Overall Review: Chihayafuru 2

Chihayafuru is a phenomenon all of its own.

For anyone familiar with the first season of this series, we all knew what we expected of the second cour. Karuta, character drama, wonderful acting, music, humor, etc. And while Chihayafuru 2 is not the carbon copy of the first series we all expected, it is nevertheless just as intense and special as I remember; just in different ways. I won't go through that list in detail, as that's not what stood out to me this season in particular, nor am I as eloquent as other bloggers who have gone through the topic far more competently and lovingly, but I don't think it's wrong to use a prior assumption that this season, in contrast to the first, is first and foremost about Karuta rather than people. I know that for some, this is a comparison that forces them to pick a favorite method, but I see things a tad differently; though we may not focus on the drama among characters as much this time, I don't really think a Karuta-approach lessens the impact of the series as a whole.

There is one criteria I always use with sports anime, and that criteria is something along the lines of "would I like to play this sport"? Personally I have tried a lot of athletic activities, if only out of curiosity, so this really is a matter of interest to me. After all, if the sports series is not selling its main attraction, why would it be any fun to watch? As bizarre a game as Karuta feels to a Western audience (and as niche at it feels to a modern Japanese one), I have always thought Chihayafuru portrayed the game in just the right way to project an allure. That the series this time around spent so much time on the special nuances of the game and its play only reinforces this for me; yes, I missed Taichi and Chihaya's interactions, I missed focuses on minor characters and interesting in depth and non-Karuta conversations, but even so, these matches were hugely intense and never anything less than a hugely immersive treat to watch.

This stronger focus on the game doesn't really take the rest of the Chihayafuru flavor away either. It's not as prominent, yes, but there are still vivid signs of growth and development, if only slowed because of the slow focus on the high school tournaments. Taichi and Chihaya have definitely changed and grown since season one, and all the characters are still as compelling as ever. The overarching love triangle and drama is more linked to Karuta than ever, but I think that is only fitting, especially when we add Arata into the mix of things. Whatever your reactions to the pacing or focus, or whether you preferred season one over two or vice versa, this was still Chihayafuru through and through, and I can only hope that someday there will be more.