(L) Chihayafuru [Manga]

[shanimebib]

Chapter 208

Spoiler:

Ah! Finally, a chapter dedicated to Arata. Chapters like this one is really precious to me!

It was actually nice to see his side of the story for once. We tend to forget that there are people around Arata who cherish him as much as the people around Chihaya and Taichi who cherish those two. People like Murao-san, his sensei, his kouhai-tachi. Seeing them celebrating and even shedding tears for him was simply adorable!

And that Suou-meijin acknowledgement will go a long way for Arata. After all, he was once told that Suou would rather play his opponent when he lost to Harada-sensei to the shot at the Maijin-title.

Also, Chihaya is getting ready for the Queen's title! And she is getting all the tips to challenge our current Queen who happens to found her new weapon... the joy of gadgets lol. Shinobu never ceases to amuse me! <3

Anyways, what came as a whack on the head for Taichi fans is how Chihaya is still so passionate about Arata. That tear swelling in her eyes at the end will be wee bit too much for them I think.

Next Chapter will be in Mid December. That's gonna be a long wait I guess.

Originally Posted by khalessi

Thank you so much for the spoilers. What Chihaya blushes are you exactly talking about?

There had been moments when Chihaya blushed after seeing Taichi returning back to their karuta-circle. Or when she saw him having good time with those around them again. I thought those could lead to something

Spoiler for impression:

until this chapter 208. Unless there is some drastic change in her, Chihaya will probably only ever have eyes for Arata. I am not saying it's impossible to change it. But it will be like collapsing her entire character and rewriting it from the scratch.

Spoiler for Chihaya and Taichi:

Regarding Chihaya's feelings, I wonder if this would go on all the way to the end of the manga. People's feelings change and I have read stories where they do. But Chihaya has been way too affectionate about Arata.

- She misinterpreted Arata's suggestion of playing Karuta together following his confession as "spending the rest of their lives together".

- Arata's confession sent her to total bliss. The world looked brighter to her. The birds appeared as messenger of "making a family" that even Kana-chan noticed.

- The first thing popped up in her mind after Taichi's so passionate confession (one of the most adorable ones I read in manga), as cruel as it might seem, was Arata.

- Her passion for Karuta only matched by her passion for Arata. 208 chapters in, it never changed. All those blushes for Taichi in the latest chapters are nullified with her eyes getting swelled for the boy she likes in a single panel of this manga.

As for Taichi, when it comes to him, fans are disappointed that he neither got to have Chihaya's affection nor a shot at the Meijin-title. But I don't see it like that.

Fans tend to forget that the one who brought the best out of Arata and finally released the beast in him was none other than Taichi. I feel offended as a fan of this manga that Taichi fans overlook such a thing. Taichi has come a long way than they actually think. He is not just chasing after Chihaya and Arata anymore. He has reached a new level. He has an identity of his own. And he has now found new passion in his life in Karuta. And I believe that this will only make him become better. Particularly now that he knows Arata's true feelings for him who he thought only ever considered him as a coward. As much as I love Arata, I love Taichi too. Taichi's journey to find true passion in Karuta is the greatest gift of this manga yet fans don't realize that. And it hurts me.

ps. I still cannot get that hug out of my head from chapter 205. It was one of the finest moments of this manga.

Off Topic: I find it funny how I always think about Kumiko from Hibike! Euphonium when I think about Chihaya lol. Probably because their characters are so polar opposite and probably because so many people I came across never truly understood Kumiko's character and saw her as a simpleton as Chihaya.

[Ulin]

Originally Posted by shanimebib

Chapter 205. Probably one of the best chapters of this entire manga.

Spoiler:

Arata crushed Taichi. It was so one sided that I am not sure anyone was expecting such an outcome. But that hug in the end. That hug! Didn't expect Arata to breakdown in tears and hug Taichi like that. He really cherishes Taichi. Taichi hugging him back and crying like that was also so unexpected. It seems like they really had been holding back for all these years!

While Arata always wanted to break the wall between the two, Taichi was always holding back. So, Arata had to force his way through to break that wall! I wasn't expecting such a beautiful chapter. T_T

It's not the Karuta of Rivalry. It is the Karuta of Friendship that has won.

I am not sure how to explain this chapter. It was simply amazing. T_T

I've just read this chapter, and I can't agree more with you in this. Probably one of the best in the entire manga no doubt. It stings a little that the main character has nothing to do in one of the best moments, but on the other hand, it shows how important are those two for the story and us.

Now I want the story to reach one more year so we could see Taichi as a challenger facing Arata as the Meijin, but sadly I guess it would be impossible

[shanimebib]

^that's actually very likely if the anime boosts the manga sales yet again.

Anyways, it is highly likely that the manga is going to enter Arata's part of the story now (which is reflected on the disappointment of a group of fans). But I doubt how much ground he can make up given that Taichi enjoyed 8 out of every 10 chapters up until this point since the beginning of the manga.

I think they won't admit but what hurt Taichi fans more is not Taichi's crushing defeat but

Spoiler:

him admitting to Kana-chan that his feelings for Chihaya is gradually fading over time.

Basically they don't want to see Taichi grow up through his unrequited love.

I don't care what fans think of Taichi's one sided feelings for Chihaya. He might have dumped his girlfriend for Chihaya, built a club for Chihaya, confronted his demonic mother for Chihaya, withstood the pain of seeing Chihaya looking only Arata's way, but all of this he did was to get Chihaya's love. There was no selflessness in it because he was ultimately doing it to get Chihaya's love - for himself. There was nothing in him that he was genuinely doing for himself other than trying be Chihaya's number one. The "never getting better than Arata" was only a drive stem from wanting to be Chihaya's number one. But Chihaya's rejection made him find passion in Karuta. He finally found something he wanted to do for himself. What happened to Chihaya in her grade school years when she grew out of Chitose, the same thing happened for Taichi in his final year of high school as he grew out of Chihaya, both because of their new found passion for 'Karuta' - ultimately what the manga is founded upon.

Chihaya returning Taichi's feelings, if it is meant to happen, will have to happen after, say, another 100 chapters at the very least. She is still passionately in love with Arata. It's not some stupid high school girl's infatuation or mistake over her passion for Karuta like Taichi fans claim it to be. Her connection with Arata is deeper than Taichi fans can ever understand. The stupid high school girl in Chihaya leaves her when it's about Karuta and Arata only. The author has shown time and again that when one of them thinks of the other, the other reciprocates the thought the exact same way. That's how deep their connection is, which is also shown in the latest chapter (ch. 208) for the record.

[shanimebib]

Slightly related: BeLove, the manga where Chihayafura is serialized is going monthly after the December 28th issue. Which means Chihayafuru will become monthly yet again.

There was a time when the manga was published in every alternate circulation of BeLove. Only very recently the manga went fully fortnightly.

Chapter 209 will be released today (2018-12-15).

[shanimebib]

Chapter 209

Spoiler:

Chihaya finally entering the world of Shinobu-chan's Karuta! Meanwhile, Arata and Shinobu are sparring partners! They are gonna level up soon at this rate! Those games were super close btw!

Next chapter will be on Dec 28th. Then the manga will become monthly.

[1001010]

Damn, this thread has been dead since 2018. Anyone still read it? The "Chiha" take finally happened last chapter. Looks like both Arata and Chihaya will win their matches and be crowned the titles. They'll most likely get together in the end or in the spin-off content. One volume to go.

[Blaat]

Final match has been dragging on for years now so I'm glad it's finally ending.

[1001010]

Chihaya and Arata won, nice. Sorry Taichibros, maybe he will find someone in college. Last chapter will have more than 80 pages.

[bastek66]

Oh shit, last chapter spoilers are up https://harunokazesblog.tumblr.com/p...0163574636544/

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by bastek66

Oh shit, last chapter spoilers are up https://harunokazesblog.tumblr.com/p...0163574636544/

I hope it's legit.

Spoiler for discussion:

If so, it's a good ending. I always thought that it was only fair to have one boy win at karuta and the other win at love. It just wouldn't do to have one of the boys get both. I mean, it would be such a selfish ending. This is a story after all, it's not real life. Real life can be totally unfair but stories need some sort of balance to it.

[Kuroageha]

Saw it coming when she overhead him saying he was moving on from her .

[scififan]

Arata only shows surprise when he learns that Chihaya is going out to Taiichi. So, Arata's love is karuta afterall.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

I hope it's legit.

Spoiler for discussion:

If so, it's a good ending. I always thought that it was only fair to have one boy win at karuta and the other win at love. It just wouldn't do to have one of the boys get both. I mean, it would be such a selfish ending. This is a story after all, it's not real life. Real life can be totally unfair but stories need some sort of balance to it.

Me too, but I thought it'd be funnier if it was the other way around.

[Kanon]

We did it, Taichibros.

[dark44]

Worest end i never liked taichi but whatever i stoped reading long ago

[nikita22]

Originally Posted by 1001010

Chihaya and Arata won, nice. Sorry Taichibros, maybe he will find someone in college. Last chapter will have more than 80 pages.

Looks like it's Arata who needs to find someone in college.

[grecefar]

Well now I know that I don't need to read this.

[SuitUp]

I think mostly everyone knew Arata was boned when he won his match, no writer in this situation (ie 2 guys pinning for the same girl and the same prize) would ever commit to having one dude win at both, specially when the guy that lost at their chosen trade is the single most popular character of the series.
Not that I agree, I woulda prefered one guy winning at both and the other one finding his way doing whatever else but I cant blame the writer for splitting the baby.

[SirCopert]

So Taichi won, huh.

[1001010]

Holy kek, so she went for the ending to make her largest fanbase happy. Sad outcome, but not surprised since the Taichi fans were ruthless to her on social media. My friend who reads Japanese said the chapter is a bit weird in how it handles some things and apparently the three characters won't be reunited in Tokyo since Taichi is studying in Kyoto, kek. And there's an NTR joke from Arata at the end.