Chihayafuru 2: A thorough review of the moving sequel that depicts the passion and growth of competitive karuta

"Chihayafuru 2" - The passion of youth and the appeal of competitive karuta

■Overview of the work

"Chihayafuru 2" is a TV anime series based on the popular manga by Yuki Suetsugu, and was broadcast on Nippon Television Network from January 11 to June 28, 2013. It consists of 25 episodes, each 30 minutes long, and is animated by Madhouse. Directed by Morio Asaka and character designed by Kunihiko Hamada, it faithfully reproduces the worldview of the original work while adding depth to the storyline, making it a very appealing series.

■ Story

Chihaya and her friends are now in their second year, and as they welcome their first underclassmen, they face off against a strong opponent from a rival school, while also dealing with the worries and joys of being seniors. This is a refreshing youth drama about the Mizusawa High School Karuta Club, whose passion is burning even more.

■Explanation

The anime "Chihayafuru", which began airing in October 2011, is based on the popular manga by Yuki Suetsugu, which has sold over 8.5 million copies, and depicts the passionate youth of high school students through the world of competitive karuta. Although competitive karuta is not well known to the general public, it has received a lot of support for its powerful match scenes, where stillness and movement intersect, and the impressive portrayal of emotions through the synergistic effect of video and music. And now, the long-awaited anime "Chihayafuru 2" is scheduled to air from January 2013! Continuing from the previous season, it will be brought to you by director Morio Asaka, character designer Kunihiko Hamada, and animation production by Madhouse. This time, Chihaya and her friends, now in their second year, will welcome their first juniors and face the worries and joys of being seniors, while facing strong opponents from a rival school. The Mizusawa High School Karuta Club, which is burning with even more passion, will be depicted as a refreshing youth ensemble drama, just like the first season. Please look forward to it.

■Cast

・Chihaya Ayase/Masami Seto/Arata Wataya/Yoshimasa Hosoya/Taichi Mashima/Mamoru Miyano/Kanade Oe/Ai Kayano/Yusuke Nishida/Toru Nara/Tsutomu Komano/Tsubasa Yonaga

■ Main staff

Original author: Yuki Suetsugu (Chihayafuru, serialized in Kodansha's BE・LOVE magazine)
Director: Morio Asaka Series Composition: Yuko Kakihara, Ayako Kato Character Design: Kunihiko Hamada Art Director: Tomoyuki Shimizu Director of Photography: Kenji Fujita Color Design: Chikako Kamata, Ken Hashimoto Digital Artist: Ryoichi Ishigami Editor: Yoshiko Kimura Music: Kosuke Yamashita Sound Director: Masafumi Mima Animation Production: Madhouse Production Copyright: VAP, Nippon Television

■ Main Characters

Chihaya Ayase: When she was in sixth grade, she met Arata and was introduced to the world of karuta. She is true to her feelings and moves forward in a straightforward manner. Her natural hearing is her weapon, as her incredible reaction time to the cards that are read to her shows.
A boy who transferred from Fukui to Shin's elementary school and drew Chihaya and Taichi into the world of karuta. His grandfather was a perpetual master, and he was a talented player who won the national tournament for his grade every year. After graduating from elementary school, he was separated from Chihaya and the others to care for his grandfather.
Taichi Mashima is Chihaya's childhood friend and has a crush on her. He hates to lose, and started playing karuta out of a sense of rivalry with Arata, who became close to Chihaya through karuta. Although he doesn't have natural hearing like Chihaya, he has an extremely high memory.
・Oe Kana, also known as Kana-chan. She is the daughter of a kimono shop owner and loves Japanese clothing. She has a deep knowledge of classics and values ​​elegance and style. She joined the Mizusawa High School Karuta Club because she wanted to wear a hakama. Her dream is to become a full-time reader.
・Nishida Yusei, commonly known as Nikuman-kun. He played against Chihaya when he was in sixth grade, which led him to join the karuta club. He has the longest history of playing karuta among the club members, and was a very talented player when he was young, even competing with Arata for the championship at the national tournament during his elementary school years.
Tsutomu Komano, nicknamed Desk-kun. He is in the same class as Chihaya and is the second-best in his grade who tells Taichi about it. He feels inferior because he believes his only talent is studying and that his place in the world is at his desk, but is moved by Taichi's passion for karuta and decides to join the club.
Tsukuba Akihiro is a new member of the Mizusawa High School Karuta Club. He belongs to the Shiranami-kai. He is good at lower verse karuta and joined the club. His face with his tongue out confidently is creepy and scary.
Hanano Sumire is a new member of the Mizusawa High School Karuta Club. She belongs to the Shiranami-kai. She puts love first, so much so that she joined the Karuta Club because she likes Taichi. She is always concerned about her appearance, and is concerned about her makeup coming off.
Miyauchi Sensei is the advisor for the Mizusawa High School Karuta Club. Nicknamed the Empress. Although she is an amateur when it comes to karuta, she has begun to cooperate with Chihaya and the others after seeing their efforts.
・Wakamiya Shionobu is the youngest queen in history. She is a Kyoto girl who is known for her speed and accuracy in taking the ball, and is a competitive girl. However, she also has a side to her, as she is the same age as Chihaya, who likes Snowmaru.
・Suou Hisashi, the current master. He is a good-looking guy who claims to have 28 ichiji-kiri cards. However, he has been repeating his university year and is considered a problem child in the karuta world.
Hideo Harada is the head of the Fuchu Shiranami Association and an active A-class karuta player himself. He excels at offensive karuta and is a good teacher to Chihaya and Taichi.
Hirofumi Tsuboguchi is an A-rank player and ace of the Fuchu Shiranami-kai. He is a talented player who represented East Japan in the Meijin tournament. After graduating from university and becoming a teacher, he is also the advisor of the Tomonari High School Karuta Club.
Yumi Yamamoto is an A-rank wrestler belonging to Suihoku-kai. She is a former queen and is nicknamed "Mome Yumi" because she often gets into arguments with her opponents when making difficult decisions.
・Kitano Sensei is the president of Suihoku-kai. He is Nikuman-kun's teacher and is good at teaching the basics. He doesn't get along well with Harada Sensei of Shiranami-kai.
Shinichi Murao is an A-class player belonging to the Fukui Nagumo Association. He gave up on his own level and left karuta for a while, but when he saw Arata facing karuta, he returned.
・Kuriyama sensei is the president of the Fukui Nagumo-kai. He was a long-time friend and rival of Harada sensei of the Shiranami-kai.
・Mr. Mochida The advisor of the Kitao Gakuen Karuta Club. His dream is to become an A-rank master. He teaches the club members the fun of Karuta.
・Sudo Akito Former captain of the Kitao Academy Karuta Club. A talented A-rank player who came in second to Queen in the individual match of the high school championships. He toyed with his opponents with his sadistic remarks.
The current captain of the Kitao Academy Karuta Club. An A-rank player who is good at light and quick catching that makes the most of his physical ability. Although he has the skills, he dislikes troublesome things.
Kinashi Hiroshi is a member of the Kitao Academy Karuta Club. He met Chihaya and the others at the Shiranami-kai in elementary school. He can predict the opposing team's order with the Hyorotto Card. Although he is a B-class player, he is a hard worker who participates in many tournaments and aims to be promoted.

■Subtitle

・First poem: Flower ABCs (2013/01/11)
・2nd poem／Kohistefu(2013/01/18)
・Third poem: Tsukubane (2013/01/25)
・4th poem: Tell the people, the fishing boat of the rain (2013/02/01)
・5th poem: "There is still so much more to it than that" (2013/02/08)
・6th poem: Tatsuta no ka wa no nishiki narikeri (2013/02/15)
・The 7th poem: The cough of Afusaka, whether known or unknown (2013/02/22)
・8th poem: I might have come to Mikasayama (2013/03/01)
・No. 9 / Wata no Hara (2013/03/08)
・10th poem: Murasameno (2013/03/15)
・11th poem: Thoughts that I don't even know(2013/03/22)
・12th poem: The purification ritual was a sign of summer (2013/03/29)
・13th poem: Dream of the moon (2013/04/05)
・14th poem: From the moment I think of things to the moment I think of people (2013/04/12)
・15th poem: Behind the Tago (2013/04/19)
・16th poem: Miyuki Matanamu (2013/04/26)
・17th poem: Fukukarani (2013/05/03)
・18th poem: Forget Me Not (2013/05/10)
・19th poem: The path of love that I don't know where it will lead (2013/05/17)
・20th poem: Akinotano (2013/05/24)
・21st poem: Nakoso nagarete nahoki koekere (2013/05/31)
・22nd poem: Meguriaiite (2013/06/07)
・23rd poem: Onohe no Sakurasakinikeri (2013/06/14)
・24th poem: Kakutodani (2013/06/21)
・25th poem: Snow is falling on the peak of Mt. Fuji (2013/06/28)

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・STAR
Lyrics: Ko-ta, Ko-hey, Osamu Takeuchi Composition: Ko-ta, Ko-hey
Arrangement: 99RadioService, Osamu Takeuchi Vocals: 99RadioService

・ED1
・Akane Sora ・Lyrics by coffee
・Composition: Yutaka Araya ・Arrangement: Yutaka Araya ・Singer: Masami Seto

■ Review

Although "Chihayafuru 2" is based on the seemingly minor sport of competitive karuta, the story of youthful passion, friendship, and growth that it depicts has attracted many viewers. In particular, viewers are deeply moved by the sight of Chihaya and her friends, now in their second year, welcoming new juniors and growing while feeling the responsibilities and joys of being seniors.

MADHOUSE, the studio in charge of animation production, depicted the competitive karuta match scenes realistically and dynamically, maximizing the visual impact. In particular, the individuality of each character is vividly expressed through the match scenes, such as Chihaya's incredible reaction speed, Arata's strategic play, and Taichi's hard work and growth. In addition, the delicate touch of character designer Kunihiko Hamada has brought the charm of the original work to life in the anime.

Music is also an important element that enhances the appeal of "Chihayafuru 2." The opening theme "STAR," with its powerful vocals by 99RadioService and fast-paced melody, symbolizes the passion of youth. Meanwhile, the ending theme "Akane Sora," with Seto Asami's gentle voice, expresses the inner thoughts of Chihaya and her friends, leaving a deep impression on viewers. Yamashita Kosuke's soundtrack also skillfully depicts the tension of the matches and the emotions of the characters.

The story depicts Chihaya and her friends as they face new challenges as second-year students. In particular, the matches against rival schools and the journey to the national tournament provide thrills and excitement for viewers. There are also many scenes where the students' sense of responsibility and growth as seniors is apparent through their interactions with their juniors, adding depth to the series as a coming-of-age drama. Furthermore, the love triangle between Chihaya, Arata, and Taichi, as well as the personal worries and growth of each character are carefully depicted, evoking sympathy from viewers.

The appeal of the characters is also a major attraction of "Chihayafuru 2." The protagonist Ayase Chihaya is loved by viewers for her honest and straightforward personality, and viewers can feel themselves growing along with her as she grows. The individuality of each character enriches the story, including Wataya Arata's calm strategy and passion, Mashima Taichi's hard work and friendship, Oe Kanade's love for Japanese clothing, Nishida Yusei's long karuta history and skill, and Komano Tsutomu's hard work and growth. The new juniors also have their own personalities, breathing a new wind into the Mizusawa High School Karuta Club.

"Chihayafuru 2" is a fascinating work that tells the story of youthful passion, friendship, and growth through the sport of competitive karuta. The visual impact, powerful music, and the individuality and growth of the characters will deeply move viewers. In particular, the way Chihaya and her friends face new challenges as second-year students and their growth through interactions with their juniors adds depth to this coming-of-age drama. We hope you will enjoy this work and experience the charm of competitive karuta and the brilliance of youth.

■Recommendation

"Chihayafuru 2" is a work that has attracted many viewers with its story of youthful passion, friendship, and growth, even though it is themed around competitive karuta, a sport that may seem minor at first glance. In particular, viewers are deeply moved by the sight of Chihaya and her friends, now in their second year, welcoming new juniors and growing while feeling the joy and responsibility of being seniors. Other appealing elements are the intensity of the match scenes, the strength of the music, and the individuality and growth of the characters. We hope you will enjoy this work and experience the charm of competitive karuta and the brilliance of youth.