March comes in like a Lion was given as a recommendation from a friend as I really enjoyed Your Lie in April. I really connected with Your Lie in April since it was about the Piano and Violin, both of which I play.
I could not connect **as much** to this anime since I have never played Shogi, but this anime does a good job connecting me to Rei. I really saw Rei, his struggles, and what type of person he is.
The Story: About Rei, a Middle-School Shogi prodigy. He goes through a lot of things, and he is also taken care of by the Kawamoto family as well.
I just wanna say, the episodes the Kawamoto family is in, it makes the entire episode so so so much better.
(Momo reminds me of Anya from Spy x Family lol)
The Kawamoto family is so wholesome, kind, never demeaning, and has suffered loss so it is even more empathetic. I also love how they are so affectionate and kind to strays (rei and cats) as well.
Cannot explain the rest of the story without spoilers but it is a really good story. I really enjoyed it. There were sad moments, happy moments, and all in between.
The Music: I really liked the first opening, but not the 2nd opening.
The first opening had high notes and the music and the melody. All of which was good. The second one did not stick with me. Maybe a 5/10 for the music. The in-episode music was also meh.
Not comparable to Your Lie in April or Bocchi, though those are music-focused animes.
The Animation: I think it was animated well, though some of the character design is questionable. For example, Rei always looks so depressed and sad. Why does he look like that? It is very weird. But some of the scenery is well-animated so I will give it a pass.
All in all, very interesting anime, and Season 2 is hyped a ton so I am excited by that!
Final Score: 7.5/10 (Rounded to 8/10)
Thanks!
-CyanCheetah
