or not (yes, A-senpai, the teasing stung quite a bit, light-hearted and brief it was), I should be committed to GI, if and only if I can fully enjoy myself without pressure of any kind. 

When I run with you, when I hunt with you, I am happy. With you, I am not a wolf, I am not a boy, I am just me. I am Razor. Because you are my friend. You are my Lupical. I hope you feel happy, too!

This epiphany came about as I read this Vice article on cultivating a healthier relationship with GI and gacha games in general. There was nothing in it that my coworkers had not said at different previous occasions but having the entirety of it slapped on my face finally released me from the all-consuming competitive mode. I resolved to improve at my own pace, to stop shying from solo boss challenges, and to give myself credit where it’s due. Considering the insane lags my laptop got when heated, it was a huge achievement to even get as far as I did, or so my coworkers kindly reassured me. It is for sure an exercise in masochism (not the pleasurable kind) to play bow wielders on my laptop. With my coworkers’ support and encouragement, I disabused myself of the notion of being too dumb for GI and bade farewell to my insecure and hypercompetitive self, cos here came the brand new Altair!

Noelle, the ever faithful maid knight, whose tireless strength, sky-high sense of responsibility and caring heart make her the equal of 100 knights put together. 

Armed with new resolve to play at my own pace, I decided to stay at Adventure Rank 35 and not ascend to keep my world level (which dictates the difficulty of mob and boss) more manageable for gathering resources to strengthen my characters. My roster had expanded quite a bit, with the addition of Xingqiu, the boy genius disciple of Guhua school of martial arts, and Ningguang, my beautiful sexy lady of Geo, leader of the Liyue Qixing - 7 most powerful merchants in Liyue. Xingqiu’s blades go brilliantly with Qiqi’s to freeze opponents, rendering them more vulnerable to Shatter (literally broken to pieces) by Ningguang’s homing Star Jade projectiles. Add in Noelle’s protective shield and you have the entirety of my then-strongest team. While the mechanics are sound on paper, the actual damage output failed to live up to expectations. My DPS candidates, Noelle and Ningguang, needed at least their first Constellations to unleash their true potential, which could only obtained via wishes aka. gacha pulls. Since their rate-up banner (increased probability) was not available back then, I tried to look for another DPS that is strong right off the bat, even without any constellation. The answer came in the December wish banner, featuring Razor the Wolfboy and Zhongli, the Wangsheng funeral parlor consultant bearing the intriguing epithet of “Vago Mundo”. 

Lupical means wolf home— no, lupical means wolf family. My lupical lives in the woods. They say I am their lupical.

Getting Razor is a no-brainer, considering he is arguably the strongest 4-star claymore user in GI, with normal attacks delivering incredible physical damage. This translates to consistent high damage against most mob, unlike attacks of a specific element whose damage varies with the elements of mob/enemies. Since the bulk of his damage comes from physical hits, even his elemental skills - Electro - serve to boost physical damage. Electro and Cryo combine to cause Superconduct, which lowers enemies’ defense to physical attacks, so pairing Razor with Cryo characters like Qiqi (or Kaeya, when I later on got him off the bench) turns my favorite Wolfboy into a lethal all-purpose fighting machine. 

Osmanthus wine tastes the same as I remember... But where are those who share the memory?

While there’s every reason to get Razor, I can’t, for the life of me, recall exactly why I wanted Zhongli in the first place. Sure, there were factors that certainly influenced my decision: Tomoaki Maeno’s deep, soothing voice (oh hey there, White Blood Cell-san!), my undeniable attraction to Geo characters (the time I spent ogling Ningguang’s shapely calves...) and Zhongli’s generally appealing aesthetics of gold and black. But none of this was the clincher. To be honest, it felt like one day I just woke up and decided I wanted someone who could throw meteorites on enemies and I was not taking no for an answer. And since I used up the last of my free Primogems and wishes on Razor, it was time to uhm... dish out some cash? To use the words of L-kun, “I whaled for Zhongli so much Childe called me to get his whale back.”

A vista of the gorgeous Liyue Harbor

It was late after workhour that I tried to pull for Zhongli, in the company of A-senpai. It was a big step for me, putting money into a game again, something I had not done in ages. To my great relief, I got Zhongli and did not have to spend more than I did (upon the 90th pull, you are only guaranteed a 50% chance of getting the featured 5-star character in the time-limited banner, the other 50% gives you a character from a pre-determined year-round selection of 5-stars). It felt like turning a new page, like receiving a new promise, a kind of reassurance that sometimes I would get exactly what I want, even if real life may never work out so well. And so Zhongli joined my adventure team, and soon enough my ultimate power duo would come to be. 

The sideway-leaning pillar aka. stone stele is actually a skill of Zhongli. Normally, it would be well, planted in a more vertical fashion but when you don’t pay attention to where you stand, this happens. It is a very useful thing, not only as a source of energy in battle, but also in exploring the terrain, but it does give rise to unfortunate phallus-inspired nicknames... which I shall not elaborate here. You can do your own reddit/ youtube search, thanks. 

The arrival of Zhongli, or as I like to call him now, Shouri-sensei, makes it only right for me to take you back to the next act of the Archon Quest (main storyline) unfolding in Liyue Harbor, of which sensei was the director, the playwright and a cast member all at once. Our Traveler, after helping Venti to return his longtime partner, Stormterror, the once Dragon of the East wind, to his senses, came to the Land of Geo just in time to witness the Rite of Descension, a much anticipated annual ritual by which the God of Geo, Rex Lapis, would appear among his people and give them prophecies of economic guidance, setting their business on a good course for the year (sweet, right?). However, things often went awry more often than not for the Traveler. Halway through the ceremony, the King fell from the sky, drenched in blood and dead upon sight, to the utter shock of all present and Ningguang, who presided over this year’s rite. Amidst the confusion, the Traveler would have been taken in by the guards acting on Ningguang’s orders as a murder suspect, if not for the timely assistance of Tartaglia, a Harbinger - a top ranking member of the Fatui. Thanks to the helpful pointers of Tartaglia (Tatty for me, if you don’t mind), the Traveler took to clearing his name by visiting the closed-off abodes of adepti, enlightened and magical beings serving Rex Lapis, to tell them of their lord’s demise and ask for help.

Huaguang Stone Forest, the peaks where the adepti call home 

Returning from the mountains, the Traveler shared his information with Tatty, who, in turn, informed him of the Liyue Qixing’s decision to hide Rex Lapis’ descended vessel and not let anyone see it while searching for the true killer. This would throw quite a wrench into the Traveler’s plans to seek out the Seven Gods of Teyvat (for leads on his sister), which were inadvertently divulged by Paimon to Tatty. Being an incredibly resourceful and sociable guy (to almost make you temporarily forget that anyone of the Fatui would unfailingly be up to no good), Tatty promised to arrange a meeting with someone who could “break the stalemate”, and of course, sought to advance his own less-than-altruistic plans. 

After all, should one wish to pay a visit upon the recently departed, where else is one to go but to the funeral parlor in charge of the ceremony to see him off? 

This is where I will take a break for now and post this ramble, whose length and scope have grown to far exceed my initial expectations since its inception at the start of this year. There is still much to tell about my adventures, now that the chapter on my struggle is done and dusted (could you tell that it was incredibly hard to write?). The next act will feature boatloads of fun, including my Lady of Geo being a total kick-ass, a Samaritan in the snow, the festivals of light and love, and the many wondrous sights of Liyue and Mondstadt! It is gonna be a bit of a long journey so please await my updates with patience? Ehe!

You are not so cruel as to say no to Benny’s super-pumped face right?

Jokes aside, I can’t wait to gush all about my deep deep love for the ultimate Geo duo imo and the rich lore and stories of Liyue! Stay tuned for Act 2: Romance of the Rock!!

#natsumi rants #genshin impact #zhongli #ningguang #xingqiu #kaeya #qiqi #razor #bennett #fischl #venti

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

Chihayafuru #51: A new dawn before the night is done

AKA. The first episode of season 3!!! I finally caught up to the latest season!

[Previously: Back to the old apartment where you and I played karuta]

[Shameless plug: Complete Season 2 Collection] 

When season 3 came out last October, 6 years have passed since the season 2 finale was aired. The more I think about it, the more amazed and thrilled I feel at the fact that Chihayafuru was renewed for a third season. How many shoujo anime even got more than 2 seasons? From my limited knowledge, not many. So this is an incredible feat for Chihayafuru, for a shoujo manga whose primary focus is not romance or singing but a little-known card game, one not even that popular among Japanese people. Truly though, banzai Chihayafuru! Banzai!

As there’s such a big time gap between this season and the last, it is no wonder that this episode took some time to reacquaint viewers with the core story line and karuta itself, through a series of flashbacks showing the trio of Chi-chan, Taichi and Arata. We traveled back to that small apartment where they played karuta for the last time before Arata went back to Fukui, where life-long bonds were formed in recognition of their karuta fellowship. Their path further diverged, with Chi-chan and Taichi each going to a different school and finding new friends and interests. Yet, all roads lead back to karuta, if Chi-chan had any say over it and oh boy, she had plenty of say. Had it not been for her persistent efforts to drag Taichi and Arata back to karuta, things would have turned out very differently.

Back to when she was almost Ayase-san of the track team...

She took her new friend to Harada-sensei’s karuta society and introduced her to karuta. We got a brief but helpful explanation of basic karuta rules (I must confess that prior to this, I only had a kind of vague understanding of the rules, gathered after watching game after game, hahahaha) and though Michi-chan didn’t find her calling in karuta, I love that she remained Chi-chan’s friend all the way to high school. 

Chi-chan’s match against Michi-chan, where she completely decimated her new friend, seamlessly led to Arata’s recollection of his first match against Chi-chan and the Chihayafuru card she made her own.  

It was this moment that Arata would later revisit and draw the strength needed to face any opponent. Thematically, it also tied in with the end of Chi-chan’s match with Michi-chan: regardless of their opponent’s inexperience, both Arata and Chi-chan put in their best efforts because they found joy in devoting themselves to karuta, to what they loved so much. 

If loving karuta for Chi-chan and Arata is as simple as breathing, the same could not be said for Taichi. In just a few screens, the complexity of Taichi’s affair with karuta was beautifully laid bare in a most succinct manner. Karuta, for Taichi, was the joy of being in the company of Chi-chan, and was also the humiliation of being a coward and a bully to Arata and the inferiority complex of pursuing something that he believed he had no chance at being the best (read: better than Arata). 

Seasons went by and they grew ever further apart until Chi-chan, by chance, went to the same high school with Taichi... 

And the rest is history.

As fond as I am of seeing the adorable middle school versions of our main characters, the present beckons me back. It’s time to check out the Fujisaki training hell camp!

And they said karuta is not a sport. Lol. 

Training, romance, and bonding 

The training regime at Fujisaki is nothing less than spartan and true to its very name. Enhancing endurance and stamina is a priority, with a slew of physical exercises and activities the likes of mountain running climbing (they really mean it when they said Fuji), coupled with marathons of consecutive matches. Coach Sakurazawa was determined that the participants would be pushed to the limits and that meant having her Fujisaki kids facing off their rivals from top competitors like Mizusawa and Hokuo. Her open-minded, strategic approach to karuta training was the result of her own competitive experience in karuta, of battling scores of opponents to get the right to challenge the Queen five times. 

Intense and serious as it was, the training camp was not without its moments of lighthearted tomfoolery, primarily sponsored by the mascara-holding eyelashes senpai and the endearingly oblivious Yama-chan. 

The denial game is strong with this one. 

“... it’s to improve relations, friendships among club members...”

Lmao

Meanwhile, the girls’ bedroom talk turned to romance and to the surprise of no one but new acquaintances, Chi-chan is woefully lacking in this department. Rather than getting curious about dating and crushes, she fondly dreamed of reuniting with her favorite opponents at the tatami mats for karuta. But as her karuta grew, so would her emotional maturity, albeit at a slower pace. Like Kana-chan said in the last season, she won’t be clueless forever. 

Listening to her roommate talking about confessing to a fellow club member on wining at the tournament got Chi-chan wondering about Arata’s feelings.       

Throughout their stay at the Fujisaki camp, Taichi did not seek out Chi-chan on his own, not even once. It may seem like he wasted the opportunity made possible by Kana-chan’s effort to prevent the rest of the Mizusawa gang from going along with him and Chi-chan. However, it soon became clear that Taichi was in for the long game, not for the temporary gains. 

Though he was somewhat taken back by the mannerism of his roommate, he soon enough found something for them to bond over. It is not often that we get to see this sociable side of Taichi and together with his interest in the more physical training, it spoke strongly to his determination to prove himself and draw Chi-chan’s attention. And in a way, that gave me a small measure of reassurance - that Taichi has a plan and is putting it into action.

I love Retro-kun’s reaction - and it’s absolutely hilarious that both the girls and boys going for baths ended up peeking at the 2 presidents doing stretches. 

And of all unexpected things to happen, an illuminating conversation between Retro-kun and Chi-chan about how well Taichi has been doing in karuta. 

Chi-chan has yet to really see Taichi as a serious challenge, in spite of Retro-kun’s friendly warning. 

Again, Retro-kun made a very good point - Chi-chan had never faced Taichi in an official match, when he put everything on the line. 

I initially thought that Retro-kun might be a covert shipper but sadly, have been proven very wrong. You traitor to the cause, damn you!

“I really don’t know anything.”

Morning after with Yama-chan

Truly a well of optimism in her heart, lol.

I love that Coach Sakurazawa paired Chi-chan and Rion for the entire day of practice; their temperaments are very different from one another but they both have a kind of earnest approach to karuta and similar advantages in speed and hearing. Rion would likely make later appearances at future tournaments so it’s a good idea for the viewers to have a better sense of who she is, with and without karuta. 

Chi-chan’s post-match collapse like a battery-dead phone never fails to crack me up lol. 

#girl_with_onigiri

They shared a bento! And such a fancy onigiri feast too! The black onigiri balls look interesting - wonder what gave them that colour.

Breaking news: the girly side of Chi-chan making a rare appearance!!! 

Literally, Rion’s motivation for playing karuta and staying in her grandma’s karuta society is to get rice for her family. #unexpected_poverty

As silly and outlandish as it is to play karuta for rice, Rion is no pushover when it matters. She may not have much of a desire to be a Queen but she is determined to meet the expectations of her club members, the same way she discharged her duty to her family.

Coach Sakurazawa’s wisdom

“I never give advice during a match, but just one thing...”

Fatigue and exhaustion caught up with both Chi-chan and Rion as they took to repeating the morning routine of playing 3 consecutive matches against the same opponent in the afternoon. Mistakes and faults were abundant on both sides and even such a basic thing like maintaining proper posture during the matches became a challenge. None of this was out of the usual, until Coach Sakurazawa, for some unfathomable reason, broke her habit of non-intervention in ongoing matches to give Chi-chan incredibly insightful and valuable advice.

“Rather than taking cards by speed, do it with grace in your natural form.”

Her action baffled all of the Fujisaki kids, especially Rion, who recalled that she had never given them any advice that way. There’s something about Chi-chan that held Coach Sakurazawa’s attention and she just can’t help but gravitate to the Mizusawa ace. I’ve talked at length about the connection between Coach Sakurazawa and Chi-chan in my previous posts and once again, in this episode, we see the growing role and influence of the former as a mentor figure, who came close to the pinnacle of the karuta world several times and had a wealth of experience to offer. Good thing that none of her coaching went wasted as Chi-chan took to her advice like a duck to water. 

It seemed that having better posture than her opponent did not help Chi-chan score that longed for victory. However, Chi-chan’s passion for karuta and her determination to do her best and master new skills (playing with her left hand) regardless of her injury might have struck a chord with Rion, who decided to open up and answer Chi-chan’s earlier question about good game sense.

“...The pitch of the sound right before the unique syllable...”

Rion: I regret my decision immediately.

It came as quite a surprise that Coach Sakurazawa would pair Chi-chan and Taichi up for their final match. As Rion said at the end of the training camp, what’s the point of pairing two people who played against each other almost every day?

“He seems like he could make vast strides with just a little more confidence... there’s a kind of confidence only Ayase-san can give him.”

It’s absolutely incredible how perceptive Coach Sakurazawa is, given all that she knew of Taichi came just from observing him during his official matches. She had yet to speak to him in person and yet, she instinctively understood the crux of the problem facing Taichi - which is truly nothing else but lack of confidence. I wonder how much she picked up on his constant desire to prove himself to Chi-chan, but without the shadow of a doubt, she hit the nail perfectly on the head in noting the importance of Chi-chan’s approval to his self-esteem. And hearing those words and looking at the last scene gave this Taichihaya shipper so much hope and happiness.

And before I bid you a very fond farewell, here’s Taichi, with an extra shot of confidence, issuing a challenge to Chi-chan.

#notice_me_chihaya

Haha, she certainly won’t go down easy like this time though, Taichi! Take care!!

Until the next time then, folks! 

#Chihayafuru #chihayafuru anime #chihayafuru marathon #chihayafuru season 3 #chihayafuru s3 #natsumi talks #natsumi watches #Chihaya Ayase #ayase chihaya #Mashima Taichi #Taichi Mashima #Wataya Arata #Arata Wataya #karuta

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

The Chihayafuru Collection: Season 2

Previously: Season 1

Choosing the pictures for this post is like choosing yearbook pictures - so many options, so very few slots. The 2nd season has been so much fun, incredibly moving, and filled with so many of my favorite things about this show: strong female characters (both new and returning!) and meaningful interaction between them, doki-doki time with both Taichihaya and Shirata (and Shinochi, Kanachi,..), exciting, goosebump-raising, and hilarious battles, such delicate and thought-provoking weaving of poetry into the narrative, and above all, compelling character development for both the main and supporting cast. 

It’s impossible for me to pick out which is my absolute favorite episode, but I think I can narrow down to best 5 (chronological order): 29, 39, 44, 47, 48, 49. Actually that is 6, right? Lmao. I’m just bad with ranking things in general, even when I have strong feelings about them lol. 

Some last words before I gallop off into the sunset: a big thank you to all of you for reading and liking my posts. They often gave me just the nudge I needed to finish up my drafts and get to this point. So, thanks again. This compilation is made possible because of you and thanks to you, dear reader.

#26: Wilted beauty, wasted time

#27: The expressions of love

#28: My love has grown to fill the river’s quiet deeps

#29: Towards the countless islands in the broad expanse of the sea

#30-31: In this ancient house, what a past to remember!

#32: The Meeting Hill

#33: We all look at the same shining moon

#34: It’s Arata-furu time!

#35: Pride and Memorization

#36: All about Tsutomu-kun

#37: The day that defines our summer

#38: Pining for you in my dreams

#39: The truth of my passion on my face

#40: Perfect whiteness laid on Mount Fuji’s lofty peak

#41: Recap episode

#42: They call this mountain wind the witherer

#43: My fear is a promise unfulfilled

#44: I do not know where this love will take me

#45: Out in the autumn fields stands my makeshift hut of grass

#46: The manly opponent, the girl who played with her left hand, and the boy who didn’t give up

#47: The long awaited midnight moon

A crazed fangirl’s guide to the finals

#48: Part 1: What am I still doing here?

#49: Part 2: How can I find the words to tell you I yearn

#50: Finally at the finish line

Next stop, Season 3!

#Chihayafuru #chihayafuru anime #chihayafuru marathon #chihayafuru season 2 #chihayafuru s2 #natsumi talks #natsumi watches #Chihaya Ayase #ayase chihaya #Mashima Taichi #Taichi Mashima #Wataya Arata #Arata Wataya #Shinobu Wakamiya #Wakamiya Shinobu #Kanade Oe #komano tsutomu #sumire hanano #Yusei Nishida #karuta

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

Chihayafuru #50: Finally at the finish line

AKA. Will I ever turn the corner and find you?

I can only wait for a dream or a miracle.

[Previously: When did you have the most fun playing karuta?]

More than a year has passed since my post on the first episode of season 2 last September, and here I am, finally at the season finale. The past 12 months have been full of ups and downs, with quite a few of them making their way into the content of the posts. Personal struggles and distractions aside, it was a huge pain having to deal with technical problems with Tumblr too, from nonsensical tagging of my posts/blog as mature content (there’s not even a hint of nudity anywhere!?) to the torturous hassle of saving edits to long drafts (when my post gets long or has too many pics, Tumblr just refuses to save the edits, and I have to copy and paste the content and insert the pictures over and over again, like 20 fucking times until the edits finally appear on the drafts). Urgh, technical mishaps like those do test your patience and your neurons to the limit. 

Anyhow, now that I’m done with my rant, it’s time to prove my prediction wrong again lol. The tournament has ended and Chi-chan is anything but keen and persistent on reconnecting with Arata and finding out what makes him and his karuta so special and dear to her. I wonder in the preveious episode, when she had abandonment and awe written on her face like on a lost puppy, was she wishing that she was in the Queen’s place, playing against Arata, or that she could come closer to them, to their world? This episode gives some kind of an answer - it’s the one I’ve long expected but still wish that it was not entirely so. 

Enough with the vagaries, I suppose. Here we go, to the season 2 finale of Chihayafuru!

“Has anyone else noticed? 

Only two players went through the entire tournament without a loss - Wataya Arata from Fukui and Mashima Taichi from Mizusawa.”

Man of the hour

“Who’s going to stop him? He’s doing what he loves and shining at it, all on his own”

Scoring his 4th win (yes, 4th!!) against Shi-chan, Arata made a dramatic re-entrance to the top of the karuta world, to the utter despair of his parents, who didn’t look forward very much to making good on their word to let him go study in Tokyo. 

To say that everyone was completely astounded by Arata’s triumph is an understatement. While most have yet to know of Arata’s karuta pedigree, the Fujisaki guys caught up fast. He certainly looked the part of the true descendant of Master Wataya now. 

“Aren’t you supposed to high five when you win?”

How did he know of it so quickly???

No, no, stop, yaaaddaaa! Stop it, I don’t want to fall for you!!!

Truly though, that sweet smile warmed my heart down to the very cockles ~~

The scary monster approaches...

She didn’t sound very happy about it ~~

“How are you so calm when playing, even when you’re up against someone as strong as Shinobu-chan?

Chi-chan could no longer stop herself from bursting with questions for Arata, having seen and missed out on him so many times. Frayed at the seams by her injury and her defeat by 23 cards at the hand of Shi-chan, she was set up for double frustration at Arata’s god-like karuta and the widening gap between her and her childhood friend, now a Master-to-be. Doubt started seeping back in as she struggled to figure out what gave Arata that special edge.

“I’ve worked very hard... but something’s wrong.”

Her conversation with Arata was cut short by the upcoming award ceremony. It’s time to celebrate the triumph of Mizusawa and do some not-so-unexpected networking with Fujisaki!

The boys were incredible!!! It was a good haul for Mizusawa’s 2nd run at the Omi Jingu tournaments, winning 3 classes B, C, and D!

She called out to Ayase-san!!! OMG, can I fall in love with this woman even more than I already am??? Coach Sakurazawa FTW!!! It would be quite a treat to learn more about her past as a karuta player of note, perhaps in season 3? 

I absolutely love that she has such a soft spot for Chi-chan and pays keen attention to the Mizusawa team that goes beyond keeping track of a rising opponent. 

What does that scary name mean?

Chi-chan finally got a proper diagnosis of what happened to her finger - a rare disorder that softened her bone and would have gone unnoticed had she not been a karuta player. Thankfully, it is treatable, though requiring her to undergo an operation and be hospitalized for a week. 

“Even when injured, she only cares about karuta.”

It’s hilarious to see the difference in priorities of Chi-chan and the rest of her team-mates. She can’t stop thinking about getting better at karuta and they can’t help worrying for her finger and recovery. 

“Wouldn’t food also work?”

Nishida knew her so well, lol. 

Before Chi-chan’s operation, the gang headed back to the hospital to cheer her on. The screen alternated between the gang debating on a get-well gift (more like gifts) and a most illuminating conversation between Chi-chan and Arata. The switch at first felt awkward but later made for quite the dramatic effect.

Helpline Arata

"Simply put, I want to get better at karuta!”

Who would have thought the secret to Arata’s karuta was just a phone call away for Chi-chan? Literally, one phone call straight to the point and the mystery is solved. 

This is the first time that they had a good proper talk in a long while. Speaking to Arata and hearing his voice over the phone, Chi-chan was keenly aware of the distance between them, be it in terms of geography or karuta. Yet, Arata easily bridged their distance with his words, the “simple” answer to Chi-chan’s question. Apparently, the flow of inspiration between them is not an one-way street from Arata to Chi-chan. 

“... whether it’s an official match or a practice match, I always go back to that room when I’m playing.”

His mind would go back to the room where he had the most fun playing karuta, and he would be set to go, regardless of who he was facing. 

Though they are far apart, they both keep each other in their thought and are always connected by the karuta dream they share. Just as Arata inspired Chi-chan to be a Queen, Chi-chan kept Arata moving forward and made him stronger. 

If I may be so bold as to bring in another Hikaru no Go reference (sorry, really can’t help it hahaha), Arata is to Chi-chan what Akira is to Hikaru and vice versa. Prior to befriending Chi-chan, Arata was more closed-off, and karuta was for him a pursuit bequeathed to him by his grandfather, rather than a way to connect to people. There’s a reason that the flashback of Arata going to the Fukui karuta society was clearly something happened after he returned from Tokyo, after getting to play with Chi-chan and Taichi in a team, and not at a younger age. Without knowing Chi-chan/Hikaru, surely Arata/Akira would still be formidable players, yet their worlds would definitely be smaller and poorer for it. The way Chi-chan/Hikaru burst onto the pre-determined paths of Arata/Akira is nothing less than life-changing.

None of this is exactly news or unexpected, simply that we now know for sure that Chi-chan’s passion is not unrequited. Considering that Arata is coming to Tokyo, things will definitely change for Chi-chan, Arata and especially Taichi. 

The Mizusawa gang arrived at the hospital to find Chi-chan in the middle of a phone conversation. There’s no revelation of who was on the line but gut instinct gave Taichi a good idea of who had her so engrossed. 

“I don’t understand. I don't understand these feelings. but for the rest of my life, I will always love karuta...”

*sigh* If you know where my shipping allegiance lies, you might suspect a certain broken heart on hearing these words, and you would not be wrong. Nonetheless, certain developments in the later half stopped me from giving up hope on future canon Taichihaya just yet. There’s no denying the deep-rooted bond between Arata and Chi-chan and the lasting impact they have on each other, but there are also times when Chi-chan displayed an instinctive sort of care for Taichi that went beyond any kind of reasoning. Distance does make the heart grow fonder and so does proximity, given the right time and place. 

You have a huge advantage, Taichi, so seize the moment and do your best!

Her feelings in verse

“You just have to translate your feelings into meter.”

In no way does that translate to “not difficult”, in my humble opinion, but feelings, more often than not, do inspire one to attempt self-expression. And in Chi-chan’s case, her poems are literally the transcription of her thoughts, obsessions and yearning for the ones she already couldn’t wait to meet again. 

“Ever since i met Arata, my life has always been about karuta. Always striving to be stronger, stronger to receive his passion.”

The products of her translation are quite something. 

“Since I could not stop thinking of Shinobu-chan, I wonder if she is practicing right now.”

Chi-chan took to compose uhm.. poems on topics that are close to her heart, which mean karuta, Shi-chan and above all, Arata. Clumsy and artless may they be, they are filled with such unabashed sincerity that certainly did not go unnoticed by the ever intuitive Kana-chan. The tender, heartfelt words brought to her mind recollections of Chi-chan’s immersed phone conversation at the hospital, when the Mizusawa gang dropped by to bring her get-well gifts, and of the suspect target of Chi-chan’s yearning himself. 

“In a room isolated from the summer heat, I feel bliss upon hearing your words.”

I didn’t think that I could love Kana-chan anymore than I already did but this episode proved me wrong on another count. Cos that is the face of a true Taichihaya shipper on a mission, and dang, the only time she was this determined was when she played against Tsutomu-kun in an official match for a ticket to move up to class C. 

It said a lot about how alarming the situation is when Kana-chan resorted to such an inelegant thing as hitting Taichi repeatedly on his shoulder to make her point. Lawd, thank you for Kana-chan the shipper. I would be in so much despair were it not for her steadfast support of Prez.

“You have to try harder, Prez!”

“You can’t expect Chihaya-chan to be clueless for the rest of her life!”

DO YOU, TAICHI? DO YOU??

The opportunity presents itself

More Coach Sakurazawa, yes!!! Chi-chan called to thank her for the video recording of Arata’s match with Shi-chan and she invited her and the rest of Mizusawa team to the Fujisaki training camp!!! So exciting!!!! 

She certainly had a lot to say about the playing styles of Arata and Shi-chan, picking up on all of their defining traits - from Arata’s consistency and stamina to Shi-chan special connection to the cards, and completely blew Chi-chan’s mind.

Well, no surprise there hahaha. 

Kana-chan is the light of hope for all Taichihaya shippers!!! 

Since karuta is the way into her heart, there’s nothing for it but to move forward. 

“We can only move forward.”

Phew, this is it, huh? The end of season 2. All in all, it’s a solid finale, the way the previous season’s finale was. Chi-chan faced doubts about her karuta and took to overcome them with the help from her teammates and supporters. Taichi chasing after a goal that requires jumping over a high wall, again. Kana-chan affirmed her faith in Taichi, this time in romance instead. 

As said, I am firmly of the Taichihaya camp but I love how much love and admiration Chi-chan conveyed through her poems for Arata. The poems struck a very personal chord within me and I find myself looking forward to Arata moving to Tokyo and Chi-chan finally getting that long, long-awaited rematch with him and them having a proper, in-person conversation about karuta and everything else. 

A compilation post of all the writings I did for season 2 will be available very soon. To all those who have interacted with my posts, thank you so much. I hope you have enjoyed these rants thoroughly and please give me a shout-out/ pm at any time!

Now, forward to season 3!!!

#Chihayafuru #chihayafuru anime #chihayafuru s2 #chihayafuru season 2 #chihayafuru marathon #natsumi talks #natsumi watches #Chihaya Ayase #ayase chihaya #karuta #Wataya Arata #Arata Wataya #Mashima Taichi #Taichi Mashima #Kanade Oe

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

Chihayafuru #49: A crazed fangirl’s guide to the finals

Part 2: How can I find the words to tell you I yearn

AKA. Shinobu-chan, I’m taking you down. 

[Previously: I want to win against Chihaya one day.]

Much of the tension was released by the end of the last episode, washed away by the happy tears of Taichi and Chihaya. Still, a low hum of excitement lingered in the air and I couldn’t stop myself from watching Chihayafuru #49 right after #48, thus again breaking my promise to not watch the next episode until I’m done with the post for the previous. Me very very very guilty. 

The sound of Chi-chan’s crying and the sight of her quivering lips just... broke me. She really cared for Taichi so much and it may perhaps never be the way I ship them to be but I would always be contented on looking back at this moment and others like it. Sometimes we can only have brief moments with the one, and not a lifetime with them, but... those moments happened and that’s what matter. 

I absolutely could not be more thankful for this tender and heartwarming scene. She cried, he cried, they cried in celebration, he wiped her tears (with the undoubtedly much sweaty and gross t-shirt he’s wearing), and together they looked forward to the future of competing as rivals in the same class. 

The lord is much too generous... 

Chihaya, the snot monster. 

YES, YES, YES, finally!!! Taichi can finally join the exclusive club and hang out with the cool people! #no one left behind

Silly, your struggle has only begun. Time to do some Plus Ultra catch-up, boyo!!! 

Ecstatic as it was to celebrate Taichi’s long-awaited victory, it’s time to move forward at full speed and turn our attention to the conclusion of the long-overdue match between Shi-chan and Arata!

At times like this, it certainly feels like Taichi is Chi-chan’s manager, having taken upon himself to forcefully remind her of what her priority should be. I love how Taichi has always shown his most decisive self on all matters related to Chi-chan: from breaking up with his girlfriend to devote himself to Chi-chan’s karuta club, telling Chi-chan to not bother with dating unless the person has seen her in her karuta craze, to pushing her to focus on her own progress in karuta before worrying about others. 

There’s not a moment to be lost. Run, run, Chihaya!

Yearning

The sweet moment of Taichi holding Chi-chan’s hand and dragging her away to see the Class A final was infused with a bitter hint of unrequited longing from the girl who initially joined the club just to pursue her romantic desire. It was not unexpected but the sudden mood drop, relatable as it was, made one’s heart ache a little too much, which was not something I really wanted after that lovely Taichihaya moment. And don’t get me wrong, I really like Sumire now - she has truly matured into this thoughtful, self-aware and amiable version of herself that was a real joy to watch, especially considering my initial low opinion of her - but I wanted to savour the gentle sweetness a little longer. I suppose this is quite the silly thing to get hung up on. *shrug* Can’t help feeling that the insertion of Sumire here was a little jarring, though it makes sense in the bigger scheme of things. 

“Oe-senpai is so strange.”

To borrow a line from Alan Bennett, all literature is consolation, which in this case seems to denote its inability to bring meaningful (for lack of a better word) satisfaction, its function as a poor substitute, rather than its soothing quality. 

Just when it felt like Sumire was about to be swept away by self-pity, her hard-earned progress in karuta no better than a consolation prize, she was given a good hard shake by none other than her class-D comrade-in-arm. 

Somehow, the sight of a persevering and so-close-to-victory Tsukuba made it almost worth going through the earlier mood drop. He deserved to be a finalist, for all his boldness and gutsy determination. 

Consolation might be all this surprise amount to but perhaps it should be duly appreciated as it is, no matter what. 

It is heartbreaking to yearn after someone so completely out of reach but there’s much refuge, for Sumire, to be taken in how much she enjoyed karuta by itself, with or without Taichi. And that’s all she needs to completely win me over.

Hesitation

“I’m scared.”

Chi-chan’s hesitation and doubt provided another chance for a certain coach to shine and give much needed mentoring for the rising stars of Mizusawa. 

Just when the two were about to give up on watching the match - one out of anxiety at knowing the true level of Arata, the other on account of no seat left, Coach Midorizawa arrived to save the day in more ways in than one. 

She got seats even for them but it seemed like they were having second thoughts? I love how her expression subtly changed with slightly drawn brows, eyes that lighted with concern and understanding, and downturned lips. 

“If you’ve chosen to take this path, there isn’t anything you’re better off not knowing.”

And with those well-chosen words, she swiftly swept away all of the doubts and fears. It’s almost as if she decided to take Chi-chan under her wings. 

They were just blown away. 

Fear should never stand in the way of excitement. That’s just what they needed to be reminded of.

*glare at Emuro* get your mutts away from your coach!

They looked so sweet side by side - it’s heartwarming to watch. Coach Midorizawa is such an intriguing and fun character: firm and resolute in her instructions, yet also kind and sympathetic in how she offered support to promising players.

Hold on tight, here we go!

Open sesame!

Enthralled

When I opened the door, there was the Ouran host club two giant monsters having a face-off at the bottom of the ocean.

The whirlpool that sought to pull Chi-chan into its depth and almost swept her away is an apt metaphor for the suffocation engulfing her on looking at Arata and Shi-chan. The better she play, the better she can judge the power gap between her and other players. Such heightened precision can have quite the paralyzing effect upon her, considering how attuned she is to a match’s atmosphere and her surroundings. 

“There’s no water here.”

“It’s a normal match... but it’s so painful.”

The shock is far from over. Chi-chan and the viewer were thrown right in the middle of the fray, and contrary to most expectations, it was Arata, not Shi-chan who was having the upper hand and dominating the match with a whooping six-card gap. Though Arata’s hidden strength was hinted at in the previous episode, which certainly meant that Shi-chan would not have an easy match, it was still unthinkable for her to be lagging behind so far at such a late stage of the game. 

“I wish I could show Ayase and Mashima the entire match. I wish I could show them what transpired. Show them their karuta...”

Clearly, the moral of the episode is to remember bringing a camcorder to the class A karuta final so that you can record the entire thing for your friends who couldn’t watch it from the start. Seriously, baka Nishida. 

By splitting the similar cards aka. placing them on different sides rather than close together, both players hoped to avoid losing their cards to the other if they happened to target the wrong card. Arata’s multi-directional versatility allowed him to move even before the unique syllables were read and double back for the right card if needed. This proved to be a sound strategy against Shi-chan, whose preference for single silent precision strikes and tactical decision to target select cards put her at a disadvantage when the cards she targeted were not read.    

“Wataya Arata had all the momentum. How does he summon cards his way?“

We all know that Arata’s grandpa, the Eternal Master, had a huge and lasting influence upon his karuta, as both a source of inspiration and a teacher, but it was only until this episode that one can grasp the full extent of such influence and how much his grandpa meant to Arata. Experienced observers like the oji-san from the organizing committee (the same one who dissed the team tournament in favour of the individual) could immediately recognize the shadow of Eternal Master Wataya in Arata’s style, while long-time rivals like Nishida little by little became aware of the hidden depth that made him such a troublesome opponent to go against.

“I’m only down a few cards. Why are things going so badly?”

You can tell that things were certainly not looking good and took an unexpected turn for Shi-chan. When was the last time that she was even “down a few cards“? She had let Arata take control of the game and got swept by his momentum when she chose to adapt her style in reaction to his cross strike, rather than hold firm to her ties to the cards themselves.

Having realized the mistake in her approach to the game, Shi-chan sought to remedy the situation at all costs, even resorting to less than graceful attacks to keep Arata from the cards.

“How many cards did she hit with that swing? This isn’t Shinobu-chan’s usual style.”

Just when it seemed like Shi-chan still held a certain advantage over speed, Arata made good on his word - to break his opponent by attacking their strength, just like Grandpa Wataya taught him.

Here comes the best bit of animation of the episode - the jaw-dropping instant of truth. The wind rose and whoosh went the card, straight through the air, and...

What really makes Arata special is that he puts all of these never-seen-before expression on Shi-chan.

The instant of truth revealed not only who had the upper hand but also how Taichi only had eyes for her, first and foremost.

And she was still at the stage of taking it all in to even realize what could have happened with the card making a beeline for her face.

*thwack* How dare you settle it so easily with a smile and a goddamn sorry, huh???

He shines so brightly that it is just impossible to not chase after him.

Arata beat Shi-chan at her own game - speed - with his acceleration. Even though she moved first, he still managed to overtake her and get the card.

“But it’s not Wataya Arata’s acceleration or his plethora of weapons that scares me. It’s his relaxed demeanor that gets me.”

Like he’s not even breaking a sweat over a match against the Queen - his real come-back battle. That is indeed unthinkable, and it is why this Arata, fueled by his rock-hard determination and one cool head, has been so captivating.

For Shi-chan, he’s that one opponent she had yet to beat (and I’d say a bit more than that but you probably have heard enough about Shirata last time). 

For Chi-chan, he’s no less than a god - “impassionate”, when he’s perfectly immersed in the game, with heightened awareness and perfect concentration. Yet, the comparison of Arata to a divine being might mislead one into regarding him as a born genius, instead of someone who worked his ass off to pull off the karuta that he has long envisioned. 

A flashback took the audience back to Arata’s younger days (but older than his cutie pie self in early season 1) at the karuta society in Fukui. He had proven himself to be a rising star but still struggled with playing against older players and perfecting his swings.

Arata and his grandpa remind me so much of Hikaru and Sai - how much both of them look up to their much older teachers and count on them for much needed mental support, and how both of them need to grow out from their mentors’ huge shadows.

“Are you playing karuta with that scary look on your face? When do you find it easiest to move around freely? When did you have the most fun playing karuta?” 

And this is the reason why we have ebil!Arata, with that deadly calm and joking demeanour, as if it was all just good “fun” and not something he has been working so hard his whole life.

Arata took to the intensive training regime prescribed by his grandpa and more. Since his return to karuta, not a day has passed without him doing 500 practice swings. Together with his extra height and wide shoulders, he could finally turn the confident, self-assured karuta into reality. 

Burning

“Why are there so many spectators?”

  In spite of the mounting pressure, the distractive noise and presence of the spectators and her growing fatigue, Shi-chan still retained her intense focus and held firm to her karuta. In typical fashion of her, she relieved some of the tension with the help of Snowmaru merchandise, this time a super cute fluffy round towel. She may be sweating way more than the usual but she was far from losing her cool.

Her speed and brilliance have not diminished, though constantly challenged by the powerhouse that is Arata. She went head-to-head with him over the “Like a boatsman adrift” card, slipping under his hand to strike accurately at the right card, just as Arata swiped several cards at once. The cards flew in opposite directions and it was hard to tell even what happened but this round most surely went to Shi-chan.

“The one with the stronger tie to the cards is me, Arata.”

A carefree, good-natured chuckle in response to Shi-chan’s glare. He really took his grandpa’s teaching to not play karuta with a scary look to heart, huh?

Though fighting a losing battle against fatigue (which seemed more than ordinary exhaustion from matches with worthy opponents), Shi-chan gave her all until the very end, sweat drops pitter pattering on the tatami mats.

The outcome of the match was decided in a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, when Arata successfully covered his card before Shi-chan could reach it. 

She lost by 2 cards.

Arata saw through her everything-is-fine front.

“You were drenched in the rain yesterday.”

Them shoujo sparkles. #shirata

Truly, hats off to both of them. To Arata who has always given Shi-chan a good challenge, for giving her even more motivation to be stronger, and for seeing the person behind the player. To Shi-chan, who remains a Queen through and through, regardless of the circumstances and of the final result. It has been an incredible ride with them both, and most of all, I’m just so glad that Shi-chan was not disappointed at the end of the tournament, with such driven and capable opponents putting up good fights.

Before moving on to the last episode of season 2 (OMG!), I just got to say – there’s a kind of outsider vibe that Chi-chan exuded whenever Arata and Shi-chan focused all their attention on each other, especially at the end, when Arata inquired Shi-chan after her health. Perhaps it was just her feeling left behind by the 2 kaibutsu giants occupying a space of their own – but the lonesome look in her eyes made me wonder if there was something more?

I have a feeling that this will not be addressed properly in the next episode but we’ll see. Phew, until the next episode then, folks!

#Chihayafuru #chihayafuru anime #chihayafuru marathon #chihayafuru season 2 #chihayafuru s2 #Chihaya Ayase #ayase chihaya #Mashima Taichi #Taichi Mashima #Wataya Arata #Arata Wataya #Shinobu Wakamiya #Wakamiya Shinobu #taichi x chihaya #taichihaya #arata x shinobu #karuta #natsumi talks #natsumi watches

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

Chihayafuru #48: A crazed fangirl’s guide to the finals Part 1 - What am I still doing here?

AKA. Arata is ebil, ebil and Taichi is the most frustratingly adorable self-sacrificial dork to ever walk this earth.

[Previously: For you I would forget the pain and give my all.]

I could barely stop my heart from jumping out of my chest the entire time! I mean, of course this episode would be freakin’ awesome, what with such promising matches - the ultimate battle between 2 karuta masters and Taichi’s battle to graduate from class B and catch up with Chi-chan - but it’s still mind-blowing how good it is! What’s most amazing about Chihayafuru #48 is that no matter how much you think you know these characters, they still find ways to exceed expectations and bring something completely new to the occasion. And that’s what I love so much about Chihayafuru after all - the wonderfully vibrant characters and their well-written character development, delicately woven into the fabric of the story. Characters in Chihayafuru drive the plot and not the other way around, and that’s what makes it such a special series. 

Take Coach Sakurazawa for example. I want to talk about her right away before devoting this post to the matches because I love how her character is given so much depth through little things like this. 

Technically, her role is to be the “spartan” coach of Fujisaki school karuta club and provide the occasional but insightful commentary on the players’ strength, weakness and psyche during matches. Unfortunately, she also features in that pervert captain’s erotic fantasies but thankfully, that is just her image as filtered through that Emuro’s lens (lmao, fittingly enough, he also wears glasses? or was the author playing into the stereotypical casting of a megane boy as the resident closet pervert? Tough call but this is beside the point), for she is nowhere else sexualized, either by other characters or through the viewing experience. What I want to draw attention to is that her character could remain confined to this mold and it would not change the plot by any considerable degree. So why is there a need to portray her as more than just a pragmatic coach of a rival school?  

“I’ll bring Yamashiro over to apologize later.” 

I think the answer, in part, has to do with the mangaka’s decision to flesh out all characters, especially minor or support ones, as best as she could in the limited screen-time allotted for them. They may serve as plot devices at times but there has never any doubt that they are not their own persons, with stories and struggles independent from those of the main characters, even if they may not be bestowed with lengthy flashbacks. 

“My coach said that, in most cases, the injuries are caused by the player’s own bad swing.”

The care and attention Coach Sakurazawa extended to Chi-chan is hinted at in previous episodes when she took out one of the twins out of the team, reasoning that he showed signs of intense knee fatigue. She knew well of the pains of over-exertion because she was a top player herself and was big-hearted enough to offer support to young karuta players of note, who are not in her charge, like Chi-chan. Compared to those staid oji-sans (and women, I suppose) from the national karuta committee whose interests are within the narrow range of the individual tournament and the possible dethronement of Master Suo, Coach Sakaruzawa is a much needed breath of fresh air in the karuta world. Her ties to Fujisaki neither dictated her every action and concern, nor did they blind her to the bigger picture of karuta-dom.

She’s truly an excellent coach and a top-notch support character (my heart can’t stop going kyah kyah at well-written female characters!!!). I would love to talk about her more, especially the solid advice she gave Chi-chan at the beginning of Chihayafuru #49 (ahaha, you caught me, I couldn’t resist watching ahead the next episodes ahahaha...) but it is beyond this episode so I’ll stop here for now. 

“Why are you smiling about playing the Queen?”

Before moving on to the finals, here’s Chi-chan presented with the biggest dilemma of her life so far. 

“He’s the one who wanted Ayase to focus on practicing for the Queen match. He would tell you not to come see him.”

I hate it when Nishida is not wrong. Both of these matches are important to Chi-chan, albeit in very different ways. It was a hard choice but in the end, there’s only one answer that could sit wholly right with her, as the person with the most team spirit out of them all. 

Taichi vs. Rion: Let not the mist hide the sakura in bloom 

I miss you so much, Taichiiiiiii

It was quite shocking, a little unnerving even, to see Taichi in such a contained state of calmness. Normally, he would give off this aura of buzzing activity and pay constant attention to his opponent and surroundings, down to the smallest details. This time around, he barely gave any indication that he was about to take part in a make-or-break match, which is most unusual, for there’s more at stake here than just his graduation from class B. What would happen to his self-esteem if he again met with failure when he was already so close to the goal? How could he sit so still and look bored out of his mind, with such a burden weighing upon him?

Who is even this person??? I have never met him!

Strangely enough, even after soundly beating Retro-kun, a rather persistent rival of his, by 18 cards (!), Taichi seemed to find no cause for joy or excitement. The cause for this overcast of dissatisfaction and despondency is none other than the pent-up frustration of having yet to graduate from class B, even though he has more than enough skills to play on equal terms against class A players. The non-stop loop of self-berating questions speaks volumes as to the desperation Taichi must have felt from lagging behind Chi-chan and Arata.

“What I am doing here? Why haven’t I been able to defeat 5 class B players in a row?”

And topping off this emotional quagmire is the resignation dripped from his dead-certain claim that Chi-chan would choose watching the match between Arata and Shi-chan over coming over to cheer him on. Boy was he so wrong. 

I could not be more relieved on seeing Chi-chan and Kana-chan sneaking in. So relieved and happy!!! Thank the good lawd the ladies are all here.

Seriously, baka Taichi.

I love how the girls supported one another to sit down! One of those lovely small details that just makes me go squee - it’s just so heartwarming!!

“Right now, I care the most about Taichi making class A.”

A shipper can hope, right? Right? #taichihayaFTW

I wanna be in the circle tooooo, pls pls pls. 

“I have to win this match as quickly as possible. I need to take a huge lead so Chihaya can watch Arata and the Queen play!”

Arrgghh, for crying out loud, can he be more of a self-sacrificial idiot than this? 

I mean, I wanted to give a real good shake so much, just so that he could stop thinking of his match and progress as something not worth Chi-chan’s attention. He won against Emuro fair and square, who was a strong opponent even for Arata! It was so evident that he had grown a lot since the last tournament so it was really aggravating to see him belittling himself like this. 

That he did. That he did. *sigh*

Leaving Taichi with the girls and the Empress for a bit, it’s time to take a quick peak at the first moments of the Queen’s match against her formidable rival. 

Interlude: Shirata - the side of him only she brought out 

It’s undeniable that there exists an unique kind of chemistry between Shi-chan and Arata. For someone whose interactions with Shi-chan are mostly limited to brief encounters at tournaments and between matches (with the exception of this particular tournament), Arata has frequently shown to have a good grasp of Shi-chan as a player and a person. Be it the jovial and relaxed way that he converses and laughs with her (and at her), or his successful persuasion of Shi-chan to go watch the team tournament, Arata has treated her like an old friend, returning her aloofness and sarcasm with empathy, compassion and warmth. His illuminating insights on Shi-chan’s ardent love for karuta and her solitude are likely rooted in attentive and detailed observation of her over the years, not just as an aspiring Queen, but also as an acquaintance he has come to treasure. 

“Shinobu-chan has a somewhat unique card placement and memorization method. She must have been playing with these cards by herself all this time.”

While Shi-chan may not consciously consider Arata as anything more than a worthy long-time rival, she truly rejoiced at his return to karuta and eagerly looked forward to their match. Shi-chan herself may pass off her intervention into the passing of Arata’s punishment (getting his possible ban from the individual tournament reduced to writing self-correction essays and not watching the team tournament) as saving her chance to play against him, but her impassioned plea for him to not disappoint her further hinted at a deeper connection and understanding between them than that of mere rivals. 

I can’t recall if I said this before but I love Shi-chan’s voice so freaking much, and her VA’s delivery in this episode is just on point every single time. The gentle cadences, measured rhythm and melodic intonation truly bring out Shi-chan’s  sophistication and her captivating elusiveness.

“Neither you nor I need any friends.”

Shi-chan probably saw something of a kindred spirit in Arata - how they are made for the most “serious” pursuit karuta, to vie for its highest glory, and certainly not for team competitions. It must have been quite shocking for her to see him almost get kicked out of the individual tournament because of his floundering about in the team competition, and to know of his respect and fondness for team matches and players. And I think that’s why she was so keen on proving the superiority of individual players, not by herself but with him, at a match between 2 lone wolves who do not belong to any school team. But as Shi-chan would find out, the Arata in front of her was set on the path of defeating and exceeding all expectations.

Who are you and what have you done with that sweet earnest boy called Arata?

To my utter surprise, Shi-chan’s half challenge, half provocative attempt at camaraderie brought about an expression the likes of which has never graced Arata on screen. A smirk on Arata’s face, accompanied by that nonchalant badass retort no less!? This is the first time that he responded to her goading with that playful and mischievous look on his face, instead of his signature indulging smile. Amused as he was by her antics, he was serious about facing her, though interestingly enough, without the overly serious and candid demeanor he usually showed against other opponents.

Naturally, Shi-chan was thrown off by Arata’s response. She sought to dominate the match from the start and it looked like things were going her way but...

... they actually hit the cards at the same time. Shi-chan won them because they were on her side, not because she was faster. 

A guarded expression appeared on Shi-chan’s face while Arata remained unperturbed, with the curl of a mysterious smile on his lips.

“Her incredible speed in every direction and her accuracy haven’t changed a single bit.”

Staying true to his grandpa’s teachings, Arata launched his counterattack against Shi-chan. After all, she is not the only one who has speed on their side. 

Arata quickly proved himself a worthy opponent of the Queen as he pitted his smooth-like-water, direction-changing swipes against Shi-chan’s precision homing strikes. The animation is so well-done that a distinction can be made between their styles, even though my eyes can barely keep up with the speed of their attacks. Not even five cards have been read but Shi-chan already started to feel the mounting pressure. 

“Defending every card is risky. I’m sorry, everyone.”

It must be rare indeed for Shi-chan to be forced to deviate from her usual strategy so early in the game. For someone who always strives to get every single card read, choosing to “save” some cards over the others in order to secure victory seems uncomfortably close to a betrayal to her way of karuta. It certainly spoke highly of Arata’s skills that he was able to push her to this point. 

OMG, he’s so ebil, ebil! A hundred times more devious than Suou-san!! 

Let’s be frank. No one so far has brought out this side of Arata but Shi-chan. Just look at that face! That smirk and that self-assured voice, as cool as a cucumber!! I got shivers and goosebumps all over - this is so so unexpected, like who would have thought of Arata having such a mean streak??

I’m so in love with this ebil!Arata, fyi. So freakin’ heads over heels. #shirata4FTW

Heart attack: Under pressure and outta luck!

pretty much me for the rest of Taichi’s match

Yup, it was that bad. Both Taichi and Rion were completely off their usual game, as each simultaneously struggled with pressure of their own and one far-from-reliable reader. 

Lawd, you test me. 

On looking back, it was quite a hilarious coincidence that not only the players were put to the test but also the reader, possibly also in order to move up to reading for class A. But I suppose it was needless to say that I didn’t find it so funny when I was watching the episode. 

More like driven out of my mind with worry - jesus, the man even fucking coughed!!! *sharpen throw knives*

Horrendous reader screwing up the rhythm aside, it was still imperative for Taichi to not add extra pressure to an already difficult game. Rion is not the kind of opponent that he can hope to secure a win just by breezing through the game. Perhaps it is a bit of a moot point to raise but would Taichi really have had an easier match in the absence of Chi-chan; after all, there would be no need to rush? He was so calm in the previous matches and now he became such a flustered mess.

Though suffering a huge set-back because of the reader’s abysmal rhythm, Rion held on to the resolve to win at least the B individual tournament for her school. 

Rion started to gain ground, thanks to her acute hearing and lightning speed, and Taichi once again fretted about his opponent’s talent. The question of “what does X have that I don’t” made a reappearance, to the joy of absolutely no-one.  

You can’t let Yama-chan get in a groove, Taichi!

Just when things couldn’t get any more dire or more agonizing to watch, Taichi thankfully managed to pull himself from the downward spiral and regained not only the composure and cool head prior to the match’s start, but also the clear, logical thinking that so defines his karuta style. 

I’m tensing up because I’m comparing her to Master Suoh. Compare her to Chihaya. 

Random but Tsutomu-kun is in the background!!!

His desire to face Rion as if she was Chi-chan reminded me of those times he would compare his opponent to Arata and be disheartened or encouraged, sometimes even simultaneously. While Chi-chan arguable holds a more special place in his heart than Arata, I think it makes sense that he would find both pleasure and pressure in trying to catch up to her in karuta. 

By splitting the cards starting with similar syllables, Taichi prevented Rion from targeting his cards so easily and started winning 3-syllable cards. 

“There’s nothing flashy about his playing style, but he’s taking cards from opponents with good game sense!”

Taichi got back into his groove and off went those processor chips like rapid-fire. 

Strategy formulated. 

Game plan thought out and executed flawlessly.

“Give up on all of the one-syllable cards. Doesn’t matter if I look lame.”

He has grown so much from last year, back when Nishida called him out for not practicing his strikes out of embarrassment. His overly self-consciousness is now a thing of the past and he has learnt to play karuta with his body, and not just his mind. 

“Masuge-kun, karuta comes down to talent and game sense. However, at the same time, karuta is about taking 10 cards from your opponent...”

And finally, finally he let go of the self-imposed pressure of securing a landslide victory to give Chi-chan time to watch the class A final. It sure took him long enough to come around to the tried-and-tested approach of one-card-at-a-time.

And that one card that sealed his victory against Rion was no other than the Chihayafuru card. Paired with his declared goal to win against Chi-chan one day, it makes for some very beautiful and rich writing. What better way to issue a challenge to Chi-chan than by taking her best card?

YES, YES, YES, this is precisely what I was hoping for when I think of Taichi moving up to class A!!! His victory has to so deserving that it is to leave no doubt in anyone’s mind of his superiority over his formidable opponent in everything - skills, experience, stamina, and mental fortitude. It must be won with sweat, tears and toil, and certainly not merely conferred upon him as a consolation prize for his effort.

A happy ending for the boy who tried so hard

Taichi may have considered his match insignificant compared to the rare opportunity to watch Arata and the Queen play but that was not what Chi-chan believed. Taichi is really ... a big idiot here but I can’t help falling for Taichi even more. For someone who likes to keep his distance from most, it’s just overwhelming to see him put Chi-chan’s needs above him over and over again.

I’m super glad that Chi-chan was here for him and reminded him of the huge achievement he just attained and cried tears of happiness for all those times he struggled. 

Just kill me softly with that smile, why don’t you?

That smile was truly worth all the heart attacks and frustrations not just of this episode but all the episodes till now. It has been tough to see him being so hard on himself, failing and picking himself up, putting Chi-chan’s goals ahead of his own. But now, on looking back at all of it, it’s a very well-written story arc for Taichi. There can be no easy way back for quitters because they have to learn to treasure the things and people they lost and now regained. 

Congratulations, Taichi. Congratulations. You’re so amazing. *dab tears*

Until the next time then, folks!

#Chihayafuru #chihayafuru anime #chihayafuru season 2 #chihayafuru s2 #chihayafuru marathon #natsumi talks #natsumi watches #Chihaya Ayase #ayase chihaya #Mashima Taichi #Taichi Mashima #taichi x chihaya #taichihaya #taichimashima4tw #Wataya Arata #Arata Wataya #Shinobu Wakamiya #Wakamiya Shinobu #Omi Jingu #karuta

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

Chihayafuru #47: The long-awaited midnight moon

AKA. For one night only, the return of the Shinochi in its full glory and splendor!

[Previously: Chi-chan’s first left-handed match and the chivalrous Yuube-san]

The poem referred in this episode’s title is, curiously enough, the same poem that gave episode 5 its title. It speaks of a fleeting reunion with a friend long-separated on a path lit by the elusive midnight moon hidden among clouds. While the “friend” in episode 5 refers to Arata, who had long been clouded by thoughts of regret and guilt over the passing of his grandfather, the Eternal Master, this time, Shi-chan is the one who Chi-chan chased after and longed for. Side by side, both episodes feel like companion pieces: together they weave an intricate tale of connections lost and regained, rivalry and admiration, and overcoming the pains and doubts of the past. The outcome of the match presented no surprise - Shi-chan’s strength remained indomitable as ever in spite of Chi-chan’s all-out attacks. And that is regrettable, but it’s not like Chi-chan didn’t score little victories in the match and more importantly, both girls walked away with no small gratification at the end, and hopefully, the beginning of a beautiful friendship? *fingers crossed* 

Gawd, I love these two dorks so much. Yes, Shi-chan, no amount of Kyoto elegance and poise can save you from being a complete dork over Daddy Bear. 

Behold the wondrous courting ritual between these two unique creatures.

Here goes her right hand

So, instead of saving it until her supposed match with Arata (which, to be frank, is kinda unlikely given her opponent this time), Chi-chan decided to play with her favored hand, injury be damned. There’s no doubt to anyone who remotely knows her that she really meant business this time, to not have any regret. However, her fervent anticipation had yet to reach Shi-chan, who took to some rather unkind taunting, right after her brief moment of connection with Chi-chan over their mutual love for Daddy Bear merch.

In a jaw-droppingly condescending manner, Shi-chan wondered if she should play with her non-favored hand, so as to be fair for Chi-chan who played with an injured hand. Chi-chan reacted indignantly to such provocation, and rightfully so. It is one thing for Shi-chan to yet fathom the depth of Chi-chan’s resolve but quite another for her to openly make fun of Chi-chan’s earnest effort.

Since I played against Shinobu-chan last year, not a day has gone by that I haven’t remembered her speed, her strength...

My only goal has been to beat Shinobu-chan.

Since nothing speaks louder than action, let it not be said that Shi-chan did not grant Chi-chan’s wish to play against her at full strength.

Soon enough, Shi-chan left Chi-chan in the dust as she took to dominate the game with her incredible speed and precision strikes. Not a single movement was wasted: while her body responded to what was being read, her hand did not move until the unique syllable was read to hit at a corner of the card border with a kind of silent accuracy reminiscent of birds of prey swooping in for the kill. 

But Chi-chan refused to be daunted by Shi-chan’s overwhelming strength and successfully protected a multi-syllable card on her side - a rare feat!

It was a game but i moved ‘For you i would’ from its usual position...

... I didn’t realize until i play left-handed that there's a position difficult for left-handed players to reach.

Using her left-handed experience from previous matches, Chi-chan came a little closer to her goal of beating the Queen. Her injury, while hampering her from playing at her full strength, also allowed her to see and experience things from a different perspective, one that’s a little more similar to the Queen’s. 

Only one thing for me to focus on: How can I win?

Pushing aside awareness of her pain, Chi-chan sought to give her all against Shi-chan as fierce battles over the cards broke out. 

After Chi-chan lost one of her best cards in an extremely close contest, Shi-chan stood up to retrieve the card. On her return, the look on her opponent’s down turned face gave her a pause and seemingly took the wind out of her sail for a moment. One can even speculate that thoughts of taking it easy on her opponent may have crossed her mind, though not for the same condescending reason at the beginning of the game.

She’s not just a cold-hearted ice queen after all...

However, Shi-chan was soon in for a big surprise, seeing how Chi-chan was far from being defeated and giving up. 

You and your friends accomplished your goal, right? So why? Why are you so focused on me when you’re injured? So focused on karuta?

While the answer to Shi-chan burning question on Chi-chan’s motivation eluded her, in a completely unpredictable twist, it’s Shi-chan’s turn to concede her best card on her side to Chi-chan, whose burst of speed was just pure breathtaking. 

Since Shi-chan “could not hide her love” for karuta, literally and card-wise, it’s only right for her to pick up the gauntlet and answer the challenge as befitting of the Queen.

I strongly doubt that prior to Chi-chan, any of her opponents had managed to bring out that expression of excitement from the Queen. 

There goes her brake.  

Past and present collide

As the heated match between Shi-chan and Chi-chan went on, the audience was also treated to interspersed scenes from Shi-chan’s past, from the time when she just started to learn karuta. 

Little Shi-chan is so cuteeeee, how can you not love that adorable face? Back when she hasn’t yet learnt how to hide her emotions behind a cool and untouchable facade, when loneliness still shone clearly behind those eyes.

Unlike the aloof Shi-chan of present, the younger Shi-chan, though timid and socially awkward, actively sought for a sense of connection with those sharing the same interest with her. She soon became friend with the young girl who was her peer and together they improved their karuta. But such days were not meant to last, as one might recall the flashback shown in a previous episode.   

The bubble of comfort broke one day when the adults realized that Shi-chan was holding herself back to not get far ahead of her cherished friend, letting her to have close wins, instead of playing with her full strength. There was not a hint of condescension in her action, which simply stemmed from the desire to make her friend smile and take joy in her happiness. The truth of her real strength was revealed once she was asked to play against an older peer and ended up completely blowing him out of the water. The rest was history - it was through isolation that she grew to be the Queen of today. 

That smile and that blush of happiness... 

The past and present collided at the reading of Lady Murasaki Shikibu’s verses (#57) on the fleeting reunion between old friends, or perhaps more aptly in this case, that one perfect instant of encounter, of eyes met and unspoken connection shared. The match against Chi-chan unearthed the entirety of a bittersweet memory, the fragment recollection of which had long pained her, and gave her a chance to reconcile with it and move forward with a lighter heart.

For you I would

The match ended with Chi-chan losing her Chihayafuru card to Shi-chan, which is heartbreaking but also terrific to watch for its reciprocal beauty. But that’s, thankfully, not the end of their reunion. Shi-chan was once again spurred to find out the name of her opponent the way she did after their first ever match. 

Perhaps not so strange and unthinkable anymore is the expression of Shi-chan - a kind of forlorn look on the face of a victor.

Just when she was about to once again slip back into the downward spiral of isolation and disingenuity at the sight of Chi-chan’s tears, she was saved by the very same person who she pitied.

Our heroine might be a complete obvious airhead but Shi-chan’s solitude has never escaped her notice.

“Thank you! For not going easy on me!”

And after that suffocating second of a pause after Chi-chan’s plea came the timid gesture of reaching out - a hesitant inquiry about their next playdate.

And this is why she is our beloved heroine.

What was her name?

Good thing she recovered very quickly from her tears and the mushiness hahaha

“I lost two and she was injured. Next time I won’t let her take a single card.”

And here’s some much needed levity...

Lmao I love her so much. Such an optimist hahaha.

Poor thing. She tried hard. 

She practiced swinging after her loss just like Chi-chan and her other senpai would!!!

Lmao, poor Tsukuba. He really needs some limelight soon hahaha, preferably not because he gets to replace Tsutomu-kun or Kana-chan.

... the painful moment of “taking a pic for my bros” getting turned into concern for Taichi... 

... or not

I can’t decide which I am more excited about - Taichi’s final with the goal of moving to class A or Shi-chan’s match against Arata. Like I can’t. On one side is the desperation to see Taichi finally finally graduating class B (hopefully), and on the other is that cat-killing curiosity to see the loners finally finally butting heads and blowing the entire place up (not literally meant, hahaha). 

(No, didn’t think of Bakugo when making that joke. Nuh-uh.)

Anyhow, this has been another post way too long in the making - 3 weeks or so? I blame my colleague for getting back to console games, the ripple effect of which is me digging out my old FF9 to play on my laptop too. Me very weak against temptation. Me horrid fangirl. *ashamed*

Until the next time then, dudes and dudettes!

#Chihayafuru #chihayafuru anime #chihayafuru marathon #chihayafuru s2 #chihayafuru season 2 #natsumi talks #natsumi watches #ayase chihaya #Chihaya Ayase #Wakamiya Shinobu #Shinobu Wakamiya #karuta #omi jingu #sumire hanano #Taichi Mashima #Mashima Taichi

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

Chihayafuru #46: The manly opponent, the girl who played with her left hand and the boy who didn’t give up

AKA. I love Yuube-san so much!!!

[Previously: Chihaya wants to be on a team with you again, but I don’t.]

It’s somewhat disorienting to return to talking about Chihayafuru after spending 2 weeks on Netflix watching the 2011 Hunter x Hunter. I was feeling restless and desperate (still) for adventure and companions on the road and nothing could beat tagging along Gon and Killua, my ultimate OTP of animedom. They have a kind of natural connection and attachment to one another, a bond filled with so much trust and genuine affection, evidenced by how they would always have each other’s back through thick and thin. Regardless of the labels one may put on their relationship, what the 2 boys have is absolutely precious. I am miffed to recall that they were made to part for a while after the Chimera Ant arc and have yet to be reunited (dammit Togashi-sensei, isn’t 2 years long enough for a hiatus??) but... I get it. Killua needs a proper story arc that is about him, not him revolving around Gon all the time. It’s just... heart-rending to see them apart for any reason. 

That’s it about me for the past 2 weeks. If you haven’t read/watched Hunter x Hunter, please do it as soon as you’ve got some time to spare. I recommend watching the 1998 series for better story-telling and narrative flow but I understand that it’s more tempting to watch the 2011 version for a contemporary animation feel. But seriously, give HxH a try. You won’t regret it. 

Lmao, I feel like I’m falsely advertising - flashing pics of Chihayafuru and ended up talking about something else entirely. I guess in a way, the previous episode of Chihayafuru (#45) hit me harder than expected, what with Taichi actually harboring such animosity against Arata. However, episode #46 was a refreshing breath of fresh air. Yuube-san is an earnest kind of player, with a strong sense of sportsmanship and fair play that is instantly endearing, and together with Chi-chan, they make for a fun and exciting match. 

In the latter half of #46, Nishida was riding high after getting revenge for Tsukuba...

Uh huh. Cos that is not a red flag at all.

You were saying something, Nishida?

Lmao, so much for feeling invincible. 

Nishida is due a reunion match against his biggest childhood rival, Arata. It’s time for Arata to get a taste of what it’s like to play against Chi-chan’s team. 

Chihaya vs Yuube

The match started out with Yuube taking the lead with her strong swing and Chi-chan lagging behind as she tried to take cards with her left hand the way she usually did with her right. 

“My stance is towards the other side, my center of gravity is on the other side. I usually put my weight on my left knee but now its on the right.”

It’s made clear from the start that having to use her left hand instead of her right was not quite the issue. Chi-chan could take cards from Yuube-san’s side with a speed that astounded her opponent, but somehow could not manage to do the same for her own cards. This is an intriguing issue given how well Chi-chan took cards with her left hand when she needed in previous matches. 

The girls then had a close contest over a multi-syllable card on Yuube-san’s side, which was so exciting to watch cos the animation was done close-up and the angles really showed how the girls’ hands and fingers moved. 

They both reached the card at the same time as Yuube-san was not quick enough with her cover this time. 

I love this moment of aghast amazement. 

Lmao they are so alike!!!

Chi-chan soon realized that her injury gave her a rare chance to try thinking the way a left-handed player would cover or take cards, how different that would be from the way a right-handed player would do. The insight Chi-chan gained from this match may very well prove useful in her future re-match against Shi-chan, which, ha ha ha, may happen sooner than expected.

Chi-chan made another breakthrough with the second multi-syllable card she got from Yuube-san. 

Lol some strange magic is surely at work... 

awww i love that the Empress, who didn’t even play karuta, managed to keep track of Chi-chan’s progress and the cards she didn’t often succeed in taking.

In spite of the damage she might be able to wreck on her opponent’s side, Chi-chan’s weakness in being unable to defend or take cards on her side remained an urgent problem that needed fixing asap. 

“I have no problem taking cards on the opponent’s side. So why doesn’t my body move when its on my side?”

Having “taken care” of his former school friend/teammate from Fukui with a total victory, Arata set off to find Chi-chan, curious as to what kind of karuta she plays now. He was in for a major surprise, for out of all her matches, he ended up watching the one in which her playing was most unlike her usual. As our helpful spectator, he immediately pointed out the problem with Chi-chan’s left-handed playing: her cards were placed for the convenience of a right-handed player, not a left-handed one. 

Against Taichi’s expectation in previous episodes, Arata’s presence was far from a distraction to Chi-chan. In fact, knowing that he also looked forward to playing against her in an official match made her all the more determined to win with her left hand and conserve her strength (read: injured right hand) for her match with Arata. 

“If I only get one match to use my right hand, I should save it for Arata!”

Out of sheer coincidence, Chi-chan finally figured out the reason for her slower reaction and movement in defending and taking cards on her own side while she stood up and fetched the card she took from Yuube-san’s side. The issue was hard to realize but the solution was simple enough. 

Chi-chan’s decision to move around all of her cards at a late stage of the game was called out by the referee as bad form but Yuube-san was fine with it. In display of true sportsmanship, she told Chi-chan to not switch the cards back and leave them the way Chi-chan wanted. This moment was deftly handled so as to not give suggestions of Yuube-san taking pity on Chi-chan’s handicap. In truth, Yuube-san’s acquiescence came from the respect she had for her opponent, who didn’t give up in spite of her injury when other s would have.

And they said chivalry is dead.

Now that Chi-chan’s cards were where they should be, it’s time for her to do what she usually does, but in reverse.

Thanks to her timely realization, Chi-chan could freely play to the best of her abilities and the match took a turn for the more exciting.

Not to be so easily beaten, Yuube-san also had her own moments of brilliance, such as her successful breach of Chi-chan’s guard. 

“She’s amazing.”

Chi-chan’s tenacity and passion were heard loud and clear by Arata, who was for a moment taken by reverie, recalling a precious memory of younger Chi-chan in her first ever karuta match.

Mmm hmm. Can’t wait for a reunion match between these 2. 

Awwww, poor Yuube-san. She was so valiant in battle and had such amazing conviction in herself.

I didn’t lose because of you!

I absolutely adore Yuube-san.

(Read: I’ve fallen for you again. Lmao)

That’s some incredible assertion of Chi-chan’s karuta skills, huh? It immediately transported her back to that same day of childhood, the moment when Arata first recognized her affinity for karuta. The way Chi-chan and Arata are so synced when it comes to karuta is absolutely precious, all the more so in spite of their distance and time apart from one another. 

Nishida vs. Arata

“I am not crazy about karuta the way Ayase is. I prefer to avoid stronger players. I have to go back to being crazy about karuta.”

The moment has come for Nishida to face the trial of his past. His match against Arata was probably among the most psychologically and mentally taxing battles that he’s been through. 

While this particular match does not bear any major significance for Arata, it’s undeniable that he has a lot riding on this tournament. After all, he struck a deal with his parents that they would allow him to study in Tokyo if he won this tournament. And it sure seemed like Taichi was not the only one not fond of this idea. It cracked me up seeing how much Taichi’s parents wanted Taichi to lose so that they wouldn’t have to pay for his living expenses in Tokyo. 

What’s even the point of them showing up here even? To cheer on their son’s opponents? Lmao, such dedicated parents.

It is pretty cool that Chi-chan’s club comprises all different sorts of players, with such variety of strengths and playing styles. 

Nishida played a solid game, which is to be expected from a experienced player specialized in defense like him. However, he’s not of the same caliber as Arata.

Arata dominated the game with precise honing strikes that can instantly change directions mid-way - sometimes not just once but twice. His movements were filled with a strong sense of purpose, befitting his ambitious plans of moving to Tokyo after his assumed victory, getting into a good school by recommendation by fall, and preparing for the spring Master tournament with ease of mind.

In the face of Arata’s relentless attacks, Nishida became all the more aware of the gap between him and his opponent, his weak resolve and his less-than-stellar performance at the team tournament. All of this made for a heavy burden that by all reason should have weighed him down and hampered his playing considerable. However, Nishida took a leaf from Chi-chan’s book and refused to give up even when the chances of winning are low. 

Go, chubby kid!

His entire body rolled over as Nishida swiped at a card - what an amazingly done scene!

Better late than never.

“You played 5 matches yesterday yet you’re still playing your heart out.”

I felt like giving Arata a bit of a punch just then - like dude, you’re not the only one striving for something grand and meaningful here. 

*hugs* Nishida’s beef with Arata was hinted quite a while ago but only until this episode did it get fleshed out. In a way, that enriched his character immensely, which is great cos at times, Nishida can feel somewhat of a “static” character among rapidly growing and changing teammates. This match gave him the needed push to break out of that bubble of “playing karuta as a club activity” and not striving for anything concrete.

Reminds me of Chi-chan after her match with Shi-chan. 

“That’s why I hate strong players. They make me want to work harder!”

It’s such bullshit that the team tournament was given that crap of lacking in skills and strategy and being a lesser version of karuta when it was exactly those in the top 4 teams made it to the quarterfinals of the individual tournament.

Oh dear. This reunion is a little sooner than I expected. *doki doki*

No more saving her right hand for Arata. Full strength vs the Queen, here we go. 

Next episode will surely be something to remember, huh? 

I can’t believe how long it took me to get to these last words. I was also taken away from writing by a rewatch marathon of Natsume Yuujinchou but still... *sigh* me so unproductive. Feels like Nishida, lol. 

Until next time then, folks! Stay safe!

#Chihayafuru #chihayafuru anime #chihayafuru s2 #chihayafuru marathon #chihayafuru season 2 #ayase chihaya #Chihaya Ayase #Yusei Nishida #Wataya Arata #Arata Wataya #karuta #Omi Jingu #natsumi talks #natsumi watches

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

Chihayafuru #45: Out in the autumn fields stands my makeshift hut of grass

AKA. In which I was taken by surprise at every turn of the story, from Taichi’s reaction to Arata’s return to Chi-chan’s decision to play in the individual tournament with her left hand 

[Previously: Mizusawa bagged its first tournament win ever and Taichi got lucky for once.]

I haven’t quite gotten over how incredibly moving and absolutely fantastic last episode was, and it seems impossible to stop gushing about it. Mizusawa finally got their first tournament win as a team and Taichi was the one who clinched that arduous victory. It was so rewarding to see Taichi’s painstaking efforts paid off and his skills recognized, all the more so because of his opponent’s supposed superiority. Perhaps Taichi would still have a long way to go until he graduates from class B, but that by no means would keep him from giving class A players a good run for their money. Taichi is moving up in the karuta world and as long as he can sustain the self-conviction gained in this match, he will certainly go far.

These adorable dorks.

I love how the award ceremony is both so joyous and solemn at the same time. There’s a real sense of the weight of traditions and legacies being passed on, and the pride and excitement that came with such an honour. They have truly outdone themselves.

Here came Arata bearing a gift of sake manju to celebrate... eh....his reunion with Taichi and Chi-chan? lol

Arata was then introduced to the rest of the gang as a childhood friend of Taichi and Chi-chan, and hilarity ensued.

lmao Sumire catching up to the primary romantic sub-plot of the show.

She’s so precious. 

I love how Kana-chan and Sumire have become so much closer. Sumire has gone through considerable character growth since her first appearance. It’s hard for me to imagine that the once boy-obsessed girl would be so relatable, hilarious, and from to time, even speak for the audience.

Mm, you have a lot to catch up to, Arata.

“Team... the only team for me is the one I had with you and Chihaya.”

The mood seemed to be stoke itself up for fluffy moments but alas, it didn’t end up so. 

Arata’s blushy face is such a joy to see, especially when he’s not a very expressive person. 

“I’ll win the individual tournament tomorrow and go to Tokyo.”

The oh-so-confident Arata is actually clueless to Taichi’s true feeling, huh? But then... who would have guessed? Not me, for sure. Clearly, Taichi’s feelings about Arata have always been complicated, swinging between apprehension rooted in inferiority complex and admiration and viewing Arata as a source of inspiration and encouragement. But somehow I always got this sense that deep down he would be glad to see Arata again and remain good friends and/or rivals. Perhaps he needed time to get used to Arata being a constant presence in his life but to flat out see him as an enemy? That really got me.

“Chihaya wants to be on a team with you again, but I don’t.”

What a shock to be dealt with, and when I least expected it too! 

Meanwhile, the super-reckless person in question was at the hospital, getting her finger checked. 

Her bone was not broken but there appeared to be a chip fracture. Kinda makes you wish for Recovery Girl to heal Chi-chan up. 

lol, the doctor’s idea of karuta. Reminds me of way back in the early episodes of season 1, when Kana-chan thought of karuta as this super refined game enjoyed by elegantly kimono-clad players.

Returning to the inn with a heavy heart, she opened the door (of the boys’ room? common room?) and found Taichi sleeping in his uniform. I wonder if he was waiting to hear from her but fell asleep before she came back. 

At long last, we were rewarded with this lovely little moment of tenderness. 

Thank you.

Chi-chan’s decision

I guess, it wouldn’t make for a very good story if Chi-chan listened to the doctor and refrained from taking part in the individual tournament. Nonetheless, it is quite worrying to see Chi-chan pushing herself when it was not even clear what caused her finger pain.

And just when I thought Sudo-san might be, in his sadistic way, talking some sense into her, it totally didn’t happen.

“However, if you force the issue and play poorly, they’ll say that the team champions are weak individually.”

They just got fired up even more. The goal now has become to win the individual tournament in each class.

Oh dear. Good luck, newbie duo.

Gearing up for the individual tournament

“The team tournament was exciting as a new school emerged triumphant. I expect this to give the karuta world a jolt.”

The preconception of the team tournament being a lesser version of karuta runs rampant, tightly woven as it is into the mindset of the movers and shakers of this world. This is huge injustice committed against the team tournament, and particularly this year’s tournament, because more than anything, it was the use of strategy and wit that enabled Mizusawa to defeat the veteran Fujisaki. It was certainly not brute strength that won them the match because Taichi, Nishida and Chi-chan were way more fatigued and stressed than the Fujisaki boys. The match between Chi-chan and Rion was the height of elegance in its celebration of the poetry inherent in karuta, while the luck-of-the-draw that sealed the Fujisaki’s loss was the culmination of Taichi’s deft strategic manipulation. Without the so-called “strategy and wit”, there would be no way for Mizusawa to dethrone Fujisaki and become the new champions.

Well, setting aside the team vs individual tournament debate, the burning question that needed an immediate answer is this.

How is Chi-chan going to compete without further injuring herself?

When they found out who Chi-chan’s opponent would be Nishida’s opponent from the team semi-final...

While Chi-chan tried to explain how she might still have a chance, Shi-chan swept through like a fierce gust of wind and as usual, her every movement caught the attention of all in her vicinity.

Lmao. On how Shi-chan lost her weight.

Only a fellow Snowmaru fan could shed light on the enigma that is Shinobu.

Her eyes are so expressive - it’s a good call to zoom in on her.

“I got lucked out.”

She was really itching for a rematch against Arata. And so am I!!! I really hope that the final match would be Shi-chan vs Arata (sorry, Chi-chan!). We’ve been teased enough about the previous matches - it’s time for their present selves to duke it out!

Arata is only too familiar with Shi-chan’s Kyoto-woman temper and sharp tongue. I love that he was so amused by her antics of saying one thing and meaning quite another and in this case, a declaration of war couched in words of deference.

And she’s back to the cold Queen persona.

“It’s not just Arata. I’ll make them admit that the team tournament is nothing serious. I’ll crush them all.”

There’s something to be said about how the team tournament riled her up and got her all excited about the possible matches against the team champions and players. Resting bitch face and cold demeanor aside, this Shi-chan is a far cry from the Shi-chan in the first season’s individual tournament, who could barely give a damn about her opponents and was just going through the motions half of the time.

The childhood trio was split up as Taichi had yet to join Arata and Chi-chan on the same playing field. Seeing this division, this yawning chasm between them and Taichi’s listless attitude gives me a small glimpse into why Taichi would consider Arata as his enemy. After all, Arata is the reminder of all he had yet to be.

*fingers crossed* Here’s to hoping that Taichi will not let this painful reminder be an obstacle in his path.

“I can hear everything... but my body, my left hand won’t...”

As soon as the match started, Chi-chan encountered difficulty in using her left hand to take cards and defend her own. I’m sure she would figure out a way to make it work but I hope an early defeat is not in store for her!

Until the next time then, folks!

#Chihayafuru #chihayafuru anime #chihayafuru s2 #chihayafuru marathon #chihayafuru season 2 #natsumi talks #natsumi watches #Chihaya Ayase #ayase chihaya #taichi x chihaya #Mashima Taichi #Taichi Mashima #taichihaya #Wataya Arata #Arata Wataya #Omi Jingu #Wakamiya Shinobu #shinobu wakamiya