It’s preliminary time for the Mizusawa Karuta Club! Chihaya, Taichi, Nishida, Tsutomu, Kanade and new club members Sumire and Akihito each take part for their team to qualify for the main tournament. This time the two finalists in the prelims will advance to the main tournament, so that means beating whoever they face until then.
But of course, it won’t be easy: between Akihito trying to worm his way into the match so his little bros can see him play to a club led by a Class A player straight from Harada’s Karuta club, a new set of challenges await for the team!
Diving back into Chihayafuru sure took a while. Of course I watched Season 3 last year, but I’ve stalled long enough on reading the official releases…and I sure got some remembering to do! Despite it being set in one location — well, aside from us seeing Arata visiting his grandfather’s grave — a lot happens in volume 10. While you expect Chihaya to dominate her opponents in Karuta (and guess what? She does), we also delve into the rest of the team. We know Taichi as a very strong player who can be pretty monstrous in his own right, but due to a lot of talented players, he’s still a Class B player, and the manga — thanks, Leero — doesn’t let you forget it. This and him being President of the club later becomes an issue, where him focusing on the team is affecting his focus on his own match.
After we are introduced to the 2 new freshman in volume 9, Sumire and Akihito’s personalities are delved into a bit more. We see Akihito, behind his scary and kinda creepy face, wanting to show off his skills to his little brothers. Meanwhile, Sumire can’t help but want Taichi to finally start looking at her. These two each grow as they take part in a match or watch from afar. They still have a ways to go, but we can see where they can keep growing within the team.
The Karuta aspects can still be pretty wild, with lots of text that serves a purpose…but then we really have to go, “Taichi, it’s unnecessary to see you mention the 97 cards that have been said in your match, chill!” This volume also emphasizes the importance of the Karuta reader, as in, new ones can impact a match (that’s why even becoming one is tough). Is it an advantage for newer players vs. veterans though? It adds that question in as part of Taichi’s continued bad luck regarding his Class B status, but even in the anime, I can acknowledge it playing a role, but not for every match. And so far, the series makes sure to take being a reader seriously, so it’ll all come down to a player’s overall skill physically and mentally.
It’s amusing to read the afterword in volume 10 since Nishida and Sumire begin drumming the “where the romance is at” in this manga. Like why is no one on the team in a relationship, and the one known so far appears offscreen. Well, Chihayafuru is that series, but like 90% of it revolves around Karuta battles, poems on cards flying, players becoming increasingly intense the longer they play, and Chihaya missing the social cues when romance is supposed to happen.
Based on how this volume ends, it’s not gonna happen in the next one either!