Quote:
Originally Posted by hyperborealis
Not to start a war, but I've been thinking that Suetsugu embraces the substitution of things for each other. We have characters for whom karuta is a substitution for love (Taichi, Sumire), and those for whom love is a substitution for karuta. (Chihaya, Shinobu). There is an idea that karuta is a model for life--all the values that are important in the real world can be found here, so playing karuta is a good preparation for real life, is itself a good life. But ultimately the show thinks life is a model for karuta, that karuta itself is a be-all and end-all of existence. It is its own justification.
Mioka illustrates this idea perfectly: we start out thinking they play karuta to improve their quiz show skills (which in turn they play in order to hone their academic skills), but it turns out they too do the quiz show for the sake of karuta. They too love karuta.
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We might be arguing over words here, but I see karuta (and quiz show etc) as being able to augment each other, rather than substitution, because ultimately you have to fight in the respective "game" in order to win, seek revenge etc.
Using Taichi as an example, Taichi's battle for Chihaya's heart is such a roundabout way (karuta) that, in the end, it won't get her to be aware of his feelings, especially considering how oblivious she is.
Ultimately, he will have to confess to her in a direct manner, but karuta is the means that will give him the courage to do so.