#yamashiro rion

[homolobotomized]

[choujinx]

CHIHAYAFURU (2007-2022) by suetsugu yuki

[ikuhara]

from Yuki Suetsugu's twitter @ yuyu2000_0908

[mirrorcities]

[icedmo]

Tiny lil yama-chan

[deliciousdetectivestranger]

Many won't like my opinion but I truly don't think Shinobu's grandmother's thinking that Shinobu will create an era where Karuta players flourish is correct.

Yes, it's true that like Plum Blossoms Shinobu blooms before everyone else but she isn't much of a team player. She told Arata during 2and year that exceptional players are those who play alone and was furious at him for creating a team during 3rd year. In fact at the beginning of Queen match against Chihaya despite how much both Koishikawa and Yuikawa have helped her for months kept insisting that she needs no one.

While it's true that the condition to be allowed to stay at her grandmother's house was that Shinobu needs to excel at something and her mother was no help it just highlights the fact that whenever Shinobu looses she unravels so she doesn't get the chance to grow properly.

And if it's the matter of Shinobu not being accepted by peers then neither is Chihaya but the latter does her best to make them understand her passion and she listens to them as well.

Plus Chihaya is the one who knows most players better because she doesn't mind opening herself in front of others and they too confide their feelings, thoughts with Chihaya.

Maybe Shinobu will begin that era but it's Chihaya who will be the core.

[chi-ha-ta-chi]

[senjo]

[otaku-shipper]

Yuki Suetsugu's drawings

[formashimataichi]

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.

[natsumi-no-hotaru]

Chihayafuru #42: They call this mountain wind the witherer 

AKA. Can you read with all the colors of the karuta?

[Previously: Ambition ran wild as Mizusawa set to do the harder thing of being the best in Japan together]

Watching the 42nd episode is alike a slow trudging climb in less than ideal weather - rewarding at the end but somewhat aggravating in how long it took for things to heat up. 

The match started out with Fujisaki’s domination as all of their players swiftly took one card after another, with the aim of putting their newcomer opponent on a path of self-destruction. The speed of Fujisaki is impressive but nothing that new or unexpected. In Shi-chan’s words, the match was pretty boring.  

Certainly, against such strong and experienced players, it would only be right for Mizusawa to get overwhelmed and take their time to get their bearings. The one-sided beginning was not what dragged the match down but the flat and bland Fujisaki boys and their dull displays. We are given brief shots of their individual techniques, like the spider-like low posture of Nishida’s opponent, or the so-called Thunder Fall secret technique of Tsukuba’s opponent, but have yet to see how they actually work in battle. Perhaps we’ll get to see more of them in the next episode when the spotlight moves over the boys? Even if that is the case, it makes more sense to keep the focus on just the Fujisaki captain and Rion and leave the rest for the next episode. 

The aborted attempts to elaborate on the Fujisaki are followed by the captain’s reflection of Coach Sakurazawa’s pragmatic approach to karuta and her stamina-enhancing training. It does break the common stereotype of spartan training with burly male coaches, and is also unexpected because Sakurazawa didn’t give off the vibe of train-your-body-train-your-mind in previous episodes, focused as she was on coaching Rion. But then she did take out one of the twins in the lineup because of his strained knees, so this characterization is not without pre-existing groundwork. 

Sakurazawa’s method certainly yielded outstanding results, given the status the karuta club enjoys in Fujisaki. We already know that Fujisaki is a formidable opponent from the previous episode but this insight into the physical and karuta training regiment - the key to their success - helps us see how Fujisaki got their top dog position and has kept it ever since. No other opponent has been presented in such stark contrast to Mizusawa’s home-grown, self-trained karuta gang - the only thing missing is sparks flying off between the two teams. 

But not all is perfect in paradise as doubts and discontent about Sakurazawa’s decision to send Rion out in the final match are far from settled. There’s plenty of good rationale as to why Sakurazawa would risk replacing a seasoned third-year with class-B Rion: Rion’s unique advantage of familiarity with her grandma’s reading and the more long-term goal of brushing up her younger club members for future tournaments. Strategic thinking aside, whether Rion would prove to be the wonky link in the chain is still up in the air - after all, Chi-chan is no pushover.

Listen to the poetry being read

Though not privy to the information of her opponent’s relation to the reader, Chi-chan quickly picked up on the multicolor quality of Yamashiro-san’s reading and accurately suspected Rion’s ability to hear the colors as to why Rion could take several second-syllable cards on the first syllable right off the bat.

“There’s too much information communicated when Yamashiro-san reads.”

Through the perspective of her grandma, we get a glimpse at Rion as a karuta player. At first glance, Rion seems to have it all laid out for her. She started karuta at a young age and was discovered to have quite the talent for it, thanks to her grandma. However, her genius gave her both a helping hand and a hindering limb. Her heightened sensitivity to the readings by Yamashiro-san and certified readers of her grandma’s caliber translates to a refusal to settle for less, and the inability to adjust her playing to less qualified readers in tournaments and club practice. 

“If there is such a thing as perfect pitch in karuta, that’s what Rion seeks.”

Entering the final with fresh memory and unique personal advantage, Rion may be well-poised to win this match - but that doesn’t mean she would have an easy time doing so. After all, she is not the only player who has peculiarly sharp hearing or associates certain cards with colors, nor the most committed to win.

Though all “May” cards are still in play, Chi-chan successfully took the “May the time we” card. The poem was given the colour of dull green by Kana-chan and in Chi-chan’s mind, it evoked the brief reunions she had with Arata. After such a clean grab for a very special and meaningful card, Chi-chan resolved to pay attention to the sounds of the poetry being read the way Kana-chan would have done in order to take other colored cards and kickstart her groove. 

The injury

Just as soon as Chi-chan picked up some momentum, an unfortunate accident happened when she tried to go below Rion’s cover for a consecutive card grab. The small collision hurt Chi-chan’s index finger and instantly gave Nishida, sitting next to her, and Taichi cause for alarm. 

One might have thought that Chi-chan would need time to recover from the shock of her major injury. Yet, amazingly, she bore up with the pain and took to calming her teammates - which is not uncharacteristic of her but somehow so novel. I was struck, once again, by how much Chi-chan has grown compared to the first season and the sheer leadership aura she exuded at precisely the moments that everyone needs reassurance of reliability the most.

Taichi was so close to abandoning his battle position, lmao.

Bogged down

To no one’s surprise, the other two hopes of Mizusawa struggled with gaining ground over their opponents. Taichi committed a fault because his memory failed him - of all things!! Well, technically, it was because he could remember so well and in his exhausted state, confused the current placement with the one for the last match. And here come the self-doubt and inferiority complex.

I swear, Taichi’s internal monologue is so aggravating to hear at times. Being aware of his opponent’s strength is good but instead of helping him, such knowledge often ended up stumbling him more often than not. 

Like Taichi, Nishida had yet to play at his full potential. 

And Chi-chan, since her “May the time we” card, let Rion take a consecutive card, one situated at Rion’s lower right, which is Chi-chan’s favored stomping ground. She needed to find a way to take cards without letting her injury getting in the way. Though faced with obstacles of her own, Chi-chan did not forget her role as the morale booster. 

The turning point

In a most hilarious of developments, Shi-chan’s presence was discovered as she was spreading COVID-19 to hapless bystanders sneezing. Naturally, she was asked to move to the front by one of the organizers, with the reasoning that the players would be motivated to play better in company of the Queen, lmao. 

“Nobody in this room is interested in playing me.”

Just when it seemed like Shi-chan had lost all interest in the final match, Chi-chan gave her reason to lean a little forward as she took 2 consecutive cards with speed unthinkable for a person with injury. 

Not only did she secure the card on her right side (the likely to be attacked side) but she also swiped the 2nd on her opponent’s right side! The animation again is swift and crisp here - it’s such a joy to witness Chi-chan’s breakthrough. 

"Injury affects the one who caused it more than the one injured.”

Like an unraveling thread ball, Rion’s inexperience in tournaments tripped her up when she least expected it. Had her karuta experience been less sheltered and closed off, she might very well have already come across this not-so-unusual situation - an opponent injured in the middle of the game, or perhaps even herself injured. But this was not the case. Shaken up by the realization of having injured Chi-chan, Rion paid dearly for the loss of her game flow - the two cards which should have been easy for players with good game sense and uninjured fingers, and more to come. 

The stage was all set for Rion to dominate the match, fired up as she was by a strong desire to finally obtain a meaningful victory, to defend this tiny little corner of the karuta world for her own. There is not gonna be a better opportunity anytime soon for a misfit like her. But as I said earlier, against a seasoned player like Chi-chan, she would need to fight tooth finger and nail for that win. 

The tables turned

aka. when you realized that the match got you reeled in

Enduring the pain in her right index finger, Chi-chan took to relying on her middle finger (ahahaha, sorry im so immature) to make precision strikes at the green borders of the cards, something she had practiced as well as done in previous matches to gain tactical advantage. 

“I will become a player who has nothing but her right middle finger and her ears!”

The moment when Chi-chan sent the 4th consecutive card flying with a mere push of her middle finger was nothing short of exhilarating. Her pain was bad enough to rattle her after reaching for the 3rd card so it was just pure extraordinary to witness the lightning speed of her movement (that rivals the Queen herself), in spite of her injury and exhaustion - or perhaps because of her injury? Only one thing is certain, the injury was far from making her weaker or blunting her dogged determination. 

“This injury means nothing. We’re competing to grasp every little sound. If you don’t focus, you’ll fall behind.”

Speaking of the Queen, it’s also time for her memory to get a friendly nudge. 

She finally remembered playing against Chi-chan, who took a one-syllable card from her right side, the most defended area! #airheadqueen

Not so bored now, huh? Especially when Chi-chan got her to think about what she would do if she was playing in Rion’s place. The match obviously had a long way to go before it ended but hey, Arata’s operation Get Shi-chan to Watch the Team Tournament is a resounding success!

Step up your game, boyo x4

aka. The Worth-it moment of 5 becomes 1

“Two girls have gotten injured playing their hearts out.”

No truer word said in this episode. And it’s by none other than the person who needed to get his game together the most - Nishida. 

It’s evident to anyone with eyes sitting nearby that Chi-chan suffered an important injury. And if she could get 4 consecutive cards, regardless of said injury, against an opponent grown up with the reader, then all 4 boys needed to take a good long look at themselves. 

Which is exactly what they did. 

Y’all performing stand-up comedy or what, lmao??

Oh lawd, the slaps. them group faceslaps. I love them so much.

“The passion always comes from Chihaya but this feels different. This is what it feels like when 5 people refuse to give up!”

And that is precisely what I wanted to hear and see all along, since the start of this episode. I can’t wait to see them all doing the best with what they have and giving the Fujisaki a good run for their money, koraa! (yes, its a Colonello from KHR thing)

Until the next time then, folks! Stay home and stay safe!

In the mean time, have a devil!Harada-sensei xD

[terekusart]

Character Dump

I’ve decided to dump the names of all our ocs just so I have a place to look back for reference. Long list of ocs under the cut. You’ve been warned.

Naruto: 

Aisu Yuki Amayako Akane Sarutobi Bitoru Aburame Buki Murosaki Bumi Kuraudo Emikyo Akahana Habisa Hyuuga Haruto Hyuuga Hayate Hyuuga Hideyoshi Hyuuga Hikaru Uchiha Himitsu Akasuna Hygaya Hyuuga Jinsei Shibito  Kakigetsu Hozuki Karasa Uchiha Kasai Uchiha Katsuo Hyuuga Kenko Haruno Kenshi Inuzuka Kichiro Uchiha Kuroku Nara Maigetsu Hozuki Manami Yuki Misaki Mitsuko Otusutsuki Mozukai Senju Naomi Aburame Renko Uzumaki Ryuunosuke Yudoku Sachiko Uchiha Sakkaku Uchiha Sanzu Aian Senpu Suton Chikyu Takai Yuurei Tamangetsu Hozuki Tsukiya Yamanaka Unmei Shibito Yoichi Senju Yuudai Inuzuka Trolls: Aegaeo Minerv Aeolus Anemos Agappi Evalvec Agrius Terako Anapoi Aretis Aragoi Pragoi Arouto Deknee Arkadi Galaka Andros Maximm Acculi Treang Apollio Vitori Artisi Paetra Aurelo Partas Arctur Wolven Apisai Muscae Aragoi Pragon Aurore Lariat Biggad Bawolf Baerak Orsino Chengi Zhenxi Chryso Klimak Corsei Dublon Calixi Baccus Circei Elypsu Caille Mantea Chromo Mimmie Celesi Gliese Coruva Ravena Crucis Sulixx Copakk Abanna Cruxis Caelum Cettis Delphi Genera Dachou Makkai Duchex Mornak Demuse Lulabi Denkei Nengyu Diplos Vitaos Detaki Olisti Detake Anoito Dinyma Enegia Enekos Anagoz Ekatom Vepios Enatos Simeio Evodmo Typhan Epislo Lunari Eukari Prozoa Éclair Xylene Fenghu Shijia Fordxo Gunaim Faerin Titani Gretta Dougge Gilade Mokodo Huziwa Fengha Hirull Darmor Hudnch Jagger Heptag Caputi Horaes Chroni Heleni Athena Hyrull Xirudo Hegaka Zarpun Igetis Genesi Irisui Homoda Isocel Obtuss Ihinto Yannin Indoke Appitu Jakalo Lapine Kympla Kawata Kapito Shigma Kinisi Amniso Kinshi Auraki Kanbae Faoran Korein Sehime Kalist Maeris Kudagi Tsunne Karont Estige Kaitsi Evdenn Limnis Daemon Lethus Lariat Litzia Regina Leando Deveti Lessah Dougge Lyncid Eyacus Matika Kyklos Magina Telosi Mimeru Klonni Mylito Ponieh Marett Poupee Mayann Akonda Moritu Hemaes Mahima Himahi Minori Lileon Marqui Roygal Miso Paetit Norato Akobra Niatst Ihsami Ogodos Aracni Omikro Asteri Oudeis Kenosi Owleyn Hatake Oedett Odille Omicro Thetis Pachuo Teicho Phinus Delfus Pavula Leqqis Phaest Pyrole Pulmos Aerian Regmus Faewyn Reggma Domini Sakuru Kurosu Sakari Naclet Soffie Madine Sedesi Louixe Sashim Wasabb Splata Tatoon Serena Depace Showni Sextap Stenel Rostris Tryton Hymnum Trigno Tessra Trycha Logico Tridon Fooguu Tasuke Nahte Tihses Horshi Tiosam Wenedu Tabula Jayama Vivine Artoir Voluta Arkite Wellow Daimon Yasasi Kyogin Yarrne Bukani Homestuck Humans:

Alex Diego Devin Ghouleye Ethan DeGuise Lukas Quintans Luka Shiroji Lucas 

Gems:

Aqua Aura Quartz Aquamarine x2 Atlantisite Azure Diamond Azurite Azure Pearl Bloodstone Botswana Pink Agate Black Diamond Burmese Ruby Black Pearl Black Star Sapphire Cat’s Eye Carnelian Coral Chalcedony Chariote Danburite Dogtooth Amethyst Howlite Honey Calcite Heliodot Iris Agate Iolite Jet Jade Jadeite Kyanite Lilac Diamond Labradorite Lava Stone Lilac Pearl Lilac Spinel Lilac Zircon Moonstone Marble Matte Lilac Pearl Matte Blue Pearl Mint Diamond Mystic Quartz Mint Pearl Nephrite Obsidian Peach Pearl Peridot Pink Bismuth Pyrope Red Beryl Rose Sapphire Rubelite Rainbow Obsidian Red Diamond Sunstone Seraphinite Scarlet Pearl Silver Leaf Jasper Sodalite Starlight Diamond Turquoise Taafeite Tahitian Pearl Winza Sapphire Zircon

 DC Heroes

Animorph (Grimsley Logan) Beclops Burshido Blackstar Black Lynx (Thomas Kyle)   Eclipser Fangmoth (Morgan Walker)   Fellwing Hellbeast (Griffin Logan) Hex Lyrebow (Neil Queen) Mikael Al Ghul Mandrake (Willow ‘Rose’ Isley)    Mystery Maestro (Quade Nygma) Masamune (Haruki Yamashiro) Ma’att Kent Nightstar (Dainn Grayson) Oceanus (Noah Marius) Psid (Sidney Jones)   Quake (Alan Dorrance)   Rook (Dylan Grayson) Shredder Wolfsbane (Alexander ‘Xander’ Shirogane Maro) Zatanrak Grayson Fire Emblem Abelard Eiskanader Kainus Orion Pyre  Rion Willow Yuuta Slime

Ink

Misc.

Paul Marcus Klein Iris Yameki Scailean Gan Kean Malugack Mischief Chrysos Magante Whilhelm ‘Will’ Schnee Onyx Musaied Kiyoshi Shirogane Silber Argentum Mauve Magante Niniane Belladonna Haruto Himura Eldora Dreyar Shu Yan./Susan Yates Kenshin Ayumu Ryuu Shichirou Toshaka Cobalt Zaffre Lie Zedong Daichi

[mirrorcities]

Postcards included with the Vol.40 Special Edition (2/3)

[icedmo]

Yama-chan doodle from earlier

[recentanimenews]

Chihayafuru is Back! But Where Do Its Heroes Go From Here?

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Why It Works! The fall season is well underway at this point, with last week featuring the long-awaited return of my most highly anticipated property: Chihayafuru. If you’re not currently into Chihayafuru, I wrote a handy breakdown of the show’s many strengths a few weeks ago - feel free to check that out, or just skip the middleman and check out the show itself, because it’s really dang good. But even if you have been keeping up with Chihayafuru, the show’s ever-expanding cast and scope are still giving us a whole lot to keep track of, with close to a dozen personal arcs all spiraling off at the same time.

  Season Three’s first episode offered a graceful refresher for the series so far, and managed to fit in a great deal of summary and exposition without slowing down the ongoing drama. But given the show’s now fifty-episode scope and six year absence, a single episode refresher won’t necessarily cover the breadth of Chihayafuru’s narrative. Starting with the show’s lead characters, let’s dive into the spiraling threads of Chihayafuru’s return, and figure out what long-simmering conflicts the show will finally be addressing!

For Chihaya herself, Season Three seems to be promising a far greater degree of self-reflection, both in terms of her karuta play and her personal relationships. Chihaya spent the first two seasons of Chihayafuru gathering a variety of tactical “weapons,” and is at this point a formidable contender in a physical sense. However, as she herself has come to realize, her play lacks strategy; she’s rarely thinking about the long-term state of the game, and can find herself cornered by an opponent who’s planning beyond picking up the next card. Chihaya’s conversations in this premiere with rival Rion seem to imply this season will be emphasizing her pursuit of a clear strategic foundation for her play, while her talks with Retro and Taichi seem to imply she’ll at last be considering the impact of her behavior on others.

On Taichi’s side, as always, his relationship with karuta is in large part a reflection of his relationship with Chihaya. Taichi doesn’t love karuta in the way Chihaya does, or the way Arata does; he loves Chihaya, and enjoys spending time with her, though he can at times feel a glimmer of the same passion that inspires his best friends. Nurturing Taichi’s own love of karuta is important, but ultimately, his play is inescapably linked to his relationship with Chihaya. Two major characters each seized on that fact in Season Three’s premiere, though with very different conclusions: Retro claimed that “Taichi plays worse when Chihaya is around,” while their new teacher Sakurazawa seems certain that Chihaya is actually the key to Taichi reaching even greater heights. Fortunately, Retro is rarely right and Sakurazawa is basically never wrong, so I look forward to seeing Taichi’s play develop even further!

As for the rest of Mizusawa’s contenders, we didn’t actually see much from them in this premiere, with the group as a whole mostly being represented through a brief appearance by Kana. With the additions of Hanano and Tsukuba to the team, Mizusawa has grown enough that its team actually demands a sub-leader, and Kana clearly possesses the strength and determination to become that leader. Kana’s journey hasn’t really been prioritized by Chihayafuru for some time now, but I’m expecting that to soon change - given her dream of becoming a famous card reader, and the level of play skill required to even qualify as a reader, Kana will hopefully be becoming a karuta force to be reckoned with.

  Kana might actually be receiving some help on that front from an unexpected direction. One of Chihayafuru’s great strengths is its consistent ability to turn former rivals into beloved teammates and allies, and it’s most recently been demonstrating that strength through the ascendance of Rion Yamashiro. Sakurazawa pointed out Rion’s major weaknesses, which all seemed suspiciously Kana-relevant: her lack of a passionate attachment to the game outside of her grandmother, as well as her generally timid and antisocial nature. While Chihaya could very well break through Rion’s barriers by brute force, Kana could theoretically offer a gentler alternative mentor, and one who could benefit from Rion’s own strengths in turn.

Finally, we spent a great deal of Season Three’s premiere focusing on one of my own favorite characters: Midori Sakurazawa, the coach from hell. After spending more of Season Two as the mastermind behind one of Mizusawa’s most fearsome rivals, she’s now become a tutor of our own heroes as well. Sakurazawa doesn’t seem to teach in order to feed her ego, and frankly, it doesn’t seem like she teaches in order to make her students happy, either. Sakurazawa is dedicated to making the best karuta players she possibly can, and in the talented but inconsistent Chihaya, I’m sure she sees a rough diamond just waiting to be polished.

  Chihayafuru’s Third Season is already laying out a wide variety of new character journeys, and we didn’t even get to the Arata/Shinobu side of the narrative. How these journeys will play out is anyone’s guess (unless you’ve read the manga, so don't spoil it!), and I’m eager to see how they all progress and intertwine as the season continues. Please let me know all your own hopes and predictions for Season Three in the comments!

  --------------

  Nick Creamer has been writing about cartoons for too many years now, and is always ready to cry about Madoka. You can find more of his work at his blog Wrong Every Time, or follow him on Twitter.

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

  By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[epiphenomenal]

chihayafuru week day 3 | favourite mentor

"The Fujisaki students really are something. They practice hard every day even when there's no training camp." "Ah. That's 'cause they really respect her... Although Sakurazawa-sensei never won the Queen title, she was the vice-queen, playing for the title five times. She was known as the strongest challenger."

secondhand lessons

Being Fujisaki’s karuta coach isn’t just about gruelling training regimens or necessary ruthlessness. There are lessons that go beyond speed or strategy, things that are less straightforward to learn — which does not stop Midori from trying to teach them.

In the middle of the tatami hall, Rion looks as hesitant as ever. Her posture's wary, defensive, her shoulders hunched against Ayase’s enthusiasm. Yet Midori can see that something’s already beginning to change. Under the onslaught of Ayase’s whirlwind-fierce passion, Rion's exhausted, even irritated — but there’s an edge to that exhaustion that was never there before, a stubbornness starting to show through her tired frown.

Midori watches them. Remembers another clear, bright gaze; a guileless smile which she met again and again across the battlefield, one which grew as familiar as the patterns of their cards.

Having a rival can be a precious, necessary thing. That’s something Rion will learn, too.