When Will Ayumu Make His Move?

Ayumu Tanaka falls hard the moment he meets Urushi Yaotome, and he joins a school shogi club mostly to be near her. He decides he won't tell her how he feels until he can beat her at the game, which is easier said than done given her sharp play and cool confidence. The show follows his awkward, often hilarious attempts to improve while the pair trade teasing banter and small, meaningful moments. Episodes keep the focus on the slow-building romantic tension and the small victories and setbacks that make Ayumu’s goal feel both sweet and painfully slow, without spoiling where it ultimately goes.

Adapted from Soichiro Yamamoto's original manga, the 2022 anime brings the characters to life with a script role credited to Deko Akao. The television series condensed the source material into short, bite-sized episodes aimed at a comedy-romance audience.

It didn’t pick up major industry awards during its initial run, and it wasn’t a big awards contender compared with larger anime of the year. There are no notable Emmy or major international wins tied to the series.

The series had a clear presence among fans of romantic comedies, encouraging fan art and online discussion about its slow-burn flirting and shogi scenes. Its title line, the used premise of waiting to confess until you can win, and the voice performances made it easy for viewers to clip and share favorite moments on social media, keeping the show visible in niche anime communities.

Critical and audience response was mixed, reflected in a modest average score of 5.8/10 from viewer votes. Many praised the show’s light humor, timing, and the chemistry between the leads, while some viewers felt the repetitive setup limited narrative momentum. Major themes include patience in romance, the interplay of competition and affection, and how small everyday interactions can carry emotional weight in a relationship.