The hugely popular anime "Chihayafuru" is getting exciting as the third season is about to begin! Chihayafuru sparked a karuta boom, and its live-action film adaptation has also been a hot topic. The series isn't just about the karuta elements; it's also garnering a lot of attention for the romantic relationships between the characters. People are particularly curious to see what will happen to the relationships between the main characters, Chihaya, Taichi, and Arata. So, in this article, we'll explore the relationship between Chihaya and Arata, among other characters! Please note that this article may contain spoilers for the series.
First of all, what kind of characters are Chihaya and Arata?
Character 1: Chihaya Ayase
First, let's start with the main character, Chihaya Ayase. She's the protagonist of this story. She possesses excellent hearing and a genius talent for karuta, rapidly improving her skills. She's a genius A-class master. Currently a high school student, she's a member of the competitive karuta club with her childhood friend, Taichi Mashima. While she's somewhat reckless when it comes to karuta, she's headstrong, straightforward, and has a straightforward personality. By the way, she's very beautiful and seemingly very popular, but her charm fades when she moves or speaks, leading people to call her a "useless beauty."
Character 2: Arata Wataya
Next up is Arata Wataya. He's a high school student from Fukui Prefecture. He transferred to the same elementary school as Chihaya and Taichi. At first, he was treated like an outsider and struggled to fit in, being subjected to cruel remarks and even bullying. However, Chihaya remained unaffected and treated him equally. One day, Chihaya plays karuta at Arata's house. Discovering the joy of karuta there, Chihaya becomes fascinated with it thanks to Arata. Arata is the one who introduced Chihaya and Taichi to the world of karuta, making him a key figure in the story. Despite their successful friendship, Arata has returned to Fukui Prefecture to care for his grandfather, and currently lives there.
Arata confesses his feelings to Chihaya! What will the outcome be...?
In fact, Arata had a crush on Chihaya. There's a scene where Arata finally musters up the courage to confess his feelings to Chihaya! It's a crucial scene that "Chihayafuru" fans should definitely watch, but what was the outcome?
What was the confession scene?
Arata confessed to Chihaya in front of a large crowd. Arata was surprisingly bold, wasn't he? His confession was, "I love you, Chihaya. If you feel like it, let's play karuta together." Combined with his Fukui dialect, it's a lovely way to say things that Arata loves. Incidentally, at this point, Chihaya didn't immediately respond.
What was Chihaya's reaction?
Though Chihaya didn't reply right away, she clearly looked happy at this point. She was quite shaken, and her face was bright red, but her expression showed a happy expression. Instead of replying immediately, Chihaya simply told Arata, "I want to become the world's best karuta player." Arata then promised to hear her answer during the Meijin and Queen matches.
Does Chihaya like Arata?
Although Chihaya hasn't given a clear response, it's clear that she likes Arata. Many fans have been wondering if Taichi and Chihaya will end up together, so this is a surprising development. Since she hasn't given a clear response, it's not confirmed, but if things continue to go smoothly, will Chihaya and Arata end up together? However, Taichi's presence is also a cause for concern.
Taichi also likes Chihaya? Is he Arata's rival?
Chihaya's childhood friend, Taichi Mashima, who has always been by her side, also likes her. Taichi confessed his feelings to Chihaya after Arata. However, Chihaya's reaction to this was quite different: her expression darkened and she replied with a single, barely audible "I'm sorry." It's a completely different reaction from when Arata confessed his feelings to her. Incidentally, even when Taichi confessed his feelings to her, Arata was the only one on Chihaya's mind. Taichi was so shocked by his rejection that he ended up quitting the ruta club. And shockingly, when Chihaya tries to stop him, Taichi forces a kiss on her! She replies, "I'm not going to play karuta. All 100 cards look black to me right now." The sudden kiss was quite shocking, but the shock of Taichi quitting the club also sent Chihaya into a karuta slump.
It was a huge shock
Chihaya was so shocked afterwards that she quit the karuta club herself! Even though she rejected his confession, this wouldn't have happened if he wasn't her special someone. However, it was Arata who helped her out at this point. Arata scolds Chihaya, saying, "Taichi will definitely come back, so let's wait until then, getting stronger." Arata's charm lies in his seemingly mature and insightful attitude, even for his age. This is what allowed Chihaya to return to the world of Hyakunin Isshu.
A Summary of Chihaya and Arata's Relationship!
That concludes the fascinating introduction to Chihaya and Arata's relationship in "Chihayafuru." It's now been revealed that Chihaya and Arata are in mutual unrequited love! Fans are eager to find out who Chihaya will date—Taichi or Arata—and it's bound to be a hot topic. If things continue as they are, Arata will have the upper hand, but Taichi has already kissed Chihaya (?), so it's still unclear how things will play out. Of course, expectations are high for things like what will happen to the Karuta Club? And what will the outcome of the Queen's match be? We're looking forward to the third season of the anime!
