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New Chihayafuru Live-Action Film Gets 5-Episode Hulu Japan Series

The staff of the live-action film adaptations of Yuki Suetsugu's Chihayafuru manga announced that the films will get a five-episode tie-in series on Hulu Japan on February 20. The series is titled Chihayafuru -Tsunagu- (Chihayafuru: Connect), and it will connect the story of the second film, Chihayafuru: Shimo no Ku, with the upcoming film, Chihayafuru: Musubi. It will also include behind-the-scenes footage and cast interviews.

In addition, the film will get another tie-in titled Chihayafuru -Manabi- (Chihayafuru: Study) on Hulu Japan on the same day. Chihayafuru -Manabi- will introduce the new members of the Mizusawa Karuta Club and explain the rules of karuta.

Chihayafuru: Musubi opens in Japan on March 17.

The film will take place two years after the first two films. The film will depict Chihaya, Taichi, and Arata in their third year of high school.

The cast members returning from the previous films include:

• Suzu Hirose as Chihaya Ayase
• Shūhei Nomura as Taichi Mashima
• Mackenyu as Arata Wataya
• Mone Kamishiraishi as Kanade Ōe
• Yūma Yamato as Yūsei Nishida
• Yūki Morinaga as Tsutomu Komano
• Hiroya Shimizu as Akihito Sudō
• Mayu Matsuoka as Shinobu Wakamiya
• Miyuki Matsuda as Taeko Miyauchi
• Jun Kunimura as Harada

The new cast includes (from left to right):

• Mio Yūki as Sumire Hanano, a girl who falls in love with Taichi on first sight, and joins the karuta club
• Hayato Sano as Akihiro Tsukuba, a new member of the karuta club
• Kaya Kiyohara as Io Wagatsuma, Chihaya's film-original rival, and the current holder of the title of semi-queen
• Kento Kaku as Hisashi Suō, one of the game's strongest players ever, and the current holder of the title of meijin

The movie began filming this spring. Director Norihiro Koizumi added that since it has been two years since filming started on the first film, that in the new film as well, two years will have passed. He also stated that the film will portray the love triangle between Chihaya, Taichi, and Arata, and will settle the rivalry between Chihaya and Shinobu Wakamiya. Koizumi said that Suetsugu has approved the film's script.

The first film, Chihayafuru: Kami no Ku (Chihayafuru: Upper Phrase), opened in Japan in March 2016. The second film, Chihayafuru: Shimo no Ku (Chihayafuru: Lower Phrase), opened in Japan in April 2016. The staff announced the sequel film on the same day the second film opened in Japan.

Norihiro Koizumi (Midnight Sun, Kanojo wa Uso o Ai Shisugiteru) directed both films.

Suetsugu launched the manga in Kodansha's Be Love magazine in December 2007, and Kodansha published the manga's 36th compiled volume on November 13. The manga has more than 16 million copies in print in Japan. Kodansha Comics is releasing the manga digitally in English.

The manga has also inspired two 25-episode television anime series. Additionally, the 22nd volume of the manga bundled an original anime DVD when it shipped in September 2013. Sentai Filmworks licensed the anime and released the first season with an English dub in September.