I enjoy getting some character stories in there. It's definitely nice to see what everyone does when it's not Karuta related. I laughed many times during this episode. It was great. Will be looking for to Robotics; Notes new episode tonight and the new Fairy Tail episode, too.

Oh I know I say this every time but.... Another great episode! I love seeing Chihaya do other non-tournament stuff! And yes, Oe breaking the 4th wall was awesome! She really has become one of my favorite characters. I'd kinda like an episode about just her.

It's funny, when the girls asked Chihaya if she likes anyone I half expected Chihaya to imagine a deck of Karuta cards. That's really her one true love, as we all know. But I love how she went to call Arata right after *squeeeeeee*!

EDIT - I hope we get to see Arata play his match!

I'm still watching season 1 and I could tell that season two will be awesome!! It's hard actually cause I can't watch Chihayafuru in CR. I have to watch in my television... Which is irritating.

Just finished season two episode 7 (latest episode) and honestly i had alittle tears forming with a huge smile plastered on my face, when the band started playing and cheering for karuta club. Words cannot describe how Chihayafuru gives me that warm and happy feeling every time i watch it a new episode, it will be forever one of my favorite animes. Soooo happy they had a second season.

I watch CR on my television using a PS3 (it's also on xbox 360 and a bunch of TV's, roku boxes, etc) so not sure why you can't watch CR on your tv..



I loved that part! I kept cracking up though with the "omg it has a 4th verse??"

OMG this weeks episode was great. Great moments and better flow after the previous episodes. This episode made me laugh/sad and all.
Can't wait for next weeks episode.

Good inbetween tournament episode overall. It was nice to see those moments of conflict and struggles within the self and the family .

And now they the school band rooting for them too.

It took almost a season and a half for both parents to realize Chihaya's potential. She's now on at least even footing as her famous sister. We already knew about the father's habit of clipping articles about his daughters favoring one more than the other, until now.

Chihayafuru, season one, was one of the best animes ever. It was believable, intense, and endlessly watchable. I waited and waited for season 2 like I waited for no other anime, ever.

What a let down. They felt the need to add two characters to the cast, no doubt wanting to advance the story. Maybe they could have tried a little harder making up new people. Sumire might have been a good idea, since Taichi and Arata can't both win Chihara's affection. But her interest in karuta is not believable. She gets the bug way too early and totally unconvincingly. Akihiro does nothing at all for the story. His "look" with the tongue is rather silly and his brothers are too unrealistic and, again, add nothing to the show.

Worst, they take away from the rest of the cast. 7 episodes into season 2 and Taichi has been largely overlooked. Yūsei, Kanade, and Tsutomu, who added so much to season one, have had little more than cameo appearances. Even Chihaya has been limited. And this is SEVEN episodes into the season.

It's has so far been a big disappointment. Gone is the tension that was so skillfully made in season one. Gone is the interest in the characters' struggles and accomplishments. Also missing are the internal thought, and turmoil, from Chihaya and Taichi and the rest of the characters who built a brilliant season one.

I'm going to keep watching. I have the hope that soon the show will get back to those wonderful moments of realization and accomplishments, as well as the internal thoughts of the interesting characters.

When I went back and watched parts of S1 again, I found myself with the same complaint about Tsutomu (aka Desktomu) that you have about Sumire: he went from wanting nothing to do with it, to being a fanatic, in about five seconds, all based on a speech from Taichi that was so lame, even he admitted it. It wasn't believable, really. Yet when I saw it in the context of the whole season on my first viewing, it did seem believable.

Looking at contemporaneous user and professional reviews about S1, I see the same complaints you have about S2: it moves too slow, the characters are shallow, there are too many of them, they add nothing, etc. I think that most of us who fell in love with S1 marathoned it (at least, I did). I can see how watching it drip out 20 minutes a week would make those complaints about S1 legitimate. Maybe S2 is the same way.

Yes, we're seven episodes into the season, and, once again, almost nothing has happened. The characters are numerous, and the new characters are barely introduced. The old characters haven't developed at all--indeed, Chihaya this season finally seems to live up to the complaints the other characters heaped on her the first season (which I thought were overdone then, but this season seem spot-on--meaning, she's actually annoying this season, rather than endearing).

But, it's a TWENTY-FIVE episode show. It's got a long time to keep slowly developing its characters and showing us what they're here for and what they'll bring to the story. I think in the end we'll be rewarded, just as we were in S1.

You do have some points, tcfenstermaker. I'll wait till 25. Sure hope YOU are the right one!

I loved how Chihaya's dedication is now influencing her sister to strive harder.

Another brilliant episode!

She's back.