| Cloudman said:
I have never heard of that manga either. I'm gonna give it a look in a little while. o: |
What? Shameful!
Chihayafuru won the Manga Taishō Award in 2009 and was nominated for the 20th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize this year (won by Yotsubato). It's the 12th best selling manga for the first half of 2016, which is fantastic for a Josei title, as it sold more than a ton of well-known shounen. The anime is also absolutely fantastic. There are live action movies but I'm scared to watch them in case they fail to do the series justice.
It's a "compeitive club" manga but it's also so much more than that. Most of the focus is on three characters who met as children and formed a bond with Karuta, a traditional Japanese card game. They fall out of touch but things come full circle when Chihaya, who is beautful but goofy, tries to start a Karuta club. Chihaya is a wonderful character in that she is so honest and cheerful yet also so clueless that everyone has to work to contain her enthusiasm. Other characters are featured, too, like the highly eccentric "Queen", which is the title for the best female Karuta player in Japan, who is also only a high school student.
(Shinobu, the Queen)
(I know it's anime but it gives a nice look at the series)
