March comes in like a lion

Episode 15

March comes in like a lion's fifteenth episode opens with the full moon, hanging silent over Rei's old home. As quiet shots smoothly transition us to Rei's room, we see a figure crouched in his window - Kyouko, his strange and tempestuous sister. Her normally violent persona is absent here, as the shifting curtains seem to imply that she could float away at any moment. Sliding into bed beside Rei, she warns him “Don't touch me. But don't move away from me.”

We've seen brief fragments of this memory before, as Rei lay trapped in anxieties or fever dreams. It was clearly a formative moment for him, and this episode gives it all the beauty and majesty it demands. For two deeply unhappy kids, this was a brief moment of emotional unity and honesty. If Rei's father picking favorites on Christmas sums up the true nature of life in their home, this memory signifies the love his children found in spite of him.

We get an even fuller picture of Rei's relationship with Kyouko in the following scenes, as we learn the specific context surrounding his exodus from the house. Apparently, Kyouko was the one who first suggested leaving home and actually planned on running away with Gotou. Kyouko's relationship with Gotou seems based almost entirely on her hatred for her father, Rei, and herself - she chose him because it would hurt her family the most, and she accepts her hateful choice because she doesn't seem to believe she deserves happiness. It was impossible for her to stay in her father's house with Rei, given that both of them were already treating her like an invalid. So Rei volunteered to leave himself, thinking that their father needed Kyouko more. This self-denial they share forms the tragic crux of that moment in bed, where each assured the other of their value only by saying they were clearly the one their father loved more.

The Rei/Kyouko flashback is this episode's most emotionally powerful sequence, but the rest of the material is no slouch. Most of this episode is consumed by the best-of-three match between Shimada and Gotou, which Rei is only able to catch in between classes. It was a great relief to see Rei legitimately invested in watching this match, considering how out-of-sorts he'd been ever since losing to Shimada. The context of the match allowed Rei's one friendly teacher to demonstrate his good nature as well, as seeing Rei's passion prompts him to shove Rei out to the shogi hall.

Even Shimada got a lot of strong material this week. His battle against Gotou is a clear match between equals, something Rei describes as “a battle between two people who have faith in themselves.” A good mix of direct focus on the match and cutaways to Rei and his shogi friends spectating kept things feeling urgent and coherent throughout these fights, a welcome upgrade from Shimada's underwhelming match against Rei. Shimada felt far more compelling as a long-time underdog than an enemy to be faced; his fatigued rakish grins and speedy analysis of his opponent made him feel like a fine challenge for the always intimidating Gotou.

There was plenty else to appreciate in this episode, from the reveal that Rei chose to leave because he wanted to become strong enough to protect Kyouko, to the many words of wisdom from the Kawamoto grandfather. Even the visual execution felt stronger this week. Perhaps it's because it was more focused on key conversations than conveying matches, but nothing felt under-executed, and the background art was gorgeous. Overall, this episode represents a fine return to form for March, selling a variety of emotional turns while keeping the narrative moving speedily along. Hopefully, this is a good sign for the episodes to come.

Overall: A-

March comes in like a lion is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Nick writes about anime, storytelling, and the meaning of life at Wrong Every Time.