Chouyaku Hyakuninisshu: Uta Koi.

Chihayafuru is an amazing sports anime, with a very sweet tone of friendship and love, based on a not too known game: Karuta. On the other side, Uta Koi is an historical anime exactly about telling the love stories behind the poems who actually compose the Karuta game. The love stories happened to the poets who gave them the inspiration and experience to make beautiful poems. Both series are josei genre and share some sort of romantic feeling as well. Personally i've started Uta Koi after i watched Chihayafuru, right because i wanted to understand deeper the poems of the Karuta game; and i have to say that it's very interesting. Uta Koi's artstyle is particular but at the same time can be great, Chihayafuru's art is gorgeous and both series have a very awesome cast. I certainly recommend to watch both :D read more 

same 100 romantic poems from 100 different poets 

Chihayafuru focuses on the game of karuta which uses the 100 poets. Chouyaku Hyakuninisshu: Uta Koi is about the 100 poets themselves. Watching one will probably lead to a greater appreciation of the other. 

Chihayafuru is about the game involving the cards with these poems. Chouyaku visually depicts the interpretation of the poems. Chouyaku probably aired because of Chihayafuru  

if you like the Karuta game, you'll definitely be interested in the 100 poems origin ! both chihayafure & chouyaku are great for all poems and old literate fans ^^ 

In a nutshell, both series has a variety of similarities. Both series involves the idea of poem and turning it into a story that is insightful and entertaining. Both series has drama as well as some romance and friendship elements Both series has josei like artwork and themes. Both series has a small cast of characters but entertaining to watch. 

Chihayafuru is about karuta, a game that feature the one hundred poems of the Hyakunin isshu, while Uta Koi tells the story of the compilation of those one hundred poems, focusing on some. Both are josei/drama, and will for sure give you lots of feels. If you watched one of those, please check the other.  

Considering the fact that Utakoi is almost an unofficial companion anime to Chihayafuru, its much lower viewership is surprising. Although the presentation of the two anime is decidedly different, the main similarity between the two is the 100 Poems - whereas one focuses on the card game derived from the poems, the other explores their context and the poets who composed them. Anyone who felt even a little interest in the world of the Hyakuninisshu in Chihayafuru should watch Utakoi. An entertaining anime in its own right, it offers the ('liberally interpreted') stories behind the poems in a way which is very funny, sometimes tragic, and always compelling. It also has an amusing art style and some funky music! (Plus Kana-chan's poetic references throughout Chihayafuru would make a lot more sense after Utakoi) read more 

One, about poems, the other about rakugo. Both heartbreaking in their own way. If you watched Uta Koi and want another story filled up with angst, that feature tragic love stories and very adult and mature characters, then please watch Rakugo Shinjuu (same thing the other way around).  

Both are josei period dramas about old and unique forms of Japanese art (rakugo or short poems). Both embed to a significant extent the actual content of those arts into narrative. Both are about how performing the art influences one's everyday life, dealing particularly with romance/friendships part of it. Uta Koi however is slightly postmodern, its episodes vary in tone and include elements of absurd comedy while Rakugo tells a continuous and somber story. 

Both are historical dramas about japanese culture with a bit of romance sprinkled in type of shows, that anyone who isn't into that specific genre would find relatively boring, but are interesting to those that are into josei shows. 

They have both the same setting and follow skilled, good-looking nobleman and their lovers at the court. Both are full of passion and drama. They also have a simular background: While 'Genji Monogatari Sennenki' is based on one of the first novels writen by the court lady Murasaki Shikibu, in 'Chouyaku Hyakuninisshu' Murasaki Shikibu and her rival Sei Shōnagon, that also wrote one of the first novels (Makura no Sōshi/The Pillow Book), are characters of the anime. But there are also diffences, The art and style are different and 'Chouyaku Hyakuninisshu' has also comedy and fllows different nobleman/poets, while 'Genji Monogatari Sennenki' only tells Genji's dramatic story.  read more 

If you're looking for another anime that also covers Japanese literature, this is worth watching. However, Aoi Bungaku is a lot darker, though the animation and art are just as good.  

Both are depressing period dramas that have focus on love between people trapped by their stations.