Sports

Plot:

Directly following the events of the first season we re-join with the protagonist Ayase Chihaya and her budding karuta club.  To keep the club Chihaya must recruit a certain number of members.  After successfully doing so she pushes the club to win Japan’s team karuta tournament while continuing to peruse her dream of becoming the Karuta queen.

Staff/Production:

I won’t go into this too much.  Being a sequel all the important staff members and production studio was kept consistent between the series.  However, perhaps one important change worth noting is that the series composition went from two people to one new person.  Some of the pacing in this series seemed a bit off from the pacing of the previous season and this could be due to the change in control there. The current series composition was done by someone who is new to the industry, with only one other credit to his name.

Worth noting is that while there are obvious cost-cutting measures on the animation – internal dialogue, long tense pauses while listening for karuta cards, and a generally not fast-paced action show – the music is great.  Often times it will feature full strings, or even an orchestra to create the perfect moment.  It is noticeable without being obtrusive and adds a lot.  The only criticism I can say is that because a lot of time, and money, went into the songs they have there isn’t a huge variety.

I recommend the Main Theme – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ne7oNIMJyA&list=PLbaPMFthaxm1_FjZMr4OZKiBj4tlFRxHk

Review:

I love this anime.  Because I love this anime it is admittedly very, very, difficult to do this objectively and give it a fair score… but I will do my best.

I think though, the love I have for it, says something (good I hope) about the show even through whatever flaws it may have.  I consumed this show ravenously and begged for more.  The characters are heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time.  The show starts out and I was a little nervous that half the show would be spent on new member for the club recruitment as each new member was seeming to get their own episode.  But, thankfully, this was not the case and the arc only lasted about the first 1/4th and we got back to what we really care about – karuta.

This show is a character-driven show to begin with, but this series is especially so.  Much more does the show focus on how each of the characters is growing as a person through karuta as the show focuses on the karuta itself.  Personally, I really enjoyed this.  I liked seeing the back-story to characters on the karuta team that we’d never really seen before and as a result of this heightened level of involvement.  One notable one is Kanade Ōe.  In the first season she was little more to me than the “kimono new girl.”  But in season 2 she wins over the viewers hearts with her insightful nature and wisdom beyond her years.  Not to mention, I think Taichi x Chihaya fans will love her to a particular degree given her helpful pushes for their relationship.

Speaking of, that’s another thing they progress more this season, the romance.  This series I would say is a character-based drama via karuta, than a series explicitly about the “sport.”  With the self-awareness mentioned earlier we see the love triangle develop between Taichi, Chihaya and Arata.  While I won’t spoil it, Chihaya begins to evolve from the completely clueless girl we met last season to having some awareness of romantic feelings.  The romance is like a slow-moving boulder.  Once it gains momentum it’ll crash into your heart at the end of the series.

The biggest criticism I can say for the show, as previously touched on, and most people out there I think agree is the pace.  While I kept like I was always hanging on for more and begging for the next moment I truly have fallen in love with all the characters which helps this.  If you do not love these characters I could see how this season could drag, a lot.  Because they spend a lot of time not doing much.  By the end of the season they’ve only played in two tournaments, and one weekend tournament took the better part of the second half.

But even this I didn’t mind, as they accomplished a goal with it, and the series ended up somewhere – I feel – far beyond where it started.

Speaking of the ending, it is definitely another “to be continued” so if you’re in too deep like me you’re going to be begging for more.  I am going to assume it will be getting another season, as there is already an OVA coming out soon.  But, if it doesn’t this show is completely left unfinished.

In the end, I will give it 4 out of 5 spinning top karuta players.  Because in my opinion it was at least as good as the first season, but in different ways.

[starrater]