Chihayafuru 3

I wasn't going to make a review for this because it was obvious that it was going to be good continuing off the last two seasons and I had made reviews for those two already so what else is there to say?

Well I realized something. First off, it's been years since I've seen S2, and S3 has been out but it wasn't dubbed right away because of the pandemic. Well they caught up and now so have I and the dub really was worth it. I'm sure the sub voices are great but something about those English voices really gets me, especially Mashima. (I know, ... I mention it every time)

The main thing I wanted to point out is that despite being a card game, which might seem kind of dull in concept, they always keep it interesting, not just visually but musically and contextually too. I never would've thought of some of the things they come up with for this season but it'd make me stop and go "huh, that really does make sense." like a chiropractor joining the game. Could you imagine the range he has with having to use his hands all day between gentle and rough.

There were definitely episodes where I felt like "Eh, not that excited." Because there'd be two side characters but then during the match, they'd give me a reason to care and then I'd get invested. Harata was just the teacher but this season made me root for him. Shinobu was just being used to make Chihaya better and give her a goal, this season made me invested in her with or without Chihaya involved.

I feel like my opinion has changed on characters too because Chihaya's personality was pretty much just karuta and now they're trying to give her more depth, which I like but it's slow sailing. When I started this series, Arata was my favorite because I liked the relationship with his grandpa and I felt that his friendship with the others was admirable, a bit of a nerdy underdog who started a trend. But now, I'm not quite as interested in him because he seems like someone who just shows up to bring about some change in the plot, he's really kind of rude at times in this season. So the kid, I related with but as a teen, not so much.

While that made me ship Arata and Chihaya, Mashima was a very close second and now, while I feel Hanano is a new and growing option as well, I think Mashima is my favorite now and I kind of find myself relating to him more and more. So he's the opposite of Arata, I didn't relate to him as a kid but as a teen, he really made an impression on me.

I originally wanted to say that there's a lot of stuff that happens that we've been waiting for but I feel like it starts out that way and slowly starts to get side-tracked, almost like we're not making as much progress as I thought and it could easily go on for season after season. Obviously, I imagine this has to do with the manga, but I expected some sort of finality or payoff, not for the series as a whole but maybe a running rivalry or a new status or defining feature to this season that changes it from the one previous. I'm fine with more of the same but, that's about it, it builds.

In fact, I felt that I had a pretty concrete vision for how this was all going to be laid out until the last few episodes (I think around 20) then I really actually started disliking it, I didn't like what it was doing or how it was doing it but I had one saving grace, much like many a Star Wars' series, wait for the final episode. But the same thing always happens and it doesn't make up for what amounted to the whole series. It's just such a weird way to end, like it's trying to explore some things but not others? No idea, not much can be said about it until I see what's next, I hear it was rushed from what the manga had for those chapters. But if it truly goes the whole way and adapts the manga, we'd still have around 2 more seasons or something and the manga just ended last year so I hope that we actually get those. Especially considering it took like 6 years to get an S3 and it's already been three since this one.

As far as sports anime, this is officially the one I've stuck with the longest and enjoyed the most (I don't think I count March Comes in Like A Lion). I even watched the Queen's Gambit and thought "Yeah, poor man's Chihaya." this is a good anime. I might as well rank the three while I'm at it, even though it's been a while but I'll break it down as to why.

1 > 2
This is because 2 had the task of introducing all these new characters and while they all hit and they did a splendid job especially considering how many of them there were, I just didn't find them as endearing as the main cast or anything. I acknowledged their purpose in the story and all but I think some of the 2nd season was spent refreshing to both introduce and help the old characters notice new things about their old game through that.

In a way, this gives Season 3 the edge because it takes those characters and amplifies them enough to make them interesting enough to have screen time on their own without Mashima, Arata or Chihaya on screen with them. That and it doesn't have to introduce as many new characters itself, it can just focus back on tournaments and stuff.

She could certainly win a Squid Game, that's for sure.

2 > 3
This leaves 3 in last place and technically that makes it worse as the seasons go on but that doesn't mean it's not still a solid anime worth watching (especially since the MAL scores say the opposite of what I just did) Really, it was that ending that changed everything, or else, I would've put it above S2, other than a few key parts, I see this being a sandwich season. Maybe if it actually went one episode over and started showing what was in store rather than setting the pieces where they are, but ya'know.

What makes an anime a masterpiece? Many of us ask this question when we review, rank, or just think critically about an anime. I had trouble finding the answer to this question because I usually chose the anime that I loved the most; however, the Chihayafuru series has made me realize what it takes for an anime to break the barrier between just being an enjoyable anime and being an unquestionable masterpiece.

Let me first start off by saying that the Chihayafuru series as a whole is not for everyone. If you do not enjoy a slice of life/sports anime with a strong premise on ... characterization, this will not be your cup of tea; however, for those of us who do, it will be a favorite.

While enjoyable, the first two seasons of Chihayafuru do not offer anything but a buildup to the climax, which is the third season. All those hours of watching the characters hide their emotions and only for it all to spill out in twenty-four episodes pay off tremendously.

It is like attaining a gold medal in a sport you play or finally asking out your crush. All those hours of training or building up the courage to ask your crush out finally pay off, and you will find yourself just staring at the screen, not being able to take your eyes off the magic that is happening in front of you.

While not being a perfect show, it is a perfect example of anime that transcended boundaries in terms of characterization, and for that reason I would call this show a masterpiece!

Three seasons in and, honestly, I’m still left wanting by this series. As per usual, it does a lot of things well, but by focusing chiefly on karuta (it somehow feels like it's doing that even more this season, though I haven't verified that), it misses opportunities to make the most of what it has built up over all this time. The mid-season confession(s) (one was a pseudo confession to someone entirely different) felt ham-fisted and barely panned out to anything, and the season finally seems to realize it can do a lot more in its last few episodes, producing some legitimately great stuff just ... in time to leave us in a very strange place.

This season is mostly hitting its stride when it is focused on side characters. Dr. Harada gets a solid arc in this that evokes a bit of an even better (and shorter) one from March comes in like a lion. Wakamiya gets a gratifying arc in this season that really showcases some real growth and recognition of those around her. Sumire gets some solid moments that show that she’s more than her initial motivations. Retro has a surprising amount of pathos this season as he grapples with his role as his mentors continue to leave. Hell, even Suo gets some characterization, albeit too little to really flesh him out as a character.

The best moments and forward momentum are reserved for the central trio. Taichi remains the best character in the show, demonstrating a complexity that remains unmatched. Chi is better recognizing what she wants, how to get it, and the feelings of those around her, albeit it feels like that’s a season overdue. And Arata finds his means of connection that are pretty touching, but still feel only half-formed and half-hearted in some cases. Maybe that’s the point, but his development does feel like it’s missing something on an interpersonal level.

All these key moments are either dragged out or restricted (or both) to the point that it makes the season very hard to enjoy for that alone. I can point to a lot I liked here, but it’s held back by karuta and other elements of the story that seem to be there just to delay inevitable moments that have been coming since S1. And that’s the problem: Chihayafuru is a series that does a lot of things well, but delivers them in a package and at a pace find hard to appreciate. This feels like the point we should have been at a season and a half ago. I’m glad to be here now, but as someone who is good with slow pacing, I felt like this was dragging its feet. Still a good show, but missing what it takes to be a great one. It’s hard to recommend a series when it takes this long to get to key points for the characters, hence I’ve got mixed feelings on the recommendation, but this is better than S2.