I have a hard time trying to explain to people what the plot is about. Yes, it is a story of a young shogi player that lives off of the earnings of his matches, but it is so much more. On one hand it is about the lives of professional shogi players everywhere and all the mentality, personality and back story that has built up each of them to the person they are today. On the other hand its a story about family, with the healing of the main character's and the Kawamoto family's past familial trauma through the experiences they share. You could also say that it's about a lonely kid way in over his head trying to deal with the stress of living by himself and his battles with loneliness, depression, and purpose. It's all of these in one. The story is told in small arcs that span the length of a few chapters at a time, usually dealing with a shogi match, the MC's history, or his time with the Kawamoto family, all of which connect to major themes and character growth throughout the story.
A large part of the appeal of this series to me is the way that Chica Umino, the author, writes and panels. It's filled to the brim with metaphors and inner thoughts to the point where you start to not just understand the characters, but start to deeply empathize with them as well. You can feel the weight that each match brings to every professional shogi player because you get the chance to see into their past and see what they are thinking in the present. Very rarely do I get to see characterization as good as this. Umino gives side characters more motivation and depth than many main characters get in more popular series, and it just makes for a wholly refreshing experience.
The characters are the absolute highlight of the story. Every emotional beat and lesson learned is always tied to a character undergoing growth. Maybe it's the MC seeing how far his self-proclaimed rival push himself just because he loves the game so much, or maybe its one of the Kawamoto sisters learning the evils of bullying first hand, but each character interaction leaves the reader with a very real sense of what the characters themselves are feeling. It's hard to describe just how poignant it is without actually reading the story oneself. Every character is cute, charming or funny in their own rights, and all have distinct personalities for the reader to get to learn.
The art is different that what most people would be used to, but it really rubs of on you as you read more.
Overall I can't say how much I enjoy this manga enough. For someone who loves to see character growth and to understand what it's like to be in the shoes of each character, I absolutely adored this manga. I will say that it is not for everyone, especially if you're looking for something light to read, but it is an absolute masterclass of characterization and strong storytelling in general
