What They Say:
“Chapter 62 Kingdom (Part 1) / Chapter 63 Kingdom (Part 2)”
On the night before she leaves for a school trip to Kyoto, Hinata has dinner at home with Rei and her family, but can’t finish the food on her plate because of a stomachache. Rei also leaves the same day as Hinata, but goes to Osaka to challenge Junkei Yamazaki for the Newcomer Tournament final.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
This week’s episode begins with a familiar scene of Rei having dinner at the sisters’ house. It’s not just any dinner though since Rei is scheduled to travel the next day to Osaka for the Newcomers Tournament finals and Hina is also going away on her school trip to Kyoto. As you can imagine the poor girl can barely eat and even though she tries to cover for it, it’s easy to tell the reason her stomach is upset. Even Akari tells her she doesn’t have to go if she doesn’t want to but she insists as she feels she’ll regret it in the future.
Now, this is where it gets interesting for me. I loved how the show links it back to Rei’s own decisions and even to the talk he had with Takahashi about not wanting memories of running away or giving up. It really cements the idea that March has always been aware of where it wanted to go and not just aimlessly drifting in drama. As far as everyone’s decisions go, I do believe it’s okay for people not to do something if it’s just going to make them suffer, but it’s a bit different when it comes to something like this. If it’s a landmark in Hina’s life, a memory most people share and probably something she would have looked forward had all of this not happened, then the bullies have no right to take it away from her. She needs to go, even if it’s just to say “I am here, you don’t get to win”.
Hina’s strength paired with Nikkaidou’s who kept playing right until he collapsed, inspire Rei. If these two people who at first glance appear frail can summon such courage and resilience, how can he possibly lose his match? In fact, he decides he owes it to Nikkaidou to win since he knows the reason he pushed forward with such vigor was so he could play against Rei in the finals. No one is guaranteed victory but not giving it his all, entering a match while thinking he might lose is akin to betrayal.
It proves to be a fascinating match but not because of any of the moves, but because of what’s going on inside Rei’s head. You can really see the growth he’s had, especially after the match with Hachiya. While getting food at a local market in Osaka, he overhears a conversation about him, his next opponent and the match he had against Nikkaidou. It makes him angry to think Yamazaki noticed Nikkaidou’s weakness and prolonged the match on purpose just so he could win. The other guys are saying that it makes sense to use everything you have at your disposal to ensure your victory, but Rei thinks otherwise. To Rei, Yamazaki was not really making his best effort; he wasn’t studying his rival’s plays or observing him closely, but instead taking advantage of a physical weakness and playing it safe, not really having any strategy of his own.
When Yamazaki sits down in front of him, these ideas are already swimming in Rei’s head and you can obviously see how he keeps getting angrier and angrier. This is the same haughty Rei that played against Hachiya, but it doesn’t feel quite as funny here. What’s more, he seems to be in danger of throwing the match just to teach this guy a lesson. In the end, he is saved by his friends’ words. Nikkaidou, in particular, keeps popping up in his head telling him not to be reckless and to take care of himself. These memories plus Hina’s kindness, her courage and even Akari’s fortitude in the face of loneliness, bring him back to his senses. The episode does an amazing job at this visually, portraying Rei’s anger in a style reminiscent of rough pencil sketches and the memories of his friends’ in soft pastel colors. It really brings to life the message of light coming in to wash away the darkness.
Another great thing about the story is how Rei is no longer thinking of winning or losing at Shogi as some kind of validation for his existence. What maters most to Rei right now are the people he loves. This becomes apparent right after the match when upon discovering what kind of medication Shimada takes for his own nervous stomach aches, Rei rushes to the train station and travels all the way to Kyoto only to find Hina and give it to her. It’s a beautiful scene from beginning to end and I found it really easy to connect with what Hina was feeling at that moment. Now, I know the series isn’t about that at all, but could it be Hayashida sensei is right about these two?
In Summary:
March is really going strong this season and so, it delivers another excellent episode. I love shows like this where you can see how all the events and even the little things are connected and you can easily map the progress the characters have had. It makes you feel you’re a witness to these people’s lives like you know them. This episode, in particular, managed to be deep and profoundly related to the past, but in a gentle way, so it never felt forced. As usual, the visuals and the music proved excellent in reinforcing the mood and the ideas the story was trying to get across.
Grade: A+
Streamed By: Crunchyroll