Reviews

Jul 8, 2016
Your Lie in April Review

Note: Short sum up of my thoughts is in the summary below and there is a spoiler section at the bottom. This review is rather large and because I had a lot to say, I recommend you go to the summary if you don’t want to read all of it.

Summary:

Your Lie in April (Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso) is an emotional rollercoaster that makes a large impact on the viewer after watching. Its art and animation is incredibly detailed and gorgeous. The music is brilliantly played, tricking the viewer into thinking they are actually watching a live performance in a concert hall. Its original soundtrack (not including the classical tracks) is just as good if not better than the classical performances. The story is very well written (despite being fairly predictable) and its characters are fantastic. If you get invested, you’ll surely laugh, cry (A LOT) and be sucked into the whirlwind of emotions of Shigatsu’s characters and their stories. It’s surely a ride that is unforgettable. Overall: 9/10.

Story:

The story presented here is one I related to more than I like to admit. While of course it wasn’t the same, I certainly had similar experiences that our MC (Main Character) Kousei experienced. So much of his personal story was very relatable. The premise is simple, yet poignant. One slight negative criticism I’ll give here is that the story can be rather predictable and it’s not too hard to figure out what will happen to certain characters. Does this make it a bad story? Of course not. But I would have appreciated more nuance or subtly in foreshadowing future plot events.

The themes and overall message of the story are fairly obvious; finding new inspiration, dealing with setbacks and emotional baggage… the one that really stood out to me personally was having haunting memories of what you used to love due to some bad experiences. I felt that out of all of the one’s I mentioned, that particular theme was executed the best. Despite the basic premise and predictable story, it can surprise you and much of the story hinges on its characters. In terms of the story itself, it nicely balances all these characters and introduces new ones without feeling overly bloated. Overall: 8/10.

Character:

Here is an area which this anime excels IMMENSELY at: Character Development.

The main character is definitely the best developed character here and my personal favourite. Making him start out depressed and filled with regrets makes us immediately care for his own struggles and turmoil. On the outside, he seems very calculated and almost distant. He’ll still be kind and sympathetic, yet you know he’s still unusually calm or distant when characters are practically having emotional breakdowns in front of him. Once he starts getting more attached to Kaori, the violinist who he encounters and restores colour in his life, Kousei slowly starts becoming more emotive/expressive through the progression of the story. There is one episode in particular where his character shines, but I will leave that for the spoiler section.

The next two characters I’ll talk about is Kaori and Tsubaki. Kaori is an emotional wreck a lot of the times. She barges into Kousei’s life and immediately makes him “Friend A” to someone else whom she actually likes. There is so much about her I love. Firstly, she is undyingly loyal. She never gives up on Kousei for a second and will always encourage him to keep going. Kaori may be overly emotional at times, but that also means she’s that much kinder. Watching her play with children was very heartwarming and spoke numbers about how compassionate and childlike her character is. Tsubaki is another character I love. Many will probably hate her for being selfish, possessive and even downright bitchy at Kousei. But that’s how love (especially teenage love) usually is: incredibly selfish. She slowly tries to get closer to our main protagonist, despite her own insecurities and personal dilemmas. She does everything she can to ignore it, but like many of us, her heart yearns for someone in particular. I loved how human Tsubaki is and how honest and open she was about herself, often reflecting on her own selfish desires. Both of these characters are fantastic and are both easy to feel sympathy for. They go pretty heavily into both character’s backstories and give us more than enough reason to care.

Lastly, I will discuss some other side characters. There are two rivals (Emi and Takeshi) that are prevalent throughout the anime. I like their inclusion so that we get different perspectives of our main character and some variation on how others perform. Yes, them being rivals is a bit stereotypical but they both get fleshed out more than I thought they would. The teacher, Seto, is one of my favourite characters in Shigatsu. She acts like a mother figure that Kousei didn’t have and helps restore his love for Piano and is a great mentor. I quite cared for her and liked how she helped Kousei whenever he needed it. The last character and the only one I think got kinda shafted for character development is Watari. They gave him some development early on in the series but since this is a romance, he kinda got left out, which is a little sad. Overall: 9/10

Animation:

A-1 Pictures yet again delivers with incredibly beautiful artwork and animation. The harsh and cold greys and blacks in Kousei’s backstories convey the grim and depressing mood skillfully. The colours pop out of the screen and the detailed artwork is a sight to behold. Scenes where the piano playing occurs are also technically proficient. Clearly, no expense or corners were cut in the production of Your Lie in April and it clearly shows. When the art perfectly conveys and compliments the mood of the anime, you know the art is clearly doing something right. Overall: 10/10.

Sound:

In some ways, this was the most important aspect to have down. If the concert performances weren’t good, it’ll immediately be noticeable to the viewer. If that was good but the original soundtrack was lacking, it could also pull the viewer out of the experience. Thankfully, this is another area where the anime excels masterfully in. The concert performances are masterful, making the audience feel as if they were really there. Big props to the voice acting (to the sub) as well and to just the mixing. It creates an atmosphere and soundstage that makes it conceivable and almost unmistakable that you are in the audiences eyes watching the performance. But what I think is even better than the concert performances is the original soundtrack. That may be an incredibly bold claim given that these performances were compositions written by classical artists, renowned for their complex and masterful compositions. However, the classical tracks (with two major exceptions I will mention in the spoiler section) often tend to just be sheet music to play and to compete against others with. The actual soundtrack though is simply amazing.

The opening (and ending) tracks are fantastic all around. The first opening and ending are very catchy and enjoyable songs on their own. The second opening (Nanario Symphony and Orange), however, are more emotionally impactful. Overall, I prefer the second opening and last ending theme. Regarding the actual soundtrack, there are many standout tracks. Songs like Watashitachi wa Sou Yatte Ikite Iku Jinshu na no (Sorry, don’t have the translation so romaji will have to suffice), Watashi no Uso, Yuujin A (Friend A I believe… maybe?) and Yuujin A-kun wo Watashi no Bansousha ni Ninmeishimasu are emotional powerhouses. All eyed or evoke an of those tracks showcase swelling, beautiful melodies that resonate with the listener forever. Many of them still get me teary- emotional response even without watching the source material it came from. In general, the entire soundtrack is awe-inspiring and a wonder to behold. Along with the art and characters, these three work together as one to create an emotionally charged experience full of wonder, colour, sounds and atmosphere. Overall: 10/10.


Enjoyment:
As you can tell, I love this anime. My overall enjoyment was sky high. The little moments in this anime in terms of story, atmosphere and mood are superb. There are often times when dialog is not necessarily said and you just see the characters react to something or stare into the skies. These small little scenes make all the difference in the end, as it perfectly tells you everything without even saying a word. Shigatsu can also just play the music itself and you can hear the emotions, desires and will of the artists bleed through their performances. Overall: 10/10.

Pros:

+ Deep and meaningful character development and progression that hardly falters or drags
+ Masterful art direction that creates a rich and beautiful palette full of luscious colours and detail, enhancing the enjoyment considerably
+ Jaw-droppingly beautiful original soundtrack songs that are emotionally captivating along with expertly executed concert performances that actually feel real
+ An emotionally captivating narrative that has seamless pacing
+ Consistently entertaining and intriguing to watch

Cons:
- Story can get a little too predictable and might be cliché for some
- While the characters are overall amazing, a couple get kinda shafted (Watari)




*************SPOILERS*****************************************


There are two episodes I couldn’t NOT bring up, since they are honestly the best episodes of the season and some of the most emotionally potent I have seen in an anime.

Episode 13: Loves Sorrow.

This is the episode in which Kousei plays Love’s Sorrow, a piece that he has history with regarding his mother. His story arc with her comes to a definite and complete close here. And it is one of the most breathtaking, emotional and astounding episodes in the anime. As I mentioned before, I related more than I like to admit to Kousei’s relationship towards his mother. Through the piece, he goes through his past again and with different eyes, sees that maybe she was just trying to care for him and love her son all along. She just became bitter, cold and harsh due to her illness. His playing conveys the mood and tone perfectly, reflecting the regret and compassion he now has towards his mother. Kousei coming to the conclusion that she did love him despite the hell she put him through is beyond beautiful and courageous. I honestly couldn’t stop crying, as that episode’s execution and conclusion to his strife and emotional baggage given to us as early as episode 1. It’s also the rare time when the composition itself has actual ties to previous events in the story. Many of the concert performances reflected how someone was feeling, but not having personal ties to the piece itself. I feel that this conclusion to his mom’s arc couldn’t have been done any better than it was here, even showing her in the audience as if she was there all along.

Episode 22: Spring Breeze.

This episode is easily the best of the entire show, without any doubt. Kousei has to perform and he is an absolute wreck. The one that he loves, Kaori, is in critical condition and undergoing surgery that may take her life. He is going up on a stage and performing for a LOT of people, all with expectations. When he commences playing, he creates vivid images and scenery in the audiences mind. At the same time, Kaori is having her surgery. She imagines herself in the performance, almost as if she still lived within Kousei’s heart. He sees her perform and wow… already this scene is loaded with all kinds of emotions. Despair, regret, sadness, joy to some degree… all of it comes colliding in this scene. The animation here is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen in any anime. The music is breathtaking and sets the mood exquisitely. It all comes in as a rush. However, the song must end. And by then, Kaori dies, disappearing from Kousei, even after he begs her to stay. At this point for many, tears are overflowing. The mood, the sound, the animation, the characters… all of it makes you feel such powerful emotion. And that’s not all. The saddest part (for me) was Kaori’s letter. The revelations said in the letter, especially about her loving Kousei strongly ever since they were children left me bawling my eyes out.

I wanted to talk about these because I feel it would do an injustice if I hadn’t, like I missed a large part about this anime. These two episodes are proof of just how good this anime really is. I feel like as a character, Kaori definitely was able to live inside many audiences heart's with how loveable, sweet, patient and caring she was towards Kousei Arima. She and this anime are two thing’s I’ll never forget and fondly remember.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
What did you think of this review?
Nice Nice7
Love it Love it0
Funny Funny0
Show all
It’s time to ditch the text file.
Keep track of your anime easily by creating your own list.
Sign Up Login