18-Year-Long Seinen Manga Announces Finale, Fans Share Their Reactions
After 18 years of storytelling, the beloved seinen manga March Comes In Like a Lion is set to conclude with Volume 19. Volume 18 is scheduled for release on September 29, continuing the story from Chapter 195.
While a release date for the final volume hasn’t been confirmed, fans can likely expect it in roughly two years, following the series’ usual schedule. According to @MangaMoguraRE on X, the manga has published 216 chapters so far, all of which will eventually be collected in Volume 19.
"March Comes in Like a Lion" by Chica Umino will END with the next volume 19!
— Manga Mogura RE (Anime & Manga News) (@MangaMoguraRE) September 28, 2025
Human Drama about an introvert teenage Shogi player who lost his family early is struggling with the challanges of life and loneliness while gradually bonding with a three-sister household.… pic.twitter.com/wkPyDNJlrR
Created by Chica Umino, March Comes In Like a Lion (Japanese: 3月のライオン, Sangatsu no Raion) follows Rei Kiriyama, a shy professional shogi player, as he navigates both his career and personal relationships.
The series debuted in 2007 in Hakusensha’s Young Animal magazine and has steadily gained recognition for its thoughtful storytelling, psychological depth, and emotional resonance, even though it diverges from typical seinen tropes by leaning into slice-of-life themes.
The manga’s anime adaptation by Shaft aired in two seasons on NHK G, the first running from October 2016 to March 2017 and the second from October 2017 to March 2018. Each season had 22 episodes. English-speaking audiences were able to watch the dubbed version, released in four parts by Aniplex of America between December 2017 and April 2019.
Additionally, a two-part live-action film was released in 2017, and a spin-off manga titled March Comes In Like a Lion – The Untold Showa-Era Tale: Scorching Times ran from 2015 to 2020, though it has yet to receive an anime adaptation.
The franchise has received multiple accolades, including the fourth Manga Taishō, the 35th Kodansha Manga Award in the general category, the 18th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize’s Grand Prize, and the Grand Prix at the 24th Japan Media Arts Festival. Critics have praised the manga and anime for their sensitive portrayal of character psychology and emotional growth.
Fans have reacted strongly to the news of the final volume. Many have expressed both excitement and concern about how the story will conclude. One fan wrote, “Hopefully Shaft can adapt it to the end. I’m sure the manga is great, but I love the Shaft touch too much to read it.”
Another shared, “One of the most underrated manga out there, truly a masterpiece in both emotional development and drama.” Others expressed hope for a third anime season, saying, “It’s a pity that there hasn’t been a third season animation in 8 years.”
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