Chihayafuru 3

*Edit*
Now with all the crap dealt with the scoring, ignore the first paragraph and enjoy the rest of the simple review :)

If you're someone who is new or returning to this wonderful series and is glancing at the scores for this season in comparison to the two previous seasons, it is pretty obvious there is quite a difference. Simply put, this is due to a few "trolls" who lead sorry lives and have nothing better to do than ruin the score and reputation of a niche and amazing anime. As stated by others, it is honestly disturbing, and frankly repulsive, that a few individuals are able to manipulate the score of an anime as much as seen with this particular anime (going from a score of ~8.6 to sub 8 in a matter of a few days).

Despite all of the negative score manipulation, this season (and series as a whole) are without a doubt, a MUST WATCH and you will be very pleased to have done so :)

Story: 9.5/10

Honestly, it is a very simple story that follows the main character Chihaya and her obsession and love with the traditional game of Karuta and her dream of being the Queen. However, credit must be given when it's due as studio MADHOUSE and the original material do an absolutely amazing job at keeping the story enticing and engaging, so much so that an episode feels as if it is only a few minutes long.

Art & Animation: 10/10

MADHOUSE does an absolutely stellar job at bringing the anime to life with absolutely stunning character designs and background visuals that are a feast for the eyes to see. I honestly am in awe as to just how well the visuals enhance the raw emotions seen during every match of Karuta played, and can't praise MADHOUSE enough for their work.

Character: 10/10

Having watched many anime over the years, it is unfortunate to see that there are lots of anime suffer from a somewhat dull set of background characters. This is not the case with this anime however, as every single character that plays a role in this story has their story fleshed out to a degree in which you can learn to love them as a character, and not a single one is missed. Simple put, Every single character gets plenty of development and has a unique personality attached to them that greatly enhances the enjoyment and love for this series.

Sound: 10/10

The OP and ED are phenomenal as always and the voice acting is top-notch again in this season. It is as simple as that.

Overall: 10/10

This is without a doubt one of my favourite anime's of all time and I just hope that a chance is given to this absolutely fantastic anime, as I can guarantee that you too will like this as well.

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First things first : Please watch this. Get the season 1 & 2 and take your time to appreciate them, before coming back here and enjoying this third season, which is really starting in a most beautiful and endearing manner. I'm positive fans of this show keep on watching this because it's such a well-rounded piece of entertainment. Even the word entertainment sounds improper to describe Chihayafuru, because you're just gonna fall in love with the game which it's about (Karuta card game) and at least a couple characters.

If you're not gonna read much further, please know that it's a delicious piece of Japanese culture and a masterful anime, with everything you could wish for, in a manga adaptation : it's goofy in a heartwarming way (with the MC which is the goofiest of all and a couple of scenes in the first S3 episode entered my own personal anthology of goofiness). It's the definition of funny, but a genuine funniness not in a trying-hard way at all. It's of course super heartwarming because it does not forget to be frustrating and very naturalistic in the character growth department. It's not just an entertainment piece. It's the kind of stories which are gonna make you a better person, provided that you keep yourself opened enough in order for the characters to make you feel real funny inside, and let'em be a part of your persona!

Only six episodes are out at the moment I'm writing this, but to be clear and maybe hasty about it, I'm convinced everything I could think now about the show will still be valid after the S3 finale. In one hour of running time, the show accomplishes the tricky job of maintaining a good continuity in between seasons, while introducing new characters and changing up their equilibrium, in terms of sportsmanship. I can't begin to tell how much it felt like home, with this new season finally coming out after so many years (not so many but it really seemed like decades). The overall quality of the show are unchanged, maybe there is more care in the art, or maybe I am just totally biased on this judgement by my enthusiasm.

We get the same awesome voice actors team again which I never felt like there was a weakness anywhere. Unfortunately one actor passed away in between seasons which is major league sadness because he did one of the most awesome fatherly figure everyone could wish for in existence, and I could perceive the changes in the character despite all the substitute's efforts. I think the MC's voice is really fitting perfectly, she's really doing the job in an even and solid fashion, and it's not an easy task, because as the MAL page says it it's about Drama, Game, Josei, School, Slice of Life, Sports and far so FAR from being humorless even if it's not a straight casual comedy. So the shifts in tones are numerous and yes the voice team are totally managing them. A few words about the music : after three seasons, the different pieces are now engraved in my soul, for the better or the worse but I think mostly for the former. Since when the first notes of a specific music are played, oh boy, I know what's about to take place and I brace myself for it. So the music is now completely part of the vocabulary of the storytelling and the director really respected that aspect of the spectator's side or experience, in my opinion it really enhances your reception of the visual aspect of the show, maybe some people are gonna want changes and new pieces, I don't see the point in that.

The narration has always been this show's forte, and it has yet to disappoint. Every technical aspect I've been writing about are reinforcing the storytelling. To me everything is making sense, because every detail has a purpose, every sequence. For instance new flashbacks are keeping on giving us more information about our heroes' childhood ; those flashes are feeling natural and grounded in present times. Also characters are loyal to who they are, what they believe in, who they're attached to, they're growing and yet they stay the same, only stronger albeit hopelessly flawed in the most human way. Best example for this is the Taichi character, which has grown to be one of my most loved piece of fiction. Yeah, never have I experienced a moment where I told myself : huh that was a little off (okay maybe in the OVA, but c'mon, it's an OVA...). Big plus : characters don't have "plot armor". We don't get Deux Ex Machina's or super duper twists/cheats that gives us stupid happy endings or a way out of dire situations. Life is just life in this show : lose some, win some, #gitgud.

I feel like I have not given enough technical arguments and precisions in this little review, to try and convince you to watch this but that's because this show really is the best advocate it's ever gonna get. In the end it's a matter of experiencing the shear emotions maelstrom it has to offer, first hand. So please watch it, and please buy the mangas. Simple reasoning behind this and - I want to be adamant about it : this story has awesome educational value. People and younger people need the kind of role models Chihayafuru is carefully putting together, female or male (Josei, Seinen, Shoujo.. I'm not even sure these could make any sense in this case). If you got spare money, use it as a vote, and vote for Chihaya and more highly smart content and respectful for its viewers' IQ.

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There are few rare anime series which have a consistency of delivering top notch quality throughout consecutive seasons and even few who can take it up to another level. Chihayafuru is one of those.

The 3rd season of this amazing series has just been so amazing that i am sure that all the older and new fans were hooked onto it with the utmost interest and awe. Madhouse has just outdone themselves again and its not just a regular praise, it comes from a heart of a fan
who has read the manga and seen the adaptation with such finesse and quality it actually makes me happy to be a anime fan especially for this show.
This underrated show has been like the one of the most beautiful gems of the fall season, that i cant appreciate and praise it enough.

The story continues with our trio with their journey of Karuta. The unique aspect of this show which is karuta is that even though its based on a card game,
its unlike other card based shows which captivates the viewers with just the hype, or through unbelievable power ups of characters in a battle or some unreal logic, but through
realistic game plays which is portrayed through the playstyle of the players, their background story, personality,how they view & perceive karuta through their minds and most importantly how karuta is presented through these beautiful traditional japanese poems which have depth in their storytelling of folklore and depicts what these stories are
trying to convey with their words and poetry which will leave you mesmerized. Absolute breathtaking stuff.

The main trio are great characters with their own stories and development. One of the element which i found missing in the first two seasons was one of the trio i.e Arata Wataya not getting enough screen time for the viewers to watch and understand his character more in depth,but this season it was quite well resolved which made me satisfied. Also there was major development with the other male character Taichi Mashima and his transformation, which had
been quite a sight to watch. As for our female MC Chihaya Ayase, she continues through various developments regarding her future in general life and the game which is her most important passion i.e Karuta.
I am actually quite happy to see the three progressing with the story line which perfectly paced and enjoyable to watch.

But another main factor is that makes chihayafuru so special is that it not only focuses on the main trio but also on the supporting side characters as well,depicting their journey so far with their personal development & background story in relation
to the game. Also one of the interesting things that caught my eye this season is how they explore the character background in depth of the new challengers, major professional players and even more importantly the Master and queen (The reigning champions)
whom had been shown as mystery figures on the surface so far in season 1 & 2 and since our
main characters ultimate goal is to win the title from them, it was actually unique seeing things from the perspective of the opposite side.

The narration has been so on point and it actually never fails to keep you interested.Every tiny detail, every tiny scene, flashback or sequence makes up for the bigger picture in the present & for future scenarios. Almost every character is portrayed developing
in the most humane way and the changes make them more sensibly compatible for the plot. Especially the trio who inspite keeping their original self,develop necessary changes which make bigger impacts for their personal story and with the main story as well.

Coming to animation and sound, Boy i cant praise mad house enough,Not a single episode from these 24 episodes have gone by and i have been like "Meh that was ok i guess" and i am not exaggerating. Every episode has been adapted so gracefully with attention to details from the
source material. The beautiful art and colors, fluid life like animation, brilliant character designs and visuals. Even when a important scene happens or emotions are being depicted, it literally comes to life that viewers can actually feel them with their eyes, its
that mindblowing. The sound is so pure and crystal clear with the amazing performance of all the VA's of different character make it even more enticing and enjoyable. The OP and ED are equally well made, especially the ED with the artwork and the music from Band harassment made it my favorite.

Overall as its one my personal favorite series i would easily give it a 10/10. Its underrated as hell and i would love that other anime fans would give this masterpiece a chance especially if they enjoy a mix of competitive sport,Japanese culture and a amazing story with brilliant characters.

I know my review might seem i am over selling this, but trust me please do give this a try, it will definitely be worth your time and i am positive you would appreciate this amazing piece of work and the content it tries to share with its viewers.
I just want this beautiful series to be recognized and appreciated more for its value it truly deserves.

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In case you're wondering why the score on season 3 on this particular website is so low, it's because certain people were upset that Chihayafuru 3 was the HIGHEST rated show of the season, when there are much bigger titles out there. You can easily find proof on weekly records of the ratings.

I've never written a review, I think there are better places for reviews to be, but a score below 7 (6.9 atm, 29/11/19) just goes to show how jealous some people can get. If anything, a score this low reflects more about the website, than it does for the anime.

Since I'm not a professional critic, I'll share only my 2 cents. Please take the following with a grain of salt. There are no spoilers in this review.

Chihayafuru excels at both the school-drama-romance and the sports-passion-competition. If you enjoy either genres, this could be your "gateway drug". If you don't find the sport "Karuta" interesting, the show will make you fall in love with it. If you find the visuals odd and weird, the art style will definitely grow on you. This is me speaking from experience, as someone who avoided sports anime, knew nothing about Karuta, and usually picks generic art styles over unique ones.

After starting season 1, it took me only 2 days to binge through both seasons 1 and 2. Chihayafuru has this special charm where I couldn't find in anywhere else, whether it be escapist fantasy, or close-to-home slice-of-life. Instead of being told what is happening, I experienced the story from natural conversations and messages were conveyed by strong animation, something modern anime often lack. On top of that, character development has been impeccable, especially in this very season. This is frankly the most enjoyable anime of the season for me (I'm caught up to 14 shows airing this season), and no amount of low ratings can change that fact.

I'm rating this season an overall 9, as I did with season 2. Personally, I preserve the 10/10 rating for anime that are especially impactful, or ones with strong personal attachment. Since I'm only 8 episodes in, I think the current 9/10 is fair. It does have strong potential to reach a 10.

TLDR: There is no reason for you to not watch it, and you shouldn't judge a book by it's covers. Why not give it a shot, and then give it a deserved rating?

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This message goes for you, innocent lector, for you who love anime and the only thing you are looking for in the page is the recommendation for a good anime. So one thing I have to tell you: Chihayafuru is, with no doubt, an incredible manga-anime.

Chihayafuru 3 follow the lead of the first two seasons to make an incredible spokon from a discipline quite unknown outside Japan: (competitive) karuta. A discipline that, though creates some scepticism at first, you will soon love because of the righteous adaptation to animation it has.

While the first season focused on the presentation of the characters and world of karuta and the second one on a pure display of the “sport”, the techniques and the competitive factor, this season focus on what it supposed to: going further and beyond. However, I got to admit I missed a bit the “slice of life” essence of the first season during the second one, which is filled with matches and matches. Don’t misunderstand me: Yuki Suetsugu is a wonderful writer that accomplishes to reinvent her work constantly. Chapter after chapter she brings new ideas, new strategies, new thoughts about the discipline, new personalities and cast of rivals, new emotions and gestures about the tatami, all created in a sublime way and with an unprecedented plot and directional quality, making her work remain fresh and interesting game after game. But that doesn’t mean that I didn’t miss there more of the emotional drug that I like: more interaction between the characters, more unrequited love, more moments at school, more real interaction from the rest of the secondary characters in play beyond being mere spectators of a game. It is also true that I found the introduction of the new freshman members of the club a bit forced and accelerated, but this is something that can be easily overlooked. After all, we are talking between an outstanding and a remarkable high.

In fact, all these aspects that I missed a little during the second season are clearly manifested again during the third season, and I have only needed 6-7 episodes to prove it. In this, the author manages to insert incredibly emotional moments about the feelings and background of the characters between game and game in a very organic and realistic way.
To all this we must add the incredible work of animation and artistic direction of Madhouse, who returns to work in Chihayafuru almost five years later, which manages not only to maintain the high level of the first two seasons but to refine the animation and the direction of the work after several years of pause.

It is clear, therefore, that Chihayafuru remains the underrated jewel of the slice of life and spokon genre that it always was. We are facing a work full of love and passion that people full of love and passion know how to appreciate.

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Before Chihayafuru season 3 got announced, I’m sure some fans have been clinging onto hopes that the franchise would again take the anime medium by storm. The first two seasons have gained a cult following since the franchise introduced us to the world of its karuta and wonderful cast of characters. Now more than six years later, we are back in this franchise as if it’s almost yesterday.

It did take a bit of time for the anime franchise to return but jumping back into Chihayafuru’s third season felt like going back to school after a Summer break. We reunite with our friends, learn the competitive game of karuta, and experience new memories that will last for generations to come. Watching Chihayafuru 3 reminds me that games such as karuta isn’t just a competitive sport but a poetry in motion. Every episode capitalizes on the creativeness of the game that exemplifies on commitment, strategy, and wit. I won’t be explaining the fundamentals of the game since you shouldn’t be watching this season without the first two anyway. But coming into this new season, we got ourselves another masterful adaptation.

With Chihayafuru 3 at our hands, the show draws us into the everlasting karuta experience similar to the previous season. Despite being a complex game, the anime makes it clear that anyone can pick karuta up. However, learning the game is one thing and mastering is another. We see the best of the best compete at the highest level in this season. Of course, I’m talking about the Queen Title matches. But before we get to that, you should also remember why Chihayafuru 3 managed to create such a faithful audience. It’s been six years after all and fans have been anticipating this show since the dawn of time. This is easily answered by the charming lovable cast of our three characters – Chihaya, Taichi, and Arata. The three make up the heart and soul of this franchise with their complex relationship between one another. Early in the season, we witness Chihaya once again picking up karuta and going head to head against none other than Taichi. If there’s anything that tells us about Chihaya’s character is that she is eager to learn, whether through success or failure. Her skills show improvement as she is able to match head on with fast paced strategy and clever tactics in these games. Still, a big question that surrounds her is why she is there. Why does Chihaya want to be a karuta player? This question extends to other prominent characters such as Shinobu, Suo, Haruka, and among others. The fact remains that every character has a purpose in the show, a reason to be where they are in the present timeline.

As every episode progressed, the drama begins to mount up with the higher stakes in these high level karuta games. The karuta games themselves in fact are presented with superhuman-like reactions. It may take years of practice to reach such levels but the anime portrays it like poetry in motion. As I mentioned that before, karuta is much more than just a competitive sport. It’s like a work of art with each card representing a piece of value between two players. Adding to the game is the amount of emotions that us, the audience can easily get invested into. For instance, we witness Dr. Harada’s side of the story this season and why he picked up karuta. In his match against Arata, it represents a clash of new and old generation. Meanwhile, we also follow the journey of Shinobu Wakamiya, one of the most prominent Queens of this era. Fans will remember Shinobu as being the youngest Queen in karuta history and a prodigy with nearly unrivaled skills. She returns this season to compete against Haruka, another skilled karuta player with several titles in her name. The psychological pressure embedded into their match felt like none other as we witness the true potential of high class competitors. And that’s one other thing that identifies these karuta game: the psychology. Each game threads together a formula from start to finish to test the players’ ability to outplay one another. From tagging cards to crafting advanced moves in their heads, karuta at such exceptional high level feels like a different game. Watching the high level competitors such as Arata, Shinobu, Suo, and Haruka compete are such examples where they push these games to the limit.

And at the same time, Chihayafuru 3 delivers its character relationship so well, being able to get the viewers understand them on a personal level. There's a complex relationship angle between Chihaya, Taichi, and Arata built from the very first season. Carrying into this third season also means new developments including an unparalleled confession that will surprises more than just the fans. For a show being so human and realistic, Chihayafuru scores with much more than karuta competition. From the first episode to the finish, it celebrates the personal commitment of the cast and how much people can change over time.

Though the show has aged, Chihayafuru’s life cycle still stays true with its art style. Madhouse returns for this season to give us an elegant feast of visuals to lay eyes on. From the photorealistic settings to the mature character looks, everywhere, the camera angles lines up to showcase the technical achievements of the anime. And as a show loaded with drama, there’s plenty of time to experience a breather too with the light comedy. We can expect Chihaya and her friends to return to also enjoy their school life like normal people would. There’s also running gags that I’m sure fans are eager to see again. The character voices also makes their return in their noticeable accents. When combined with the emotive dialogues, it brings out so much worth to them.

Welcome back Chihayafuru 3. I can say with supreme confidence that the third season is no short of delivering the house it has built. From the complex character relationships to the high stake karuta games, there’s something in store for returning fans. Even as someone who has read the manga, this is a classic to watch in animated form and that’s thanks to the wonderful talent of the staff and producers. I thank them for giving us this wonderful season.

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*Minimum Spoiler Review*
TL;DR: Do you like sports anime? Do you like sports anime based on actual sports and not something completely made up? Well, if you've been hiding under a rock or not yet cultured on the competitive game that is Karuta, then get yourself educated because Chihayafuru S3 is back... after 7 goddamn years to give us something heavenly to cherish during these quarantined time.
[Story: 8/10 , Characters: 9/10, Art: 9/10, Sound: 9/10, Enjoyment: 9/10]

"Naniwa-zu ni / Sakuya kono hana / Fuyu-gomori / Ima o haru-be to/ Sakuya kono hana"

How long should a studio wait before delivering something to the fans that can both live up to the expectation of its predecessor and heighten it so it can set a new bar for itself to be a strong contender as one of the best real sports based shounen anime? If you ask director Morio Asaka and Studio Madhouse, it's apparently 7 years. Fans of Chihayafuru have waited so long for this third installment and boy did it live up to the hype. When the same five note started playing that was ever abused throughout the entire show, that gush of nostalgia just came all back. It's rare to find such a feel good pulsating anime that can do that these days and Chihayafuru did just that and more! Before we continue, if you haven't watched S1 or S2 along with OVAs of this anime, watch them all first. I promise you'll binge through it no time. If you don't like it, understand this is one of those niche sport/genre where if you aren't fan of it, you won't enjoy it as much as the rest. Also I'm not going to explain how to play Karuta, wiki it, because every time I try to explain it, people fall asleep. Now that being said, let's dive deeper into this installment of Chihayafuru and explore both the technical aspects such as animations, OST, visuals and its character driven plot such as growth of players along with their purposes in life to see what made this iteration better than its previous seasons, ultimately leading it to become a must watch as fans of it have been hyping it up for years.

"In Karuta there are only 4 ways, right? You take the card, your opponent takes the card, you make a mistake, your opponent makes a mistake." - Master Suou

Chihayafuru, written by Yuki Suetsugu is about a high school girl, Chihaya, who is finding a purpose in her life other than being a supportive slave for her model sister by diving into Karuta taught to her by her idol/best friend Arata in order to become the Queen, basically the best female Karuta player in the world. Alongside her, you have Arata, the grandson of the legendary Master, best male Karuta player in the world, who is trying to devote his life to Karuta to achieve his grandfather's dream and Taichi, her childhood friend who is gifted with brain, brawn and looks, aiming for something similar but to win Chihaya's approval or finding his own purpose in life. It's a complicated triangle. At first it may see that the Manga was mainly aimed at the demographic who were into the josei genre but as time went on people fan of drama or sports or even shounen to an extent started to really get into it. This cross demographic propagated the popularity of this show and all for the right reason. The overarching theme of this anime is that to achieve one's dream and to be the best at something, you have to sacrifice something in return for it. This theme is prevalent in any sports anime or shounen anime but Chihayafuru gives its due diligence by actually showing the physical and mental ramification of such sacrifice through their interpersonal and intrapersonal interaction with others who are both in or outside of the world of Karuta. This season is knee deep into tournament arc of becoming Master and Queen. Since we are witnessing how our main protagonists competes in the race to become Master and Queen, we see it firsthand with the current quirky Master Suou and Queen Shinobu as well as supporting characters competing. In retrospect, whenever you have a sports anime, plot wise there isn't much story as the story is usually told through growth of characters during tournament arcs and if you knew how previous seasons of Chihayafuru functioned then you would expect this season to be similar. Spoiler alert, it wasn't. This season heavily explores the tremulous trepidation of hormones, heightened emotional roller coaster and sense of belonging & camaraderie.

"I've always, always wanted to become a person who is not a coward." - Taichi

In the previous season, Karuta was mostly played in team aspect but since this season, most games are individual 1v1, we finally get to dive deeper into the mental state of each character and grow with them as they redefine their purpose and find ways to seek it. The stand out character for this season wasn't Chihaya at all, and in a way I'm glad, it was actually Taichi. Taichi is a very complicated character. His sense of purpose was never really defined like Arata or Chihaya. On one hand he played Karuta because he wanted to be near Chihaya because he loved her but on the other hand why go through Karuta to only get her attention? Why does Chihaya only pay attention to Arata? Is it because he is so good at Karuta? So do you become better than Arata to achieve his purpose he set out from the beginning, that is to achieve Chihaya? What if along the journey, he realizes, maybe he is more like Harada or Master Suou, his actual purpose is to become the Master and to do that, he must sacrifice it all, including Chihaya? All of these questions and more that constantly circled Taichi this arc makes his character such a standout one this season. Definitely an enjoyable and facepalming experience. That being said, the reason this anime is great because Taichi's struggle was used as a foil to showcase similar struggle for purpose for other characters such as Shinobu, Arata, Harada, Haruka and even Master Suou. I guess in a way, since this season wasn't so focused on Chihaya is what made it much better in a weird way. If you thought Sudo was the biggest sadistic dick in Karuta, wait till you start interacting with Master Suou. New favourite character for sure. Regardless, it's the characters growth in this season is what makes this season so much more enjoyable. Spoiler alert, press F for Taichi. #TeamArata.

"I sincerely apologize. Have you sirs and ladies restored your exalted spirits?" - Shinobu

Now that we have the brilliant story our of the way, let's raise a toast for the amazing work this studio did in adapting this brilliant anime. No matter how good the manga is, cough Tokyo Ghoul cough, if the studio doesn't do justice in adaptation, cough Studio Pierridiot cough, then it can never shine bright like a diamond. From the breathtaking visual, to the nostalgic yet brilliant orchestraic OST, OP & ED, to the seiyuus pouring their heart out to heighten each character's struggle to lastly those poets reading those poems, it's such a complete technical package that is hard to come by these days even though we are technically in the golden age of anime. Biggest credit should be given to director, Morio Asaka, for staying on this project from the beginning. It helps with maintaining the consistency and vision this anime is headed towards. Each panel of the anime is brilliantly animated with bold vibrant colours. The matches are animated and depicted true to its form irl (I checked by actually watching an IRL of last season's Master's match) plus it added the anime flare by slowing down at appropriate times to enhance the dramatic tension for different strategy employed by the players to problem solve during tense situations. It really enhances viewers experience. None of those panning shots used by lazy studios to each episode. Moreover, the OST is just so warming to listen to as a standalone piece. Although I didn't enjoy the OP and ED song as much this season as previous seasons but it was still good and became adjusted to it by the end. Lastly, kudos to the seiyuus. Especially the poet readers for Karuta. Their voice when reading each poem actually feels like a melodic song. Although we can never hear the second part of the poem since the game is so fast paced but at this point, the introductory poem is just ingrained in the brain. Overall, very hard to nitpick flaws in the technical aspect.

"Luck of the Draw is not about luck or fate at all." - Harada

Overall, at the end of the day, if we were to assume that no anime is perfect and an anime is only as great as the viewer's enjoyment; then Chihayafuru S3 did a great job in disproving both null hypothesis by showcasing that the recipe for a great sports anime comes from a character driven plot that uses each player as a foil to shine the overarching theme of sports anime, that is through sacrifice shall one achieve greatness & purpose in life! It also bauds well when it's backed greatly through well executed technical aspects that acts as a great ladder to propel the anime further up. This season may seem slower than the previous ones but by no means should it be used as a criticism. Would I recommend others to watch it? That's a loaded question to answer since this is such a niche anime. Since this anime is based on a card game that can only be played in Japan who know Japanese, it's not easily relatable irl, however, if you are a fan of sports anime, and you enjoy growth of players' skills through hard work and perseverance, similar to Haikyuu or Kuroko no Basket, then give this anime a try. It isn't only geared towards girls and there isn't much of a romance aspect as some fans might allude to. Lastly, there will be another season but who knows when that will come, here's to hoping it's not another 7 years. However, if it takes that long to maintain this level of perfection, then It's worth making that sacrifice. Anyways, thank you for reading this review & feel free to share with me your favourite poem from the anime. Ciao.

P.S. Thank you for reading. I hope you found this short and supaishi review helpful!
P.P.S. Are you Team Arata or Team Taichi? Why? Let me know! I'm curious.

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First things first - karuta isn't a sport. It's just a game that that some folks took way too seriously. Well, not like that has any impact on the anime, I just wanted to get this out of my chest. But it also means that you might enjoy this even if you don't like sport anime in general.

Now, I more or less liked the first two series (altrought I though they were, well, not *that* great), so when the 3rd season was announced, of course I was going to watch it. Yet, when I started thinking about the previous seasons... I found out I don't really remember much. What I'm trying to say is that there wasn't that much impact, not really memorable matches and while yes, it is character driven, the karuta playing parts were kinda... boring. Enter the 3rd season which actually managed to fix this.

Chihayafuru 3 story progress moved from the "start up" part to the "real shit" part and it shows. The matches are tense with tangible stakes and what's more important, they are well used as a proxy to let out the character shine and strong emotions of the players be shown. It is in fact the fight between the spirits of two people, the card game just lending a form to it. The matches of the third season are memorable and actually let out some variation, despite the inevitable repetitiveness of karuta. I believe this is because we got some strong, prominent personalities involved in the matches this time. I especially liked those that included Harada, Suo or Haruka. The main characters take on almost a support role in this season, but I don't see any problem with that.

The animation sees it's moments of spotlights too, with the more abstract visual sequences mediating the mood and feeling of the characters. The soundtrack helps with this greatly as well, and combined, those two aspects can create some powerful and heartfelt moments.

To add more about the sound portion of this anime, I also really enjoyed the voice acting. Most of the time I don't really care about the VAs, so for me to comment on them means it was either extraordinarily awful or extraordinarily great. Thankfully it's the latter here. The voices feel genuine and I especially liked the dialect that really breath some variation and uniqueness to the characters.

Overall, I would say it's worth watching the first two seasons even in case you didn't like them that much just so you could get to this part. That's the level of improvement I'm talking about.

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It's really sad that the show is being attacked like this on its score when its quite literally the best the franchise has been up to this point. Chihayafuru 3 is a must watch for all Chihayafuru fans and for those interested in the franchise don't be disheartened by its score and please go watch Season 1 and 2 and if you still love this franchise give this season a watch.
Now that aside
Chihayafuru 3 excels at bringing a lot of what the previous seasons built up into fruition. The matches are as tense and exciting as ever with the animation on point providing some beautiful visual depictions and plays in matches.
The story is an absolute delight with the Tournaments and Qualifiers so far being a roller coaster to watch. The show beautifully fleshes out Taichi's, Chihaya's and Arata's character exploring more into their desires than we have ever had the chance to before this and does this using Karuta. The romance in the show too is finally building up and so far has created some interesting interactions between characters.
The use of the soundtrack in the show is perfect creating such beautifully crafted moments that are so in tune with the characters and art.

Chihayafuru Season 3 excels at what the show was good at before while giving us even more to explore without sacrificing any of its excellent production values from before. At this point it is the peak of the show. Here's to this momentum carrying out for the rest of the airing.

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This review is valid as of Episode 10 airing.

First thing first, don't trust MAL rating anymore. Chihayafuru 3 (anime third season) has been struck by people downvoting it for childish reasons. So from now on, don't trust MAL rating until they fix their issues (which they haven't as of December 13th). MAL admins and moderators, your site credibility is in jeopardy.

Second, before you watch this, watch the first and second season. No need to read the manga (I'm not a very active manga reader to be honest). But you know this series is quite popular if it has its own trilogy of live action movies. A TRILOGY!

Third, this series pace has been a lot more quick in my opinion. Everything is happening faster, but it is not because the series is being rushed. Nope, in the contrary, everything is getting better and exciting! Long time rivals are finally going to meet their opponents, our protagonists are finally finding their resolutions and they're doing their best to stick to them. The plot has always been moving forward, but aw man, this is getting intense.

Soundtrack wise, plenty of OST are being reused but both OP and ED for this season are quite great. I will be honest, I usually skipped the first and second season OP, but the third season OP music and animation are sooo good I don't skip them anymore. The OP money shot is the slow-mo shot of Chihaya of course, you will know it when you watch it.

Now, about the animation, well. It's been YEARS since the second season was released, and I haven't seen a huge improvement in animation in all these years, so no big improvement, but it was already good back then and it continues to be really good even now. If they featured more slow-mo shots like the one in the opening, it would receive more praise for sure and I have seen plenty of scenarios where that would have played quite nicely for the storytelling.

So far, I have been enjoying this season a lot. It didn't really help that on the first couple of weeks there were two episodes being released per week, so now that we're back to one episode per week I feel more eager to watch the next episode more than ever before!

Will update this as necessary to reflect my thoughts about the series.

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Oh wow, now that the troll ratings are removed, whilst the anti-troll ratings remain, Chihayafuru S3 has way more score than it should have, more than the previous seasons, which is obviously WRONG.
This is very simple. In S3, the plot has progressed to the most important event, the Queens and Masters, the peak performance of karuta. The stakes are at an all time high, and the drama will be most dramatic, fans would think this season will climax and surpass the previous seasons... but they were WRONG.
S3 did retain the charms of Chihayafuru, sufficiently developed characters, strategic & intense monologues and emotional soundtracks.
To be honest, this is all you need to animate Chihayafuru, or so the production thought, so they decided to shoot the all animators and hire an editor instead. Absolute disaster of an animation, the previous seasons weren't even this apparent as a slideshow. As more episodes came out, the animation quality degraded to a point it's non-existent. Everything is done with Fade effects and the all of the hand-swiping animations were replaced with still frames. This is also more noticeable because the anime is reliant on internal monologues so lip movements are fewer than other anime. Episode 13 was an exceptional episode where all fucks were lost and there was no sound effect and transition for the character crops popping in popping out.
Naturally, the Queens and Masters, the climax matches are animated at this level too. Not just animation wise, the Queens match is unnecessarily overdramatic and cut short, the Masters match too forfeited half of the games. This is because the character exposition has been done thoroughly in the qualifiers, so in the big matches, they would run out of backstories to show. They wouldn't give too much exposition on certain characters too, for they need to save it for future matches.
Perhaps it is an inevitable sacrifice that long running sports/shounen stories will have to make. Even so, I believe the duration of the matches can be pumped with more monologues from both players(instead of just one) and also... more sports action, more hand-swiping animations, more picking-up-cards animations, more animations.

In short, two big cons: drop in animation and compromised climax. That isn't to say Chihayafuru S3 is bad, it still manages to keep some of its old values and give Arata more exposition. But fans gotta ask themselves, this is ultimately still a sports anime, if we're gonna watch sports in slideshows, why not watch actual exciting sports?

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Chihayafuru is a manga series written and illustrated by Yuki Suetsugu; Chihayafuru is her first animated work, but not the first manga. The manga has been serialized in Be Love(Kodansha) since December 2007. Third season of the series aired in 2019, which is 6 years later after the second season. The manga, as well as the TV series, have won many awards; the manga also has more than 16 million copies in print.

Being in a team is always challenging: aside from improving yourself, you need to improve the team and help them keep going no matter what frustration they might face. Mizusawa High School's Karuta Club has achieved many accomplishments and now the members of Mizusawa High will need to focus more on the individual tournaments. Ayase will finally, once again, challenge the Queen, and Taichi will be able to compete against Arata. But they are not the only players, who want to get better and get the title of 'the best player.'

At long last, six years after the second season of Chihayafuru, we get the third. After six years, you might have had to rewatch previous seasons of the series, but if you started watching it not long ago, even better. After a small recap, the anime returns back to where it ended and things start to get spicy. Karuta is no longer a team game, like it used to in previous seasons of the series. Now Ayase Chihaya, Mashima Taichi, and Wataya Arata will focus more on their individual ambitious: the desire to become the Master (the best male karuta player) and the Queen (the best female karuta player). What is more, Chihayafuru does not stop only on these 3, because it is boring to have good main characters and supporting cast that gets no development whatsoever. That is not the case, since the supporting cast here gets quite the development, too. There might be players that play for fun, but there are quite many players, who, too, want to get the title of the best karuta player. Finally, the third season introduces more characters and shows more about the current Master and the Queen. Anyways, long story short, there are so many new details Chihayafuru 3 introduces, but, at the same time, they are well balanced. You do not feel that the story lacks something.

Chihayafuru's soundtrack and animation are great as always. Chihayafuru's OST is light and airy, comprised of flutes, piano and other classical instrumentation. What is amazing about the OST is the fact that it fits the series very well and helps the viewer to dive into the world of karuta even better. During every karuta match, the OST helps to keep the tension and it does its work very well overall. But the best part, of course, is Japanese voice acting, which makes this series that amazing.

Animation wise, it is great, too. It is well-made series, with mature-looking, reasonably-proportioned characters. Indeed, it is not something you will watch for animation and it is quite difficult to say that the animation is great, it is good and even beautiful in its way, but it could have been a bit better sometimes.

While the first season of Chihayafuru largely focused on Chihaya and her progression as a karuta player, and the second season centered on teamwork, the third season, however, seems to more focus on the individual desire to win. Namely, why people play karuta. Yet, now more focus is made on the supporting cast: the Master and the Queen, as well as other supporting characters, including the head of the Shiranami Society for karuta and new characters, for example ex Queen. And this is really amazing, there are so many things going on, new characters, their stories, what they want and what they are trying to achieve. And this is quite enjoyable, I must say, since watching 3 seasons about Chihaya, Taichi and Arata would surely be boring. Not here, though, as mentioned before, there is a balance about everything in this show and it makes Chihayafuru 3 never boring to watch.

Enjoyment wise and overall, Chihayafuru is still as good as it used to and is a highly recommended show to watch for all the fans of great SoL. Chihayafuru shows people competitive karuta, in which anyone can play and it does not matter who you are, what are you doing, and how skillful you are, since any player can get A rank, when they spend enough time improving their skills. There are so many characters, supporting cast is not weak as in many series, they are as good as the main cast, they get enough development, their backstories are shown to you and because of that you are starting to like them. There is absolutely nothing I can criticize in this series, absolutely nothing. What I can say is that I would love to see a slightly better animation, but that is not much of a problem for me to stress, it is still good and has its beauty.

No questions about it, the third season is a solid 10/10 and a must watch for all those, who like SoL and saw the previous seasons.

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After a seven year long break, Chihayafuru is finally back and it’s better than ever before. Fans, rejoice, because this is by far the best season of Chihayafuru and with some small exceptions this season has otherwise improved on every aspect compared to prior seasons. This review will outline the exact places where this series has improved, and why I believe this show deserves the highest rating of any sports anime around.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Chihayafuru 3 starts off with a quick recap and possibly for the first time in the series actually properly explains how Karuta is played, and I will admit straight up, when I first watched the series years ago I just liked the hype and had 0 clue how the game worked besides the players having to finish their set of cards. This explanation is great because it actually allows the audience to follow the game and understand the very cunning strategic gameplay involved in Karuta and that it really is a skilled sport and not a simple card game. Due to the recap the audience will not be left behind from the huge gap between seasons and will be able to quickly get back into the show, which happens at a breakneck pace and Chihaya almost immediately starts playing in a training camp. She begins improving things like her posture and learning how to use her left hand and strategize while playing Karuta, this training arc is very important later on to her finally winning a tournament, and it heavily foreshadows her growth into becoming one of the top 5 active female Karuta players. After this arc the story doesn’t waste any time, we quickly get into tournaments, future career plans, school trips, and finally the meijin matches. Every arc is wonderfully crafted and feels like a genuine story that has no contrived or standard elements seen in the majority of anime set in a Japanese high school.

The characters who receive the most attention this time around Chihaya and Taichi, which is actually refreshing, although I like the side characters, that’s what they are, side characters. I don’t really want the Karuta club being the main focus in this series, season 2 was heavily focused on a team setting and was set up as a school sports competition anime that is centered on going to nationals. While this was enjoyable and had immense amounts of hype, I like many of you originally got into this series for the character drama between the main characters. This season on the other hand, was focused heavily on personal development and on the big 3 who everyone really wants to know about, Arata, Taichi, and Chihaya. Their character development arcs lived up to everything I wanted, Chihaya has a future plan of becoming a teacher and even makes sure she enjoys her high school life so that she can relate more to students in the future. Arata finally comes to terms with his goal of being the best at Karuta and his love for Chihaya, which leads to one of the most sudden and abrupt confession scenes in anime that had the audience rolling. Mashima realizes that although he really likes the competition of Karuta and doesn’t half ass it at all anymore, what he really wanted was to be side by side with Chihaya and decides that if he can’t have her Karuta isn’t worth playing as a group. Overall, I loved the character drama and I think it was by far the highlight of the series, every main character got the growth I had hoped for, and the side characters got enough attention that they were not left behind.

The art and the animation were also stellar this season, Madhouse is finally back with the high production values. Between the extremely clean card taking, the flower petal imagery, the amazing character design and outfits, the facial expressions during games, and the symbolic imagery for the atmosphere characters felt during games, the art was a perfect 10/10 score and there is nothing more to add. The art of the series is perfect, and while maybe the animators themselves might feel like they can always do more, the viewers themselves are sure to be completely satisfied from the love and care this series received.

To add on the technical values, the sound production was truly splendid. Having professional or at least really well trained readers for the Karuta games really adds something most other anime lack, stellar voice acting in the background. Although most anime can have great voice acting during the important scenes involving the main characters, few shows can boast they have 20 min of great background voice acting that really draws the viewer into the show and makes the 20 min feel like 2. Besides this, the soundtrack was hype, the sound effects were top tier, and the opening was so good I never skipped it. The sound deserves at least a 9, while its not on par with a music based anime, its about as good as it gets for a sports anime.

This season was incredibly enjoyable and for personal enjoyment I would rank it as the best show in both the season it started and the season it ended, it will likely be my top contender for anime of 2020, and I think it is immensely under watched. Overall the series has reached new heights and I cannot help but give this show a near perfect rating of 9, if I was younger and had seen less anime it likely would even receive a 10, if you have read this review and haven’t seen the series yet, please do so, it is among the best anime has to offer.

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*Disclaimer*
I don't know what's all about with this review bombing mentioned. Here I'm just fairly pointing why for me 3 season was a disappointment. After picking up the whole series just a week ago.
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And oh boy it was. The story was much worse than in earlier seasons. Characters felt like they stopped growing and became more and more childish. With the ultimate transformation of Taichi into a toxic jerk, who doesn't care about people and their reaction to his actions. Only he and his feelings were important. The story was overly focused on creating a love triangle, rather than showing fine sports/school life like in previous seasons.

Nevertheless, anime was still was full of beautiful art an interesting karuta (maybe not so much as I hope, but still.) And it doesn't deserve to be just smashed. Great visuals created a fair, yet irritating show to watch.


If I think how contrary was master match result to the way that story unfolded in previous seasons the score should be even lower. But, again it wouldn't be fair

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This anime definitely is not for everyone. I don't know why is it rated so high, by so many people. I'll explain just 7 points why you can watch it and why you can't.

1. The character TAICHI is one of the major reasons I kept watching the 3 seasons and anyone would love his character more than any other character in the series (say it girls or boys, they'll get impressed). He's a childhood friend of Chihaya, the girl whom he liked ever since 6th grade. They're high schoolers now, but he's not able to confess because he thinks that she likes Arata, another childhood friend of both of them. The major reason of Chihaya always Admiring Arata is the game karuta (a traditional Japanese card game) that she wants to excel at. She looks at Arata with admiration only because he's the one who gave her dream of being a queen in the field of Karuta.
Taichi when comes to know about her passion for this game, he works REALLY HARD to be a best player in this game because he wants her to admire him and look at him the way she admires Arata. When I say he worked REALLY HARD, it means that the 3 seasons' series was able to convey his efforts flawlessly.
Chihaya never looked at him with the admiration that he always yearned for. It hurt him to the extent that he was able to leave everything behind, just to get that one look of admiration. This is what caught my attention and definitely it can catch anyone's attention.
Talking about his looks, he was overwhelmingly handsome. Golden eyes, with huge eye lashes and heightened appearance made him quite personable and stunning. In fact, his Karuta teacher calls him EYE LASHES because of his beautiful eyes. Definitely, girls in school were after him too, still it didn't bother Chihaya and I hated it the most.
Characters are explained in details, whether it is Taichi, or Chihaya or Arata. Their preferences, their opinions, their families, their goals. Supporting characters (members of club) were also given limelight. But at one point, it was too detailed that even those who had no concern with the story were described in details (their thoughts, their background stories) especially during the duet matches so it became annoying for the audience. Still Everyone was given enough time, so I'd say character of this anime was good enough for me.

2. Friendship and Bonding with the people you work hard with, is never to be taken lightly. Season 1 was the beginning so I couldn't feel the chemistry between the friends and club members, but till season 3, I could clearly see the way they practice all the time to get into nationals. That's why their understanding and support for each other couldn't be left unnoticed. Taichi and Chihaya really improved a lot in being the best players, forming the base of the whole Karuta club. Experience makes leadership qualities exceptional and both of them proved it. How everyone depended on them, made me realize how amazing the feeling is when someone depends on you. How Chihaya changes completely into a serious player while playing Karuta couldn't go unnoticed as well. 👌🏼

3. If you don't like the game KARUTA, don't watch it. Actually you CAN'T watch it if you don't like this game. It's almost impossible. Decide on the very first episode that this game isn't worth the time you're going to give to the series of 3 seasons. I knew that I didn't like the theme of the series "Karuta" so I should've left the idea of watching it, but I didn't! That's why I didn't enjoy any match and that's why I didn't enjoy the series as well. For me, this game was like "Snatching or grabbing the card before other players after memorising the 100 poems and seeing it first before the other player. " that's it! Yes, it is a different game, yet I couldn't watch all the matches since they were so similar to me, just with a different set of faces. Victories were mostly predictable and I couldn't force myself to watch how one gets the card, this way or that way, it was boring for me. The ONLY moment among the matches that I enjoyed the most, was the match between Taichi and Chihaya. "Taichi, who started playing Karuta because of Chihaya is a lot better than her" this is what I thought.
"The first time she looked at him with admiration"
"The fruit of his hardwork"
"The moment audience had been waiting for"
These words were coming in my mind while watching that moment. Arata, getting jealous over the fact that he wasn't the one playing with Chihaya, it was Taichi, made me super happy. Just 1 match that I watched with full interest, was this one. Just imagine there are hundreds of matches of Karuta game, among so many players, I only watched one. So this anime isn't for those who don't like the concept of this game. Leave it the moment you feel that this game is annoying for you to watch.

4. Why you shouldn't watch it is also because of the SLOWEST LOVE STORY ON EARTH! Love story is really annoying and "patience testing experience" for audience so I won't recommend if you're a person who completes a series in 2 or 3 days, like me. Chihaya's personality is SO ANNYOING that one wants to smash her head after seeing how she links everyone's words and actions to KARUTA 🤦🏻‍♀️even if it's a confession, even if it's a compliment, she links it to Karuta. She only sees Karuta, she sees those who love Karuta, those who hate Karuta, those who are her enemies in Karuta and those make her learn something new about Karuta.🙄 For me, Chihaya's mind is like a 6th grade girl whose vocabulary starts and ends with just one word "Karuta"
Development is so slow that I felt like BEING PUNISHED to complete the series, still the thought of not knowing the ending urged me to finish it. How can one be so clueless despite being a high schooler? 🙄 I Thanked God that I lived enough life to see Taichi confessing to this girl since he was the most patient lover on earth. Whatever Taichi did for her, whatever he became for her (he almost lost himself while getting her attention) still, all she cared in the end was "he's getting ahead of me", still she was showing lovey dovey expressions only for Arata, who wasn't even with her.. Ughh! I literally wanted to slap this girl Chihaya..

5. Comedy factor isn't noticeable enough in this series to recommend to comedy lovers. I didn't laugh much, even though there were many scenes among club members that were considered comedy. Maybe it wasn't upto my expectations.

6. Another thing that is admirable is "Animation". 10/10 for that. This anime is for those, who strive to see beauty. It's a treat of eyes for them. (surely It was for me as well.)

7. Voice actors are brilliant too, especially the protagonists 👌🏼Though music didn't catch my attention.. Except the ending OST of season 1.

Overall, I didn't enjoy because of No interest in Karuta and because of Chihaya's dumb Nature. I was expecting a good romance due to Taichi and he really proved his love, but if one of the protagonists isn't getting the other, it makes it so frustrating. Comedy also seemed dull and tedious, so I couldn't enjoy, so I'd give 3/10 to enjoyment, but the story improved greatly in this season, matches and completions for Queens and masters (which weren't in the previous seasons) and this is something admirable.

Story despite being simple went really well. So I can recommend only to those who like the theme Karuta. Otherwise don't watch it! For me, overall it's 6/10

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Though we are parted,
If on Mount Inaba's peak
I should hear the sound
Of the pine trees growing there,
I'll come back again to you.

A bittersweet poem that represents Taichi. If you can feel the emotions in it, then you are hopelessly in love with Chihayafuru. It’s been eight years since the first Chihayafuru has been introduced to the world, and this is how long this anime community has waited for this season. Despite being both a jousei and slice of life genre, over the seasons, Chihayafuru has created much competitive and warm atmosphere for the matches and built up ample friendships and tension. Now, it’s finally time for the long-awaited King and Queen’s match.

This season will be presenting an all-out match that brings out the best of them, and a turning point for the bittersweet love triangle that has remained stagnant all this time. The story of the poets behind each card, has been expanded to reach for a greater height. Each of the little words are nicely blended to reflect different situation that the characters are in, along with their respective introspective thoughts. And in many ways, this become a powerful tool to evoke emotions. This is a trick that has been applied before, but each and every time, you couldn’t stop one from falling into the beauty of it.

Also, the studio Madhouse has done such a great job by creating more mesmerizing characters that you couldn’t help but not hate them, be it their foes or friends. Ironically, some of the side characters actually have greater backstories than the main trio. But, I genuinely think that this is why Chihayafuru is so likeable. They do not constrain the range of character developments and because of this, we get to witness and empathize with more and more little stories of their opponents and allies.

The animation on the other hand, is captivating.

The layout of the games, and the thinking process are beautifully visualized. The big brown eyes of Chihaya, with her clumsy and tomboyish attitude really managed to form a contrast. Arata with his sharp blue eyes fits his cool and calm personality while Taichi has that ambitious look and has a sense of loneliness in his eyes. For him, action speaks louder than words and it's truly amazing what the season has accomplished with this.

Other than that, the J-rock song for opening is kinda catchy with its tempo and is well-matched to elevate the mood for each episode to unfold. The song, Hitomebore for ending has a calm tone to it, but at the same time, gives the visual of igniting fire with the trio burning passion. It subtly sets a pace for the journey to be continued.

Overall, Chihayafuru 3 has evolved to be the most diverse, gentle and impactful season yet. It leaps beyond the expectations set by its ancestors with its high rating and forges deeper attachments to the side characters, while taking you closer to the trio’s heart. Don’t blink yet, as you’re about to embrace their passion, friendship and feelings all in one whole season.

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ちはやふる 3 is an endearing sequel to the past seasons with the same distinctive charm and a lot of heart. It is a really beautiful series that appeals to a wide audience with excitement, fun and emotions and entertains them great. The third season, my third review of the series, and I still recommend the series as much as I did at the beginning.

Story: Familiar, yet different & new, so that tension & excitement arise again (9/10)
The story follows a very plausible structure. While I understand that shifting focus from teams to individuals is a source of discussion and a certain sense of disappointment for some, but it is precisely this development and change that spans all three seasons that is both the reason and a guarantee for that great entertainment value from the series as a whole. I hope the idea becomes clearer with a brief overview of each season. In the first season the characters and the traditional Karuta as a sport are introduced. The second season deepens the friendship bonds between the team members and the teams. Personally, I think that working out the different interpersonal relationships leads to a great sequel that doesn't have to hide behind its predecessor. The third season now focuses more on some members and their relationships. Unfortunately, the time of 24 episodes is not enough to deepen all the characters, but I am convinced that they did a very good job. About 27 volumes of the manga have been adapted. I therefore sincerely look forward to what the further implementation will look like.

Character: Known & new characters, well presented and credible (9/10)
As already mentioned, there is a concentration on individual characters within the plot, which is also important and makes sense in the overall context of the story. Even if the depiction of the masters and the queen is initially in the foreground, new characters are also introduced and the newcomers of the second season are further developed. Despite all of this, the show still manages to give the supporting characters time on the screen, so that despite the focus on individual characters, a good overall picture is still created.
Ayase Chihaya:
Despite the lapstick sleep attacks after a match, her characterization is terrific. She is ambitious (when it comes to Karuta), kind-hearted and easy to deceive. Since she is very pretty, but also a small tomboy, impulsive and outgoing, her emotional world will leave her puzzled at the end of the show. It was obvious, but for me it was presented as credibly as if reading someone's diary.
Mashima Taichi:
Endowed with athletic and academic skills and furthermore good looking, he has remained down-to-earth despite everything. What I really like about him is that he's smart, but works hard for it. Learning from his mistakes and being loyal to the Mizusawa team has made him a wise leader who uses his supportive words to guide the team through the difficult phases of the games.
Wataya Arata:
I like the Fukui dialect, it sounds even more fluid and mellow. Black hair and blue eyes are already unusual and the comparison with water matches the language and behavior. Arata's way of playing is also aptly described with the elegant and soft movements of the water, since he always acts calmly and prudently, is just perfect.
Suō Hisashi:
Suō is not the ideal Meijin and therefore a thorn in the side of the Karuta Society. This is simply because he is very careless in his academic commitments and often moves outside the otherwise very serious framework of the very traditional sport. But his nature is different, and because of the disparagement of his person in his environment, one tends to look at the character rather contemptuously. His quiet, very calm way of speaking reveals something different and his playing style is impressive, like Chihaya he has a very good hearing, which is not his only quality. There is more to discover.
Harada Hideo:
Harada-sensei is a great personality, he is a friendly man with a deep connection to traditional Karuta. He is the backbone and head of the Shiranami society, which also includes Tachi and Chihaya. He has also been the mentor of both of them from the very beginning, has always stood at their side with the knowledge he has accumulated over many decades, challenged and encouraged them. His playing style is the offensive Karuta, which is characterized above all by taking the cards from the opponent's field. He is an excellent Karuta player who pulls out all the stops when it comes to winning. He is enthusiastic, loud, very competitive and uses drama and exaggeration, the comparison with a bear is used over and over again in the series, and this is an apt comparison.
Sakurazawa Midori:
Her character could be described most quickly as the counterpart of Harada Sensei. Female, she speaks softly, but is also treated with great respect because she is a very talented Karuta player. Her excellent observation skills enable her to accurately assess the strengths and weaknesses of other players. Due to her analytical skills and strictly demanding instructions, her protégés admire and fear her. Her loyal and sincere style is particularly striking. Outside of Karuta, she is a warm-hearted woman whose graceful figure fits well with her feminine and charismatic personality. If one of her male protégés seems to pursue her, she is not afraid to reject the young man with a charming joke.

Visuals: breathtaking and pleasantly presented (9/10)
A beautiful ensemble of art and animation that brings the characters elegantly and realistically to life. Studio Madhouse has set very high production values for the series and even improved them in the course of the adaptation in the individual seasons. The original illustrations of Suetsugu Yuki's work were beautifully adapted into the anime series from the beginning of the first season. The attractiveness of art is based on aesthetics and realism as well as on the love of detail and passion for quality. The charming accents of the Shoujo genre, such as falling sakura leaves and the graceful use of soft colours, give the series a special appeal. The art department has done an excellent job of creating the right mood for each episode, while at the same time highlighting the emotional and intellectual intensity that characterizes the Karuta games in the competition.
The art department is also impressive in terms of animation. The implementation of the movements of the figures is fluent and the camera angles are perfectly coordinated to achieve the greatest possible effect from each scene. Again, cards played during the tournaments, are a great example of good camera work. The sometimes game-decisive movements are executed with great attention to detail, and the perspective is panned or tilted to focus the viewer's attention. In this way, the animation does a very good job of keeping the scenario incredibly exciting, especially in tournaments.

Sounds: good, simultaneously emphasizing & accompanying, OP & ED good, VA stands out positively (9/10)
The BGM of Yamashita Kousuke was again very successful. The individual scenes and the plot are beautifully accompanied by the musical arrangements and receive a great and very fitting accentuation. The beautiful orchestral arrangements, which also include solos such as grand piano, oboe or flute and violin, have a very lively and emotional character, which makes the listener feel the sensations of the scenarios. For example: か る た 日 日 和 has something lively and reminds me very much of the music for one of the most beautiful couple dances, the slow Foxtrot or高 ぶ る キ モ チ and 心 構 え are so beautiful, gentle and graceful piece of music. The soundtrack as a whole is very beautiful, and I enjoyed it very much.
The OP is called "Colourful" and is once again performed by the J-Rock formation 99RadioService, founded in 2007. The voices of コ ー タ and コ ー ヘ イ give the good music the right note and bring the audience into the right mood for the series. The animation is reminiscent of the predecessors and presents the figures based on impressions of the past, present and offers a small look into the future. All in all, the title is fun and I like to hear it.
The ED is called "Hitomebore" and is from the band Harassment. This rock band from Nagoya is still quite new, the formation was founded in 2015 and the four-man formation of Ibuka-, Wata-, Hakko- and Saimoto-san plays good J-Rock. With Ibuka's clear and stretched vocals, the catchy melodies are impressive. The lyrics of the title are straightforward without difficult puns and thus create a good mix that is well received by the audience. The text of the song fits very well with the events and feelings in the anime. The animation is also very suitable, with the individual pictures of the MCs and the three friends together. It is a very simple design, but also very effective.
The Seiyū are also an aspect of the series' success. With great sensitivity, their performances convey the deep and moving emotions and give the well-written dialogues appealing and perceptible realism. The voice acting is excellent without exception, but I would like to highlight some voices that I particularly like. Regarding the male dubbing voices: Hosoya, Yoshimasa as Arata's voice. His presentation of the Fukui dialect, the nasal "Nya" sounds friendly and because it pulls the words or sentences together a little, the language sounds even more fluent, which in turn fits very well with Arata's character and the association with water.
Personally, I was deeply moved that Ishizuka Unshō passed away in 2018. I liked his clear and deep voice as Seiyū very much. I will miss the great voice that brought Admiral Borsalino "Kizaru" and also Van Hohenheim in the FMA Brotherhood to life.
The new casting of the role of Harada Sensei with Miyake, Kenta was in my opinion a good choice to fill the speaking role with a worthy successor.
Among the female voice actors, I particularly noticed Han, Megumi as the voice of Hanano, Sumire. I haven't mentioned her in my last reviews and that's a pity. Her performance is excellent, her repertoire covers an impressive spectrum. It ranges from energetic, cheerful voices: Gon Freeccs (Hunter x Hunter - 2011) to cute voices, such as Kargari, Atsuko (Little Witch Academia -2013) to psychological roles, like Five (Zankyō no Teroru - 2014). Han-san understands perfectly with her voice, to embody Sumire, who is at first superficial and emotionally driven

In hectic times, a gentle series with appealing characters and the simple elegance of a traditional sport is very soothing and appealing, even without a PhD in Japanese literature. In case you are new to the series and are not quite sure, my review of the first season contains a small overview of "Karuta".
As mentioned at the beginning, I'm convinced that I can recommend the series to every anime fan, because I think everyone will like the series in his or her own way, since it is exciting, emotionally charged, visually beautiful staged and is accompanied by very good music as well as voice acting.

As always, thanks for reading and have fun watching.

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I'm not a native English speaker, and this is my first ever review. These are my opinions on the show, so please refrain from causing controversy, as I've tried my best to avoid such things from happening. Please read this with a grain of salt. And there are spoilers.

I don't have time to review season 1 and 2, but let's say for the most part: it was amazing. The journey countinue onwards with season 3, and it has not failed to impress me!

This is one of the rare gems in anime, one of the rare shows that managed to not only keep its quality consistent for 3 seasons, but also gradually improves later on. Chihayafuru takes us through a colorful journey of hardships and endeavors of the main trio (Chihaya, Arata and Taichi) playing and improving at the game. This show captivates the viewers with its realistically-portrayed card game, through the character's perception and play-style of karuta, background and personalities through these beautiful and charming Japensese poems. What really makes this show stands out, is without the use of cheap sentimentals (monologues about friendship and then ridiculously wins, hidden powers etc), it's still able to convey such strong emotions as the characters pushed themselves to their limit. Despite being an anime, the pressure of competiting against a high-classes opponent is sensible, making this show breathtaking.

The emotions, speech and the gestures of the characters, alongside the amazing storyline, is enough to make you fall in love with the show. The narration was perfect, making the story flow without missing a beat. The development and endeavor of the characters impacted the plot overall, along side the scenes, flashbacks and sequences makes a breathtaking picture of the show, which will fail to disinterest you.

The characters were fleshed out to their full potential, especially Arata Wataya, who ws left out in the previous seasons. Taichi Mashima's transformation was mesmerizing to see, along side our main girl, Chihaya Ayase, who continue with the endeavor of developing and passion of the game despite her future in general. These three have progressed through the storyline with decent pacing, making the show further enjoyable to watch. Not just the trio, we can also see the improvement of the side cast, having their personal development and story depicted through the games. One other thing that satisified me is the remarkable in-depth exploration of the new challengers. Many characters weren't left out, and the appearance of the mysterious Master and Queen figure is a suprise to me. The competition or the title was absolutely glorious, seeing the persepctives of not only the main cast but also from the opposition's view.

The art and soundtrack, as a whole, is mesmerising. The art itself enhances the story, alongside the soundtrack is aimed to give you the most entertaining experience whilst watching the show, and Chihayafuru has succeeded in doing that successful.

In the end, it's kinda hard to believe that Chihayafuru is not popular! So let this be one of the shining gems in the world of anime.

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Phewww~! Can't believe I was a year late to watch such a wonderful season of Chihayafuru. First of all, I'd like to inform that I'm a big fan of Chihayafuru. Therefore, this review might emphasize the abundant excitement I feel when I was completing the series. If you have not watched the first and second seasons, this third season might be a little difficult to follow.

Unlike the previous seasons, season 3 gives more screen time to other supporting roles that we all love! Harada sensei, Shinobu, Suo Meijin, Sakurazawa Sensei and several newly-introduced characters. Is it good? Well, it's yes and no. It's good because you won't be fed with Chihaya's greed to win with Mizusawa; it's bad because some development that should happen for the main characters were neglected. However, it does not reduce the amount of enjoyment of the series. It is still great! I believe the series has followed the manga pretty closely. Amazing work!

I also realised that Arata was given much more development in this series. There are some dokidoki parts happening between the trio, as well as, heartbreaking moments but it just screams that Chihaya, Taichi and Arata are growing up! It's truly satisfying to watch them. Their ups and downs.

In this season, the series shows more than just karuta! They talk about bond, hardships, betrayal, and more. Although the previous seasons also centralise so many themes, I personally find that this season is more emotional than the precedents! Overall, if you would like to see the growth of all characters (especially Chihaya, Arata & Taichi), please marathon all seasons! I've done it and Chihayafuru has really entered my subconscious mind. XD

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Before starting Chihayafuru, I'm sure most people wondered how interesting a Japanese card game based Anime could be. Much to our delight, Chihayafuru 1 and 2 made us fall in love with Karuta and the Hyakunin Isshu, along with all the characters. While they both were pretty good Anime themselves, Chihayafuru 3 is better than the previous seasons by a huge margin, in every department - the Karuta, the romance, the character development, and the overall feel of Chihayafuru in general.

(Spoilers for Seasons 1 and 2 ahead)

Story : 9
The story picks up where Season 2 ends - with the High School Tournament over, Taichi and Chihaya heading for the Karuta Camp at Fujisaki, and the Meijin and Queen Qualifiers looming in the near future. The storyline in Chihayafuru 3 is WAY BETTER than the previous seasons, and a ton of interesting and important stuff happens. The tension throughout the series is extremely high, and every episode gave me an adrenaline rush. And the ending was great as well, a wonderful wrap-up to this season.

Characters : 10
The character portrayal and development is where Chihayafuru 3 shines the most. I'll go into detail regarding the characters which I felt went through prominent development throughout the 24 episode run :

Taichi - Those who have seen Seasons 1 and 2 know the burdens Taichi bears - maintaining the morale of the Mizusawa Karuta Club as the President, keeping up with studies, being pressurized by his mother, trying to improve in Karuta despite not enjoying the game itself but the emotions and relations he has formed playing them, an above all, trying to contain his feelings for Chihaya and the resultant urge to defeat Arata. In Season 3, his feeling intensify, and the Taichi has to face it all. Watching him deal with everything, and watching how it affects him through the Anime was what I loved the most about Chihayafuru 3.

Arata - Unlike the previous seasons, Arata has a lot more screen time in this one. His relations with the people around him, as well as his grandfather, are explored, to make him a prominent character. What he feels about Chihaya and Taichi is also portrayed, and how it affects him and his Karuta playing.

Suou Meijin - Surprisingly, a portion of the Anime focused on the Meijin himself, his playing style, his character, his personality, and things about him that he has kept secret from the public.
While not extensively dealt with, it was a very interesting factor of the Anime.

The other characters are well developed as well. While Chihaya herself didn't have any special character development that was different from the previous seasons, other characters - Sakurazawa Sensei, Queen Shinobu, and Harada Sensei - have been well fleshed-out. Overall every character is very realistic and relatable in some way or the other, and shines whenever given screen time.

Animation and Art : 10
While the Animation is very fluid and natural, the Art is also very vivid and beautiful. The imagery, character art, etc. are all very well drawn and animated. Chihayafuru 3 maintains the high standards set by the previous seasons in the Art and Animation department.

Sound : 10
The soundtrack itself is beautiful, however, it is not excessively used, and there are portions where, appropriately, no music or scanty soundtrack is used. The OST accurately reflects the situations in the Anime, whether they are tense, happy, emotional, sad, or joyous.

Overall : 10
Chihayafuru 3 is a gem, one of the best Anime I've ever seen. Though a part of a much bigger series, these 24 episodes are complete in their own way, a set of unified and intertwined arcs for all characters. The ending itself hints at more things to come, and left me wondering what was gonna happen, given how the Anime ended, enough to pick up the manga immediately.

Chihayafuru 3 is a must-watch, one of the most tense, exciting, and enjoyable Anime out there, in terms of both it's Sports, Romance, and Slice-of-Life elements.

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