(March 21, 2022)
Have you ever felt the excitement and joy of doing what you really love? Facing your weakness head on, admitting that you are hundred or thousand steps away from what you want, but you still take each and every experience to learn and be better. Loving the process with unwavering belief that you can reach what you're aiming for.
Kono Oto Tomare is a story about high school kids who came to love playing a Koto. A traditional Japanese instrument which also called “Kin”. Koto is a long Japanese board zither having 13 silk strings and movable bridges. The library's makers describe the Koto's sound thus: "It has a lightness of flying butterflies and the sputtering of fish, but has the strength of thunder.” For me, it only means one thing, the sound it produces can pierce hearts, express emotions, reverberates feelings, depending on how and who plays it. Knowing a new type of music is refreshing and interesting.
Back to the series! Chika is a young man who turns in a new leaf. From a delinquent who became an empty shell after being thrown away, to being exposed to light, he finds his new dawn in Koto. Though the anime revolves around him, one cannot say that he is the only core of it. The Koto Club and each of them follows a path in which makes them special in their own way. They're characters you will come to love. You'll be seeing them as a whole, but each piece is significant.
What I love in this series is how each character has been exposed on different scenarios, from juvenile acts to family issues, as well as insecurities and rock bottom situations. Unlike any other tournament theme anime or stories which revolves around the development of characters on their respective skills, this anime both focuses on excelling their skills playing Koto, and resolving their personal issues alongside their companions. Thus, getting their bond stronger which allows them to play and understand their feelings better.
I admire how Amyu presents different teenage circumstances. How she shows the struggles of a person due to the expectations of the people around them, how a child can break with careless words and actions of an adult, how people you trust can easily damage you, or how you can also able to smile again after all the pains you've gone through. It's wonderful to see those child's growth, build their confidence, open their hearts, influencing others by showing their enthusiasm and sincere feelings. It pokes on different kind of emotions. The tournament itself is just an aftermath of their character developments.
Oh! I watched it only in one night. I was so engrossed on the series that it only took me one sitting to finish it. The manga is still ongoing and there's, I think, a lot more unresolved cases that needs to be tackled. But the anime itself it really great. Personally, I first heard and knew Koto through this series, but I'm loving it to the point that I listen other audios playing this instrument. Depending on the music, it will make you happy or give you a heartache. I'm an amateur when it comes to music, but it's impossible not to feel anything after hearing the music they play along the series. It melts heart, it'll give you joy, will make you smile, or sad.
In multiple cases, I kind of feel envious on how happy their faces make even if only they make one right keys on the play they're making. Imagine how happy you can be, doing what you really love. Their faces are the representation of that. The efforts and struggles they do, and the result they achieve even just a little bit, shows it all in their faces. They’re living in the present time, cherishing and holding the memories and people around them.
The animation of the series is quite average. It’s not something that you will really be amazed of, but it’s won’t make you that disappointed either. I must say this, but it’s really cute to see cool and handsome character but with a very talkative and innocent personality. Chika is that. He has the face of a male lead romance character with a cold and cool personality. But watching him and his stupid acts is really refreshing. Though the animation is normal, there’re multiple scenarios where they show beautiful emotions, heartwarming sketches of the characters, or even painful faces that hits right to the heart.
It's an ongoing manga with currently 111 chapters. There haven’t been news about the Season 3 of the anime but it is highly possible. I think, the contents of the manga are still not enough to showcased the next season of the anime. Thus, it will most likely be released at the end of this year or next year. Hopefully!
