I, too, hope this episode marks a permanent change in attitude, regarding Taichi. Itīs hard to watch this supposedly strong player almost lose to a newbie player. I want him to be top of the crop, and heīs certainly got the skill.
I, too, hope this episode marks a permanent change in attitude, regarding Taichi. Itīs hard to watch this supposedly strong player almost lose to a newbie player. I want him to be top of the crop, and heīs certainly got the skill.
I thought it was a mistranslation last week, but it makes sense now (Retro's comment about letting Taichi having more skill than Porky while being stuck in B class).Originally Posted by MFauli
Did he run out of time to qualify for A class for the Master Tournaments? I remember last season that Harada was okay with promoting Taichi to Class A since he's performed well enough in several B tournaments but Taichi refused. If he realises he's got the right amount of skills, along with his time restraint, he might be desperate enough to accept the offer if there are no other alternatives.
100 bucks says Arata wants to move to Tokyo next year if he wins.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
I wouldn't take that bet. Of course he wants to be reunited with his friends. Even now, there isn't really anyone who he hangs out with. Just the older guy at his karuta society, and the neighbor girl who seems to be sweet on him. He was friendly to them, but Arata doesn't seem to have any friends other than those two. When he isolated himself after his grandfather's death, the problem only got worse.
I guess the bigger question then, is what Shinobu will do if he does. That flash of memory she had was simply too ambiguous. Does she like him, or think of him as her favorite rival? I fear the more and more we learn about her, the more I can't help but see her as the melancholic version of Chihaya.
Taichi getting hit by five towels at once made me laugh aloud. Damn his popularity! This is why he doesn't need Chihaya. He's got so many alternatives, one of them is even a cougar!
Episode 5 720p | 1080p - HS
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I can't understand why I find this obscure game that I would never bother to play so interesting in this show, and no better can I understand how, after so many matches and even after the same opponents, the matches still stay so fresh. Somehow new problems, new unexpected conditions, never seen before setbacks, but also novel paths for further skill development are opened in fights that technically don't even matter so much like the one in this episode. Yet nevertheless it's pulled off successfully. Truly remarkable writing.
It's nice to see boobies totally dominate her opponent, as well, when the rest were facing problems. But still nicer was the look on Amakasu's formerly self-assured face when Chihaya finally stopped her practice and instead combined the two master skills.
I find it fascinating because it is never about particular cards, particular skills, or really...even aptitude. It is presented as a purely mental game. Nikuman lost because he was distracted. Kana is winning above her usual skill level because she is focused on Sudo, while her opponent is distracted over meaningless things.
They are able to mix the latest micro-drama and weave it into a given game. That makes every match harrowing.
I am a bit stunned that Kana's opponent mentioned her boobs aloud to her. Particularly as a disadvantage. No wonder she got even more fired up. Did they not watch TooMuchIceCreamobu's Queen match? She had gotten fat, her boobs were bigger and she was admittedly slower, but that didn't change a thing. To a degree, it isn't physical, it is mental. No match pointed that out better than the match Chihaya lost to the "Lucky!" older cutesy lady last season.
donīt remember ... what were these other master skills that Chihaya decided to use at long last at the end of this episode? Focusing on one syllible cards?
I guess Houko is a really strong team, but I said that about season 1 and Iīm saying it here: This constant variation in strength makes Karuta look a little bit too much like a childīs game. In season 1, Chihaya was able to play against the number 1 female player in no time. Now, her and Taichi are struggling against there opponents in an inter-school tournament. Thatīs probably just the reality of Karuta being a small, not-that-popular game. But it kinda cheapens it imo.
But that doesnīt change the fact that I love watching these matches, even if I hardly understand the game. In that way, itīs almost like "Akagi" (though I definitely understand Karuta more than Mahjong, lol)
Chihaya played Shinobu by random chance during a qualifying tournament. It was fortune, or misfortune depending on your point of view. As they said in this episode, Chihaya lost by 20 cards. Currently, she is playing against someone who lost to Shinobu in that same tournament by 24 cards in the round right before Chihaya played Shinobu.
It's not really some huge variation in strength. Chihaya and Amakasu are pretty much on equal footing, with Amakasu having a slight advantage because he was already used to Sudo's rhythm.
Right at the beginning, I was already betting that Taichi would win for his team. Half-way through before Nishida lost, I had a feeling that it would be the three "weakest" players who'd win. Given how they finished the episode though, Chihaya should still pull it off.
I'm not so sure about Deskmoto.
The queens' strength was her efficiency and accuracy.. where she could reach a card with the shortest possible movement and the least amount of wasted energy.
The master had sound recognition on his side, where he was able to hear cards faster, and differentiate the pronunciation of cards better than other people.
Chihaya's natural affinity falls into the Master's category, while she's aiming for the queen's skills. It's not a bad way to go, especially if each person's "one syllable cards" is pre-determined more or less by your natural hearing ability.
Back to Taichi's match, we haven't had any real views on why Retro's still stuck in class B. If Taichi's recovered from his mentality problem, then it shouldn't be a problem against someone who is well and truly stuck in class B due to skill.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
Episode 6 720p | 1080p - HS
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Although it's beside the point, but there's no doubt Chihaya would have won her match if she had used the combination master skill from the beginning. Yet I think she learned much more this way, and since two best go forward to the national championship, it was ultimately better like this for Chihaya. Not necessarily so for the rest, but I think Taichi really needed at least his own victory, even if it was wasted in the end on team level. But perhaps as a team they will now learn to pay attention to team tactics, should something similar happen in the future. Chihaya is an airhead, but as long as it's anything Karuta related, even she would learn.
I'm glad Arata found just the right thing to say in his email. Taichi's expression was as dark as oblivion, but that was to be expected.
What an amazingly tense episode! Even though it doesn't matter at all who won, they managed to ratchet up the tension to enormous levels!
Also, a totally badass strategy play by Taichi. He got Retro all wound up, then made a definite fake for the card. There was no way Taichi knew which one it was, but he went so intensely for it that Retro fell for it.
Concerning Chihaya, I loved the fact that she didn't argue that she tapped the corner of it or something like Yumi did to Chihaya. The contrast between their behavior is what makes Chihaya so incredibly likable, and what made it so easy to hate Yumin for beating Chihaya that way last season. Chihaya knew that they had hit it at the same time, and knew that she had lost as a result. She was able to display a grace that we so rarely see in her. Especially interesting, because while they were declaring Hokuou the winner, it appeared that Chihaya was bowing to them in respect for their defeat. In fact...she was already asleep.
Correspondingly, Sudo recognized that Amakasu couldn't possibly have taken it, and it was also nice that Amakasu was brave enough to admit that he only went for it because Chihaya attacked it.
It also seems Sumire has made another big decision in terms of her personal growth. She threw away a chance to go home with Taichi in order to join the society, not because she wants to get closer to Taichi romantically, but because she wants to be a powerful player on that team, she doesn't want to just sit on the sidelines next time around. The same goes for Tsukuba and his brothers, but their decision was a far easier one to make.
This is all based on the assumption that Yumin was in a 50/50 situation when she contests those cards.
-If Chihaya let Amakasu have the card 100% when she knows it was simultaneous, she'd be lying to herself.
-Similarly, if Yumin had said her strikes were simultaneous when she believes she was the faster one, she'd be lying to herself.
I don't think he intended to make Retro commit a fault. It was just the side effect of his determination to attack Retro's side. He moved as soon as he heard "The fall", but swept upwards when he heard "wind" instead of "paddy".
Retro's fault was a bonus for him and not the intended outcome of his plan.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
Ah, here comes the Yumin defense brigade again. We've been through this before.
Yumin contests every close call. That's her style. Badger her opponent into admitting they didn't take the card, even when they might have thought they did. It takes an opponent like Shinobu to best her thoroughly, where there is no question that only someone as accurate and swift as Shinobu could have flung exactly the single card across the tatami. Chihaya unquestionably won a few cards that Yumin stole from her. Chihaya lacked the skill and confidence at the time to refute her, because despite her "beauty in vain" status, Chihaya plays with grace. Yumin prominently doesn't.
Yumin stands right on the border of cheating. Just like they said Hakuou did in this episode. Arguably, Yumin did cheat when she beat Chihaya.
Taichi knows he's not fast enough to beat Hakuou's second best with a card on his own side. He had to move on every card. They have made it clear you cannot take an opponent's card that late in a match on their own side by not moving ahead of time. That's the whole point of blocking the card with your fingers on the tatami.I don't think he intended to make Retro commit a fault. It was just the side effect of his determination to attack Retro's side. He moved as soon as he heard "The fall", but swept upwards when he heard "wind" instead of "paddy".
Retro's fault was a bonus for him and not the intended outcome of his plan.
What Taichi did was pursue the first dead card aggressively, but obviously backed off when he recognized the dead card. The winning hand, Taichi attacked even more aggressively and with confidence. That caused Retro to not only defend his card, but also drop his hand on top of it. If Taichi was so sure that it was the winning card and went all out to get it, of course it would be the right one...right? It's precisely the same thing we saw moments later when Amakasu only moved because he saw Chihaya going for it.
Don't forget that deep down, Taichi is used to playing dirty too. He's the master of mind games. He knows how to win that way.
Retro lost his cool because Taichi's attitude made him believe that Taichi had a chance of getting his card, which made him desperate enough to take the card before Taichi instead of simply defending it until he was sure. (He most likely doesn't know if there were any more "The fall" cards left).
I don't think Taichi's thought process involved "If I attack aggressively, I can make Retro commit a fault because he'll be on edge". Instead, I believed it was "I have to move at every card in order to have a chance to take their side". Mashima moved before he knew which card it was because he needs to be close to the card when the 3rd syllable is pronounced.
My interpretation is that Taichi was desperate to take those cards, which forced Retro to act rashly. It wasn't as if Taichi acted desperately in order to make Retro act rashly. After reading your explanation though, I agree that he's certainly capable of such mind games.. and I'm less sure than I previously was.
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It's arguable whether or not Yumin cheats, but I was pretty put off when the coaches said Hokuo's strategy was "borderline cheating" this episode. It's legitimate strategy - period. There's nothing "borderline" about it.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
It just displays poor sportsmanship. Kind of like in football or ice hockey the team with a lead hoarding the ball/puck and playing it safe until the last half/period is over.
If Chihaya was more guileful, she could have pulled off a diversion: First seemingly going for her own card, which would have made Amakasu hesitate enough to lessen his guard (since he was so tense and only moved because Chihaya moved), and thus potentially allowing her to snatch his card.
Nice episode, but Iīd wish the creators hadnīt chickend out and let Chihaya and Co. win the match. When the draw-of-luck situation was explained, I actually expected everyone to tag along, EXCEPT Chihaya, who would, to everyoneīs surprise, attack the opponentīs card ... and get it!
Guess that would have been flashier than what we got and this anime is supposed to be more subtle, so whatever.
On a sidenote: Chihaya looked super hot in that one sceen with blue background <3
Nah, I don't think that would have worked. Hokuo wasn't interested in attacking the opposing side.
Amakasu defended because he saw Chihaya attack his card. Had Chihaya tried moving for her own card instead, Amakasu would have just defended his own card just the same.
I call that risk reduction. The difference lies in playing for fun, or playing to win - the same dilemma Retro had.
edit: though it seem Wiki agrees with you
Last edited by Buffalobiian; Sat, 02-16-2013 at 10:38 AM.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
What can I say? I'm a Chihaya X Arata shipper, and those two play it for fun, even if they go to great lengths to get better and have highest ambitions. For them the game is not just a tool to achieve something.
Buff didnīt know what sportmanship is ... tragic
Hah, I knew the general stuff about playing "fair" (no cheating), not blaming environmental elements for your loss, not putting down your opponents etc etc. What I didn't know was whether there was something specifically addressing the desire to win the competition or whether there was a "proper" way to play a sport.Buff didnīt know what sportmanship is ... tragic
I don't really look down on shirt-pulling in football, for example. There's a rule to say you can't pull shirts, but if someone is willing to risk the penalty to do it then it's their choice. If they can do it in such a way that the ref never notices, then it's the ref's fault.
Sportsmanship says you have to play "fair", but there's no line for where to draw fairness. Some clubs have more money than others, better shoes, more suitable training grounds. When you think about it that way, you can argue that true fairness only occurs when there are no rules.
If it's not Isuzu-chan Mii~
"Itīs alright as long as you donīt get caught!"
Someone remind me to never play sports with Buff lol
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