My second favorite thing about this anime is watching the characters' passion for karuta grow. It's an inspiring story about following your dreams, and it's not cliche at all, despite that being one of the most cliche tropes in story-telling.
There's a hint of a love triangle, but it doesn't dominate the story. The story is about one girl excelling at what she loves. Chihayafuru is an outstanding, endearing, and heartwarming work of art.
