Yuki, Kenshi Yonezu to Perform March comes in like a lion Anime's New Theme Songs

This year's 24th issue of Hakusensha's Young Animal magazine revealed on Friday that the television anime of Chika Umino's March comes in like a lion (Sangatsu no Lion) manga will introduce new theme songs in January. Singer YUKI will perform the opening theme, "Sayonara Bystander" (Goodbye Bystander), while Kenshi Yonezu will perform the ending theme, "Orion."

The single for YUKI's "Sayonara Bystander" ships on February 1, 2017.

BUMP OF CHICKEN performs the anime's current opening theme song, and the anime uses the band's song "Fighter" as its ending theme song. BUMP OF CHICKEN collaborated with the March comes in like a lion manga in 2014 for an animated music video for "Fighter."

March comes in like a lion premiered on NHK in Japan in October. The anime premiered for North American audiences on Crunchyroll and Daisuki in October. Crunchyroll streams the series as it airs, and Daisuki streams the episodes a week later.

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.

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.

Umino started the series in Young Animal in 2007, and Hakusensha shipped the 12th compiled volume in September. 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.​