it's crazy how some people in here are so quick to judge the characters' behavior without any ounce of consideration for their background or upbringing, completely failing to catch the nuances that so clearly indicate their course of action. it doesn't come as a surprise that they wouldn't think to put themselves in the character's shoes either.
arata stops playing because the attack that leads his grandpa to his death, happens at a time when he was supposed to be home looking after him, but left to attend the tournament that would make him a rank A. it's all too easy for us, as outsiders, to recognize that he wasn't at fault, and that it was bound to happen sooner or later. however, for someone so emotionally attached to the situation, it is almost impossible to take a step back and realize the bigger picture, thus leading to an incessant sense of guilt.
it's also important to consider that, from a very young age, arata felt responsible for taking care of his family, as it's portrayed in the childhood arc through the side jobs he takes in an attempt to help with the finances. kids who are given responsibility at an early age tend to grow up with a lot of weight on their shoulders, even if they're the ones piling it up. when arata's grandpa dies when he was out playing, he feels almost betrayed by the game, as if in one turn of events, his most cherished dream had turned into an ultimate curse. while some in here - myself included - believe that to keep playing would be to honor his grandparent's memory, he, draped in guilt, believes the opposite; that an even bigger form of betrayal would be to go on playing the game responsible for taking his grandpa away from him.
the bittersweetness that comes after, stems from a mist of reasons coming from everywhere. even though he resents the game, arata is left with the emptiness of realizing that he has to give up his biggest and only passion (and in a way, his sense of identity), which, in turn, means also giving up his friends, unavoidably tied by the game. his only path to himself was not only now blocked, but completely unattainable, which, in my opinion, is expected to leave a pretty sour taste, explaining his closed-off demeanor and resentful attitude towards the game and everything that relates to it (his friends).
to those who find extremely weird how obsessed chihaya is with arata, it's good to remember that chihaya grew up in an environment in which she was completely neglected, being regarded more as a sister than an actual person of her own. arata was the first one to notice her for who she is, and to acknowledge a quality (her talent for karuta) that she possesses. by inflicting on her the knowledge that a dream is something one wants for oneself, arata not only guides her to her own path, but lets her know that she HAS a path of her own. from that moment forward we can see the disruption in her family environment, as she starts to crave for attention from her mother and sister, who, in question, find themselves puzzled when, for the first time, she seems to be interested in things that aren't related to the latter. /i mean, talk about a f***** up family.
chihayafuru is an anime that requires some level of empathy to be fully grasped, so it's a good idea to try and understand the reasoning behind their actions, especially considering that they gave us a lot of background, including two childhood focused episodes.
although highly predictable, i'm happy that they managed to maintain the quality on this one. couldn't be happier to have started watching this today. |
