It seems like a lot of users here either praise it like it is a perfect masterpiece of an anime or hate on it to the point of hostility.
I believe it is an excellent anime and deserving of high praise.
I am not quite sure on the vocal hatred but if you are not a fan of melodrama, then I can understand your dislike of this anime.
However there is a reason this is in the top 20 anime of this site, and in my opinion this anime has earned its spot.
Brief Plot: Kousei Arima is a middle school student who used to play the piano in competitions. His mom trained him as a child, and he essentially became one of the best young pianists in the country. After his mother passed away, he stopped playing the piano.
After a seemingly innocuous invitation, Kousei meets up with his best friends Tsubaki and Watari. There he meets Watari's new girlfriend. Her name is Kaori and she is a free-spirited girl with a love of life and music.
After meeting her, Kousei's fate begins to change. He attends a music recital and Kaori's playing of the violin stirs up feelings in him. Kaori manages to rope Kousei into playing the piano as an accompanist at the next competition.
After that, the story picks up as Kousei battles his demons and reenters the world of music. The world seems more colorful after his encounter with Kaori.
Story: 9.5/10
This is a story about love. The love of music, the love of life and the love of being young with aspirations.
This is also a story of sorrow. Coming to terms with the death of a loved one, uncertainty about the future, and facing our fears and demons.
Ultimately, this is a story about Kousei and his struggles. And how through his seemingly chance encounter with Kaori, he is able to fill the voids in his life. Voids he may not have even realized existed.
Through all these shared moments with his friends his life and fate begins to change.
The story has a somewhat drastic tonal change especially towards the latter half of the series. As you watch the series, it does make sense and is not unusually shocking. Just a forewarning if you thought this series was just a cute anime about music.
The only really negative thing I can think of is that towards the last few episodes, there are usually one or two emotionally charged moments that will often be undercut by a sudden dose of humor. Ex. a character gets hit or beat up, or some sort of odd joke is made. It comes off as very grating at times. I know this was done to try and keep things from getting too sad. But it really undermines the point the scenes were trying to get across.
Characters 9.5/10:
Kousei Arima
Friend A.
The main character of the series. He starts off the series as a shy, timid, unmotivated character. After his friendship with Kaori begins, he slowly starts breaking out of his shell.
Soon after he begins playing music, his confidence begins to return. But he still has a sort of psychological block impairing his abilities. I won't go into details, but it was very interesting watching him deal with that problem.
Through the latter half of the series you really notice how far he has come. He cracks jokes, makes vicarious decisions, and even looks taller. The progression from beginning to end is very compelling to watch. He more or less is just getting by in life at the beginning and by the end he is really living life.
I really connected with him as a character. I feel like most will as well. You really are rooting for him throughout the series and not just because he's the protagonist. It's because he really deserves a break and you believe in him. It is truly heartwarming to see how far he has made it in the end.
Kaori -
Wow. Best girl. She is the free-spirited, vicarious character who is introuduced to the story and changes Kousei's life forever. Not just in a first love sort of way. It goes far beyond that. She reopens the doors of music to Kousei. She reinvigorates his life with purpose. He becomes a far better person after meeting her.
It's hard to talk much more about her character without diving into spoilers. But there are some major developments in her character as the story approaches the second half.
Every minute she is on screen is a treat. I don't think I'll ever forget her character or feel so connected to a character as much as I did to her.
Tsubaki-
She is the childhood best friend of Kaori. She essentially is the third point of the love triangle. She doesn't seem to realize her feelings until Kousei falls in love with Kaori.
As far as character development goes, she is a bit slow out of the gate. It becomes pretty clear what her purpose in the story will be as the show approaches the end of the first half. I do feel like she makes some big strides in the last few episodes.
She is a likeable character and at times I was even rooting for her. Without diving into spoilers, I appreciated how the series utilizes her in the end.
Watari-
Kaori's love interest and Kousei's best bro. He's the cool guy in the show that is crazy about cute girls. Unfortunately, he doesn't develop much in the show. But he does fit into the show as a necessary part. He is the means in which Kaori and Kousei first meet.
Kousei and Watari never really get into a rivalry over Kaori which I also appreciated.
I feel he was bit underutilized in the series and could have used a bit more development. Ultimately, in the end, he fits into his intended role and serves his purpose.
Other characters:
The side characters for the most part work as intended.
The only real gripe I had was with Kousei's two musical rivals. They don't get much use out of them. Emy is the more developed of the rivals. It would have been neat to see more of an interaction between them and Kousei.
Art/Animation: 9.3/10
The show can be quite beautiful at times. Specifically any time the cherry blossom trees are shown. It is quite a lovely site to behold. The recital scenes are also a treat to watch. The passion and accurate rendering of instrument playing during the piano/violin scenes is really neat to watch.
The only gripe I really had once again comes to the humor and slapstick scenes. They switch to a chibi, exaggerated art style which feels cheap. I get why its there, but I just don't like the switch.
Overall production is very good and a visual treat to watch.
Music 10/10
It is near perfect. The 2 OPs are amazing and in my opinion can never, and should never, be skipped. I'm a little more partial towards OP 1 but they both are fantastic. The same goes for the endings. The 2nd ending is particularly haunting. Watching the endings also has a payoff in the final episode, so keep on the watch for that.
The background music on the show is amazing as well. They are played perfectly in the scenes and will likely evoke strong emotions. In no other anime has the music so much affected my emotions as this one did. The feelings of hope, sadness, triumph all come across strong when the various pieces are played.
The recitals are also amazing! The playing is spectacular and you can really feel the emotion.
As a show with a musical theme, I would expect the music to be top notch. And it truly is amazing!
Dubbed vs Subbed:
I have only seen this show dubbed. The dub is fantastic! All characters have their own personality and own their characters.
Major props to Kaori's VA. She plays both sides of the character perfectly. In the final few episodes, she knocks it out of the park with her performance.
Please give the dub a chance for Kaori's VA!
Overall Enjoyment: 9.8/10
I connected with this show a lot. The characters are strong. The proper character development is there. The music is fantastic, and the story is engaging.
I can't recall another show, game, movie, or any other media that I have been so emotionally attached and invested to. I genuinely cared about the characters. I felt their strife, their laughter, their pain. I wanted everyone to be happy and reach their goals in the end. Here it is weeks after I finished the show and I still am thinking about it.
At some point in the story, you have a pretty clear idea how the series will end. I wouldn't call it predictable, but there was an overall idea that was inevitably going to happen. But I still enjoyed the ride.
This show made me feel something.
Whether it be joy or sadness, an excellent series should make you feel something. And this show succeeded in providing lasting feelings. I will always remember this anime fondly.
Final Note:
If you are not interested in melodrama, this story is likely not for you. If you want a strictly happy story, this may not be for you.
Do not go in expecting a show about music. Do not go in expecting a show about a love triangle. Watch it for what it is. A coming of age, a redemption story, a love your life and live it story. And finally enjoy the ride through its ups and downs.
Pros:
+ Music, Music, Music!! Wonderful and beautiful
+ Engaging storyline
+ A believable romance
+ Strong lead protagonists
+ Kaori - best girl
+ FEEEEEELS (could be a negative if you don't like experiencing emotions)
Cons
-Poorly placed humor at times
-Some predictable plot points
-Underused characters (the rivals)
