March Comes In Like a Lion Episode 5: Chapter 9 Agreement / Chapter 10 Over the Cuckoo's Nest

hearing about his little sister completely broke my heart. he was just a child with absolutely no one to lean on, and hearing him call himself a cuckoo bird is so genuinely depressing.

diving into the protagonist's tragic childhood elevates the narrative significantly. comparing his survival within the adoptive family to a cuckoo bird is a devastatingly poignant metaphor that recontextualizes his entire character.

this reminds me a lot of chihayafuru but like so much better. when they started touching on his flashbacks it completely changed the vibe. the transition was done really well tho. but i feel so bad for him having to go through all of that alone at such a young age