March Come in Like a Lion was something that I could ever want from a manga of this nature. It has a subdued and relaxed atmosphere that masks a tsunami of inner turmoil that lurks underneath the story of most of the main characters, and even some of the side characters as well.

The story revolves around Rei Kiriyama, probably one of my favorite protagonists to ever exist. When we first meet him he has little to no self esteem and is haunted by his traumatic past and his difficult family life. All he has in life is shogi, which is something he admits he never really liked, but rather a way to make bonds with others as he has no other way. Regardless he becomes a prodigy and a professional in high school.
As the story eventually progresses, his character grows from a subdued but incredibly angry and depressed, hollow shell of a person fueled by confusion and existentialism into a reliable and loving person that wants best for those around him. And this is brought about by the Kawamoto family. A warm and bubbly family that is incredibly kind and take him in. Though they are not also without their own inner turmoil as well. This dichotomy of characterization and how both Rei and the Kawamoto family aide each other into becoming better, more human characters is probably one of my favorite aspects of the manga.

The backdrop of shogi was at first something I was not a huge fan of at first since I do not have the slightest background knowledge of it. But that does not matter, as it is more of a medium of how an individual player goes through life and what their personalities are. It is opening a gateway into who they are as a person, and it is a great way to characterize and create depth into Rei and his compatriots/opponents.

The art that Umino draws is unique, with beautiful illustrations of detailed tree branches, calming rivers, and dynamic emotional displays in the characters faces. Sometimes bubbly with wide smiles, other times stark and sharp facial expressions cold as glaciers, to utterly heartbreaking displays of despair and hopelessness with tears as large as egg yolks welling up in characters eyes. Umino is able to not only show how these characters are feeling, but express them in an internal monologue, usually through the perspective of Rei with some of the most poetic prose I have ever had the privilege of reading in any literature.

March Comes in Like a Lion is a masterpiece of a manga that expresses both pain and how to grow from that pain by becoming a better person, rather than wallowing in it. Many pieces of art tend to romanticize relishing in turmoil and depression as a way to connect with audiences without discerning a way to get out of it. That is something that this manga does not do if you stick with it. It is without a doubt one of my all time favorites.