On November 1, 2023, Kodansha’s Be Love monthly magazine announced a sequel to Yuki Suetsugu’s Chihayafuru manga in its December issue, and fans are excited to read the upcoming sequel.
The new manga is titled Chihayafuru plus Kimi ga Tame. It follows the journey of Ritsu Nagara, a first-year student who aspires to play karuta (a card game commonly played by Japanese people). The tagline of the manga hints at the legacy of the Karuta Club, as well as the tale of Chihaya and her friends being left behind.
The mangaka initially launched the issue in Be Love in December 2007, while Kodansha Comics digitally published it in English. The series concluded in the September 2022 issue. However, Be Love published a spin-off side story of the manga in November 2022, and the 50th volume was released in December 2022. The manga had already inspired an anime, a live-action tie-in series, and three live-action films.
Now, with a sequel in tow, fans are excited to read what direction Chihayafuru plus Kimi ga Tame will go on.
Chihayafuru Manga Sequel: What to expect & release window
Chihayafuru plus Kimi ga Tame debuts in the next issue of Be Love monthly magazine on December 1, 2023. Although information on the sequel is scarce, the upcoming story will revolve around a school student named Ritsu Nagara. Much like Chihaya’s story in the main manga, the sequel will also see Ritsu pursuing his passion for karuta and how he overcomes the hardships that comes his way.
According to the description by Sentai Filmworks, the main manga in the franchise has Chihaya Ayase as the protagonist. She is passionate about karuta. Chihaya reunites with her childhood friend Taichi in high school. Together, they aim to find their long-lost friend Arata and reignite their shared love for the card game.
However, upon finding Arata, they discover that he has abandoned karuta. Undeterred, Chihaya and Taichi start the Mizusawa High School Karuta Club. The duo, along with other classmates/club members, learn that pursuing dreams is crucial, even when they appear unattainable at first.
The manga-inspired television anime adaptation comprises 74 episodes. These episodes were broadcast in three different seasons and ran from October 2011 to March 2020. Otakus wishing to stream the show can do so on Crunchyroll, which streams all three seasons of the anime adaptation.
