Drama • Romance • Slice of Life
They may have just won their most coveted karuta tournament, but members of the Mizusawa karuta team still have a long way to go. Each member chases their dreams, and with a win under their collective belt, those dreams are closer in reach than ever. Chihaya Ayase is determined to challenge Wakamiya Shinobu and win the title of Queen, and Taichi Mashima is ready to take on Arata Wataya now that he’s made it into the most elite of karuta players — but an unexpected revelation will deal these karuta players a hand none of them saw coming. (Source: Sentai Filmworks)
Mizusawa High School's karuta club claimed victory in the team competition for the first time at the Nationals in July. However, before they could even take time to relax, Chihaya and Taichi agreed to take part in the Fujisaki High School karuta club's training camp. Awaiting them was Coach Sakurazawa's brutal training regime of stretching, jogging, and playing seven matches each day!
Seeking to play against Chihaya's team, Arata addresses his school during an assembly in an attempt to join a karuta club, getting some interest from the students. In Chihaya's class, the students are given a future plans questionnaire, which Chihaya doesn't know how to fill out. Horikawa, another student, tells her she went to Kyoto with her family to scout out the best places, as their class field trip will take place there. During club practice, the Karuta team members talk about their wishes to become better karuta players, everyone having become more competitive.
One of the competitors, Inokuma Haruka, is drawing massive attention. She held the title of queen for four consecutive years (defeating Sakurazawa four consecutive times) until giving it up on maternity leave and has just returned. Ayase wins her first two matches, stopping for lunch and sleep. Nishimura notices she isn't as bold in taking cards as she was before. During the break, Arata asks Taichi for advice in starting a karuta club, but Taichi is bothered, as teams are something he has in common with Chihaya Arata does not, and walks away coldly.
Takashi is paired against Sudo. With four of the last eight from the Nagumo Society and the other four from the Shiranami Society, it feels a little like a team match between the societies. Chihaya takes an early lead, leading the audience to think they will be watching the rise of a new star instead of the return of a former Queen, but Inokuma rebounds and takes the lead.
Inokuma intends to disrupt Chihaya and prevent her from having fun but after seeing her son mirroring striking cards from the sidelines, decides to play true to herself, which was to have fun, and she smiles. Chihaya returns the smile. Arata loses to Hiroshi, much to the onlookers' shock, leaving him infuriated with himself. Harada-sensei then loses to Murao, leaving each society with one win.
Arata decides to stay and watch the match with Murao and his society's president, even though it means he won't get home until morning by train. Chiahya and Taichi sit for their match and Sumire marvels at how this feels different from their matches at school. Chihaya is at the advantage since she got to rest during the last match, but Taichi uses a new placement, placing fourteen cards in the top row and rearranging how he places the rest. Designed to fight Chihaya, it puts one-syllable cards together and long cards separate as he knows she's scared of committing faults.
Taichi has nothing but Chihaya on his mind as he constantly updates his strategy during their match. Chihaya has a bit of trouble since Taichi isn't playing like he usually does, but this just might be the best match they've ever played against each other. As the final round nears its end, Chihaya's desire to be the Queen battles against her dreams for the future as she's forced to choose between the Queen tournament qualifiers and her class trip.
Omi Jingu. Sudo intends to withdraw from the Master tournament due to the bet he made earlier with Taichi. Taichi tells him to play and withdraw only if he matches against him, which Sudo agrees to. Arata is suffering from food poisoning but sees Taichi's name on the list, shocking him. Suō gives Shinobu a ride to the tournament on his motorcycle, and everyone is surprised to see the Queen and Master at the West qualifiers.
Suō and Shinobu speak before Suō leaves. Suō says nothing keeps him going, which angers Shinbou, as if "nothing" makes him that good. Chihaya is depressed on the school trip, even when her friend Michiru takes their group to a museum on the Hundred Poets. Chihaya is checking her phone for updates on Taichi and Arata's progress in the tournament. Annoyed, Michiru takes the battery. She said she wanted to come on the class trip but she's not here at all. Chihaya apologizes and focuses on having fun with her classmates. Taichi meanwhile, struggles against Shusaku Koshikawa, a rising Karuta player.
Arata wonders why he feels so relieved to learn that Taichi lost his match, even as dark memories of a similar feeling at the Yoshino Tournament come back to him, leaving him unable to concentrate fully on his match in the finals. His opponent, Murao, realizes that Arata isn't himself and sees an opportunity, but then...
Arata wonders why he feels so relieved to learn that Taichi lost his match, even as dark memories of a similar feeling at the Yoshino Tournament come back to him, leaving him unable to concentrate fully on his match in the finals. His opponent, Murao, realizes that Arata isn't himself and sees an opportunity, but then..
It's the day of the Master and Queen challenger finals. Dr. Harada and Arata are competing for the chance to challenge the master, while Inokuma and Megumu battle it out to challenge the Queen. Harada confides in Arata that he once played against his grandfather, Eternal Master Wataya Hajime, and expresses his joy at being able to play karuta with Arata. A passionate battle spanning multiple generations begins at last!
The veteran players Dr. Harada and Inokuma were the winners in the first round, but Dr. Harada chose to yield the second round to preserve his strength for the third. Arata starts to feel sucked into Dr. Harada's pace, but after receiving some advice from Chihaya, he remembers how his grandpa, the Eternal Master, used to play. Both of them enter the third round with one win and one loss as the battle to determine who will challenge the Master begins!
Arata's playing becomes reminiscent of Eternal Master Wataya Hajime's, allowing him to take control of the match's pace. Harada recalls the one match he played against Hajime when he was young and becomes painfully aware of how much his game sense has faded since then. But he sticks with the offensive play style that he teaches in the Shiranami Society, turning the match around in a way that leaves everyone in the hall holding their breath.
Chihaya is still lost in the clouds after Arata confessed his feelings to her, making her unable to concentrate on studying for her exams. Kanade and Sumire, who happened to overhear Arata's confession, are debating whether they should tell Taichi or not. In the midst of all this, Chihaya gets a phone call from Sudo, who says someone in his college karuta club wants to play a match with her.
"You can't be Queen." Chihaya didn't lose heart even after being soundly defeated in her practice match with the Master, but she can't help feeling stunned by his comment. And Taichi, after seeing the Master's play style up close, begins to think about the style of karuta he wants to play. Christmas is also around the corner, and the Mizusawa Karuta Club has a plan in mind..
The Master and Queen matches have begun. Harada faces Suo fully prepared, thanks to the Shiranami Society's support. The Queen match is between the current Queen and a former Queen: Shinobu versus Inokuma. Master Suo, having declared that he'll retire after his fifth consecutive win, appears as relaxed as ever, and Shinobu enters in a heavy, long-sleeved kimono provided by her grandmother.
Both the Master and Queen matches come down to luck of the draw in an intense first round, ending in wins for Shinobu and Harada. Shinobu is shaken after learning that her grandmother, a politician, sees her as no more than a walking advertisement, as well as the fact that Chihaya chose her class trip over a chance to play in the Queen match, and she begins to break down in the second round.
Harada leads Suo with two wins and one loss as the Master match enters its fourth round. Harada has studied everything about Suo, including the weakness that Chihaya told him about, and he dominates the match with his trademark offensive karuta. Suo remains calm despite Harada's strong momentum, recalling what his aunt, who raised him, said to him when he was a child. Her words are the reason Suo continues to play karuta.
Suo had been controlling the number of cards taken in the Master match, but with one win and two losses in the fourth round, Harada's momentum stops his plan in its tracks by coming down to luck of the draw. Harada shows his tenacity as someone who has loved karuta and worked to become the Master more than anyone else, but Suo still manages to keep his cool. The Master match finally nears its conclusion.
Suo and Shinobu win the Master and Queen matches, both defending their titles. Afterward, Taichi declines to return to Tokyo, staying behind alone for the Takamatsu Memorial Cup... and ends up playing against Arata. Meanwhile, Chihaya is shocked by Taichi getting the jump on her a second time, and she begins to wonder why he always makes his decisions without saying anything to her.
Taichi has seemed down since he lost to Arata. In fact, a dark cloud is hanging over the entire karuta club because final exams are coming up. To break out of the gloom, Chihaya, Kanade, and Sumire decide to make Valentine's Day chocolates for the club as a surprise. Chihaya has no experience with making sweets, but she gives it her all in hopes of bringing a smile back to the hard-working Taichi's face.
The club hosts an unofficial tournament, the Taichi Cup, to celebrate Taichi's birthday! Chihaya planned the event in hopes of cheering up Taichi, and she managed to gather 36 participants. The tournament is held in the style of a Genpei match, with competitors facing off in teams of three. Taichi is reminded of when he, Chihaya, and Arata used to play together in elementary school. Certain things have changed since then, but certain feelings haven't...
Taichi has told Chihaya about the feelings he had kept secret for so long. Now he's left the karuta club, and Chihaya's regret over failing to notice how he felt leaves her unable to play. But some new members have joined Mizusawa's karuta club, and among them is Tamaru Midori, a Class A player. She is a promising new member, but also a troublemaker.
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