LogFAQs > #888777806

1. Chihayafuru 2
https://myanimelist.net/anime/14397/Chihayafuru_2

There has been debate over what was the best year in anime. The two years that come up most frequently are 2007 and 2011, one of the shows that aired towards the end of 2011 was Chihayafuru. Despite being well received by fans and among the best shows in an extremely stacked year (Steins;Gate, Madoka, Penguindrum, Fate/Zero all aired that year) it was touted as one of the best, even so a second season seemed unlikely... but it happened.

Technically Chihayafuru is a sports show. It's about Chihaya, a beautiful girl who has the looks to be a model but instead wants to play a game called Karuta. For those uninitiated Karuta is a game where cards are laid face up and players are given a short time to memorize the positioning. Afterwards a reader will read off one of the poems and they have to grab the card associated with it. For a game that sounds kind of boring the anime makes it among the most intense matches I've seen. It's one of the key differences in Chihayafuru and a show that focuses on another game that by nature can be somewhat boring to watch (Shogi in March Comes Like a Lion). Like 3-gatsu no Lion Shogi is just something the character does at times and they don't really put the same emphasis on it like Chihayafuru puts in their Karuta matches. It's a big different in passion and it comes through in how entertaining and exciting the show is to watch.

In the first season there is that scene where Chihaya takes her first card and from there she starts to practice as much as she can. It's feelings like that that make the show, and there are a ton of them. The story is generally set into different with minor romance elements and such built in. But the formula is very sports anime based overall. There are tournaments and the main cast getting stronger together, etc. On top of that Chihaya has a goal to become the Queen, or the best female player in Japan. However, despite her natural talent it's clear she has a long way to go.

The second season introduces a new member, Sumire Hanano. At first she seems a little out of place, but quickly it seems like she's a natural part of the group and show. On top of that the second season starts to explore more of each of the primary casts feelings and struggles (although most of them do have to do with Karuta in some way). Of course, Chihaya gets center stage, as she should. She is absolutely captivating to watch.

The overall art work, animation, and sound direction is top tier. If it wasn't for the absolute masterpiece in soundwork Knights of Sindonia S2 this would be what I'd call the golden standard in that regard. Like every sound cue, when they swipe at the mat, even simple things like the reading of the poem is just undoubtedly high quality. Things like the color choices and especially the shading in terms of the look of the show are beautiful.

Chihayafuru is an anime that combines the heart pounding tension of a sports show with the emotional rollercoaster of something you'd more likely find in different shoujo anime. And it married these two elements wonderfully. It might never get a season 3, but I said the same thing about this one.
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Kokoro's Anime Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaIA0gY11FQ_Zh6kLSam5OA
Updated: July 27th, 2016.