| Quick facts | |
|---|
| Format | Manga (seinen) |
| Run | 2007–present · ongoing |
| Community score | AniList 8.7 · MAL 8.9 |
| Content | Themes of depression and bullying |
| Where to read | Denpa — official |
Overview
March Comes in Like a Lion is a tender, emotionally profound drama about loneliness and the slow work of healing. Rei Kiriyama is seventeen, a professional shogi player who turned pro young — but his talent has come at a cost. Orphaned as a child and taken in by a family where the game drove a painful wedge between him and his step-siblings, Rei lives alone in Tokyo, isolated, depressed, and barely connected to anyone. His life begins to change through two forces: the demanding, fascinating world of competitive shogi, and the Kawamoto sisters — Akari, Hinata, and little Momo — three sisters whose warm, lively household gradually becomes a refuge and something like a family. It's by Chica Umino (of Honey and Clover), serialized in Young Animal, ongoing and in its final stretch, with English volumes from Denpa.
What it does well
Its emotional insight is extraordinary. March Comes in Like a Lion understands depression and isolation from the inside — Rei's numbness, his self-doubt, the way warmth can feel both healing and overwhelming — and renders it with rare honesty and compassion. Watching him inch toward connection is deeply, quietly moving, and the series treats mental health and recovery with real tenderness.
The Kawamoto sisters are its beating heart. Their household — full of food, bickering, and unconditional kindness — is one of manga's great found families, and the relationships there give Rei (and the reader) something to hold onto. The series balances its heavier material with genuine warmth and a surprising amount of humor.
And it's gorgeously made. Umino's art is expressive and inventive, shifting from delicate realism to bold, abstract imagery to externalize emotion — the shogi matches in particular become stunning psychological battlegrounds. Few manga are this beautiful or this thoughtfully crafted.
Where it falls short
It's slow and deliberately undramatic. This is a contemplative character study, not a plot-driven story — it drifts between vignettes, lingers on small moments, and moves at the pace of real emotional change, which means readers wanting momentum or a strong throughline may find it meandering.
It's also emotionally heavy, and not always an easy read. The depression, grief, and (in one major arc) bullying are handled with care but can be genuinely painful, and the tonal swings between gentle comedy and deep sadness won't suit every mood. And as an ongoing series adapted from a long run, its sprawling structure asks for patience and commitment. This is a slow, deep soak, not a quick read.
Verdict
March Comes in Like a Lion is one of the finest character dramas in manga — a tender, beautifully drawn, emotionally honest story about depression, healing, and the family we find. Its slow pace and heavy themes mean it asks something of the reader, and it isn't always a comfortable read, but the warmth, insight, and catharsis it offers are profound. If you want manga that can genuinely move you, this is essential.
