#shinobu and arata have been alone for so so long and now they finally have a support system of friends!!

[beldaroot]

right, what's all this then? mentally and physically supporting your “rival”? 🤔 seems a bit fruity to me! 

[formashimataichi]

On a more productive note: Suetsugu had an interview recently to celebrate forty-five volumes of the manga being released. She talked about the illustrations and poems she chose for the new 2021 calendar, as well as her thoughts about the series soon coming to a close. I’m going to try to compile all of the contents here. I’m not a translator myself in any sense, and am mostly going to be using online translators and the context of the poems to sort of get the gist of what she’s saying. I figure it’s better than nothing. Hope you enjoy! 

The first illustration is of Taichi. 

The accompanying waka poem roughly translates to: I waited all night to hear the first sound of the lesser cuckoo at the beginning of summer, and when I turned to the voice thinking I could finally hear a cry, there was no lesser cuckoo, but the dawn moon was floating. 

Suetsugu says she chose this poem because the lesser cuckoo is a bird that announces the beginning of summer, but it is also in a sense a “time bird” (this has to do with the way the word is written) and a bird which laments an inability to return home even though it wants to. There’s also an additional note she makes about the narrator of the poem projecting onto the cuckoo—the narrator has a desire to see things which do not necessarily exist, and as a result is unable to see other important things. This is the part she connects to Taichi, and the interviewer makes a side note of Taichi being a hard and dedicated worker, but nonetheless someone still unable to understand Chihaya in some ways (although I think recent chapters show his understanding of Chihaya is expanding). 

The next illustration is of Arata. 

The accompanying waka poem roughly translates to: The first frost came this morning. If you want to fold it by hand, I will fold it by guess. The beautiful white chrysanthemum flower is white all over with frost. (I am honestly confused about the second line; it doesn’t sound right, but that’s what I got after putting it through three different translators.) 

Suetsugu first notes that the poet is very revered, and for far more complex and “meaningful” poems, so one might wonder, why did she pick this one? She answers that in researching about him, she learned about the poet’s witty character and his ability to “breathe” life into a poem. This poem is simple, but it conveys a familiar feeling. It’s a scene where Arata finds beautiful white chrysanthemums on the road and offers them, with the sentiment of, “I offered these to you!” The act of picking and presenting wild chrysanthemums from the road is a confession, with no expectation or pretense. It’s an innocent and simple act. 

Suetsugu and the interviewer also go off on a tangent about Fukui, as the snow scenes in the region are what inspired her for this illustration. Suetsugu says that Fukui almost feels like a second home for her because she visits so often and is welcomed so warmly by family each time.

There’s then a short segment where they discuss the series coming to an end soon, and Suetsugu explains that all she can do is draw, and she wants to draw all of the characters’ feelings, though obviously she can’t. The interviewer asks her if she knows what the end game is yet, and Suetsugu answers that she doesn’t. She’s toying with the idea of who will win (in the matches), but the last scene of the series is “floating”, meaning she already has a general idea of it. She knows there is this last scene that she wants to draw no matter the outcome of everything else, but it’s difficult figuring out how to get the characters there successfully. She wants to get them there without the characters saying, “I won’t forgive you for this trip!” or “Why did you drop me in this place?” as if they were dropped on an uninhabited island. The interviewer also notes, “It seems that the foreshadowing from the previous forty-four volumes is exploding in various places.” 

On another tangent, they begin to talk about Kuzuryu-san, the full-time reader who made an appearance in the last few chapters. Suetsugu says she always wanted to draw her story, and that Chihaya and Suoh are critical to bringing out her strength. I think it’s another case of Suetsugu wanting to put an emphasis on the beauty of readers as well, and how much some players appreciate and acknowledge them. This conversation also branches off into the interviewer noticing that Suetsugu highlights a broad range of people in her narrative, and her asking if this is on purpose. Surprisingly, Suetsugu says this actually wasn’t initially her intention. She intended to focus on four characters only—Chihaya, Arata, Taichi, and Shinobu, I assume—but because the series became popular and long lasting, it allowed her to expand her scope and be able to tell many other stories about a wide range of people. 

And finally! The final illustration discussed is of Chihaya. 

The accompanying waka poem roughly translates to: Flowers have bloomed in Nambatsu (a port in ancient Osaka Bay), and the flowers that have been in hiding all winter are blooming, saying, “Spring has come.” 

Suetsugu first notes that the importance of the song is in the fact that flowers will always bloom, over and over. The poem has a limited amount of syllables due to structure, but it still emphasizes twice on the phenomenon of flowers blooming, a device here referred to as “love repetition”, and perhaps implying the idea of loving someone or something repeatedly (although this is something I’m unsure on, in all honesty). I think it fits Chihaya’s character in the sense that she’s always a character blossoming into someone new, due to constantly learning from her experiences, peers, and mentors. 

The interview now moves to its close, with Suetsugu explaining she’s also included illustrations of Tamaru and Hara, Inokuma and Sakurazawa, Kyoko and Kuzuryu, etc. She hopes as always that karuta is a sport that can reach all ages, and emphasizes on the importance of it being a sport where one can’t survive alone. The interviewer notes that this is a callback to what Harada said in the first volume: As for kids, no matter how good they are, or how much they like karuta, if they don’t have friends, they can’t continue. Suetsugu ends on the note that it’s a lot of fun to have friends you can work with, because it makes your experiences more “rich”. 

If you happen to be fluent in Japanese and find any issues here, please do let me know as I’ll correct them immediately! I think the only parts where I really had trouble understanding what translators were outputting were the poems (which makes sense given they’re classical poems). The rest of the interview was mostly straightforward. I also promised earlier to make an instructions post on how to order the calendar, as I believe it’ll start being sold next week, so I’ll try to have that up soon as well. I hope any of this was enlightening or understandable to all of you! 

[biribirichan1]

Chihayafuru birthday gift fic to @rainbowreflects! Prompt given: Sunshine. Set after the latest chapter (225).

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Suetsugu

…

Coming down the stairs the shrine at Omi Jingu, Taichi blinked at the sunshine streaming through the trees.

Suddenly, he saw a beautiful vision at the foot of the stairs – Chihaya, breathless and barefoot, in her pale green hakama. “I must be seeing things again,” Taichi murmured.

The vision of Chihaya didn’t disappear. Instead, she (it?) sat on the stairs wailing, “I don’t know what I can do to beat Shinobu anymore.”

“Do visions appear so solid?” Taichi wondered. Moreover, why was his vision crying? The last time he imagined Chihaya, she looked so happy to be at Omi Jingu with Arata, playing at the very peak of the karuta world.

The volume of the wailing increased and the shrine goers started to notice and point.

This must be the real Chihaya then, Taichi mused. Why was she crying? And why was she so far way from the karuta hall in bare foot?

Taichi started to descend the stairs, wondering what to do. It had been so long since he and Chihaya were alone together that he wasn’t sure if he could appear natural. What could he even do? He remembered the last time Chihaya was crying in his presence, and cringed at the memory.

“You walked out of the karuta club, stole her first kiss, and now you want to comfort her?” his inner critic raged. “Don’t be so self-serving.”

Taichi took a deep breath in counting. One. Two. Three. Slowly he exhaled, counting again. One…two…three…

He could feel his head clearing and his anxieties calming down. Making a mental note to thank his younger sister for this tip - Rika had been loudly telling his mom what she learnt at a mental first aid camp held at their father’s hospital – he countered his inner critic.

“I made a mistake. I don’t have to suffer for it forever,” he reasoned. Making up his mind to tell Chihaya sorry for that stolen kiss, no matter how embarrassing it would be, he assessed his options on what to do. He sighed again. There was only one correct option, wasn’t there? Chihaya was his friend before he was his love. And his friend was in distress – he had to help her.

He descended some more steps. “What if you fall apart again?” a small voice in his head asked.

Taichi stilled. What if he did fall apart again? He broke when he left the club, and the following months had painstakingly put himself back together again, pouring love on himself and all his scars. Telling himself, he was good enough. That karuta didn’t define him. That Chihaya’s love didn’t define him. He was who he was. Could all those months of hard work be undone just through one encounter with Chihaya? Just as he was finally, finally moving on?

He looked at her sitting in the cold, hair glistening in the sunshine. “There’s nothing embarrasing about losing when you’ve tried your best!” Chihaya’s voice rang in his head. There were so many memories he had with this girl. Working hard at karuta, building the club, teaching their kouhais, winning tournaments – so many precious memories. He thought of them standing together side by side, here at Omi Jingu, just a year and half ago and praying for their success. His heart swelled with emotion, and right there underneath the beautiful red of the Omi Jingu shrine – his pain broke. And the cards that had been black for so long sparkled to life with colour. He could breathe again, see again, feel again. His body felt light.

He looked back at the shrine, glistening red in the sunshine. He wondered which was more red – the shrine or the emotion overflowing in his heart.

Chihayaburu Kamiyo mo kikazu Tatsuta-gawa Kara kurenai ni Mizu kukuru to wa

“Even in the age of gods, I’ve never seen a red like the water in Tatsuta river,” Taichi recited softly. He felt like he finally understood the poem. Understood what it meant to really love someone.

“I’ll be okay,” he reassured his heart. “Sometimes in life, you love and you lose. But that’s okay. An unrequited love won’t kill me. I’m stronger than that, you know?”

Descending the stairs, he reached out and called, “Chihayaaa.”

…

Hope you have an amazing birthday, Chiaki chan. Sending lots of love!

[somegirlsnerdywords2]

Anime i’ve Watched

That begin with a C!

Yep this is how i’m going to bring over all the anime and manga i’ve watched and posted about on the old blog. It’s not so detailed but it will have to do. Anything new I watch or read from this point on will have their own posts.

Cardcaptor Sakura:

Genres: adventure, comedy, drama, magic, romance, fantasy, school, shoujo

Synopsis:  Sakura Kinomoto is your garden-variety ten-year-old fourth grader, until one day, she stumbles upon a mysterious book containing a set of cards. Unfortunately, she has little time to divine what the cards mean because she accidentally stirs up a magical gust of wind and unintentionally scatters the cards all over the world. Suddenly awakened from the book, the Beast of the Seal, Keroberos (nicknamed Kero-chan), tells Sakura that she has released the mystical Clow Cards created by the sorcerer Clow Reed. The Cards are no ordinary playthings. Each of them possesses incredible powers, and because they like acting independently, Clow sealed all the Cards within a book. Now that the Cards are set free, they pose a grave danger upon the world, and it is up to Sakura to prevent the Cards from causing a catastrophe! Appointing Sakura the title of "the Cardcaptor" and granting her the Sealed Key, Keroberos tasks her with finding and recapturing all the Cards. Alongside her best friend Tomoyo Daidouji, and with Kero-chan's guidance, Sakura must learn to balance her new secret duty with the everyday troubles of a young girl involving love, family, and school, all while she takes flight on her magical adventures as Sakura the Cardcaptor. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 8/10

Finished airing in 2000 with a total of 70 episodes. 

My Thoughts: A childhood classic that’s probably due for a rewatch! Give me that nostalgia! Gonna need to watch the English opening though. Just recalling how much the artwork in older anime tends to make me cringe though looking back Cardcaptor doesn’t look all that bad. 

Charlotte:

Genres: drama, school, superpower

Synopsis: While on the surface Yuu Otosaka appears to be just another charming and intelligent teenager, he has a secret—he has the ability to slip into people's minds and fully control their body for five seconds at a time. Yuu has been using this skill for years to gain the highest grades, which allowed him to enter a prestigious high school. When the enigmatic Nao Tomori catches Yuu using his power, she coerces him and his sister Ayumi into transferring to Hoshinoumi Academy, a school for students with supernatural abilities. The student council of the school, led by Nao, is tasked with secretly tracking down adolescents who abuse their powers. Yuu is forced to join the student council and together, they face formidable challenges that bring him closer to the shocking truth that his own, seemingly incomplete ability, might be more powerful than he could have ever imagined. An original story from Jun Maeda, creator of Angel Beats and Clannad, Charlotte explores the supernatural lives of these teenagers and the price they must pay for being special. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 9/10

Finished airing in 2015 with a total of 13 episodes. Also has a separate solo special episode. 

My Thoughts: If I remember correctly the final few episodes are what really stood out to me in this anime. The beginning was alright but just after the half way mark is when it really blew me away. A slow starter if you will. I’m a sucker for some high intensity emotional drama and i’m pretty sure that’s what happened here. Whether that makes this a good anime or not is debatable. Perhaps a rewatch is in order?

Cheer Danshi!! (Cheer Boys!!):

Genres: sports, drama, school

Synopsis: After suffering from a shoulder injury, shy first-year university student Haruki Bandou gladly takes the opportunity to give up judo, failing to find happiness in the sport regardless of his family owning a dojo. He did not expect, however, that his best friend Kazuma Hashimoto would also decide to leave their university's judo club at the same time as him. Despite Haruki's protests, Kazuma already has plans for a new and revolutionary activity: a cheerleading team made up of only men. Although heavily reluctant, Haruki ends up helping his friend set up the team. Through sheer determination, and with support from their newfound club members, Haruki and Kazuma persist in founding the Breakers, the first ever all-male cheerleading team of Meishiin University, slowly making history in spite of the feminine tag attached to the sport of cheerleading and the prejudices, physical challenges, and self-doubts that inevitably follow. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 6/10

Finished airing in 2016 with a total of 12 episodes. 

My Thoughts: Cheer boys! That’s it. That’s all there really is to it. Not a great or memorable anime. Just wasn’t for me. 

Chihayafuru:

Genres: drama, game, josei, school, slice of life, sports

Synopsis:  Chihaya Ayase, a strong-willed and tomboyish girl, grows up under the shadow of her older sister. With no dreams of her own, she is contented with her share in life till she meets Arata Wataya. The quiet transfer student in her elementary class introduces her to competitive karuta, a physically and mentally demanding card game inspired by the classic Japanese anthology of Hundred Poets. Captivated by Arata's passion for the game and inspired by the possibility of becoming the best in Japan, Chihaya quickly falls in love with the world of karuta. Along with the prodigy Arata and her haughty but hard-working friend Taichi Mashima, she joins the local Shiranami Society. The trio spends their idyllic childhood days playing together, until circumstances split them up. Now in high school, Chihaya has grown into a karuta freak. She aims to establish the Municipal Mizusawa High Competitive Karuta Club, setting her sights on the national championship at Omi Jingu. Reunited with the now indifferent Taichi, Chihaya's dream of establishing a karuta team is only one step away from becoming true: she must bring together members with a passion for the game that matches her own. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 9.5/10

Finished airing in 2012 with a total of 25 episodes. 

My Thoughts: I freaking love Chihayafuru. Sports, friendship and all that good stuff is what this anime has to offer! One of my top 5 series of all time with my all time favourite female lead. Highly recommend! 

Chihayafuru 2:

Genres: drama, game, josei, school, slice of life, sports

Synopsis: Chihaya Ayase is obsessed with developing her school's competitive karuta club, nursing daunting ambitions like winning the national team championship at the Omi Jingu and becoming the Queen, the best female karuta player in Japan—and in extension, the world. As their second year of high school rolls around, Chihaya and her fellow teammates must recruit new members, train their minds and bodies alike, and battle the formidable opponents that stand in their way to the championship title. Meanwhile, Chihaya's childhood friend, Arata Wataya, the prodigy who introduced her to karuta, rediscovers his lost love for the old card game. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 10/10

Finished airing in 2013 with a total of 25 episodes. 

My Thoughts: The good times keep on rolling and i’m even more in love with the series and its characters! An obvious must watch for fans of the previous season. 

Chihayafuru 3:

Genres: games, slice of life, josei, school, sports

Synopsis: Winning the high school team tournament was a great accomplishment for the Mizusawa members. Each of them has made great strides in improving themselves, and the victory symbolizes how far they've come. But after accomplishing one goal, their individual aims are within reach. Chihaya Ayase has her sights set on Wakamiya Shinobu and the title of Queen, and now that Taichi Mashima has made it into Class A, he can finally compete against Arata Wataya. Everyone in Mizusawa wants to get better, and there's no telling what the future holds if they keep trying. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 9/10

Finished airing in 2020 with a total of 24 episodes.

My Thoughts: Blessed with a third season and I can honestly say that i’m ever so thankful! Finally getting a little hint of romance with this third season as well. I can only hope there will be a season 4! 

Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro (Chio's School Road):

Genres: comedy, seinen

Synopsis: For the average Japanese high school student, walking to school can be a chore, but for first-year Chio Miyamo, it's always an adventure. Constantly running late due to her long night sessions playing video games, she is forced to come up with new routes to make it to Samejima Private Academy on time. On her many bizarre journeys to school, Chio contends with obstacles like street-blocking detours, overzealous kabaddi players, and befuddled motorcycle gang leaders. But these minor hindrances are no match for the special ops training that Chio, AKA the legendary assassin "Bloody Butterfly," has received from her extensive gaming obsession. Together with her best friends Manana Nonomura and Yuki Hosokawa, Chio will do whatever it takes to avoid her school's harsh penalties for tardiness. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 9/10

Finished airing in 2018 with a total of 12 episodes. 

My Thoughts: A perfect and hilarious situational comedy. Plus a glasses wearing female lead to boot! Highly recommend for those looking to watch something short and light. Great series for when you’re having a bad or off day in my opinion. 

Chobits:

Genres: sci-fi, comedy, drama, romance, ecchi, seinen

Synopsis: When computers start to look like humans, can love remain the same? Hideki Motosuwa is a young country boy who is studying hard to get into college. Coming from a poor background, he can barely afford the expenses, let alone the newest fad: Persocoms, personal computers that look exactly like human beings. One evening while walking home, he finds an abandoned Persocom. After taking her home and managing to activate her, she seems to be defective, as she can only say one word, "Chii," which eventually becomes her name. Unlike other Persocoms, however, Chii cannot download information onto her hard drive, so Hideki decides to teach her about the world the old-fashioned way, while studying for his college entrance exams at the same time. Along with his friends, Hideki tries to unravel the mystery of Chii, who may be a "Chobit," an urban legend about special units that have real human emotions and thoughts, and love toward their owner. But can romance flourish between a Persocom and a human? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 10/10

Finished airing in 2002 with a total of 26 episodes. 

My Thoughts: One of my first animes and one that really caught and kept my attention. Character driven and comedic with a bit of a darker twist. Be forewarned though this one has some typical, eye roll inducing pervy scenes that seem to serve little purpose. Asid from that though it really is an interesting and beautiful stoyr. I actually have the complete manga series and have been meaning to read it for ages... maybe i’ll get around to it this summer. Dream big!

[somedayillbepeterpan]

The day you became Queen

A Chiharata fanfiction based on Rawaa Eed’s story idea and from Suetsugu’s Couverture series.

I do not own these characters but I do love them.

Hope you enjoy it!

————————

“But if would be a different story if you were playing against Wataya-kun. He’s going to be a Meijin!”

“That makes you the Queen, Ayase-san.”

Chihayafuru, episode 1 (crunchyroll translation).

———————

The memory of him and Chihaya wanting the karuta Meijin/Queen title when they were kids hit Arata hard as he watched Chihaya take her last card from Shinobu making her win the fifth match.

Making her the Queen.

Making him lose the Meijin match.

Chihaya was surrounded by many people congratulating her while his mom, Kuriyama-sensei, and Murao-kun tried their best to come up with words to console him. Arata could hear their voices. He even noticed how his dad was looking sadder that he expected him to be.

He could hear their voices but he could only look at Chihaya.

Didn’t we make this dream together? Why did I lose? Why did I lose?

With feet that felt like lead and heart beating so fast, he approached Chihaya and her group.

“Chihaya…” those big, bright eyes looked up to him. Chihaya, from the moment he’s met her, was very easy to read. He could see it. See the pride and joy that she’s feeling. But she wasn’t smiling as widely as he thought she should be.

“Arata…”

Does she feel pity over me? “I—,” Arata tries to speak but his throat is so dry. “Chihaya, congratulations. I just wanted to say that. I need to go now since everyone is waiting for me but I’m so happy for you. You deserve it. You are a Queen.” My queen.

“Arata…” He loved the way Chihaya says his name but he knows that if he stayed, he would break down. He looks over her shoulder and he sees Chihaya being led out by her parents along with the group of people who supported her. He sees Taichi beside her. He hurried away, wanting to get away from everyone’s expectations. Wanting to get away from that sight.

He got to the shrine’s steps when he heard Taichi calling him. “Arata,” Taichi called. Arata doesn’t face him. Can’t face him. “Taichi,” he says with his back facing him. “Thank you for bringing me here. Take care of Chihaya.” He tried to walk off but was stopped by Taichi.

“You’re not giving up, right? You’re not running away again, right? I’ve never known you to be a coward. You could do it. Nobody else could have done it. You pushed Suo-san to 5-matches. You won fair and square in the beginning. You pushed him to using his voice literally and to realise that he still wanted to be the Meijin. That in itself is something to be proud of. You can’t give up.”

“I don’t know if I can still fight. Not right now when I can’t be at Chihaya’s side. I wanted to be by her side. I wanted to be someone she deserved,” Arata said quietly. Slowly. Trying to hold the tears that’s about to tear his heart out.

“You know that she doesn’t care about all that, you idiot!” Taichi shouted. Arata could feel the deep judgment from Taichi. Arata ran away. Ran away even as he heard Taichi call his name over and over. Even without saying goodbye to Chihaya. Even without seeing her for the last time. Besides, she has Taichi. He doesn’t have a place in her life anymore.

It’s just like when I lost Grampa.

———————-

It’s been a week since the Meijin/Queen tournament. Over the past week, he received so many messages— of encouragement, of lament, of continuing support. But the person who his filled his inbox (and heart) the most was Chihaya.

She has called him 50 times over the week and sent so many messages. She kept saying that if it wasn’t for the entrance exams, she would have come here, in Fukui, in his house to talk to him. His mind and heart kept wondering what she would say.

But she never came. And he never answered back.

—————

The day came for Arata to go to Tokyo. He said goodbye to his parents, his karuta society, karuta school club, and neighbors. Lastly, he said goodbye to his grandfather. Arata wonders one more time why he went ahead with his decision to still study in Tokyo even though he hasn’t seen nor talked to Chihaya for months. She was consistent, tried her hardest to know if he still continued his plans to study in Tokyo but he never answered her.

It’s been 2 years of non-stop juggle between university life and work. Arata had gotten used to it but it was still incredibly taxing. It took all his time and he never had any time for others things.

How did Suo-san did it while being the strongest karuta player in the world? I can’t even join any tournament because of how busy I am. I wonder how Chihaya and Taichi are doing?

Chihaya’s messages had stopped coming but she was still the current Queen. Her and Shinobu have had so many rematches now but unsurprisingly, Chihaya always won.

I wonder if she’s with Taichi now. She probably is. She doesn’t message me anymore anyway.

After school, he went to work as way to support himself and to unburden his parents. He was the one who insisted on coming to Tokyo anyway.

I never even bothered to know where Chihaya ended up in university. I’m such a coward. I’m such a coward. But I want to play karuta with Chihaya again, Arata wished to the stars.

Perhaps, the karuta god was listening to him. Or just perhaps, his longing was so strong because when he came out of work, very late that night, he saw a familiar girl looking up at the stars.

“Chihaya?” Arata says, surprised that her name came out of his mouth.

It felt like a dream. Except it wasn’t a dream. Arata didn’t want it to be anyway. “Chihaya?” he said one more time so he can get back to reality. Chihaya was more beautiful than the last time he saw her. There was a maturity there that was probably influenced by being the Queen (and also being in university). She has been going heights for her dream anyway. Her and Shinobu had successfully become professional karuta players and their rivalry attracted big audiences. It even encouraged a bigger rivalry between the daddy bear and snowmaru characters. Arata never bothered knowing who the current Meijin was but he always watched Chihaya’s matches.

Chihaya still hasn’t said anything but she looked like she’s trying her best not to cry. Arata slowly walked towards her. “Chihaya…I—um…how did you find me?”

“You never messaged me back,” Chihaya said quietly, not looking at him.

Am I dreaming? Is the cheerful, bright Chihaya sound angry and sad? Did I do this to her, Arata thought. “Chihaya, I’m sorry. I was stuck in so many things.” Arata was disgusted at the way he was making vague excuses. How can he face this girl, this woman that he had loved since he was a kid? How could he make excuses to this girl who never stopped fighting for her own dream?

“You didn’t even tell me where you were here in Tokyo. You’ve been in Tokyo for two years! You’ve been near me all this time and yet you haven’t seen nor messaged me,” Chihaya finally bursted in tears.

Arata’s heart was hammering inside his chest since he saw Chihaya but now he felt like his heart will come out of his body. To think that she went all this way just to be express her disappointment in him? How could he ever face himself? How could he even try to chase up his dream again. The dream they had together when he ashamedly behaved this way.

“Arata,” Chihaya is now facing him. Her big, bright eyes filled with tears. “Do you still want to be the Meijin?”

His heart stopped but there was only one answer. “Yes. Of course. Yes.”

“Then why aren’t you in Omi Jingu?”

“Because I don’t deserve it. And I don’t deserve wanting or even dreaming of standing up there with you.”

“Who said that? Who gave that idea to you?”

“You are the Queen. You deserved someone who could support you all the way. You deserved someone strong like Taichi. More than me.”

Arata saw Chihaya’s expression grew even worse. Drowning in his insecurity, he couldn’t help himself and asked, “Where is Taichi, anyway?” trying to make his voice stable.

“Taichi this, Taichi that,” Chihaya snapped. “I’m here for you. I’m the one standing in front of you. Do you see anyone with me? I came here for you!” She was fully crying now, her face red in anger and frustration. “Listen to me, Arata,” Chihaya came near him, fully facing him, just inches away from his face. “I’m here for you. I looked for you for so long. I couldn’t do it after the Queen match and I was carried away with what the title brought and what Shinobu and I’s desire to build good credibility to become professional karuta players. But Arata, I was waiting for you. In every tournament, in the qualifiers, I was waiting for you. I’ve always waited for you.”

Arata felt his heart come back to his chest. Wait for me? Chihaya always waited to for me? “You…always waited for me?”

“I thought that I told you that I wanted to be Queen and then will tell you my answer. Why do you always make me wait for you?”

Arata fell silent. A million thoughts ran through his head.  A million excuses.

Because…I thought you didn’t need me. Because I thought I had no place in your life. Because I thought Taichi could take better care of you.

Arata saw how wrong he was about everything. Chihaya knew she was alone in climbing the Mt. Fuji of being Queen. But never once did she waver from wanting that victory. She did it for herself. And she did everything to win that day. And she did it knowing that he was walking parallel to her.

“It was always you,” Chihaya quietly said. “It was always because of you. It was you that I always longed for. It was always you.”

“Chihaya…”

“Let me finish, you idiot! You never gave me the chance to speak after the match. You ran away so fast and disappeared for so long. How could you assume that I didn’t love you back? That I would abandon you when you lost the Meijin match? I became stronger because I always wanted to receive your passion. Loving you and karuta was the only thing I know will never change.”

Upon hearing those words, Arata couldn’t hold back and pulled Chihaya closer to him, giving her a kiss he’s wanted so long to have with her. It felt natural to him that he was kissing this girl, this woman whose heart was always connected to him.

How could he have thought differently?

———————

ARATA: My girlfriend is a karuta freak and the current Karuta Queen. We play almost every day and have romantic breaks in between. She’s helping me become the next Meijin.

——————-

CHIHAYA: My husband is a karuta freak and now had just won his 5th consecutive title to become an eternal Meijin.

[otaku-shipper]

I find the the apartment imagery as something good for Arata to grow out from. He has to let it go. One of Arata's character flaw is his fixation of the past. We see in his second highschool match with Shinobu that the Taichi and Chihaya he imagined to be there are the 12 yr old versions of their selves. It's because both of his friends had walked out of that room and moved on. Arata on the other hand, out of his desire to play with them once again, preserved that memory only to find out in the long run that it prevented him from becoming strong in karuta. Similarly it prevented him from growing as a person to an extent.

Arata just wants a team like what Taichi and Chihaya have. But really, the underlying motive is because he wants to meet and play with them once again that's why he failed to lead his team despite the Fujisaki training, the taking of notes all throughout the high school matches, and he only came to realize this when it ended. He then learned to let go of the apartment image and finally looked at the present and the people who are there with him to help and strengthen him.

However, he went back to that apartment when he fought Koishikawa (was it? the tengu optimist) because it's easier for him to reach out for a future where the 3 of them could be together. Now in the Meijin match, he was wondering if he can only be a solo player. He doesn't realize yet that he will only be a solo player if he keeps playing like he used to--in his comfort zone. The apartment is making him play "solo"; he's always alone there because no one remained, just as Shinobu is alone in that room of poems by dead poets.

His arrogance and underestimation of Taichi is also another thing. He only had this image of Taichi from the past, the boy who showed him his cowardly side, the boy who is not good at karuta. Despite seeing Taichi fight against Chihaya in the Yoshino tournament, it took him until the Meijin Challenger qualifer to realize he has been looking down at Taichi. Or that Taichi had grown considerably strong.

Copying his Grandpa's karuta is due also to his past fixation. The MSA expounded on this and we are told that he copied that karuta because he believed that his Grandpa's karuta is the best. But in the preparation of the Meijin match, Arata was struggling with the pressure of his grandpa's image on him. He was afraid to disappoint those who see Wataya-sensei in his karuta. When his father said that Arata is strong in 216, we hear his thoughts saying "I'm not strong, dad". I find this heavily implying to his own strength, his own karuta and his lack of confidence in it because he had been using his Grandpa's. His advice to Chihaya too in 226 about playing "your own karuta" is hypocritical to his situation.

Thus, in the current arc, I think it is where Arata will be confronted by this fixation. His last match with Shinobu wherein he used the strength of his friends because being alone is not enough to fight that impregnable wall (a.k.a Suo) is already a foreshadowing of where this is going. By doing so, he won't be fighting alone, not a solo player anymore, and he can play his own karuta and not his Grandpa's. Hitting two birds with one stone.

It is admirable that he treasures that memory with Chihaya and Taichi. That's how much he values their friendship. But I think it's time for Arata to learn that letting go of the past doesn't necessarily mean losing the people who were there. He wouldn't lose Taichi and Chihaya this way because, AS LONG AS THEY'RE PLAYING KARUTA THEY WILL ALWAYS MEET AGAIN. Isn't that the motto?

We see it in the creation of the Mizusawa Karuta Club. Chihaya initially made this so she could meet Arata again, but later on she embraced it as something independent from Arata, where her second dream of being a teacher to make Mizusawa into a karuta powerhouse like Hokuo sprang forth.

Arata too needs to look at the people who are presently before him. Appreciate them more. That's how he can enrich and expound his world and himself in connection to these people.

So I'd rather want the old apartment to be put to rest in the end. Arata is coming to Tokyo. Arata, Chihaya, and Taichi are going to make new memories. There will be then a new apartment to speak of.

In his match with Arata for the title of challenger, Taichi realizes that this is the last place he can hope to stand alongside Arata and Chihaya as a trio. Only one person each moves on, and he can’t follow them to the stage. He says as much to Tsuboguchi. Oumi Jingu is no longer my destination. But someone on Twitter was reminiscing about these pages, and I couldn’t help but wonder: what if Taichi’s way to make it to that stage alongside his friends is to become a professional reader?

In retrospect, it’s a bit of a throwaway moment in the manga, but I think it would be poignant. A reader is someone who loves and understands the poems of the Hyakunin Isshu deeply, something which Taichi is finally on the cusp of doing. Earlier, when I was placing my cards, for the first time in my life, I thought of them as dear. Add onto this the fact that during Chihaya and Arata’s matches to challenge for the positions of Queen and Meijin, Taichi’s mental presence is their biggest source of emotional support. Imagine what it would be like if he were to become a professional reader, and read for their games. To instill that same feeling we see in Rion when her grandmother is reading for a match. The desperation. The closeness. The pillar of support you find in the voice of a person you know intimately. From Yamashiro-san to Kuzuryuu-san in Chapter 227: Come back here. Come back here. Come back to the world that keeps us connected to one another.