Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Mihal
I feel like this show has one big problem: Karuta.
Karuta is appereantly the only thing, anyone in this show thinks about (except love?) and everything else that they may or may not think about will in some way relate to Karuta and also Karuta will happen to be the solution to whatever physical or mental problem the characters may or may not encounter.
Somewhere in this story, there is a really good dynamic hidden, but instead of exploring the actually interesting character dynamics, or spending some time to actually make the characters more interesting individually, the show for some reason thinks its enough to just hop from Karutatrainingmontage to Karutatournament, i feel like the game has way to much of a focus to actually allow the show to be good. Shows such as Queens Gambit underst…
Read at the sourceRadioactiveCatt
Chihayafuru as a sports anime utilises the greatest strength of the genre first and foremost. It does not matter what sport is actually being played, it simply allows the viewer to easily become invested in the act of playing that sport. Whether that be through the characters emotions, internal monologue or motivations. What draws people to this genre is the passion behind cutthroat competition. The close calls, the wipeouts and everything in between. Most people who see this show will likely never understand the nuances of playing karuta and yet it still does not matter.
Despite that, Chihayafuru does not shy away from leveraging being about karuta. This isn't just about memorisation or mental acuity, these poems have a rich history and deeper meaning for those looking to interpret them.…
Read at the sourceMalorak7
"Impassionate gods have never seen crimson that lies in the Tatsuta River."
Sports anime is awesome, but many people get relatably weary when they heard Chihayafuru being brought up again and again. "What the heck is Karuta? 100 Poets? I'm not from Japan, no clue what that is." But just like Haikyuu taught me to enjoy watching Volleyball and Hajime no Ippo taught me that Boxing is much more than just punching hard, maybe this Anime can make me love one of the most specific sports I've ever heard about!
Well...It didn't. I'm not out here playing Karuta. Mostly because I can't read the cards themselves, they're all in japanese afterall! But does that hurt the Anime at all?
Not even a little.
Chihayafuru is a show about many things beside Karuta. It is about Love. It is about a sport so…
Read at the sourcestrawblady
such a goated series. i loved the first couple episodes, but then it got iffy once they were back in high school. however, once i got used to the rest of the cast, i was sold. as someone who was completely unfamiliar with karuta prior to watching, it does a great job of getting you immediately immersed in the world. i was itching to see more and more matches. i really grew to love all the characters so much even if i initially was uninterested in some of them. their development is so good over the course of the show. i love the passion, the themes, and the neverending love of the game!!! after completing the show in its entirety, i need more!!!!!!! one of my favorites now.
Read at the sourcePookiexdo0kie
This anime is such a great anime and such a great representation for this cultural game
None of these characters are outstanding yet none of them are annoying which is very groundbreaking for a twenty-10s anime
I don't think this anime does an incredible job at explaining the game as there isn't a time where they fully dedicated a segment to explain the the game you grow to understand that there's 100 poems and a couple of verses from each of these poems yada yada yada but if you're not paying attention you're going to lose a lot of the key points of playing the game
Anime, just kind of assumes that you know how to play the game which isn't the best approach, especially if you were a foreign viewer, but if you just pay a little bit of attention, trust you will understand the game
I love th…
Read at the sourceCynthesia
Karuta is a sport that seems made up. It turns out that it’s real but if you told me it was made up for the purpose of this story I wouldn’t doubt it. Even the characters in Chihayafuru don’t really know what it is, it’s truly the nichest of niche. But to call Karuta a sport would be misleading, because it’s so much more than that. It’s something akin to an art form, the relationship between the player and the cards is just as important than the efficiency of their movements and their memorization ability.
In this sense, Karuta is just as much of a character in Chihayafuru as Chihaya, Taichi, Arata, and the rest of the cast. The relationship that each and every one of the characters has with it extends far beyond being a game. For some it’s a representation of their love of the 100 poems…
Read at the sourceelumizu
Chihayafuru offers a vibrant portrait of youth, ambition, and the emotional power hidden within a traditional Japanese card game. At first glance the story revolves around competitive karuta, a game that requires players to memorize classical poetry and react with extraordinary speed. Beneath that surface, however, the narrative becomes a coming-of-age story about friendship, perseverance, and the pursuit of dreams that feel both deeply personal and quietly shared. At the center of the story stands Chihaya Ayase, a high-spirited girl whose childhood dream initially revolves around supporting her older sister’s modeling career. Chihaya’s perspective begins to change after meeting Arata Wataya, a quiet transfer student from Fukui who introduces the world of competitive karuta. Arata’s passio…
Read at the source50Fiftillididee
🃏Poetry & Obsession In Motion 🎎 °8.5° °Excellent° 💯%🔍 some minor spoilers
The new girl at school is HOT. And she's starting a Karuta club - it's a card game - sort of. She dresses and acts /weird/ though. "It's like a waste of hot," says one of the guys.
Chihaya Ayase is tired of track and field. She got too much unwanted attention at the meet, particularly from boys. She starts a Karuta club so that she can make friends. That's how she made her best friends in the past and she misses those days.
Thinking that way takes her back to a rainy day. She got stuck in a downpour with classmate, Arata. They went to his place to dry off, & he taught her to play Karuta. She knows now that it wasn't Karuta, it was his passion that impressed her. Along with Taichi, another classmate who went f…
Read at the sourceReyvanSinaga
This is my first anime with a sports theme, where the sport is a Japanese sport, karuta.
What makes me like this anime is the introduction of Japanese sports, karuta, which is delivered from how to play to the tournament very well.
I also really like each character in this anime when they are in the karuta tournament, for me I feel the tension and my adrenaline is also pumping when watching this anime.
For the shortcomings of this anime, namely because it is spiced up with a romance triangle
The opening and ending of this anime are good and the pronunciation of poetry for the karuta game I also really like
10/10
Read at the sourcewhiteflame55
This series is certainly off to a great start. It's nice to see both the level of independent and team-based character development that goes on in this series, particularly from Taichi who is easily the MVP of the season, showcasing a relatable degree of difficulties during much of the series while simultaneously taking small steps to improve over its course. This series is at its best when its characters are wrestling with where they fall short. In particular, the theme of this season seemed to be overcoming nihilism - nihilism of family that rejects your interests, nihilism generated by having difficult opponents that make ascension seem impossible, nihilism of believing your limitations and personal failings define you, nihilism of being told what you can't or shouldn't do. There's a ce…
Read at the sourceTeramol
I had known that Chihayafuru has been compared to 3-gatsu no Lion in several ways so I always had an interest in it as I absolutely love the latter series so when I got it for my swap this month I was very excited and I can already say that I definitely wasn't disappointed.
Now much like with 3-gatsu, I don't really understand the game that is the main theme of the series, this time it being a Japanese hanafuda card game called Karuta. But also similarly like with 3-gatsu, me not understanding the game fully (although in this case the game is much simpler) did not take away at all from my enjoyment as I believe both series' actual main focus and where they shine the most are the characters.
And speaking of the characters, I flat out just love the main cast of the Misuzawa high school Kar…
Read at the sourcesweetie_ashe
I never thought that I would get so worked up over a show that's based around a card game, but this show holds such a power over my heart and I really hope they continue this in another season because I NEED it. The hidden romance and passion for this game and for their friends is so genuine and unexplainably captivating. It's the type of show to leave you lost when you're finished. The character development and friendships that happen throughout the show is so great. I love the lessons and the well-thought out story of it all and I really do hope we get another season. That is the only disappointing part of the whole show, in my opinion. This show left me on my toes waiting for the next episode and drew out my emotions like no other. Lovely art style and chosen voice actors. This show mad…
Read at the sourceWitchoftheSouth
Chihayafuru is an anime that is rather unknown outside of Japan, as it is about the card game karuta, which is also played almost exclusively in Japan.
The story follows Chihaya and her friends as they form a club for the game at school and take part in various competitions.
I'll lean out a bit now and say that karuta is a sport, so Chihayafuru is a sport or ganbatte anime. Here at least a certain level of fitness is taken as a basis. Speed and stamina seem to be just as important as a good memory in the variant of karuta played in this anime. Admittedly, Chihayafuru doesn't exactly belong to my favorite genre. But this is only due to my lack of interest in sports topics. For those who enjoy this genre and want to learn about Japanese culture, this anime is highly recommended.
Even thou…
Read at the sourcehonodesu
Wow. I mean, wow. Coming into this show, I had really high expectations, and I was still blown away. The charm point of Chihayafuru is not its animation, action, or even plot, but the way the characters are written. Every character, even minor ones with barely any screentime, are endearing yet realistic.
To be honest, the beginning is a little slow, with both main characters being slightly annoying, at least in my opinion. However, this only makes their development even more impressive and helps the viewer attach themselves to the characters. If you can bear with the pacing in the beginning, you'll soon find yourself hooked on karuta, as well as the journey of Chihaya, Taichi, and Arata.
Character development is the real selling point of this show, and if you like watching people grow and…
Read at the sourceIAmSovereign
Lives up to its name. "Chihayafuru" or "passion-full" takes pride and joy affectionately taking you through the poetry, skill, and hard work involved with mastering Karuta from the eyes of an oddly endearing group of hopeful masters and queens.
The lovable airhead heroine Chihaya, the savant with the sexy accent Arata Wataya, the smart, talented boy in Arata's shadow who started following along Karuta for Chihaya(though he won't admit it) Mashima, the genius hardworker yet always second-best Komano, the lover of poetry(and destined to be with Komano) Kana, and the fiery Nishida who plays for fun(and championship).
Karuta remains a sport I still don't know much about, except that I like to watch this specific cast play. The intense love of the sport doesn't come off as overwhelming nor d…
Read at the sourceUsui_007
Chihayafuru felt like something absolutely suitable to my taste in anime, and yet very unique.
Its amazing how an anime can portray a part of the Japanese culture very beautifully, yet ensuring the visualisation of passion for something very niche. Karuta is something very new to me, but after watching this anime, it is something that I definitely want to try. Moreover, I would also love to dive into the world of symbolism because Karuta is a game of poems and symbolisation.
The only thing I felt was lacking is the watchtime of each episode. 22 minutes of watchtime per episode seemed very less, given that chihayafuru has an amazing and indulging plot.
Chihaya, the female MC, has one of the strongest personalities among the MCs that I've come across in SOL genre. Arata is an amazing char…
Read at the sourceevangelionlove
250 WORDS OR LESS REVIEW:
Blends shoujo and shounen sports elements better than I thought it ever could. Deeply rooted in Japanese culture and history. Structurally great; each episode has a clear goal. Structured well in the long haul as well, as it opens the door to a lot of possibilities thematically and for characterization, even if it doesn’t dive into them as much as I wanted in subsequent seasons. Characters are endearing and easy to root for; there’s some hidden depth to them that bubbles under the surface, which, if you pick up on those moments, really shows their consistency. Each of them is shaped by their past, and are either reflecting on it, running away from it, or trying to recapture it, all of which is extremely fitting for Karuta. Maturely handles the romance, as there…
Read at the sourceGuts-Valley
Chihaya, Taichi, and Arata are three friends living in the midst of Japan, torn apart by the need to play a children card games called Karuta. When this Karuta(card game) strikes close to home, its irrevocable effects ripple through the destinies of each of the three.
The anime isn't exactly original, but there are enough wrinkles that, coupled with strong character definition, lead to a occasionally engrossing story. Actually, there are three separate characters that occasionally cross and intermingle. Its basically a love triangle. After the first there episodes, however, each can stand on its own. The one involving Arata-- concentrating on Karuta addiction and its consequences, is heavy-handed. Arata probably would have been better focused without it. Taichi tale is scripted with grea…
Read at the sourceburritonet
I have watched a plenty amount of anime and by far, this is one of the best.
Art- The art is really good, its also comedic sometimes with silly faces they make which makes you enjoy the comedy side a lot more. The art peaks best when either a match is going on or someone is having an emotional moment.
Characters- The character writing is amazing, even the side characters aren't any less important than the main character. It touches a lot in the lives of each person introduced. It's honestly one of a kind cause it's not black and white (dualistic) with the characters, they do well in making people understand each side which makes you feel empathetic for everyone, it's wonderful and it makes you tear up. I'll say it again, EACH CHARACTER IS IMPORTANT AND AMAZING.
Story- The story is *chef…
Read at the sourceEbisugawa
Masterpiece !
The anime is about 3 friends and karuta. Chihaya is the crazy-stupid in love with karuta, Arata is the timid boy who played karuta since he was born, and Taichi doesn't seem so interested in karuta as he is interested in Chihaya but start playing too.
Their friendship besides all that, Taichi chasing after Chihaya since forever, always been there for her and Chihaya hurting him without even notincing. If you like angst you will like this one
Here and there some beatiful poems of the 'One Hundred Poems' are quoted and explained which make the anime very colourful.
"My wish is now that I might prolong the life
I was once prepared to give up without regret
simply to be with you" -- Fujiwara no Yoshitaka
One good point is that there isn't super powers or never seen befere…
Read at the source
