“A short article on 3-gatsu no lion”

3-gatsu no lion, also known as March comes like a lion is not just a story to tell. It’s an opera of words. Something that can’t be enlightened to until it is observed. It plays with words that tinkles our heart and twitches our brain. Watching this show offen I felt warmth in my heart and cold blaze at my feet. Very few shows there are that sunk me as deep as 3-gatsu had taken me. The show doesn’t focus on delivering extreme impacts but creating moods to empathise with.

Slowly, gently, deeply.

The aura of the show causes dizziness and many scenes are hypnotic. Words are pointy to some of life’s darkness yet simple enough to grasp. And all together they manifest a world of subconsciousness where one can float without any worries or uncomfortness. Anime is basically a safe zone from circumstances and conflicts of reality. We watch anime to enjoy in being unrealistic, imagine ourselves in fictional world. Breaking ourselves out of our four walls of shadow. We laugh on their joy, remorse to their sorrow, felt as if we’re fighting along side with them in battles. And 3-gatsu has the very basis of it. It is a show for weekly basis, allowing you to escape from all those confusions and anxiety that other shows offen creates. This intention of the show also reflects through Rei’s desires as he desperately finds his way back at trio sisters’ motherly household.

Words are exquisite care of execution.

Alluring with charming monologues they offen obliviate us of what we had expected. Every speech was designed to stand on its own and strike to capture us in its dilemma. Words are the root of a story. No matter how thrilling a story is, without the right choice of words it can collapse, leaving many sites unfold, confusing us with whether we were right or not. Though there are also stories which intentionally hides them to make the viewers cook their own alternatives. They plant clues in words to take viewers to the truth. But our story here is the simplest form of presentation. It never plays with us, never hide, never pretend. It’s like a box of colourful candies, each has a distinct taste. You can never guess what comes next. Each episode is seperated in three chapters and each chapter is a cocktail of delight and despair.

Express to explain

Every living being have feelings, even cats and dogs and Studio Shaft has beautifully expresses them with its utmost intensity, taking even a step further on adding amusing SFX to wall’s and door’s expressions as if they were alive. These small gestures gave every part of that world a reason to exist, not just some details. Like that time when momo been chased by a dog and the dog kept saying “cute”. How a horrifying situation for momo turned into relish for us. Even expressions are subtitled on the screen to through an impact. In a way, a show with so little going can evolve into a beast.

Their words had forked a lightning thy.

Diving in deep despair, they also pulls us out with their optimism behaviour. Main characters are designed to express as shocked, scared and petrify on weird situations despite their broken hearts. While others are there to construct the palette of emotions. Kyouko in particular is a source to cause pain with her razor sharp words and our sweet fuffy momo is to lighten it up. Rei’s narration as well as an insightful direction that is willing to let it’s imagery speak for itself. Secondary characters are subjected in time to stretch the contents and connect them to increase the diameter of the settings. It doesn’t jump from one aspect to another but containing them as a whole.

Visuals act as an auditor. Narrowing down the storytelling to adjustable standard to give us a sense of what’s going on while elaborating with stunning visual illustrations. Just like a painter expresses his thoughts with a single brushstroke. At the first scene we didn’t know much about what’s going on. And it doesn’t explain everything in that moment either. But offering an entry point to the scene and hinting at a deeper subtext it constructs the stage. Then putting Characters at their place it concludes with the starting. After that it let the Characters make their own flow of world, like Rei’s room is cold while Kawamotos’ house has warmth. Meeting their demands it starts the storytelling. And that’s how a story should be told.

From award-winning mangaka Chico Umino (best known for Honey and Clover) a good story is expected. But for me 3-gatsu no lion is an experience to find hope despite the scenario we are in. Ripping the audience apart and stitching them back, it acts as a circle of life. For me it’s a perfect slice of life.

P.s : water and rivers are offen shown because our MC is characterised as water, taking any shape as given. He’s strong as an ice whenever he plays shogi but immediately melts afterward



