Story: 6/10
The story of the anime has an in captivating premise, and retains a beautiful outer atmosphere while still exhibiting the true dark nature of the show. Kousei Arima, piano prodigy, experienced harsh child abuse from his mother, (although now deceased) which plays a key factor in his inability to perform to the best of his abilities in the present. The imagery is also very well used during Kousei's struggle to play the piano.
The second half of the show is where things begin to crumble. The show undergoes a repetitive process where characters would perform in competitions and face the same turmoil and problems they experienced in previous performances. The plot also introduces characters here and there that were used as cheap plot devices in order to drive the characters to perform better. The melodrama is another aesthetic that was taken to a whole new level and even began to irritate me with how over the top it was.
The pacing was very slow, and felt unnecessarily dragged in order to display the '"battles" the characters experienced on stage. As I stated before, the anime withstood a repetitious plot, which didn't help with the poor pacing.
Art/Animation: 8/10
This art in the anime is beautiful. The show is very colourful during performances, and uses darker and bleak colours during the depressing scenes. The animation is fluid and retains consistency throughout the entirety of the show. It never feels flat.
Sound: 9/10
The music is the primary aesthetic of the anime, and it truly does it justice.
Majority of the music is classical, which adds to the realism in the anime. The Opening's and Ending songs are great, and fit the nature of the show very well. The soundtrack is another plus, and I found myself listening to many of the OST's quite often.
Characters: 5/10
By far the weakest aspect of the anime. The main female lead of the anime, Kaori, was horribly written and was a complete plot device. Other characters of the show were weak and didn't receive the necessary screen time and character development required. The only fleshed out and well written character was Arima, but apart from that, I can't mention anyone else.
Enjoyment: 8/10
Shigatsu was an enjoyable anime. It truly was. Even with all of it's flaws and terrible characters, the anime was still a fun watch. The romance, although slight, was still good to see and the relationships between the main characters was heartwarming. The music was superb and I enjoyed every bit of it. The last few episodes of the show was beautifully executed, and definitely provides a tearjerker of an ending.
Overall 7/10
A fun ride, with a real tearjerker of an ending, but includes various flaws that hindered the experience.
