They are both high school sports shows focusing on both personal and team growth. The sports introduced in both shows are traditional and recreational for the most parts, and their competitive nature isn't popular with the general public.

The Chihayafuru series has 3 (+1 summary) movies, unlike Asahinagu's 1. This allows for Chihayafuru to cover more character depth and growth, which is fortunate.

If you feel Asahinagu was fun to watch, I'm certain that you'd find the Chihayafuru series just as exhilarating, if not more!

(Plus cute girls looking fierce, what more do you need ^^)

A bittersweet love story with an ailing lead actress that leaves you wishing that their lives would have been more fortunate.