chihayafuru is great so far. always fun to watch a character obsessively work towards achieving a goal in life. even if that goal contradicts what people expect of them by appearance.
i think it's a little mischaracterized as a romance anime. the love triangle is part of the appeal, sure. but it's more so about forming relationships through a shared passion, finding life purpose from that passion and dealing with irl conflicts that can interrupt that passion in unpredictable ways. A lot of good sports anime get the first two right. Not many the third.
very similar to Ippo, haikyuu, rakugo, can make you appreciate the sport/performance itself even if you don't know nothing about it going in. chihaya's love for karuta is so genuine that makes me want to look up matches and read some of the poems that the cards are made from.