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.
