Piano prodigy Arima Kousei dominated the competition and all child musicians knew his name. But after his mother, who was also his instructor, passed away, he had a mental breakdown while performing at a recital that resulted in him no longer being able to hear the sound of his piano even though his hearing was perfectly fine. Even two years later, Kousei hasn't touched the piano and views the world in monotone, and without any flair or color. He was content at living out his life with his good friends Tsubaki and Watari until, one day, a girl changed everything. Miyazono Kaori is a pretty, free spirited violinist whose playing style reflects her personality. Kaori helps Kousei return to the music world and show that it should be free and mold breaking unlike the structured and rigid style Kousei was used to. Not really a full review or anything, but I finished Your Lie in April (Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso) a few days ago and wanted to share my thoughts on it. Despite music being advertised as the main theme of anime, it really ends up being a plot device instead. We don't really get to see the complexities or difficulties of playing the piano despite seeing Kousei practicing all the time. Most of the tension during the competitions is whether or not Kousei is going to break down, since we already know that his technical prowess is better than anyone else's. Rather, the story is more about the drama between the four main characters. While the drama is very well done and always kept me interested, it doesn't seem to affect the characters' growth much at all. Kousei remains an awkward piano prodigy. Watari is still the best friend archetype, and Tsubaki is nothing more than a childhood friend who supports Kousei. Kaori is the same as always throughout the show, until the reveals near the end. I really would have liked to see more character development, which would have made this show even better than it already is. Your Lie in April is a very well produced anime that kept me interested the whole time I was watching. The animation quality is very high, and so is the overall art style. The soundtrack overall was pleasant to listen to, and may introduce you to new classical pieces that you may not be familiar with. Again, the story's focus isn't on music. It's really about a girl who suddenly comes into a boy's life and brings color to his world. It's a very worthwhile watch if you're looking for a romance/drama that will demand you to keep on watching. Watching this anime has made me kind of nostalgic about someone that I've met nearly two years ago. Even though I don't talk to her anymore, the memories that we've shared together were precious. Is there someone in your life who has has really motivated you do something? Is there someone you don't want to forget? Overall: 8.5/10 (+.5/-1) - Very good
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KimiUso to me is a wasted potential. Watching throughout the show, I just can't get invested into the drama. Some of the live performances are really good though, the finale is especially good in that it even progressed the overarching storyline through the music and Kousei's monologues alone.
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Jimmy
12/23/2015 11:41:29 am
Yeah, it's hard to get invested in the drama when it's shallow compared to the other animes that I've watched, or VNs that I've read. I agree with you on the performances! My favorite is the one that Kousei plays with Nagi. The culmination of all the efforts and emotions of the two was quite the performance to hear and see.
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Welcome to The Emotional Skyscraper, a blog for touhou/doujin music recommendations, games, visual novels, and other otaku related oddities.
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Games: Atelier Escha & Logy Anime: None Emoskyis a full time otaku & audiophile who enjoys listening to Touhou music, playing doujin games, and reading visual novels. For more information, visit the About page. Categories
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