March Comes in Like a Lion - Ch. 201

[REMasher]

Damn, that was intense.

 

[Zenz]

HAHAHAHA SHIMADA YOU FOOL!!!! That's what Kiriyama used to think too!! He thought that without a place to belong he was stronger. That he needed that obsession with winning, to cling onto shogi because its the only thing he has and that pushes him to fight harder. He thought that now that he had a family, he couldn't fight anymore.

AND HE WAS WRONG SHIMADA!!!! HE TALKED ABOUT THINGS WITH HINA!!!! HE LET HER KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON INSTEAD OF CARRYING IT BY HIMSELF LIKE USUAL!!!! AND LOOK AT NIKAIDOU'S MATCH. KIRIYAMA IS SO MUCH STRONGER NOW, HE'S ENJOYING SHOGI AGAIN!!! HE'S HAVING //FUN//

No. The lighter Kiriyama now, is so, so much stronger than before

 

[PutuKa]

Man, that's really good, Shimada thought of Rei who become more humane, the feeling that Kiriyama stepping further away from the "Monster" realm as we know that in early days Shimada thought kiriyama is the one that's closer to Meijin thought of process, how he had the same aura of emptiness like Meijin and so.

And i'm pretty sure what Shimada refer to "weakness" is refering to what I said. You can see that the Meijin depicted as a monster who descend from the God realm from everyone else perspective, one that feel untouchable, and Kiriyama was giving aura close to that.

 

[kumahyung]

hoping that shimada will find comfort that he deserve too just like rei <3

 

[binhex]

Now that I think about it, this manga tends to analogize shogi with sea, doesn't it. Rei drowning in shogi when he has no place to stand on, Shimada trying to reach Shouya as the "sands beneath his feet" is pulled away by "white crests born one after another" symbolizing his struggle to even keep his rank in shogi with everyone coming to take his place.

Also that makes it an irony because Shouya is also drowning in the depths of shogi but that is also the thing that puts him in the highest place. While people are "climbing" to reach him, Shouya is simply drowning deeper.

It's a nice thought, when this manga ends I'd love to write an analysis about it.

The manga has had such deep ties to water from the beginning. The imagery we see from Rei's inner mind always has seas, rivers, and storms. In one of his first matches with Shimada he suddenly felt overwhelmed like a raging sea that buried him deep under water and he could not find what direction up was.

 

[binhex]

I hope that Shimada can find love with Akari. She could warm him up and soothe him and he could learn that he can have shoji and love. I hope those new shogi doors Rei has opened, and his connection with Hina allow him to withstand Shimada. Even if Shimada wins, I want him limping out of there with a few hairs falling off.

 

[crazyace18]

As a Shimada 8-dan fan, I’m rooting for him!! Go beat Rei! <3

I think he is happy for Rei and believes this is healthier and better for him overall. So far, Rei seems to be keeping a good work-life balance, but I think Shimada-san isn’t wrong in thinking that he can ‘beat a human.’ Shimada-san thinks of himself as very human (see Ch. 145), and while there is the idea that Souya-san and the other ‘winged’ players are ‘gods’ and thus untouchable, I feel Shimada-san’s strength is that he knows and understands people and can thus assess himself and others accurately.

Thinking of Rei as a human he can beat isn’t a commentary solely on Rei’s abilities; it’s also an assessment of his own strengths—Shimada-san is good at beating people when he analyzes them as people. I don’t read the line as Rei = more human = weaker, I read it as Rei = more human = Shimada can read him better because it’s playing to Shimada-san’s strengths.

Looking forward to seeing how it plays out, of course—because just because he can beat a human doesn’t mean he will!

Thanks as always for a great translation, Hi Wa Mata Noburo!! It’s always a joy to read 💜

 

[Saybah]

He has been chasing the spectre that is Souya
and the old Kiriyama are close to the inhuman Souya as he threw everything into Shogi and left little to no on other aspect of life.

Kiriyama is now closer to "normal human" as he gain happiness in life outside shogi and to Shimada, he is "easier" to "read" and beat now compare to the ghost-like old Kiriyama.

but the next chapter might prove him wrong.

Ah yeah that makes more sense.

I was a bit confused because we clearly see Kiriyama's Shogi is as strong as ever judging from his battle with Nikaidou so I was expecting Shimada to get that, but if he's still chasing Souya's shadow it makes sense for him to reach that conclusion instead.

 

[r31ya]

Is it just me or the chapter 201 went missing from the list?

 

[Ebyandsmartie]

I'm trying to remember... But is Smith and Shimada remembering something in reference to a prior event that I can't remember, or simply something new? Also what do you interpret Smith's request to Shimada to mean. It kinda feels like, "Don't hold back!"

 

[kokeko]

BEAT HIS ASS SHIMADA

 

[Dennis-aka-Denji]

Finally a good chapter again

 

[squoghunter1492]

I am deeply confused as to why chapters 195-201 are repeating the contents of chapters 188-193. Is there a discrepancy between the collected volume chapter numbers and the magazine chapter numbers?