What is the worth of Chihayafuru?
It is made of excellence and deserves to be on our Enlightenment list.
42.9%
15
It is too unremarkable to be on on either of our lists.
11.4%
4
It is vastly overrated and deserves to be on our Relations list.
2.9%
1
I have not watched this series because I'd rather play Yu-Gi-Oh instead! The true game of champions!
42.9%
15
35 votes
| Chihayafuru (http://myanimelist.net/anime/10800/Chihayafuru) is now up for vote. Decide if it will rise to the rank of Eternal Master or if it will dwell in the E-Class of relations. RULES: 1. You can only vote for a title if you've finished watching/reading it. You must’ve read or watched at least 60% of the published content for unfinished titles. There might be exceptions for very long finished titles – they are decided on a case by case basis, but usually amount to more than half of the published content. 2. Write your vote at the very top of your comment. 3. Below your vote, give a substantial explanation to back it up. It doesn't have to be lengthy; it just needs to cover the points you want to make. 4. If you have only read/watched the adaption/source material of the respective nominee, please state so in your post. 5. It will take a minimum of 5 votes for either Enlightenment or Relations to make it into any of the lists as an anime (3 votes for manga). If it fails to reach that, it will be deemed Unremarkable. 6. The votes for Enlightenment will have to outnumber the votes for Unremarkable and Relations for it to be included in our list; the same goes for Relations. If it fails to reach that, it will be deemed Unremarkable. 7. Behave yourself. We accept discussions and debate, not flaming and incoherent fanboy/fangirl behavior. 8. The fate of the poll will lie in the hands of the officers if it turns out that there are more first time voters than regulars or the series cannot be gauged by both voting and discussions. Note: this poll concerns both seasons of the series as a whole. This polling process will last 14 days. BEGIN!!!!!!!! |
Ducat_RevelSep 30, 2013 4:56 PM
| This user's voting rights were revoked some time ago but he has continued to vote anyway. This vote is not to be counted and his votes in other polls have been discounted as well and the affect this discount would have on the overall score of each poll has been taken into account and dealt with as well. |
AmberlehOct 22, 2013 12:27 PM
| "The more inexperienced you are, the more you want to show off." - Oreki, Hyouka |
| I have to vote option 2 Well this is a hard choice for me since i really loved the anime, but i have to vote option 2. The characters are fantastic, the series really manages to make every character interesting, and give them a believable and excellent development, and the way The story might not be anything out of the ordinary, there are a bunch of series with similar premises, but it's very well executed, and manages to create some really emotive motive, and the karuta matches can be quite exciting, and the pacing fits the the story perfectly. The animation is quite good, specially during the Karuta matches is fluid and manages to transmit the energy of the matches. However the lack of anything resembling to a conclusion stops it from being Enlightenment level. |
SamavartiSep 17, 2013 9:28 PM
| To Samavarti - pssst: "What if I were to tell you that the manga is still ongoing and that Madhouse almost never jumps the gun or ends anime early?" |
| Yeah, Madhouse is usually good with adaptations. And I expect there will be a third season down the line, considering the manga popularity. |
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| Bumping this thread to remind people to vote. Come on guys. You have two weeks (well like a week and a half now). |
| Option 2 I don't remember why I started Chihayafuru but I remember that I had very low expectations for it since it just didn't look appealing, but it was surprisingly a very enjoyable watch considering it's an anime about a traditional Japanese card game. The best part of the anime and the story as a whole is the beginning of the story when they were kids, I liked that introductory so much, it was really well done and kept me glued to the screen. I liked everything about it, everything seemed fun and interesting but that feeling didn't stay for the rest of the story imo. The character are decent and likable, it's hard to really dislike one of them. Tachi is especially nicely written. But other than Tachi I feel like the other main characters are not that developed or fleshed out, Chihya character is fairly predictable and her personality is not that original or multidimensional, Arata who is supposed to be one of the main characters has little screen time in the first season, which is one of the reasons I feel like he is not that fleshed out, his kid version was great but his grown up version is not focused on at all. The side character are decent and have adequate development but sometimes I feel like they are wasting time focusing too much on them, it just seems unnecessary at times as a result the story seems like it is dragging out. As a romance fan, I just hate the romance tease in this story, because I know nothing in it will be developed, it's just there and it will probably never have a conclusive ending. I mean it took 100+ chapters for Chihya to realize she is in love with Arata and on that time we just see Tachi suffering with his unrequited love without doing anything about it. My biggest problem with Chihayafuru is that it's so fucking repetitive, like I said after the introductory arc the fun and enjoyment for me started to decrease little by little, until I reached more than half way in the second season when I realized that nothing huge in terms of development will ever happen. It's repetitive in terms of dialogue, Karuta games, practicing to become better and playing again with the same opponents, having doubts and getting over them and having them again, Tachi suffering, Chihya's obliviousness, the characters constantly reminding us why they love Karuta, etc. It's sweet and has nice moments where you really feel for the characters and root for them but I honestly don't think it's anything THAT special or good. |
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| Option 1 - It is made of excellence and deserves to be on our enlightenment list. Story The story is – while not complex or twist-ridden – solid and engrossing. It may just be the foundation of a character driven series, but not once did the writers take that as an excuse to cut corners. The story is simple, original and thoroughly filled out; not once did I feel the story was forced for the sake of the characters – a rare achievement among such strongly character driven series. Art/Animation The art is simple, yet stunning. Each character is uniquely designed, with no qualms over being unflattering; their physical appearances are perfectly reflected in every personality and interaction. The colours are never loud and the shading is simplistic, yet done in such a way that it seems there could never have been a better choice made. Clothes are often of simple design, but as with the character design, reflect the personality of every character perfectly – from Chihaya’s childish prints, to Kanade’s perfectly fitted Kimonos (the patterns on which are brilliant). The animation is also simple, but smooth and well directed. It is never extravagant, flashy or distracting, so full attention can be paid to the characters and their interactions. Yet no matter where you focus on the video, the animation is never lacking. Sound The sound plays an enormous part in this show, partly with the music and sound effects, but especially from the voice acting. The music is excellently used; always fitting the scene and mood perfectly. If I had to find a flaw, it would be the volume – the music, while a pleasure to listen to, can be a little on the loud side. The voice acting was superb, and as the show is firmly character based with a nigh on constant stream of monologue, such excellent and consistent quality could not have been an easy feat. Yet not once was I disappointed by the choice of actor, nor the quality of any speech. Character Every character in Chihayafuru is so well designed they could each have a series of their own, even characters that only appear for an episode. As for the main characters… it’s somewhat difficult to explain, as I don’t quite understand it myself, but at some point – without my knowledge – I came to care greatly about every one of them. I would only realise this halfway through an episode, when a single line of encouragement or consolation would be spoken by or to one of the main characters, and I would find myself on the verge of tears in support for them. Aside from all others, Chihaya is possibly my favourite character of all time; there’s something about her innate kindness, that not even she realises she has, coupled with her utter stupidity, which makes me want to see more and more of her. Enjoyment Definitely one of the most enjoyable shows I have seen: never a dull moment; never an event passed which left me thinking ‘that’s great, but I don’t really care’; and never an episode finished where I could think of anything except watching the next as soon as possible. |
| A week in and only 4 people voted. Seriously? What the hell is up with everyone? |
| "The more inexperienced you are, the more you want to show off." - Oreki, Hyouka |
| Really curious who nominated Chihayafuru if it barely got two option 1 votes. At least it's doing better than Beck, which had six votes in the camp, and none in the poll. It even leaned towards the relation list. |
 "Your sight, my delight. Will you marry me?" |
ZetaZaku said: Really curious who nominated Chihayafuru if it barely got two option 1 votes. At least it's doing better than Beck, which had six votes in the camp, and none in the poll. It even leaned towards the relation list. I voted for it in the camp, though I'm not the person who nominated it. Seriously though, why does everyone keep vanishing? I don't think time is an issue this time round or with the RahXephon poll, and that series had 6 people voting for it in favor getting polled but only 3 people voted for enlightenment, 6 for unremarkable, which was completely ironic. God knows how I'll react if the Digimon Tamers poll, which ended 8 to 1 in favor, turns out in a similar fashion. |
sushiisawesomeSep 23, 2013 6:54 AM
| "The more inexperienced you are, the more you want to show off." - Oreki, Hyouka |
| Yeah I know, kinda sucks. Unless something is really popular, it won't have a lot of votes ( i.e Black lagoon had a lot more votes than Michiko to Hatchin). I think a lot of regulars watched Chihayafuru, don't get why they aren't voting yet. Maybe let people who only saw one season vote? 46 eps are a lot. |
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| I'll vote for it whenever I'm ready. I just haven't been feeling like writing anything lately, since school and life and Utena has been distracting me. I will before the poll ends though, promise. |
tsudecimo said: Less regulars than you think have completed both seasons. I only count 3, plus probably a few more not in my friends.Yeah I know, kinda sucks. Unless something is really popular, it won't have a lot of votes ( i.e Black lagoon had a lot more votes than Michiko to Hatchin). I think a lot of regulars watched Chihayafuru, don't get why they aren't voting yet. Maybe let people who only saw one season vote? 46 eps are a lot. I remember plus one-ing this, but that was when the nomination was only for season 1, and I just dont have time to watch season 2. The poll still has another week, besides..so just let it run. Otherwise the thread just becomes cluttered. |
| Option 1- Holy God why isn't this on this list already. Wow. Just... Wow. I just finished it and I am speechless. This series is phenomenal. Chihayafuru is a show that somehow manages to pull you through every episode and make it feel as though each one was only was 5 minutes, leaving you craving more and more. Part of what accomplishes this is, I think, that we are all used to watching shows/movies where 8/10 times the good guys somehow make it through every single battle or struggle and come out on top. You almost always know it's going to happen- And this isn't just in anime. This is in everything. Chihayafuru is that rare series that manages to leave you in suspense, never knowing if Mizusawa will make it out on top or be left to try again next year. Yet while you always want to root for the main team, you can't help but feel some sympathy for the people they play against as we are always given a bit of insight into their dreams and reasons for playing Karuta. Overall the characters are great. They are fun and quirky, yet none of them fall into the typical anime trope category. Their quirks are all real quirks that people have, so while they still feel like charicatures they also remain down to earth. Their development is also excellent- It isn't shoved in your face, it's presented lightly throughout the series. The sound, animation, art, and just overall visual effects of the show are top-notch. I love that they chose to incorperate the little comments each character makes as the text appears in the manga- It just adds a whole new level of charm to the show. The design of the characters is also excellent- Very far and above 95% of all anime character designs. Everyone's face is different as well as their body types, which is INSANELY rare for anime. Even the one-episode side characters are easily distinguishable. The lack of a 'conclusive' end doesn't bother me because the manga is ongoing and it is popular enough that there WILL be a season 3, but even then- Does every series need to have a conclusive perfect end? Chihayafuru is a slice of life sports series that even without an official end to the anime still screams "Enlightening". Honestly, there are plenty of series I would LIKE to see on the list, but Chihayafuru is one I can say DESERVES to be on the list, more so than many things that are already there. |
| Option 2- Unremarkable Wooboy.. I shouldn't had marathoning the whole 48 eps in 3 days.. I need some sleep and chocolate.. anyway, to the reason: First of all, Let me say that I am completely agree with Tsud regarding the introductory episodes. The childhood arc, i.e the very first 3 episodes are pure gold. The emotion spark, the excitement, the characters' quirk. That 3 episodes are not only giving a foundation for the whole next episodes, but also standing as the most exciting moment of the franchise. After that 3 beautiful episodes, the remaining 45 episodes are, if I may simplify it in 1 word, PURE QUALITY. Chihayafuru may not be breaking any trope or standing as a unique work in its genre, but it is done really, really, outstanding in the presentation. The pacing for the whole story is so natural and exciting in the right moment, hilarious in the right part, and emotional in the right place. The Characters are well fleshed out. They are given unique charateristics and remain true with it till the end. Taichi is easily the best character of the franchise, and though Arata indeed lacking in development and screen time, he is able to remain more than just a cardboard character. The love triangle is, imo, The games are also surprising. The artwork and score are able to bring the very best of every play in the Karuta game. Honestly, at the first sight, Karuta seems like one of those repetitive and boring game. However, the show is able to keep us entertain through all of them by playing around the characters' quirk and strategy. And my most favorite part: the detail. I remember in one of the episode, there is this scene where chihaya is fell asleep on a tatami mat, and when she is awake, we can see a mark on her cheek from sleeping on tatami mat. Okay, this kind of thing is not really necessary nor a flaw if not presented, but it is vaguely make the show seems real and showing how much effort the people behind the scene put on this how (well, it's madhouse). It's one of those little thing that I personally appreciate, especially in this medium. However, I am not giving it option 1 despite all that I said. The reason is simply because Chihayafuru imho is not able to go beyond "a better anime than usual". Yes, it is pretty solid, a better watch than most anime, wide appeal, but imho has nothing special as to be considered enlightening. |
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tsudecimo said: Although It's pretty late by now and it really doesn't change anything, I am agree with this. The season 2, though remain a good show, doesn't really add anything to everything the first season had already offer, and imo slightly worse. ex: I personally find the second OST to be way less catchy than the first.Maybe let people who only saw one season vote? 46 eps are a lot. |
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| Sorry about being late I lost my password so I didn't connected until now. Option 1 enlightenment There is a certain balance problem on our list. There are so genres with a lot of representatives like psychological for example. Meanwhile others have just a few or non at all. Sports is one of these genres but let's face it most sport animes are just plain entertainment filled with gary stues who win everything with little value for enlightenment however Chihayafuru is different. Chihaya character is really amazing. She stands as a really difference character herself. She has a good hearing sense giving her a big advantage generally yet she realizes that is not enough so she must work more. Even in some matches her hearing ability is a disadvantage. That rarely happens on sports anime when the super ability of the main character is always a plus. Outside Karuta world she is pretty but she don't notice things easily, she reacts strangely sometimes and is a little comic making her more human. The rest of characters are really good too it is just that Chihaya is awesome and needed her own paragraph. Chihayafuru Characters are all flawed with her own backstories. Every one of them loves Karuta for different reasons. Everyone has a reason to join the team and play the game. Their reactions and personality are different and interesting. Mashima who looked like the perfect guy at the start is enough flawed to feel pity for. Even the new season characters are great. Tsukuba is the reflection of those who started played Karuta because of Chihayafuru while Sumire is a tumbrl fangirl but inside the series. But the character development does not reach exclusively to the main cast. People like Sinobu gets a round personality even character who appears exclusively in one match gets developed enough to know how they are and what are their motivations. Still enough to care about them Other aspect I like of Chihayafuru is how the love story is managed. In most shoujos/josei out there if there is a trace of possibility of love it will end being the main theme of the show with the main character all lovey dovey zura or emo teen without love. The main character of this series does event notice about it all all. So meanwhile there are some romantic elements in the series the main theme is still Karuta. The level of detail of the series is awesome. For example the difference between every reader intonation. It is really small yet it exist. The good use of the music for the plot. The sound effects used in the perfect moment. Camera direction used so carefully. Every little details matches the game perfectly. In the end what makes Chihayafuru worth enlightenment. Awesome and realistic characters, great ost, an equilibrated plot and even more amazing. the fact we have watched 48 episodes about a card game not very know in Japan yet alone outside the country and we still want more. We got glued to the screen every episode and we cared about the characters and the match. In this era of modern anime when most people just produce and watch anime for easy entertainment I'm glad there are still some series Which try harder. Ah yeah there may be a few things missing on my opinion but probably it has been said on previous opinions so read it there. |
| Option 1 - It is made of excellence and deserves to be on our Enlightenment list. Few things more can be said than have already been covered. Why, even those who voted option 2 did a pretty good job of selling the show. Chihayafuru has a special sort of excellence, one that's not too often scene among our nominations, and that's accessibility. It stands as a very open show, capable of pleasing a wide array of audiences, and that's not easy to do without dropping an ounce of quality. Chihayafuru manages it, and through two seasons no less! It is always engaging, artistically captivating, and sometimes emotional. It got me caring about a sport I didn't even know about, but more importantly, it got me to care about the characters playing it. Like many have said, the characters are well developed. They aren't a collection of Sentai Force tropes come to win the tournament and end the episode with a group high-five. Chihaya stands out as being an actual person as well. It's a shame that that must be marked as a separate achievement, but Japan doesn't have the greatest track record with writing women. Especially when they aren't being fueled by love. Okay, well, that's not entirely true because she does have a great romance in her heart for Karuta. No character is left unattended in this show, and instead of becoming insincere or cluttered for it, Chihayafuru really strengthens itself. To compliment the characters is a plot that has been given some tender care as well. It deviates from typical win-lose type stories that focus on competitions. There aren't frequent miracle wins, nor are we constantly bombarded by "they're never going to win, they always lose, but don't worry, it's character building" type of schmutzy writing. Nothing about it is manipulative on either spectrum, and while it's not some magnum opus of anime stories, it holds a fine balance and holds it well. Another striking element is that gorgeous art and animation. Even though some episodes can be confined to a 2 meter section of floor, this show does not leave anything in the bank when it comes to animation. This is one of the greatest strengths when drawing a viewer into the show. There are no moments of distraction or annoyance from poor art, it is just pure beauty all the time and it makes the viewing experience all the more enjoyable. And as for music, well, I've got that S1 opening on my phone, and I'm still not tired of listening to it. All in all this is a very simple, yet extraordinarily executed show. There isn't overwhelming amounts of depth to really dig into, but that's okay. It's also one of the only Josei/Sports shows I've ever heard of really, so way to make that work! Chihayafuru just does so many things right, tries quite hard to deliver the best experience possible to the viewer, and is just impossible to hate (for me, anyway). I think it will make a fine edition to the list, and give something with a much different taste than the club is used to. |
moichispa said: Sorry about being late I lost my password so I didn't connected until now. Option 1 enlightenment There is a certain balance problem on our list. There are so genres with a lot of representatives like psychological for example. Meanwhile others have just a few or non at all. We've had this dilemma before, but think of it this way, if we strove to add an anime for each genre to, "balance" it, we'd end up having to fill in spots for things like, ecchi and harem, and would ultimately suffer the quality of the list. |
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| While I don't have resent for Ecchi or Harem series, I agree with what DrunkenBlowfish says in his post. Unfortunately some genres are - in most cases - very one-dimensional and of little worth all things considered. |
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| Option 1, but I wish this will be marked for a repoll as soon as it is finished. I delayed my decision for a long time, but I feel confident in this decision by now. It's late by now so I'll keep it brief. As others have said, Chihayafuru has everything that makes for a good anime: The characters are well developed, have disticnt personalities, get enough focus and are - while still a bit cliched - one of the main factors that make the show so appealing. Especially the Mizusawa characters outside our main trio are great and get properly developed. The story is not finished, which can be seen as a negative point here, but it is an excellent mix between classic sports Shounene, Josei, Shoujo and other elements. The first season is a great expositiona nd mixes these aspects well, whereas the second season continues to expand on the sport karuta and amanges to be one of the most engaging sports anime I ever watched. The production values (art, sound and animation) are high and consistent and completely agree with sushi and amber on these aspects. So far I see no reason why this shouldn't be on the list as it offers somethign for everyone. However, I'd support a repoll as soon as this series is finished as the quality might change. I doubt that, though - after all, this is Madhouse we are talking about. |
| Steel Ball Run anime when? |
| Option 1 - Enlightening As others have made very clear, Chihayafuru is a great show. It does everything incredibly well, and though I could go on about the heartfelt characters, the great plot, art, music and so on, I think I'll refrain from giving yet another description about the show's great quality. My main reason for this being that I don't consider the show enlightening simply because of how good it is. It is a very good show, but there's not a certain quality for me to point at and say 'this is what makes it exceptional'. Everything is good, some things are great, yet nothing really stands out for me, it ends up being a very well-rounded and perfectly balanced ensemble, making it very satisfying and highly enjoyable to watch. The one thing which sets Chihayafuru apart however is the broad experience it manages to trigger. It's not limited to making you laugh or cry, but concerns an extended range of subjects to feel for and think about. It's not a show about Karuta, or a show about Chihaya; there are many instances where it feels more like watching a show about life itself. The large variety in the cast, the various cultural and personal backgrounds and the passion which lies behind everything comes together to provide the viewer with a feeling of a certain completeness. Despite the show being melodramatic at times, it has never appeared so meaningful to me, and the landscape of anything remotely important never grows old. |
| "The view from the bottom of a well may not be much, but you can see the sky and the stars really well. My world is small, but since I'm looking up at space night after night, you could say I'm a frog on a universal scale. When you gaze up at space all alone like that, the back of your mind goes quiet, and you feel as though you've gained an extraordinary amount of wisdom." |
| With 6 votes for Enlightenment and 3 votes for Unremarkable, I draw this poll to a close. Thank you for voting. |
AmberlehOct 22, 2013 12:26 PM
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