25 minSeason 2 • Episode 22
LatestRei finally pays a visit to his adoptive mother's residence, after neglecting to visit ever since he moved out. Afterwards, Rei invites Hina and Takahashi for some monja as a last farewell. But before Hina starts high school, she decides to do something drastic.
This is a gentle tale about people trying to regain something. And it is a tale of battle. Rei Kiriyama had lost his family in an accident when he was young. Now he is a 17-year-old pro shogi player who is burdened with deep loneliness. Rei lives alone in an old town in Tokyo, but after becoming acquainted with three sisters, Akari, Hinata and Momo, he begins to change little by little...
Direction
Shaft's visual metaphors turn shogi matches into psychological warfare.
Writing
Chapters breathe like short stories—some episodes are pure poetry.
Score
Yuki Kajiura and bump of chicken wreck you perfectly.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shogi is Japan's second most popular professional board game; the series made competitive shogi viewership spike among young women.
Creator Chica Umino insisted Rei's depression never be 'cured'—only lived with, making this one of anime's most honest mental health portraits.
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