Shitsuren Karuta

Three former university board game club members—Chinami, Hikaru, and Ayase—have carried their bond into their late twenties, meeting weekly for drinks, conversation, and rounds of karuta that often turn unexpectedly revealing. But when a quiet confession shatters their easy rhythm, the trio must navigate a tangle of unrequited feelings, a painful breakup, and the question of whether friendship can survive when love is no longer one-sided. Adapted from a celebrated poem, this series weaves the delicate rules of the card game into the emotional stakes of the heart: each match becomes a metaphor for timing, choice, and the courage to lose. Shitsuren Karuta is a tender, literary romance that celebrates the ache of longing and the quiet beauty of holding on—or letting go.