Chihayafuru season one gets a 10/10. I think it has the best characterization in sports anime by a good margin. Other shows have individuals who are more fleshed out, AnJ is one of them, but here it's like that for the entire main cast and no one is close to finding their ideal self. You get to watch them
all gradually work their way to improvement together. Every little step is cause for celebration.
Really get to know about their anxieties, unique reasons for playing Karuta, what obstacles stand in their way of accomplishing whatever they want out of life. Those obstacles seem insurmountable. But it's emphasized that the reason they don't quit is because they have each other for encouragement to push forward. Positive relationships being key to success is a paramount theme of Chihayafuru.
probably not watching anything else until I finish it all.