The appeal and evaluation of "Nodame Cantabile": Harmony of music and youth

Nodame Cantabile: Classical Music and Youthful Harmony

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

January 12, 2007 - June 29, 2007 Fuji TV January 11, 2007 - June 28, 2007 (Episodes 1-23) Every Thursday 24:45-25:15

■Broadcasting station

Fuji TV and others

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 23

■Original Story

・Original work: Tomoko Ninomiya (serialized in Kiss, published by Kodansha)

■ Director

Kenichi Kasai

■ Production

・Animation production: GENCO
・Animation production: JCSTAFF
Produced by: Nodame Cantabile Production Committee (Fuji Television Network, Asmik Ace Entertainment, Kodansha, SKY Perfect TV Wellthink, Sony Music Entertainment, Dentsu, GENCO)

■Works

©Ninomiya Tomoko/Kodansha, Nodame Cantabile Production Committee

■ Story

Chiaki Shinichi is an elite music college student studying piano while aiming to become a conductor.
One day, he wakes up to the sound of a piano sonata. In the trash-filled room next door, he sees Megumi Noda playing the piano. She lives next door to Chiaki and is a student at the same music college.

*Quoted from the JCSTAFF official website

■Explanation

The anime version of the hugely popular comic is here! A youthful love comedy with a classical music theme! Don't miss the moving performance scenes!

The first series of the TV anime. Chiaki Shinichi is an elite music student attending Momogaoka Music College. One day, when he feels stuck about his future and how to approach music, he meets Noda Megumi (nicknamed Nodame), who plays a unique and fascinating Beethoven piano sonata that he has never heard before. Although she is not good at reading music, she has a genius side to her: she can play music exactly as it is if she hears it by ear just once. Chiaki becomes attracted to the melody. However, Nodame is an eccentric person who hates baths and cleaning, and regularly steals her friends' lunches...

*Quoted from Bandai Channel

■Cast

・Noda Megumi/Kawasumi Ayako/Chiaki Shinichi/Seki Tomokazu/Franz von Stresemann/Ogawa Shinji/Mine Ryutaro/Kawada Shinji/Okuyama Masumi/Fujita Yoshinobu/Tagaya Ayako/Namatamae Hitomi/Kuroki Yasunori/Matsukaze Masaya/Miki Kiyoyoshi/Kobayashi Sanae/Kikuchi Toru/Suwabe Junichi/Saku Sakura/Noto Mamiko/Eto Kozo/Nakai Kazuya/Tanioka Hajime/Ogata Mitsuru/Tanaka Makiko/Higa Kumiko

■ Main staff

・Original story: Tomoko Ninomiya ("Nodame Cantabile" published by Kodansha)
・Planning: Koji Kaneda (Fuji Television)
・Producers: Koichi Uchida, Masao Toyoshima, Masayuki Hariu, Shihiro Hayashida, Naoki Kitagawa, Naoki Sasada, Taro Maki・Producers: Atsuya Takase (Fuji TV), Yukihiro Ito (Fuji TV), Koji Yamamoto (Fuji TV), Nobuhiro Osawa・Animation Producer: Yuji Matsukura・Director: Kenichi Kasai・Series Composition: Tomoko Konparu・Character Design: Shuichi Shimamura・Color Design: Mayumi Tanabashi・Art Director: Shichiro Kobayashi・CG Producer: Norikazu Kanbayashi・Director of Photography: Yoshio Okouchi・Editor: Shigeru Nishiyama・Sound Director: Jin Aketagawa・Sound Production: Magic Capsule・Music: Taku Matsutani, Nodame Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra・Music Producer: Hiroaki Sano・Production Manager: Masahiro Tabetani・Animation Producer: GENCO
・Animation production: JCSTAFF
Produced by: Nodame Cantabile Production Committee (Fuji Television Network, Asmik Ace Entertainment, Kodansha, SKY Perfect TV Wellthink, Sony Music Entertainment, Dentsu, GENCO)

■ Main Characters

Noda Megumi is a second-year student in the piano department at Momogaoka College of Music. She goes by the nickname Nodame. She is a dropout music student who is not good at reading music scores, but she has the talent to play any music she hears just the way it is. She often bewilders those around her with her eccentric behavior, such as frequently yelling strange things, living in a dirty room that is known as a garbage den, hating baths, and stealing lunch boxes. Her hobbies include watching manga and anime. She was born in Tokyo, and grew up in Okawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture.
・Chiaki Shinichi A third-year student in the piano department at Momogaoka College of Music. His father is a famous pianist, so he is a thoroughbred perfectionist. At school, he is referred to as "Chiaki-sama" and is the object of everyone's admiration. He continues to study on his own, aiming to become a conductor rather than a pianist, but due to his fear of flying he has not even been able to go abroad, and he worries about his own musical future and talent. His special skills are cooking and languages ​​(Japanese, English, French, German). Born in France, from Kanagawa Prefecture.
Franz von Stresemann is a world-famous conductor from Germany. His pseudonym is Milch Holstein. He comes to Japan at the request of the president of Momogaoka College of Music, and conveys the true essence of music to Nodame and Chiaki, greatly changing their destinies. He loves group dates and cabaret clubs, and there are many moments when he seems like just a selfish, perverted old man. His special skill is winning at rock-paper-scissors.
Ryutaro Mine is a second-year student in the violin department at Momogaoka College of Music. He is a playful guy who loves to be the center of attention. He is an essential member of the orchestra and serves as the concertmaster of the S Orchestra. He came up with his grand name, which stands for "R☆S and stands for Rising Star," while sleeping for three days and three nights with his father, who runs the Chinese restaurant "Uraken" right next to the university. He calls himself Chiaki's best friend. His hobbies include rock music, watching movies, and exchanging letters. He is from Tokyo.
・Masumi Okuyama A third-year student in the orchestra department at Momogaoka College of Music. Nodame's strong love rival. He is a girly boy who plays the timpani and percussion, and he is deeply in love with Chiaki. However, he is hurt when Chiaki calls him "shaggy" because of his unique hairstyle. He is a diligent student who is persistent and hardworking, but he hates practicing in small rooms due to his claustrophobia. He is from Yamagata Prefecture.
Ayako Tagaya is a third-year student in the vocal music department at Momogaoka College of Music. She is a strong-willed queen who reigns at the top of the vocal music department through her extraordinary efforts. She is the daughter of a major musical instrument store and Chiaki's ex-girlfriend, but she still has feelings for him and is pursuing her career in singing in order to shake off her feelings. She is from Kanagawa Prefecture.

■Subtitle

・Lesson 1／(2007/01/11)
・Lesson 2／(2007/01/18)
・Lesson 3/Queen of Percussion (2007/01/25)
・Lesson 4／Master Milch Appears (2007/02/01)
・Lesson 5/Chiaki S Orchestra Conductor (2007/02/08)
・Lesson 6／Withdrawal (2007/02/15)
・Lesson 7／Kazuo Chiaki(2007/02/22)
・Lesson 8／Milhy's Return (2007/03/01)
・Lesson 9/Music Festival (2007/03/08)
・Lesson 10/Attractiveness (2007/03/15)
・Lesson 11/Piano (2007/03/22)
・Lesson 12/Career Path (2007/04/12)
・Lesson 13/Graduation (2007/04/19)
・Lesson 14/Past (2007/04/26)
・Lesson 15/Change (2007/05/03)
・Lesson 16／Start (2007/05/10)
・Lesson 17／Waste (2007/05/17)
・Lesson 18／Awakening (2007/05/24)
・Lesson 19/Flight (2007/05/31)
・Lesson 20/World(2007/06/07)
・Lesson 21／Strange Event (2007/06/14)
・Lesson 22/Last (2007/06/21)
・Lesson 23／Future(2007/06/28)

*
Episodes 1 and 2 have no subtitles. The subtitle names are taken from the Fuji TV official website.

■ Related works

・Nodame Cantabile Movie: Purigorota's Great Adventure of Space Friendship (Complete Edition)
・Nodame Cantabile Unaired Episodes ・Nodame Cantabile Paris Arc ・Nodame Cantabile Finale ・Nodame Cantabile Finale Unaired Episodes ・Nodame Cantabile OAD
・Classic Manga Collaboration Project! Nodame Cantabile

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Allegro Cantabile
Lyrics: Atsushi Suemitsu Composition: Atsushi Suemitsu Arrangement: Atsushi Suemitsu Singer: SUEMITSU & THE SUEMITH

・ED1
・So close...
Lyrics: Sumiyo Mutsumi Music: Ryosuke "Dr. R" Sakai
・Arrangement/Ryosuke “Dr.R” Sakai
・Singer: Crystal Kay

・ED2
・Sagittarius
・Lyrics by Atsushi Suemitsu ・Composition by Atsushi Suemitsu ・Arrangement by Atsushi Suemitsu ・Singer by SUEMITSU & THE NODAME ORCHESTRA

・IN1
・Fart Exercise ・Lyrics: Tomoko Ninomiya, Megumi Noda, Poo Taro ・Composition: Megumi Noda

・IN2
・Purigorota March・Lyrics: Kasey-Kenice・Composition: Kasey-Kenice・Arrangement: Nobushige Okawa・Singer: Mamoru Okouchi

・IN3
・Nodame Rhapsody ・Composer: Taku Matsutani

・IN4
・Love's G-Cup ・Lyrics by Tomoko Ninomiya ・Singer by Suzuki Sisters

・IN5
・Legend of S Orchestra ・Lyrics by Tomoko Ninomiya ・Singer by Ryutaro Mine and the S Orchestra Boys

・IN6
・Mojamoja Forest (from the Mojamoja Suite)
Lyrics by Tomoko Ninomiya Music by Michiru Oshima

・IN7
・Happy Rainbow・Composer: Michiru Oshima

The appeal and evaluation of Nodame Cantabile

"Nodame Cantabile" is an anime series based on the manga of the same name by Tomoko Ninomiya, and has attracted many fans as a youthful love comedy themed on classical music. This work, which was broadcast in 2007, is characterized by an exquisite balance of music and human drama, providing viewers with deep emotions and laughter.

Story and Characters

The story centers on two characters, Chiaki Shinichi and Nodame Megumi, who attend Momogaoka College of Music. Chiaki is an elite student studying piano but aspiring to become a conductor, and although he is a perfectionist, he is worried about his future. Meanwhile, Nodame is a struggling music student who is not good at reading music, but has a genius talent for playing any piece of music she hears just once. Her eccentric behavior, strange voice, and trash-filled room leave a strong impression on viewers.

The story begins with Chiaki and Nodame's first meeting, and as it depicts their growth and passion for music, it deepens through their interactions with the unique characters around them. In particular, conductor Franz von Stresemann (aka Milch Holstein), who came to Japan from Germany, teaches Chiaki and Nodame the true essence of music and plays an important role in greatly changing their fates. His humorous side, such as his love of group dates and cabaret clubs, also gives the work a light-hearted rhythm.

Music and Production

The greatest appeal of "Nodame Cantabile" is its skillful use of classical music. In the anime, real orchestral performances are recorded and used to accompany the characters' performance scenes. This allows viewers to feel the beauty and power of classical music in a realistic way. In particular, the scene where Nodame plays Beethoven's piano sonata and the scene where Chiaki conducts are impressive both visually and aurally.

Not only the music, but the characters' expressions and movements are also carefully drawn in detail, expressing the subtleties of their emotions realistically. This is a work that shows off the technical skills of director Kenichi Kasai and JCSTAFF, who were in charge of animation production.

Evaluation and impact

"Nodame Cantabile" was highly praised when it was first broadcast, and is also a work that sparked interest in classical music. In particular, it succeeded in making classical music feel familiar to young people, and has attracted attention in the field of music education. It has also gained a wide range of support not only from fans of the original manga, but also from anime fans and music lovers.

This work has been made into sequels, "Paris Arc" and "Finale", and has also been made into a movie. Furthermore, unaired episodes and OADs (original anime DVDs) have also been released, and it continues to be loved by fans for a long time.

Recommended points

"Nodame Cantabile" is recommended for those who want to enjoy a story about music and youth, those who are interested in classical music, and those who like unique characters and humorous stories. In particular, it is a must-see for those who want to be moved by the power of music to help people grow and move towards their dreams.

The theme songs and insert songs are also appealing, so there are plenty of elements for music fans to enjoy. The opening song "Allegro Cantabile" and the ending songs "So Close..." and "Sagittarius" not only liven up the atmosphere of the work, but are also songs that will leave a deep impression on viewers.

Conclusion

"Nodame Cantabile" is a masterpiece anime that depicts the harmony of classical music and youth. This work draws viewers in with the growth and romance of Chiaki and Nodame, the interactions between unique characters, and a variety of beautiful music, providing viewers with emotion and laughter, and giving them a new perspective on music. Please give it a watch.