March comes like a lion TV Anime's Promo Video Previews Bump of Chicken's Song

The official website for the television anime of Chika Umino's March comes in like a lion (Sangatsu no Lion) manga began streaming a new promotional video on Monday. The video introduces the aspiring shōgi player Rei Kiriyama and the other characters. It also previews the opening theme song "Answer" by the rock band BUMP OF CHICKEN.


The story of the March comes in like a lion manga follows a solitary shōgi player named Rei and his relationships with a neighboring family. He becomes acquainted with Akari, and two young girls, Hinata and Momo, who also have have a large number of cats.

The anime's cast includes:
Kengo Kawanishi as Rei Kiriyama
Ai Kayano as Akari Kawamoto
Kana Hanazawa as Hinata Kawamoto
Misaki Kuno as Momo Kawamoto
Nobuhiko Okamoto as Harunobu Nikaidō
Marina Inoue as Kyōko Kōda
Yoshimasa Hosoya as Yūsuke Takahashi
Shinichiro Miki as Kai Shimada
Tomokazu Sugita as Tatsuyuki Misumi
Subaru Kimura as Issa Matsumo
Shigeru Chiba as Someji Kawamoto
Toru Ohkawa as Masuchika Kōda
Takahiro Sakurai as Takashi Hayashida

Akiyuki Simbo (Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Bakemonogatari) is directing the anime at SHAFT. Nobuhiro Sugiyama (ef: a tale of memories, Arakawa Under the Bridge, Nisekoi - False Love) is designing the characters for animation. Seiki Tamura (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, K-ON!, Mr. Osomatsu) is credited for art direction, while Yasuhiro Nakura (Nekomonogatari (Black), Monogatari Series Second Season, Hanamonogatari key animation) is credited for art setting. Yukari Hashimoto (Toradora!, Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, Mr. Osomatsu) is composing the music, while Toshiki Kameyama(Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei, Nisekoi - False Love, Kan Colle) is the sound director. NHK listed the anime with 22 episodes.

In addition to the opening theme song by BUMP OF CHICKEN, the anime will use the band's song "Fighter" as its ending theme song.BUMP OF CHICKEN collaborated with March comes in like a lion in 2014 for an animated music video for "Fighter."

The anime will premiere on October 8.

Umino started the series in Young Animal in 2007, and Hakusensha released the 11th compiled volume last September. Hakusensha will ship the 12th volume on September 29. The series has won several awards including the Manga Taisho award and Kodansha Manga award in 2011. The manga also won the 18th Tezuka Osamu Prizes' Top Award in March 2014.

The manga is also inspiring two live-action films starring Ryunosuke Kamiki in the lead role, and Keishi Ōtomo directing. The films will open in Japan in 2017.​