This year's second issue of Hakusensha's Young Animal magazine is revealing on Friday that the television anime of Chika Umino's March comes in like a lion (Sangatsu no Lion) manga is slated to premiere in fall on NHK.

The magazine also revealed that Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Bakemonogatari director Akiyuki Simbo is directing the anime at studio SHAFT.

The story of the 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 released the 11th compiled volume last 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' Grand Prize in March 2014.

Umino also drew the Honey and Clover manga that inspired two television anime series and a live-action film. She later drafted the original character designs for the Eden of the East anime.

A live-action film adaptation of the manga is also in the works.