I know there's already a million reviews for this anime, and that I'm probably wasting my time writing this but I just felt the need to write this.
I consider myself pretty "anime elitist" and usually go against the grain for a lot of popular things, not all but I'm definitely not the type of person to just blindly like whatever is handed to me. When I saw all of the bad reviews for this anime, I was honestly expecting to find it shallow and overrated. I decided to watch it because I wanted to watch an anime, it was on netflix, and I'm a sucker for pretty things.
When I finished the last episode, I just kind of sat there for a while. I didn't know how to feel or act, and it didn't have anything to do with the ending of the anime. This piece had affected me in a way that no anime had before. Music has been a part of my life since I was born, I've played the piano for countless years, so hearing it presented so eloquently the way It is in my head was so... heartwarming.
I loved this anime so much, yet was so conflicted with all the criticism I was hearing about it. With so much criticism out there, I wanted to wait for the afterglow of finishing something you were invested in to subside. I didn't want it to alter my unbiased opinion about the piece. It's been about a week now, and I can't stop thinking about it. It's all that's been on my mind all day. There's a lot of criticism I do not agree with, and I want to address a lot of it, I think most of the criticism stems from some issues that the anime really DOES have, in the form of its accessibility.
I want to preface this review by addressing some of the "accessibility" issues I believe this anime to have. First, I believe that if you do not play a musical instrument, this anime will not affect you in the same way it does people who play one. This, in my opinion, is the biggest flaw this anime has. The romance and drama are nice and all; however, they, to me, are on the backburner of the reason I think this anime is amazing. Second, this anime is best watched in a short amount of time. I think watching this anime from "week to week" would be a nightmare, as the pacing can get a little slow at times. I don't believe this is a bad thing, as long as there is a purpose for the pacing getting slow (Such as developing characters, extending and delving into a deep moment, etc.). Lastly, this anime does require a lot of investment in the emotions that the characters are feeling. One of my favorite parts of this anime is how it deals with the motif of "Love" (albeit a common motif, I believe it is done quite well) in a more direct sense. If you can't relate to any of the emotions the characters are feeling, you may come away from this anime feeling like it was just a lot of wasted potential. If all of that resonates with you, I have a feeling you will really love this anime.
I don't normally write reviews of things, I like to review them in my head after I've seen them to help myself determine why and why I didn't like certain things, but I feel the need to review this anime. I hate to sound rude, but a lot of the reviews I have seen which are negative I have lots to debate about. Those that are positive reviews, I don't agree with. Funny enough, the reason I feel the need to write this review, is because I haven't seen anyone who liked this anime articulate quite why I believe this anime IS a masterpiece.
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Addressing Criticism
There are some flaws with this anime, I don't think any anime is without flaws; however, some are more apparent than others, there's one very VERY apparent flaw to answer, and that is... The comedy.
The comedy:
Alright, at times this anime's comedic timing is unforgivable; however, the argument "They are physically abusing Kousei!" Is rather stupid. The scenes of Kousei's "abuse" from his friendlies are clearly a hyperbole. You can't take everything at face value, and I think it's an example of Japanese cultural humor not translating well into Western ones. Clearly the "abuse" is a hyperbole, it's a typical style of humor in Japanese culture and has diffused into their media (Shocking!) It's a trope, and a dumb one, but I'm not going to fault the anime too much for it. It's definitely one of my least favorite things about the anime; however, at times I did enjoy the lighthearted moments. The only times they were inexcusable were when they were used at the wrong times. There are many emotional and serious scenes where this sense of humor is used, and it does not fit at all. This WAS my personal least favorite aspect of the anime, and if it were absent I think it may have received a personal 100/100.
Addressing Other Criticism
Repeated Flashbacks: Another one of Shigatsu's biggest flaws is its struggle with the phrase "Show don't tell". There are a lot of scenes in Shigatsu that would be better untold. It can be seen a lot in the anime's use of Flashbacks. The scene in which Arima is seen crying in the piano room asking for help is used countless times. Once we've seen it once, we don't need to be reminded every single time that this happened to him. I agree with this notion; however, many times I don't agree with it. Does this clip come up a lot? Yes. Is that a bad thing? No. The times in which this clip is used are very important to keep in mind. Every time this clip IS used, it is showing a different perspective on the clip. My favorite example of this is when it is used during Kousei's playing of "Love's Sorrow". Seto walks into the room to see Kousei crying in it. This gives the watcher a new perspective on the scene, and helps us see that what we thought was the purpose of this flashback was not in fact the purpose. It was not to make us feel sympathy for Kousei; rather, see the reason for Kousei's dismay through new eyes. Seto cause the pain Kousei is feeling. This is of course, not true, as the actions of an individual (Kousei's Mother Saki) are not the fault of Seto. Yes Seto convinced Saki to make her son a pianist; however, it is not her fault that Saki became abusive. This adds a level of emotional complexity, and shows how her love (the motif coming back again) for Kousei can cause her to blame herself for his pain. This is only an example of the repeated flashbacks, and I will admit sometimes this anime does show too much and doesn't tell enough.
Characters: This seems to be the biggest gripe people have with this anime, and it's the one in which I have the most animosity for. I'm going to list the characters individually to better explain them.
Kousei: I don't think many would argue Kousei is a bad character; however, just in case, I will still make this statement. Kousei as a character IS NOT relatable in his backstory. I've heard a few people complain about that, and I think it's a ridiculous thing to complain about. Being upset that a character's actions are unrealistic is a serious complaint, yes, being annoyed that a character's backstory is not relatable is not. If you had to have a similar backstory to every character to be able to relate to them, you lack empathy. You most likely do NOT have the same backstory as more than 90% of characters ever written, the joy in stories is that it gives you a shred of insight into the lives of somebody who may be more troubled than you. Also people who say he is "just a whiny person who doesn't do anything and cries all day" probably won't like this anime. There is a lot of internal emotional struggle and complexity Kousei goes to, and saying he just needs to "stop being a bitch" is idiotic. As a character, Kousei very well embodies the emotions he is feeling in a realistic way. Saying you don't like those PEOPLE, does not mean you can't appreciate what they go through as a character. As far as the actions of the character being realistic, I will get more into that in the "Character" section of the review. It is very important, I am not putting it off.
Kaori: A lot of people think Kaori is too "perfect" of a character, and if you take everything at face value I agree. The thing is though, we are seeing this character through the lenses of Kousei. This character is supposed to be the shine of light that touches his heart; therefore, he is obviously not going to see any flaws with her. She has many flaws though! These flaws come from the OTHER place in which people complain about her character, funny enough. People often complain that Kaori approaches Kousei in a dumb way, and should have flat out talked to him or approached him to avoid all this drama. See what I'm saying now? Those are called character flaws! But not bad character flaws, good character flaws. These flaws make the characters seem like human beings, as they are not evangelical beings who can do no wrong. Kaori messes up a lot in her approach of Kousei, her attempt to "not hurt Tsubaki" (which ends up hurting her even more), her anger and enmity towards Kousei at times, and her leading on of Watari. None of these were good things to do! She is a character with flaws; however, through Kousei's eyes and through what Kousei says, at face value she is perfect. She is stunning, she is a beam of light from the heavens. Us as viewers have to try and realize an unreliable narrator when we see one, and in this case one must realize that Kousei is not correct. She is; however, more mature than two of the other characters (Tsubaki and Kousei) and that leads to her seeming more "perfect". As she is literally dying, she has come to mature earlier than she wanted to. This is why she breaks down in her scene on the rooftop with Kousei in episode 21. She has kept it cool for so long, taking the burden of dying all by herself and holding the feelings in, she has to let it all go. When she talks of changing her lifestyle in her final letter, I believe that to be when she "Matured". This Maturing is important, because it is where a lot of the backlash for the characters I believe occurs.
Tsubaki: Tsubaki seems to get the most hate of any of the characters, and I don't get it. As a character she is the cliche "best friend who likes the MC when the MC gives another girl attention" and if that's all she was she would be a terrible character; however, she's not just that. Tsubaki is in my opinion one of, if not the most complex character in the entire anime. As someone who has been on both sides of the coin, loving someone who you can't have, and being loved by someone you just can't admire, I can say that Tsubaki's emotional responses and inner monologues feel so.... real. I was so shocked every seen seeing Tsubaki deal with her internal struggle, it was really moving for me. (This is of course excluding the hyperbole kicking and screaming scenes that are obviously hyperbole). She shouldn't like this guy, and yet she does. She did even before Kaori showed up as well, Kaori says so in her final letter. Tsubaki is such a great character in the ways that she represents both sides of love. I will expand more on this in the "Love as a Motif" section of this review, but realize that Tsubaki as a character is more than just the best friend cliche character. She represents a side of all of us, and her actions and emotions strike a close chord with how one truly feels in these complex romantic situations.
Watari: I think Watari is a very important character in the Anime. He as a character, is the only mature one in the group. This is very important, as the two other characters in the group are experiencing their own individual coming of age. Kaori as a character has also matured, through her illness. Watari is supposed to represent the person Kousei wishes to be, after all, it's who Kaori is "in love with". Watari helps contrast Kousei as a character, and has a lot of moving emotional scenes where he is so relatable in how he deals with his own struggles. His scene where he's crying in the bathroom after being such a good leader goes to show his emotional maturity, as well as help us relate to him as a character and see that he is still a human being. I say all of this, because the most hate I see for Watari comes from the fact that his arch as a character is underdeveloped. Not every character needs an arch, some characters have their arch before the anime takes place. Watari is the mature counterpart to Kousei's emotional immaturity. Kousei is still growing up, and is coming to age, and Watari helps emphasize that.
Nagi: I've seen people complain that she is a "Tropy Loli" which makes me laugh. Nagi is an amazingly written character. Her arch in the anime is so beautiful, seeing her age emotionally as the anime goes on. Her perception of her older brother is one many of us can relate to, and her never ending chase and desire to become her brother is something that rings true deep inside a lot of people with older siblings. Her seeing him as her "hero" and her growing as a character through the maturity Kousei has received as a result of Kaori is breathtaking. Her piano duet with Kousei is one of my favorite scenes in the anime.
Emi: I love the way that Emi's story is mirrored in Kaori's story. It emphasizes the idea the anime puts forward that Music affects all of us differently. Seeing how Emi and Kaori both react to the same piece of music is wonderfully done, and the directing choices that go into making that possible are amazing as well. It's a splitting image the two of their reactions, and this rings true for Takeshi as well.
Takeshi: Like Emi, he helps show the ways in which music affects all of us differently. The way in which Takeshi takes music and responds to it is unique, and wonderful. Him and Emi remind me a little of the anime "Ping Pong: The Animation" as they both deal with the different characters of their respective "sports" in a nice way that any musician can appreciate and relate to. The reason for why everyone plays and feels music, that's something beautiful this anime gets across.
I believe I have covered a lot of the controversy, now to begin the review.
Story - 8
Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso is about a lonely boy who's only passion in the world has been lost on him completely. He meets a girl who helps bring the light back to his passion, and helps teach him the most important thing about music.
This is one of the best parts of this anime for me. On surface level it is a love story that much is obvious, and as a love story it's nothing spectacular. What I love about this story, is its ability to translate the feelings and journey of a pianist.
The struggle Kousei Arima goes through learning to truly play the piano is written so beautifully. It's something I haven't seen tackled in much media I have come across. It's an idea that isn't familiar to all, but to all it is familiar for is a lovely idea to see tackled so eloquently. I love how all of the different characters (Kaori, Kousei, Emi, Takeshi, Nagi, even Tsubaki and Watari) respond to the music emotionally: Kaori wants to leave a mark with her music before she dies, Kousei has no idea how to put his soul into the music as he's grown up with a notion of "perfect", Emi's desire to match the beauty she has heard, Takeshi's desire to surpass and conquer, Nagi's desire to match and push her Brother forward due to her love for him, Tsubaki's desire to hear the Kousei she knows and loves play the way he used to. Watari is a bit more complex, he as a person represents the common person who thinks music is boring. It is wonderful to see how the directors choose to paint him in this light as to show just how impactful music can be even to somebody who does not like it.
Back to Kousei's growth, it is something that many Musicians can relate to. This idea of playing everything perfectly, but with not heart. Playing with heart is something beautiful that can't be taught, and mirroring Kousei's coming of age in person and in musical abilities is breathtaking. It's like you can see him growing throughout the anime physically, and emotionally through his music. The way music can transform people, and the way that is gotten across in the anime is unreal.
The drama and romance in this story, are not negative parts of the anime. Although many people believe that it is cliche, soppy, and predictable, I think many people are missing the point. I believe watching it through again is very helpful, as once you watch it knowing Kaori is going to die, the drama itself becomes much more easy to understand. As we know, Kaori knew she was going to die from the start, the drama only comes from there being something the Audience doesn't know. Is it forced? Yes, but it has to be. She is sick, she has been from the beginning, it is not a plot convenience, it is a foresight by Kaori to come to Kousei anyway. She is blind with young love, she doesn't realize the drama she is creating. There is no "forced drama" there is simply drama that occurs due to the nature of the circumstances. Forced drama, would be if Kaori got pregnant, forced drama would be if Watari got hit by a car, Forced drama is NOT a consistent event that is kept from the readers. That is GOOD drama, and although the death flags are a bit forced, the drama is not. A lot of people think the drama is "forced" because there are too many dramatic things and moments that have a lot of emotion and impact; however, this is because of Kaori's death which is imminent. We are being taken for this emotional ride and story, and we chose to watch the story of somebody who is going through a lot of dramatic moments. These are not forced moments if you take the story as a whole. Over the course of a year, we see the tale of somebody finally dealing with his mother's death, while also having to deal with the death of somebody he loves. It is a lot of drama, but that is the nature of a story of this kind.
As a romance, I believe all of the characters represent their feelings and emotions in a very real and relatable way. No I don't mean the "crazy kicking and screaming hyperbole" I mean in the more serious scenes. The way the characters deal with the struggle of their love and emotions for other people is done beautifully, and the ways that each of them deals with love is different and easily relatable with the people watching. Watari's love for people is fleeting, and not stable. Kaori's love for Kousei is forbidden. The way in which she copes and deals with it is very mature. Kousei's belief that he is not good enough, he is not the type of person who would be loved, resonates with me very deeply. His emotions are raw and real, and it was hard for me not to relate to and feel the pain Kousei felt at the love he felt he didn't deserve. Tsubaki's love for Kousei, and not love for her Highschool boyfriend was also so damn relatable. Desiring someone forever, only to find that when you have what you want isn't what you want hits close to home with me and a lot of people I'm sure. I know so many people who fell in love with their best friend, only to realize that in doing so you jeopardize everything you've ever known with this person. It's something that is hard to accept, and Tsubaki as a character deals with it in a very honest way.
The only reason this section does not get a 10/10, is because the anime "tells" a bit too much at times where it could show. Although I felt the plot itself was amazing, it was not perfectly executed. The constant comedic timing failures also detract from this score a bit.
Art - 9
This anime was breathtaking to look at. Every scene had me jaw dropped. Some of the artistic directorial choices were also amazing, like showing the change in the characters of Kousei and Kaori through changing their places both physically, and emotionally (Kousei being begged to play at the start, then begging Kaori not to give up at the end). Although there were some budget problems at certain places, I honestly did not notice them. Some may have, and if you did then I understand you docking a few points. For me, it was not a worry, I was completely involved and engulfed in the art. The way in which the artists captured the feeling of the sound, really created something special I will watch over and over again.
Some small budget Issues sadly kept it from being absolutely perfect, and have dropped the score down to a 9/10. Although subjectively I'd like to give it a perfect score, objectively I can't deny that.
Sound - 10
Alright, this is a place I don't think needs too much explaining.
The actual soundtrack itself, is a masterpiece. I can't stop listening to it, and the pieces in which the soundtrack was used is perfect. Some tracks were a little overused, but not to the point of disdain at any time. The soundtrack was amazing, and the directorial use of that soundtrack was perfect as well.
The piano pieces, are by far the best part of the anime. I've heard people complain that there was some talking over certain piano pieces, that left them with a sour taste in their mouth. I've heard some people say that they would've just liked to feel the things themselves instead of having the feelings be spelled out for them. I disagree with these two notions. The monologue that occurred during the piano pieces helped spell out the real emotions people feel from music in a way not everyone may be familiar with. For me, I was just able to agree and feel grateful that someone else could capture the way I feel about music so perfectly. For people who don't know much about music, it helps give a perspective they may have never known to exist. The ways in which the pieces were played, and the ways in which the characters motives and growth is reflected in their music was amazing. The argument "I just wanna listen to the music and have those realization myself" is dumb, because what matters is how the characters respond to the music. How you interpret how the character interprets the music, doesn't help to progress the story or help you see the progression of the story. There are times when "show not tell" is very important, but during these pieces is not one of them. The important final piece at the end is the recollection of everything we've come through in this anime, and it is done beautifully and shows you (not tells!) how Kousei has grown and come to his own. The pieces chosen were beautifully picked, and you can tell just how important all the songs are to the whole anime as a piece of art. Listening to these songs just brings all the emotion back, and that says very positive things of an anime's soundtrack.
Character - 10
I wrote a lot about the characters in the "addressing complaints" section; however, there is one thing I wanted to touch on.
The characters themselves were not overly complex. What wowed me about the characters in this anime, was the ability for the writers to have the characters act in such a way that had me taken aback. The way they all responded to their circumstance and dealt with their love was wonderful. The characters acted so... human... so lifelike. While some of the jokes were a little out of place (the kicking and freaking out exaggerated and hyperbolic) the actions were so spot on. The emotions these characters felt at their circumstances hit so close to home... When Tsubaki was with Kousei at the beach, I couldn't help but feel "what if I was there with someone I loved about to leave me forever". The emotions she felt so closely mimicked my own that I just didn't know how to feel. I was so destroyed inside. This anime had taken me to a place I had never gone, but had taken me there so gracefully... I didn't know I could feel this way from a piece of art. It made me feel like I was experiencing everything. It put in me the feelings the characters had, and that is something magical I've rarely experienced in any medium, let alone anime. I know a lot of people had flaws with a lot of the characters, but hopefully my write up has helped you to possibly see the way I do about the characters. These characters feel so intentional, and really help illustrate the story in its entirety.
Some of the characters I did not talk about (Kousei's Mother, Nagi, Takeshi, Emi) are some of the best characters in the anime and deserve to be talked about as well. While they were not in the spotlight as long, they still expressed just as important emotions to the story. The way in which they present Kousei's mother as this evil person and then come around to see how she doesn't know how to deal with her own death and takes it out on her son, not excusing her actions but adding to her complexity as a character. Nagi, a character who so many people can relate to, struggling to keep her brother passionate and also find the love for the instrument she plays in the same way kousei does. The way in which she grows, mirroring Kousei's growth through music as Kousei grew through Kaori, I could go on for a lot longer. Takeshi and Emi both so perfectly help show how music affects everyone differently, a motif of the anime that helps make them such relatable characters.
Enjoyment - 10
This is the one place I can see where a lot of people would disagree. The pacing can be slow at times, as the directorial choices made go very into detail in times where people just want to proceed. If people haven't been in the situations these characters find themselves in (as far as their love dichotomies are concerned) I can see how they would struggle to empathize with the characters. I have loved someone I couldn't have, been loved by someone I didn't love back, loved someone who had to leave, it was all relatable for me. What I loved about this anime was my ability to relate to every character in some way and see myself in all of the characters and really wonder and ponder, could that happen to me? If that happened to me would I feel that way? I was so lost in all of this, I don't know why it just all felt so real and relatable and close to me. The piano parts were gorgeous, and the directorial choices were perfect and stunning. The way the art and the music choices blended together, the ways in which the events tugged at you WITH the art and music choices... It was unreal.
Overall - 10
The biggest flaw of this anime, is its accessibility. Not everyone is capable of having the same emotional and physical response to this anime. This isn't to be expected. Not every form of art can touch people in the same way, and if you can't relate to the scenarios or emotions of the characters in your own life in ANY way then it just isn't meant to be. Not all art touches everyone; however, objectively I think one can say an art that does not touch them is still good. I hope I've achieved that in my review. Thank you.
PS: There were a lot of things I loved in this anime that I did not talk about, I left them out because I wanted to mostly make this review addressing flaws and responses to flaws with the things I liked. There are tons of little things that Shigatsu did so fucking well that still blows me away. (Like the scene that they play Pavane pour une infante defunte during Kaori's scene in the hospital still gives me shivers to think about). This anime has touched me in a way very few things have ever done before. I hope I have been able to describe why, and help you possibly see the way I do about this beautiful piece of art.
Shigatsu wa kimi no Uso - 94/100
"Will it reach you? I hope it does"
