Ritsu Nagara

Ritsu is serious, responsible and more restrained than many of the personalities historically associated with Mizusawa's club. He has learned to structure his life around obligations that leave comparatively little room for carefree behavior.

His independence can make him reluctant to depend on other people. At the same time, entering Mizusawa exposes him to a club culture built around teammates supporting one another through both competition and personal difficulties.

Ritsu is already a Class B player at fifteen and trains through the Musashino Karuta Society. His existing rank means he arrives at Mizusawa with established knowledge of card placement, memorization, timing and formal tournament play.

He is consequently not starting from the same position as the beginners who joined earlier generations of the club. His challenge is less about learning what competitive karuta is and more about continuing his development while adapting to team competition.

Ritsu is the central protagonist of Chihayafuru plus Kimi ga Tame, which follows Mizusawa after the original manga's main storyline. His arrival allows the club to be viewed through a student entering an institution already shaped by previous generations.

Ritsu carries significant responsibility at home because his mother has died and he must help care for his younger sister. That family situation affects the time and freedom he can devote to school and competitive karuta.

His story continues the series' emphasis on succession: Mizusawa's traditions persist, but the students inheriting them bring different circumstances, strengths and problems.

Rika Nagara is Ritsu's younger sister. [After the loss of their mother, Ritsu takes substantial responsibility for looking after Rika Nagara, making their sibling relationship central to his daily life.](#spoiler)

Chihaya Ayase belongs to the generation whose achievements established Mizusawa's Karuta Club before Ritsu's arrival, leaving him to inherit a club with an unusually strong competitive legacy.