March Comes In Like a Lion 2nd Season
Oshimeter
Synopsis
At just 17, Rei Kiriyama is a professional shogi player who lives alone, carries the weight of a painful past, and barely knows how to connect with other people. The first season cracked him open. This second season is where everything hits different. 3-gatsu no Lion's second season takes the emotional groundwork from before and builds something genuinely devastating, in the best way. There's a bullying arc centered on Hinata, one of the Kawamoto sisters, that will probably wreck you. It's one of those stretches of anime that people remember years later, and it earns every bit of that reputation through patience and honesty rather than melodrama. Shaft's watercolor-inspired animation gives everything this dreamy, fragile quality, and Yukari Hashimoto's soundtrack knows exactly when to be quiet and when to break you. The shogi matches carry real weight too: not because you need to understand the game, but because the show makes you feel what each win and loss means to these people. If you loved the emotional intimacy of Honey and Clover or the way Your Lie in April explored grief and creative pressure, this is in that lineage but arguably more grounded. It's a 22-episode TV series adapted from a seinen manga, and it's less about big dramatic moments than about a lonely person slowly learning he doesn't have to be. That's it. That's enough.
Episode Guide
Characters
Rei Kiriyama
A 17-year-old pro shogi player, Rei struggles with grief and loneliness while navigating life and school.
Dao Khoi
Hinata Kawamoto
Hinata Kawamoto, a caring middle schooler and Rei's girlfriend, is loyal, mature for her age, and adores her family.
Mills Kayli
Akari Kawamoto
Akari Kawamoto, a 23-year-old who works at a wagashi shop and hostess bar to support her family.
Post Laura
Momo Kawamoto
Preschooler Momo, youngest Kawamoto sister, is pure but selfish, loves Bodoro, and calls Rei 'Rei-chan'.
Huynh Xanthe
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It focuses on Rei’s internal healing and his reconciliation with his adoptive family. Captures the bittersweet transition from loneliness to belonging. A touching, deeply human conclusion that highlights Rei's growth into a young man who finally feels at home in his own life.
Rei visits his old house. As her mother explained to us the weight of being a genius, Rei’s character and all the conflicts he faced began to take shape together. Rei builds his own home outside the home he once belonged to. It is the human notion, and Rei was no different.
Rei helped Hina in her preparation for the entrance exams. Although the distance troubles Hina with looming thoughts, she still picks up the courage. Recovered, she had managed to go through. Later, Rei found himself amazed to recognise his own growth as he met his father.
The family’s festival delights continue. With the adventure to school on a holiday, another comic relief was generated in the story. Rei helps Hina study to get admission in her chosen High School. Here, discouragement and assurance play an important role for Hina.
The story focuses on the lives of the Akari, Hina and Momo. Hina goes to meet Chiho and learnt about her constant fight with her past experiences. Everyone enjoys the festivals with their recreational sweets, and the sales skyrocketed. Lastly, the teacher convinced the bully.
The battle between the two parties intensifies as they are reluctant to surrender. The match was greatly dramatised with deep animation and drawn metaphors. The result exceptionally celebrates the joy of human persistence.
The continuation of the story invites comedy with a touch of reality. The pre-match interaction of Shimada and Kishou displays great weight, marking their emotional strength. The weight of standing alone at the victory stand unleashes great responsibility. Saku is the example.
Souya’s actions seemed funny. But the reasons were later revealed. It makes clear to Rei all of Shouya's previous demeanour. This helps him to understand Souya more. When new relations are explained, Nature is always soothingly expressed here. It lays a positive vibe to the story
The match between Shouya and Rei finally begins. Brilliant nature imagery and metaphors were used to dramatise the game. Although the result doesn’t justify both players, the portrayal was solid as it exposed Rei's emotional abundance.
The showdown between Shouya and Kiriyama is just around the corner. This one foreshadows the battle between Shimada and Izumida. Finally reaching at the destination, Rei is overwhelmed to notice the grandeur of the place. Now the ring bells for the final showdown.
The job of a teacher and their responsibilities are open on a wide spectrum. Both were served on a plate for the audience to judge. The gloom around Hina shifts as she finally hears about Chiho from a letter. Rei felt relieved to realise at last, the sky is clear now.
Hina confronted her bully, but the whole situation also took a great toll on the teacher. It resulted in a parent-teacher conference. And Akari was determined to stand along with Hina as a mother figure. It represents how the bonding of family relations works in a divine way.
Expectations are high, and it all falls upon Rei. But he feels welcomed in his new place and greeted with warmth. But the place will not be there forever as everything changes. On the other hand, a glimpse of the Gakuto vs Shimada match was displayed, and the results are declared
There’s always another side to the coin. Just like how, Junkei’s side was displayed with raw colours of bland emotions on the path of his daily life. Everyone has their own story, and this is portrayed beautifully here. The interaction between Hina and Rei is so soothing to watch
All the while Rei was fighting in the Shogi tournament, Hina was also having a different kind of fight in her school – a fight for existence. The final match began and ended in a breeze. Rei ventures and proves why sometimes you have to be present there to actually help someone.
Hayashida Takashi’s continuous consultation with Rei proves the height of their student-teacher relationship. Later, Nikaidou’s health concerns were visualised through a minute explanation. Sometimes, how others are wrongly perceived from a stranger’s view is clear here.
Showing grave situations in a nonchalant light is what keeps this one standing out. Altogether, the conflicting notions fuel the growth of Rei, and this, drives his feelings of belonging in others’ lives. On the 2nd note, here the match between Rei and Hachiya unfolds before us.
Though Rei’s approach was awkward, Hina opens up to Rei and shares her experience. Somehow, helping to pay the debt to Hina becomes the motivation for Rei to win at Shogi. Still, the bullying got worse, and things escalated quickly. Let’s see what happens next!
It is actually commendable how the subject of Bullying and its countermeasures are being addressed here. Really motivated to help Hina, Rei got on with his own pursuit. Through this, the bonding and relationships between the characters are portrayed in a positive light.
March Comes In Like a Lion 2nd Season
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