# March Comes In Like a Lion (2016)

> A lonely teenage shogi prodigy slowly learns to open his heart after befriending three sisters in an old Tokyo neighborhood.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/57732

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 44
- Episode runtime: 25 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, drama
- Network: NHK G
- Cast: Kengo Kawanishi, Izumi Takiuchi, Yumiko Konatsu, Masumi Taira, Yu Kitada, Yumiko Ofuku, Yu Kobayashi, Chie Arikawa
- TMDB rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6074794/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: slow
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: none
- Tone: gentle, melancholic, wistful, hopeful, intimate, contemplative

## What critics say

Viewers broadly acclaim the series for its tender, melancholic portrait of loneliness and healing, with the second season rated far above the first.

## Synopsis

March Comes In Like a Lion (2016-2018) is a Japanese animated slice of life drama series produced by SHAFT and broadcast on NHK G, adapted from the manga of the same name. Seventeen-year-old professional shogi player Rei Kiriyama (voiced by Kengo Kawanishi) lives alone in an old Tokyo neighborhood, burdened by the loss of his family in an accident when he was young. His life begins to shift after he becomes acquainted with three sisters, Akari, Hinata and Momo, whose warm, untidy household pulls him into everyday meals, small kindnesses and quiet conversations. The engine of the series is Rei's inner battle: he must keep winning at a brutal competitive game while learning to let people close, and each episode mixes tournament tension with school life, neighborhood visits and the slow repair of a damaged family. The story unfolds over two seasons of twenty-two episodes each, a single continuing arc rather than a case of the week. Its tone is gentle, wistful and patient, with melancholic restraint giving way to hopeful warmth. Fans of Barakamon, Ping Pong the Animation and Yotsuba&! will find resonance in its blend of quiet coming of age and emotional healing.

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