March Comes in Like a Lion, also commonly known as 3-gatsu no Lion, is a slice of life anime about a young boy’s struggle as a professional shogi player. The series currently only has 2 seasons and it has now been 3 years since we last saw it. Fans have been wondering when they will get March Comes in Like a Lion Season 3 and this article will cover everything we know about the possibility of the series renewal.
The first season aired in Japanese television from October 8, 2016 to March 18, 2017, whilst the second season aired later on in the same year, from October 14, 2017 until March 31, 2018. Both seasons have a total of 22 episodes each and are adapted by animation studio Shaft. The studio is best well-known for their works in the Monogatari series and also for adapting the Puella Magi Madoka Magica anime and movies. The series is licensed by Aniplex of America.
The anime is a direct adaptation of the manga of the same name, which is written and illustrated by Chika Umino. The same artist also wrote and illustrated the manga Honey and Clover, and helped with the character design for the Eden of the East anime adaptation. The manga began its publication in Hakusensha’s seinen manga magazine, Young Animal, on July 13, 2007. As of the time of writing this article, there are a total of 16 volumes published and the story is still ongoing.
There was also a spin-off manga titled 3-gatsu no Lion Shouwa Ibun: Shakunetsu no Toki. Unlike the original manga, the spin-off is written and illustrated by Hideaki Nishikawa. It tells the story of 27-year-old Takanori Jinguuji, who eventually became the chairman of Japanese Shogi Association in the original series. It was also serialized by Young Animal from April 24, 2015 to March 27, 2020 and has a total of 10 volumes.
March Comes in Like a Lion Season 3 Release Date
At the time of writing this article, studio Shaft has not made any announcement regarding the status of March Comes in Like a Lion Season 3. Fortunately, the chances of the anime getting a new season is pretty high seeing the positive feedback from season 2. The anime is currently sitting at rank 12 on MyAnimeList’s Top Anime List.
Moreover, the studio should have no problem with the source material. The first season of the anime adapted the first 5 volumes, whilst the second season covered the story until the 9th volume of the manga. Since there are a total of 16 volumes and the story is also still ongoing, the studio should have more than enough material to make March Comes in Like a Lion Season 3.
The Plot of March Comes in Like a Lion
March Comes in Like a Lion tells the coming-of-age story of a 17-year-old professional shogi player named Rei Kiriyama. He was orphaned from a young age after his parents and younger sister got murdered in an accident. He was then taken in by his father’s friend and rival in shogi. However, in the end he left his adoptive family after he felt like he was a burden to them. He then moved to live on his own in Tokyo and live independently by playing shogi. Despite how good he is at the game, he claimed that he does not particularly care for it.
He then met the Kawamoto sisters, Akari, Hinata, and Momo. Unlike Rei, the three sisters are able to live cheerfully along with their grandfather, despite their poor living conditions. Rei eventually became close friends with the Kawamoto family, who tried to help Rei with his unhealthy lifestyle. The story covers how Rei struggles not only with his career as a professional shogi player, but also with his mental health, as he tries to interact and get closer to other people in his life.
