Take a bunch of string, and slowly start to weave it together. Along the way you might not know what you are doing, you might even look at what you are doing and say "what the hell is this, it looks awful." But keep going. Once you are done you realize that what you have finished looks like nothing like the simple strands of string you started out with. You have just created a strong, beautiful rope that runs sky high above the clouds. That is what this anime is like. You might doubt yourself, you might hate what goes on, you might feel embarrassed for the characters. You might give in and quit the anime, you might finish like it was nothing, or you might ball up in tears. Whatever may come, stick with it. I'll be honest, I was watching this wish mixed feelings (not a bad thing, just something to note). The story wasn't overly complex, there was not that much left up in the air. Since there was no sci-fi elements, you knew pretty much what signs meant what. The anime didn't try to hide from you possible plots. No, it gave you hints. It let you come up with your own assumptions on the spot then gave you all of your pent up ideas back in a way that leaves you stunned and speechless.
The story gives you a new look into the lives of child musicians. Drawing on our weak sides, and pulling from the depths of your childhood mind, the story brings to light thoughts that you might not have ever felt before. The themes are so simple but so beautiful. The story makes you feel like you are a child once again. I know not everyone has had the same childhood, in fact its impossible if you think about it. But there are somethings that you never lose from that time in your life, no matter how much you try to forget. Honesty, forgiveness, love, struggle, triumph, hate, despair, death. These things are all introduced throughout your life. Some learn certain things sooner than others but that is what makes each person special. This anime lets you into someone's life and lets you enjoy these experiences once again. The story is not lacking in any way and presents you with everything you may want from a drama anime.
The art is different. The artist responsible is clearly on a different level. Just the facial art has a unique clarity to it. I'm not going to spend too much time on the art, but just take away that there is nothing I find wrong about the art. It is a spectacle to watch and plays a great part in making this a great anime.
The music, however, is steps above the art. Probably due to the fact that this is an anime about musicians, I would say it is justified to be so. The music just takes your breath away. It blends a combination of classical piano music with modern piano blends. The music really is what makes this anime tick. From the story, to the characters, this anime is really one giant recital that you are all invited to. The characters invite you to listen as they make their mark on your heart. I am not saying that each character has a theme song or anything, but merely that the characters are blended together by music. I find it very hard to describe the characters as well so I suppose I will sort of lump that category in this one because of how well the music works with the hole thing. The characters are cute, lovable yet at times annoying or nonsensical. That is what makes this anime fun and heartbreaking at the same time. Back to the music. As usual I am listening to the soundtrack as I write this review. Like I have said in a few other reviews, this music track really rocks your soul. Its so heavy, sad yet hopeful. I feel like falling asleep because I fear if I stay awake with this music I will fall into a pit of despair. The music is just so damn moving. If you don't like classical music or piano music, still give this anime a try. You may find yourself writing down the names of the composers.
To sum up, this anime is special. I probably haven't fully given this anime its due with this review. I am still a little hazed and filled with emotions from finishing the anime. I may end up changing this review a little. So check back. First off, thanks for reading this. I really want you to give this anime a chance. It may seem annoying at times but I really felt like the ending of this anime was just done so well that I forgot about everything that I didn't like while in the middle of the series. If I had stopped at the 3rd or 4th episode from the end I would have given this anime an 7,8 or 9. Now it is undoubtedly a 10. Put this anime on your must-watch list. Please. It is spectacularly well done. Thanks for reading and enjoy!
