Summer 2012 – Utakoi

It’s not about karuta. To be precise, it’s about the stories behind the 100 poems used in karuta. So yeah, the cast of Chihayafuru would be proud.

Ok maybe not, as Utakoi tells the stories behind the poems, specifically the love poems, rather liberally. Or so the description of the show says so. For example, the first poem it retells is the one about impassionate gods, which you may recall to be Chihaya’s favorite card.

Anyway, it’s about this perennial playboy who falls in love with a woman of high standing. He tries to make a move on her, but she turns him down since she’s in line to marry the soon-to-be emperor. But this playboy is a pro, and soon the woman thaws in her hands and they get… uhm… “active.”

But things don’t get a happy ending as soon they part ways, with the woman eventually becoming the empress.

The second poem on the other hand is in stark contrast with the story of the first, this time featuring the older brother of this playboy. He’s married, and he and his wife are like the perfect couple dedicated to each other, each working hard in their own specific role. And yes, that’s pretty much it.

So maybe if you’re interested about the 100 poems, this may be your gateway to knowing them. Other than that, it’s pretty much just a collection of short stories about love, which may vary from the mundane to the odd. I dunno, really. I’m not familiar with the 100 poems.

But as a romance anime, it doesn’t really spark my fancy. It doesn’t look like any of the stories, given that they will be short, will be able to develop a plot, or characters, well enough to make me attached to their romance. So yeah, I’d go for something else to make me go, “Awwww.”