This week we witnessed the completion of Round 2 and 3 and kicked off Round 4, here are the overall results so far:
- Round 1: Haruka and Dr. Harada
- Round 2: Haruka and Dr. Harada
- Round 3: Suo (Queen’s match has just begun)
- Round 4: Master’s Match has begun
And it’s been a wild one so far. After Dr. Harada won two in a row, Suo shifts gears and crushes round 3 with a 17 Cards Lead. But Dr. Harada is unfazed by his dominance. In fact, it seems he has been waiting for this moment to use the strategy he carefully put together, with Suo’s supposed weakness in mind. According to Chihaya, Suo can’t see things at the edge of his vision. So Dr. Harada’s game plan is to play aggressively while frequently switching up his card placement to confuse his opponent. He has also studied Suo’s card placement extensively, and identified which send cards are likely to be put on the right or left edges. It’s a hardcore stradegy that is without a doubt both mentally and physically draining, but Dr. Harada playing his own unique game is certainly the best way to compete against the one who has protected his title for four years straight. He is hungry for that win, and will do whatever it takes to do it!
Meanwhile for the Queen’s match, the mood was a lot different. Shinobu was experiencing a mental breakdown that transpired during the break, which led to her losing Round 2. It was heartbreaking to watch her fall apart, especially when she realized just how much she loves her grandmother and cares about her support. It is a big deal because she considers her cards to be more like her family than her own. And I am happy that her grandmother was trying to watch the match, but it seems she didn’t get the memo about it being broadcasted online this year?! In the matter of fact, she isn’t the only one. Suo’s grandmother is having the same problem as well, which sucks because she had just gotten a large television to make it easier for her to see! God damn it! Won’t somebody help them out?! Gosh I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be for those who didn’t get the memo about the change. Flipping through the channels, hoping it will show! It would drive me nuts! Not to mention, it seems Suo’s grandmother had gotten a large television too so she would be able to see it better, but I digress.
Fortunately, much to my relief, Shinobu didn’t bear a grudge for the broken promise and Chihiya had quickly realized her mistake so they were able to make up! Although Chihaya didn’t apologize (and truthfully, I think it was better that she didn’t because the promise technically still stands), Chihaya expressed her support to Shinobu through actions rather than words, and with Kana’s help she was able to get Shinobu tasuki so it’d be easier for her to move around. It was so heartening to see Shinobu share her scarf at the shrine and Chihaya giving her that push of encouragement for the next round. I am just glad they are able to smile and laugh together again, because I really want these two odd-balls to be best friends. Shinobu doesn’t have to be lonely anymore! The poor girl, she gets into Class A at the age of 10 and what does the coach recommend: ISOLATION WILL MAKE HER STRONGER. SHE WAS FREAKING 10 YEARS OLD, GET OUTTA HERE.
Well that’s about all I have to say for this episode. It is more of a treat to watch and I am excited to see how Round 4 will between Master Suo and Dr. Harada will turn out. Ah, but they did definitely surprised us when they revealed Haruka is actually pregnant with her third child! My goodness, can we just take a moment to admire how strong this woman is? Seriously, she’s playing while suffering from a bad case of morning sickness. YOU GO GIRL!
