Chihayafuru 2 - Episode 16

With the national team final about to get underway, we have to sit on our hands for this week's episode of Chihayafuru as it instead decides to recount the story of this second season so far.

To be honest, most of the show's subject matter really doesn't compress well into this format, and aside from one or two moments that serve as enjoyable reminders of some of the highlights of the series a lot of it feels far too brief to derive any enjoyment from, and if (heaven forbid) you haven't been keeping up with the series this most certainly isn't the best way to try and enjoy it.

Thankfully, regular viewers are at least regaled with some mildly amusing and self-referential comedy skits scattered throughout the episode, which comment on the show's lack of budget while generally having the cast poke fun at themselves or one another.  It probably isn't enough to make this instalment worth watching even if you're a well-versed Chihayafuru fan though, so I guess we'll just have to take a deep breath and wait a little longer to see how the grand finale turns out for Mizusawa.