"Chihayafuru -Meguri-" viewers are moved by the karuta scene featuring Ami Touma" and Jun Saito Saito as "Fuki"

The second episode of the TV drama "Chihayafuru -Meguri-" (Nippon TV, Wednesdays at 10pm), starring actress Ami Touma, was broadcast on July 16th. The scene where Aizawa Meguru (Touma), a ghost member of the Umezono High School Competitive Karuta Club, and Shirano Fuki (Jun Saito), who wants to join the club, practice karuta together caused a stir on social media.

◇The following contains spoilers.

Although Meguru experienced the fun of karuta at the school festival, her intention to quit the club remains unchanged. Fuki, who is in the same class, wants to join the karuta club. Advisor Kanade (Mone Kamishiraishi) and club member Yono Sota (Soma Santoki) are happy and teach Fuki the basics of karuta. To help Fuki get a feel for the atmosphere of a match, everyone decides to go watch Sota's individual match on Saturday, but Meguru declines the invitation and submits her withdrawal from the club.

Later, on her way home from cram school, Meguru bumps into the ace of the Mizusawa High School Karuta Club, Orie Kenshin (Fujiwara Daisuke). Meguru is confused when Kenshin invites her into the world of Karuta. Then, Fuki appears while doing roadwork.

Fuki, an amateur boxer, has been boxing every day since he was a child, bearing the expectations of his father Masato (Takahashi Tsutomu), who runs a boxing gym. Now that he is unable to practice due to an injury, he asks for permission to join the karuta club, saying, "I want to train my reflexes until I recover."

On the day of Sota's individual match, Meguru visits the gym where Fuki is. Fuki reveals to Meguru that he was unsure whether to continue boxing or not, and had not told his father that his injury had healed. Fuki asks Meguru to join him in practicing karuta, so they compete in the gym ring. The two happily fight over the cards, laughing together and saying, "Wait a minute. We're too weak, aren't we?" and "Ah, it's been a while since we laughed like this."

On social media, many people were touched by the karuta scene of the two. Comments such as "It's so good," "It's so youthful, I could cry," "They both look like they're having so much fun," and "It's so cute to see two karuta beginners having so much fun playing karuta together" were lined up.