The BEST episodes of March Comes in Like a Lion
Every episode of March Comes in Like a Lion ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of March Comes in Like a Lion!
Rei Kiriyama is a 17-year-old professional shogi player who lost his family in an accident when he was young and suffers deep loneliness. Rei, who lives alone in downtown Tokyo, meets three sisters, Akari, Hinata, and Momo, and begins to change little by little.
#1 - Ladybug Bush / Feelings
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/4/2017
Hinata has been friends with Chiho since elementary school, but now that they’re third-year middle school students, Chiho has become the target of bullying by classmates. While other students pretend they don’t see anything happening, only Hinata calls out to Chiho and still tries to be her friend. However, the situation only gets worse...
#2 - Black Mist / Light
Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/6/2018
After Hinata’s class returns from the trip, the atmosphere in the classroom changes again in a different and strange direction. At long last, Hinata's guardians are being called in for a parent-teacher-student conference.
#3 - The Other House / Child of March Town
Season 2 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/31/2018
Rei finally pays a visit to his adoptive mother's residence, after neglecting to visit ever since he moved out. Afterwards, Rei invites Hina and Takahashi for some monja as a last farewell. But before Hina starts high school, she decides to do something drastic.
#4 - Small World / Letter
Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/18/2017
When Rei visits the Kawamotos, Hinata talks to him about school. Little by little, she confides in Rei about the classroom atmosphere. But one day during lunch, the baseball team’s ace and all-around popular guy, Takahashi, pops in to Hinata’s class?!
#5 - Small Palm / Sunny Place
Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/13/2018
Mr. Kokubu continues to remedy the class bullying problem. As the situation seems to be winding down, Hinata finally get a letter from Chiho.
#6 - Passing Time / Spring Comes
Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 3/31/2018
Hinata has been studying intently for the high school entrance exams, when she learns in shock that Takahashi, the classmate she has long admired, will be going to a school far away. People she had assumed will always be with her keep leaving her… Depressed Hinata ends up getting a fever just days before the exam. Nevertheless, Rei comes by on the day of the exam, to walk to school with her.
#7 - Kingdom
Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/9/2017
On the night before she leaves for a school trip to Kyoto, Hinata has dinner at home with Rei and her family, but can't finish the food on her plate because of a stomachache. Rei also leaves the same day as Hinata, but goes to Osaka to challenge Junkei Yamazaki for the Newcomer Tournament final.
#8 - Silver Wings / River Scenery
Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/16/2017
In the world of shogi, one can only continue making an effort, but Yamazaki finds that Nikaidou and Rei never falter and always throw themselves into the “deep end.” Nevertheless, Yamazaki is determined to win and after beating Nikaidou in the Newcomer Tournament semifinals, he faces Rei in the match that will decide the next Newcomer King.
#9 - New School Term / Fighter
Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 3/18/2017
Rei begins a new school year, and embarks on new adventures. While looking back at the past, we'll look forward to the future.
#10 - Feelings / Confession
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/11/2017
Rei sees his former homeroom teacher, Mr. Hayashida, for advice about bullying. Hayashida offers many examples and concludes with sound advice. After racking his brain, Rei also arrives at his own conclusion about what he can do to help Hina. Meanwhile, Akari has been carrying doubts in her heart about the incident, and opens up to Rei...
#11 - Agreement / Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/5/2016
Rei must pick up Momo from kindergarten. Nothing can go wrong with doing this errand, right? Unfortunately, this leads Rei to remember more of his past.
#12 - Midday Moon / Adventurers
Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/2/2017
When the struggling Rei tells Mr. Hayashida that he wants to help Hinata and her family, his former homeroom teacher advises him to do what he can, one thing at a time. Taking those words to heart, Rei goes on a smooth winning streak with his matches. On the other hand, Nikaidou has suddenly been hospitalized?!
#13 - Summer Vacation (Part 2) / New Year
Season 2 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/24/2018
Hinata has been coming up with new ideas for sweets one after another all throughout summer vacation, but struggles to focus on her studies and deciding which high schools to apply to. Rei decides to invite the three Kawamoto sisters to some nagashi somen fun at his school. When Hinata meets the members of Noguchi's Shogi Science Club and Hayashida, she begins considering Komahashi High, Rei's high school.
#14 - Kyoto
Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/4/2017
The second day of the fourth match for the Lion King Tournament begins. Rei sure does get caught up with strange people.
#15 - When the Cherry Blossoms Bloom / Small Murmur
Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 3/11/2017
The fourth match of the Lion King Tournament has finally ended. But for some reason, Rei finds himself in a very unfamiliar territory.
#16 - Rainy Season / Hachiya
Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/25/2017
Hinata is so enraged by her classmates and homeroom teacher. When Rei arrives for a visit at the Kawamoto home, he treats Hinata with kindness in his own way. On the other hand, the semi-finals of the Newcomer Tournament are here. Rei’s opponent is Subaru Hachiya, the “Irritated Prince of the East.” How will Rei fare against this strong, irritable yet irritating player?
#17 - The Old Year / The New Year
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/24/2016
All of Rei's matches are done for the year, but a small tragedy happens as the year comes to a close. Will Rei be able to overcome it?
#18 - Burnt Field (Part 1) / Burnt Field (Part 2)
Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/3/2018
Rei and Nikaidou are to be the board commentators for the final Kishou Championship match between Yanagihara and Shimada. All of the reporters and staff members that attend the pre-game reception turn out to be old friends of Yanagihara, who has been the reigning Kishou champion for years. Despite the immense pressure of an “away game” for the challenger, Shimada, he is determined more than ever to win his very first title.
#19 - Being Here / Summer Vacation (Part 1)
Season 2 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/17/2018
Crescent Moon will put up a food stand at the March Town summer festival featuring "sweet chilled rice flour dumpling and syrup," an idea that Akari and Hinata came up with. Hinata also visits Chiho at the beginning of summer vacation. Chiho has gotten her smile back, even though she still bears the emotional scars of bullying.
#20 - Harunobu / Beyond the Night Sky
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/22/2016
Showdown between Rei and Harunobu in a shogi match! Will Harunobu finally defeat his lifelong rival? Tune in as we celebrate the end of Obon.
#21 - Burnt Field (Part 3) / Burnt Field (Part 4)
Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/10/2018
It’s the final match of the Kishou Championship and the honorary title of “Eternal Kishou” is on the line for Yanagihara. As the shogi game approaches the final stage, Shimada is dominating. Yanagihara reflects on how he’s been entrusted with metaphorical relay race-like “sashes” from friends who have given up or retired from the professional shogi world. Even while feeling bound by this pressure, Yanagihara continues to play.
#22 - Something Given
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/17/2016
Rei's next match is with Mr. Yasui. Mr. Yasui's memories with his daughter are on the line, so will Rei throw the match, or will he bring misery to others by winning?
#23 - Where the Sun Shines / Small World
Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/23/2017
Just when Rei thought he found a happy place within school, that place begins to disappear. Meanwhile, Shimada has a match against Gakuto Sakurai 7th-Dan, as they vie for the right to challenge Yanagihara, the venerable reigning Kishou champion.
#24 - What Lies on the Opposite Shore / Black River
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/7/2017
Rei runs astray a little bit, but gets right back on track. Can he bear the cold jokes from his latest opponent, Tsujii, and emerge victorious?
#25 - Flowing Away / White Storm
Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/20/2018
Chairman Jinguuji focuses more on attracting customers to the commemorative match between Souya and Rei, though Shimada warns him that neither Souya nor Rei are comfortable being the center of attention. On the eve of their match in Morioka, Rei and Souya attend a reception in honor of it, even though Rei is extremely nervous about playing against the Meijin for the first time.
Want to see the rest of the rankings?
Episode Ninja is a small business run by one person.
Pro memberships help fund servers and new feature development!