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.