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natsumi-no-hotaru · 4 months

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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

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muffinmoonn · 25 days

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#another one #80s romcom girls unite #lum #urusei yatsura #uy #hibari oozora #stop!! hibari kun!#natsumi asaoka #the kabocha wine #muffin talk

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hsohangout · 9 months

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i think we should talk about the manager yuri in the household. please look at all of them thank you for your time

#seasonal gfs AND color gfs please consider #manager poly has a very special place in my heart #i love. them #girlies that take care of their reckless loserfail soccer teams and kiss #four seasons #harunatsuakifuyu #akamidoaoi #idk what silly nickname to give the go managers Why do we not talk about the go managers #inazuma eleven managers #inazuma eleven go managers #inazuma eleven #inazuma eleven go #kino aki #otonashi haruna #raimon natsumi #kudou fuyuka #sorano aoi #yamana akane #seto midori

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soccerpunching · 1 month

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A few hours before the beta, i want to share what i WANT to happen for the raimon eleven (go) after a full school year and Endou decided to go back to playing soccer professionally (i think he deserves to enjoy soccer as long as he can still play it considering goalkeepers retire in the pro field earlier than the field players)

Everyone is happy that they can watch him again as a goalkeeper they looked up to but they're sad that their coach is no longer their coach and they have doubts on whoever's going to succeed him. It was a sad goodbye... but Endou told them there was someone even better than him who could succeed him.

Endou is a coach who focuses on pushing you to do your best but not on the little details considering the how and everytime he realizes he needed help in this part, he asks for his friends to help the team.

If we know anything about crafting a skill, is that it will make you crash down and burn if you're unaware how your body works or how to take care of it. There is also something to be said about finding how things work for you and accepting that it will not be how it works for others.

Thanks to Haruna looking after the team, they never experienced any of that tragedy. Before and especially after the team had Kidou as their trainer (or literally just having a formal trainer once), Haruna set even more focused eyes on strengthening the fundamentals and has learned to individualized training for them. She still does her former role in the team, which is research, support, and attending to resources-adjacent responsibilities.

That being said, the team still needs aid in strategizing, coordinating, flexibility, and resilience during a match that a coach would need to fulfill. Someone who can watch the match calmly and meticulously to aid the team in adjusting to the best course of action in the middle of a tensed match.

Enter Endou Natsumi.

It's simple but let's go over some little headcanons first, Raimon Jr. High's chairperson is Natsumi since chrono stone but before inago started I think she was going with Endou in the country and league he was playing for. She uses this opportunity to learn more about soccer and more about how athletes think and work and what they usually need and how they improve. All of this combined with her already high interest in the sport and everything she learned as a manager for the entirety of middle and high school (maybe even college).

The team had doubts because Natsumi has only ever been in the background in the soccer world until this point. To be honest, she doesn't look like the type to be interested in soccer... but coach Endou vouched for her! He makes crazy decisions but they're not all impulsive. And they trust him. So they did trust her as they trusted him. And it only took one match for them to understand why she's the best candidate for the position.

I know this won't happen but a little creature can dream.

#i say this as if this isnt whats going to happen in kaleidoscope #inazuma eleven #inazuma eleven go #ie imagined by lore #raimon natsumi #endou natsumi #otonashi haruna #endou mamoru #raimon eleven #raimon eleven go #lore talks abt ie

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kerorowhump · 4 months

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god the writing in KG is just impeccable and it does NOT get the credit it deserves because i can put any two characters from the main 5 together in a pair and they'll have some interesting contrasts and points in common that they don't have with the others

#txt #dororo and kururu #dororo and giroro #dororo and tamama #were the three i was rotating in my brain #dororo n kururu: the two most left behind. arguably the smartest so they get along. one's order/calm the other chaos. both very observant.#also selfless vs selfish #dororo n giroro: ive already said but. peace vs invasion. earth vs keron. anger vs sadness. expresses emotions vs represses them. both loyal #and faithful. both dedicated to their cause. also childhood friends #additionally. the way they feel about keroro is a foil. dororo looks up to him but a tiny part of him resents him. giroro is always -#shit talking him but actually deeply respects him #dororo and tamama: similarly. they are very much foils esp about keroro. ive mentioned this previously. present tamama is like past dororo #with being rich and looking up to keroro. they're both very emotional and they both crave keroro's undivided attention #but tamama stands up for himself and is very loud and secure whereas dororo is insecure and doubts himself #ok I'll try to do more pairings (/p) mm #keroro and kururu well theyre constantly paired bc of how much they have in common. scheming and selfish. secret keron stuff.#plus keroro literally runs to him to ask for help when natsumi beats him or like IN GENERAL.#also again. keroro is supposed to come up with plans but struggles. kururu is supposed to be chaos oriented but he's always fixing messes #tamama and kururu is another fun one because one's perception is ''the sweet one'' and the other is ''the sinister one''#tamama may look dumb at times but hes actually bright. kururu is deeply intelligent but often gets lost in silliness #they both have a dark side #this is fun but theres many combinations for 5 members so im not gonna be here all day writing abt what they all have in common and contrast #but it's so fun to think abt bc the show is actually well written they all have lil tidbits that make their relationships (/p) unique #i didnt even get into keroro much bc god knows i could not stop talking there #this subject is worth making a whole post abt ... maybe one day #musing

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asktheahogesandblondes · 2 months

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I guess that makes makoto, hajime and shuichi "stuff"

Miu:KYAHAHA!

Junko:As hilarious as that is, it's more like we're stuff...

Natsumi:And they do us...

Hajime:Sometimes you three are the worst...

Junko:Wrong! I'm always the worst, just ask Makoto.

Makoto:She's right, it's her life mission to be the worst.

Shuichi:...

Hajime:You're not gonna say anything?

Shuichi:If I did, Miu would cry.

Miu:Yup, pretty much.

#Danganronpa #Ask Ahoges & Blondes #DR #Makoto Naegi #Junko Enoshima #Naejunko #Naeshima #Hajime Hinata #Natsumi Kuzuryuu #Hinatsumi #Shuichi Saihara #Miu Iruma #Sairuma #In this blog (and the Ahoges & Blondes fanfic) they boys are doms while the girls are subs #But the boys do get embarrased about talking about it public #While The Girls clearly don't care #Well...up to a point anyways #There's some stuff they are embarrassed to talk about

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metamatronic · 1 year

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is shinguji's sister going to appear in ghost au?

no :)

#meta talks #i have. zero interest in unpacking that.#she may be referenced #but she’s not going to like. show up #same way daiya and natsumi and all them haven’t shown up—just easier to stick with the main cast

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a-tale-never-told · 6 months

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A Talentless Decision.

[Part 1]

....

*Natsumi looks up at the ceiling above, currently lying down on Hajime's bed, surrounded by all types of pictures from his youth, and a stuffed 4ft teddy bear on the left side of the pillow. She curiously looks at the teddy bear, and then proceeds to grab the teddy bear and inspect it closely *

I never thought Hinata would actually have something as weird and childish as a teddy bear. He seems like the last person to actually have something as weird as this shit!.

CREAK!

*Suddenly, the door starts to slightly creak open. Natsumi, sensing immediate danger, starts to move back and puts her right hand into her pocket to retrieve something. However, once she starts to look at who's coming in, she starts to retrieve her hand out of her pocket and calms down, as a familiar face walks inside and shuts the door behind him...*

SLAM!

...

Tch! Took you long enough! What the hell took you so long?

What do you think I was doing? I was talking to my parents!. And can you please explain to me why you're lying down on my bed?

We-Well, it was comfy! Excuse me for actually trying to get some rest after you almost killed both of us!

How many times do I need to say it was an accident!? And it's not like your taxi driver was that good of a driver either!

Chaffuer, bitch! Get it right in your braindead head of yours or are you just bulit like that!

It's still the same thing! And at the very least, I'm not an utterly, annoying asshole that whines about the littlest of things!!

*takes out a pocket knife from her right pocket* SAY THAT AGAIN!! Say that comment again, motherfucker!! Say it again, and I'll shove this knife right down your fucking throat!! You want that, do you? DO YOU!?

*Both of them stand completely still as if time has completely stopped. Natsumi is currently holding the knife a quarter inch away from Hajime's throat with a death glare towards him, nearly piercing his flesh!. Hajime is currently standing motionless, aside from the absolutely panicked expression on his face, unsure of what to do or say in this moment...*

... *puts the knife back in her pocket* Sorry, I just don't appreciate it when people say shit to me like that. It gets fucking annoying real quick.

Yo-You were holding the knife at MY THROAT!! What does that say about you then if you're so willing to casually threaten anyone who disagrees with you!? Are you insane!?

Look, I don't have time for this shit! It's late and I wanna go to bed, alright? And stop whining like a fucking baby! I wasn't actually going to kill you, ya know?

Well, that still doesn't excuse you for putting that knife at my throat!. What if that knife actually penetrated my lungs? What would've you done then, huh? What would your response be?

...

I understand that you might have felt threatened by my response, and I completely apologize for that! But that doesn't give you the excuse to vocally threaten people with a weapon when they openly disagree with you or your opinions! That's not how the world works! And you need to learn from this! A lot actually!

#mod talks #a tale never told #danganronpa #super danganronpa another 2 #dr2 #danganronpa 3 #dr3 #story chapter #twlight syndrome arc #hajime hinata #natsumi kuzuryu

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hajihiko · 2 years

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Probably Akane's? From what I remember it sounded like they neglected multiple kids, not just the one we know, and Akane had like. SO much go wrong in her life.

#I guess it's a little harder to say with her though since I think she didnt actually know who her birth parents were?#Or at least talked about multiple people coming and going as if they were all equally parental. let's say authority figures #At least Natsumi and Fuyuhiko were both well clothed and fed yknow?#Just my initial opinion tho idk maybe ppl widely disagree #Not an art

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d34dbr4in · 7 months

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I have never showed this here.

#My worstie on Twitter told me that Natsumi looks like Aisha from WINX and I'm convinced to make a Ina Winx 11 AU in the future...#I love showing my headcanons so much :333 #ie talk talk with deadbrain

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dadfathers · 1 year

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thought about Haru’s Curse again….my idea of their epilogue is that Natsumi would work as a nutritionist at a primary school and Togo would use his teaching license to become a social studies teacher at a high school over going back to work at a bank. ok 🚶🏻‍♀️

#drawing #haru no noroi #togo’s coworkers and nosey students would probably speculate about his ring bc he doesn’t talk about himself ever #but if his coworker asked he would probably just tell them #i don’t think either is the type to talk about it much but will say smth if asked #i think it would be nice if they worked in the same school but natsumi seems like the type to work w little kids #imagining them happy bc I can lol

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natsumi-no-hotaru · 2 years

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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

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