I don’t have any major complaints about the story in this series, but at the same token, I wasn’t necessarily blown away. For the entire 23 episodes, viewers follow Nodame and Chiaki, both students at the same Japanese music school as they grow both as individuals and through their musical talents. The added atypical romance subplot was interesting, as an awkward attraction exists between them (well, mostly just Nodame). Boy meets neighbor girl. Girl turns out to be weird as hell. Girl thinks boy is a handsome prince. Girl is the metaphoric rain man of piano. Boy finds girl oddly intriguing. Romance ensues. It’s a unique and cute story that blossoms into a tear filled happy ending. What can I say, I like the mushy stuff too.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of Nodame Cantibile was the music. As a longtime drummer myself, I could definitely relate to the amount of stress and competition the various characters encounter to get through music school. They’re constantly practicing and trying to get the competitive edge on their adversaries, waiting for that one lucky break to launch them into the music elite category. All the musical appreciation by no means indicates that you have to be an aficionado to enjoy the show, as I had a few friends start the show with me, all of us remarking on how pleasant it was.
Lastly, I really enjoyed the comedy in this series. It rarely, if ever, felt forced. And on top of that, I always enjoyed the blunt reactions Chiaki had toward Nodame’s advances on him. There were also some really cheeky moments between characters in the orchestra as well as a witty harem aspect to Chiaki himself. He was always making snide comments about the various girls he was repelling on a daily basis. It was nice to see a harem that was caught up in the mix himself. The writers also did a great job with the dialogue, being well placed and purposeful at almost every instance.
I really enjoyed both main characters in this anime. Chiaki is a perfectionist, never use to failing, but at the same time having to deal with the struggles of wanting to be a conductor but being stuck in a piano major. Chiaki works through the series trying to find himself, striving to be the conductor of his very own orchestra, while battling deep dwelling inner demons and coping with high school life. Nodame is a perplexing girl who is generally messy and sometimes acts childish, but has an almost sixth sense when it comes to playing the piano. I did like how whimsical and free she acted during the show, and how she would often enter trances when she was focused on something so intensely. She even had the pleasure of Chiaki being her neighbor, so of course she made him cook her meals and often referred to herself as “the wife”. Nodame’s internal struggles were also unique and helped adequately explain why she was the way she was… it was quite an interesting past to uncover. I wish there were more female leads like her, with a nonconforming personality and goofy one liners; she really was a pillar in making this story as strong as it was.
The supporting cast was filled in nicely as well. Mise was a wacky rock star who was tamed and disciplined by the unprecedented talent of Chiaki. Stresseman posed as an odd but effective mentor for Chiaki, even though he had some problems controlling himself with the ladies… The rest of the S and Rising Star Orchestra members played their roles well and added to the overall completeness of the cast. The character development was pretty decent overall for a relatively short 23 episode anime.
The art style is typical for a mid 2000’s anime, but I think I would’ve enjoyed some more vibrant colors in the scenery and backdrops due to the jovial nature of the show. Also, while the piano hand shots were accurate and smooth, when the orchestra would play the scene would often show stills of the musicians vice their actual hand movements on each instrument. Nonetheless, this was only a minor complaint. The characters were well designed, and I really think that Nodame’s bright gleaming eyes fit with her expressive personality. Chiaki’s messed up hair and slender face added to his harem believability.
As expected, the sound in Nodame Cantibile is top notch. I’m not entirely sure what directions or influences the creator had for this show, but they were musically accurate and spectacular. Each rendition of Schubert, Mozart and Beethoven was magical in its own sense, and made the anime very pleasant to just close your eyes and listen to. I also really thought the intro added a burst of energy and excitement to the show, enticing the viewer with what was to come. I personally watched the series in Japanese and thought the voice acting (particularly Nodame’s) was superb.
Nodame Cantibile is a show that I would recommend to just about anyone. I was looking for a nice change of pace after watching some more serious shows and I got just what I was asking for. Lots of great comedy, a cheerful and believable romance and a soundtrack for pure enjoyment make this anime one I will not soon forget.
