Shion no Ou – Overall Review [8/10]

• Overall Rating: 8 out of 10
• Total Episodes: 22

The most captivating thing about this show is the main character, Yasuoka Shion. She is an intelligent adorable mute who is a genius in shougi, the chess-like Japanese board game that this show is centered on. Despite my extreme lack of knowledge and interest in shougi, I continued watching this series until its completion mostly because of her and her tragic past. The uniqueness of her character and the nature of the unsolved murder of her parents were enough to have kept me hooked to this series, even with only very little understanding of the shougi board game often discussed in the anime.

Warning: Contains Spoilers

Shion no Ou – Initial Review [8/10]

• Initial Rating: 8 out of 10
• Episodes Watched: (1) Shion’s Path, (2) Secrets, (3) Komaoto

I’ll start with the opening song, “LADY LOVE” by RIZE, which I really like, but somehow don’t find fitting for the anime. It’s too strong for a show which centers on a gentle-faced protagonist. But then, the anime does involve a murder. Well, this is just my impression. Sorry for making a big deal out of the opening song :P

Yasuoka Shion is an elementary school student who is exceptionally skilled in shougi. When she was four years old, her parents were murdered and she was taken in by a family friend and shougi player who raised her and trained her in shougi. However, since the tragedy, she has lost the ability to speak.

Shion would sometimes have flashes of memory of the murder, like a scene of someone’s bloody fingers setting a shougi piece. Perhaps the murderer is a shougi player? Intriguing.

With her sincerity and intelligence, Yasuoka Shion, the main character, is easy to love. That and the murder mystery are enough reasons for me to watch this anime, and they actually are, despite not knowing anything at all about shougi. But since I can pretty much sense the state of the game from the reaction of the characters, I think that’s good enough for now. It still helps to know shougi, though.

Shion no Ou – Ep 1 Recap

• Episode No: 1
• Episode Title: Shion’s Path

Note: This is a recap of an episode and therefore contains spoilers. You have been warned.