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!
The East-West Challenger Finals for the Master and Queen Match. Though Arata and Taichi had once stepped away from karuta, both they and Chihaya are able to savor the joy of being in this place together. Momo Yuikawa, representing the West, throws off Chihaya’s pace by playing her own style of karuta. Meanwhile, Taichi uses new tactics to attempt to overcome the wall that is Arata and battle Master Suou…?! It’s time for best-of-three matches as they all seek out a landscape that none have ever seen before!