Nodame Cantabile Finale Review

We've often heard the adage that the book is always better than the film/TV series, but how true is that statement? There are many cases where the written work is superior to the adaptation, and the reasons for the sometimes massive differences range from the limits of one's imagination and ability to visualise, to important chunks of plot being left on the cutting room floor.

Sometimes though, the difference between the two is very small....

So, Nodame Cantabile is finally over, and with it we say our collective goodbyes, gyabos and mukyas to the odd couple of the classical world. The aptly named "Finale" follows directly on from Paris Chapter, and not much has changed since the end of the second series. Chiaki is still conducting the Marlet orchestra, and they are progressively getting better thanks to him and the concert master. Nodame is also improving thanks to her lessons with Professor Auclair, however she feels that Chiaki is drifting further away from her.

The one thing that has always surprised me about the entirety of Nodame Cantabile is how closely the anime tries to follow the manga, however while the majority of the tale is transposed extremely well, there are occasions where the adaptation only touches on the manga storyline. For the most part the plot in Finale flows rather well and, as with the rest of the series, the music allows one to appreciate the story in a manner that simply isn't possible in the manga. However, if one has read the manga then there may be some confusing occurences in the story, one example of this being the absence/alteration of a huge chunk of storyline from the final two episodes.

For many people the changes in the anime won't be an issue, regardless of whether they've read the manga or not. The story in either form is enjoyable, and while the manga may contain more plot,there are elements of the anime adaptation that more than maks up for the changes.

In terms of design and animation, Finale is very much in the mould of the first two series, something which should come as no surprise since J.C. Staff are responsible for the trilogy (and OVAs of course). Character designs are just as eclectic as they were before, and the European settings are just as good as they were in Paris Chapter. Animation is pretty much on par with the previous series as well, including the dreaded 3D fingers playing the instruments (something which has long divided opinion since it's not the best CG in anime, but is reasonably accurate in its usage). I didn't mind them personally, however they do interrupt the flow of the story a little (while you pause to chuckle at how robotic they are that is).

The star of the show though, as any fan of the series will know, is the music. While Finale may not be as heavy with the classical pieces on display as previous outings, there is enough here to enhance the story and add vibrancy to the series. One thing that I was pleased to hear was the more subtle thematic music used in the series, and many scenes were made without any accompaniment, something which is laudable given the series is top-filled already.

In addition to the quality of music, the acting is also very good throughout the show, but given that the cast is pretty much that of Paris Chapter, this should be no surprise. Seki Tomokazu is in fine form as Chiaki, while Kawasumi Ayako continues to bring out Nodame's oddness and eccentricity.

As far as the characters go, this is probably the weakest of the three series for Nodame and Chiaki. While the cast generally receive a decent amount of development, the overall quality seems a little rushed, especially in the last two episodes. It would have been better if Finale was a 12 or 13 episode series as the bits that have been left out of the manga shed a new light on Chiaki's feelings for Nodame, something that has been hurried in the anime version.

That said, those who have only watched the anime will probably find the characters to be pretty good overall.

Finale is a nice way to end the series as it continues to use the tried and tested formula of the first two seasons - mixing slapstick comedy with classical music. While the show does have some niggling issues that could have been resolved, these shouldn't really cause any major problems with one's enjoyment of the series, even if one has read the manga.

On the whole Nodame Cantabile: Finale is a good addition to the franchise, but not a great one. The somewhat rushed development of the characters during the latter half of the series may annoy some people (those who've read the manga for example), however those who love the show in its entirety will probably be happy enough with the results.

As it is, this is an enjoyable show that rounds off the franchise in a fairly pleasing manner, and if anyone is sad about the series ending, well, the encore has already started.