Chihayafuru Chapter 205 Discussion

Svk32145 said:
@Nameless_King777


I don't really feel arata is unlikable.other than the occasional bitterness I feel when the shoujo sparkles are shown from chihaya and people ignoring his faults and bashing taichi I don't mind him too much. I don't mind him hugging taichi too. It didn't feel like an excuse but arata was in an easy position to do that so I don't him that much credit that people like to give. But the actions I mentioned in my comment are what irks me. And people praise him for being fair but to me it comes of as arrogance ( I think any guy who worked hard would feel that way ).

I don't know if the author hates taichi or not ( some times it feels that way ). But I get the feeling she loves arata and chihaya a little too much. But yeah I am still reading for a positive conclusion for taichi but I doubt it will happen. Whether it be romance or karuta it will not be shown and will just be shown as something that happened during timeskip if there is one for epilogue.

Nameless_King777 said:
Arata is a really unlikable character and on chapter 205, the part where he hugs Taichi felt more of an excuse to make Arata look good. " I thought of you as hindrance but I'm actually a good boy and don't hate you because I won" Like please!

And then Taichi couldn't even get a freaking clean win??? and then he apologizes?? why???

At this point Arata's plot armor will ensure him a victory against Suou. The hate the author has for Taichi is unbelievable.

I'm just reading the story to see if Taichi will get a happy ending because I don't like anyone else. imho Taichi is the best character in the story with the best character development and chapter 205 felt like a slap in the face. He lost everything. it's all BS!

Kipo0007 said:


Your statements clearly show you watch the series with a biased and a half blind eye. Hugged taichi to make himself look good? really ?
Did you even watch properly & understand the emotions, backstory between them even before the results of the third match?
Forget even the third match, after his loss to taichi on the 2nd match when he came out of the room when shinobu saw his face he was smiling and also about to tear up, which she summed up as his opponent being his close friend. He was already contemplating his emotions with taichi way before and every sensible fan at least knows Arata isn't a shallow minded character to act like a goody two shoes to make himself likeable. Arata understood taichis pure feelings and appreciated all his efforts & hardwork out loud infront of everyone, which no one has done for taichi yet.
Taichi is overall talented than arata in other departments, academics sports, athletics etc. The only place he couldn't compete with arata was in Karuta and for years he found himself unworthy to be his equal because of his insecurities and lack of confidence, which we clearly see during his walk after the 2nd match victory remembering the past and then bowing to suo in gratitude for making it possible. That was his main goal in all these years and winning the third match would be the perfect icing on the top.
He calls himself hindrance because again insecurities, he tries hard but doesn't feel he belongs to the same place as Arata and Chihaya are, which is obviously not true and Arata hugging & saying all those words made him realize that he loves karuta and it has changed his life. Which was such a major significant point for taichi which you failed to see i guess.

Also the way you bash arata with plot armor and having only talent, you are making it seem as if he never works hard and gets everything served on a platter for him, even after his mentor saying its not just his talent but his hard work as well. The guy literally practices his swings 500 times daily and practices at his society even given his skills and talent. He never take it lightly & has his share of losses, of course its nothing compared to taichis karuta journey but he has his struggles, faults and makes mistakes as well. Karuta is the only place he loves and excels at, like his grandfather said its like a fish who has found water. He literally breathes karuta.
The third match sure it could have been made more better narrative and story wise, but its not that its unbelievable or something. Idk if you watch sports but more than enough times there have been major upsets for the underdog with a big margin of a difference, we have seen that in karuta in this series as well.
And even after the match when a veteran like harada sensei and the current meijin Suo clearly explained the reason why Arata won over taichi with his overall statistics being better and properly developed, dont know how people still call it "Plot armor". Its like saying Arata doesn't deserve his victory.

If the author hated Taichi, he wouldnt have got the best character development and become one of the most loved character in this series by so many fans. Nothing ended for him in this chapter and in fact increased fans appreciation and love for him. Also if you hate arata for personal reasons i understand but he's never been an unlikeable character for any reason or for the ones you are confidently quoting.

Kipo0007 said:


Your statements clearly show you watch the series with a biased and a half blind eye. Hugged taichi to make himself look good? really ?
Did you even watch properly & understand the emotions, backstory between them even before the results of the third match?
Forget even the third match, after his loss to taichi on the 2nd match when he came out of the room when shinobu saw his face he was smiling and also about to tear up, which she summed up as his opponent being his close friend. He was already contemplating his emotions with taichi way before and every sensible fan at least knows Arata isn't a shallow minded character to act like a goody two shoes to make himself likeable. Arata understood taichis pure feelings and appreciated all his efforts & hardwork out loud infront of everyone, which no one has done for taichi yet.
Taichi is overall talented than arata in other departments, academics sports, athletics etc. The only place he couldn't compete with arata was in Karuta and for years he found himself unworthy to be his equal because of his insecurities and lack of confidence, which we clearly see during his walk after the 2nd match victory remembering the past and then bowing to suo in gratitude for making it possible. That was his main goal in all these years and winning the third match would be the perfect icing on the top.
He calls himself hindrance because again insecurities, he tries hard but doesn't feel he belongs to the same place as Arata and Chihaya are, which is obviously not true and Arata hugging & saying all those words made him realize that he loves karuta and it has changed his life. Which was such a major significant point for taichi which you failed to see i guess.

Also the way you bash arata with plot armor and having only talent, you are making it seem as if he never works hard and gets everything served on a platter for him, even after his mentor saying its not just his talent but his hard work as well. The guy literally practices his swings 500 times daily and practices at his society even given his skills and talent. He never take it lightly & has his share of losses, of course its nothing compared to taichis karuta journey but he has his struggles, faults and makes mistakes as well. Karuta is the only place he loves and excels at, like his grandfather said its like a fish who has found water. He literally breathes karuta.
The third match sure it could have been made more better narrative and story wise, but its not that its unbelievable or something. Idk if you watch sports but more than enough times there have been major upsets for the underdog with a big margin of a difference, we have seen that in karuta in this series as well.
And even after the match when a veteran like harada sensei and the current meijin Suo clearly explained the reason why Arata won over taichi with his overall statistics being better and properly developed, dont know how people still call it "Plot armor". Its like saying Arata doesn't deserve his victory.

If the author hated Taichi, he wouldnt have got the best character development and become one of the most loved character in this series by so many fans. Nothing ended for him in this chapter and in fact increased fans appreciation and love for him. Also if you hate arata for personal reasons i understand but he's never been an unlikeable character for any reason or for the ones you are confidently quoting.

Kipo0007 said:


Your statements clearly show you watch the series with a biased and a half blind eye. Hugged taichi to make himself look good? really ?
Did you even watch properly & understand the emotions, backstory between them even before the results of the third match?
Forget even the third match, after his loss to taichi on the 2nd match when he came out of the room when shinobu saw his face he was smiling and also about to tear up, which she summed up as his opponent being his close friend. He was already contemplating his emotions with taichi way before and every sensible fan at least knows Arata isn't a shallow minded character to act like a goody two shoes to make himself likeable. Arata understood taichis pure feelings and appreciated all his efforts & hardwork out loud infront of everyone, which no one has done for taichi yet.
Taichi is overall talented than arata in other departments, academics sports, athletics etc. The only place he couldn't compete with arata was in Karuta and for years he found himself unworthy to be his equal because of his insecurities and lack of confidence, which we clearly see during his walk after the 2nd match victory remembering the past and then bowing to suo in gratitude for making it possible. That was his main goal in all these years and winning the third match would be the perfect icing on the top.
He calls himself hindrance because again insecurities, he tries hard but doesn't feel he belongs to the same place as Arata and Chihaya are, which is obviously not true and Arata hugging & saying all those words made him realize that he loves karuta and it has changed his life. Which was such a major significant point for taichi which you failed to see i guess.

Also the way you bash arata with plot armor and having only talent, you are making it seem as if he never works hard and gets everything served on a platter for him, even after his mentor saying its not just his talent but his hard work as well. The guy literally practices his swings 500 times daily and practices at his society even given his skills and talent. He never take it lightly & has his share of losses, of course its nothing compared to taichis karuta journey but he has his struggles, faults and makes mistakes as well. Karuta is the only place he loves and excels at, like his grandfather said its like a fish who has found water. He literally breathes karuta.
The third match sure it could have been made more better narrative and story wise, but its not that its unbelievable or something. Idk if you watch sports but more than enough times there have been major upsets for the underdog with a big margin of a difference, we have seen that in karuta in this series as well.
And even after the match when a veteran like harada sensei and the current meijin Suo clearly explained the reason why Arata won over taichi with his overall statistics being better and properly developed, dont know how people still call it "Plot armor". Its like saying Arata doesn't deserve his victory.

If the author hated Taichi, he wouldnt have got the best character development and become one of the most loved character in this series by so many fans. Nothing ended for him in this chapter and in fact increased fans appreciation and love for him. Also if you hate arata for personal reasons i understand but he's never been an unlikeable character for any reason or for the ones you are confidently quoting.

Svk32145 said:
@Kipo0007


I don't disagree with your point on 'arata is unlikable' part.

The loss of taichi against arata also isn't the problem. It's the reaction of taichi to his 2nd win and 3rd loss. No one, even a guy who purely played for emotional closure will be satisfied with that win and also no way a guy is not going to be frustrated after losing that bad. As person who played sports very seriously in the past I can attest to that. I would have fine if taichi had a clear win or taichi showing frustration after the 3rd loss. After the 3rd loss all he had was a defeated expression and if the author is going to show him being satisfied without any frustration I would call bs on that. No guy who worked hard will be satisfied with it. And arata telling I will take my glasses off is another thing that pisses me off. You may call it fair but I call it arrogance. Let's say in tennis you won by an ambiguous point and you say I will play with my left hand for 1 game . The opponent might hit you in the face. Also people who think the 2nd match was a fair win is something I can never agree too. The weight of the single card is different. Let's say in first match taichi got the card he would have still be down by two cards and the chances of arata winning are still more than taichi. He may win with momentum but the card arata gave was equivalent to a set point in tennis. So no guy will be satisfied with such a win especially after losing that badly in 3rd game. It would look like the only game he won is the one arata handed it to him which was actually his win too since arata's card was called in luck of draw.

And taichi having more talent than arata is something I never understood. Taichi has gifts to be popular in highschool. While taichi has gifts to succes in life too arata is better in that department. Taichi has good memory , arata has eidetic memory. There will be tons of guys better or atleast equal to taichi but there isn't something above eidetic memory. If arata was dumb and only had memory that would be different but it was always shown arata is very smart. So in studies arata is not inferior. Next comes the sports , taichi is good in soccer but he is not going pro so it would be pointless after highschool. Let's say he tried for becoming pro do you think he can succeed ? Arata has one sport he is Good at and it is the one sport he wants to be good at and in which he can become the best. So even in sports arata has it better. Next looks , this I find most pointless because looks can have benefits objectively or subjectively. Objectively getting a very beautiful girl or wants to date many girls. Arata got the most beautiful girl in the series. Taichi is most likely to be with sumire who is at best average in the words 9f chihaya. And taichi doesn't want to date many girls. Subjectively, getting the girl you like even in this case arata got the girl he likes while taichi didn't. After you got the girl you like who doesn't care for looks then there is no point being ugly or handsome. And arata is pretty good looking. Money is the only thing he has the advantage of. But I think he would trade that in a heart beat for what arata has. Also as person who is training to become a doctor I realized that even if you get money the free time you get is almost non existent. I would rather have an average job with free time.

Taichi is an example cruel irony of a guy having everything except the one he wants. On the surface it may look like taichi has everything and arata has nothing but if you put their circumstances into perspective it actually becomes the opposite.

Svk32145 said:
@Kipo0007


I don't disagree with your point on 'arata is unlikable' part.

The loss of taichi against arata also isn't the problem. It's the reaction of taichi to his 2nd win and 3rd loss. No one, even a guy who purely played for emotional closure will be satisfied with that win and also no way a guy is not going to be frustrated after losing that bad. As person who played sports very seriously in the past I can attest to that. I would have fine if taichi had a clear win or taichi showing frustration after the 3rd loss. After the 3rd loss all he had was a defeated expression and if the author is going to show him being satisfied without any frustration I would call bs on that. No guy who worked hard will be satisfied with it. And arata telling I will take my glasses off is another thing that pisses me off. You may call it fair but I call it arrogance. Let's say in tennis you won by an ambiguous point and you say I will play with my left hand for 1 game . The opponent might hit you in the face. Also people who think the 2nd match was a fair win is something I can never agree too. The weight of the single card is different. Let's say in first match taichi got the card he would have still be down by two cards and the chances of arata winning are still more than taichi. He may win with momentum but the card arata gave was equivalent to a set point in tennis. So no guy will be satisfied with such a win especially after losing that badly in 3rd game. It would look like the only game he won is the one arata handed it to him which was actually his win too since arata's card was called in luck of draw.

And taichi having more talent than arata is something I never understood. Taichi has gifts to be popular in highschool. While taichi has gifts to succes in life too arata is better in that department. Taichi has good memory , arata has eidetic memory. There will be tons of guys better or atleast equal to taichi but there isn't something above eidetic memory. If arata was dumb and only had memory that would be different but it was always shown arata is very smart. So in studies arata is not inferior. Next comes the sports , taichi is good in soccer but he is not going pro so it would be pointless after highschool. Let's say he tried for becoming pro do you think he can succeed ? Arata has one sport he is Good at and it is the one sport he wants to be good at and in which he can become the best. So even in sports arata has it better. Next looks , this I find most pointless because looks can have benefits objectively or subjectively. Objectively getting a very beautiful girl or wants to date many girls. Arata got the most beautiful girl in the series. Taichi is most likely to be with sumire who is at best average in the words 9f chihaya. And taichi doesn't want to date many girls. Subjectively, getting the girl you like even in this case arata got the girl he likes while taichi didn't. After you got the girl you like who doesn't care for looks then there is no point being ugly or handsome. And arata is pretty good looking. Money is the only thing he has the advantage of. But I think he would trade that in a heart beat for what arata has. Also as person who is training to become a doctor I realized that even if you get money the free time you get is almost non existent. I would rather have an average job with free time.

Taichi is an example cruel irony of a guy having everything except the one he wants. On the surface it may look like taichi has everything and arata has nothing but if you put their circumstances into perspective it actually becomes the opposite.

Nameless_King777 said:


If I was "bias with a half blind eye" then you must have been wearing Suou's glasses the entire time buddy.

Taichi was stuck in B class for such a long time not because he was insecure, it was because he was really struggling with the game. He thinks too much in a match and that's his main weakness, he is also very unlucky!. Suou taught him to relax and to enjoy the matches. He taught him to have fun, and that in turn relaxed him and made him better at the game. He was already awesome at the game, he just needed to relax to play at his best.

During this match Taichi was playing at his best. To lose with such a large margin was really uncalled for. Really 18 cards? C'mon, and then what happens after that? Arata steals the spot light with that hug, making the moment about him instead of Taichi losing. The author tried to show us that through this game Taichi realized that he really likes playing Karuta but that realization should had come from within himself once he realized how frustrated he was from his loss with Arata. At that moment it would have been the perfect opportunity to show that he has now realized he likes playing Karuta.

However, instead of that what did we get? oh yeah, the author tried to insert Arata into Taichi's character development while at the same time making Arata look like an angel. I don't understand how you cannot see that. Thanks to that, we get an Arata moment, he was the winner so of course he could easily do that. hahahaha!

Arata is a perfect character that never does anything wrong ever. For example when Arata "cheats" and takes the card that belonged to Taichi, Arata later on is shown as righteous by saying that he will let him have a 5 card lead. Which Taich tells him "no" but since Arata is such a perfect and pure person and can't move on with his life, he makes a deal with Taichi.

Arata agrees that he will give Taichi the win when they both end up with one card each. Which was really unnecessary because Taichi didn't fight over that other card, that was Taichi's mistake. Arata never cheated and was not a coward by any means, it's in the rules, they could have asked the "umpire" but they didn't and that card was rightfully his.

However, once again Arata has to be this perfect character and therefore he can't win by such means, so he tries to make it up to Taichi. Which mind you, Taichi didn't care, he conceded the card to Arata. Arata's insistence on being righteous looked more as an excuse to make himself feel better. He knew that when he had claimed that "card" it had been on a moment of panic. He really felt pressured by Taichi and wanted to finish the game. However, instead of acknowledging that, he is shown feeling bad for Taichi because Taichi is the victim here. However, Taichi wasn't, Taichi gave up that card on his own free will.

So next, they are both down to luck of the draw and "Perfect Arata" concedes the game and Taichi wins! Yay! All thanks to the kindness and such good heart of Arata! That game where Taichi should had won by his own strength was taken away by the Author. Taichi won because Arata let him win, that moment when Taichi is happy he has won is overshadowed by Arata's self righteousness. It's clear that Taichi didn't win that game because the Author didn't want Arata to lose a single game against Taichi. Either that or the Author wanted to show us how "Kind" Perfect Arata is. When Taichi bows to Suou as thanks, it didn't carry the full impact it could have had because again, Arata let him win.

The Arata that thought that Taichi was a hindrance was pretty interesting, but that Arata only lasted for like 2 chapters and then reverted back to being "Perfect Arata"

Arata even thought that Taichi loathed him when in reality, all Taichi wanted was for Arata to acknowledge him. Arata was using that thought just as an excuse to feel better about himself for saying he hated him.That was alright though, I like imperfect characters but no, Arata has to be perfect.

He cannot think of Taichi as a hindrance now that he feels that Taichi is finally catching up to him, God forbid. No, he has to realize that Taichi is his beloved friend and that he doesn't think of him that way at all. When in reality, a rival is someone you think of as an opponent, a hindrance if you will, someone in your way but that you respect. You respect your opponent because they are strong, as strong as you. Someone that at any moment could take you down. But no, lets have "Perfect Arata" steal the spotlight for Taichi's loss and lets make it all about him! Way to go Author!

Lastly, Taichi didn't see himself as unworthy to Arata, all this time he wanted Arata to acknowledge him. When he is walking in the snow all happy it is because he finally defeated Arata and he remembers the time he wanted to quit because he didn't think he could ever beat him. That was in the past, when he really got into the game he realized he wanted to be acknowledged by him and wasn't insecure and didn't think of himself as unworthy. In that match Taichi wanted to defeat Arata because he really wanted to fight alongside Chihaya, he even said so himself. He also wanted to fight against Suou. Arata wasn't his ONLY goal, Taichi isn't a simple minded character XD haha

When he tells Arata "sorry for being a hindrance" "sorry for getting in your way" It might be a translation thing but this is where the Author messed up once again. You are free to have your own opinion but I don't think the way you do. The author tried to show us Taichi finally acknowledging Karuta as dear to him but the execution was pretty pathetic. It was all about Arata.

Arata has plot armor, it's a fact whether you like it or not. So no, I didn't expect Taichi to win against him but I didn't expect him to lose that badly either. It made sense for Taichi to lose here because he was barely developing his own play style. He is incorporating what Suou, Chihaya, and Harada-Sensei have taught him. However, everything was taken from him. Not a single win by his own effort. Lost with difference of 18 cards . Not even a panel to show his frustration. He was basically used by the author like a disposable tissue. Only there to make Arata look good.

The only thing he didn't lose was his fans!

and what do you mean by " he's never been an unlikable character for any reason or for the ones you are confidently quoting"

I'm sorry but I wasn't "quoting" anyone. Those are my own thoughts, my own words. Arata is a really unlikable character. I don't like him, unless he loses to Suou. But Arata is "perfect" so he can't lose. *cough*plot armor*cough*

Thanks for coming to my Ted talk! :D

Svk32145 said:
@Kipo0007


I don't disagree with your point on 'arata is unlikable' part.

The loss of taichi against arata also isn't the problem. It's the reaction of taichi to his 2nd win and 3rd loss. No one, even a guy who purely played for emotional closure will be satisfied with that win and also no way a guy is not going to be frustrated after losing that bad. As person who played sports very seriously in the past I can attest to that. I would have fine if taichi had a clear win or taichi showing frustration after the 3rd loss. After the 3rd loss all he had was a defeated expression and if the author is going to show him being satisfied without any frustration I would call bs on that. No guy who worked hard will be satisfied with it. And arata telling I will take my glasses off is another thing that pisses me off. You may call it fair but I call it arrogance. Let's say in tennis you won by an ambiguous point and you say I will play with my left hand for 1 game . The opponent might hit you in the face. Also people who think the 2nd match was a fair win is something I can never agree too. The weight of the single card is different. Let's say in first match taichi got the card he would have still be down by two cards and the chances of arata winning are still more than taichi. He may win with momentum but the card arata gave was equivalent to a set point in tennis. So no guy will be satisfied with such a win especially after losing that badly in 3rd game. It would look like the only game he won is the one arata handed it to him which was actually his win too since arata's card was called in luck of draw.

And taichi having more talent than arata is something I never understood. Taichi has gifts to be popular in highschool. While taichi has gifts to succes in life too arata is better in that department. Taichi has good memory , arata has eidetic memory. There will be tons of guys better or atleast equal to taichi but there isn't something above eidetic memory. If arata was dumb and only had memory that would be different but it was always shown arata is very smart. So in studies arata is not inferior. Next comes the sports , taichi is good in soccer but he is not going pro so it would be pointless after highschool. Let's say he tried for becoming pro do you think he can succeed ? Arata has one sport he is Good at and it is the one sport he wants to be good at and in which he can become the best. So even in sports arata has it better. Next looks , this I find most pointless because looks can have benefits objectively or subjectively. Objectively getting a very beautiful girl or wants to date many girls. Arata got the most beautiful girl in the series. Taichi is most likely to be with sumire who is at best average in the words 9f chihaya. And taichi doesn't want to date many girls. Subjectively, getting the girl you like even in this case arata got the girl he likes while taichi didn't. After you got the girl you like who doesn't care for looks then there is no point being ugly or handsome. And arata is pretty good looking. Money is the only thing he has the advantage of. But I think he would trade that in a heart beat for what arata has. Also as person who is training to become a doctor I realized that even if you get money the free time you get is almost non existent. I would rather have an average job with free time.

Taichi is an example cruel irony of a guy having everything except the one he wants. On the surface it may look like taichi has everything and arata has nothing but if you put their circumstances into perspective it actually becomes the opposite.

Fionavar said:


Just wanna say reading your comments always brightens my day, its such a shame all the work and effort you put into your comments usually goes in vain.. Trying to explain to people why Arata is so much more than just a perfect character without any flaws is just impossible usually, cuze they will never change their mindset, well.. at least rarely.

Kipo0007 said:





About the third match it was a buffet of emotions.While i agree who wouldnt be frustrated after losing such a important match, but I mean honestly taichi has experienced frustration
and losses before & this match was meaningful for him in a big way, he was acknowledged and realized his love for karuta and the impact it has on his life, he might sure be having his frustration
and being upset inside, but the bigger emotion overwhelmed him. This was a life changing experience for him, even though he lost.He always has cried and been depressed on his losses, for once he got
closure on it. But yea it definitely could have been written better for more satisfaction.

Still no reason to call out arata being unlikable.

When i say taichi has more talent, i mean his area of talent is more than aratas. Taichi is the top student in the school and he doesnt have good memory, He has perfect memorization. While normal
people remember 80-90% of stuff, his memorization reaches 100%, thats the reason he can use multiple card arrangements as it is commited to his memory. His memory rivals to the eidetic memory easily.
I didnt Say Arata was dumb or anything close to it. Arata is more than average smart but Aratas speciality is Karuta, he tried different things when he was a kid, but the only thing he found accustomed to was karuta as his grandpa said a fish who
found water.Also Karuta is one sport and Arata sucked at other sports in his childhood. Becoming good in one sport doesnt mean he is overall good at other sports where taichi can outclass him. Also talking about going
pro is on a career basis and Taichi is already preparing for his studies to become a doctor, thats easily one of the best high class qualifaction career you can get.
Also when did i even mention looks ? I really never mention looks when it comes to these two, they both are really handsome when it comes to that.
Taichi never took advantage of his looks and arata was in the innocent category to look at other girls.
Both of them never loved a girl for her looks or any materialistic reason for that matter.
Money of course is a main factor but i dont bring that up either.Although If aratas family were well off,he never would have to do as a part time job in his childhood and have to move away from tokyo, creating that distance
between chihaya and him.I know friends who are doctors and trust me after a while and with enough experience you kinda do figure out how to make your free time out which a smart person like taichi can figure out easily.
You would find a average job but money in the end is a reality as well, especially for living in a modern city.

Yep taichi doesn't have what he wants but everything else including the best development in the series and the most loved character. While Arata only has karuta and his love for chihaya.

Svk32145 said:
@Kipo0007


I don't find arata unlikable. I disagree with what arata suggested in that match.

Let me give you an example a guy who can play every sport but only at high school level and guy who sucks at every sport but only good at one sport which he can be best in the world. I am a guy who is good at several sports tennis( which I played at high level I even intended to become a pro ), volleyball, table tennis, swimming, badminton. But I am pursuing a career which has nothing to do with sports what is the use of me being good at sports ? And consider a guy who is good in only one sport who can become pro and it's also the sport he likes who do you think is more lucky ? Fortunately I like playing every sport so I am fine , what help does it do for taichi who doesn't particularly enjoy sports and can't become pro. About looks , that's one of the reasons people give how taichi is gifted so I just thought to mention it. Because he didn't have a single benefit due to his looks and arata didn't have single setback due to it. Taichi's memory is shown as something amazing but actually it's not as cool as it looks. It's definitely not on par with arata's eidetic memory. As a child my mother told that I used to recite a lesson completely without a single mistake . That's because I used study a lot. Taichi doesn't memorize with a single reading which arata can. He constantly repeats and recalls to remember the parts to remember them. And believe me there are plenty guys like that , I was called very smart in highschool and I entered medical school top in my state pretty easily. But now I consider myself average. Taichi is in exact same situation, it looks impressive but it is not as impressive. He reads like 6h a day so of course he is going to get good grades. And about doctors having free time , of course you can manage but that is after completing the med school. 10 years after when he is in his 30s. And he is not going to work under someone he has to manage his grandfather's hospital he is not going to have much free time. Believe me I know , we have our own hospital and my father is 50 years old he still works from 9 am to 9 pm. Sometimes he comes home at 11 pm. Seeing My father I realized I would rather have a normal job if I have to work so hard even in my late 50s. Particularly since I don't particularly have passion for medicine , I am doing it just because. It is exactly taichi's situation.

Kipo0007 said:


I get what you are saying. You can be good at several sports and passionate as well but not necessarily become a pro. Just because you are pursuing a career which is not related to any of the sports doesnt mean its a waste or something, it just goes to show you are athletic and lead a good lifestyle overall & yes also the fact you are talented at several things and your adaptability is great as well. Those are good qualities to have in life. Not something that's useless.
Every sports person is not like extremely talented or something to have become pro, its mainly on their hardwork and effort they put in polishing their skills & if they actually put time and investment.
Just because the other guy happens to be lucky that he has found a sport that he is good and passionate about doesn't mean its all over for you. Taichi literally proved that, he wasn't that great at karuta but he eventually became that good that he is able to defeat meijin contenders and top level players like Sudo, Harada sensei, even Arata to reach the final qualifier which only few people have managed to do. He does have meijin qualities and might be even better if he puts more time into it. What does that tell you? You can change your luck, yes you might not win everything and lose when you need it the most but that's part of reality as well.
Taichi wasn't passionate about karuta at the start either, he just went along just because of one reason. its through this journey he actually found his slow love for this game.
Look at Desktomu and Nishidas thoughts in this very chapter , They are not talented in karuta either and karuta is tough, they still play it because of their passion for the game.
Arata has invested himself in this game for over a decade, its not something he takes lightly just because he is talented at it, the passion just makes him to push harder for it.
About the looks part as i said there is nothing to be concerned or anything about it, both eyes are really handsome and even their voice are top tier.
The people who compare them in looks are too materialistic & just haven't looked at the characters properly. Also speaking of memory, even when i was a child i used to recite lessons and stuff without making mistakes but thats not a memory to be compared to the ones taichi and arata have.
Taichi's memory is so near perfect that he can memorize multiple card arrangements and use them accordingly against different opponents.
He can even recite the Hyakunin Isshu without visual aid, and randomize verses without doubling up. He even showed he can match cards without having to see them once he's memorized their positions with out fail.

That kind of memory easily rivals Arata tbh and is not something everyone has especially when you can see it in the karuta games. Ofc even with that kind of memory you need to study for a longer period of time. But even learning everything in 6h is something not possible for everyone. Same goes for Arata, he could only memorize the 200 stops due to his daily paper delivery routine.

As for his career med school if i recall correctly takes around 4 years and then foundation training, residency fellowship which takes another 3-5 years. Also its only during med school years is when your time is really on the clock, after that it depends what field you are going if its something like a surgeon then it takes more years or if its internal medicine or psychiatry its less taxing. I understand where you are coming from but so am i. i have friends who are in residency as well who are doing their fellowship and my mom was a military doctor as well. I hang out with those friends on weekends and sometimes we do outdoor activity on weekdays as well. You can make time, just should know how to manage it with work. Since your father owns a hospital he has more responsibilities on his shoulder than a normal doctor has, so its completely understandable he is super busy with workload but he must have his breaks and free time as well for family etc. If you are not passionate about medicine and see this as a no go for you, shouldn't follow it tbh instead of regretting your decision later. Sorry if i am being rude here.

As for taichi, he can use his academic achievements and skills for something else as well apart from a career in medicine, especially as he is overall talented and since karuta has changed him so much we might see him in a different light about his future decisions. We'll see about that.

Svk32145 said:
@Kipo0007 The main argument people like to make that it's okay for taichi to lose now in both as he is so much better off than arata in everything. Which is far from truth. On the surface it might look taichi has everything but his position is far from enviable. Same for arata , on the surface it might look bad it's far from it. Many people would like to have what taichi has but There are also plenty of people who would give anything to have what arata has ( most likely taichi included but I don't think arata would trade anything he has for what taichi has ) . People who think taichi is better off fail to realize that. Anyway what I am trying to say is taichi being talented in many fields doesn't make his life any better off than arata as many people like to believe.

Kipo0007 said:


I get what you mean Arata is lucky to find something which he is good at but taichi wasnt passionate about
anything much from the start to begin with his reason for joining karuta was also because of someone else but he
did ended up being passionate about karuta and become good as the professional players, i mean beating professional veteran players
and getting to the final of the qualifier for meijin, its like the second most important match in the karuta world, pretty much like being
in the semi final of a world cup that too with 6 months of training. Thats not something for a person who is just "good"
at the sport can do. Win or loss is another matter.
Arata also enjoyed math, calligraphy and cooking when he was small but still he gave importance to karuta. its not just luck its also part of
your taste and choices which can even develop at a later stage which happened for taichi.

As for memory its not just his concentration and repetition, you need a really top tier memory to actually perfectly grasp all of those that too under 15 minutes memorization
and then to fight on equal footing with someone like arata who as you say an eidetic memory, it goes to show it does almost rival it. As i said its 100% memorization.
Also eidetic memory is not perfect and it has its backlashes as well. A person with eidetic memory may not have exceptional memory in other areas.

I know when you reach higher level of stages in your life, you get hit by the reality check that you are not the only special one, but doesnt change you have a advantage
over most of the others, something which only few people have. Of course jealousy will occur and taichi was insecure of arata over many things. At the start of the series he was the type of guy who didn't like it when things don't go his way, so its not a surprise to see him show that emotion.
Also yea i know about the guy in his middle school who always came first at first place, on top of that taichis mom was kind of a jerk to him always pressurizing him for everything and wanting him to be a big fish in a little pond, so how can he not be frustrated.
Also that same arc is where taichi gives advice to the the talented guy who becomes his friend later to work hard for himself not for others sake. FYI even his friend who was at the top in school had a hard time coping up with everything which put taichi in a dilemma "Hardwork is scary and if you dont get rewards it becomes meaningless". So no matter if you are more talented or less the hardwork is crucial at the end and it can affect you no matter how exceptionally gifted you are.

I don't know the exact specifics of the career details, but i will trust your numbers. But still i am sure you can take time of your work for other things in life, doctors might be burdened workers but definitely aren't overclocked machines all the time.
They have their ways of taking out time for themselves and for their closed ones, and i am talking from experience with talks from people who are in the profession and doing well both in their career and personal lives.
But not all doctors have similar experience so i cant be a complete judge of that. Also its a possibility taichi can work independently in another hospital as well & not be confined to running his grandpas hospital, its his choice and he is growing out of his mothers shadow tbh.
Also taichis father is a top surgeon, but he makes out time for his family too and has a good married life. Things can very well work out and taichi can do it.

I understand your viewpoint, not everyone has something their passionate about and go with the flow when left with few options. Nothing wrong with that, but you can find something you might like even if it might take some time that's all i am saying. Its never too late. I am sure you took a very informed sensible decision which seemed appropriate for you.

Taichis interest was always forced by his mother, trying to make him best in everything like a workoholic from childhood. He could never explore his interests or choices until he was introduced to karuta and met with Arata & chihaya.
His development began from there. His mom was always against karuta, still he chose to walk down that path and found something he loved, so why cant he do that in real life for himself in his career path too? Its just the beginning for him.
He might or might not become a doctor, or pick up something else which he might be interested in later at the epiloge who knows. He is able to study for his exams and train under suo for 6 months, he might as well beat arata sometime soon in coming months or
next year as well, we have seen what he is capable of.

Coming to the main argument, its not okay for either of them to lose but one of them has to for story to progress, but obviously not because of reasons like that.
I think the older taichi might want what arata has, but not the current matured and developed taichi. He has come to the point of closure with himself and as for arata
given his personality the only think he would want is to be close to chihaya and taichi as well. Both boys have and dont have something at the same time.

So i get it being talented at everything not necessarily means everything is better but in speaking of general sense in life its something to hope & want for. Anyways i am pretty much done here, thanks for the discussion, it was pretty interesting.

Svk32145 said:
@Kipo0007


What I meant was that him developing an interest in something by the very end of the manga and showing in the epilogue won't be satisfactory. As we followed taichi from the start and especially a guy who is kicked like sandbag him developing interest in something and liking it offscreen won't be satisfactory as it was not developed at all ( same for love life with sumire too ). It wouldn't be the case if the author planted the seeds in the middle of the manga. And he will definitely go towards doctor at this point there is no other route for the author to take. Even chihaya's and arata's liking for their profession was explored properly but not for taichi. Arata's profession came out of nowhere so we can think he always liked it. Chihaya's liking for her profession was developed for half of the manga. But taichi's profession was decided from the very beginning but it was never explored and it was kind of forced on him . This kind of forced profession requires proper development for convincing which the author didn't do and this can't be done satisfactorily in 1 or 2 chapters especially since he never showed interest in the profession. About me changing my profession I have already graduated and I am preparing for my post grad, I can't change my profession now lol ( I don't have anything I am interested in anyway).Anyways I am done too. Yeah it was interesting thanks for the discussion.

Kipo0007 said:


Quite understandable, given taichi has been influenced by his mom almost all his life.i i cant completely blame her since she wanted him to be well off but she could have given him some leeway to think about it. Hopefully he figures out what he wants to do. If i recall arata has interest in social sciences, since he is preparing for the interviews for universities in tokyo and chihaya has interests in teaching i think? Kana wants to be a reciter.
We will see in the future what they all plant to do with their careers, hopefully its at least satisfying in some ways.
Anyways good talking to you and good luck for your post grad and future career.

Kipo0007 said:


I think you are confused or misread my statement. I didnt say Taichi was stuck at B class because of his insecurities, i am talking how he felt during those years.
Insecure, lack of confidence etc. His bad luck plus his lack of experience & skills at karuta was his prime reason for his B class advancement,thats why harada sensei kept encouraging him to not lose hope and keep pushing on.
plus with his personal hardwork and suos training he further honed his skills to the level of a top class A rank player. I never said his insecurities were the reason he was not advancing at karuta, i dont know where did you even got that.

He lost by a large margin during the third match. The previous two matches he literally pushed arata to the edge, the very same arata he thought he could never catch upto. In sports or any game for that matter just because a player
delivers top performance during a match doesn't necessarily mean he will be consistent throughout till the end, many factors can come in fatigue, state of mind, opponents tactics/skills causing problems on your own gameplay. Arata was continuously attacking taichis formation giving him no room to breathe. One of the spectators even commented that even though taichi played the highest form of karuta in the first two games, maintaining that form is not something easy that everyone can do. Arata was setting up
the pace, shifting cards into taichis territory and attacking, taichi is literally sweating and out of breath trying to keep up. Yes this happens in day to day sports matches, especially to players under pressure, not something new.
This is not something shocking or unbelievable. Yes i do agree the match narration should have definitely been written better.

Making Arata look like an angel? Just because he hugged taichi with no fake emotions and gave him the words he needed to hear the most? So when Taichi stopped the game in between and requested kana chan to tie up his hakama,should i start labelling
that scene as well to make taichi look like an angel as well since he could have gained the advantage but he didnt ? Lol lets be real both of them never did one thing to make themselves look good neither the author intended to. You just want to grab any straw
you get to criticize thats all.
Arata was already a part of taichis character development from the start if you didnt notice.
Suo's talk with Taichis mom he states and i quote "no matter how many people love you, unless you dont get acknowledged by that one person, its all meaningless and that person is arata for taichi"
Taichi and Arata may not converse that much, but their emotions conveyed to each other were in depth during that game.
Taichi made a mistake of not contending the card? Maybe or maybe not, which is again a common thing in karuta. Also while he was trying to contest he again remembered suos words "dont get attached" and recollected his thoughts to let go.
"if i let myself get clingy i wont win", he had adapted to suos methods and the type of strength which suo believed exists.
What's next? oh yea Arata showing trying to show his perfect side,he told taichi he will give him a 5 card lead, that's not arata being a good two shoes that's his airheadness kicking in, who in their right minds would say something like that in a important match like this?
They both were bickering like kids. Also yea the reason why Arata even said that because taichi told him the reason why he wants to win, because of the promise he kept to suo. And speaking of airheadness, taichi also went with his emotions and made the deal. So yea both of them played the childish part in this
but its a deal at the end and Taichi was the one who set the terms mind you. Also luck of the draw is not something common or easy to achieve in a intense game like this and taichi did complete his own terms and won the match. Arata didn't hand over that game to taichi, Taichi won it for himself, if you cant accept that you are again disregarding taichis amazing efforts.

And what self righteousness are you talking about ? Arata clearly lost that game and it was evident by his comment at the end "I wont let you take the third match" with the upset expression. That's not the face of someone who has given away a free win.

Taichi was smiling at the start of the third match commenting on his disbelief of winning against Arata.Him bowing to suo didn't carry the full impact? really? Suo was literally in disbelief that there is gonna be a third match because he thought taichi was gonna straight away lose and the fact he lost his cool when taichi lost the third match, shows how much impact it had. He in the end did want taichi to win even though what he said. I mean it cant be more clearer than this.

The "hindrance" thing was hinted long back when Arata started looking down on Taichi in karuta, even then he thought to himself how can he do that to a friend. He has his dark thoughts, does stupid stuff in his emotions but he has never meant it.
The fact that taichi has caught up to him will of course be seen as hindrance, Taichi wanted arata to think of him as a nuisance & a hindrance so that he could acknowledge him. Arata gave him the proper respect of a rival by wanting to crush him.
But of course he is a airheaded softie, after hearing taichis feelings and promise to suo he kept contemplating throughout if he should crush those hopes, because it is getting in his way of becoming meijin. And he did what a rival should do, he crushed him mercilessly.
The fact that he went all out on taichi is the biggest respect to a opponent you can give, he acknowledged him as a strong player, what taichi wanted all along.

He didn't realize that taichi is his beloved friend? what are you talking about? he always has considered him is his friend given their ups and down and the communication barrier. Same goes for taichi.
That scene was the biggest wall breaker between them which opened up everything. That moment was one of the most important part for taichi and Arata didnt steal the spotlight, he gave the taichi what he wanted to hear, what he felt but couldnt speak out loud. It was a moment
for both for them and it was beautiful. Taichi didnt weep out his emotions for nothing.

You understand the logic & connection between unworthy and acknowledgement? It really doesn't need to explained unless you really don't get it.
What Taichi desired the most was an acknowledgement from Arata, an acknowledgement that he isn't just a mere stepping stone for him but a worthy rival. Although he got dragged into Karuta cause of Chihaya but in end he didn't repent doing so. He holds those memory dear. Yes he
wanted to fight with chihaya at the finals against suo but doesnt change the fact that the acknowledgement was the biggest thing for him, again as suo stated earlier to taichis mom. Taichi's isn't a simple minded character but he has his moments of simplicity if you noticed his character closely, even during his match with arata.
Even though he lost, Taichi finally held Karuta dear to himself as initially it was mere a game in which he wanted to be acknowledged but never really liked it, but he appreciates it and holds it dear to himself.
The execution wasn't even close to pathetic, or whatever pathetic means in your dictionary sorry to say and yes again, third match should have been written better for a more satisfying result.

Most of main cast has their bit of plot armor lets be real, doesn't mean you completely disregard and turn a blind eye to Arata's hard work and efforts which has been shown and mentioned in the series on purpose to criticize it, & you are doing that clearly.
I didn't expect the big margin at the 3rd game, but again it wasn't that unbelievable because we have seen matches like this in the series before with big margins. Taichi incorporated many styles, including harada,suo something which is incredible to achieve and even has his own special defensive style with the skill to disrupt opponents with his cards placement with his perfect memorization, not to mention since he started practicing with suo his hearing got sharper plus his cross sweeping neutralizer move which he used against arata. So how can you say he never has his own style or never won by his own effort. I don't think you and i are watching the same series.

He beat so many top ranking players like sudo,harada sensei,arata etc., to reach this stage, so how can you say it his not his own effort? really doesn't make sense.
One bad game doesn't disregard all the hardwork and hardships he has gone through, its like saying a top player cant have a bad game. He has experienced frustration and losses countless times, him showing a different reaction and actually finally getting closure was worth to look at. Ofc he must be upset and frustrated inside but at the same time he realizes the life changing effect of karuta and the love for the game which made him appreciate himself more for what he has done all this while . How is that bad exactly? you want him to keep crying and moping on the loss like before? Its a given proof he has reached a point of maturity & character development.
It was both Arata and Taichis moment, no one looked bad and Taichi even though he lost the match won the hearts of fans even more which matters too.

Yea Arata has never been an unlikable character for the reasons you are trying to justify/self quoting whatever it might be. You don't like for your personal reasons that's fine. Arata has come far from being seen as "Perfect" especially since midway of the series, we have seen his dark, vulnerable sides and he has his flaws and mistakes.
The fact you thinking losing to suo is gonna make you like him shows you never bothered to look at his character closely or were even interested in him in the first place, just have that one set image of him that's all. Anyways its your choice and your*cough* Plot armor *cough* opinions.

You are most welcome, this ted talk was interesting.
btw one can clearly see through suo's sunglasses buddy. Thanks for the reference though :D

Svk32145 said:
@sailorvenus_22




Taichi and chihaya started playing karuta at the same time. Taichi played in middle school too. All three of them stopped playing middle school. Arata stopped for almost 2years. Chihaya stopped and joined track. Taichi's chances of continuing karuta are very low. It was even told by the characters in the show that actually 2nd year might be the last time. And him growing continously will not shown. Other two will acheive everything they wanted but taichi loses everything he wanted.

In fact it is taichi is the one who is being disregarded. People saying his arc is over, he doesn't need anything more. Nothing about taichi's interests are explored. Arata , chihaya get the sport , love , even the job they want. Taichi is going down an already predetermined path. He doesn't particularly want to become a doctor. He is doing it just because. The author didn't let taichi develop any other interest. The only thing was he developed interest was karuta which he will most likely stop for medical school. Even if it is shown he became meijin there will be a small panel telling how he won may be few times 10 years later. That is not how you treat a co- Mc while the the Mc and other co-Mc acheive everything.

Taichi after going through the whole story basically didn't change his ending. He would have still become a doctor ,lost his love , wouldn't have particularly found something he wanted to do. The only thing he reached is emotional closure. An 18 year old's whole story can't be about reaching some emotional closure. He is not some 50 year old war veteran.

sailorvenus_22 said:


taichi had a whole ass arc in the manga and in the anime and it takes up quite a lot of it. deserved but like don't say he gets no attention cause he does. arata gets like small bits, he was MIA for half the manga and then starts getting more lines as he progresses towards his goal of being a master. an 18 year olds story can be about emotional closure what??? chihaya is not some sort of prize, there's more to taichi's life than getting a girl if that's what u think. his only two options aren't karuta or chihaya like they would be for arata. taichi is good at so many other things, the man doesn't even like playing karuta until he meets the master. i love taichi and his arc, it's annoying ppl diminish it and hate on the author just because he doesn't get the girl or becomes master as if those are the only things that are valuable in his life. arata is so much stronger and has trained his literal entire life to become master, it's natural he beats taichi and proceeds. taichi has also gone through so much being depressed, experiencing jealousy, it's kind of fair that he learns to cheer arata on instead of ruining their friendship by hating himself and distancing himself like he did before

LaauRamone said:
I loved this chapter... so emotional and beautiful. Arata and Taichi's relationship is beautifully complex, I myself adore the "rivals but friends" dynamic and this manga truly captures it both in the romance department and the sport one.

I really do not understand why some people think that this destroyed Taichi's character, to me is the complete opposite. I also don't get why people asumed that it was Taichi the one who should have won for storytelling sake... he learned and grew A LOT in the past year but -to me- Arata was meant to win it now. I really am hoping for Wataya to win the Meijin title and face Mashima again as the challenger next year.

RottenOrange said:
This chapter would've been beautiful but that 18 cards gap was a dirty move from sensei. I don't care about Mashima losing but he's definitely better than that. He deserved a more leveled final match.

Everyone says Mashima's arc is over but the idea of that being true is so bad tbh. Like, what will happen to him now? Arata and Chihaya became the Meijin and Queen while he watches in the shadows? Sensei should've given Mashima other interests beside karuta, cause it isn't fun for the readers knowing the character will never succeed in anything he (canonically) likes.