The story is a sort of a romantic comedy, with pandering to male fantasies, between an eager nine-year-old shogi prodigy and her 16yo shogi master.
The premise is set up with a more gratuitous and racy tone than the rest of the show has. The setup has an obvious culmination, so the slight switch in tone shouldn't be confusing. Otherwise it stays about what it was so blatantly set up to be about.
The show manages to gesture at honestly sweet innocence, which I loved. Much happens to hint how true the romance could be. On the other hand, there is fanservice throughout, the male cast is bare-bones, and the plot likes to advance by introducing yet another woman. It's subdued and excused enough that the two themes don't clash much, and there are also long serious sequences, so it's not an "at least thrice per episode" scenario.
Lightheartedness carries the bulk of the show. Most of it I enjoyed, but I couldn't say I was in tune with the sense of humor. The match with the young gay man made me just despair, so I should let you know it doesn't get anywhere near that bad again.
After the setup, little is shown of the pair's private life. For further mystery, a small wedge of ambiguity is left in the boy's actions. It begs the viewer to infer things from everything else, elevating said everything. That might sound like a good concept, but unfortunately it's actually lazy and f*cking st*pid. It saps the drama and leads to issues with the girl's character. She ends up being forgettable and front-loaded, actually becoming shallower as the story progresses. It's not that she doesn't get screentime. In fact, she gets almost everything you can have when boxed in so hard. The ending does leave a mark on her, but that's so cheap and late I won't count it. Her character still sort of works, because not much is required of it, but it would have been such a boon if they'd managed to make her at least a bit memorable.
By contrast, the boy starts as a bit of a trope, and gets neatly grown without being totally subverted. Ginko and Keika also get developed.
I was expecting the show to play coy, but I don't think it ever did. There was one hotel scene that would have been clever that way, while still achieving the same purpose and more, but they have the girl blush.
There is also drama, as one should expect. Tragic notes are played, with bitter echoes. Fun, somber scenes of unjust, spiteful enjoyment. The climax made me feel things. It faltered far less than I expected.
The shogi setting fits well. Essentially everyone is a professional player or aspiring to be one, and their primary motive is love of the game, rather than anything of the earth. Still, I would have liked if there was more of anything that doesn't come right back to shogi.
The audio/visuals were good enough for me, for the most part, and there were also high points. At one point the girl ends up feverish in bed due to stress, and the thought crossed my mind that they didn't know how to make her look worn out and depressed.
To end on a positive thought, I'll repeat that I really liked it :D
