One of the best shows that I think Sentai Filmworks have picked up in the past few years is Chihayafuru. With the third season on the way at the end of this month, Sentai set things up with HIDIVE to bring the dubbed version there after carrying the simulcast previously. It’s set to debut on July 30th, 2021 at 1:00 pm ET with it available to viewers U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Scandinavian countries, Central America, and South America. New episodes will be released every Friday.
Check out our review of the third season.
The dub has Shannon Reed as the ADR director working from the scripts by Joel McCray.
The cast for it includes:
- Luci Christian as Chihaya, Young Chihaya
- Blake Shepard as Arata
- Adam Gibbs as Taichi
- Bryson Baugus as Desktomu
- Juliet Simmons as Kanade
- Greg Ayres as Porky, Yukari
- Maggie Flecknoe as Sumire
- Gareth West as Akihito
- James Belcher as Dr. Harada
- Vicki Barosh as Mrs. Miyauchi
- Shannon Emerick as Young Arata
- Chelsea McCurdy as Young Taichi
- Natalie Jones as Aki, Daisuke
- Taylor Fono as Akihito’s Mom, Midori
- Kyle Colby Jones as Akira, Mr. Fukusaku, Hiro, Young Hiro, Yoshioka
- Brittney Karbowski as Amakasu, Jin
- Kregg Daily as Arata’s Principal, Sane
- Alan Brincks as Arata’s Uncle, Shinkai
- Rachel Landon as Chieko
- Cat Thomas as Chiemi
- Carli Mosier as Chitose, Haroumi
- Katelyn Barr as Fuyumasu, Mari, Rion, Shinobu’s Grandma
- Olivia Swasey as Dr. Harada’s Wife, Ishida, Miyagawa
- Kelly Greenshield as Haruka Inokuma
- Ned Gayle as Hayashi
- Orlanders Jones as Hidakaya, Midori’s Brother
- Daniel Regojo as Hiro Matsubayashi
- Benjamin McLaughlin as Hiroshi
- Courtland Johnson as Hyuga
- Jack Ivy as Ise, Mochida
- Clay Thompson as Kameda
- Joe Daniels as Kawashima, Shinji
- Gabriel Regojo as Coach Kanno, Nitta
- Anthony Hunter as Kenichi
- David Wald as Kenji
- Scott Gibbs as Kenta, Takemura
- Shannon D. Reed as Kibayashi
- David Harbold as Mr. Kitano
- Michael Wronski as Koda
- Nathan Wilson as Konno, Tadashi
- Ty Mahany as Mr. Kuriyama
- Shelly Calene-Black as Kyoko
- Kay Bertrand as Kyoko (Singing)
- Joanne Bonasso as Maniko
- Clint Bickham as Makoto
- Josh Morrison as Mashita
- Carolyn Medrano as Mayu, Natsufusa
- Allison Sumrall as Megumu, Reiko
- Alyssa Marek as Michiru
- Alexandra Bedford as Momo, Young Tadashi
- Joel McCray as Mori, Shiroyama
- Adam Noble as Murao
- Tiffany Terrell as Rieko
- Avery Smithhart as Risa, Young Suou
- Houston Hayes as Ryoga
- Patricia Duran as Coach Sakurazawa
- Cody House as Satoshi, Takei
- Christie Guidry as Shiho, Yuikawa
- Kira Vincent-Davis as Shinobu
- Greg Cote as Shun Matsubayashi
- Blake Weir as Shusaku
- Mike Yager as Sudo
- David Matranga as Suou
- James Marler as Tsutsumi
- Molly Searcy as Uozumi
- Heidi Hinkel as Watarai
- Jay Hickman as Wataya
- Natalie Rial as Yube, Yuu
- Courtney Lomelo as Yumi
- Antonio Lasanta as Yuta
- Christine Auten as Yukiko
Additional cast includes Blake Jackson, Caroline Harrell, Cara Nguyen, Clay Thompson, Cody House, James Marler, Melissa Molano, and Orlanders Jones.
Official readers include:
- Mr. Igarashi as Clint Bickham
- Hirota as Blake Jackson
- Komine as Andrew Love
- Kyoji as Joe Daniels
- Others as Blake Weir, Cat Thomas, Gabriel Regojo, Heidi Hinkel, Melissa Molano, Natalie Jones, Nathan Wilson, Scott Gibbs, and Shannon D. Reed
Check out the clip below!
Morio Asaka is set to direct with series composition handled by Yuuko Kakihara. Kunihiko Hamada is on board with the character designs and Madhouse handling the animation production.
The Japanese cast includes Asami Seto as Chihaya Ayase, Mamoru Miyano as Taichi Mashima, Yoshimasa Hosoya as Arata Wataya, Tooru Nara as Yūsei Nishida, Ai Kayano as Kanade Ōe, Tsubasa Yonaga as Tsutomu Komano, Megumi Han as Sumire Hanano, and Miyu Irino as Akihiro Tsukuba.
Kenta Miyake takes over for Unshō Ishizuka as Dr. Harada while Yoshino Ohtori takes over for Toshiko Fujita. Both original actors had passed away since last performing the roles in the second season.
The manga began in 2008 and has thirty-seven volumes so far that sell quite well in Japan. Kodansha Comics is releasing it digitally in North America while Sentai Filmworks has licensed and released the first two seasons for home video release.
Check out the official site and Twitter.
Plot Concept: Chihaya Ayase was a girl who never seemed to fit in. She never had much in common with the other kids, and her family was so obsessed with her older sister’s modeling career that, sometimes, it was like Chihaya wasn’t even there. Everything changes when transfer student Arata gets Chihaya interested in the world of competitive Karuta, a unique card-based game that requires lightning fast reflexes, an exceptional memory, and a keen ear. Chihaya is a natural, and she has the skills to take her to the very top. Suddenly, Chihaya has found her goal: to become the best player in Japan! It won’t be easy, but when a girl has a dream in her heart, nothing else matters in CHIHAYAFURU!
