Chihayafuru: Part I

"Getting stronger, devoting my entire youth"

2016 1h 51m JA

👍

7.1

SOLID

⭐

6.9

IMDB

★7.1TMDB · 39★6.9IMDB · 1,228

RomanceComedyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When Chihaya Ayase was in the 6th grade of elementary school, she met Arata Wataya. Arata Wataya transferred from Fukui Prefecture. Taichi Mashima was Chihaya Ayase's friend since they were little. Arata got close to Chihaya and Taichi from the card game karuta. Four years later, Chihaya is a high school student. Chihaya learns that Arata, who went back to Fukui Prefecture, doesn't play karuta anymore. Believing they will meet Arata again, Chihaya and Taichi starts a karuta club at their high school.

“Getting stronger, devoting my entire youth”

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Cast

Suzu Hirose
Chihaya Ayase
Shuhei Nomura
Taichi Mashima
Mackenyu
Arata Wataya
Mone Kamishiraishi
Kanade Ooe
Yuma Yamoto
Yusei Nishida
Yuki Morinaga
Tsutomu Komano
Hiroya Shimizu
Akihito Sudo
Ryotaro Sakaguchi
Hiro Kinashi

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Norihiro Koizumi
Writers: Norihiro Koizumi
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 10 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Chihayafuru Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Norihiro Koizumi, shot by Hiro'o Yanagida. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Masaru Yokoyama. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Suzu Hirose and Shuhei Nomura and Mackenyu carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Getting stronger, devoting my entire youth".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt4785440 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 39 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Norihiro Koizumi directs. Hiro'o Yanagida behind the camera. Masaru Yokoyama scores. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 10 years ago.
2Part of the "Chihayafuru Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Norihiro Koizumi, shot by Hiro'o Yanagida. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Masaru Yokoyama. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Suzu Hirose and Shuhei Nomura and Mackenyu carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Getting stronger, devoting my entire youth".
7IMDB entry: tt4785440 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 39 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 10 themes, including "high school", "sports", "competition", "based on manga".

The technical file

Cinematography: Hiro'o Yanagida
Original score: Masaru Yokoyama
Sound: Hiroyuki Ishizaka
Runtime: 111 min · 1h 51m
Status: Released
Box office: $12,116,649
Original language: JA
IMDB: Chihayafuru: Part I (2016)
IMDB rating: 6.9/10 · 1,228 votes

Awards

2 wins & 3 nominations

Part of

Chihayafuru Collection

The trilogy follows Chihaya Ayase's heartfelt and inspirational journey as she pursues her passion for the traditional Japanese card game, karuta. In the first film, Chihaya falls in love with karuta through Arata, a transfer student. After parting ways, Chihaya and her friend Taichi start a karuta club, hoping to reunite with Arata. In the second film, Chihaya and her team prepare for the national tournament. However, challenges arise as Arata quits competitive karuta and rival Shinobu Wakamiya emerges, causing Chihaya to reconsider her love for the game. The third film shows Chihaya as a high school senior, striving to achieve her dreams, overcome personal struggles, and lead her karuta club to success. Themes of passion, friendship, rivalry, and personal growth are explored, creating an emotional journey.