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alias_sqbrThis is what happens when I force myself to rest all day in preparation for Swancon.
Chihaaaya. When she BURSTS INTO TEARS at the idea that foreigners might love the game as much as she does! (and the cuteness of them not really being foreigners at all, the little dig at the way non-ethnically-Japanese people are treated in Japan. If there's a season 3 I hope they show up and do really well) And cares so much about making a lasting club! At the start I was worried she was too oblivious to practical things and the fact that not everyone wants to play Kurata (eg poor Arata when he was all sad) but she isn't as one note as that. I love how she's developing as a player, when she eventually becomes Queen it will be SO SATISFYING (SHE IS GOING TO BE QUEEN)
And her family! Not SUPER OBSESSED SUPPORTIVE but still supportive of this weird hobby she has randomly gotten so tied up with. Because it makes her happy and that's what matters.
Kana: I love how domineering and stubborn she can be defending her old fashioned values of grace and culture :D Her way of playing is so different to everyone else's but still valued. And I love the way she helps educate/remind the viewer about the meanings of the poems too. And the way she and Chihaya have both learned from each other!
Nishida: I wish everyone would stop calling him Porky. Still, while not super developed he's his own character. I'm wondering if he's going to get much more development, it looks like he and Tsutomu are coming into conflict in episode 11.
Tsutomu: I empathise with the little nerdy person who wants to understand everything with rules and charts :D He's a sweetie, too.
Sumire: is it just me or is it a trope of m/f/m manga love triangles to have a sneaky, manipulative, super femme woman throw herself at the Wrong Guy, only for him to inadvertently help her become a better person and discover hidden depths? Anyway, I love how she is still focussed on love but is also really getting into Karuta and making friends with Kana (and having unexpected yuri subtext with random rivals from other teams, hee)
Akihiro: I don't find him all that interesting but the show managed to make me like him more than I expected.
Arata: SHOW STOP KEEPING HIM AWAY FROM CHIHAYA. I don't ship them super hard (though I do think they'd be happy and the have the whole separated soulmates thing going on) but I do REALLY WANT THEM TO HUG. And talk about their feelings and hang out and play lots and lots of Karuta. Anyway, I really like him, he's nice but not perfect, he needs to stop keeping so much to himself. It's hard to get much of a handle on his character when so much of his appearances is him Not Quite Talking to Chihaya, I hope that changes.
Shinobu: WHAT A GREAT RIVAL. So weird and mean but still human. She obviously remembers Arata a lot more than he remembers her, but she doesn't care as much about Chihaya because as yet she has no reason to. (We know Chihaya is the protagonist but nobody else should) I get the feeling that at some point she's going to become more than just a super tough opponent, which should be interesting.
Taishi: get your head out of your ass and ask Chihaya out. He's not a complete Nice Guy but still...it's been SO LONG, and there is no reason to think she'd say no. I get the feeling he's waiting for her to fall obviously madly in love as well, but that's not going to happen, and all the obvious pining is just unhealthy. And while he's not quite the little douche he was as a kid it's still really obnoxious to hang around blocking her from dating other guys without making a move himself.
Chihaya: when Taishi asks you out, say no :D He'll get over it eventually, and I can see him being an obsessive creepy boyfriend you can't have proper discussions with.
I do like that he's not just defined by his interest in Chihaya, he genuinely cares about the team, has his own Karuta arc etc. I would like to see his friendship (and rivalry) with Arata develop past the thing with Chihaya. He's an interesting contrast to Tsutomu, who is just as cerebral but not as repressed. Also, he is distractingly pretty *cough*
I love how minor characters all have their own things going on, like the Hokuo Academy players and their relationship with Sudo. It creates a more complex emotional reaction than "Main characters win = good, other team wins=bad". And everyone is growing up and learning from each other and I love them all.
Chihaaaya. When she BURSTS INTO TEARS at the idea that foreigners might love the game as much as she does! (and the cuteness of them not really being foreigners at all, the little dig at the way non-ethnically-Japanese people are treated in Japan. If there's a season 3 I hope they show up and do really well) And cares so much about making a lasting club! At the start I was worried she was too oblivious to practical things and the fact that not everyone wants to play Kurata (eg poor Arata when he was all sad) but she isn't as one note as that. I love how she's developing as a player, when she eventually becomes Queen it will be SO SATISFYING (SHE IS GOING TO BE QUEEN)
And her family! Not SUPER OBSESSED SUPPORTIVE but still supportive of this weird hobby she has randomly gotten so tied up with. Because it makes her happy and that's what matters.
Kana: I love how domineering and stubborn she can be defending her old fashioned values of grace and culture :D Her way of playing is so different to everyone else's but still valued. And I love the way she helps educate/remind the viewer about the meanings of the poems too. And the way she and Chihaya have both learned from each other!
Nishida: I wish everyone would stop calling him Porky. Still, while not super developed he's his own character. I'm wondering if he's going to get much more development, it looks like he and Tsutomu are coming into conflict in episode 11.
Tsutomu: I empathise with the little nerdy person who wants to understand everything with rules and charts :D He's a sweetie, too.
Sumire: is it just me or is it a trope of m/f/m manga love triangles to have a sneaky, manipulative, super femme woman throw herself at the Wrong Guy, only for him to inadvertently help her become a better person and discover hidden depths? Anyway, I love how she is still focussed on love but is also really getting into Karuta and making friends with Kana (and having unexpected yuri subtext with random rivals from other teams, hee)
Akihiro: I don't find him all that interesting but the show managed to make me like him more than I expected.
Arata: SHOW STOP KEEPING HIM AWAY FROM CHIHAYA. I don't ship them super hard (though I do think they'd be happy and the have the whole separated soulmates thing going on) but I do REALLY WANT THEM TO HUG. And talk about their feelings and hang out and play lots and lots of Karuta. Anyway, I really like him, he's nice but not perfect, he needs to stop keeping so much to himself. It's hard to get much of a handle on his character when so much of his appearances is him Not Quite Talking to Chihaya, I hope that changes.
Shinobu: WHAT A GREAT RIVAL. So weird and mean but still human. She obviously remembers Arata a lot more than he remembers her, but she doesn't care as much about Chihaya because as yet she has no reason to. (We know Chihaya is the protagonist but nobody else should) I get the feeling that at some point she's going to become more than just a super tough opponent, which should be interesting.
Taishi: get your head out of your ass and ask Chihaya out. He's not a complete Nice Guy but still...it's been SO LONG, and there is no reason to think she'd say no. I get the feeling he's waiting for her to fall obviously madly in love as well, but that's not going to happen, and all the obvious pining is just unhealthy. And while he's not quite the little douche he was as a kid it's still really obnoxious to hang around blocking her from dating other guys without making a move himself.
Chihaya: when Taishi asks you out, say no :D He'll get over it eventually, and I can see him being an obsessive creepy boyfriend you can't have proper discussions with.
I do like that he's not just defined by his interest in Chihaya, he genuinely cares about the team, has his own Karuta arc etc. I would like to see his friendship (and rivalry) with Arata develop past the thing with Chihaya. He's an interesting contrast to Tsutomu, who is just as cerebral but not as repressed. Also, he is distractingly pretty *cough*
I love how minor characters all have their own things going on, like the Hokuo Academy players and their relationship with Sudo. It creates a more complex emotional reaction than "Main characters win = good, other team wins=bad". And everyone is growing up and learning from each other and I love them all.
