Obviously, I don't want anyone to think that I uncritiquely watch and enjoy every single anime ever made. This is far from the truth. The word "anime" is basically a catch-all for all Japanese animation, a good portion of which I do not think is worth my while. (I recently attempted to watch Chobits and was personally put off by it, for example. Panty and Stocking, despite its popularity, is the same. Not really my taste.) However, I still confidently say that I do love the medium of anime.
Generally, Americans have a very strict view of animation. Outside of America, however--notably in Japanese animation, of course--animation as a medium does not have the stigma and expectations Americans tend to give it.
So what does this all have to do with Chihayafuru? Read on to find out!
This isn't your typical children's card game...
To the American audience, animation is typically associated with children's entertainment. While animated films can be enjoyed by adults, animation is not a medium for adults. This can create problems when movies such as the 2009 film Coraline are released. Although the movie was advertised as a children's film, in reality is was a much darker and more adult story. This fact baffled many people, who took their young children to the film expecting something whimsical and enjoyable. (Even I remember being a little surprised by how dark Coraline was.)
Other cultures, however, are not as easily pulled into this fallacy, and Japanese animation is a perfect example of the potential and adaptability animation can have. Anime is not afraid to cross all genres you can possibly imagine--action, horror, drama, romance, sports, comedy, and yes, children's entertainment. And that is why I do have a deep appreciation for anime.
Chihayafuru is just one example of an anime which plays out in a way that, I think, is rarely attempted in American animation. Though I normally do not enjoy slice-of-life stories, Chihayafuru is an incredible, beautifully animated show whose strong storytelling and characters speaks for themselves.
Chihaya, the title character. Hopefully the pictures I post will show just how beautiful this anime is.
I often find that American storytelling often lacks is a confidence in its own stories. It always seems that American audiences aren't trusted to enjoy a story if it lacks what most people consider "conflict"--bad guys vs. good guys, lots of action, a clear right and wrong. Or, just as bad, American animation will often fall back on easy laughs and childish humor because it doesn't seem to think that animation can hold the weight of more adult storytelling (my main problem with Pixar's latest movie, Brave, though overall I enjoyed it). Many animes that I have watched, however, are not afraid to diverge from these simple tropes.
One of my favorite aspects of Chihayafuru is that there are no "bad guys." There are merely well-written characters who interact with each other, and their interactions create situations and reactions that are entertaining, heart-wrenching, humourous, and sincere. There may be some characters that annoy you, or some that you cheer for more than others, but there are certainly no "evil guys that must be defeated." Each character has his or her own strengths, flaws, and traits that audiences can both sympathize with and criticize. And that is what marks any great character.
The main crew of Chihayafuru! From left to right: Yusei Nishida, Tsutomu Komano, Chihaya Ayase, Kanade Oe, Taichi Mashima
Chihayafuru is based around a Japanese card game called "karuta." Basically, two players lay out so many cards from a deck of one hundred; each card has several lines from a poem on it. A reader recites a poem, which the players must then match with the correct card in front of them. It sounds basic and, yes, rather boring, but Chihayafuru manages to make every game beautifully animated, tense, and interesting. (And according to the show, there's a lot more strategy than you might think!) The show follows Chihaya and her karuta club friends as they improve their karuta skills and enter tournaments, celebrating successes and working through crushing defeats.
On the surface, Chihayafuru doesn't sound at all interesting. But because the anime delves so deeply into its characters, this show is anything but boring. It is impossible to not become completely consumed in each karuta game and the characters' thoughts and actions. And each moment in the show--while playing and otherwise--continually deepends the audience's understanding of the character being focused on. The show is not afraid to emphasize the small moments as well as the large, making each moment count.
Chihayafuru takes itself and its characters seriously, forcing the audience to do so as well. Not that there aren't plenty of funny and heartwarming moments--there certainly are, which only increases the sweetness of this show. The balance of character moments, drama, humor, and tension make Chihayafuru irresistable to anyone who enjoys well-written, character-driven stories. I'd recommend it to nearly anyone, as I think it could be a good anime to show someone who is just starting to wet their feet.
Top all of this with a beautiful soundtrack by Kousuke Yamashita, and you have a great show. See the link to the opening song below!
By the way, rumor is that season two has been confirmed--and I, for one, cannot wait!
Songs
Youthful (opening song--also check out some of the gorgeous animation from this video! Unfortunately, I'm having trouble finding the rest of the OST on Youtube, otherwise I'd link to some of the songs from the show, which are just beautiful.)
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