What March Comes In Like a Lion excels at is giving the characters enough time to properly confront and overcome their struggles. Shaft also beautifully incorporates the amazing visuals that the manga itself uses to portray the situation said character is currently in.

However, what I personally find the most amazing thing about the show is how it uses water as its base theme to show what the characters are feeling at that moment in time. I've never seen a show use water as a way to visualize emotion before. It's such a unique concept.

Rei always loves walking around town and overseeing the river, it calms him down and it makes him feel at ease. During the Shogi matches the characters are allowed to have drinks and it uses the quick cuts between frames showing the bubbles to showcase the stress they're feeling.

Rei's confrontation with Kyouko takes place underneath the bridge and it illustrates this very bright reflection of silver, it immediately catches your attention— Something she always wanted from her father but never got due to Rei becoming apart of their family.

In the final arc of the first season our focus shifts towards how Rei wants to improve under the guidance of Shimada. As you can see during the match Rei is completely overwhelmed and has trouble catching up to him, also visualizing his lost match.

The opening itself also symbolizes the depression-like mindset Rei has as he is drowning in the sea. There's this significant difference in feel whenever Rei is alone on screen compared to whenever the other characters are beside him. It feels less somber than usual.

However the most notable use of this representation of emotion is none other than Hina. Prior to her character arc, in season one, she already has showed herself breaking down completely at the riverside, she decides to walk over to the river to isolate herself completely.

Probably the most powerful scene in Sangatsu itself is when Hina starts tearing down due to her getting bullied by her classmates. Again the somber tone and use of dark lighting for water adds to the scene itself but the small lights represent her realizing she isn't the wrong.

Again, I have yet to see a show use water as a visual motif so splendidly as March Comes In Like a Lion has. The series is an absolute must watch and I recommend everyone to check it out. A phenomenal Slice of Life series with a loveable cast and an amazing protagonist.