Story:
This anime is all about the drama. While it starts out as a story about a fallen musical prodigy, it develops into a lot more as the series continues. Sometimes it's a little much, seeing how every character seems to be an emotional wreck, but it never really feels forced. The music aspect is just one of the themes here, which is okay with me, as I am absolutely clueless about playing an instrument. The characters actions are questionable at times, but keep in mind that they are young teenagers, so they aren't exactly the most rational people in the world.
9/10
Art:
Simply amazing. I can't describe it in any other words. The world of Your Lie in April is so beautiful and full of color that it is able to completely captivate you. Never before have I seen an anime with such visuals and I'm not exaggerating at all. Words don't do it justice. The final episode may have given me an eyegasm.
10/10
Sound:
Being an anime about music (on the surface), it should come as no surprise that the music in it is pretty good as well. I'm not a fan of classical music per se, but I do appreciate it when it's good. There are a lot of pieces played by people like Bach, Chopin or Mozart, so if that's your thing, this is the right place for you. Openings and endings, while being "normal" pop songs, fit the tone of the show very well. The voice acting was pretty nice too, though I missed a truly outstanding performance.
9/10
Characters:
This is the point that may drive some people off. Arima is a person who drowns himself in self-pity and is incapable of imagining other people caring for him. At times this felt a little much. Kaori may be a fun person, but her mental and physical abuse of Arima feels a little awkward, even though we slowly learn why she does what she does (which does not necessarily mean that it was the right thing to do). It's a case of your own interpretation if what she does is out of good intentions towards Arima or just plain selfish. I myself believe that it is the latter, though she THINKS it is the former. The third main character was Tsubaki, who at first was somewhat relateable with her feelings putting her in an uncomfortable spot. The way she decided to handle things however made her absolutely unlikeable to me. While we're at it, I also have to say that Watari is a bro.
6/10
Enjoyment:
Enjoyment is a weird word to describe how much you liked watching such a melodramatic and often times sad anime. Despite how beautiful it was artistically, I had the feeling that nobody was ever really happy here. I try my best not to spoil anything, but the overall feeling this show gave me was that of sadness. Arimas struggles, Kaoris health, Tsubakis unrequited feelings, it all felt sad from beginning to end. I could not watch multiple episodes in a row for fear of developing depression. Still, I do not regret watching Your Lie in April and yes, I somehow enjoyed the emotional rollercoaster. I do not intent to watch it a second time however, as I do not want to be put through this a second time.
8/10
Overall:
8.4/10
