All her life, Chihaya's dream was to see her model sister become Japan's best... That is, until a quiet, unassuming transfer student named Arata tells her otherwise. A dream, he explains to her, is something she needs to work at herself.
Arata plays a competitive version of a traditional Japanese card game--known as Hyakunin Isshu--in a way Chihaya has never seen before. After taking Arata's place in a game, Chihaya discovers she has a passion for it. Now Chihaya wants to become number one in the world, the Queen of Karuta.
ahhh great manga, thanks for sharing. Has its great sad moments. I'm loving it. Didn't expect them to be grade schoolers though, kind of wanting a time skip haha.
Yeah, there's a time skip, I haven't gotten to it yet though. Considering this is from one of the most notorious modern mangaka I was surprised with how well written it is. Reminds me of a josei Hikaru no Go, minus the super natural angle. Guess focusing on an obscure Japanese game is the only reason for that ^^
It's sad that J-Sis is only semi-active, they do so many good series it's a shame they don't release a little more often. I have no hope of it being licensed anytime soon. I don't trust Del-Ray.
This manga is great and original. Depiction too is excellent and versatile (i.e. not according to a particular genre or not generic)
But its so bad that it is released so slowly when the manga is this good and so many ordinary mediocre mangas are being released.
It can be enjoyed by all kinds of readers so I seriously hope a Edited Manga team pick it up and release it fast so that it will reach to its current status in Japan as soon as it can be
^ one of the problems with that, at least i think, is that most people don't want to edit mangas they like.. they want to see the art/etc. fresh and new and how it was supposed to be presented. At least that's how i feel LOL
Also I'm glad a group picked it up.. honestly this manga is just amazing
I am too busy with study and other stuff to have time for Photoshop or Editing manga right now. Exams are going on and for some reasons will continue until the end of June and after that I will get 3-4 hrs time so I will try to join Immortal-abyss somewhere in July (if its not for some imponderable). And at the moment a little bit of cleaning(and may be redrawing) and typesetting is left to learn
What I wrote is a request and to tell that this manga is good and worth Editing.I don't have time doesn't mean that no one in the world is free
Chihayafuru now has an anime! Visit its thread at Otaku Theater section for more information and discussion. English-subbed episodes can be found at various sites, for example cyber12.
More incentive for me to try this manga. Kinda delayed my plan to read this series for some time now, lol.
I've been reading and watching the two versions of Chiharafuyu and I'd say the anime has been pretty faithful - it may shorten certain transition scenes by actually merging it with the current events so that it still flows rather seamlessly (case in point after Chihaya won the tournament and was going to bring home Arata and next day look for glasses, anime gets rid of one kyaa moment of her leading him home and instead resolves the whole short scene with the glasses by realistically looking for it at the same day it was lost). So I'd suggest for those waiting for scans to give the anime a try as its quite faithful to the material and conscientious about what it edits. More importantly I see no fillers as of the moment so (I've also went through the RAWs so far) watch away~
Yeah, there's a time skip, I haven't gotten to it yet though. Considering this is from one of the most notorious modern mangaka I was surprised with how well written it is. Reminds me of a josei Hikaru no Go, minus the super natural angle. Guess focusing on an obscure Japanese game is the only reason for that ^^
To be honest this is what I worry about with the mangaka for those who aren't familiar with Slam Dunk and Eden no Hana you'd realize the author is actually a very good writer. While there is no excuse for her plagiarizing of frames I would at least clarify that it is the frames or style of art - basically tracing - that was done rather than the actual writing of the scene. So while she may be lacking in the art department - kinda questionable given how well drawn Chihayfuru is - I would not doubt her writing skills. Keep in mind Eden no Hana did have fans rightly so because of her ability to craft a story she is a strong writer. Shame the whole plagarism thing keeps coming up, but unavoidable, still don't let that scare you away from Chihayafuru its one of the better Josei's I've encountered. Her strong point especially is her ability to write romance, and Chihayafuru oozes that in a subtle manner (starting with the title for those familiar with the poem the title was taken from, its explained anyways) that you'll appreciate the pairing of Arata X Chihaya.
Getting new translations of Chihayafuru is wonderful, thank you Lazy Ass Scans! On rereadng the first ten chapters, Chiha has become one of my favorite series. It reminds me of Piano no Mori: heartfelt, emotional, honest yet never Hallmark Card saccharin. Karuta represents to Chihaya what competition should represent to everyone: a bonding experience, something that draws people together as both friends and rivals.
Kana-chan should be an interesting character, helping link Chihaya to the deeper meaning behind the cards and improving her skills. I'm looking forward to her forcing hakama on the Karuta club too.
Hopefully Chihaya and Taichi end up dating, though I am resigned to the fact that Arata is clearly the love interest. I'm not as big a fan as he is to much of the moody, emo shoujo manga boy. Zero without the suicidial overtones.
I so hope for it, too! For great many reasons, not least of which is the fact their personalities fit very well. Chihaya is overzealous and pushy, which is perfectly balanced out with Taichi's common sense, cool head, brains and attentiveness to those around him. He can cool her head a bit and divert the harm she might unintentionally cause to those around her without stifling her zeal or driving her into the box. Not to mention he has the makings of the best kind of a natural leader, able to find just the right thing to say and do right by everyone. It's the combination of the driving force with the perfect control system to direct it.
Also, I wouldn't be so quick to appoint Arata as the outright love interest. There's a possibility, yes, but I wouldn't be claiming with any certainity that Chihaya's in love with him. I'll try to avoid spoilers, but it's gonna be tough...
Chihaya is pretty much still a kid. An obsessed with karuta kid. She's not quite ready to perceive the whole extend of the situation around her, much like kids can't. She's growing little by little, though, and later there're some moments where you're left to wonder if she's starting to get a bit of a clue... only the tiniest bit of a clue, but still. Many people chose to interpret her thoughts about Arata as her pining after him. That's not quite how I see it. The fact is Arata is her karuta idol AND he's far away. Taichi, on the other hand, is always by her side.
It was even commented on by Kana-chan: his always being next to her plays a big role in other guys not asking her out (haha, of course, the moment they see a hot guy, who they can't begin to compare with, next to her any courage they mustered gets killed)))
But what if the situation was reverse? If Taichi was the one far away and Arata by Chihaya's side? I'm sure she would be thinking about Taichi then. There's no need to think about the person who's right here with you, before your eyes.
With Taichi, though, it's all very certain,
as he later admits to himself he's in love with Chihaya (he's long since broke up with his unnamed girlfriend, btw... or rather, she broke up with him).
There'll be a few incredible moments with him, showing the distance he's ready to go for Chihaya (worry not, I'm not spoilering those). Btw, Taichi is incredibly popular with women (of all ages))) to the point where the other guys think why he even needs to be strong in karuta when he's already that popular.
As for Arata, there's a possibility he might've started to take a romantic interest in Chihaya. It's no more than slight hints, up to interprettion, and it's very difficult to explain without some serious spoilers...
Two moments, in particular, come to mind. The first is when he looks (and blushes) at Chitose's photo in bikini in a magazine and comments how the two sisters (Chitose and Chihaya) look really similar. The second starts when he gives his e-mail address to Taichi, telling him to give it to Chihaya if Taichi sees it appropriate. A bit later Taichi gives that slip of paper back to Arata, saying he should just tell his address to Chihaya himself if he wants to, without using Taichi as a proxy. Arata answers he thought that maybe Taichi and Chihaya were dating, so he did it this way. Taichi is quite shocked by that admission. He says they're not dating and comments that unexpectedly, it looks like Arata thinks a lot about many things... Arata just answers with an a bit embarrased 'tehehe'.
But what strikes me most is the difference in the priorities of the three of them. At different points in the manga, in different situations they all make one similar statement in their mind. About what they love. For Chihaya and Arata it's karuta, for Taichi - Chihaya. That, I think, might prove crutial in the end when she makes her choice (if we ever get to that point...)
I understand that at the moment, for those who watch anime and not up to date with the manga, it seems that Arata is all Chihaya thinks about, and Taichi has no chance. But believe me, it's not so. There will be a few very shipping moments for Taichi/Chihaya which very much open a possibility Chihaya's caring for Taichi starts to exceed the friend zone. And it's hinted she starts to notice it's Taichi who worries about her, supports her in the most dire situations, finds the right words to motivate her and cheer her up or just silently understands her, sharing her pain. The anime, too, is almost at the point where there soon will be moments that should shake Arata's seemingly impregnable position.
And another thing I want to mention. At first, I kind of was under impression that Arata and Taichi are connected through Chihaya. That is, if you take Chihaya out of the equation, they'll be disconnected. Not so. There're a couple of brief, easy to miss moments in the anime and a bit more in the manga, showing that as kids, they were friends even without Chihaya in between. After the time skip, it's shown they're still properly connected, and that connection between them might be as strong as the one each of them shares with Chihaya.
It's emphasizied by the fact that it's Taichi Arata starts actively exchanging e-mails with, and it's again Taichi Arata musters courage to call for the first time of his own will (after the broadcast of matches of the current Queen and current Meijin). Arata sort of reassures Taichi after that broadcast demonstrating in full splendor how strong the Queen and the Meijin are, and it does wonders for Taichi's motivation.
Anyway, I'm dying to read vol.15... dying, dying, dying. And I wanna read this manga as the chapters come out, but it seems impossible... Argh... *wanders off to find some hole, curl up in there and die*
Chapter 15 was one of my favorite recent chapters.
I really liked that the fight with Desk-kun threw Chihaya off her game. Ever since childhood she has associated Karuta with spending time with her friends and bonding. Small wonder that fighting with a friend would hurt her concentration. As a competitive person I understand her point of view to. Desk-kun only sees wins and losses. A competitive person, like Chihaya, sees the fight as the most important part. Losing is so painful that it only makes her want to fight harder, to steel her will.
I also loved Taichi's coaching. Being able to feel the bad mood and shake his team out of it is the epitome of good leadership.
Finally, I feel like Desk-Kun and Kana should date. Perfect pairing.
i so LOVE this series!! I find it a very original story, and to be honest since I've been researching a bit waka poems, this manga makes them look interesting under a different point of view. Can't wait to read the next chapters
When I started the series I didn't expect that I'd come to love a manga categorized as "sports manga". But then again it wasn't about Karuta specifically, but about how such a game managed to move the hearts of so many people. Loving it very much.
I have a question, though. I'm finished with chapter 43 now, but after searching around (and at MangaUpdates too) there is not chapter 44. The next release is chapter 48, and then it jumps to chapter 90~ or something. Scans are also done by different groups. Is it true that no one scanned and translated the chapters in between or are they hidden somewhere?
I have a question, though. I'm finished with chapter 43 now, but after searching around (and at MangaUpdates too) there is not chapter 44. The next release is chapter 48, and then it jumps to chapter 90~ or something. Scans are also done by different groups. Is it true that no one scanned and translated the chapters in between or are they hidden somewhere?
I don't know the reason why chapter 48 is there, but there are two different groups doing Chihayafuru right now. TDX is catching up with the publication of Japanese release while Lazy Ass is doing the early chapter with irregular interval. I presume that the chapter from 43 to 90 would be the done by Lazy Ass, so yeah, probably you have to wait more in order to read those remaining chapters gap.
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