The art in this show is absolutely beautiful; however, it is a bit different than the promo material. I loved watching this show and how each character was unique and had something that made them that way. The hair styles were never over the top and even when it seemed that way, the hair fit the personality and wasn’t just big hair for the sake of making the character stand out. Similarly with water on faces is present but sparingly used. When it is used for things like blood, sweat, or tears, it shows the real emotion behind it, rather than just being there for effect (as it may seem in the shows beginnings). Every person that came into view was memorable and enjoyable to look at. One things that I find most shows will overlook is the use of reflections. At one point there is a reflection of a fence in a pair of glasses, and while this detail is small it shows that there is depth and thought put into the art. The colors are all very vibrant and the way that things change from dark to light, might seem like nothing but an afterthought but it gives the entire show a warmth when it should be warm, and a chill when it needs to drive a point home.
So this is a show about music, I didn’t know that going in, but it was such a pleasant surprise that I couldn’t help but continue to watch. The music in the introductions and the closings are both a wise choice for this show. Not only catchy and fun to watch, But when they change up at Episode 12, it kind of worried me, but after listening to them more they grow on you and look forward to hearing them each time. The music will perfectly fit the situations that the characters are a part of. Whether it is in the pieces chosen by the characters, or the way that they preform them onstage, it is a beautiful way to use classical music in a way that is accessible to people that may or may not listen to it often. There are parts of the show were the background music fits ever so perfectly with what is going on. This could mean the sound of the wheels turning in the heads of our characters can be heard turning, choices are being made and there is real tension, not just in the situation but being built by the music as well, it helps to symbolize and show things that aren’t there.
One of the best love stories that I have seen in a long time. I will do my best not to spoil anything major but we open on a piano prodigy (Kousei Arima) who has walked away after the passing of his mother. Two years have passed and now he only touches it for a part time job of transcribing popular music. We learn that he feels cursed because when preforming the notes drift away and get lost in his head, the more he focuses, the less he hears and this is where our story begins. Kousei is brought along on a double date/hang out of sorts with his neighbor, Tsubaki, and a longtime friend, Watari. They go to meet another musician prodigy, Kaori, who after a rough start finds that she really enjoys hanging around with the three of them. However, while Watari are the couple that people seem to “ship”, he is often busy at school, so Kousei is a stand-in of sorts, “Friend-A” she calls him. And after some pushing, prodding, and an accompanist quitting, Kousei is reluctantly preforming as Kaori’s accompanist for the one contest. After seeing the way she plays music so freely and so excitedly, Kousei starts to want to be more than just “Friend-A”.
My first impressions were that this show was going to be nothing more than some zany show about two musicians playing together, but it became so much more. The romance between the two, and perhaps three at times, is heartwarming, and hurts at times. Not very many shows have been able to go from fun and laughable, to dramatic and deep so quickly. I found myself deeply caring for each member of the cast, calling out to try and help them make tough choices. When we see the whole picture it can be easy to see what to do, but as our vision starts to blur and the line between love and lost becomes blurred, we become just as distraught as they are. If I had one gripe about this show, it would be that they seem to pay hardly any attention to time. While time is a big part of the show with music and such, there are times when the narrative is taking place inside the head of one of the characters, and they will be on stage, time clearly passing, sometimes even being mentioned by the crowds remarks, but then other times, there will be no mention of the fact that we have listen to Kousei’s thoughts for 2 minutes before he starts playing, but the audience don’t seem to mind to sit in silence for that time. It throws off the show a little bit, and while it doesn’t happen often, it still happens. The end wraps things up in a way where we need not wonder what happens next, but we want to make sure everything plays out well. All questions are answered, all things end.
Overall Rating 9.8/10
