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
