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On Sept. 25, TV anime and live-action movie adaptations were greenlit for the popular manga March Comes in Like a Lion. The news was revealed in the colored preface of Issue 19 of the manga magazine Young Animal published by Hakusensha.
Authored by Chika Umino, March Comes in Like a Lion began serialization in Young Animal in 2007. Set in the world of shogi, the series depicts youthful adolescence. Umino is also known for the series Honey and Clover and for her work as original character designer on the anime Eden of the East.
The double announcement of a TV anime and live-action movie being greenlit comes as a big surprise, though many fans probably feel that they are past due. The series has won a great number of awards, including the Kodansha Manga Award in the general category in 2014 and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Manga Award. These new developments for the series are testament to the high praise it has received. It’s certainly safe to say that the movie adaptation has indeed been long awaited.
The story of March Comes in Like a Lion focuses on main character Rei Kiriyama who is a 17-year-old pro shogi player. After losing his family in a car accident when he is young, Kiriyama meets the three Kawamoto sisters—Akari, Hinata, and Momo—and a tender love story develops as Kiriyama gradually matures while living by himself.
The upcoming TV anime and live-action movie will be the first for the series. The series is following the footsteps of Umino’s previous work Honey and Clover, which was adapted into a TV anime, live-action movie, and live-action drama. Other than the announcement that a TV anime and live-action movie have been greenlit, no supplementary information has been released at this time. Attention will likely build over who will be in the staff and cast.
In other news, volume 11 of the March Comes in Like a Lion manga was released on Sept. 25. In celebration of the release, a campaign featuring the top 11 shogi players titled “March Comes in Like a Lion x 11 Shogi Players” is underway. Further information on the TV anime and live-action movie will be published in Young Animal and posted to the official site in the days to come. Keep it here for a follow-up report soon.
Source: animeanime
