“Teen shogi prodigy Rei finds healing and family with the Kawamoto sisters after moving to Tokyo alone.”
March Comes In Like a Lion
3月のライオン
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Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
Synopsis
Teen shogi prodigy Rei finds healing and family with the Kawamoto sisters after moving to Tokyo alone.
Having reached professional status in middle school, Rei Kiriyama is one of the few elite in the world of shogi. Due to this, he faces an enormous amount of pressure, both from the shogi community and his adoptive family. Seeking independence from his tense home life, he moves into an apartment in Tokyo. As a 17-year-old living on his own, Rei tends to take poor care of himself, and his reclusive personality ostracizes him from his peers in school and at the shogi hall. However, not long after his arrival in Tokyo, Rei meets Akari, Hinata, and Momo Kawamoto, a trio of sisters living with their grandfather who owns a traditional wagashi shop. Akari, the oldest of the three girls, is determined to combat Rei's loneliness and poorly sustained lifestyle with motherly hospitality. The Kawamoto sisters, coping with past tragedies, also share with Rei a unique familial bond that he has lacked for most of his life. As he struggles to maintain himself physically and mentally through his shogi career, Rei must learn how to interact with others and understand his own complex emotions.
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 198 sampled reviews
What 198 viewers settled on.
Mostly aligned
σ 1.74 · some divergence
5.7 pts
Recommenders 8.9 · others 3.2
↑ 0.41
Running avg · Nov 2016 → Oct 2025
- 10 “Its one of the most underrated shows , the story is bittersweet it has wholesome moments and sad ones , perfect for people who enjoy drama the art style is unique and it has personality unlike the...”
- 10 “This is a GREAT show!!! Highly recommend it to everyone!!! I thought I could never see a great anime after You Lie in April, but then I started on this and was amazed! It is very sentimental and...”
- 8 “Easily one of the best emotional driven anime to have come out in a long time. With some well written dialogue, the best male anime character of last year, and the shows absolutely beautiful...”
Watch Order & Related
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- Format 22 × 25′ eps × min
- Total runtime 9h 10m all episodes
- Aired Oct 2016 – Mar 2017 Fall 2016
- Source Tv media type
- Rated PG 13 - Teens 13 or older
- Ref. BS-10679 catalog
Produced by
- Aniplex Producer
- Dentsu Producer
- NHK Producer
- Hakusensha Producer
- Asmik Ace Producer
- Toy's Factory Producer
Licensed by
- Aniplex of America Licensor