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March comes in like a lion 3-gatsu no Lion |
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Rose Faerie's Review Violence: There are maybe one or two instances of slapstick violence. A character is implied to have been beat up pretty badly in a flashback. Sex and Nudity: One character is implied to be having an affair with a married man much older than she is. It is treated tastefully and with tact, as the relationship is not particularly healthy. Characters are also briefly shown in the bath a couple of times, though the worst it gets is the equivalent of some cleavage on a female character. Theological Themes: The characters celebrate traditional Japanese festivals, and they do some of the run of the mill shrine praying. Problematic Themes: Alcohol is present, as Akari works in a bar. On rare occasions, one of the shogi players might be shown drunk. A character or two might be shown smoking on rare occasions. Swearing is not a huge issue. I think the max was two swear words per episode, though it usually had less. It's usually confined to the h-word and the d-word, though the bullying arc has two uses of the b-word. Overall: As a sports anime, March comes in like a lion is not very good. Even after hearing the shogi song with the cats, I still have no idea what is going on. I can follow along with the shogi matches by watching the characters expressions and listening to commentary and inner monologue, but it definitely is not as engaging as Haikyuu!! where I actually could follow what is going on. However, as a drama series, March comes in like a lion is immaculate. Most of the drama is intrapersonal, as we get to experience Rei's inner struggles. He has a lot of mental health issues and struggles with social interaction. He has a lot of inner conflict and turmoil. The characters around him are interesting. Kyouko, his adoptive sister, was particularly fascinating and I was intrigued by her relationships, particularly her toxic love-hate relationship with Rei. The Kawamotos were somewhat bland at first, though the second season really brought out their true personalities. Hina's strength and determination and Akari's struggles to be a mother figure are all an important part of the bullying arc. Rei's self proclaimed rival, Nikaido, is the most wholesome person to ever exist, and his mentor Shimada is a kind but gritty shogi player. I loved the art, though I know that is a bit of an unpopular opinion. I did not find it weird at all. I also enjoyed the symbolism and use of water imagery throughout the series. The watercolors done by the author of the manga were beautiful and suited the story very well. The music was pretty solid. I liked the second and fourth ending themes the best. I'd recommend this one for teenagers and up, since they are the most likely to enjoy it, since it takes a bit of maturity to understand. Preteens could be fine, since the most objectionable of the content is treated with enough maturity and taste, though I doubt they'd enjoy it. |
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| Added: September, 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
