(L+CR) Chihayafuru Season 2

[Azuma Denton]

That speed when they animate Arata hand is crazy.
I cant follow it with eyes.

And next episode would be rematch between Chihaya and Shinobu.
Kinda dislike how Chihaya seems to have easy win with fellow Class-A using her left hand. They should have make her face more struggling.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by karice67

Ah, I totally missed that one.

I would think he'd still be penalised for it, so no idea why he did that. Unless it's the animators that made a mistake... In the manga, that card layout was used for the time when Nishida said: "He went from his own lower right to his upper left.", and he definitely did not take cards from opposing sides there.

I'm going to go with either "animator mistake" or "Arata cheating"...

[Yume Hanabi]

Kinda getting tired of always being reminded how godly Arata is at karuta. Hope we'll see a Arata-Shinobu match, 'cause it's probably our only occasion to see him struggle a bit.

And I'm a bit torn on Chihaya. In a way, it was interesting to see her learn to play with her left hand and consider the other point of view. But on the other hand, it's a bit unrealistic for her to keep winning. I would have preferred if her match against Shinobu was directly after her first one.

[Guardian Enzo]

In effect, Chihaya's success would be as if Honda Goro immediately changed gloves and started throwing left-handed and defeating top-level opponents, instead of taking 5 years to learn how to pitch with his left hand. Even by shounen standards, it was a huge credibility stretch to try and sell what happened this week. It had plot contrivance written all over it.

[Kirarakim]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

In effect, Chihaya's success would be as if Honda Goro immediately changed gloves and started throwing left-handed and defeating top-level opponents, instead of taking 5 years to learn how to pitch with his left hand. Even by shounen standards, it was a huge credibility stretch to try and sell what happened this week. It had plot contrivance written all over it.

I am not that familiar with Karuta to say if it is contrived or not. Obviously Karuta is not baseball and probably takes less skill to use a different hand.

However in terms of writing I certainly think that Chihaya so easily being able to win (once she figured out how to place the cards) was a bit disappointing.

Also like Yume Hanabi, as much as I enjoy the increased presence of Arata, his games are hardly interesting when he wins so easily. I was more interested in Nishida's game play than I was Arata during that match.

[Anh_Minh]

I think luck played a big part. Yu's not used to lefties, and was put off her game by Chihaya changing the placement of her cards. Plus, Chihaya's ear gave her a speed advantage, regardless of which hand she used.

I guess the other one just wasn't that good, for an A-class player.

[LKK]

I have a discussion question.

We know that Arata wants to go to college in Tokyo. My assumption is that he wants to be back in Tokyo so that he can be closer to Chihaya and Taichi. But why does he assume that they'll still be in Tokyo come college time?

Taichi has the grades and the money so that he can get into almost any college he chooses. Are all the best colleges in Japan in Tokyo? Is is pretty much a given that Tokyo is where Taichi will be during his college years?

And what about Chihaya? Her family's not as poor as Arata's, but they're nowhere as rich as Taichi's. Her grades are borderline at best. Would she be able to get into a Tokyo college? Would she go to college somewhere else in the country? Would she go to college at all? I suppose if she didn't go to college, she'd live at home. So she would be in Tokyo. But what about the middle choice? Going to another location in the country?

Of course, my fundamental assumption that Arata wants to come to college in order to be near the other two may be wrong. But given how little we truly know about Arata and his way of thinking, what else should I have concluded?

[Kirarakim]

Well apparently the University of Tokyo is ranked as the top university not just in Japan but in Asia.

Here are rankings of other schools

http://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/10-...ities-in-Japan

Although according to this ranking it is 8th in Asia. Still pretty good.

http://www.usnews.com/education/worl...sities-in-asia

[Guardian Enzo]

I don't think your assumption of Arata's intent is wrong, but the practicalities of it are hard to pin down.

The best college in Japan by most measures is Todai, Tokyo University. It's the most obvious place someone with Taichi's grades and money would likely go, but certainly not the only one - there are other top-tier schools, both in Tokyo and outside it. If you assume Chihaya is the one Arata really wants to be close to, he may be assuming because she doesn't have great grades or a ton of money, she could only go to school in Tokyo. There are more low and mid-range colleges in Tokyo than anywhere else, just as there are more of everything pretty much. And if money is an issue, with Chihaya unlikely to be get a scholarship the best way to keep expenses down would be for her to live at home while attending University.

Now, is Arata thinking that far ahead? Who knows.

[SeijiSensei]

Are there scholarships for karuta? What are the career prospects for Chihaya and Arata after high school? I have few worries about Taichi with his money and connections. But if the prospects for professional karuta are limited, will it recede into the level of a hobby for Chihaya and Arata as they age? Is Kanai Sakura, the housewife and mother who plays in Class-A tournaments just for fun, the model for Chihaya at 35? Even if both she and Arata achieve their goals of becoming Meijin and Queen, how might that play out over the rest of their lifetimes?

I thought the reversal of Chihaya's field was a clever and informative solution to her handedness problem, but I still think she should have lost that match. Like Enzo says, it would take quite a while and a lot of hard work to develop the equivalent reflexes and muscular development to switch hands after ten or so years of playing karuta. Anh_Minh's suggestion that her opponent was not used to playing against lefties is an intriguing observation, though. Are we to infer that Shinobu's left-handedness contributes to her success as well? She'll be facing a Chihaya playing from the left as well. Card placement could be an important aspect of this match.

Thinking about it from a dramatic perspective, the writers had a problem if they wanted to pit Chihaya against Shinobu at some point before the season ends. Chihaya's injury makes a loss to Snowmaru-chan acceptable because it leaves open the question of how they would have fared in a straight match. So rather than playing against Man-Girl the writers could have pitted her against Shinobu in the first round. This has the obvious disadvantage of removing the main character from the tournament with four episodes to go. So they had to take the unrealistic route which I hope will come to an end in the match with Shinobu.

I laughed when Arata said he remembered that Chihaya won her first card off him with her left hand. It reminded me of something I have heard about famed golfer Jack Nicklaus, who claims to remember essentially every hole he has played as a professional. To be as good as Wataya or Jack requires a particular kind of mind and focus as well as athletic ability. I bet Arata can replay many past matches in his mind on a card-by-card basis; Shinobu, too. I don't think Chihaya can do this yet, though.

There are eight players left. I count Chihaya, Shinobu, Arata, Megumu, Nayuta and maybe Sudo from Hokuo, and probably boob-obsessed Eromu and someone else from Fujisaki.

[Kirarakim]

^

Not Sudo, he graduated and won't be participating in this tournament. This is for HS students only.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by Kirarakim

Not Sudo, he graduated and won't be participating in this tournament. This is for HS students only.

I realized that afterward. Is there no other class-A player from Hokuo that is a named character? Retro is still in class B I believe.

In the frame at 20:31, there are all three Fujisaki players, Nayuta, Megumu, and Chihaya which makes eight with Arata and Shinobu added.

One other interesting thing is that the players are not seeded. The director shuffled their name cards and dealt them out. That's a bit surprising for a high-level tournament event. It also heightens the drama, of course, since we don't know who will be paired in each round.

BTW, I would really like to see them all wear all wear kimonos at some point before the tournament ends.

[LKK]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

I realized that afterward. Is there no other class-A player from Hokuo that is a named character? Retro is still in class B I believe.

Retro-kun is B class; you're right. Was Hokuo's team leader in your list? The little short guy who likes to take it easy? He's an A class and a named character. Although I don't remember his name. (I'm bad with names and getting worse as I get older. )

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Are there scholarships for karuta? What are the career prospects for Chihaya and Arata after high school? I have few worries about Taichi with his money and connections.

And grades, credit where credit is due.

In S1, Sudo talked of Karuta recommendations for universities, which would at least sidestep Chihaya's grade problems.

I thought the reversal of Chihaya's field was a clever and informative solution to her handedness problem, but I still think she should have lost that match. Like Enzo says, it would take quite a while and a lot of hard work to develop the equivalent reflexes and muscular development to switch hands after ten or so years of playing karuta. Anh_Minh's suggestion that her opponent was not used to playing against lefties is an intriguing observation, though. Are we to infer that Shinobu's left-handedness contributes to her success as well?

I've heard that lefties have two advantages in sports:
- their opponents aren't used to them
- the command loop from the brain to the left arm is shorter than for the right arm (because the part of the brain responsible for movement is in the right hemisphere).

She'll be facing a Chihaya playing from the left as well. Card placement could be an important aspect of this match.

Not really. The placement of the opponent doesn't matter (unless they keep changing it like the quizz guys) because all players are used to facing guys with systems they don't have time to analyse. That's why Chihaya had no trouble attacking. Plus, Shinobu's a defensive player, so the other's configuration counts even less.

And I don't think handedness matters to her - she's used to playing by herself. Unless the other is really good, it doesn't matter what their quirks are.

I laughed when Arata said he remembered that Chihaya won her first card off him with her left hand. It reminded me of something I have heard about famed golfer Jack Nicklaus, who claims to remember essentially every hole he has played as a professional. To be as good as Wataya or Jack requires a particular kind of mind and focus as well as athletic ability. I bet Arata can replay many past matches in his mind on a card-by-card basis; Shinobu, too.

Or maybe that match had a special significance for him. In Karuta, forgetting is as important as remembering.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Or maybe that match had a special significance for him. In Karuta, forgetting is as important as remembering.

Yes, I thought about that possibility as well. Still I wouldn't be surprised if Arata had an eidetic memory for karuta.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Are there scholarships for karuta? What are the career prospects for Chihaya and Arata after high school? I have few worries about Taichi with his money and connections. But if the prospects for professional karuta are limited, will it recede into the level of a hobby for Chihaya and Arata as they age? Is Kanai Sakura, the housewife and mother who plays in Class-A tournaments just for fun, the model for Chihaya at 35? Even if both she and Arata achieve their goals of becoming Meijin and Queen, how might that play out over the rest of their lifetimes?

Are we to infer that Shinobu's left-handedness contributes to her success as well? She'll be facing a Chihaya playing from the left as well. Card placement could be an important aspect of this match.

There are eight players left. I count Chihaya, Shinobu, Arata, Megumu, Nayuta and maybe Sudo from Hokuo, and probably boob-obsessed Eromu and someone else from Fujisaki.

Sudo graduated - he can't play in the National HS tournament. Maybe Amakasu, if anyone from Hokuo made it.

I'm not too worried for Arata's career prospects. He seems like a good student, and he'll likely manage to get into a decent college and get a degree while continuing his Karuta. For Chihaya, indeed it's a real problem - Japan is nowhere near gender equality in terms of career opportunity to begin with, and she's verified to be an atrocious student.

Also, Shinobu won't be facing a lefty Chihaya, unless the whole "High Noon" moment with taking off the bandage was a fake-out.

[SeijiSensei]

I can't tell. Until the end she said she was going to play left-handed until she met Arata. But we know that Chihaya can be head-strong. She also realizes that she must defeat Shinobu to reach Arata making the next match an all-or-nothing confrontation with her nemesis. I suppose it is possible that Chihaya might still pull out a victory by switching hands mid-stream after exacerbating her injury. I'd find that especially unpersuasive against an opponent as strong as the Queen.

If there are 25 total episodes again like last season that leaves four more to cover the remaining three rounds of the tournament. I suspect that Oe and friends won't get a lot of screen time, though it would be nice to see an episode focusing on the supporting players. Chihaya x Shinobu is likely to be an episode by itself, unless Chihaya gets blown out early. Then there's Taichi. He was the mystery man this week, but I wouldn't be surprised to see an episode focusing largely on his quest to win and reach class A. Retro is the obvious final opponent for him. Arata x Shinobu seems likely to occupy an episode of its own. I wouldn't be surprised to see Arata x Boob-Guy in one of the next two rounds either.

[Kanon]

I still think Taichi's final opponent in this tournament will be Rion. It would make for a far more exciting match. She's somebody who gave Chihaya trouble after all. If a rematch with Retro-kun has to happen (it really doesn't, it's clear to me Taichi has surpassed him), it will be earlier in the tournament.

For class C, we might get to see another Tsutomu vs Kana final which might play out differently from last year.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by Kanon

I still think Taichi's final opponent in this tournament will be Rion.

Yeah, this is more likely than playing Retro in the final, specially considering the story always tends to make things as hard as possible for Taichi, and between Retro and Rion, the latter is definitely the bigger fish.

[SeijiSensei]

I forgot that Rion was class B. I agree that's a more likely finale for Taichi. I just hope her grandmother isn't the reader, but she's probably more likely to read for class A.