It's beatiful, fun, sad, tragic all at the same time.
The story is truely tragic. Where you expect things to be fine, they aren't. And when things begin to get depressing, it gives you a little pick up before pushing you back down. Certainly not for those that are either sensitive, or are going through some stuff IRL. It's that good.
The sound is heavenly. Granted you'd expect as much, considering the two main characters are musicians. Still however, pieces are well tuned for the scenes the show presents. It mixes classical pieces and pieces made by the show's composer, Masaru Yokoyama. What results are beautiful pieces that melt your heart away.
The characters are fantasic. The main duo of Kousei and Kaori are two opposites that when merged together make for a poetic narrative. Tsubaki acts as a third wheel, but still has her own qualities and quirks that don't steal the show, but certainly adds to it. Frankly however, I could do with less of Ryouta. Bone headed, stupid, and personally somewhat annoying.
The art style. Well it almost turned me off. The way the eyes are presented are...unique. I've never before seen it. You get used to it after a couple of episodes, but apart from that the scenery, the smooth animation and attention to detail more than makes up for that little niggle. Where the art really comes toegether is during the performances. I'm sure the animators both loved and hated making the piano scenes, as the effort put into those sections is crazy.
It's a romance, without really being one. That's what I like. Romance at a distance. However it will leave a hole in your heart, that's for sure. There is nothing more tragic for me than incomplete stories, and this will give you the biggest one I've yet to witness. You'll both love and hate the show in the end. I might even get into playing piano, simply to perform the show's own pieces as an homage. But enough of this, I'm going back to listening to the OST......
...Psst...my review is a little passive agressive, I know. I'm still recovering. Watch it.
