Chihayafuru (II seasons 48 episodes Ongoing) 9.07 out of ten stars (Full Review)
A poetry card game called Karuta played in a competitive manner, with exciting velocity, nuance and transient dynamism, we have Chihayafuru. See this is one of those anime you might just write off because it looks far too bubbly or gooey in terms of idealism and sentimentality. Fret not, this an Ace production from Madhouse, with a high gear sound track and beautiful animation, regarding both art style as well as production style/quality.
This absolutely radiates the childhood innocence of competitive play and it's magnetic allure, and the progressive nature to want to constantly improve and strive to be the best. We see interesting rivalries between a prodigy of an eternal grand master Arata and a dedicated guy with an iron wit Taichi. It also has characters biding their romantic feelings for each other, for those of you interested in a Romance sub plot...
