Seventeen-year-old Rei Kiriyama attained the rank of professional shogi player during middle school, an exceptional feat achieved by only a handful of players in history. Yet behind his prodigy status lies deep emotional desolation. Orphaned in a fatal road collision during childhood, Rei was taken in by his father's friend and fellow shogi professional, Kouda. Within the Kouda household, Rei's natural talent stoked resentment among his foster siblings, creating an unbearable domestic fracture that forced him to move out into a sparse apartment in Rokugatsucho, Tokyo, living entirely on his tournament earnings while struggling through high school.

Grappling with severe depression and social withdrawal, Rei's life shifts when he encounters the Kawamoto sisters across the Sumida River in Sangatsucho: the nurturing eldest sister Akari, the compassionate and resilient middle schooler Hinata, and the cheerful youngest sister Momo. Supported by their grandfather Someji, who runs the family traditional sweets shop Mikazuki-do, the Kawamotos welcome Rei into their daily lives with warm meals and unreserved empathy.

Across the professional circuit, Rei confronts seasoned veterans such as the dogged Kai Shimada and the reigning master Meijin Souya Toyoshima, pushed forward by his energetic childhood peer Harunobu Nikaido. As Rei learns to defend the people who anchored his spirit, particularly through Hinata's harrowing middle school bullying crisis and his own evolving romantic awakening, his journey evolves from mere survival into a heartfelt defense of human connection.

What to Expect

The narrative balances deliberate psychological introspection with high-stakes tactical board matches. Matches are portrayed not as athletic spectacles, but as internal crucibles where competitors lay bare their life philosophies, aging faculties, and personal anxieties. Emotional pacing transitions smoothly between the serene domestic comedy of the Kawamoto home and the suffocating mental tension of title matches. For readers arriving from the critically acclaimed Studio Shaft television adaptation, the anime covers Chapters 1 through 89 across two seasons; continuing directly from Chapter 90 allows readers to witness key milestones including the high school graduation arc, professional title challenges, and Rei's protective growth.

Who Will Enjoy This

Best suited to readers seeking character-driven seinen dramas, philosophical slice-of-life narratives, and realistic competitive settings. Fans of works that explore grief, mental health recovery, and found families will find resonance in Rei's rehabilitation.