A Review. Story: 10. Art: 10. Characters: 10. Enjoyment: 10. Overall: 10
Outstanding, just as amazing as its first season.
After watching the first few episodes, it feels like returning to a warm home on a chilly autumn day, being engulfed by the sweet scent of apple pie and hugging my cup of hot cocoa.
Story: (10/10)
Everything is told through such a beautiful way like a poem. Most of the emotions Kiriyama is feeling are presented to us through the art style, which plays a big part in how the story unfolds. It gives off subtle Your Lie in April vibes but without the extreme sadness.
Each episode is composed simply and even without a lot of action with the plot it still captures my attention. We follow our favorite protagonist from last season, Kiriyama Rei, as he embarks on a new journey. How his life has taken a turn and he now experiences new things he has never felt before.
He starts to feel welcome, realizes his worth, his character has made subtle changes from the beginning and it it heartwarming. Just seeing Kiriyama put thoughts into others and share his life with the sisters is such a wonderful sight. There are many more sights like this in the episodes to come, even if they are after boring shogi scenes you have to plow through them, promise.
Art: (10/10)
As stated previously, the way the style is drawn out captures the plot and conveys every emotion through color. It shows us what is going on inside Kiriyama without him having to give a monologue for us to understand.
The art style in itself is great, I admire how the producers created this masterpiece. Quality points I’d like to make, Kiriyama is stunning in the first few episodes so far, the colors are like watercolor and the lines are fine like ball point pens. Especially the scenery is like a painting. As expected from how fascinating the first season was. Refreshing none the least.
Sound: (10/10)
Who knew that a simple scene about making ramune make me cry?
The music captivates my heart and brings me to tears, just remembering the prequel through the reused sounds makes the scenes heartwarming.
The music is very nostalgic and they even kept the preview music from last season. That would have to be one of my favorite parts of the soundtrack.
Character: (10/10)
Our favorite boy, Kiriyama, is wonderful. I much more than just admire him, I relate to him in many ways. The way he grows at his own steady pace, how he is overcoming his loneliness, becoming stronger in his own special ways. Of course the spot light isn’t all just this memorable main character, the Kawamoto sisters are very valuable to the plot just as much as Nikaidou and Shimada. Even side characters such as Sensei Takashi are a delight to the plot and to Kiriyama’s development.
Each character has their flaws and their strengths, their own personalities and lives we look forward to getting to know. Not one character is without some part of Kiriyama’s life. Even if it means antagonists who really force Kiriyama to rethink his actions and push him over the edge. Especially when side character’s struggles are just as harsh as the main character’s, it shows that they are simply human. It is beautiful and I won’t ever forget the characters who taught, not only Kiriyama but me, lessons of life. As in every anime we look forward to watching, this one really hits home with the characters’ developments and struggles.
Enjoyment: (10/10)
I absolutely adore this series if you couldn’t tell. I don’t think I will ever stop admiring Kiriyama Rei. Since I did rewatch the first season I expect myself to rewatch this one. The purly subtle humor is always the best and creates a warm feeling of joy unlike most anime who force out jokes and represent comedy through inappropriate subjects. 3-gatsu no Lion does not disappoint with its mixture of emotional scenes and comedy relief moments.
I am truly happy to see Kiriyama finally happy in this season, he is slowly coming to love himself and those around him. He is having fun in high school, slowly opening up from how he was.
This series is very memorable and I hope to see anime styles like this for future anime. Although, the original is always the best.
Overall:
It has not changed much from its prequel. Capturing my heart with each episode, 10/10, glad Kiriyama crossed the bridge again.
By: Weeaboo-Walshy