This review includes no spoilers and is meant for both seasons
Story
First off, Sangatsu no Lion is a heavily character-driven story, there is, in other words, no set goal. Although, once you start moving places, you will see arcs with their own specific objective. That said, Sangatsu no Lion won't give the answer straight to you. One has to look at the whole picture and piece together what it's telling you. At least, at some points. Shogi is a crucial component and tool in Sangatsu no Lion. It's used in the most unexpected ways. There are times when we get to learn the rules of shogi through some cute stories of cats. But at the end of the day, I wouldn't be worried too much if you can't understand all those sharp and seriously in-depth games. As long as you acknowledge that it tells a story through shogi, you will be fine. Much of the psychological elements, to behavior, actions, mannerism, and all that good stuff is clearly conveyed through the games of shogi. That's one of the reasons which make Sangatsu no Lion stand out from other anime. It does it delicately and is not afraid to play the long game. But at the end of it all. The pay-off more than enough makes up for it, if anything. Oh, not only that. The sounds of shogi pieces smacking on the board are oddly satisfying. I can't be the only one that thought that, right?On top of that, Rei's inner monologuing adds even more flavor to an already fantastic anime adaptation. Above all that, Sangatsu no lion uses a good deal of metaphors through visual and psychological. In an incredibly fascinating, captivating way. In other words, it's also a highly complex anime and certainly not for everyone but more on that later. Among others, it does a great job of depicting life realistically. The good it carries, the bad, and how this affects anyone in either a terrible depressive. Or a more positive and happy way. In which case, it shows us how loneliness affects our ways of thinking and how it can be dangerous to not surround yourself with warmth if possible. Moreover, it shows the process of opening up to others in great detail, like many other aspects. It's not as easy as it sounds, a human being can be quite stubborn and shy even. It goes through all of that in extensive detail. Expect it to be quite comprehensive and delve deep, so, at the end of the road, you will understand the character far better than you would think at first. I said it before, and I will repeat it once more. Sangatsu no Lion is not afraid to bring up any side character and totally take them apart. So you can fully understand their reasoning and philosophy for life among so much else you have to watch to believe.
It's true that Sangatsu no Lion tells a depressive and dark story, but there is some comedy to be had. In fact, it balances out that aspect so exceptionally well that it never ceases to astound me when the mood changes at the drop of a hat. Sangatsu no Lion will not only give you a highly impacting character-driven story. But the wholesome moments which will heal you when you are down in the dumps are here too. It's so cute and fluffy, all at once, that it will definitely ease the pain from the more darker parts of the story. I mean, if it was hopeless and gloomy all at times, it might have ended up as a double-edged sword. So this is a nice touch that gives your mind a break from the dark for a moment. When we do take a break, you can also expect to see some food-related themes and in a general sense. My recommendation is to always have something to eat with you. Or you will, for a fact, regret it when you see some amazingly tasty-looking anime food on your screen.
Oh, let me add this one too, but I won't delve too deep into this topic for obvious reasons. Sangatsu no Lion does have a slow romance that, in fact, builds up over time as our character progress. Just don't watch it for that reason since you would come out disappointed if you are a hardcore romance fan, I imagine. It's not the main topic. This anime is trying to mess around with. That said, it gradually and tastefully builds up in the background, and it's so damn cute not gonna lie. I also want to point out that Sangatsu no Lion has one of my top favorite arcs in anime and manga as a whole. Only a few come close if you ask me. So studio shaft did a fantastic job of adapting this one arc, especially. Everything to the direction and execution harmonized with each other perfectly and hit all the right notes. It's a common theme delved into anime or manga, but only some manage to a great job of executing it. Sangatsu no Lion is one of those very few that actually went the extra mile and blew this one out of the park.
Now the first season tells a great story by itself. Still, the second season is in a completely different league altogether. But one thing is sure if it was not for the first season is a significant success hitting all the right notes in the right place. The second season would no doubt be near as emotionally impacting. Expect to cry, expect to laugh, and expect to notice many emotions you didn't think you already had. Sangatsu no Lion is one of a kind in that way. You will definitely not regret watching this classic if you are looking for an incredibly intricate character-driven story with shogi elements and a dash of tasteful romance.
Sound
When it comes to the instruments, effects, any kind of sound at all in Sangatsu, no Lion is impactful and feels real. Studio Shaft nails every little detail, regardless of what type of mood we are in at the moment. It definitely complements nicely with the art-style to boot, which is another highly positive component. More on that soon. The soundtrack is absolutely beautiful and hits right on the dot with different vibes. You will be surprised at how one tune will make you all happy-go-lucky inside, but the next might gives you immense goosebumps and hit hard where it hurts the most. On top of that, every opening song relies on symbolism, and the songs by itself are top-notch. My favorite is the first opening song by Bump of Chicken and OMG! I love the meaning of those lyrics. It's so vast and meaningful to Rei as a character. I also love the first and second ending song. One by the same artist and the other by Kenshi Yonezu. Both are wonderful, and I love it way too much. Let's not forget about the first season-opening two, which is also just great. Not my cup of tea in terms of the song, but it's just as important and impacting as the rest of the opening and endings.Art
The art tells its own story, and that's not empty words mind you. Since studio Shaft does an absolutely phenomenal job of conveying all kinds of emotions, feelings, regret, sorrow, and even sadness through that simple but extremely expressive art-style. On top of that, the coloring is spot-on. If it's dark, the art gets darkened and a more greyish tone but still being very colorful. For comedy, it feels fluffy, shiny, and happy, and so forth. It never ceases to astound me since the art-style color palette always hits on the mark when it comes to our character's mood. This is Shaft we are talking about, and it should be as expected. But this is no easy thing to make a reality, so you have to give some insane credits for accomplishing this. Not to mention keeping it the norm as it gets even more intricate and intense as you move on to the second season. Let's also not forget to appreciate the highly detailed background. They are so damn beautiful, and more or less, each frame is worthy of becoming a wallpaper. Its amazing Shaft has been able to accomplish something like this and kept it going strong. I can't even imagine if the next seasons come around. It will surely be on another level once again.
Characters
As previously stated, characters play a considerable role in Sangatsu no Lion. Let's talk about our main - Rei Kiriyama for a moment. I don't know how to put it without falling into spoilers territory. However, his progress from the first season to the second season is stunningly executed. It was realistic in terms of how long it took for him to change and accept reality and embrace it tightly. At first, Rei comes off as a negative and depressive guy who just doesn't seem to have any purpose in life. He seems to be at the end of the road and could break at any point now. You can't really blame him either when you learn his side of the story, and all hell he had to go through. Everyone is in for a surprise when they find out how he is still somewhat going and not completely given up at life. Regardless, what I am trying to get across here is that Rei is an entirely different person from his first season counterpart. Without a shadow of out, one of the best-written characters and the development is tastefully and very satisfying executed step by step. I am focusing more on Rei as to no spoil some other major characters. Don't let that make you assume they don't get the spotlight, though. Since as I have made it abundantly clear by now, they do and then some.
The Negative
Suffice to say Sangatsu no Lion is not for everyone. The pacing is very slow, but it gives room for additional brilliant and emotionally profound and thorough character development. That one arc, especially, just blew me away, and I was an utter mess through it. Though, that's only the beginning. During one of the shogi matches. I was conflicted with myself in whom I should root for. Both characters had their own noble reasons for fighting. However, fleshing them out through emotionally packing backstory and shogi put me in a tight spot. Who did I fancy more? Who did I want to win? All kinds of similar thoughts were swirling inside my head. And I was at war with myself more times than I could possibly count. Sangatsu no Lion made me feel all sorts of emotions I thought I didn't have to put it plain and simple.But sadly, not without faults. If I had to point out some "issues," It would have to be the inconsistency in pacing like you skipped an episode. This was not common, but when it happened, it was definitely a bothersome sensation. Sometimes it also felt like character bonds were established way too quickly with the supporting cast and not giving it enough room to develop first. On top of that, Sangatsu no Lion has en huge cast, and I wished many more got explored and revived attention. Regardless of all the mentioned problems, do take it with a large grain of salt. While I did want somethings were handled even more delicately. At the end of the day, I have much more praise than things to pick on with Sangatsu no Lion. Undoubtedly, I had an absolute blast watching it, and without a shadow of a doubt. It's now one of my all-time favorite anime and one of the best out there to boot, no question asked. Not to mention, it's not like this is not something a sequel or reading ahead in the manga can fix, so it's really not that much a problem if you look it at that way.