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May 14, 2013
I'm really glad I actually sat down and watched this one fully. It only took a day, but what a day it was worth. I've watched many popular romance animes such as Clannad and Konan and can say nicely that, if it wanted to, this anime could have been on their level IF not greater.
There are a few things holding it back, though, which makes an unsatisfied feeling. I'll fully explain that through this review.
~ WARNING: possible spoilers ~
~ Story 8/10 ~
The story is nice and not over the top. It's realistic which blends well for it's dramatic feeling. Our main character is sick with
...
Hepatitis A. Not dangerous but he will be relaxing at the hospital for some time. Quickly we learn our main character is the adventurous type and tries to leave the hospital numerous times for self enjoyment if the nurse doesn't catch him and tosses him back into the hospital bed.
Although Yuuichi Ezaki spends time talking to his nurse and a couple of the hospital residents, he seems a bit bored at his bed-resting lifestyle even if his school friends visit him.
This seems to change when the nurse brings up a girl from East Ward:
Rika Akiba.
Yuuichi goes to visit Rika and they slowly grow attached to one another.
However, Yuuichi doesn't have too much to worry about.
On the other hand, Rika is in a different situation and suffers from heart complications that will keep her from living not too long.
The story revolves mostly around the evolving relationship of both these characters as they deal with each others' emotions, pasts, and illnesses.
It all comes down to Yuuichi to decide for himself on what he should do if Rika will die soon.
It follows a realistic pattern without things getting too hectic from the story. You will greatly enjoy the small comedy and laid-back feeling you get watching this as light drama comes in. You will ESPECIALLY enjoy the sudden random bits of huge drama out of nowhere happens, changing your view of the story or characters as soon as you find out.
Dialogue and personality mostly makes this anime what it is which would be a must watch.
~ Art 8/10 ~
The art is lovely. It's not overly done and is greatly nice. Sure, you may not find breath-taking animations or art, but that's not the appeal of the anime. There isn't a need to focus on that. Even so, it does well to add in little bits and extras to atleast make it look pretty nice. Character designs are nice and background designs are also done well.
~ Sound 8/10 ~
As the mood changes quite often, so will the music. Although not major, it's small and fits greatly with the mood. It starts at the right moments, not too early or late and displays the current atmosphere of the scene. Is it playful, sad, shocking? The soundtrack goes quite well to display these emotions.
The opening and ending themes are also quite enjoyable. They both fit the overall vibe of the anime and were great choices.
~ Character 9/10 ~
Characters are lovable and easy to grow attached to. Yuuichi is an average high school kid with a kind heart. He's pretty easy going and a bit of a trouble maker. You grow to like his role more and more as you learn about him and see what he does. You'll laugh, you might sympathize with him, and you might even get pissed off. However, he doesn't let down the viewer when it comes down to being his role of a nice, heroic character type.
Rika is someone with the slightly stereotypical tsundere personality. Although, it isn't a self defense like most. Rika is naturally socially awkward because of her illness which causes her to act out. She can be slightly mean, judging, and harsh. However, she can be kind, intelligent, understands the idea of justice, and even honest. Her character isn't annoying and quite easy to enjoy.
Other characters you will meet and sadly due to the shortness of the anime, wont grow to know too well. However, you will begin to love their roles as you like the nurse's personality, get aggravated at the doctor, root for 'Zebra Mask', and other characters. Sadly, it seems like the story doesn't dwell hard enough to get to the bigger roots of everyone so you can feel attached with every character. Some character don't even seem important at all. With that said, though, most the characters are lovable and hard to forget about.
~ Enjoyment 10/10 ~
I can't find one thing that I didn't enjoy about this anime. Everything was great. Each episode was great and the story progressed so well. Most focus will be on the characters which the story greatly works hard to display great traits of. It seems each detail, story, information, and everything else in this anime is not only important, but it's tender and loving. The comedy isn't too heavy but noticeable. The drama is consistently existent whether it's light and subtle or heavy and heart breaking. The romance isn't always there, but implied quite well. It's not extremely heavy and greatly focused on the entire time. Although, when it shows, the romance counts greatly. Everything about it doesn't feel too extreme and can grow to moments of on-the-edge suspense when things get hectic. This anime feels unique and without a doubt not feeling like a romantic cliche'. It's touching from start to finish and leaves you with a good feeling of happiness and satisfaction. You'll be constantly surprised and not expecting what will happen and what will be said which is mostly what makes this anime a must watch.
Overall:
Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora is such a great anime. I didn't know what to expect when watching it. In fact, I was thinking the anime was going to be an average drama/romance. Quickly, however, I was proved wrong. It was well made and well written. Each aspect was taken well care of. What really kept this from getting a higher score you ask?
It's potential.
This anime has something where it could be great and offer so much but seems to be cut short from time. It was an anime that was squished into only six episodes. Now, yes, not much happens in the anime you'd think as the entire series mostly takes place in the hospital. However, seasons and time passes as you watch and characters change as they speak with one another. Things happen. It feels so....rushed, though. I felt like the anime ended before it even began. One minute, I'm developing into the beginning of a beautiful romance and then it was just over. It was a tasty dish but just too small to enjoy enough. I wanted more from the story, more development, I wanted to learn more about the characters, and just improvement all around. Not because I'm picky, but because there was SSOOOOOOO much to offer.
Even though you'll watch this and feel like you didn't get enough, it's still a great anime.
If you want a good romance and story, this one is worth checking out
If you have any intention to watch this, give the first episode a chance. You've already finished one/sixth of the series. It's not that long. I'm sure the first episode will already have you wanting more.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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May 14, 2013
~!~ WARNING: Spoilers ~!~
Jeez...I kinda wish I didn't even watch this anime to begin with. Maybe I'm just being harsh, but there wasn't something great about this. It was such a let-down. Something really promising at first and very quickly dropped as soon as you start.
~ Story 2/10 ~
I might be missing some accuracy because of the story being boring and unappealing so forgive me.
The main character is Kio Kakazu, an easy-going teen who seems to accept his new reality quite easy as his new friend is an alien cat girl, his childhood friend is a special agent, and his other friend is also a
...
special agent as well. Essentially, this kid becomes pulled into a terrible situation by being involved with alien cat girls who came down to earth because...of the fish? While his friends work for the government as professional agents who are armed from head to toe.
The story is quite ridiculous and almost stupid. It's not even really in a funny way. It ruins itself from this style. Sure, it could have been quirky and an interesting to watch if it didn't fail to live up to what it could have been.
The very first episode is interesting as you watch an awesome fight scene. You find yourself clapping at the animation, even though it's awkward sometimes, and fight scenes. Something seems odd about it but you feel like this anime will be action packed and detailed.
Watching Asobi ni Iku yo is like having this amazing business man come to your door and offering you on an adventure that could save the universe. However, as soon as you accept his request and go to shake is robust, muscular hand, he turns into a wacky and cartoony clown that says "Just kidding" and slaps his genitals in your face before riding off into the sky on his own ass.
After this fight scene, you see our "hero" teen of the story who meets the first cat girl, Eris. Right after that, everything goes down hill.
Reasons for why aliens are present on the earth seems silly to the point that you'll find yourself face palming why they take such huge and crucial parts of the story and dismiss them with simple reasons or childish remarks as if it's nothing. The episodes don't even seem to go anywhere or develop. If you even found ONE silver lining in the story, you will be crushed dearly by the ending.
I tried to take in atleast the romance factor of the anime. It's all like a harem, but maybe the anime will come through with a love complex between the two main characters, right?
No.
You will find the solution to the complicated love triangle and who out of the handful of girls that love this guy gets to be with them. The solution at the end? Well, why don't they just all marry him? It's not illegal atleast by cat alien standards.
There is honestly no story. You could watch this and not even pay attention to the details and it would pretty much be the same thing. The only thing that seems to be story is the girls getting into ridiculous situations involving them to dress slutty or find some way to show off fan service. If you went into the anime without expecting anything at all, you'll be fine. If you want a cool sci-fi about neko girls and a pleasant romance, you might want to turn around.
and run far away and never come back unless you are really bored.
~ Art 9/10 ~
Honestly the only thing I seemed to enjoy was the art of this anime. The animation is very fluid although awkwardly clunky sometimes. The style they chose is quite lovely. The atmosphere is displayed so well as the scenes change from beaches to seas, mornings to afternoons, neighborhoods to malls, etc...
All are greatly detailed and vibrant. It's colorful and enjoyable. Characters are nicely designed along with it's beautiful scenes and color. It's as if someone put lots of love and care into this factor, and I almost feel really bad for the artist for the fact that he wasn't complimented by the music, writers, or really anyone. If there was anyone who was truly serious about this product, it was the artist.
~ Sound 7/10 ~
There isn't much to say about the soundtrack. There really isn't anything special about it. The music isn't bad but it isn't memorable either. It's basic and meets the standards but that's all. However, it was nice from time to time. It was a decent soundtrack that was even very fitting sometimes. Voice actors were also skilled. If their scripts were better, I would've been more impressed by them. Although, it seems they were working with limited material and didn't even seem to take it seriously sometimes.
~ Characters 4/10 ~
Cardboard cut-outs and and big boobs. That's it.
The only thing flat in this show is the characters. But atleast their chests aren't.
The female characters are basic and stereotypical or sometimes have no personality besides boobs. Other characters are interesting. However, there isn't anyone too special or unique. You'd find that sometimes, the robot characters that don't even talk have more personality than the characters who talk.
It isn't dreadful as the dialogue isn't atrocious and the personalities do have some shape. Overall, though, it's not much and your characters are mostly there because they are important to the "story" or they are just sex appeal.
~ Enjoyment 4/10 ~
There isn't much to enjoy from this anime. What could be good and have excellent potential seem to be held back. The fight scenes would seem serious and well detailed while intense. At the same time, no one is murdered and you'll find enemies taken down easily by cutesy cliche' magical girl styles.
Tons of tanks and helicopters and soldiers arrive and they are disarmed by a girl with a hammer, the vehicles disappearing and the soldiers naked and defenseless. The action is so held back. It seems like they want to be serious but can't be.
One moment you'll have soldiers, and then have toy robot cat drones firing lasers and destroying matter to enter a boat. Whatever happens in the anime, there isn't an explanation. If it happened, that's all there is to it. Any questions will go unanswered unless it's unimportant. Nothing besides the art draws you in and so many things are a let-down. The romance is poor, the action had potential, the characters are poor, and the story is the biggest disappoint. Not even the ending was enjoyable. It's as if nothing happens through the entire thing even though so many things transpire. Why? WHY?!
Overall:
Everything besides the art was lacking greatly. Nothing drew you in. Nothing satisfied you. If you go in with expectations, you leave disappointed unless you only like fan service. Nothing seems to happen really. You can watch the first few episodes and the last episode and it would almost be the same as watching the entire thing.
There isn't much to watch besides fan service and art. Maybe you could pull out something from this. If you like something funny and sexy scenes, maybe this anime is for you. Who knows, it might be your tastes. Anything else....well you will surely be disappointed.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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May 14, 2013
~!~ WARNING: Some spoilers may be present ~!~
Ah... such a wonderful pick out of a random selection...
If you were like me, you were going through lists upon lists of anime to watch and, mostly likely if you are reading this, stumbled on this series. Now, I must admit, I was reluctant to watch this at first. I knew nothing of the manga nor the anime. I passed the chance to watch this quite a few times. However, as soon as I sat down and witnessed the first episode, I was eager to see the next episode growing more excited to see one after another.
Nodame Cantabile
...
is an anime that isn't exactly like your ordinary anime. You'd struggle to find any kind of cliche within it unless you nit-picked the characters. It's an anime that you are unsure to watch at first as you aren't use to the style or how it presents itself. Once you do, though, it's almost gloriously perfect.
~ Story 9/10 ~
The story is excellent. As soon as you begin, you are dropped into a college school of musical arts where students learn the finesse of classical music and piano. Shinichi Chiaki is one of those students who happens to have issues obtaining his true goals from phobias along with his own personality and his main goal: becoming a conductor.
Our other protagonist, Megumi Nodame, is also a piano student at the same school. Her goals are not as high as Chiaki's, but are very humble and almost comical while being heartwarming as she first strives to be a kindergarten teacher. Both these characters meet by their talents for music and become glued at first meeting.
I wont tell much, but the story has so much influence from music. Classical and other forms of music literally litter each episode beautifully. The story would be nothing if not for for this crucial part. Although it seems weird to talk about music for a story, it's more of something you have to see for yourself to understand why it's important.
The story buries down to the two striving to accomplish their goals while dealing with personal issues, family, and their own thoughts of what they want. If you enjoy a touching story dealing with a growing romance that's always consisting of humor and sometimes drama, this anime is worth the watch.
~ Art 9/10 ~
The art style to the anime isn't ordinary but almost feels important for the entirety. Each character you come across seems to be designed to show off their personality. In fact, subtle to blunt symbolism can be found quite often as the story progresses. The art is heavily touched, however, when it comes to the music scenes themselves. The instruments are detailed and displayed well within their style. The animation is normal without anything special, yet never seems to go too askew or clumsy which is important.
~ Sound 10/10 ~
OH BOY!
You expected this, didn't you? How could an anime about music have poor sound?
You'd be surprised that there is anime that, yes, does supply poor sound sometimes. However, the soundtrack is marvelous in this. The opening and ending theme is quite enjoyable. The character's voice actors do well to portray personality through tone and dialogue. The music, however...
There are scenes within Nodame Cantabile where the main characters and many others will play songs from instruments of a wide variety. You will hear piano classics, orchestras, singing, and many other relatives to the classical genre. They will last for minutes on end, yes, but the scenes are astonishing and great to listen to ESPECIALLY if you are a fan of classical music.
~ Character 8/10 ~
Each person will have a main trait so the humor can be made. Even with that, the characters also display deeply in themselves around these edges and become quite detailed during the serious moments.
Shinichi is a serious person and even more serious when it comes to music. He is arrogant, blunt, and insensitive while not realizing it (or not caring to be sensitive). Shinichi's pros reside with his growth in the story as he matures in his skill and personality. His greatness all falls down to music and his skill of being a perfectionist at everything. He's marvelous at piano and violin, and picks up conducting so fast with such skill that even professional music critiques are surprised that such a young man has such talent. His greatest skill displays from his accuracy as he can listen to the smallest of details in an orchestra. Shinichi is naive numerous times but has his moments where he seems so caring and kind. His character is one where you will find yourself cringing at your computer, getting aggravated by his aggressive personality, and smiling while maybe even surprised by his touching nature.
Nodame is your typical, goofy character. The first time you will meet her, it already shows from her silly piano playing and face she makes as she plays. Many people in the story wonder why she even bothers playing piano, mock her skill, and even insult her from her personality. She is quite the odd person as her social skills can prove to be bubbly yet awkward. She doesn't understand importance as her goals can be simple while her lifestyle is odd. She rarely cleans and plays the piano as she pleases without caring to be accurate. She can sometimes lack common sense or intelligence in scenes because of this which only makes her more charming. As much as she is a goof, pervert, lazy person, Nodame is a lovely character and seems to be the character that really pulls the anime altogether. She has an amazing skill when it comes to the piano being able to accurately play music that she only has to hear and can even add her own style and notes to it. Throughout the anime, you'll find that she's almost like Mozart for many reasons.
The background characters are also pleasing when they show up, being unique and nicely placed. Some are average and some are odd. Either way, as you watch, you'll find yourself paying attention to these characters quite easily and even grow to like them. If not, you will surely love the two main characters and their antics throughout the story.
I would have given this section a 9/10 if it wasn't for the characters lacking a bit. All too often I felt as if the characters weren't expressive or shocking enough. They seemed too flat at times and possibly even predictable. This is rare, however, and overwhelmed by the fact of the characters changing over time as if aging.
~ Enjoyment 9/10 ~
Nodame Cantabile does not fail when it comes to blending it's finely tuned points. It's comedy is childishly humorous and sometimes intelligently funny. It never seems too misplaced and adds a great rendition to the episodes. The drama isn't extremely heavy at times but very serious at other moments. The comedy, drama, and romance tie together perfectly without intertwining and making a terrible mess of everything.
That said, the anime is so enjoyable. It's not your typical anime. You wont find random fight scenes with characters beating each other with violins. You wont find odd harems out of nowhere. It's normal and great to watch. Each episode has its own importance. It never really gets boring and even has this feeling of progression. I've had anime where I could easily skip an episode or two and not miss anything. Here, you can't do that and might even feel ashamed just to do so.
If you had ANY intention of watching this anime at all,
give the first few episodes a try atleast just to see.
Overall:
Nodame Cantabile pulls off this kinda thing where you watch it and it stands out from other animes you've seen. Perhaps it's the characters with their personalities, skills, and personal issues. Maybe it's the wonderful soundtrack that leaves every episode having a great tune. Maybe it's the art and animation that's simple yet pleasing. Could be the story that has something great and impressively divine.
Who knows. It's a wonderful romance tale of two people who you learn much about and grow to love while witnessing them become almost gods of the classical music genre. The series is great every single episode without being too much or too little and leaves you satisfied with at the end of this season. Not an anime you'd push aside without notice or kinda enjoy, but an anime you'd ponder in thought over even after being finished with it. You wont be able to settle with one episode if you enjoy it and even becomes addicting with it's light story.
Nodame Cantabile is worth the watch for its many aspects. If you thought about it, give it a watch. You wont be disappointed and will even find yourself hunting down the sequel seasons just to progress further into the story and characters.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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