Anime Review: Your Lie in April

Note: To read my first impression of this anime go here.

Anime: Your Lie in April (or Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Genres: Shoujo, drama, comedy, heart-rending goodness

General Setup: Arima Kousei is 14 years old when he meets the girl that will change his life. Not to worry, Your Lie in April is not the cliche romance comedy show we have come to expect from the shoujo genre. It is so much more. As a child Kousei was a prodigy at the piano. His mother not only taught him how to play, but she also placed all of her own hopes and dreams on his shoulders. The weight proved to be too much. After his mother’s death Kousei had a mental breakdown in the middle of a concert. He could no longer hear himself play the piano. Fast forward a couple years to the future: Kousei has quit the piano and is in his third year of middle school. His life is colorless and he sees the world in a monotone. However, that is soon to change. One Saturday morning in April Kousei meets Kaori Miyazono, a violinist with a unique playing style and an obvious joy in life. She drags Kousei and some of their mutual friends to see her perform for a musical competition. The next day, even though she knows Kousei no longer plays the piano, Kaori asks him to be her accompanist for the rest of the competition. The story follows Kousei as he learns more about Kaori and tries to overcome his psychological fears.

Characters: While Kousei has become more withdrawn since quitting piano he is not totally devoid of character. He tends to keep to himself, but still interacts with his friends. His struggle with his past is what defines the show. Kaori is a bright and bubbly girl with multiple layers. She is eccentric and has a bit of a temper. Kousei’s friends Watari and Tsubaki also play a huge role in the story, especially Tsubaki who is Kousei’s neighbor. They have been friends since childhood and have many shared escapades. Tsubaki plays baseball and is somewhat of a tom-boy. Watari is also a jock and is the captain of the soccer team. He is the guy every girl in school has a crush on. Even though he is popular Watari does not exclude Kousei, who is less outspoken and has different interests. Overall the characters really pop and have dynamic character arcs. Also, they are more mature than most high school anime characters.

Plot: The plot is simple, yet at the same time complicated, with hidden nuances. If you watch the series I would recommend re-watching the first few episodes after you finish (if anything you’ll get closure, but you can also appreciate the beginning much more). Also, it can get pretty intense - I never knew classical music could be so dramatic!

Ending: Is it happy? Yes. Is it sad? Yes. Will you cry? Yes. Is it beautiful? Absolutely!

Things to Watch For: I honestly can’t think of anything.

Humor: There is plenty of humor present in this show. Some of it comes in slapstick form (like when Kousei gets hit in the head with a baseball). Some of it comes from the character’s exaggerated reactions (like when Kousei drops to the ground spurting blood from said baseball).

Sights and Sounds: My first thought when I started watching the show: The animation is gorgeous! It is full of detail and color. If you love classical music you will love this show! The score for this anime is influenced by classical instruments such as the piano and violin. I particularly liked the first opening song and was disappointed when it was replaced at the halfway point.

Other Media: Your Lie in April is the anime adaptation of a manga of the same name. There is also a spin-off manga called Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso: Coda  that tells a story from the character’s childhood. It will be released in book format (tankobon) August 17, 2016. A live-action film is scheduled to come out in Japan this September.

Fillers: There are no fillers in this anime.

Length: Your Lie in April is 22 episodes long, which is the perfect length for its story arc. It is long enough to tell the whole story, but not so long that it is drawn out.

Where to Watch: You can watch Your Lie in April on Crunchyroll, as well as Hulu and Netflix.