Reviews for Nodame Cantabile (8.21) 4t6s6g

The first words that come out of my mouth after finishing this series is.... impressive, OUTSTANDING and I couldn't believe I enjoyed it as much as I did. When I first started this series it was out of pure random luck that I picked it out and began watching it. I'm the kind of anime fan that s loads and loads of things and watches some of the masses of stuff I have. Luckilly for me I happen to come across this series and WOW. This series is produced by the same people who did Honey and clover, its soo easilly to tell since it uses the exact same style of animation. Although the premise is similar the focus in this anime is totally different. This anime is based heavilly on classic music and how it plays a role in the life of our main characters. Even though much of the WOW factor is lost if you don't appreciate classical music it still comes out to be an amazing with other factors alone. The story revolves around Chiaki Shinichi and Nodame Megumi who are both piano students at a music university in Tokyo. Basically Nodame is an unmotivated by extremely talented student while Chiaki is also extremely talented but more serious and sometimes even overconfident of himself. Thus you put these two together and the anime takes off.

Animation
It certainly isn't the best animation ever. But I mean for its genre it is fairly good. Also for drama/comedy/music series you really don't need extremely good animation since it neither gives or takes away from the value of it. Surprisingly some of the animation was better then expected such as movement on instruments. In most animes that show anyone playing on instruments the movements of the hands never look right. But in this they actually look like they are playing the right notes and the right tempo. They also use some very cute stills shots that look kinda like paintings to emphasize certain scenes. It worked well espially at the end of certain episodes to hold suspense. The only beef I had with this anime and also honey and clover were character designs. I wasn't too keen on them since characters that are supposedly "good looking" don't seem too attractive. I guess it really doesn't matter too much but it definitely didn't seem rite with all the CHIAKI-SAMA harems. No matter what the overall animation was definitely above and beyond what it needed to be.

Sound
This is one of the most important aspects of the series. If you are a classical music fan you would agree with me that the majority of the pieces played were definitely done well. I was actually surprised that they had such good recordings to use for the anime. I'm also quite curious on which performers they used for the recordings. They also choose a big variety of musical score as to not focus on any certain composer. Showing the various styles and beauty that classical music can provide. The more I heard and watched the more I got sucked into the anime. To add on I do play piano and after watching an episode it gave me much more motivation to just get on the piano and play. Besides the music used in the anime the openings and endings also suited the series well. The opening is well paced and catchy while the endings are usually slower to lead you out. The voice acting was also fairly well done. I really liked the voice actor for Nodame. She had the perfect voice to depict the care-free and "klutzy" character.

Story
I think in comparison to other areas the story wasn't perfect. Rather it the main plot was important and also not important. It is also fairly hard to determine which part of the series is the main focus or "main" plot. This series tends to move fast and introduce many new ideas all the time. Thus I would say the only real main plot would be the development of the two main characters. Even so all the various stories they produce that interconnect are very well done. The other problem for me would have been that I would be concentrating and paying more attention to the music rather then the actual plot. Not saying that the plot was bad or anything but rather the music just sucked me in soo much. Nonetheless the story was definitely well paced and all issues are concluded and ended very well.

Character
Another part of the series that served its perfect to the full extent. Just like Honey and Clover you can expect that series has a MAJOR focus on the characters. Obviously throughout the series most of the development takes place with the main characters. Both of them change drastically with the interactions between each other and also other characters in the series. Although they don't get completely redone but the changes are done for the better. They also did not just focus on the main characters they also developed many of the sides characters as well. Many of the minors characters go through as big turn overs in a relatively large and small span of the series. I was definitely surprised that even though they introduced a massive cast they still managed to put at least a bit of work on each character. I was also surprised I didn't hate any of the characters even though I thought I would when they were first introduced, but eventually I grew to like them all. It definitely just grew on me.

Value and Enjoyment
I think the value of this series can be huge or relatively small depending on the person who is watching. But this series does have some crazy parts it does not go out of the ordinary too much. Thus you could take it like an everyday lesson in life. If you were to compare with Honey and Clover which is what I have been a fair bit, this anime has less serious moments. Even so it worked towards its favor since they needed the time to provide the musical background. That is why I would say for classical music lovers they can take much more out of the series compared to others. I also found that I could rewatch this series very easily. You probably won't find yourself discovering many new things if you rewatch the series but to see the funny moments or just appreciate the music again is more then enough to give you a reason to rewatch it. That being said it is OBVIOUS that I REALLY REALLY enjoyed this series. It definitely has become one of my favorites and I hope that another season comes out. They have tons of room to keep going since an anime like this can never REALLY end. This series is very easy to watch and I recommend it to most fans. But I guess it is more geared towards drama/comedy/music fans. Either way I believe that most people can appreciate it even without much understanding of music. So have fun

This is not a conventional review, it is a list of my reactions to the show as I watched it. If you want a synopsis there are more than enough other choices. I don't really like the categorized rating system, but I’ll do my best.

1. Nodame Cantabile is Honey and Clover set in a music school instead of an art school (Well, not quite. Honey and Clover had more depth).
2. Too much yelling. Yelling is not funny. (They tone this down a bit later on, but not completely).
3. Nodame is insufferably cute (She remains so).
4. The music is excellent. It sounds like they commissioned the performances specifically for the show, so the style of play matches the action in the scene.
5. They seem to have spent most of their animation budget on very realistically rendered CG sequences of fingers playing instruments. These are nice, but the trade-off was many, many still shots. Not sure it was the right choice. The final effect more animation alternating with music, excepting the CG fingers, than animation set to music. This is unfortunate because animation set to classical music can be excellent.
6. Everyone is too talented, too beautiful and too successful. All the characters learn their lessons, literally and figuratively, and the (always minor) setbacks are quickly overcome.
7. The resolution of Chiaki’s problem with air travel is just silly.
8. On the characters: The ing cast is little more than plot props and comic relief. Some of them are fun, others are just annoying. Good characters have problems to overcome. Nodame’s central problem is that she doesn’t know what she wants for herself. This is a classic and very real problem and it receives good exploration, partial confrontation and partial resolution. But the image of a woman hanging all over a man who doesn’t return her affection (a dated cliché for a woman without clear goals) gets tiresome. I hope they shake up this dynamic in the sequel. Chiaki barely has problems worthy of the name. His overt problems are whisked away. His underlying problem is that he is incapable of seeing value in people beyond their talent. This is a clear aspect of his character and the primary barrier in his relationship with Nodame, however it receives little development and is never confronted. I’d like to see this addressed in the sequel as well.
9. Despite my complaints I found this show addictive. It’s tightly told and the melodrama is effective. The fact I can complain about the characterization at this level means they did something right.

Wow! What an excellent anime this turned out to be. Kind of makes me feel like I should rewrite all my previous reviews. If I thought I knew what a 'great' anime was, then I obviously didn't until I watched Nodame Cantabile. Indeed, it is in a category all by itself in of pure enjoyment and sentimental value.

Since everyone has his/her own taste, it is hard to take someone seriously when they claim that some anime is the greatest of all time. However, Nodame Cantabile is the closest series to perfection, because I have never enjoyed watching an anime as much as I did this one. Hopefully in the future, there may be even better series; but as of the present, I must say that Nodame Cantabile is the best one to date.


Animation

Perhaps the only part worth improving in Nodame Cantabile is its animation. It is inconsistent in of quality, and there are many non-animated scenes. However, these shortcomings do not take anything away from the overall experience. Nodame Cantabile is not an action anime, so it does not need exceptional animation to convey its intentions to the audience.

If my rating had stopped there, I would have given a 6 for animation. But, despite its obvious flaws, I actually liked the 'crudeness' of the animation. Indeed, it appealed to my taste because it gave Nodame Cantabile a very lighthearted feel throughout the show, making the whole experience that much more enjoyable.


Sound

Obviously this is a strong point of the show, since music is what the anime is based upon after all. I don't usually listen to classical music, to be honest, but I found the pieces very enjoyable to listen to throughout Nodame Cantabile. I also found Nodame's voice to be very unique and awesome, especially when combined with those funny noises she always makes.

I won't elaborate much more on the sound aspect, since you will have to watch the show to understand. But for the people out there who might shy out of watching this anime because of its seemingly heavy musical aspect (if that's not your thing), I want you to know that this show will be enjoyable regardless of your interest for music. Indeed, I did not actually think that Nodame Cantabile's music was its strongest characteristic.


Story

The storyline is not very complex, as you would expect from a slice-of-life type of show. Nodame Cantabile emphasizes on the 'small things' rather than the overall storyline. By this, I mean that the anime succeeds very well in portraying character interactions, small anecdotes, everyday dilemmas, etc. All of this contributes to make the characters' situations seem more realistic (yes, realistic despite its slapstick humor).

I also thought that the ending was very well done, despite its short length. Usually, it is hard to find a perfect ending for a story, because the audience wants closure and yet you cannot satisfy everybody's taste. Nodame Cantabile's ending is somewhere in between: you will find enough closure to be satisfied, but the ending still leaves a large enough 'opening' for everybody's imagination.


Character

This is the strongest part of the show. The main characters are all unique, almost bizarre at times, and yet all very likeable. Obviously, the slapstick humor helps, but I thought the characters' personalities really complemented each other, which made their interactions with each other quite interesting to watch.

Usually, I find it hard to like the 'I'm-too-cool-and-good-for-you' type of character like Chiaki, but he is not unidimensional like most anime characters are, which makes all the difference. Despite his initial arrogant attitude, he shows signs of tolerance, acceptance, and ultimately, evolution. Nodame is my favorite character, because well, she is simply too funny. Probably the funniest female lead I have seen in a long time. And, let's just say that, she goes against every female preconception that you'll find in Japanese animation.

The rest of the characters are great too. I think it must be the way the anime was made, but I just found every character so easy to like. There are also significant elements of realistic character evolution, which is what most shows lack. In general, it is quite hard to mix realism with comedy in anime, but Nodame Cantabile does it to perfection.


Value

I would definitely rewatch Nodame Cantabile, if only because of its comedy (which is great, almost on par with School Rumble in of comedy). This is a great series to have somewhere, just lying about, because it can really lighten up your day. It is one of those shows that leave you with a warm feeling inside after each episode.


Enjoyment

I enjoyed watching Nodame Cantabile very much, more than any other anime series. Now if only they made more shows like this one...

Animation
The animation in Nodame Cantabile isn't anything spectacular really but then again, it doesn't really need anything fancy. It looks nice, no complaints here. It does look great though, during the orchestral parts where it's done in CGI. Like eltimsy already pointed out, the parts where instruments are played are excellently made and have great detail, it really looks like they are playing the piece that they're supposed to and not just something random.

Sound
This is definitely where the anime shines, as expected as it is very music-oriented. It's filled with excellent classical music from several different well-known composers, such as Beethoven, Schubert and Chopin. Not one episode goes by without one or several classical pieces being played, you be the judge if that is a good thing or not. I personally enjoyed it, as I'm a fan of such type of music, but I don't think the anime would be unwatchable for you even if you weren't into classical music. Then again, in the best case scenario, I can easily imagine someone starting to appreciate classical more after watching this.

The OP/ED's were alright. I liked the OP best (Allegro Cantabile by SUEMITSU & THE SUEMITH), a fast-tempo and fun, piano-driven pop song, catchy too. The first ED, done by the rather well-known j-pop artist Crystal Kay was nice also, but the second ED (again by SUEMITSU & THE SUEMITH) I didn't like as much.

Voice acting was top notch, featuring many of my favorites, like the voice actors for the oboe player, Kuroki (Sakuya from Kaikan Phrase), and the lead male character, Chiaki (Brandon from GunGRAVE). The voice actor for Nodame was fantastic too, especially her voice matched her character very well. I liked them all, can't really think of any I disliked now anyway.

Story
The description on the anime's page does a pretty good job of explaining the basic story already, so I'll just do this quick, and try to avoid spoiling any of it for you.

Basically, it's about Nodame and Chiaki and their daily life. They are next-door neighbors and Nodame has a crush on Chiaki, but he isn't interested in her at all. She doesn't act lady-like at all and is the complete opposite of Chiaki, as she lives in a dirty apartment, doesn't take showers for days, uses the same set of clothes for several days straight and just eats junk food. Chiaki is a gifted pianist and violinist, but he aspires to be a conductor for an orchesta, whereas Nodame is a gifted pianist also, but she doesn't seem interested in following the path to being a pro musician at all, instead wanting to be a kindergarten teacher, even though Chiaki constantly tries to encourage Nodame to be more interested in music. The story follows the pair for two years as they go about their lives while being music students in the same school.

Overall, it's very well balanced between all the music performances, humor and everything else. The only thing that I didn't like that much was the ending. It wasn't bad by any means, I was just a liiittle disappointed by it, as I felt it was a bit rushed. Luckily for all of us though, that's what the manga is for! If you're interested, the anime (and the live-action) only show the first 9 volumes, so you can just start reading it at volume 10 without missing out on much.

Character
Aside from Nodame and Chiaki, there's also lots of great ing characters. For example, there's the violinist, Mine, who is bored of classical music and wants to play the violin in more of a rock way, the timpani player, Masumi, who also happens to be a homosexual and has a crush on Chiaki, the opera singer Saiko, Chiaki's former girlfriend and Stresemann, a humorously perverted, famous conductor who takes Chiaki on as his pupil.

Value & Enjoyment
Eltimsy already mentioned Honey & Clover in his review, and I think that anime has much in common with this one. Both are slice-of-life type anime, with lots of humor, drama, romance, relationships and even the animation is quite similar looking. Many of the main characters in Honey & Clover were also in an art school, just like most of the cast of Nodame are in a music school. The only differences were that Nodame isn't quite as slow-paced, and it's not as dark or philosophical, there's no "what's the meaning of life?" type stuff going on. Also, anyone who likes music/trying to make it as musicians anime should definitely grab this now because like I already mentioned, it's filled with music, and besides, such anime are quite rare.
So if you're into slice-of-life stuff like Honey & Clover and School Rumble, etc, or music stuff like Beck and Kaikan Phrase, then you should definitely see this anime.

All in all, I enjoyed this anime immensely, it was really such a nice watch. Great deal of awesome music, slice-of-life, laughs and even some romance thrown in for good measure, what's there not to like?

Nodame Cantabile is an anime series that could easily be called exceptional. It is by no means perfect, however it is definitely a joy to experience.

The story of Nodame Cantabile, originally created by Ninomiya Tomoko (manga) and directed by Kasai Kenichi (directed Honey and Clover, Major), is simple: Nodame and Chiaki are two students at a music conservatory; both play the piano, however Nodame is still searching for a dream that she can truly devote herself to, and Chiaki's dream is to become a conductor. Nodame falls in love with Chiaki (at first sight... so this isn't really a spoiler), and even though Chiaki pretends to dislike her, the two grow together while seeking their dreams, pursuing their own individual music careers.

The animation style is simplistic. The character designs are plain, and some of the side characters look a bit too much alike. The main characters don't even stand out very much amongst them, however they're at least realistic with hair colour, eye colour, et cetera. There's a fairly hefty amount of slapstick humour, so expect to see various animation deformations designed to induce chuckles. Some of this is pretty funny, but perhaps even better is the on-screen text—generally for humourous effect, there will be brief "insider" information about what a character is thinking, or an explanation of what someone is truly implying. Most often, it's giving you obvious information, however they manage to add to the humour by writing it on the screen, basically just by stating the obvious and being proud of it.

The backgrounds are mostly un-noteworthy, however they're at least not overly plain.

The main gripe I had with the animation is the gratuitous use of stills. When the characters are playing instruments, or when the whole symphony is playing together, at least half the time it shows them playing music with a panning still shot. While animating a bunch of moving characters might not be the easiest thing, it doesn't change the fact that it just plain looks static, and detracts from the enjoyment a bit. This was probably done for reasons relating to the budget, but again, knowing this doesn't make the animation any better. Sometimes (randomly), instrument-playing is done using close-ups in CG, which are animated. These generally just focus on the hands of the characters, but they have very fluid movements, and thanks to the effective angles, it fit well enough into the overall atmosphere. Having too much of this kind of close-up CG shot would get redundant, but the constant mixing between the close-up fully-animated CG shots and the panning still shots was fairly disappointing. On the bright side, the animation category as a whole is largely insignificant for this reviewer when compared to the other categories....

The sound is incredible. It is difficult to find an anime series with music of this quality, and it's no wonder, as Nodame Cantabile features music from such great composers as Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Gershwin, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Mahler... you get the point (I hope ;}!) The music is performed exquisitely, and needless to say... the music of this series is of the best one could possibly find. If you love any of these composers, or good music in general, this is already reason enough to watch Nodame Cantabile.

The voice acting is exceptional, as well. The two main characters are a great pair. Nodame, voiced by Kawasumi Ayako (Lafiel of Seikai no Monshou, Fuu of Samurai Champloo, and many more), has a ridiculously adorable voice, with an appropriately cute catchphrase, "Gyabo!" Chiaki's voice, done by Seki Tomokazu (Sousuke of Full Metal Panic!, Van Fanel of Escaflowne, Keisuke of Initial D, and a million other things) is perfect for this arrogant and charismatic character. The ing characters are all fitting, with no standouts on either spectrum.

The story, as noted at the beginning of this review, is simple. It's not a particularly impressive tale, by any means, but there's a fair bit of romance thrown in, making this series a fun mix of drama and comedy. As the series progresses, the characters grow, and things get more and more interesting as the season nears its finale. There aren't many (or even any) surprises, however what's there is pulled off well enough. The story is, for the most part, centered purely around the characters, primarily Chiaki and Nodame. The individual characters' growth is the best part of the story.

The two main characters, Chiaki and Nodame, develop into a great pair. Chiaki is definitely the strongest and most interesting character. He has depth, and he is constantly trying to overcome his past, so that he can move forward and achieve his dream of being a conductor. While it's painfully obvious how he feels about Nodame (despite how he generally treats her), his main focus in life is the music he works with, and this becomes a strength of his as he works on achieving success. Nodame didn't actually become an interesting character until much later in the season. While she was endearing and cute from the start, she lacked depth until they finally decided to develop her character into more than just an avid lover of Chiaki and a relaxed yet very skillful player of the piano. I was disappointed for a while with her character, as a whole, however I was extremely pleased when she finally began to develop into her own interesting character. Together, these two characters grew into an incredibly fun-to-watch pair.

There is only one consistent side character with any level of depth, and that is Mine, the violinist. He's a cool and entertaining character, and he helps to bring some of the plot developments together. I really would have liked it if they developed his character more, perhaps making him more important or give him more backstory, but it didn't happen. The other characters were all flat and uninteresting.

Nodame Cantabile has a fairly high value thanks to its enjoyability and, more importantly, its incredible music. It's a great way to spread the appreciation of some of the best music this world has seen, all while showing the insane level of dedication that serious musicians often have to have, in order to become truly skilled. Otherwise, the story isn't particularly astounding, but the music performances and some of the character interactions that develop between Chiaki and Nodame make it worth checking out sometime down the road. I'd suggest this one to fans of music, or people that like a bit of romance with a lot of comedy thrown in.

The enjoyment factor of this series is high. As has been pointed out already, the music was a joy to listen to. The comedy was mostly funny, thanks to effective use of on-screen text in combination with the great voice acting of Nodame and Chiaki. The story picked up near the end, which added to the enjoyment. The main thing detracting from some of the enjoyment was the excessive use of panning still shots, but even this seemed to lessen as the series progressed. All things considered, this was a thoroughly excellent show, and it definitely gets the recommendation for all who love to see characters grow, those who love comedy, and of course, those who love wonderful music.

Note: This review applies to both Nodame Cantabile and its Paris Chapter. One is based on A-Keep fansubs, while the other is based on BSS group's work. Both possess magnificent quality and professional translation. Recommended.



Originally written as manga by Kasai Kenichi (Honey & Clover) Nodame Cantabile is an interesting, mildly original show, portraying the love affair of two polar-opposite musical geniuses - a constructive and hard working conductor Chiaki and a completely random and wacky pianist Nodame. Due to a twist of fate both of them end up walking the same path, together. Various challenges of conducting a flat out worst orchestra ever, or winning piano competitions are what make our characters mature and reach adulthood, all while pursuing their dreams to stand on the top of the music world.

If you are familiar with Kasai Kenichi's other work, Honey & Clover, you will feel right at home in Nodame Cantabile, as his directing abilities are felt very strong in both shows. Though I found Honey & Clover superior, probably because of a stronger original scenario, Nodame Cantabile is also a pretty good anime. It as well, basically, tells a story of university students reaching the pinnacle of their youth. Romantic dreams and cruel reality clashes are delivered by often sarcastic humor, which works real well all the time. Unfortunately having watched Honey & Clover in the past made me all too familiar with the philosophy of Kasai Kenichi, hence I didn't enjoy it as much here, as I did in his prior anime.

Animation 6/10

Animation done by J.C. Staff (Honey & Clover, Tsukihime) is a mixed bag. For starters, backgrounds are artsy. Some city or nature sceneries are as if taken from a painting or a picture book. Though not exactly necessary in a slice of life show, they do great things at creating just the right mood for the show. Add the very well balanced-color palette, good lighting effects, awesome architecture and detailed mass scenes, and you will get a damn great visual feast.

Unfortunately, what can be said about backgrounds, can't be said about character designs. The first problem I found with everyone was their obviously over-sized heads, which at times would make overall stature of the character distorted. Also, the lack of facial details and hairstyles make everyone look really similar to each other, so you will face a lot of situations were you will mix up random guys with the side cast. Even the two main characters don't stand out from the bunch. Chiaki is always described as very handsome, but at times he looked barely different from the guys described as ugly. Nodame's design doesn't possess much charm either. At times I did almost think that she might look cute, but her over-sized head would turn those thoughts off in a few seconds.

On the other hand, whenever a mass orchestra scene would pop out and the camera would actually concentrate on the musicians' fingers, rather than their heads, then the animation does shine. Fingers look slender and very human like, while their movements are fast and realistic, without a grain of choppiness. I really commend the staff of Nodame Cantabile for making orchestra scenes look magnificent from both artsy and technical stand points. When not in orchestra, movement of characters is usually realistic, though there are a few cases where it would get choppy. Hair doesn't flow in the wind as graciously as you would like it either.

Finally, I but have to mention the awesome direction of Kasai Kenichi, who did wonders in Honey & Clover, and so does wonders in here. Great symbolic backgrounds, usually in funny situations, reflect the mood of the character in center perfectly (like many little suns spinning around behind their backs). The clever use of character faces and placement during comedy scenes also took a big part in me liking this show, as you always have those great close-ups to Chiaki's face when he's dumbfounded, or when you think that the funny part is already over, you suddenly notice someone sulking in the corner of the screen with a black cloud over his head or whatever. Really great use of funny anime symbolism here.

Sound: 8/10

Obviously, the most notable fact in musical department of Nodame Cantabile is that it packs a great deal of classical music. Compositions of Beethoven, Mozart, Dvorak, Schubert, Rachmaninoff, and many others are present in this show. Almost half of its running time is spent on orchestras which play that music and it's music worth listening to. Though I was never too fond of orchestras, as watching few dozens of people in suits isn't what I'd call particularly exciting and I rather prefer to visualize stuff in my dark room when listening to music, Nodame Cantabile made watching it fun. As the expressions of the players and some little in between monologue which happens inside their heads make music all more pleasant. On the other hand I found out I prefer those modern/classical music mixes of this age to the classical music of the past. Either way, when it's not on concert, background music doesn't shine, as even after having finished this show a few days ago I can't recall a single track from a non orchestra situation. Talk about bland and unmemorable.

Allegro Cantabile by Emiri Miyamoto x solita though not a great piece, did suit the mood of Paris very well.

Finally, the voice-acting in Nodame Cantabile is marvelous. And that is due to some of the most awesome names in voice-acting industry being present in this show. Chiaki voiced by an elite seiyuu Kawasumi Ayako (Crest of the Stars as Lafiel Abriel, Fate/Stay Night as Saber), who voices main heroine Nodame here. Though the real talent of Kawasumi Ayako shows when she is doing cool and serious voices, she does a great job at bringing carefree and wacky Nodame to life as well. Phrases like "gyabo" or "mukiii" certainly brought some new kind of charm in anime industry. Also whenever Nodame gets serious or angry (real rare), she sounds as awesome as Kawasumi Ayako is, and that means Awesome. You can also notice many famous seiyuu names on many undeserving minor characters here, like Noto Mamiko, Ishida Akira, Mitsuishi Kotono, Suwabe Junichi and Hiroyuki Yoshino all who made many great performances as main characters in many shows.

Story: 7/10

Since the main genre of this show is slice of life, it's obvious it happens in a modern day Japan. The show successfully mimics the feeling of the real world, hence making characters and the plot feel very close to the viewers. No dragons or mechas here, but real world can be fun too, sometimes.

Anyway, the best thing in the plot of Nodame Cantabile is its magnificent ability to keep balance between seriousness and comedy. It's funny when it's funny, it's serious when it's serious. Jokes don't affect the storyline, nor do dramatic situations affect the high quality of jokes. In my practice, usually when show tries to be both funny and serious, one side falls flat, because stronger side overshadows the other. So far only Honey & Clover, ironically directed by the same person, managed to keep such a fine line between drama and comedy. Add Nodame Cantabile and now there are two shows which can be both funny, sad and serious at the same time, while being strong at all three.

What I didn't particularly like about the plot was its weird pace, sometimes it seemed as if it was going at a snail's pace and you would want to push it forward, then the next moment it jumps three months into the future. It was really hard to keep track of things, especially in Paris-Hen which managed to jump six months in a single episode. And unlike in Honey & Clover, I did feel slightly disturbed by these jumps in this show... Either way, whatever the pace, each episode is exciting and fun, though it might be hard to watch one episode per sitting as you always feel compelled to reach the point when all the preparation for orchestra is over and time flies again. Though I didn't find the plot groundbreaking I did enjoy it, as leisure watching with minor spices of coming of age. Though it is still annoying that there is no complete closure in Paris-Hen either, I hope they will finally finish it in the next installment.

Character: 7/10

The two main characters of the show, Chiaki and Nodame are pretty good, charismatic and well developed leads. Unfortunately, the side cast of this show ends up in a dumpster as none of them possess enough charm to steal a single moment from Nodame and Chiaki. Nodame is a good character, because she is, well, original, I have seen many wacky girls in anime before, but it's the first time one shouted "gyabo" in my face. She is weird, she is untidy, she is chaotic, all the traits which bring great contrast to Chiaki's tidiness and cool head. Those contrasts bring many funny moments and succeed at developing a great romance between the two leads, who in the end appear as a male tsundere and female philanderer. Chiaki's determination and ambitions shed new light on Nodame, who didn't have any until meeting him. Her growth in a serious, adult world, and Chiaki's growth in a silly emotion infused part of the world sold the pair to me in the end. A really great match, two polar differences, feeding and evolving each other.

Though there are some personalities in the side cast, like the perverted maestro Franz von Stressmen, who manages to entertain, most of the guys in the first season are bland and have little purpose apart from playing their instruments. I forgot their names, forgot their faces, didn't even pay attention to most of them from the beginning. It's no surprise most of them were discarded after the first season. It takes Paris-Hen to finally introduce a side cast worthy of interest. Though there are still a few useless guys loitering around, Russian pianist Taniya and French otaku Frank are pretty interesting. Also, Kuroki, who was as important as fog in the first season, comes back in Paris and finally becomes a full fledged character, with both worries and real personality.

Myers-Briggs personality type indicator:



Value: 7/10

Nodame Cantabile is certainly not a show to be watched many times. There are no cool action scenes, you wont find many show-offs here either. Humor is light and mood setting, so it doesn't work as strong the second time around. All you have watched will probably sit in your head for a long time to come. Hence it takes your appreciation of classical music to decide if you will re-watch this show or not. I wont delete it, and though I doubt I will ever re-watch it as a whole, I might repeat some cool concerts or laugh at one or two jokes a second time in a random episode.

1. Conclusion: Nodame Cantabile is an interesting light hearted show about classical music and coming of age. If you are fond of such stories, have interest in music or just want to relax next to a show which sets all of its values above average - Nodame Cantabile is your choice. You wont find a masterpiece, but you will probably be entertained. It's also, one of the very few shows in anime, which is equally interesting for both women and men. Though ranked for ages 13 and older, I believe Nodame Cantabile is best suited for people in High School or university. Anyway, if you have enjoyed this show - check Honey & Clover, which is quite similar, yet in my opinion, better show than Nodame Cantabile is.

Story

How long would it take to teach a normal person with little or no exposure to classical music how to understand and appreciate the fine nuances of a Mozart sonata, or a Rachmaninov piano concerto? How much longer would it take to convince such a person that his preconceptions about classical music were totally unfounded and that classical music might actually be...interesting?

Apparently, all it takes is 23 episodes of Nodame Cantabile. Actually, in my case, it was far less than that. By the second episode, I was already dusting off my piano, untouched for ages, and digging around for old books of classical pieces my teacher used to make me practise.

Nodame Cantabile tells the story of the unlikely college romance between the meticulously clean Chiaki Shinichi, a perfectionist and star pupil of the Momogaoka Academy of Music who aspires to become a conductor, and Noda Megumi, (who prefers to go by Nodame) a complete slob, but a brilliant piano student who can barely read sheet music and plays almost exclusively by ear.

In every romance, there is that fine line between a captivating love story and oversentimentality: make the plot too pedestrian, and the audience loses interest; make it too fanciful, and it becomes a sappy soap opera. Nodame Cantabile strikes a wonderful balance, creating a capriciously charming tale with its full share of priceless moments.


Animation

Apart from feature-length productions, generally associated with the likes of Hayao Miyazaki, Satori Kon or Shinkai Makoto, which I deem to be in a different category than conventional televised anime, truly few titles offer the visual quality of Nodame Cantabile. The overall aesthetic appeal of the series is extremely high, especially when one considers how much screen time is devoted to showing the playing of various orchestral instruments. I cannot speak for the animation of other instruments, but certainly, the playing of the piano sequences is faithfully portrayed.

What really sets Nodame Cantabile apart from its peers, though, is the absolute undeniable genius of the animators in finding a way to visually convey the beauty and emotion of a piece of classical music. I will not even attempt to describe this in a review: it must be seen for oneself. I was equally blown away by the use of spectacular hand-drawn glamour shots with accompanying sparkle effects to emphasise dramatic moments of the anime.

My one gripe about the visual aspect of the anime was that certain secondary characters were drawn too similar to Chiaki. On several occasions, I had to look twice to determine whether it was really Chiaki on the screen. While this is a small issue in the grand scheme of things, I consider it mildly sloppy, given the extremely high quality of the rest of the production.


Sound

Ironically, as an anime about music, Nodame Cantabile has very few opportunities to showcase original compositions. Rather, the vast majority of music played throughout the series are brilliantly performed pieces or excerpts from various classical composers. The one original piece which stands out is the catchy title theme, Allegro Cantabile, which is reiterated in many forms throughout the series.

One would think that the sound team had an easy job, simply recycling recordings of famous classical works. This could not be farther from the truth. As it turns out, every piece was re-recorded to fit the context of the anime. This is particularly evident when characters are learning a new piece of music – the improvement and accuracy of a performance from day to day is quite observable.

The seiyuu selection could not have been more ideal. I am not one to use superlatives lightly, but I have a hard time imagining how this anime could be the same without the prodigious performances of all the seiyuu. I attempted to watch the live-action version of Nodame Cantabile, but could not continue past the first episode. The live-action felt totally lifeless without the dynamism and energy of Kawasumi Ayako in the role of Nodame, the frustrated retentiveness of Seki Tomokazu as Chiaki and the perverted insanity of Ogawa Shinji as Maestro Stresemann.

Nodame Cantabile is the strongest candidate to date for a perfect score in sound. However, in all objectivity, I was disappointed not to see a higher standard of music choreography within the anime. No one can dispute the beauty and the quality of the music, but there were a few scenes which left me wondering why the audio team were being so parsimonious with the background music. As a contrast, I mention Someday's Dreamers, in which practically every scene is paired with an atmospheric soundtrack. The result is clear: a style which gives the anime a rich and mellifluous feeling, which I felt was sometimes lacking in Nodame Cantabile.


Character

The characters in Nodame Cantabile really shine. Each is their own unique person, with quirky but believable defining characteristics. Characters of quality are a rare breed, as the common mistake committed by many an anime is to create memorable characters by giving them exaggerated caricatural traits. I thus consider myself fortunate when I come across a cast of rich and complex characters such as the one in Nodame Cantabile.

Nodame is without question one of the richest and most colourful female lead characters in any anime I have seen. Far from a picture of perfection, she is a piano genius placed in the body of a sloppy, dirty, possessive, selfish and childish girl. Yet, with her adorable attempts at haute cuisine – a fish accidentally burnt charcoal black garnished with a string of pink, heart-shaped mayonnaise – as well as her peculiar mannerisms and bizarre expressions, "Gyabo!" or "Mukya!", she wins over her audience with the same unforgettable charm with which she wins over Chiaki.

In fact, all the main characters in Nodame Cantabile have distinct and often clashing personalities. Of course, it is the interaction between these conflicting character traits which are the source of all the hilarity. At one point the anime notes that "the mind can be freed by new encounters", and nowhere is this more acutely observed than through the changes we see in the main characters as they grow and learn from each other.


Overall

A quick browse through YouTube for videos of classical music pieces featured in Nodame Cantabile – Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto, for example – reveals comments like "Nodame!" or "Gyabo!". It is practically unthinkable that an anime about an arcane topic would garner such strong and reverent , but having watched all 23 episodes, it is easy to see why.

Quite simply, this is a superbly produced anime. Few titles are able to keep audiences watching merely with good pacing alone, but Nodame Cantabile has certainly attained grandmastery of the art. Fewer yet can inspire audiences worldwide to appreciate the beauty of music written centuries ago. And only Nodame Cantabile can do it with the perfect dose of humour, drama and energy to make it appealing to all viewers.

There comes a time in everyone's lives when they meet the most important person to them in the world... the "one" that will turn their lives around completely for better or for worse... we just don't know when it'll happen, or who that person actually is. You might think that if it has already happened, it must be the celebrity you met at that outing quite a few years ago - it can't possibly be anyone else!

To prove that wrong, Chiaki Shinichi, an infamous piano student and apprentice to a famous Vienna conductor, has met quite a few supposedly famous people during his days at the music academy: acclaimed German conductor Franz von Strezemann, celebrated Japanese violinist Miki Kiyora, etc etc.. However, even with the eclipse of Sebastiano Viera on his record, none of his life-long dreams could have been fulfilled if it weren't for that one fatal meeting, by chance, at his apartment. Not only is she not famous, but she is one of the most disgraceful human beings on the planet - the exact opposite of what one would typically think of.

Nodame Cantabile follows the chronicles of this fated couple and their ups and downs through the world of classical music. A romantic comedy saturated with obscure gags and spontaneous reactions followed by a plethora of Chiaki fanboys/girls, this manga-turned-live-action-adaption-then-into-an-anime will sure have you choking on laughter while filling your ears with beautiful classical music.

The most awesome aspect of this story is most probably the star couple: Chiaki and Nodame. While Chiaki is a walking female magnet with great talents to show for it, Nodame is most contrastingly a walking garbage truck. The chemistry between them spontaneously went through the first moments they appear together, and the reaction proceeds to further development throughout the course of the show. Both prodigies undergo intense changes through both their emotions and their already high-class talents. Even through the most absurd gags from them, it can't be denied that they make a great couple together without all the drama.

However brilliant the main couple is, they cannot progress their relationship without a good story! Though nothing short of unique, their first rendez-vous sets up the stage for their opportunities and achievements to come. Characters come in and out of people's lives, and they realistically make their way into Chiaki's life through silly means and spot-on appearances. Both the love portion and the growth of their careers are simultaneously told at a great pace thanks to a bold and impressive director and the manga creator. The story ends on a good note, with hopes of a second season!

This anime cannot be complete without the main theme that it is based around on: classical music. Ear-warming pieces are played in many episodes (especially towards the latter half of the series). To the untrained ears, everything sounds good, but to the trained ears, some might find that the placement of both bad and good playing to be just perfect. This anime also serves as a gateway into the classical world, if some want to get into the world of the time before mainstream pop trash, rock and roll, or the blues of the 20's. The animation only complements the songs slightly, as all it mostly is is CG of hands and fingers, "painted" scenes, and sometimes a splash of artistic colour (as they say, music can remind people of a certain colour!).

With a popular live-action drama based on the manga having been successful before the run of the anime, Nodame Cantabile should surely not be missed!

"Let's go have some fun by playing some music."

I've seen my fair share of music anime, but this is the first time the musical genre has been my first love: classical music.

STORY - "Work hard and you'll achieve your dream!" It's a very cliche and often-used storyline, right? Well, yes. Yes, it is, but that hardly means that the subsequent series has to be old and tiresome. I've said before that the best stories take something that's been done a thousand times already and somehow manage to tell it in a way that's better and more interesting. In a genre dominated by high school drama, Nodame Cantabile steps it up and uses college students, something I'd love to see happen more often. The storytelling happens in a mostly slice-of-life format, but it doesn't shy away from progressing significantly in time -- weeks , months , whole seasons and school years , and it's great to be able to follow the characters for these longer periods of time, especially since it emphasizes the fact that change and progress take both hard work and time.

Nodame Cantabile is very focused for a slice-of-life series in that almost all of the characters are very serious and motivated by their goals; there are notably few subplots that veer away from the main points. I think this can make it a bit more attractive to people that are generally bored by a wandering plotline, but it's pretty easy to get engaged in this series regardless. Reading summaries for Nodame Cantabile can only bring skepticism and doubt considering the frequency of the main plot, but watching it? I was charmed by episode one.

CHARACTER - Without a doubt, most of Nodame Cantabile's appeal is in its characters. Though it feels a little odd to use the adjective on him, Shinichi Chiaki is definitely gar: all the girls want him, and all the guys want to be him (actually, wait, some of the guys want him too). This most likely includes the of the audience! He's a genius at what he does and furiously motivated; everywhere he goes, people throw themselves at his feet and do everything in their power to push him forward. You're compelled to cheer for him every step of the way. It's funny sometimes how that much charisma can make it through the screen, but it's there, and it's because despite Chiaki's exceeding excellence at everything, he remains a very accessible character. His weaknesses are just as glaring and significant as his strengths, and they're what balance him out. It's easy to imagine yourself in Chiaki's shoes.

Nodame, strangely enough, is very much the same. She's crazy, quirky, wild, and questionable, but once again, she's very human. Her antics are never so over-the-top that they're utterly unbelievable, and her hopes and dreams are notably muddled alongside her classmates' -- something a lot of people can also relate to. The differences between Nodame and Chiaki made them perfect foils, and it was really fun watching all the drama and interaction between the two. Despite the frequency of Nodame's claims on Chiaki, I really felt like this was one of the least forced-feeling romances I've ever seen. At no point did their relationship feel cheap, contrived, or overly convenient. Because so much time es during the series, the relationship felt like it progressed at a much more natural place; it was great (and adorable).

All of the characters are nice in their own way, and I don't think there was a single one I disliked. One of the reasons I loved that this series features college-aged students is the fact that they can all drink, smoke, and have sex and it isn't shocking or scandalous! It also added a nice bit of insight into the lives of Japanese college students and their hilarious nightlifes (clubs, arcades, and karaoke!) when they aren't busy studying.

ARTSTYLE & ANIMATION - Nodame Cantabile has a pretty damn simple and generic art style, but in that simplicity, it's hard to find anything to pick at. The only thing that stands out for me in the character design is that many characters look like they're perpetually blushing, which is a little confusing at times -- once I got used to it though, it really wasn't that big of a deal.

The most obvious critique of the animation in this series comes from the numerous still-frames used in the dozens of playing and concert montages. As an anime about music, there's obviously a lot of music-playing involved. Especially in scenes involving entire orchestras, the animation is minimal to none -- nine out of ten times you see a flute, a clarinet, an oboe, a french horn, or a cello, the players' arms and fingers aren't moving. The ratio is slightly improved for violin, and the piano gets the most attention with moving fingers maybe 40% of the time. It's understandable though; after all, animating individual fingers playing instruments with many keys is incredibly difficult, especially for the piano, when they make a huge effort to animate the actual notes that are being played.

Aside from piano, where we're sometimes lucky enough to get ten to twenty measures of music at a time, most instruments are only shown being played for seconds at a time, and it's often CG. This makes the rendering of the instrument perfectly accurate and shiny (especially the clarinets and oboes), and I loved catching those sniplets of action in between the panning shots. There are a lot of still shots, but I do think what they do show us is worth it. There is one concert near the beginning of the series that's about half an episode's worth of still montages, but that's the worst of it -- as the series progresses, there's gradually more and more actual playing. :3

MUSIC - Ah, classical music! And of such a nice variety too! I was happy to see that the selection of music in Nodame Cantabile represented more than just the select few scores and piano pieces known by the general public. Most of the composers are still familiar, but there are also lesser-known names such as Debussy, Ravel and Sarasate. Unfortunately, as much as I do love classical music, I don't have a trained enough ear to be able to tell whether or not the music played in the series was tailored specifically for it -- for example, when characters supposedly play a piece poorly, I really can't tell. When characters supposedly improvise and don't play exactly what the piece dictates, I can't tell.

I would think that a vast majority of the pieces would be professionally recorded pieces borrowed for the series though, and that they're all free of glaring errors. (I just can't imagine that they'd budget the money required to hire an entire orchestra to mess up.) Still, at least some of the piano solos (the Moja Moja Suite? The improvised piano version of some made-up show?) had to have been recorded for the show. Overall, all of the music is very pleasing to listen to and well-performed. Maybe you don't be moved to tears like the characters are, but if you're even a mild fan of classical music, you'll be fine. :)

VOICE ACTING - Seki Tomokazu and Ayako Kawasumi both do a great job with their leads. As both characters go through a full range of emotions, their voices had to match up appropriately, and they did! Especially for a character like Nodame, who habitually puts up one front while fostering other thoughts and feelings inside, it was really important that she have a good voice. The rest of the characters all had pretty nice voices as well, though no others really stood out to me as being particularly notable.

OVERALL - As a longtime fan of classical music, an amateur pianist, and a former clarinetist, Nodame Cantabile was both inspiring and nostalgic. It made me want to play more piano, and it made me really miss playing the school band or orchestra. It was educational, giving insight into the world and careers of classical musicians, and it was touching, allowing for a window in the lives of some very believable characters. It was hilarious and very silly at times, but I don't think it ever crossed the line into over-the-top territory. Even for those who aren't huge, huge fans of classical music, I think this series has enough merit to warrant a taste, and for those who are fans, you definitely don't want to miss this series. I already can't wait to move onto the sequel. :3

Animation:
The only criteria that Nodame Cantabile doesn't shine, every scene is as simplistic as it can get. Still, the style is quite faithful to the manga and does just enough to portray the colorful characters. There's some CGI involved when displaying hands playing instruments and that's as far as it goes regarding fluent animation. There are lots of still scenes otherwise. Characters' faces follow their emotions and actions well so enough is enough for this genre.

Sound:
To be honest, my interest in classical music is no more than my knowledge about it. Much to my surprise and joy, this anime delivers in sound department. Every episode includes at least one performance, be it orchestra or solo and they're all integrated to the story in a way that the viewer can enjoy them. Not to mention that the music is all pretty good, from famous composers with nice performances. OP is a catchy J-Pop song yet a good one, though ED's are not as bright which led me to fast forward. Voice acting is superb, I can say that most of Nodame's charm comes from that.

Story:
It's a story of two characters completing each other, strengthening and improving oneself through hardship, experience and relations. The times of pursuit of a career choice, life-changing decisions and ideals clashing with reality are displayed accurately and in a sense that captures the interest of the viewer. A path to glory at the same time but nothing comes for free. I have to stress that Chiaki and Nodame, being two completely different people yet at the same time bonding a strong relationship is especially moving. They're exotic to each other, their only common point is their interest in performing music. In the end, as some of the music critics in the anime said, I found myself craving for more.

Character:
Fitting the name of the anime, the characters are vividly portrayed in a manner that it feels colorful, much like Nodame's cantabile style. There's a great deal of progress in what they expect from life and what they want, how they interact with others. This goes especially for Chiaki and Nodame but can be said for nearly anybody who's on screen for more than an episode. But my favorite was the lovely Nodame with all her weirdness, cuteness and prodigal nature. She has much more depth to herself than it seems from the outside and this surprises the series characters' as much as the viewer.

Value:
With good music, enjoyable dialogs and funny moments, I'm already going through some of the episodes anew. The pacing is just fine and none of the episodes are wasted with generic fillers, it has a decent review value to it.

Enjoyment:
I was skeptical beforehand since many hyped anime are far from what they are claimed to be. Musicals aren't my taste exactly. I'm completely and thankfully surprised. This one went far beyond my expectations and I can even say that it set a new standard for me. A thoroughly enjoyable experience like the characters had in it themselves.

Bottom Line:
Recommendable to virtually everybody out there, Nodame Cantabile is a fantastic series that leaves you wanting more. It went right into my 'must see' list for people asking me what to watch nowadays.