At first, Utaawase was playful and mere entertainment, but as the poetic tradition deepened and grew, it turned into a serious aesthetic contest, with considerably more formality.
I begyndelsen var Utaawase helt enkelt en leg eller form for underholdning, men i takt med, at den poetiske tradition fordybedes og udvikledes, blev det en alvorlig æstetisk konkurrence med betydeligt mere formalitet.