I'm going to make this a succinct review in order to spare anyone from the toils of my self aggrandizing way of writing.
This anime is good. This anime is really good and I say that because it's a take no prisoners emotional roller coaster that perfectly (at least close to perfectly) encapsulates human emotion in it's rawest form (something I find fairly devoid in the majority of anime). It's not about being cutesy or bad ass like some anime's strictly aim for, but instead it aims to tell you a story of tragedy, hope, inspiration, and hope. It does this very well.
Story 9/10: Boy losses his piano teaching mother and losses ability to play piano. Boy meets girl to inspire him to try again, albeit it's two years later. Love triangles abound and there are caneles and lots of recitals/competitions with long monologues (that are quite beautiful). If I had to choose one word to describe this anime it would be eloquent.
Art 9/10: Not the best, but pretty dang good. I'm not asking for perfection and the detailed sequences while instruments are being played are awe-inspiring.
Sound 10/10: Soundtrack is amazing. Bach, Chopin, Beethoven, etc... all the greats you know of. Oh, and I guess there is well done sound for effects too! The creaking of wood as one walks on stage or the erratic sounds of a fleeing bicycle. All good.
Character 9/10: I felt some characters could have been fleshed out a little more, but I think that's my own selfishness talking. It worked. I may have been left yearning for more, but I attribute it to a personal yearning more than anything. Short Story: Characters are good.
Enjoyment 10/10: I liked this amine.
Overall 9.4: I liked this amine.
In a world that's absent of a decent amount of great anime's, this was quite refreshing. A lot of anime's that I've watched lack this sense of believable human attachment and emotion. This one sold me on the other hand. I loved, I laughed, I cried, and I was on the edge of my seat. All signs that this is not only a good anime, but a damn good story.
