Rating: 9.2/10

Impressions:

Chiaki gets owned by Streseman, and it’s only natural as Chiaki definitely has no idea how to lead an orchestra, or any type of mass crowd. He needs to make the performers want to do well for him, not just because they were scolded. However, this is all in the good nature of showing us how much of an ass Chiaki, or anyone, can be when they are better than others at a certain field, and develop a sense of superiority. Personally, I don’t mind at all, since the only time an anime character gets me worked up is when it can relate to me. Personally, I like Chiaki’s character.

It’s pretty disappointing to see that the orchestra’s performance was shown in stills. It makes the music seem empty and unsuitable. JC Staff need to make it seem like the orchestra in the anime is the source of the music, instead of an obvious music single slapped onto a bunch of still frames. Unfortunately, I’m sure JC Staff would improve in this area if they could, so it must be a budget issue, and that really can’t be helped. Apart from that, the show is still executed nicely, and does a good job in keeping the viewer’s interest. The only slipup (for me) would be the orchestra’ performance, as the lack of movement makes me go to sleep.

Rating: 9.5/10

Impressions:

Ahh…so now it seems J.C. Staff is fluctuating a bit on the animation quality, with a few disproportionately drawn faces. Other than that, the quality is still pretty high, and the few badly drawn frames are really nothing to worry about. This episode isn’t as funny as the last either, but the plot moves along much quicker, covering a nice amount of its story. Also, another important character is introduced, Streseman! Though it gets me thinking that maybe he IS a fraud…as unlikely as it seems. Perhaps Milche, or whatever his ‘fake’ name is, is actually his real name? Lol that’s a thought!

I am very disappointed at Streseman though. Perhaps this is how he is meant to look according to the manga, but the live action version features him with some funky silver hair all over the place, which really supports his perverseness. He also has a better gaijin accent, which makes his character a lot more believable. Not to mention it supports the image of some random foreigner who had come to Japan for the sex, as he probably couldn’t get any from where he came from. Oh well, that doesn’t matter, but I think he looks pretty much the same as the photo of Streseman…which he shouldn’t.

So the direction of this show is finally showing. Of course we knew that Chiaki’s goal is to be a conductor, but his path to success was completely unknown to those unfamiliar with Nodame Cantabile, like me. But now of course, with the introduction of Streseman, it seems Chiaki will be relying on his teachings to better himself at conducting. The obstacles to cross will probably be with getting along with Streseman, and Chiaki will probably take the roll of conducting his own orchestra, or an existing one soon. I can already visualise the various common comedic scenes that come from trying to organise large events…

Rating: 9.7/10

Impressions:

I recently watched the first episode of the Nodame Cantabile live action, and can already conclude I like the drama a lot more than the anime, as I had originally predicted. But anyway, that doesn’t mean the anime is bad; it’s still incredibly good, full of comedy and love! (Oh and let’s not forget music!) I’m also quite surprised at how different the live action is to the anime, or perhaps the two are just showing manga material in different orders. Next episode introduces another character, which I think is _that_ conductor guy from the live action, though I really have no idea.

This episode is a lot funnier than the second episode, though perhaps on par with the first. But then again, the first episode had the power of surprise, which may have upped my experience of watching it. Also, this episode is a lot more lively, with all the escapades Nodame and Masumi. Or actually, maybe it’s due to me watching the show at 2k speed as I usually do when I am constrained for time. Quite a few frames are reused, but overall, the visuals are still very pleasant to watch, so I’m not complaining. The story is also advanced quite a bit, with Chiaki embarking on his new conducting project…I think.

Masumi is a really interesting character, who provides the basis for most of the jokes. I really have no idea whether he is a girl or guy. He is called a she and a queen from the sub I watched, but he clearly has a male voice and a mustache…He’s most likely just gay though, but I dunno. I really enjoy his character though, just like Nodame, who I find incredibly hilarious. The two make an awesome comedy duo. Mine is a nice character too; the cheerful, easy-going friend who is not too stupid but very ambitious. There has to be a person between the air-heads and Chiaki right?

I can’t wait to see the foreign conductor guy next week though, if the guy in the preview IS him. I’m pretty sure he will be the start of the real story. I’m really appreciating the increasing number of characters in this anime. I love animes with numerous characters, as it enlarges the anime’s ‘world’. The events that occur also broaden and the whole thing becomes that much more interesting. But I guess Nodame Cantabile is pretty good as it is, so I doubt it’s going to run off and incorporate an extra 10 or so personalities to throw around. That would be fine too though. (Btw, the ED is still repeating in my playlist!)

Rating: 9.3/10

Impressions:

And suddenly, I’m addicted to the Nodame Cantabile ED. Don’t ask me why I started that first sentence with ‘and’, it just sounds better to me. The ED is a lot more lively and catchy than the OP, though I’ve only listened to the OP twice, and perhaps haven’t gotten ‘into it’ enough yet. Anyway, that’s not important. This episode didn’t impress me as much as last episode. One of the reasons I rated the last episode so high was because of the shock factor at how good it was, even though I already had in mind how enjoyable it would be. However, this episode feels a lot like a repeat of the last episode, and only introduces another main character I assume. I like Mine’s character a lot though, which is why I enjoyed this episode a little more than I should have. I’m glad no violence erupted from this episode, I was a bit worried when Mine resolved to teach the guy who broke Nodame’s heart a lesson. It looks like Mine, Nodame and Chiaki will be quite close from now on, but of course it could turn out completely different.

I wonder if Chiaki will actually ever screw up a performance. Would the show even work if he remains perfect until the end? Or perhaps this is just about Nodame and her piano playing, while Chiaki will be focused on as he is conducting. I’m quite amazed at his skill in two instruments though, and it doesn’t look like he’s going to fail at it or anything. The piano and violin seem to be a common combination, since I know a few people who like or are learning both instruments. I guess Mine sort of completes the group, laid out by Chiaki’s skill. There’s Nodame for Chiaki to teach piano, and now Mine for the violin. Chiaki’s ex-girlfriend seems to be completely out of the picture, though I don’t think she was ever in it anyway. I found this episode to be just as funny as the last, and no less refreshing either. But now they need to do something different, and not follow the same episode structure. I still really want to watch the live action, though my internet restriction will probably push me from downloading it until next month.

Episodes: 23
Genres: Comedy, drama, music, romance, shoujo, slice-of-life
Studio: J.C. Staff
OP: “Allegro Cantabile” by SUEMITSU & THE SUEMITH
ED: “Konna ni Chikaku de…” by CRYSTAL KAY
Official Site: http://www.nodame-anime.com/

Rating: 9.5/10

Impressions:

Now this is what I call a good anime. I guess I kinda knew I was going to blog this before watching it, even though I said I wouldn’t. At a glance, this is definitely the type of show I like, and already I’m liking it more than Asatte no Houkou. Nodame Cantabile is essentially a drama about music with the slice of life feel. Watching this though makes me really want to see the live action, as I find drama’s are usually played out better with real people. Comparing this with the other winter shows, it’s probably on par with Tokyo Majin, my other favourite for the season. Both of these shows so far have caught my attention more than any other spring show, which is really surprising. Because of this I wouldn’t really call this season a weak season. Summer and winter seasons have the least premiering anime, so this is already quite impressive. And if you like Honey and Clover, you will like this show too. The director is the same, as well as the art style and mood (all done by J.C. Staff, as expected). Oh and as for my reasons for blogging this apart from it being really good, I guess I needed another show of this genre to rant about, since Asatte no Houkou is about to finish (being subbed anyway).

Nodame Cantabile is about music. More specifically, it is about two young musicians; a girl who is aspiring to be a talented piano player, and a guy who wants to be a conductor. The guy, Chiaki, is an excellent pianist, though his real dream is to become a conductor. He is taught specially by the best piano teacher in the piano school he attends, but his arrogance gets him dropped and lowered to the class for failures. He is paired up with an air-headed girl called Noda (nicknamed Nodame), who is talented with the piano, though incredibly messy and uncoordinated with her playing (like hell I know what that means). It also just so happens that the two students live next to each other in the same apartment complex, which means their lives will be quite intertwined. Also, Nodame falls in love with Chiaki at the end of the episode. If you’re looking for some romance, comedy, music, slice-of-life, drama, and a nice shoujo style, look no further, you’ve found it in Nodame Cantabile! This series will be 23 episodes long, more than twice the length of the live action, though I’m not sure how long each episode the live action is.