Uneventful Spring Break

Since there is only a handful of people I know who's with me on spring break back home, everything has been quiet and... mellow. I should add that I don't even talk to the people that are back here. Put two and two together:

I'm bored.

So, recently I started making a media collection, predominantly movies, music - and requested by my brother - anime. Honestly speaking, I watched less than 10% of what I've gathered up so far, a combined 400 or so GB's worth of entertainment.

A couple of days ago, I decided that I can easily pass time by watching random anime series that I've downloaded. Out of the recent ones I've completed, I would say the one that appealed the most to me was Nodame Cantabile. For those who have background knowledge for classical music, the term "cantabile" means played in a singsong-like fashion. Nodame's the name for the female protagonist of the series, if anyone's curious.

Nodame Cantabile

The entire series is themed around classical music. Knowing me and my classical piano history, stuff like this intrigues me right off the bat. When I went through episode one not knowing any background information about the series, my attention was grabbed, though my interest was not in full bloom. As I went through the first three or so episodes, I was gradually drawn into the basic, but nonetheless interesting storyline.

The Facts
- Based on a manga (comic)
- 23 main episodes (plus a couple of "bonus" episodes)
- Originally ran from Jan. 2007 to June 2007
- Directed by Kenichi Kasai
- Animation studio: J.C. Staff
- Also an award winning live-action Japanese TV drama of the same name
- Features compositions by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Debussy, Schumann, Brahms, Strauss, Listz, Gershwin, and more
- Features performances by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

The Story
The protagonist, Chiaki Shinichi, is a senior majoring in piano in a music college in Japan. He's a prodigy, perfectionist, and far more musically talented than the rest of the students (and even staff) in the school. As a result, he's arrogant, highly criticizing, and sometimes downright overly aggressive. Although he excels in playing the piano (also the violin), his true dream lies in conducting.

Along the way, he bumps into the title character, Megumi Noda, who goes by a portmanteau of her surname plus given name, "Nodame." She's wacky, odd, unladylike, sloppy, clumsy, but free-spirited. On top of that, her piano playing is unique and her technique is unparalleled.

The series goes on with Nodame falling in love with the talented, good-looking Chiaki, while Chiaki finds himself trying to rid himself of his peculiar admirer. Episode by episode, character developments become huge, and plots move on with the introductions of various eccentric characters (who all play significant roles, as well as forming friendships between the two protagonists) and events.

Eventually, due to Nodame, Chiaki was able to gain opportunities to conduct small school orchestras, a stepping stone to his future. Likewise, because of Chiaki, Nodame enters a piano competition, once a fear of hers. Many opportunities come around, forcing the characters to grow and take risks in order to pursue their dreams.

And at the end...

Well, it's a nice ending. Plus, I'm downloading the sequel, so technically I'm not quite done either.

The Review
There are several reasons why I became quite fond of this anime. The obvious one is that my musical background made me pay closer attention to details throughout the series. It could have been a positive or negative effect, but luckily, it worked out well.

Then there's the fact that the creators of the series decided to put actual classical compositions throughout each episode (plus, they are pretty informing regarding the composer, piece title, and miscellaneous details). Songs that I've played before in the past struck me particularly hard. As for songs I could or could not identify, listening to them instilled this urge within me to find the sheet music and give the pieces a shot.

Additionally, the animation was consistent throughout the series. At certain points, the animators would even use CGI elements to create this realistic effect on the music performers' hands. It's apparent that the bases for the scenes were taken from live performers, which was why each note from the soundtrack matched the movements of the fingers. It's a very effective attention-grabbing technique.

Finally, the anime's genre lines up as: Drama, romantic comedy, and slice-of-life (random, daily happenings of characters). The serious, dramatic parts and silly, comedic parts are very well balanced. The romance elements were not at all chick-flicky, sappy, or even tear-inducing, but they were fit into the episodes neatly. All in all, a great effort by the creators.

...phew.

Season two is only eleven episodes long, basically half of season one. I did a little research and apparently the creators plan on finalizing the series as a trilogy, with the third season due for late 2009. Hmm. It's worth looking forward to if I like season two as much as season one.

I rarely watch anime, dramas, or anything television related to begin with. Usually it takes me quite a while before I heave a sigh and say, "All right, all right, I'll watch it." Sometimes I regret downloading and watching certain series. But this time, I'm pretty satisfied with my decision.