Chihayafuru Chapter 226 Discussion

okakuri said:
We poppin the BIGGEST bottles when taichihaya becomes canon

Fionavar said:


I dont get it. I really dont. This chapter had zero interaction with them. How in the seven hells get people to the conclusion they are endgame?

okakuri said:
We poppin the BIGGEST bottles when taichihaya becomes canon

chiakimagoto said:
definitely, I'm in for this!!! Rofl anything is good to open a bottle of Champagne, even if it doesn't happen, will be good to end my long road with Chihayafuru with a nice bubble

Taichi wasn't there but "we definitely sensed his presence".

possession1981 said:
I guess if jealously factors everything then Chihaya x Arata is inevitable seeing as Taichi has always been jealous of Arata. Anyways love to see Arata understanding Chihaya-yet again- and knowing that she's a team player, now those "he doesn't even understand her though" arguments can hopefully cease. And the whole team player thing being hammered down with Chihaya just makes me believe my HC will come into fruition-Shinobu who keeps herself in solitude will lose to someone who is the exact opposite of her. Chihaya beating her will expand her world, which is very much needed. The Kana panel was so weird and OOC that I can't help thinking that Suetsugu was taking a jab at certain fans who hate when Arata has any kind of interaction with Chihaya lmao.

Fionavar said:
To that last part absolutely tbh. I always found it kind of odd with how pushy Kana is on that regard tbh. It certainly isnt the first moment she had like this where she felt completly OOC..

possession1981 said:

I really like Kana as a character, I feel this is a shared sentiment among majority of Chihayafuru fans-but I really dislike how she doesn't consider the feelings of Chihaya. I get that she feels for Taichi, but she should think about Chihaya from time to time as well. Maybe I'm forgetting a scene, but Kana has never shown any animosity towards Arata so that dirty look from her (when Arata did nothing wrong) was just weird. So weird that I can't help feeling that was Suetsugu taking a jab at certain fans, because that's exactly how they act when Arata has any kind of interaction with Chihaya. Do you know how many time I've seen certain fans complain over Arata simply being in the same scene, or when Chihaya even just thinks about the guy? It's ridiculous.

I agree!!! I know that Kana is considering Taichi's feelings and knows that he deeply loves Chihaya but she is not only a Taichi supporter but also Chihaya's important FRIEND. So I feel that she should also consider Chihaya's feelings, and if Chihaya doesn't have any romantic feelings for Taichi then Kana shouldn't push it either as a friend. (And Arata didn't do ANYTHING wrong, he in fact saved her from freezing and crying outside, and Kana just glares at him, that was very unneccesary). Also, Kana knows exactly that Chihaya has feelings for Arata, and that Arata likes her too. She also knows that Taichi's feelings are slowly vanishing, so why is she mad at Arata for just carrying her inside??

@fionavar

chiakimagoto said:
No one else knows what actually went down.

chiakimagoto said:
she follows that sort of stuff to balance out her story.

Fionavar said:
I dont get it. I really dont. This chapter had zero interaction with them. How in the seven hells get people to the conclusion they are endgame?

opinionabred said:
It's also so interesting that Arata gives Chihaya this advice when all around him are people telling him they see his grandfather in him. So what's up with that?

shanimebib said:
I don't want a time-skip and Arata being shown as a Meijin. I want him to beat Suou and send him to his hometown.

iNameless_ said:

shanimebib said:
In an ideal world, as a ChihArata, I would love it if Arata intentionally takes the title match to five games to stay around in the game so that Chihaya can win her remaining three games. But will it be worth it? Will he really going to choose Chihaya over Karuta? I hope not!

roppuri said:

Just dont, Why the hell the Author will make that kind of situation in the first place? It's BS, if for example Arata lost g3 because he's worried about Chihaya. You can do both and Arata already conveyed his advice to Chihaya anyway, take straight 3 games and become a meijin already without shounen cliches. Arata is long deserved to be the Meijin.

And i don't understand about Taichi/Chihaya fans that forced to connect everything as their ship moment and suddenly out of nowhere they are canon?

shanimebib said:
That's what I think. The only stumbling block between him and his title is how he seemingly allowed his focus to change from what is best for him to win to how they can both get the three wins they needed.

I think there will be a twist but seeing how Suou (Somehow I don't seem to bother about adding the suffix meijin anymore, lol) has failed to control Arata in his first two defeats were bloody Amazing already. Arata already noticed Suou's weakness without anyone having told him. That's why he is an incredible karuta player and has the stars written on him to become the Meijin. This is where we also see why Chihaya has the potential because she noticed it too. Although it took her a bit longer. He didn't as much as sway to Suou trying to unsettle him by bringing up past conversations or the person Suou wanted to play against. I will appreciate a 3-0 sweep much more than a 3-1 or 3-2 for Arata but I don't see that happening. It is more likely to go down to the 5th game for Suou's character development.

Also, this chapter once again consolidated that Arata is indeed the embodiment of perfection while pulling life energy toward him like a powerful whirlwind would pull things toward it. He is still the definition of Chihayaburu. Absolutely loved it how Kana-chan (who embodies TaiChihaya fans IRL), who just gave a narrowed eye to Arata picking Chihaya up from outside (but also from the bottom of the abyss), rather shamelessly adding "Wa" to Arata's Mizusawa battle cry!

Once again. Chihaya is a person. Not a trophy to be won. This is something a good number of Taichi fans don't seem to get because they are blinded by his story and seem to constantly and desperately trying to put him in the focus when he has been anything but for quite sometime now.

Anyhow, irrespective of my ship, Arata becoming Meijin and Chihaya becoming Queen to get the story make a full circle to the rundown Arata apartment is the single most important thing to me. Their connection is much deeper and stronger than their individual connections with Taichi. And that is one thing that remained consistent throughout this manga and no one can make me convince otherwise.

roppuri said:
Just dont, Why the hell the Author will make that kind of situation in the first place? It's BS, if for example Arata lost g3 because he's worried about Chihaya. You can do both and Arata already conveyed his advice to Chihaya anyway, take straight 3 games and become a meijin already without shounen cliches. Arata is long deserved to be the Meijin.

chiakimagoto said:
Well, "long dream" is a bit much. They are only 18.....Harada sensei had a "long" dream". Our trio still have many many years before them to realise their dreams....

chiakimagoto said:
I never understood why Shinobu and Suou need to lose to start loving karuta.....I don't get that train of thought.

roppuri said:

To be [Queen or Meijin] is every karuta's player long dream, not just for Chihaya, regardless of age, there's nothing bit much or exaggerated here. Ofc we don't have to compare, it's just the narration, no way the author will keep making this to the age of Chihaya being 50 years old not yet to achieve her dream.


Nothing last forever, they are bound to lose their position someday. Every human beings needs challenge and defeat to grow, is that simple. And why start loving karuta? since when they don't love Karuta? they always love Karuta, expecially Shinobu, so is Suou.

chiakimagoto said:
TBH I'm waiting for the scans.

One thing is for sure: Taichi may not be there, but he seems to always be dwelling in Chihaya's mind at the moment. She knows he won't go back to being her bestie anymore. Those times are over. Maybe for always, maybe not. That depends on several things. Taichi set the borderline. He is taking his distance, step by step. He may still love Chihaya but I don't think he wants to bother her anymore and when the cons in a relationship weigh more heavy than the pros, distancing yourself is definitely the right thing to do.

If Chihaya loves Arata she should forget about Taichi and not be "a rock" anymore, not expect anything. It's not her fault he loves her, but she should at least understand that his feelings were crushed, which she definitely understoood. Taichi obviously suffers because of this situation, so think it more than wise to keep away from something that hurts you.

If she loves Taichi, she may not be able to control her feelings and still wish for his presence. Even if he is her friend, she knows what went on between them. No one else knows what actually went down. She should understand he doesn't want to contact her anymore. I know, he could have sent her encouragement, but it's too painful so she shouldn't expect anything. The fact that she might be "hoping", is someting else.

I have a feeling that Arata might have caught onto Chihaya really feeling down. He doesn't have an idea what actually happened between Taichi and Chihaya, so really, him making that effort to "stand in" for Taichi was a nice thing to do. He might not have if he had known what was going on. He did understand, that even if the whole Mizusawa team is there, she still needs her righthand to get her support systems up. But he isn't.

In the end, even if Taichi seperated himself from Chihaya and the team, she is still bruised and longing for old times, which will never come back.

Thess said:


Typical grasping the straws method because they were oh so sure it would be Taichi who would arrive there and pick up Chihaya and was Arata (which was p. obvious because of previous chapter set that up), like the whole "jealousy" garbage they toss at Arata. Talk about misunderstanding the chapter and Arata. If anything, I feel Chihaya was the one depressed because Arata got a message from Taichi and not her (not in a romantic way, but rather in a friendship one). She was probably hurt that her best friend ignored her and ashamed to face Arata when she's a mess with Karuta. But all must be romance!! It's the ship, guys!

Anyway, I love this chapter. It makes Arata grow so much and come out his shell. Arata was trying to focus because this is very important to think and didn't want a distraction. This was painfully clear. But he got distracted despite his efforts to avoid it, he kept thinking how to help Chihaya and he made the connection about making her go back to her 'lane', about the team - as the captain of that team, that was her strongest. Not sure how they got this OMG ARATA IS JEALOUS AND TAICHICHIHAYA IS ENDGAME when the dilemma was him throwing away his focus to help Chihaya in the most important moment of his life when he shouldn't spare her a single thought until this ended. Taichi contacting him to remind him how to do it - he shouted like in those club matches, to remind them of the club mate who wasn't there, Taichi. But it was to remind her of the matches of them as a club, that's Chihaya's world, as much as Shinobu's 'friend cards' is her karuta. The others picked it up and also shouted along to encourage Chihaya.

For Arata it was a big moment he broke his focus (endangering his entire match) for a friend. He reached out Chihaya to give her advice after he had tried to build a wall between other people. He stopped thinking about Chihaya when he was cheered by his two clubmates about the Meiji matches and he reminded himself he couldn't be distracted. I mean, literally there's a scene of Arata refusing to call people, eat or engage in conversations because "he must focus" yet he's finally able to throw that away to reach out for someone. Taichi was a catalyst for him to realize how to convey what he must do and to actually speak up to assist her, rather than jealousy, I think it shows Taichi inspired him to be her support when he was no longer there to fill that role. He's not even thinking of Taichi as a rival in that scene (he doesn't see him as a rival anymore, this was clear after their match, there's zero jealousy about his reaction, rather is his struggle between his match vs his friend, and how he could vocalize this) but rather it gave him the push to be her crutch at that moment. This was huge for Arata who is very awkward and introverted, especially important because he too struggled to reach and start his own club. If anything it shows how positive and inspiring is Taichi and Arata relationship with each other.

Taichi in his role as the shoulder to cry-cheerleader-crutch was expected, but instead of going that direction, the manga had Arata break from his role to fill the empty spot he left behind and be the one who encouraged Chihaya as her support (while Taichi is the one who went 'away' like Arata but by his own selfish -but understandable- reasons, unlike Arata's family circumstances). About the "triangle", if you care about that, on one hand, it shows Taichi's importance to Chihaya and her friends (as in, she expected and wanted his support for certain), but on the other hand, it also shows Arata is capable of filling the same role now, albeit awkwardly because he's nowhere as social or extrovert.



I was thinking I think he'll try to play his own karuta, lose twice, and then win. But actually I think Arata's "own Karuta" is to play with his grandfather. Like how Shinobu does with the cards (her friends) space, and Chihaya karuta is thinking about her club. It's about your important bonds and such. That's what he means, make the opponent step in your "world", that's why he has been beating Sou, he is together with his grandpa.

That's in the end the difference of Shinobu and Chihaya. Chihaya played in her lonely world where the cards as her only friends, now is Chihaya's turn to show her world where she has a club of team mate she enjoys Karuta with (which is important because Shinobu's arc is most likely to make actual flesh and blood friends - so she has to lose to Chihaya to develop, same as Sou losing to Arata).