Chihaya is a girl in the sixth grade, still not old enough to even know the meaning of the word zeal. But one day, she meets Arata, a transfer student from rural Fukui prefecture. Though docile and quiet, he has an unexpected skill: his ability to play competitive karuta, a traditional Japanese card game.Chihaya is struck by his obsession with the game, along with his ability to pick out the right card and swipe it away before any of his opponents. However, Arata is transfixed by her as well, all because of her unbelievable natural talent for the game. Don't miss this story of adolescent lives and emotions playing out in the most dramatic of ways!
Challengers meet and clash at the Master and Queen Match preliminaries. The Queen Match is on the line as Chihaya takes on Rion Yamashiro from Fujisaki High's powerhouse team in her semi-final match, a showdown between two players with an unbelievable feel for karuta! Taichi has also made it to the semi-finals and attempts to use the "controlling karuta" he learned from Master Suou against Sudo. Meanwhile in the West Japan preliminary, Arata finds himself in a surprisingly difficult battle...! The three childhood friends who've devoted their teenage years to karuta now dream of a future where they're reunited once more.