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.

Nodame Cantabile Review

Gyabo!

I'm not sure why, but for some reason I've found myself reviewing certain franchises in reverse order. Then again, given the nature of Nodame Cantabile and its heroine Noda Megumi, maybe doing things in a not so normal manner is the way to go.

For those of you who don't know the series, Nodame Cantabile is based on the bestselling manga of the same name by Ninomiya Tomoko, and while I do like that particular work, the anime is a little bit special in that it's one of the rare occasions where the adaptation is as good as, or in this case better than, the original.

We'll talk about that in a moment though.

Now, many people have been raving about the current Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood series because of how faithful it is to the manga, but what many people seem to have forgotten is that there were already a few shows around that were almost completely true to their manga counterparts (and that didn't include much in the way of filler episodes) - Genshiken, Air Gear, History's Strongest Disciple and Nodame Cantabile to name but a few. In addition to this, many of the long running shounen franchises like Bleach, Naruto, One Piece, etc, generally stay true to the manga for much of the main story, but have a tendency to provide "anime original" tales and filler episodes too.

Regardless of what one may think of a given show though, the surprising thing is that many faithful reproductions of the original manga are pretty decent, especially if the source material is good. When the tale is something like Nodame Cantabile though, then something special happens, something that doesn't happen very often in anime.

As with the manga, the story follows the "adventures" of the eccentric musical genius Noda Megumi, and her love interest, the handsome Chiaki Shinichi. The two meet by complete accident and Nodame quickly falls in love.

What follows is, well, a roller coaster of laughs, many of which you won't see coming.

Unlike many other romantic comedy anime, the action in Nodame Cantabile doesn't take place in a high school but instead centres around Momogaoka College of Music, and the difference in not only the mentality and personality of the characters, but the overall approach to the story and plot, is actually quite telling. When one watches the series, it becomes obvious that the characters are no longer children, and while they may not yet be out of full time education, their attitudes to life, the world, and to other people, are actually very different from what one encounters in the hordes of high school romantic comedies around.

Now one of the main issues when it comes to adapting a manga is that of pacing, in particular how the plot flows from one episode to the next, and from one story arc to the next. With manga, as with anything written, the pacing is dictated by the reader, whereas with anime the pacing is already there, and it's up to the director to find the balance so that viewers and fans of the original work will warm to the adaptation. Thankfully, Kasai Kenichi (Honey & Clover, KimiKiss Pure Rouge, Major), managed to get the formula very close to what many viewers find acceptable.

Okay, some of you may be confused by all this talk about pacing issues, but there's actually a good reason for bringing it up. Many shows can get by when the pacing is a little bit off from what you would prefer (Bleach, for example, with it's annoying recaps at the beginning of each episode), however Nodame Cantabile is a special case as problems with pacing and timing would have had disastrous effects on one's enjoyment of the show, and the reason for this is because the series lives, and dies, by its music.

Earlier I mentioned that this anime is one of the rare occasions where the adaptation is better than the mange, and the reason for this is because of the music. Where the manga made do with track names and examples of written scores, actually hearing the music played in the anime brings the whole series to a new level. While there are a number of thematic tracks on offer, the heart and soul of Nodame Cantabile are the various pieces of classical music that are played throughout the series, whether it be solo or with an orchestra. In addition to this, unlike other classical music based anime like La Corda D'Oro ~Primo Passo~ and Piano no Mori, as well as the more pop/rock style shows like K-On, Beck, etc, one of the things that sets this series, indeed the whole franchise, apart is the aspect of musical appreciation.

Confused? Well it's fairly easy to explain. One of the aspects of Nodame Cantabile that can heavily influence whether one enjoys the series or not is whether you, the viewer, actually listen to, and appreciate, the music itself. People may find that in order to better understand the character's passion for music, they will in turn listen to the track in a way that they may not have done with other shows, and while this may not seem obvious to most at first, a good question to ask come the end of the series is whether your opinion of classical music has improved over the course of the series. Nodame's antics may help things along with a good dose of comic relief, but the music is the glue that holds everything together.

Given the heavy musical emphasis, one would be forgiven for thinking that something was sacrificed in order for the whole thing to work. It's surprising then that Nodame Cantabile is actually pretty close to the manga in terms of plot and story, and although some alterations to the tale do occur, these are barely noticeable as they don't really contribute to any major changes in the plot or characters.

Now, while the music is a hugely important factor when deciding if one will enjoy Nodame Cantabile, one other aspect will determine whether you love the series or not - the characters.

Unlike many other romantic comedies the show has opted for a slightly more whimsical approach to love, life and relationships, and the characters are generally the epitome of this ethos. Noda Megumi (the titular Nodame), is not simply an eccentric musical genius, she is also thoroughly otaku, has a tendency to stalk her love interest, and hates cleaning. Chiaki, on the other hand, is a talented but arrogant musician who is widely regarded as the "prince" of the college.

What sets this series apart from other romantic comedies is the manner in which the characters are used. While the two leads may be the focus of the show, there is considerable development on the part of several other supporting characters as they strive to become better musicians, and in keeping with the sentiments of the franchise, this never really occurs in the way one expects.

Actually, at heart Nodame Cantabile is simply a different take on the "Beauty and the Beast" format, with classical music and a bit of role reversal thrown in for good measure.

That said, there's nothing beastly about the looks, although there is a slight "cartoon" element to the facial features of the characters, something which is used to good effect during the funny moments. The overall design of the characters however, errs on the side of realism in respect of their movements, and while there's an over-the-top element to the actual animation of their movements during certain scenes, the majority of the time the characters move how one would expect a normal person to move.

The backdrops and settings are pretty well realised for the most part, although there is a watercolour feel to some of the scenery, and the colour palette seems more understated than in most other anime. The combination is strangely elegant in its own way, and makes the visual comedy and parodies of typical shoujo manga scenes funnier for some reason (but that may just be me).

The one issue I do have with the animation is this - why on earth choose such bad CG for the orchestrral scenes. Granted the animation is technically astute when it comes to finger movements and hand positions, but the overall execution is poor, and does not mesh well with the general feel of the show.

One of the reasons why I was attracted to this series is because I like classical music, however even I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Nodame Cantabile. The series plays fast and loose with the typical perception that such music is staid and proper, and the comedy is often surprising in both its accuracy and its execution. Much of the humour is easily accessible to those with no knowledge of music, especially Nodame's notorious "Fart Song" and "Moja Moja Suite". This strange but well executed combination of classical music and comedy is a far cry from other shows, and the approach is far more tongue in cheek than one might initially expect.

In addition to this, the depiction of student life is easily on a par with the like of Moyashimon and Genshiken, with everything that entails too. It's nice to see students doing things that students would actually do (like going out as a group and getting hammered).

Given the current glut of high school romantic comedies, Nodame Cantabile is a breath of fresh air because of its more mature yet whimsical take on love and life.