March Comes in Like a Lion
Encyclopedia
is an ongoing manga
series by Chica Umino
, best known for Honey and Clover
. It began serialization in Hakusensha
's seinen manga magazine Young Animal
from its fourteenth issue in 2007 (published on July 13, 2007). A television commercial announcing the series was also aired by Hakusensha on numerous Japanese television stations, which was also posted on its official website. In 2009, the series was nominated for the 2nd Annual Manga Taishō
, and it won this award in 2011. Also in 2011 it won the Kodansha Manga Award
in the general category (shared with Chūya Koyama's Uchū Kyōdai
). To date, six tankōbon
volumes of the series have been released.
, following the everyday life of a 17-year old shōgi
player, Rei (lit. "Zero"). While describing the series, Umino noted that she based the setting of March Comes in Like a Lion on research she conducted herself, whereas in her earlier and most famous work, Honey and Clover, she had already been familiar with its setting.
The protagonist Rei is a 17-year old professional shōgi player, who lives by himself, not having a real family, and has scarcely any friends. Among his acquaintances is a family, which consists of a young woman, Akari, and two young girls, Hinata and Momo, and who also keep a numerous number of cat
s.
The cats
in Young Animal
since 2007 issue 14. It has been collected in six bound volumes
as of July 2011.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series by Chica Umino
Chica Umino
is the pen name of an anonymous Japanese female manga artist, designer and illustrator.Umino is noted for being the author and creator of the Honey and Clover series, for which she received the Kodansha Manga Award in 2003, and which has been adapted into an anime series, produced by...
, best known for Honey and Clover
Honey and Clover
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Chika Umino. It is also known as and H&C. It is published by Shueisha, initially serialized from June 2000 to July 2006 in the magazines CUTiEcomic, Young YOU, and Chorus, and collected in ten bound volumes...
. It began serialization in Hakusensha
Hakusensha
is a Japanese publishing company. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo.The company mainly publishes manga magazines of various genres and is involved in certain series' productions in their games, original video animation, musical and their animated TV series....
's seinen manga magazine Young Animal
Young Animal
is a magazine in Japan that features seinen manga and scantily clad women. It is published by Hakusensha and issued on the second and fourth Friday of each month in saddle-stapled B5 format, selling for 310 yen...
from its fourteenth issue in 2007 (published on July 13, 2007). A television commercial announcing the series was also aired by Hakusensha on numerous Japanese television stations, which was also posted on its official website. In 2009, the series was nominated for the 2nd Annual Manga Taishō
Manga Taishō
The is an annual Japanese manga award.-First iteration:In the inaugural edition of the award in 2008, twelve manga were nominated and the winner was Gaku, by Shinichi Ishizuka.*Winner: Gaku, by Shinichi Ishizuka*Nominees:...
, and it won this award in 2011. Also in 2011 it won the Kodansha Manga Award
Kodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in four categories: children's, shōnen, shōjo, and general. The awards began in 1977, initially with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The first award for the...
in the general category (shared with Chūya Koyama's Uchū Kyōdai
Uchū Kyōdai
is a Japanese manga series by Chūya Koyama serialized in Weekly Morning. It has been nominated twice for the Manga Taishō, in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, it won the award for best general manga at the 56th Shogakukan Manga Awards and at the...
). To date, six tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes of the series have been released.
Story
The series is set in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, following the everyday life of a 17-year old shōgi
Shogi
, also known as Japanese chess, is a two-player board game in the same family as Western chess, chaturanga, and Chinese Xiangqi, and is the most popular of a family of chess variants native to Japan...
player, Rei (lit. "Zero"). While describing the series, Umino noted that she based the setting of March Comes in Like a Lion on research she conducted herself, whereas in her earlier and most famous work, Honey and Clover, she had already been familiar with its setting.
The protagonist Rei is a 17-year old professional shōgi player, who lives by himself, not having a real family, and has scarcely any friends. Among his acquaintances is a family, which consists of a young woman, Akari, and two young girls, Hinata and Momo, and who also keep a numerous number of cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s.
Main characters
- The protagonist of the series. 17 years old. A five dan, Rei became a professional shōgi player while in middle schoolSecondary education in JapanSecondary education in Japan is split into middle schools which cover the seventh through ninth grades, and high schools which mostly cover grades ten through twelve...
. His parents and sister died in a traffic accident, and after that he was taken care of by his father's friend Kōda and became his apprentice in shōgi. After becoming a professional shōgi player and after completing middle school, he became independent of him and decided not to attend high school. After feeling a "need" to attend school however, Rei later joined a high school after a one-year delay. He lives in the city of Rokugatsu-chō (June town).
- A resident of Sangatsu-chō (March town), she is the eldest of three sisters. Her mother died and subsequently she took care of two younger sisters. In the mornings, she helps her elderly grandfather run a traditional wagashiWagashiis a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made of mochi, azuki bean paste, and fruits.Wagashi is typically made from natural ingredients...
(Japanese confectionery) shop, Mikazuki-dō, while in the evenings, she works as a hostess for a bar in Ginza, Misaki, which her aunt manages. She often calls Rei "Rei-kun".
- The second of the three sisters. A middle schoolSecondary education in JapanSecondary education in Japan is split into middle schools which cover the seventh through ninth grades, and high schools which mostly cover grades ten through twelve...
student. She sleeps in late in the mornings till the very last minute and often makes bentoBentois a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware...
s by herself. She calls Rei, "Rei-chan". Like her elder sister Akari, she likes taking care of Rei.
- The youngest of the three sisters. A preschool student, she attends a daycare center. Pure and innocent, she has a bit of a selfish streak at times. Her favorite anime character is Bodoro (modelled on My Neighbour Totoros Totoro). She calls Rei, "Rei-chan".
Kōda family
- Rei's shōgi teacher. He was both Rei's father's friend and rival in shōji. He cared for Rei like he did for his children and taught him shōgi.
- Kōda's daughter. She is four years older than Rei. Beautiful and hot tempered. Implied she raped Rei when he still lived at the Kōda residence.
- Kōda's son and Kyōko's younger brother. He is of the same age as Rei. After losing to Rei in shōgi, he stopped playing shōgi, and afterwards started confining himself to his room and only playing video games.
Professional shōgi players
- Rei's self-proclaimed "best friend" and "lifelong rival". A four dan, he has played with Rei since they were children. Even though he might appear to be healthy, he is in fact in poor health. He is from a good family. He is modelled after actual real-life shōgi player Satoshi Murayama.
- The current meijinMeijin (shogi)is one of the seven titles in Japanese professional shogi, and is the most prestigious title, along with Ryu-oh.The word "meijin" means "an excellent person" in a certain field...
. He has longed for a rival like Rei. Similar to Rei, he became a professional shōji player in middle school.
- 26 years old. Five dan. He is 181 centimeters tall. A quite expressive and enthusiastic person, he can be aggressive at times as well. He comes from the countryside. He is a fan of Akari.
- 26 years old. Six dan. He is often called "Sumisu" (for "Smith"). He is 180 centimeters tall. A bit aloof, he gets along well with Matsumoto.
- 65 years old. A seven dan. He is a veteran who has been a professional shōgi player for over 40 years. He comes from FukushimaFukushima Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region on the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Fukushima.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Fukushima prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
.
- A six dan. Upon losing a match, he lost his temper, thus resulting in him divorcing his wife.
Other characters
- A middle school student. A childhood friend and classmate of Hinata's, they are quite close to each other. He is the son of a milkman. He is the ace of his school's baseball team and aims to be a pro. Since Rei became a shōgi pro in middle school, Yūsuke greatly looks up to him. In order to realize his dream to become a professional, he wishes to proceed to a high school in ShikokuShikokuis the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
to participate in the kōshien baseball tournamentHigh school baseball in JapanIn Japan, high school baseball generally refers to the two annual baseball tournaments played by high schools nationwide culminating at a final showdown at Hanshin Kōshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Japan...
.
- The grandfather of the three Kawamoto sisters. He runs a traditional wagashiWagashiis a traditional Japanese confectionery which is often served with tea, especially the types made of mochi, azuki bean paste, and fruits.Wagashi is typically made from natural ingredients...
shop, Mikazuki-dō. Even though he may appear to be unexpressive, he actually dotes on his grandchildren a lot, in particular Momo. Along with Akari, he likes to watch over Rei.
- The butler of the Nikaidō family, who has been in continuous service for them for over 45 years. A gentle and kind elderly man, he has taken care of Harunobu ever since he was a baby.
- A teacher of the high school where Rei decided to join. He is a big fan of shōji and regularly reads shōgi magazines. He is the only one in the high school who had heard of Rei being a professional shōgi player though when he first knew of him joining, he presumed he only had the same surname. He speaks in a very friendly manner with Rei and is often concerned when Rei becomes lonely.
- The aunt of the three Kawamoto sisters. She, helped by Akari, manages a bar in Ginza called "Misaki".
The cats
- The three cats of the Kawamoto household. The first two cats, the black and white and orange ones, were the first two gathered, while the white cat is a new arrival. Their names are unknown. They are big-eyed and always apparently hungry. The third cat looks strikingly like an owl.
Volumes
The series has been serialized by HakusenshaHakusensha
is a Japanese publishing company. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo.The company mainly publishes manga magazines of various genres and is involved in certain series' productions in their games, original video animation, musical and their animated TV series....
in Young Animal
Young Animal
is a magazine in Japan that features seinen manga and scantily clad women. It is published by Hakusensha and issued on the second and fourth Friday of each month in saddle-stapled B5 format, selling for 310 yen...
since 2007 issue 14. It has been collected in six bound volumes
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
as of July 2011.
- Volume 1: ISBN 978-4-592-14511-0, published 2008-02-22
- Volume 2: ISBN 978-4-592-14512-7, published 2008-11-19 (features alternative cover by BerserkBerserk (manga)is a manga series written and illustrated by Kentaro Miura. Set in a medieval Europe-inspired world, the story centers around the characters of Guts, an orphaned mercenary, and Griffith, the leader of a mercenary band called the...
manga artist Kentarō MiuraKentaro Miurais a Japanese manga artist best known for his popular dark fantasy manga, Berserk.-Life and notable works:Kentarou Miura was born in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, in 1966. He is left-handed. In 1976, at the early age of 10, Miura made his first manga, entitled Miuranger, that was published...
) - Volume 3: ISBN 978-4-592-14513-4, published 2009-08-12
- Volume 4: ISBN 978-4-592-14514-1, published 2010-04-09
- Volume 5: ISBN 978-4-592-14515-8, published 2010-11-26
- Volume 6: ISBN 978-4-592-14516-5, published 2011-07-22