March Comes In Like A Lion Seasons 1 & 2
TV Show Review
March Comes In Like A Lion is an adorable and sweet coming-of-age anime. The story centers around a reclusive high school boy, Kiriyama Rei, with a tragic past and who is a professional shogi player. Shogi is a strategic game similar to chess or go, and is very difficult and mentally challenging. I never actually heard of this game until this anime, so it was super interesting to get a glimpse into what it was.
I loved this show so much because it is filled with heartwarming moments and interesting thoughts about life. The accompanying animation sometimes gets very metaphorical and artsy, and the artist uses themes about water a lot. For instance, Rei’s feeling of being overwhelmed by a game or life can sometimes be signified by him being metaphorically submerged in water. I think any show that is about a character with an unusually strong work ethic and a talent that takes him/her far is really appealing to me. The metaphorical thoughts and illustrations about life were really illuminating to me, and I truly think I learn as I watch.
I found myself laughing and even crying, which is always a sign to me that the story is top notch. I also found myself wanting to watch more and more, which has been rare for me with TV shows as of late. March Comes In Like A Lion isn’t fast-paced or filled with dramatic moments - rather, it falls into a category called “slice of life.” In other words, it’s like the story delves into different storylines about the character’s lives - a couple episodes might be about a competition Rei is in, and then the next few episodes might be about Hina’s struggle with bullying. The episodes don’t need to flow chronologically from one episode to the next, because the value lies more in discovering more about the day-to-day lives of the characters rather than revealing an overarching plot-line.
At first, I was charmed by the characters of Akagi, Hina, & Momo, three sisters who live in Rei’s neighborhood who have kindly befriended him and welcome him over to their warm household. The anime would balance itself by allowing a few episodes to be about Rei’s shogi competitions, and the next few to be about Akagi, Hina, & Momo. But by season 2, all I really wanted to watch were the episodes about shogi. I loved the characters in Rei’s shogi world (special shoutouts to Shimada and Souya). Their united passion for the game makes their characters all the more interesting. I cannot wait to see if there will be a season 3, because I’m dying to find out how Rei becomes a top tier professional player, and have fun watching these characters interact again.
But to really go into depth about it, I do think there were moments that were boring and characters that were very unexplored. Like, what’s up with Gotou and Rei’s step-sister? She was a despicable character…but she literally disappeared in season 2 and there was no hint of her coming back. I’m totally fine if she disappears forever, but I feel like there’s a bit of a story gap there. Anyway…like I said before, my true passion for this show lies within the shogi storylines, so everything else might be a bit iffy to me. Overall, I thought this show was adorable and sweet, and if someone were to ask me about it, I would recommend it wholeheartedly (if they’re into this sort of thing).