So, yeah. This was a bit underwhelming.
The latest issue of Kodansha’s Be-Love magazine (Issue 1, 2018) announced that the publication will host a tenth anniversary celebration for Yuki Suetsugu’s Chihayafuru manga.
The celebration will kick off with the magazine’s second issue for 2018, which will include a message from Japanese idol group Perfume, and tribute artwork from 33 artists. The list of contributing artists includes:
- Gosho Aoyama (Detective Conan)
- Hirohiko Araki (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
- Hiromu Arakawa (Fullmetal Alchemist)
- Natsumi Ando (Arisa)
- Chica Umino (March comes in like a lion)
- Mari Okazaki (Suppli)
- Kazune Kawahara (Aozora Yell)
- Kei Sanbe (ERASED)
- Karuho Shiina (Kimi ni Todoke)
- Mayu Shinjo (Ai o Utau yori Ore ni Oborero!)
- Rumiko Takahashi (Ranma 1/2)
- Hiro Mashima (Fairy Tail)
- Ayu Watanabe (LDK)
- Toriko Chiya (Clover)
- Aoi Nishimata (Shuffle!)
- Satoru Hiura (Hotaru’s Way)
- Norifusa Mita (Investor Z)
Moreover, an art exhibition, titled World of Chihayafuru: Yuki Suetsugu’s First Original Art Exhibit (Chihayafuru no Sekai ~Sutsugu Yuki Hatsu Genga Ten~) will tour Japan. The event will include original art and manuscripts by Suetsugu, when it appears in the following cities:
- Tokyo (March)
- Osaka (April)
- Nagoya (May)
Yuki Suetsugu’s Chihayafuru manga launched in the pages of Be-Love in December 2007. The title currently spans 35 collected volumes, with the most recent hitting stores on August 10. Kodansha Comics currently holds the rights to the title in North America.
The Chihayafuru manga inspired a pair of anime series from Madhouse, which ran for a combined 50 episodes. Morio Asaka (My Love Story!!) directed the title, while Kunihiko Hamada (My Love Story!!, Nana) provided character designs. Digimon Fusion composer Kousuke Yamashita was in charge of the show’s music.
Sentai Filmworks currently holds the rights to the Chihayafuru anime. They describe the show as:
Chihaya Ayase is a beautiful and headstrong young woman with a passion for karuta, a card game inspired by classical Japanese poetry. As a child, Chihaya was introduced to the game by a quiet, gifted transfer student named Arata, and she was instantly drawn to it. Now in high school and reunited with her childhood friend Taichi, Chihaya dreams of finding Arata and the three resuming their love of karuta, only to discover that Arata has quit the game due to personal reasons. Determined not to let Arata’s passion go to waste, Chihaya and Taichi form the Mizusawa High School Karuta Club, where they learn that in karuta – as in life – working toward your dreams is the key to winning, even when what you want seems just out of reach.
A live-action film trilogy starring Suzu Hirose was also produced. The first two movies hit Japanese theaters in March and April 2016, respectively. The third feature, titled Chihayafuru: Musubi (Chihayafuru: Conclusion), will hit Japanese theaters on March 17, 2018.
Source: Anime News Network
