Nodame Cantabile is a 23 episode anime produced by J.C. Staff based off of the manga of the same name, and created by Tomoko Ninomiya. It is directed by Kenichi Kasai, with this probably being his most well-known direction. He also did Honey and Clover, which is also big but I don’t know enough of it to say much on. Nodame Cantabile is about a man named Shinichi Chiaki and an odd woman named Noda “Nodame” Megumi, both of whom are talented piano players. Shinichi is studying at Japan's top musical university and has aspirations to become a world famous conductor. Shortly after meeting Nodame, Shinichi has a chance encounter with other students at the university, and we watch them grow and tackle obstacles as musicians. Some consider it to be a Shojo romance, but the Shojo tones are light and barely noticeable. The romance between the characters isn't nearly as important as their personal growth in the world of music, and as human beings. Nodame Cantabile hits a wide range of subjects, from comedy to drama to coming of age stories, Nodame is a show that is very difficult to label. To those who are curious, this review will be spoiler free. Nodame Cantabile tells its story well and expresses the music on a level that everyone can understand. Even though the show uses music references which to some may be very obscure, it is done in a way that knowledge of the music is not dependent on enjoyment of the show. It has a nice presentation of playing in music groups and talking to egotistical musicians that anyone who’s ever wielded an instrument should be familiar with. The execution is top-notch and it hits on very well for both musicians and non-musicians alike. Some people might complain and say that classical music isn’t their thing, but the show is more focused on the growth of the characters through their music and the dreams they seek to achieve. The characters are expressed very well. They seem to have normal ambitions and desires, at least, for anyone in their position. Because of this, I can respect them as not only characters but as people too. Unlike other music based shows I have watched, they don’t screw around with music. The characters grow and learn from each other, which is a positive point of the show. It’s not really perfect (or close to it), but it’s done well enough to make me care about Chiaki and Nodame. With this said, some of the side characters feel a bit empty, but since they don’t impact the scene too much, one shouldn't worry about it. I think the pacing of the story is good, perfect for the story the show is trying to tell. There are times when some more serious moments from the show are somewhat spoiled by a character making a ridiculous face. It doesn’t bother me too much but I still can’t help but notice it. On the technical level of animation, there is a lot left to be desired. It makes use of average CG techniques to illustrate instruments playing at times, and at others there is a lot of still frame panning. It leaves something to be desired, as more energy could be communicated through watching the more expressive movements as they play there instruments. The character designs lack any real standout-ish elements so there are times when I have a hard time even telling the difference between characters. Even the color can be a bit limited and bland at times, so it definitely affects the show. Of course, it really isn’t here to visually impress you. Obviously the music is outstanding, taking pieces from both well known and esoteric composers across time. Songs exclusive to the anime are pretty good as well. To summarize, Nodame Cantabile is an excellent show whose positives far outweigh the negatives. It is a show you should definitely pick up if you have the time. It’s obviously not an action show so action-gurus probably won’t enjoy this. There is a second season and I plan to watch that pretty soon. I’ll probably write about that as well. I’m done talking for now so until next time folks!
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