WYSW: March Comes in like a Lion
**why you should watch**
Another one of my top favorite anime, March Comes in like a Lion is evocative, emotional, and definitely underrated.
I’ll admit, it took me a couple tries to get into this show. I watched the first episode ages ago and it didn’t hook me, but later on I decided to give it another chance, and I am so glad I did.
March Comes in like a Lion or 3-gatsu no Lion is about Rei Kiriyama, a teenager who plays professional competitive shogi. Shogi, if you’re unfamiliar, is usually considered to be the Japanese version of chess. Rei struggles with making connections with others due to his isolated lifestyle, but he eventually befriends a small family who help make his life worth living.
This anime is sometimes compared to another show I love, Chihayafuru, in that they are both about obscure Japanese ‘sports’. But besides that, I can’t really say they have much else in common. Chihayafuru is about the fun and exciting aspects of team sports, but 3-gatsu no Lion is much less about shogi itself and more about how Rei navigates the struggles of his personal life while balancing a professional competitive career.
March Comes in like a Lion does make an effort to teach the viewer the rules of shogi, but the results of the match are much more important than watching the match itself unfold. Playing shogi is Rei’s job; winning matches is how he makes money and it is what allows him to live on his own at age 17. This results in much higher stakes than most anime about sports, because his actual livelihood is at risk if he loses a game.
The characters in 3-gatsu no Lion are all very complex and emotional individuals, some of whom you’ll have a love/hate relationship with. You’ll eventually learn that Rei has a complicated relationship with his family, and his interactions with them can be particularly painful to observe. Luckily, nearly every interaction Rei has with the Kawamoto sisters is wholesome and lovely, and more than makes up for watching him struggle with his family.
I’m making my way through the manga right now, and I love the art style so much! I think the anime does a great job of capturing it, too.
Thanks for reading! Please check out March Comes in like a Lion, the third season is (hopefully) coming soon so make sure you’re caught up in time for that!
-threecheersforinking