Chihayafuru

Chihayafuru the anime series was produced by Studio Madhouse and based off the award winning manga written and illustrated by Yuki Suetsugu. The series premiered in Japan the Fall of 2011, and will consist of approximately 25 episodes.

The main character is Chihaya, a tomboy, who doesn’t hesitate to say the first thing that comes to her mind. She grew up idolizing her older, beautiful sister. It was Chihaya's dream to see her sister become a famous fashion model. However, after befriending the young Karuta (basically a poem memorization game) prodigy, Arata, Chihaya begins to have dreams of her own. She wants to one-day become a world class Karuta player, and with her talent for the game, this dream looks very obtainable.

NOTES: Ok, so the first thing you're going to think is "Why would anyone be interested in seeing an anime about a poem game??" My answer would be "Many reasons!". The series is not just about Karuta, it's a touching story of friendship, passion, and self worth. Along with the moving storyline, you can enjoy beautiful animation quality with autumn-like tones. Also, the character designs by Kunihiko Hamada are absolutely gorgeous. Although I'm a big fan of many anime, it hasn't been since Itazura Na Kiss that I wait with baited breath for each new episode. No wonder they've been calling Chihayafuru the sleeper hit of the season.