[4Tran]

Chihayafuru - Episode 5

Chihayafuru continues to show how good writing and good direction can pull off even the most pedestrian story. And this show has had a pretty pedestrian story so far - it's just that it's been executed so well that I don't really care. In particular, the bit with Chihaya's letter was blatantly telegraphed. I haven't read the manga, but the cues have been so strong that it's pretty obvious how the story is going to proceed over the next few episodes. It's nice to see shows like this that don't care about being overly clever.

Another nifty note is how classically shoujo-esque Chihayafuru has been so far. It's been so much more like old school shoujo than anything I've seen in the last little while (since Skip Beat?) that I wonder why it was ever published in a josei magazine. If this is the last hurrah of Madhouse, Chihayafuru isn't a bad way to go in terms of both quality and subject matter.

Originally Posted by GundamZZ

Chihaya's character fits the description for zannen (regret;alas).
When you see someone like her, you have to comment zannen. The description was used in Railgun and Haganai. It's better than telling her, "You are perfect, except you have such and such flaws". She's not likely the only character in town. As an audience, I don't think anyone can relate to her. Maybe it's youth. So, let's just enjoy their time of hot blood and foolishness.

Chihaya is similar to a lot of shoujo leads. Those shows just aren't that common any more.

Originally Posted by Archon_Wing

That episode was hilarious, but I have a feeling that wasn't the intention.

The snot dripping from Chihaya's face probably wasn't there by accident.

Originally Posted by Archon_Wing

Guys, the cast of Ano Hana called and they said they want their overly wrought melodramatic tears back.

Do note that we've seen far more childhood scenes in Chihayafuru so far, and that they have been of much greater significance.

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

And lol, Yuu thinking Chihaya is a supermodel. Yeah, they're pretty much implying that Chihaya might have been as successful as her sister as a model if it weren't for her mixture of idolization/inferiority complex in regards to her sister.

Didn't they do that in the first scene of the first episode?

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

Seriously speaking though, there's a reason why I'm totally digging into this show. Just compare it to other 'game' anime like Hikaru no Go and Yu-gi-oh, just to name two off the top of my head. I haven't finished either simply because even though the main LI looks to be the childhood friend, the amount of romance (even if it is just subtext) is pitiful in comarison to Chihayafuru.

Chihayafuru is basically Hikaru no Go + shoujo romance. There's even a direct parallel between "karuta god" and "kami no itte". Heck, they've even had the same effect in the real world: http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201107280364.html.

The money quote from the article is:

Yuki Suetsugu, author of "Chihayafuru," told The Asahi Shimbun that she belonged to a Hyakunin Isshu club as a senior high school student.

She had a message to senior high school students who might dismiss card-grabbing as uncool.

"It's a period in your life when you can dedicate the most genuine part of yourself to something," Suetsugu said. "Anything will be enjoyable, even if it is not very eye-catching, if only you devote yourself to it. Do your best to engage in matches, cheer for your friends and shed tears of victories and defeats."