Teach Me How to Play Shogi (Continued)
Next I'll introduce the characteristics of each type of cat.
- Okay! - Yes, please!
Yes! Good responses.
Welcome to Shogi Land
Pawn
Pawn!
He's a hard worker who moves ahead one step at a time-meow!
I may be the weakest piece,
My meaty paw punch will knock you silly-meow!
but there are scenarios where you can't win without me, so I'm quite important-meow.
Lance
Lance!
He's a single-minded fellow who's as straight as an arrow!
I'll go straight ahead as far as you like! But I can't turn back-meow!
I'm kind of maladroit...
Knight
Knight!
He can hop right and left!
Only I can jump over the heads of enemies and allies alike-meow!
I hop and then let loose a kangaroo punch!
Silver General
Silver General!
A cool guy with a little bit of an attitude!
When it comes to cool attacks, I'm a star! I'm good for both offense and defense-meow!
But I'm wide open from the back and sides-meow.
Gold General
Gold General!
The confident bodyguard who protects the king!
I like being near the king!
I'm the honest cat who has nothing to hide-meow.
And I love getting close to and then capturing the enemy king, too.
Rook
Rook!
The strongest warrior! A true hero-meow!
I can fly both horizontally and vertically-meow!
I'm popular with men and women of all ages-meow!
Bishop
Bishop!
A heavyweight missile who's effective diagonally as far as the eye can see!
I'm a lonely guy who's always risking his life.
Just be careful, because when I'm attacking, my defense might be weak.
King
King!
Without me, there won't even be a game. So don't leave me alone-meow!
If I get captured, the game's over-meow.
Therefore, treat me like royalty-meow!
Only the king can move in every direction? Wow!
That's right! After all, he's the king!
Swish
But also when needed, he's a great fighter in his own right!
Swish
I see. So each piece has its own personality!
Yeah. And moreover, the awesome thing about these Shogi Land Kitties
is that when they advance step by step and finally reach the enemy camp...
Enemy Army
J-Just one more step to the enemy's camp-meow...
...they can transform!
Yes! I reached the enemy camp-meow!
Pawn > Promoted Pawn (has the same abilities as Gold!!)
Meowy! I got promoted-meow!
- The same as gold! The same as gold! - Congratulations! Please take this!
Amazing!
Right?
Damn you, Nikaidou...
Hahahaha
Squeee Squeee
But this book is pretty easy to understand.
Where is it published from?
There's no publisher information. No bar code either...
And no price, either.
But it looks pretty fancy...
Written and Illustrated by Harunobu Nikaidou
What?!
N-N-N-N-Nikaidou, don't tell me you...
Yeah, I wrote and drew it. You noticed!
Shine
Wow, really? That's amazing! I wish I could draw like that!
Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!
Is it magic?
I wonder if my drawings are easy to understand.
Young Master, this is wonderful! I'm touched!
Yep. Actually, I've loved to draw ever since I was a kid.
I wanted to contribute to the popularization of my hobby,
And so, I even asked the Daitokyo Printing Company to throw it together simply like this,
then distributed copies to relatives at the Nikaidou Family New Year's party.
That's incredible!
Th-Th-Th-Th-Th...
Deluxe edition With Gold Leaf UV Processing Cloth Back Cover Spin Endpapers Endsheets Flower pattern-bound spine Trans TUVC Embossed
Super Fancy!
Throw it together?
I'm just glad they were interested.
Well, the best thing to do is introduce the detailed rules as they go.
This being the first day, I'm pleased with what we accomplished.
In general, we did a good job.
Clench
Yeah!
This is how you build the future, taking one small step at a time!
Um, the station isn't this way.
How far do you intend to accompany me?
How far? Your apartment, of course!
What?
O-Of course... not. Not, right?
It'll be fine.
Why would I shy away from sleeping over at my best friend's place?
But let's try to shy away! And I'm not your best friend.
Well, don't worry about it.
I do worry! And so should you!
Master Kiriyama, Master Harunobu.
Welcome home.
Thanks.
Sorry we're late.
And now, if you would...
Put that in front of the closet on the right side.
Oh no no no no
Here are some late-night snacks, and breakfast for both of you.
I couldn't help being concerned about your apartment's lack of daily necessities, Kiriyama.
Thinking this would be a good opportunity, I picked something out.
This is an excellent bed that folds up into a couch.
Use it, by all means!
I realize it came late, but this is my housewarming gift to you!
Teach Me How to Play Shogi
Image
Th-That bastard.
It won't fit.
What do I do now, huh?
Shogi Hall
What are you sighing about?
Issa and Mr. Smith...
Huh? Nikaidou isn't with you today?
Oh, that reminds me. I saw the NHK Cup.
Your match. And Nikaidou's passionate commentary.
Did you take all those impassioned lines and etch them in your heart, Kiriyama?
Friendship truly is a wonderful thing, isn't it?
Whoa, just thinking about it again pulls on the old heartstrings.
Doesn't even have the energy to deny it anymore
I was at my teacher's birthday party the day it aired,
but we all watched the recording that night.
If you really want to win, then persevere! Don't just attack, you have to defend!
Mr. Nikaidou...
Huh? What is this? Water coming out of my eyes?
Oh no... I'm going to cry!
Wh-What a good kid!
Whoa, what's this? This is what I hate about getting old.
It makes you all sentimental.
N-Nikaidou! I can't believe you!
I'm telling you, we had a room full of adults bawling like babies.
Everybody Loves Nikaidou
I heard after the broadcast, Nikaidou had a bout of anemia and couldn't get to his feet.
What, he did?
He must've used up a lot of energy.
He really tried his hardest.
Right? And yet...
Right? Yeesh...
It's kind of annoying since not one bit of it reaches your heart.
Nikaidou has six wins. He's incredibly focused.
He'll probably get promoted this season.
Right now, his head is probably filled with the thought of facing off against you in C1.
Please, Kiriyama! Don't disappoint Nikaidou!
Three wins and three losses.
If I don't hold my ground here, I'll just slide down until I reach the point of demotion.
If you get a demotion, it won't get erased unless you have more wins the following season.
If you get demoted twice, you drop down one class.
The battle to paint over a loss is even more exhausting than the battle to move forward.
I witnessed my adoptive father go through that seesawing struggle
under the same roof for years after he was downgraded from B1.
It permeated my body.
Take better care of your shogi, and yourself! I'm begging you!
Where does Nikaidou's energy come from?
It's not like his body is particularly strong.
Is it that he doesn't doubt himself?
That passion, always driving him on tenaciously...
Whenever I'm with him, I feel suffocated.
And I gradually get disgusted with myself.
He did such a great job drawing it.
It sounds like Hina and Momo both had fun.
My meaty paw punch will knock you silly-meow!
No, Momo. The kitty doesn't like that!
They even put copies of the picture book on the fridge
so they can remember the moves.
When Grampa saw that...
They're lucky. How often does anybody get the chance to be tutored by two professionals?
Maybe they'll become incredibly strong.
But I can't let them beat me.
I just wish those two guys would teach me. Sheesh.
What's goin' on with today's world?
After all, it seems like he's looking forward to playing shogi with his granddaughters.
When I think about it like that, shogi really is marvelous.
It's been around for hundreds of years, and even now,
as long as you have the board and pieces, you can enjoy it at home.
Moreover, once you learn how to play, it doesn't matter whether
you're an adult or a child. You can have fun playing earnestly.
And for your whole life. What a wonderful game...
The kitty transformed!
Akari's words prompted an image of my father to cross my mind.
His body would rock back and forth gently,
with his arms folded and his left hand on his cheek.
It was a natural habit that would appear whenever he was focused.
I enjoyed watching him when he was like that.
But I could only see it when I did my very best,
after studying so much that it made my head spin.
But I wanted to see that habit, so I desperately tried my best.
Kind, considerate of the people around him, always smiling...
I saw his true face, stripped of all social niceties.
What would Dad say if he could see me right now?
That's right.
How could I have forgotten?
Right now...
...I'm standing in the world of shogi that Dad longed for.
How? How could I have forgotten that?
Something so important...
Kyouko...
Image
Long time no see, Rei.
Distant Thunder (Part 1)
When I was little, I saw lightning in the middle of the day.
It was a fleeting gleam of light that seemed to tumble like liquid silver across the blue sky.
That one moment captivated my heart.
Even if that brilliance...
...did bring on driving rain afterwards.
You look well.
Why are you... here?
Why? What an odd thing to say.
Is it so strange for a big sister to worry for her little brother and check on him
after he's begun living alone?
I'll walk you to the station. It's late.
What? You're not going to let me in? After I've come all this way.
Why?
Why? It's messy, for one...
That's fine. Show me.
There's nothing to show.
Poor excuses. Are you stupid?
If "there's nothing to show," it can't be "messy," right?
Forget it. The last train is—
My feet are cold! I need to go to the bathroom!
Don't make me spell it all out for you, idiot!
They've finally warmed up.
Hey, how old is this place?
It looks like a dump from the outside, but it's surprisingly clean inside.
It's 26 years old. But the landlord just had it renovated.
That was lucky for you.
Hey, Rei, get me a towel.
Thanks.
So why did you choose this town?
It's not like you have any connections here, right?
I came here once for work. I liked it because of the big, beautiful river.
The river? What? I can't remember, were you a fan of rivers?
The river, huh?
We lived under the same roof for ten years, but it's like I barely know anything about you.
Hey, this apartment is cold. Can't you fix that?
The air conditioner is old, so it doesn't work well.
Fwoop
Don't go opening things!
Oh, what a brat. This is a fine feather futon!
It was a housewarming gift.
You must've just gotten it. It doesn't smell like you yet.
Huh, that's some view.
Is this really the sixth floor?
It seems higher. Is it because the river is so low?
I see. So this is where you've been living.
You looked for it by yourself, decided on it yourself...
You really are self-centered, aren't you?
Dad was feeling down afterwards.
How did you rent it? Who's your guarantor?
Chairman Jinguuji.
Figures. He has a soft spot for you.
Kyouko, the last train—
Why don't you go back home...
to that house?
It would make Dad happier that way.
Hey.
Lend me a T-shirt. I'm sleepy.
Did you and Dad have a fight?
Nope. I mean, I haven't seen him.
I haven't been home lately.
Are you still with that guy?
Good.
It didn't leave a scar at least.
Gotou isn't a sane guy.
He's bad for you.
That's none of your business.
He doesn't get violent with you?
Get violent? With me? No way.
But if he did...
...do you think I would just take it quietly?
I would stab him...
...in his sleep.
And he would never wake up again.
You'd go that far?
Yes.
I love him.
I truly love him.
You couldn't sleep?
But you have a match today, don't you? That decides your rank...
Who's your opponent again?
That's right. Mr. Matsunaga.
How old is he?
Sixty-four? Sixty-five? What a fighter.
He won't move to the free class even after falling to C1,
and keeps sticking it out, desperately, I guess you could say.
I saw him play against Dad once.
It was like he was holding on for dear life. It was depressing.
But not quitting, even after all of that...
He must really love shogi, you know?
Unlike you.
Oh, that's right.
I hear if Mr. Matsunaga is demoted from C1, he'll finally retire.
Isn't that a downer?
It's like you're going over there to strangle an old, senile dog.
I understand. Nobody wants to be the one to do the job.
It kind of makes you worry.
I thought that in a situation like this, maybe you're the type to throw the match.
Because you're such a nice guy.
As she left, the sun shone through her hair, illuminating it for a moment.
And that light eventually brought on a pounding rain.
Distant Thunder (Part 1)
Next Episode Preview
Episode 9
Shouichi Matsunaga... 7th-dan. Sixty-five years old.
From Fukushima Prefecture. A professional shogi player for forty years.
Forty years in this world... I wonder how he feels right now.
I'm beat, you know?
It's time.
Don't miss the next episode of "March Comes in Like a Lion" either!
Please get a copy of Harunobu Nikaidou's "Shogi for Beginners Picture Book".