"Chihayafuru" is a hugely popular manga. It tells the story of high school students who devote their youth to competitive karuta. The live-action film adaptation, starring Hirose Suzu, also became a hot topic. With the third season of the anime soon to begin airing, "Chihayafuru" is gaining even more attention. In this article, we'll be introducing two of the most anticipated episodes of the third season of the anime, "Queen's Match" and "School Trip," ahead of the broadcast! Be sure to brush up on the content before the anime begins!
Notable episodes of season 3! Queen's Match Members
The Queen's Match and the Meijin Match are some of the most notable scenes in "Chihayafuru"! This time, the Queen's Match will feature Shinobu Wakamiya vs. Haruka Inokuma (challenger).
Who is Shinobu Wakamiya?
Shinobu is a popular and important character in "Chihayafuru." She is the current Queen, having been promoted to Class A in her fourth year of elementary school and becoming the youngest Queen in history in her third year of junior high. She is a highly skilled player. She is a student at Tsusaki High School in Kyoto. Her tactics are as if she is "loved by karuta," demonstrating a deep connection with the cards. In matches, she displays beautiful, overwhelming strength and is renowned for her precision. This is a departure from Chihaya's early style, which relied on good "feel." In fact, in elementary school, she faced Arata every year in the first round of a tournament, losing every time. Because of this, she seems to want to face him again. Although she's very beautiful, she doesn't seem to have much fashion sense.
Who is Inokuma Haruka?
Inokuma Haruka is another character who leaves quite an impression on readers. She's 34 years old, has a husband, two sons (Aki and Jin), and is currently pregnant. She's also a 7th-dan karuta player, having won the Queen title four times in a row, and holds the record for being the world's number one female karuta player for four consecutive years. This alone makes her a truly impressive figure, but she also demonstrates her strength by treating her challenger, Sakurazawa Midori, as the "strongest challenger" and never making her Queen. She's known for her large eyes, and some even say that Wakamiya has an even better "feel."
What will happen in the Queen match?! The results are intriguing!
Wakamiya Shinobu vs. Inokuma Haruka: a great match where either could win. Wakamiya won the first match. It was a testament to her talent, but she lost in the second match. Wakamiya seemed invincible, but what exactly happened? It turns out her mental state played a major role.
"That person is a politician, and you're a beautiful poster girl." Her mother's words shock me.
These are the words Wakamiya's mother said to her during a break. "That person" refers to Wakamiya's grandmother. Wakamiya's grandmother was the first person to take Wakamiya to a karuta party, and she was the one who inspired him to take up karuta. Wakamiya wore the beautiful, expensive hakama her grandmother had bought for him during the match, but Wakamiya interpreted it as a way for her grandmother to gain votes and make an impression. This was quite a shock, and it shook Wakamiya, who simply loved karuta.
Chihaya's words also shocked him...
What shocked Wakamiya even more was what Chihaya said. "I wanted to win and come here too, but the preliminaries overlapped with the school trip," Chihaya said. Wakamiya and Chihaya had promised to win again and play karuta again, in the Queen's match. However, Chihaya chose the school trip over the Queen's match. This came as a huge shock to Wakamiya, and she was deeply upset. Wakamiya had always been a Queen and seemed aloof, but she probably loved her grandmother and Chihaya as well. It's quite heartbreaking, isn't it?
Why did Chihaya choose the school trip? Let's solve this intriguing mystery!
Chihaya was putting all her effort into karuta. Isn't it strange that she chose the school trip even though she had promised to challenge Wakamiya in the Queen's match? In fact, this was related to Chihaya's dream. Chihaya's dream is to become a high school teacher who teaches karuta. She was quite hesitant about becoming a teacher because she thought it would be a bad idea to have never been on a school trip. As a result, for the sake of her dream, Chihaya prioritized the school trip. Incidentally, she had even asked her teacher for advice on what subject she should become a teacher of. P.E., her best subject, was rejected as it was considered dangerous... But since she wants to become a karuta teacher, perhaps Japanese is the subject she should choose after all? We look forward to seeing what Chihaya does next!
Destination: Kyoto
Chihaya and her friends' school trip was to Kyoto. Apparently, they also visited places associated with karuta, such as the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu Hall of Fame, Shigureden, in Arashiyama. This place has become a sacred place for "Chihayafuru" fans, and many people actually visit. If you visit, you'll likely experience the world of "Chihayafuru" even more deeply!
A Summary of the "Chihayafuru" Queen's Match and School Trip!
That concludes the "Chihayafuru" Queen's Match and School Trip! No one could have predicted that the invincible Wakamiya would lose her second match. It's unfortunate that her mental state had such a significant impact, but will she recover? Also, if you haven't checked it out yet, be sure to check it out to see how her relationship with Chihaya develops. Incidentally, Taichi surprisingly skipped the school trip, prioritizing the karuta tournament. Chihaya was quite surprised by this, and it shows how serious Taichi is about it. Taichi truly feels that he has dedicated his entire youth to karuta. I can't wait for the third season of the anime!
