Chihayafuru watch order
Chihaya Ayase discovers competitive karuta, a lightning-fast card game built on a classical poetry anthology, through her quiet classmate Arata. Years later she starts a high-school karuta club with her childhood friend Taichi and sets out to become Queen, the best player in Japan. Madhouse's adaptation of Yuki Suetsugu's manga runs three seasons.
First time? Watch Chihayafuru, Chihayafuru 2 and Chihayafuru 3 in order. The one OVA is a light comedy extra to drop in after season 2.
Story order
Story order is the same as release order. The OVA is set during season 2's finale, so it sits between seasons 2 and 3.
- Chihayafuru
Chihaya, Taichi and Arata meet as kids, then Chihaya and Taichi found the Mizusawa High karuta club with three new members and fight through the Tokyo qualifiers to the national championships at Ōmi Jingū. Episode 16 is mostly a recap.
- Chihayafuru 2
First-years Sumire and Tsukuba join the club as Mizusawa returns to the Tokyo qualifiers and the national team and individual tournaments. Picks up right after season 1. Episode 16 is mostly a recap.
- Chihayafuru 2: Waga Mi Yo ni Furu Nagame Seshi Ma ni (optional)
An anime-original comedy episode that came with manga volume 22 and is often counted as season 2's episode 26. The club's Tale of Genji play at the school festival goes sideways when a typhoon hits. Set during season 2's last episode, so watch it after season 2. Optional.
- Chihayafuru 3 (episodes 1–15)
Airing six years after season 2, it picks up right where it left off: a training camp with rival school Fujisaki, then the qualifiers and playoffs that decide who challenges the reigning Master and Queen.
- Chihayafuru 3: Ima Hitotabi no (optional)
A TV special recapping season 3's first 15 episodes, with a few extra scenes. Aired mid-season in January 2020. Optional.
- Chihayafuru 3 (episodes 16–24)
The Master and Queen title matches (episodes 17–20), then the New Year tournaments, ending with turning points for Chihaya, Taichi and Arata. The last anime episode so far; the manga goes on from here.
Release order
Season 3 was delayed from April to October 2019, six years after season 2. The OVA was a DVD bundled with the manga and never aired on TV.
- Chihayafuru
Chihaya, Taichi and Arata meet as kids, then Chihaya and Taichi found the Mizusawa High karuta club with three new members and fight through the Tokyo qualifiers to the national championships at Ōmi Jingū. Episode 16 is mostly a recap.
- Chihayafuru 2
First-years Sumire and Tsukuba join the club as Mizusawa returns to the Tokyo qualifiers and the national team and individual tournaments. Picks up right after season 1. Episode 16 is mostly a recap.
- Chihayafuru 2: Waga Mi Yo ni Furu Nagame Seshi Ma ni (optional)
An anime-original comedy episode that came with manga volume 22 and is often counted as season 2's episode 26. The club's Tale of Genji play at the school festival goes sideways when a typhoon hits. Set during season 2's last episode, so watch it after season 2. Optional.
- Chihayafuru 3 (episodes 1–15)
Airing six years after season 2, it picks up right where it left off: a training camp with rival school Fujisaki, then the qualifiers and playoffs that decide who challenges the reigning Master and Queen.
- Chihayafuru 3: Ima Hitotabi no (optional)
A TV special recapping season 3's first 15 episodes, with a few extra scenes. Aired mid-season in January 2020. Optional.
- Chihayafuru 3 (episodes 16–24)
The Master and Queen title matches (episodes 17–20), then the New Year tournaments, ending with turning points for Chihaya, Taichi and Arata. The last anime episode so far; the manga goes on from here.
Explained
Do I need to know karuta?
No. The show teaches the rules as it goes: 100 classical poems, a reader who reads the first lines, and two players racing to swipe the matching card. Knowing a little about the Hyakunin Isshu anthology adds to it, but nothing assumes it.
Which episodes are recaps?
Episode 16 of season 1 and episode 16 of season 2 are mostly recaps with some new bits. Season 3 had a separate recap special, Ima Hitotabi no, after episode 15. All three can be skipped.
Does the anime finish the story?
No. Season 3 ended in 2020 well before the manga's conclusion, and the manga finished in August 2022 after 50 volumes. No fourth season has been announced as of October 2026, so read the manga to see how it ends.
What is Chihayafuru: Meguri?
A 2025 live-action TV drama, not anime. It's a sequel to the three live-action films starring Suzu Hirose, set ten years later around a new club. It follows the films' continuity, not the anime's, and isn't part of this watch order.
Is there an English dub?
Yes. Sentai Filmworks dubbed all three seasons, with Luci Christian as Chihaya; season 1's dub arrived in 2017 and season 3's in 2021, and they stream on HIDIVE. Seasons 1–3 were also simulcast subtitled on Crunchyroll.