2013-04-21, 10:45 | Link #941 |
Lost at Sea
Join Date: Mar 2010
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This week's title poem is #4. Here is Mostow's translation:
As I set out on the beach of Tago, and look, I see the snow constantly falling on the high peak of Fuji, white as mulberry cloth. The waka contains the only reference in the 100 Poems to Mount Fuji. The title accordingly is a pointer to the Fujisaki team, which, as the stylized image of Mount Fuji on the back of their team shirts shows, links its school's name to the that of the mountain. It's interesting that the one card we see Chihaya place, as she sets up her formation, is #2. Here's Mostow's translation: Spring has passed, and summer has arrived, it seems. Heavenly Mount Kagu where, it is said, they dry robes of the whitest mulberry. Besides a shared third line, shiro-tahe no, the white mulberry cloth or robes, the two poems share a mountain motif, Fuji and Kagu. Mount Kagu is one of the three mountains of Yamato, which, along with Mount Unebi and Mount Miminashi, surrounded the early capital at Fujiwara-no-Miya. A poem by Emperor Tenji, the author of the very first poem in the Hyakunin Isshu, describes these mountains as rivals: Mount Kagu strove with Mount Miminashi For the love of Mount Unebi. Such is love since the age of the gods; As it was thus in the early days, So people strive for spouses even now. Likewise, in the anime Kagu strives with Fuji, as Mizusawa strives with Fujisaki, not for love, but to be the best high school team in Japan. ----- Two other quick notes. Kana's soliloquy to the moon reprises #86. Here once more is Mostow's translation: "Lament!" does it say? Is it the moon that makes me dwell on things? --No, and yet, look at the tears flowing down my reproachful face! Kana's question to Miyauchi, "How did the monk Saigyo feel when he looked up at the moon!?" refers to the historical argument over the meaning of the poem: is the poem a love poem, where the moon stands for a lover who has rejected the poet, causing his tears to flow, or does the moon itself evoke by its own beauty the poet's passionate response? Finally, various posters have noted how bizarre the Fujisaki team is. So they are, each player in his or her way. But the reason for it is given by Kana's question, after watching their antics: "What's going on? / Why is Fujisaki so relaxed?" By being relaxed, however ridiculous the reason, the Fujisaki players can play at an exceptionally high level. As we saw in the last episodes, with Kana touching Chihaya's shoulder and Taichi unfolding her hand, the theme of playing relaxed comes up again in the anime. it's hard to believe Fujisaki is relaxed, after all the recriminations over benching Manata and the ill-feeling toward Rion. At least in team cohesion and camaraderie, Mizusawa has Fujisaki beat.
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Last edited by hyperborealis; 2013-04-25 at 11:15. |
2013-04-21, 19:36 | Link #943 |
さっく♥ゆうきゃん♥ほそやん
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: in the land down under...
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If I might make a suggestion to anime-only viewers:
It might be more worthwhile to focus on what the author is trying to do with showing so much of the high school tournament this year. If you keep expecting that the story will reach a certain point based on the first season, or based on your expectation that we will get to the end of the story this season, you will probably be disappointed. This season does not mirror the first, and I am glad for that, because it would be incredibly predictable if it did.
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2013-04-22, 01:28 | Link #944 | |
Math Ninja
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Ventura County CA
Age: 59
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Quote:
I would expect them to reach a conclusion of some sort at the end of this season, unless they're really confident of being renewed. Maybe not the final ending, but some kind of an ending. |
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2013-04-23, 19:19 | Link #945 | |
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Alabama
Age: 43
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Quote:
Spoiler:
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Last edited by Guitaraholic; 2013-04-25 at 09:38. |
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2013-04-24, 02:21 | Link #946 | |
さっく♥ゆうきゃん♥ほそやん
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: in the land down under...
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Quote:
If you think about it, it makes sense as well, because we expect at least Chihaya and Arata to get further in the qualifiers, right? If so, how much time do you think will be spent covering those matches? Far more than the 3 for the qualifiers and the two for the championship matches that we got in the first season I'd say.
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Last edited by karice67; 2013-05-16 at 19:24. |
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2013-04-26, 16:23 | Link #949 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Age: 62
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Adding a little more to YourIdeas' spoiler.
Spoiler for follow on comment:
FYI: Stay for post-credit scenes. Spoiler for post credits scene:
There really isn't much new to comment on, so I'll take this time to say that I love the new BGM music they've added this season. I especially love the music that starts up at the Megumu recap. It reminds me of the music in Starblazers when that series wanted to indicate a ramp up in dedication, purpose, and union. It's a little disco-y in rhythm and feel, but since I'm from that era, I don't mind at all. It gets me excited every time. Just as intended.
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Last edited by LKK; 2013-04-26 at 16:25. Reason: fixed spoiler code |
2013-04-26, 22:30 | Link #952 |
Osana-Najimi Shipper
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Mt. Ordeals
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Bah. I put the first season on hiatus after the recap. Hopefully the same won't happen this season.
More like the anime wants you to pair Shinobu up wtih Arata, but everyone barring me is oblivious to it. <runs away>
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2013-04-27, 02:07 | Link #954 |
Lost at Sea
Join Date: Mar 2010
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The title poem this week is #26. In the U. Virginia translation, it reads as follows:
If the maple leaves On Ogura mountain Could only have hearts, They would longingly await The emperor's pilgrimage. "Wait for the Emperor's return," the Crunchyroll translation tells us; "Wait till next week," in other words. But manga readers will recognize also a hint to how the match with Fujisaki will play out. I'm a little surprised at the general dismissal of the episode. We learn from the selection of scenes for recapitulation just what the show's writers think are the key elements of the previous episodes. Paraphrase is interpretation, after all, and what is more interesting than the writers' own views on what the show is about? That said, there really isn't any surprise: the recap confirms that the show is about Mizusawa becoming the best team in Japan, and not about romance or even Chihaya's aspirations to become queen. The lack of focus on any one character, Chihaya in particular, tells us that the main character throughout has been team, in which every member at various moments plays a key part in the team's overall success. The jokes were fun--I liked the lit professor hoping there's be more romance in the second season. Such a pity Nishida shouted down Shinobu--what does everyone already know she would say? And the Fujisaki captain is simply awful--squeezing the Charmin during Sakaurazawa-sensei's speech, I ask you? I'm waiting for the Emperor to return...
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2013-04-27, 03:44 | Link #957 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
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^
That Johnny Depp comment was gold lol Finally caught up with episodes 13-16 now. Megumu's story wasn't super interesting to me, but good still. I'm confused what her motivation was last season. Was it to become Queen, which later changed in this season to just play with her team? I was hoping to see more of Kana and explore her side of things, but I liked her stamina in this arc, and the funny moments she has. The eyelash thing was great. Kinda sad she jammed her finger. Kind of would have been nice if we were able to see that though, even in a flashback. |
2013-04-27, 08:15 | Link #959 |
Kana Hanazawa ♥
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: France
Age: 37
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The omakes were hilarious like the ones from last year, but it's still a shame they wasted a precious episode on a recap.
Tsukuba is interested in Chihaya whereas Tsutomu and Nishida are still interested in Kana. Tsutomu's chances are pretty good.
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2013-04-27, 09:39 | Link #960 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Age: 62
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I think Nishida's little sister needs her eyes checked if she thinks Retro-kun looks like Johnny Depp. They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but that's going a bit too far IMO.
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Tags |
cards, josei, karuta, sports |
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