Movie Review: Chihayafuru: Kami no Ku

                                              Chihayafuru: Kami no Ku Review

This film is based off the manga/anime Chihayafuru and it tells the story of a high school girl named Ayase Chihaya who loves the Japanese card game Karuta more than anything in the world and her dream is to become the best in the world at Karuta. Chihaya starts a club for Karuta at her school but has trouble find members because most people aren't interested in Karuta but then she finds out one her old friends Mashima Taichi who she use to play Karuta with goes to her high school and she convinces him to join even though he hasn't played in years. Chihaya and Taichi end up finding three more members for their club and the club starts training for the upcoming Karuta tournament that Chihaya is determined to win despite their being two beginners on their team.

One of the main reason that Chihaya was always so dedicated to Karuta was because she hoped that one day it would reunite her with Wayata Arata who is the one that first introduced her to Karuta and is one of the best Karuta players around and he is the grandson of a Karuta master. Arata was friends with Chihaya and Taichi when they were in elementary school and the three competed as a team together. While Chihaya had also admired him for his skills in Karuta, Taichi had felt inferior to Arata since he was so much better at Karuta than Taichi could ever imagine himself being and that due to this he could never measure up to Arata in Chihaya's eyes. Since Taichi always feels jealous of Arata their friendship is a bit more complicated especially since they both seem to want to be with Chihaya although romance isn't something that Chihaya thinks about at all.

The movie was overall very good it did a good job at capture the feel of the series as well as the characters whom I love to a great degree already so I loved seeing them in live action as well. I loved that Chihaya still had so much energy, passion and determination and I loved that Taichi was still that slightly awkward 'jack of all trades, master of none' that I fell in love with when I was watching the anime. I would say that I felt that things were dealt with more in depth in the anime but that is something that is to be expected since there was more time in the anime. Overall I loved the movie and it renewed my love for the series that never really left me. Please tell me your thoughts on this movie or the anime series.

Anime Review: Chihayafuru 2: I Can Look Up and See the Snowy Cap of Mt. Fuji(2.25)

      Chihayafuru 2: I Can Look Up and See the Snowy Cap of Mt. Fuji(2.25)Review

This episode starts off where the last one ended with some people being surprised by how Arata being able to beat the Queen and others making note of how skilled a player that he is. Arata ends up coming up to Taichi after the match who Arata was very happy to see while Taichi seems to once again be surprised by Arata's friendliness despite the fact that they're clearly friends but their interaction is cut short when Chihaya drags Arata to the ground to ask him how he could possibly be so calm during such an intense match. Arata is called away before he has time to answer Chihaya's question.

It turns out that Tsutomu and Tsukuba ended up winning for Class C and D and since Taichi also won for Class B many people were very impressed with the karuta team just like Chihaya hoped they would be. Before leaving the tournament Fujisaki's coach offered to send Chihaya the DVD of Arata and Shinobu's match which Chihaya excitedly accepted the offer. When Chihaya arrives back home she discovers that her finger injury is more serious than she thought and she has to get surgery for if she wants to continue playing karuta.

Chihaya ends calling Arata while in the hospital and asks him for advice on how to improve on karuta and he tells her how he always visualize them playing in his room when they were in elementary school because that was the time when karuta was the most fun for him. Chihaya realizes two things that she'll always love karuta and Arata(although I think at least at this point it's only in a friend way). When Taichi and Kana go to visit Chihaya in the hospital Kana realizes that Chihaya is thinking about Arata and she tells Taichi that he has to work harder and that he can't expect Chihaya to be oblivious forever.

The episode ends with Chihaya and Taichi going to a training camp with Fujisaki's school to help improve their karuta game. I overall enjoyed this episode, please tell me your thoughts on the episode.

Anime Review: Chihayafuru 2: When I Must Hide..(2.24)

                               Chihayafuru: When I Must Hide..(2.24)Review

In this episode Chihaya expresses some doubts about watching Shinobu and Arata's match and did at first consider watching Tsutomu's match instead since he made it to the Class C finals(Tsukuba had made it to the Class D finals although no one noticed this until the match started) but in the end she was encouraged by the rest of the team to watch Shinobu and Arata's match. Chihaya notes right away when she walks into the room that the atmosphere in the room is much different than it usually is when these two are playing matches and is surprised at how close the match is and that Shinobu was loosing.

It's noted that Arata's game seems to relay more on techniques than speed like Shinobu's does although he is capable of matching her on speed as well. It's also said that one of the skills that really unnerves most of spectators that Arata has is that he's able to keep so eerily calm during matches. I really like that despite how ridiculously good at karuta Arata is now that there was a time when he wasn't great and that he actually had to work really hard to get to the place he is today that just makes him more likable than him just being naturally talented.

Shinobu notes that she isn't doing as good today as she feels she should be and she realizes this is because she chose the cards in which she could save and this leads her to realizing that she has to save all the cards if she wants to win. Shinobu is able to almost get rid of Arata's lead over her by using her speed and accuracy but in the end Arata wins the match. Arata notes at the end of the match that Shinobu has a fever and that he's impressed that she was able to make it through the whole match and Shinobu replies of course she could but she does note that she's happy that she was able to play a match where her opponent wouldn't give up and she had to play to the best of her abilities.

I overall loved this episode I really enjoyed seeing Arata and Shinobu play against each other because they're both such great players. Please tell me your thoughts about this episode.

Anime Review: Chihayafurru 2: To See The Beautiful Cherry Blossoms(2.23)

                   Chihayafurru 2: To See The Beautiful Cherry Blossoms(2.23)Review

This episode starts with the semifinal matches which we don't see much of we see Arata and Shinobu beat their opponents by a lot once again and the coach of the Fujisaki remarks that the two of them are in an entirely different level than everyone else. Shinobu acts threateningly towards Arata to which he gives a friendly smile and Chihaya seems confused by their relationship because I doubt she knows they know each other. Taichi and Tsutomu have also made it to the finals for Class B and C so Chihaya feels conflicted about which match to watch Nishida decides to watch Class A's final in hopes of learning something and while Taichi was so sure that Chihaya would watch Class A's match she actually came to support him.

The match between Shinobu and Arata was the one that most everyone was excited to see at first it appeared that Shinobu was dominating once again to some people but since they both touched the first two cards at the same time that was a bit of a jump. After the first two cards Arata could see that Shinobu's strengths were still speed and accuracy so he used a strategy that he learned from his grandfather in order to attack her strength and take cards from her.

Taichi through out the day had been unusually calm before this point and this was most likely one of the reasons he was doing so well before starts to become more focus on winning the match quickly in order to allow Chihaya to be able to watch Class A's match rather than just winning his own match. Taichi is playing the match against Rion who has speed and game sense as good as Chihaya although at first neither of them are doing very well since the reader was going through certification final exam but Rion was able to find her rhythm faster than Taichi was.

Taichi begins to compare Rion to Master Suo which he realizes is just something that keeps psyching him out so he starts to think of her by comparing her to Chihaya instead. Taichi begins to do much better in his match by simply focusing on taking the cards with as much accuracy as possible and just caring about winning the match at all not by winning by a lot. In the end Taichi was able to win his match and make it into Class A final although he didn't seem to realize how big a deal it was until Chihaya told him what he accomplished.

I really loved this episode the final matches are always exciting and I especially loved seeing Taichi finally win a tournament and making it into Class A at last it was a very emotional moment that he almost skipped over if it wasn't for Chihaya. Please tell me your thoughts on this episode.

Anime Review: Chihayafuru 2: Long Last We Meet(2.22)

                                       Chihayafuru 2: Long Last We Meet(2.22)Review

This episode starts off where the last one ends with Chihaya preparing for her match against Shinobu and when the match starts off Chihaya isn't doing well at all but she does seem to know a lot about Shinobu's playing style and would probably be able to have done a lot better in the match if she wasn't injured. Chihaya was able to take one of the cards on her own side and awhile after that she realized that the tape on her finger was too heavy and slowing her down so she took it off.

Soon after taking off her tape Chihaya was able to take Shinobu's favorite card although after that Shinobu went back to dominating the match but Chihaya never stopped trying. Shinobu remembers when she was young and first went to karuta society how she played with a girl her own age and seemed to develop a bit of friendship with but her coach thought that it was bad for her to play with people her own age because she would go easy on them and that would make her a weak player so the friendship ended shortly after it began.

In the end Shinobu won the match by 23 cards and Shinobu at first thinks that since Chihaya was injured maybe she should have let her take some cards but then Chihaya comes up to her and thanks her for not going easy on her. Shinobu then goes back to think of Chihaya as a rival and is made at herself for letting her take even two cards from her especially when she was injured.

Also in this episode Sumire makes it to the third round in the Class D matches only to be defeated there but Tsukuba actually ends up making it to the semifinal although after Sumire hears that Taichi also is still in the game for Class B she decides to go watch his match instead. I really enjoyed this episode and I would like to hear your thoughts on it as well.

Anime Review: Chihayafuru 2: But It's Legacy Continues to Spread(2.21)

                       Chihayafuru 2: But It's Legacy Continues to Spread(2.21)Review

This episode starts off where the last one ends with Chihaya realizing that she can't seem to move her left hand like she does her right one. Chihaya soon finds a way in which she can attack the cards on her opponents side and was pretty good at taking any card which her opponent covered but is unable to figure out how to take cards from her own side. Chihaya starts to think about how right handed players only know how to play other right handed players and that playing left hand was whole new way to look at karuta but sadly this didn't stop her from being down by ten cards.

In the meantime both Arata and Shinobu had finished their matches rather quickly and Arata stays behind to watch Chihaya's match and notices that she's injured and is playing her left hand and he thinks that there isn't a way for her to win this match. Chihaya after seeing her cards from the opponent's side realizes that she can take cards from her own side if she merely mirrors her usual motions so she moves all her cards around which is a bit frowned upon but her opponent allows because Chihaya's injury is a bigger handicap than having to rememorize a bunch of cards. Chihaya is able to play with her left hand the way she usually does which leads Arata to think that playing karuta with Chihaya must be fun, in the end Chihaya wins her match.

Nishida in his second match has to play against Arata which is something that is distressing for him since he hates to play against players as strong as Arata. Nishida tries his best and Arata is impressed by how he can see the teachings of his coach in the way he plays and that he's still playing his heart out after playing so hard in the team matches the day before. Nishida says that everyone else on his team plays much harder than him and reveals through his thoughts that he dislikes playing strong players because they make him want to be better.

Chihaya ended up winning her second match but for her third match she is up against Shinobu and it looks like Chihaya is planning to use both her hands against her. I overall really loved this episode, please tell me your thoughts on it.

Anime Review: Chihayafuru 2: Of the Autumn Rice Fields(2.20)

                               Chihayafuru 2: Of the Autumn Rice Fileds(2.20)Review

This episode starts off with the karuta team accepting their trophy for winning the team tournament but since the individual tournament is the next day Chihaya starts to worry about her finger's injury she got during the last match. Chihaya goes to an emergency clinic and she is advise that she shouldn't play in the tournament but she decides that she has to play and comes up with the idea to just play using her left hand instead of her injured right one. Chihaya when she starts actually playing the match she realizes she can't seem to make her left hand move the way she usually goes her right.

The night before the individual tournament Arata briefly meets up with Taichi and tells him that he can't think of himself being apart of any team other than one with Chihaya and Taichi and that he's looking into going to college in Tokyo. Taichi says pretty much to himself that Arata is his enemy(which seems a bit strong of a word for him to use I think rival better defines how he sees him) because of the whole thing with Chihaya and karuta.

This episode is really just set up to the start of the individual tournament which it does a very good job at making me excited for the tournament. There was also a scene where Chihaya accidently goes to Taichi's room and finds him sleeping and she decides to sleep in their as well even though she could have just left and went to her own room. Also Shinobu wants to win all of her matches in order to prove that team matches are a waste of time. Overall I really love this episode and I would really love for you to tell me your thoughts on it.

Fangirl Friday 42

Fangirl five Friday is a weekly meme host Nancy Drew is my Homegirl and what it's meme that has you list the top five things you've been fangirling about this week.

1. Elementary: In this week's episode Moriarty returned and she continues to show how she's a brilliant criminal mastermind with how she was able to negotiate herself into a more comfortable prison and she was also able to pass along messages to the outside, get exactly the kind of information she wanted and escape when she felt she needed to. This episode is also when Joan first learns that Sherlock has been in contact with Moriarty through letters for the past several months which is something that concerns her quite a bit due to the past nature of Sherlock and Moriarty's past relationship. I also really enjoyed the final scene between Sherlock and Moriarty where she admits that she didn't kill her guard because she knew it would look bad in his eyes and she wonders if that's how he was able to become one of them(due to their similar personalities) and Sherlock tells her he's unsure of if he really is one of them.

2. Chihayafuru: I watched quite a few episodes of this series this week and it was great and really much more emotional than it should have been to see the karuta team win their final match in the tournament and become the best in Japan together. I love this series and this episodes where super good and loved seeing the characters work so hard to reach their goal that I shared their excitement when they won.

3. Community: Community season 5 come out this week with two new episodes and I personally loved them both. I loved that the first episodes had call backs to the pilot and I liked how it set up this season with showing how Greendale actually kind of made their lives worse because the school lets everyone graduate but doesn't prepare them for the jobs their major is in and I liked how this led to them returning to Greendale. I like that Jeff only really took the job as a teacher because he was desperate and doesn't really take it seriously at first although he does accidently discovers that he might kind like teaching. I also love the subplot about Abed trying to figure out if Nicholas Cage is a good or bad actor but freaking out since there is no real answer, I feel like that's pretty much the only way to explain Nicholas Cage.

Anime Review: Chihayafuru 2: I Do Not Know Where This Love Will Take Me(2.19)

           Chihayafuru 2: I Do Not Know Where This Love Will Take Me(2.19)Review

This episode starts off where the last one ends with Taichi sending his opponent a multi-syllable card in order for him attack the card later on because of Tsutomu's data. It becomes clear soon after that Taichi is deliberately taking a long time to send cards in order to give himself time rememorize where all the cards are and his opponent ends up getting a fault which is something he almost never does. Taichi gets to the point in his match where he and his opponent are tied.

The match between Chihaya and Rion ended up taking a turn that almost all the people watching didn't expect with Chihaya leading Rion by five cards. It's noted that by this point of the game that neither girl is using any kind of strategy and it's now only a game of hearing and reflexes which the girls seem to be evenly match in but one is of course slightly better. Chihaya ends up winning her match but it was so exhausting that she ended up falling asleep before she even claimed her win for Mizusawa.

The matches that Taichi and Nishida are playing have both come down to luck of the draw which is something it seems like they expected would happen since they synchronized their cards which Fujiski's coach refuses to think this move could be anything other then chance but the player Taichi's playing recognizes it as them knowing how to play as a team. Taichi becomes increasingly worried that the card on his side won't be read since it never is in this kind of situation so he does plan to go on the attack especially since his opponent's card is one that is similar to a dead card but he ends noticing that his opponent is too good at defending his card for this to work. Taichi ends up doubting that all the time he's put into the game will ever really mean anything since he always ends up loosing in situations that are based off luck but he keeps himself from giving up and asks god to have his card be read just this once. In the end Mizusawa wins and Chihaya had woken up just in time to see the final card be read and then there's an emotional celebration with the whole team hugging.

I loved this episode I felt that the matches where very intense and I felt super emotional from just watching the team win which was just great to watch. Please tell me your thoughts on this episode.

Anime Review: Chihayafur 2: My Fear is That You Will Forget(2.18)

                         Chihayafur 2: My Fear is That You Will Forget(2.18)Review

This episode starts off where the last one ends with the karuta team becoming more focused on winning. Taichi starts to think about how even though his opponent is good he's not as good as Arata which actually does help to motivate him and when he notices that he is down by five cards he remembers how when he was young that Dr. Harada would start off with a five card handicap which what Taichi is determined to overcome here. Tsutomu wants to overcome his earlier analysis that he can't win against his opponent but sadly he looses soon after he this thought. Tsukuba feels that his opponent isn't taking him seriously which might not be true since he said after their match that Tsukuba was good even though he lost.

Chihaya is able to keep getting cards from Rion and the people watching the match are starting to wonder if Rion can win the match because she lacks the experience in tournaments and Chihaya has just as good of game sense as she does. Shinobu through the match wishes she hasn't come because she remembers how karuta for her as always just been about improving herself and she doesn't like seeing the companionship that being part of a team brings the other players. Arata listens to the match from outside since he is forbidden from watching the match but his thought reveal that he does have a great respect for playing with a team even though he himself doesn't.

Taichi was able to stabilize his game but was still down by five cards near the end of the episode he's able to take one of his opponent's cards and he says that there will be three wins for Mizusawa right after members of the audience where thinking that they'd be lucky to get one win.

Overall I love this episode which dealt with trying one's best to make a come back and how sometimes it happens and sometimes it's too late. I also liked seeing how Arata and Shinobu had different thoughts about the team matches. Please tell me your thoughts on this episode.

Anime Review: Chihayafuru 2: Gust of Wind(2.17)

                                        Chihayafuru 2: Gust of Wind(2.17)Review

In this episode the karuta team starts the final match against Fujisaki and they're all off to a bad start with them all observing how different and good their opponents are. Chihaya while playing against Rion notices that Rion has ridiculously good game sense in that she's able to go for nearly every card even the  two-syllable ones right away. Chihaya tries to figure out how this could be and she looks over to Kana and remembers her telling her about the certified reader who is the one reading for this match and how every card has it's own color. Chihaya clears her mind and starts remembering the cards as colors and is able take cards from Rion who is quite surprised by Chihaya's speed and while Chihaya thinks she can't relay on this for long since she doesn't have many cards she sees in color she can use it build momentum.

There is more information about how Fujisaki is a karuta power house school and how their coach makes sure that everyone develops good stamina with how they are put through hours of physical activity in order to build it. It's also noted that Rion is very good at karuta because of her hearing but she has never won any tournaments because she only likes to play with certified readers such as her grandmother who is the reader for this match and when she dislikes the reader she tends to stop trying during the match.

Chihaya is injured by Rion when she blocks a card during the match but Chihaya plays it off like it's nothing but soon realizes that it's much worse than she originally thought it was but decides that it's best that she should do her best and continue to play. Rion ends up noticing that she injured Chihaya and is unable to focus and Chihaya is able to take four cards in a row from her. Towards the end the rest the karuta team notices that Chihaya is injured but still determined to win her match which causes the rest of them to become more determined to win their matches as well.

Shinobu also goes to watch the match and really was quite bored by the matches until she recognized Chihaya and remember how she had taken cards from her last year then she paid more attention to the match. I overall loved this match and how it showed the determination to win even when the odds are stacked against you. Please tell me your thoughts on this episode.

Anime review: Chihayafuru 2: Wait for the Emperor's Return(2.16)

                         Chihayafuru 2: Wait for the Emperor's Return(2.16)Review

This episode is basically a recap of the first half of season 2 with a few omake segments mixed in that are humorous but there are not very many of them. I think this episode did a pretty good job of reminding the audience of the first half of the season but since I tend to be able to remember those type things on my own it was something I didn't need. Although I did enjoy the omake segment when Nishida mentions how no one in the karuta club is seeing anyone because they spend so much time playing karuta, I found that rather funny but other than that there wasn't really anything new in this episode.

This episode was really just a recap but still enjoyable so instead of telling me your thoughts on this episode how about you tell me your thoughts on this season or series as a whole.

Anime Review: Chihayafuru 2: No Matter Where I Stand(2.15)

                                    Chihayafuru 2: No Matter Where I Stand(2.15)Review

This episode deals with the team preparing for their final match which is going to be played against Fujisaki which is a school that is known for being a karuta powerhouse. It's revealed at the beginning of this episode that Kana had jammed her finger in one of the earlier matches and was hiding it in order to keep playing.

Fujisaki coach is known for being very scary and also always switches out one of the third year players in the final match in order so a younger one can play which is always very distressing for whatever third is forced to sit out. Tsutomu from his data was able to accurately predict the order in which Fujisaki will use for their team in final. Taichi wants to play against Fujisaki's captain because he reminds him of Arata and believes that if he's able to beat him he may be able to final make it to class A someday soon.

The reader for the final match is a certified reader which makes Kana even more upset that she can't play in the final match. Arata hears that Chihaya and Taichi made it to the finals and while he really wants to be their to cheer them on he feels that he can't because he needs to accept his punishment but he is able to convince Shinobu to watch the final match.

I really liked this episode with how much it made me anticipate the match because it dealt very slowly with all the before stuff leading up to the match which means that the match itself is bound to be really intense and exciting as well. I'm a bit upset that the next episode according to Wikipedia is a recap but I'm really looking forward to watching the match. Please tell me your thoughts on this episode.

Anime Review: Chihayafuru 2: People Would Always Ask if I Was Pinning for Someone(2.14)

  Chihayafuru 2: People Would Always Ask if I Was Pinning for Someone(2.14)Review

This episode finishes off the semi-final match which had became an extremely close match for every member of the team. Towards the beginning of the episode Nishida looses his match which he feels bad about since this is the second time he has done this during an important match. Soon after though Kana wins her match which takes a bit of pressure off the other members of the team.

Since the match between Mizusawa and Akashi becoming so close and interesting which most of the audience wasn't expecting they had pretty much ignored the other match which wasn't close at all Fujisaki 4 to 1. Taichi ends pulling ahead in his match by using his memorization skills because he knew when a dead card was being read when his opponent didn't. Taichi ends up winning his match when Chihaya's special card is read but Chihaya didn't get this card which throws her off her game a bit. In the end Chihaya's match was very close but she ended up loosing.

The match between Tsutomu and his opponent becomes the deciding match and it comes down to luck of the draw. Tsutomu ends winning his watch by going for the one with the in it because he believed that it was more likely to be drawn in this situation. The other members of the team note how this belief is a superstition that karuta players start to develop over time.

Chihaya is very frustrated by her loss because she can't pinpoint what it is that caused her to loose her match but she ends up figuring out that before the final she has to relax if she's going to have a chance at winning. Tsukuba offers to play in the final match because he has seen how tried Kana was but Kana tries to say she's fine before admitting that she's not.

I loved this episode it was very exciting matches that were played. Please tell me your thoughts about this episode.

Anime Review: Chihayafuru 2: In my Dreams, I Creep Closer to You(2.13)

                   Chihayafuru 2: In my Dreams, I Creep Closer to You(2.13)Review

This episode starts off where the last episode ends with it looking like Chihaya is finally finding her momentum in the match but this turns out not to be the case which leads to the rest of the team vowing in their heads that they'll win their matches. Tsutomu who wasn't doing so well in his match starts to improve once he remembers some of Sumire's notes which helps him know what cards that his opponent would be most unnerved about loosing.

Chihaya continues to struggle in her match when she can't remember what momentum feels like and even when she does what she can to unnerve Megumu she sees that none of the usual strategies to unnerve an opponent seems to work on her since she's calm all through out the match. Chihaya is finally able to find her momentum by having her hand go under Megumu's and the move had so much accuracy and speed that it shocks Megumu as well as quite few audience members. Soon after that move Chihaya is able to take a card from Megumu that she was protecting.

Megumu notices with the way that Chihaya takes cards that she is someone who wants to queen which is something that Megumu herself doesn't care about but Megumu does care about fulfilling the members of her team's happiness and since they all want her to be queen she must beat Chihaya. Around this same time Chihaya realizes that with the way that Megumu plays that she is a lot like herself before she started to work on conquering her weaknesses which is something that a lot of people have noticed how Chihaya has improved while watching this match.

I really loved this episode and how it dealt with how different people are motivated by different things and how just because you want to win for reason other than your own accomplishment doesn't mean that your drive to win is any less. I also enjoyed how this episode also show how working on your weakness is something that can drastically improve one's outcome when competing against strong opponent. Please tell me your thoughts on this episode.

Anime Review: Chihayafuru 2: The Only Sign of Summer(2.12)

                                    Chihayafuru 2: The Only Sign of Summer(2.12)Review

This episode begins the team semifinal match against Akashi who's team doesn't see the karuta team as much of a challenge. Chihaya is playing against the team's ace Megumu who was in last year's queen's match and is known for having great speed as well as a lot of fans. When the match starts off Chihaya does her best to focus on accuracy rather than speed but she starts to get a bit discourage after Megumu is able to take card after card from her.

It is told through other characters that Megumu has always had a talent for karuta but never really took it seriously but after getting all the way to the queen's match the previous year all of her friends started to want to do everything that they could to support her. After loosing the queen's match last year Megumu said she wasn't upset by the lost and that led all of her friends helping Megumu to improve at karuta in order for her to get good enough and passionate enough that a loss like that would upset her.

After awhile Chihaya starts to remember how the cards in the bottom right corner are the ones that players tend to favor and so she goes for that one when it is read and she almost gets it. Chihaya eventually ends up getting her first card of the match from Megumu just as the rain stops and the sun comes out. The sun coming out leads Kana to referencing one of the poems which just so happens to be the next card that is read and Chihaya as well as the rest of the team were all able to take that card.

I overall really enjoyed this episode with how it gave the backstory of Megumu and showed how she improved over time. Please tell me your thoughts on this episode.

Top 10 Series I'd recommend to my followers

Since  I don't really know many people who read I thought that it would be best that I would use this post to recommend series to my followers since if your following me I'm guessing we at least have somewhat similar taste. Also since it seems like most book series that I'm a big fan of are pretty popular in the book blogging community this list is actually mostly manga/anime and TV since I've noticed that TV especially is looked down upon by quite a few book bloggers and since the shows I love are scripted I think that's a bit unfair since it's still a written story just told in a different way.
1. Fruits Basket: If you follow me or have just read a lot of my Top 10 Tuesday lists you're probably well aware that Fruits Basket is my favorite series of all time. I pretty much think that everyone should at least give this series a try because it's the most brilliantly written series I have ever read. This series is one that has great characters who all have layers to them and I easily became invested in pretty much all of them despite their being like twenty major characters. I really love this series because it's really just about character and relationship development which is something that is developed slowly over the course of the series and I think that series knows how make things that are often considered mundane seem interesting just simply because of character interaction which is really what makes the series so good. This series I what say has a pretty good mix of comedic and dramatic moments spread though out the series and I think this helps the tone of the series to have both because it never gets too ridicules or too depressing. I think this series is amazing and I'm sadly really bad at talking about why this series is so brilliant without talking about specific moments but I really hope you'll read it because it's worth the time and money to invest in.
2. Chihayafuru: If you have been following me for awhile you've seen that I tend to review episodes of this series a lot and I really love it. This series like Fruits Basket makes the mundane interesting by developing characters and relationships those kind of stories are my favorite the ones where not a ton happens plot wise but rather character and relationship wise. This series is about a Japanese card game called karuta and how there are all kinds of different ways to love and play karuta and there's also a lot of character relationships and development that happens around because of karuta. This series may sound odd like it would be boring or confusing but I assure it is neither.
3. Dollhouse: Over the past couple of years there have been a lot of dystopian YA novels and well they sadly have such a heavy romance focus that you don't really get to explore the dystopian aspect of it I feel like Dollhouse which in all honesty I would say is a pre-dystopian is a lot better with dealing with the concepts of a dystopia with how it's concept is somewhat disturbing and it makes you feel a bit uncomfortable like a dystopian story is suppose. There is also a bit of romance, humor and I end up loving a lot of the characters because there is one particular character arc that I love so much. This series is often one that is overlooked because most people were disappointed that it wasn't Buffy or Firefly(which are both great shows) but it was never suppose to be and I think it's a really great series overall and I'd recommend watching it.
4. The OC: This is my favorite TV show of all time and it's one of those series that I think has in someway has influenced what I look for in a series it's just one that'll always have a place in my heart. I love this series because of really it's characters I just pretty much loved everyone and I wanted them to be happy which to me is a good thing because it means you're really invested in the show. I think that this show did a really good job at balancing the importance of romantic relationships, friendships and family relationships because they all seem pretty equal important on the show in a way that I think better reflects real life then most works of fiction. I love that there was a balance of humor and drama and of the teens storylines and the adult storylines. I just love pretty much everything about this show and if you haven't watched already watch it and if you had please talk to me about it because I can never get tried of this show.
5. Cardcaptor Sakura: This series is just happy and I think it's good to have a go to series to enjoy while feeling sad and that series for me is Cardcaptor Sakura since it's the happiest series I've ever read. I love this series because it has nice characters, well developed adorable relationships, a plot that is simple but interesting and beautiful artwork. I think that Cardcaptor Sakura is a series that is super enjoyable and I think it would make you smile because it always makes me smile.
6. Teen Wolf: This is a series that pretty much everyone assumes is bad but it actually isn't, when I first saw promos for this show I thought it looked terrible but I decided to watch because I wanted to review a tv show and it was summer so I didn't have a lot of options but the show ended up surprising me and now it's one of my favorite shows. I'm actually working on a post that sort of a recommendation post/comparison to paranomral YA novels but it's taking longer than I expected. I really love most of the main characters a lot which is always a good thing but not something that always happens, I find the plots interesting and love that friendship is a pretty important part of the show as well. I'm sorry that this wasn't a very good recommendation I'll try to do better in my other post.
7. Revenge: This is a series I'm mostly recommending because there doesn't seem to be much of an online fandom for and since I'm obsessed with it I wish more people would talk about it. This series is one I love because I really love the idea of it a whole series about seeking revenge by destroying the lives of those who wronged you. I also just love the main character Emily Thorne since she is so completely ruthless in her revenge and she's very calculating and she's very complicated and she doesn't trust people(especially back in season 1 when she distrusted even people who were helping her) and she's also very good at playing the role of the sweet innocent girl next door which I found very interesting to watch. I also quite enjoy seeing just how dysfunctional the Grayson family is because they also manage to be more screwed up than I thought they could be. I overall really love this series and I would recommend obviously.
8. Wolves of Mercy Falls: This is a series that is pretty well known in the book blogging community but I feel like it's dismissed as a fluffy romance while it's true that it has a sweet romance in it, I think the series is a lot more than that. I love the character Sam because he was a supernatural creature that just wanted to be human because valued staying in his own skin and while his backstory of his parents trying to kill him when he was little saddened me also interested me because it does still effect him and is feelings about his parents are somewhat conflicted which just makes him interesting. Then there's the character Cole St.Clair who this asshole bad boy who hates himself for being an asshole bad boy but doesn't quite know how to stop hurting people so instead he invested in trying to get out and stay out of his own head which just makes for a very interesting character who is also really smart. I also really love the relationship between Cole and Isabel which Isabel describes as a form of self destruction which is something that I found really interesting about this relationship. I really loved Linger the most and I could talk about that book for hours and I think that more people should not just take this book at face value.
9. The Looking Glass Wars: Alice in Wonderland retellings tend to be popular and I think that The Looking Glass Wars was the best retelling. This retelling is one in which Alyss was from Wonderland which is real in this series but is forced to live in England and is basically thought of as crazy for quite awhile do to her knowledge of Wonderland and she eventually starts to forget about it only to have to return and save her kingdom of Wonderland. I just found this retelling really interesting and somewhat angsty in the ways I enjoy angst.
10. Secret Circle: With this one I'd recommend either the books or TV show since I happen to love both of them although they are quite different from each other. Basically I love witches and mean girls which was basically what the books were about so if your a fan of those then I'd suggest giving it a try. The TV show was also of course about witches as well but there was less mean girlness and more female friendships that had a ton of les yay in them the books also had a lot of les yay but there was still a bit of bitchy sparkle to it which is always appreciated by me. Anyways I recommend this series mostly because I love it and I don't see enough people talking about it so I hope you guys give it a try.

Anime Review: Chihayafuru 2: I feel As Though My Body is on Fire with Ibuki Mugwort(2.11)

    Chihayafuru 2: I feel As Though My Body is on Fire with Ibuki Mugwort(2.11)Review

In this episode Nishida calls out Tsutomu on not playing in matches recently and this upsets him because they all worked so hard together last year to get to where they are now and he's worried that Tsutomu might be loosing his drive to play karuta. Chihaya ends up deciding that Tsutomu shouldn't play in the next match because Dr. Harada had told her before that scouting a match is often times more tiring then playing one.

It shown during the match in this episode how the information that Tsutomu has gather is very important to the team and in fact may be the reason the team win their match. It's also shown that Tsutomu likes to scout because it's what he feels that will best help his team and although he finds matches a bit scary he does still want to play them and he will be playing the match the next game.

While trying to come up with their order for the next game Chihaya even though she wants to play the strongest player on the team tells the team that she is willing to play someone she has a better chance of winning against if it means that the team will end up wining and becoming the best in Japan. While Taichi is filling out the order for their next match he thinks back to their last match against Hokuo and decides that they should play the match straight meaning their best against their opponents best.

I overall really enjoyed this episode and I continue to love how much there is to playing a game of karuta and how much is effects people. Please tell me your thoughts on the next episode.

Anime Review: Chihayafuru 2: Rain Takes Longer to Dry(2.10)

                                Chihayafuru 2: Rain Takes Longer to Dry(2.10)Review

In this episode the karuta team is playing against Yamaguchi Mioka which the public school that is known for being the smartest and the members of that team all specialize in memorization and accuracy. At first during her match Chihaya isn't doing well since her opponent keeps changing around the placement of the cards so she's unable to remember where they are. After awhile Chihaya remembers to take a breath and a step back and stops trying to focus on memorization and instead uses her skills of speed and game sense and ends up winning her match in the end.

Nishida is able to win his match in the end because his karuta society teaches the technique of defensive karuta which is more about protecting your own cards than taking the opponents which makes the moving around of the cards rather ineffective. Kana is able to win her match by focusing on the poems and their history but isn't bothering to remember their positions because there's no meaning behind. Taichi is able to win his match because he also uses the technique of memorization and accuracy but has lately been focusing on the other aspects of karuta such as the physical ones.

Also in this episode the committee is debating whether or not they should let Arata play because while they agree that he should be punished for breaking the rules they also want him to compete because he's one of the few people that has a chance at defeating the current master who is widely disliked for being a bad role model. Arata though insists that he should be punished but when he tells Shinobu that he won't be playing in the individual tournament she goes to the committee and tells them she won't play unless Arata can compete as well.

I really loved this episode for once again showing how karuta can be such an intellectual sport. I'm also really have been enjoying what we've seen of the relationship between Arata and Shinobu. Please tell me your thoughts on this episode.

Anime Review: Chihayafuru 2: My Only Thought(2.09)

                                         Chihayafuru 2: My Only Thought(2.09)Review

This episode starts off with Arata arriving at the karuta tournament where he plans to watch Chihaya and Taichi play but before he enters Shinobu approaches him. Arata and Shinobu have a brief exchange which tells us the two have played many times and Arata was the winner of those matches. Shinobu mentions how she thinks that those who play in team matches don't actually love karuta this is statement that takes Arata by surprise.

Arata ends up running into to some guys which he went to middle school with who's third member of their team, Fukui west, hasn't arrived yet and is stuck in traffic so the boys beg Arata to play with them because they want to have the chance to at least play one match after all the hard work they put into get their. Arata plays the first half of the match with his glasses off in hopes that no one will recognize him. After awhile of thinking about how hard all the players must have worked to get their and how much it meant to all the players to able to play against the best players Arata decides to put on his glasses and play for real.

In the end the team doesn't win their match since all of the players needed to win since they only have three players but Arata by the end of the episode definitely sees that playing as a team doesn't mean that those players love karuta any less than those who aim to be a master someday. Unfortunately for Arata one of his teachers caught him which means according to the rules since Arata doesn't go to Fukui west and isn't registered for the team tournaments he may be band from the individual tournament.

I overall loved this episode I enjoyed how we got to see more of Arata in this episode and I liked how it was shown how some really serious players look down team players but it also shows that they are wrong to and it doesn't really matter how you play as long as you love karuta. Please tell me your thoughts on this episode.