Anime vs. Real Life returns this week with another look at the real life locations of Studio Shaft’s fantastic drama, March comes in like a lion.
Last week’s installment introduced you to the show’s main locations, Shinkawa and Tsukuda, two residential areas in central Tokyo. These will again be the focus of this week’s article, but also the Sendagaya area within Shibuya Ward, where Kiriyama Rei’s shogi hall is located. There’s a lot to love about March comes in like a lion, deep and interesting characters, a unique visual style, and both the opening and ending themes performed by Bump of Chicken. However, a thing that I always appreciate while watching anime, is to see the characters take an actual and realistic path from A to B. If a show’s setting is based on a real place, it adds a lot to the immersion and authenticity for me personally, when a character doesn’t just simply teleport around the neighborhood, but actually walks along a reasonable route. For example, we often get to see Rei’s commute from Shinkawa to the shogi hall, and the route he takes there (walking to Tokyo Station, taking the Chuo Line, switching to the Chuo-Sobu Line, getting off at Sendagaya Station, passing the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, walking down Green Mall Street, cutting through the Hatanomori Hachiman Shrine, to finally arrive at the shogi hall) would also be the one you and I would take in real life. Obviously, this makes finding these locations much easier for me, but I’d like to believe that it also adds a bit to the authenticity of a show’s setting, if only a little.
Now, I could name a whole list of shows that don’t do that (Yuri!!! On ICE, Flying Witch, Amanchu!), but let’s just get to the comparison shots. This article will focus on the entire second, and the first half of the third episode of March comes in like a lion.
*All images were taken with Google Street View
The first two images show the view from the Paris Plaza/Square in Tsukuda, overlooking the Sumida River.
The Chuo Bridge is easily one of the show’s most eye-catching locations. It’s one of the newer bridges crossing the Sumida River, with a length of 210 meters and a width of 25 meters. The steel bridge connects the Shinkawa area (where Rei lives) with the Tsukuda area (the place where the three sisters live).
We often get to see the river, because it’s actually one of the very few things that Rei likes. Seeing a lot of water gathered together is oddly soothing for him, and reminds him of the town he lived in during his younger days, which was surrounded by a river on all sides.
The view from Takabashi Bridge. We only get to see the backside of the flood gate here, but there’ll be a picture of the front side a little further down.
I already talked about the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium (building to the left) in last week’s article, but the building to the right is the Tsuda Hall, a facility of the Tsuda College. It’s a private women's college founded in 1900, but the actual college itself is located in Kodaira, west of Tokyo.
I’m showering Studio Shaft with a lot of praise for the most part, but they completely messed up here, big time. Do you remember the two vending machines I mentioned in last week’s piece? Long story short, March comes in like a lion is based on a manga which started serialization back in 2007. Some of the locations that were shown in the manga have since then changed in the real world. Shaft; however, decided to stick with the ‘outdated’ manga locations, like the old Tokyo Station façade, or the old color scheme of these two vending machines, which were green and white in the first episode. It’s hard to see with the small images, but are you able to spot the just mentioned vending machines in the lower right corner of the anime picture? They’re white and blue here, like they are in real life. Really sloppy, Shaft.
Entrance to the Hatanomori Hachiman Shrine.
The headquarters of the Japanese Shogi Association
You probably recognize this one from your last trip to Japan – the Wako Ginza. Located right in the center of the famous (and expensive) Ginza shopping and entertainment district, the Wako Ginza, with the landmark Hattori Clock Tower, is a luxury department store, known for selling watches and jewelry. Rei got dragged to a hostess club in Ginza by two fellow shogi players, after winning the match. Keep in mind that Rei is still not allowed to consume alcohol, as the legal drinking age in Japan is 20. Hostess clubs are basically bars, employing primarily female employees, who keep the customer company during his stay, mainly doing small talk, pouring drinks, etc. – self-evidently, only for a high fee. Any form of sexual contact is strictly prohibited in these establishments.
A warehouse along one of the canals of the Sumida River.
Rei is on his way to the house of the Kawamoto family, which should take him around 15 minutes in real life.
As promised, the front side of the Kamejima River flood gate.
This one is already from the third episode of March comes in like a lion. We get to see the Ferris Wheel, atop the Tokyu Plaza Kamata department store, during Rei’s flashback.
Let’s end this week’s edition of Anime vs. Real Life with a peculiar one. Hanaoka, Harunobo Nikaidou’s butler, got his master a little gift after his short cruise trip. Steamed buns from Macao! The tower which can be seen on the packaging is the 338 meter high Macao Tower. Macao is one of China’s special administrative regions, and is located a bit west of Hong Kong. The city is mainly known for its many casinos (Macao is the only place in China where those are legal), so gambling tourism makes up most of the city’s economy. It’s been a while since the last time I was in Macao, but the Macao Tower did have an awesome glass floor.
How have you been liking March comes in like a lion so far? Sound off in the comments below!
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You can follow Wilhelm on Twitter @Surwill.
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