March Comes In Like a Lion

This is a gentle tale about people trying to regain something. And it is a tale of battle. Rei Kiriyama had lost his family in an accident when he was young. Now he is a 17-year-old pro shogi player who is burdened with deep loneliness. Rei lives alone in an old town in Tokyo, but after becoming acquainted with three sisters, Akari, Hinata and Momo, he begins to change little by little...

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.

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

• Barakamonquiet coming of age, slice of life warmth, loneliness and found family
• Ping Pong the Animationmelancholic competitive sports drama, interior struggle, coming of age
• Yotsuba&!gentle slice of life, healing found family, emotional restraint

Release Date

2016-10-08

Episode runtime

25 min

Rating

8.2 / 10 (143)

What is March Comes In Like a Lion about?

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

What is March Comes In Like a Lion like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of March Comes In Like a Lion as slow, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is March Comes In Like a Lion violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in March Comes In Like a Lion.

What did critics think of March Comes In Like a Lion?

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

Which shows are like March Comes In Like a Lion?

Shows with a similar feel include Barakamon, Ping Pong the Animation, and Yotsuba&!.

How long is March Comes In Like a Lion?

March Comes In Like a Lion: 2 seasons, 44 episodes.

Is March Comes In Like a Lion still running?

No, March Comes In Like a Lion has ended.

Where can I watch March Comes In Like a Lion?

In United States, March Comes In Like a Lion streams on Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel.