Chihayafuru 2 - 11

"I Feel As Though My Body Is On Fire With Ibuki Mugwort"

They're sure milking every drop of the anticipation for the Arata-Chihaya-Taichi meeting.

It can be kind of difficult to watch Chihayafuru 2 and see the change that's come upon relationship between the original five members of the Karuta club. It's always tough to watch something so special come apart over time, and that's exactly what's been happening between Komano and the rest of the team. In his always selfless manner, Komano has allowed himself, the weakest player of the senpai, to drift off into the shadows as a supporting role and his teammates, particularly Nishida, are upset to see him do so. It's not really about how much better the team would be off with or without Komano playing, but about him losing his passion to play, about losing him as a starter and an integral member of the original five. Nishida himself seems to be horrified to think that Komano may give up being a starter, just as he gave up on Karuta when it became too difficult, and he doesn't seem to place much value in information gathering compared to being an actual player. However, as Chihaya points out in her ever maturing thinking process, watching matches is just as, if not more, tiring than playing them, and the information Komano accrued for the team cinches Mizusawa's first victory in the playoffs.

I can really understand both sides of this problem. Being part of an exclusive group, the original members of a club in this case, is a special bond the kouhai can't really intrude on until they've become senpai themselves. Watching that group dynamic fall apart is upsetting, particularly when it seems that someone you fought alongside is losing interest in the game. However, Komano, as always, is a strategist, and he understands that there are things that must be done in order to ensure victory. Just as Chihaya's choice to face off against a B player increases the chances of Mizusawa advancing, so too does Komano being given the time to gather intel. His passion for Karuta lies in the bond between the club members and in doing what he can to see them win, even if his talents are best suited off the tatami. After all, wars are not won by throwing all your manpower at each other blindly; they're won when someone realizes a side flank is left unguarded and accordingly plans an attack.

However, Taichi indulges Chihaya in a moment of honorable indecision. Is it really a victory if they don't pit their best players against each other to prove superiority? It's interesting to note that even though Taichi considers this, he's also hoping that the opponent team will take them seriously enough to change the player order, but clearly they don't consider Misuzawa a threat at all. Chihaya is now up against the former West representative of the Queen match, and this might just be the game that disqualifies Mizusawa for good. Meanwhile Arata's gotten away with his violation of the rules with nothing but an essay and being banned from watching the team playoffs, though Shinobu seems to be sticking around (wearing Arata's pants) in his company for a while. It's starting to get stifling, waiting for the inevitable meeting between the three childhood friends, but I'm not surprised if that meeting signifies a change in focus from the external factors of this season back to the internal character interactions of the first.