Shigatsu Wa Kimi no Uso by Naoshi Arakawa

Original title: 四月は君の嘘

English title: Your Lie in April

Read scanlation using manga browser (Android app)

Rating 4/5

I accidentally bumped into some recommendations in YouTube for some new J movies. And this movie caught my attention since I’ve noticed that the female lead is Suzu Hirose, a young talented actress who played brilliantly in Gakkou No Kaidan. And more over, this movie is a musical movie with some classical music as the main soundtrack. Ups, it’s the soundtrack actually, but classical music is the main theme here, a bit reminded me of Nodame Cantabile. Unfortunately, when I tried to search the movie in some websited I get used to downloading movies, it’s nowhere to be found. But then I realized that the movies just released this year. Oh well, to reduce my disappointment, I searched the manga scanlation. And lucky me, I got it!!! And here I go, spending my waiting time here and there and my reading lullaby :D

Starting from Arima Kousei, a 14-year-old student who is well-known as a piano prodigy, lost his hearing ability while his playing piano. It happened after her strict mother cum piano teacher passed away. From then on, his life is monotonous and colorless. Thanks to his best friends, Watari and Tsubaki who always cheer him up. His life gradually changes as soon as he meets Kaori Miyazono, a spirited violinist who abandons all notes and score structure when she plays violin. Different from Arima who always plays as the scores and notes written, this young girl follows her own style while playing her violin, including when she joins competition. One day, she performs in TOWA violin competition and she needs an accompanist to play piano. Her previous accompanist left her, can’t stand with her style. Lol. Here, she pushes Arima to be her accompanist. You can imagine, he tries his best to refuse, but Kaori can’t take no as an answer. On the D-day of their performance, Arima, once again, loses his hearing of his piano….

Reading some reviews in Goodreads, and judging from ratings given for this manga, I positively enjoy reading the manga. This is a story of reaching dreams, no matter how hard it is. Arima has been at the top of his performance until his mother’s death, he loses his dreams. Watari, one of his best friends, dreams to be a sport star, Kaori believes in herself that she was born as a musician, Tsubaki, his loyal best friend, used to think that Arima is someone weak, and can’t be relied on, but ends up loving him. Well, this is actually a bit a love triangle, or rectangular? Hohoho… Arima likes Kaori, Kaori falls for Watari, and Tsubaki ends up head over heels over Arima. But, the story itself, doesn’t focus on their complicated love rectangular. Instead, Arima’s fight his own fright on stage, his abandoning his mother’s rules in playing piano, releasing his mother’s shadows as puppet, and more. Well, I haven’t finished reading all chapters, but I really want to write down something here. One thing that disturbs me while reading it is the continues flashbacks that come in Arima’s mind, when he is playing piano, he is walking down the road, he is sitting somewhere, even when he is joining piano competition. That really distracts my focus on what is happening in the story at that time. The mangaka tries to make the flashbacks images different, though, but still, to many flashbacks are distracting.

While reading the manga, I also downloaded the anime. I watched some clips in YouTube especially the pieces Arima and Kaori play on stage. Love’s sorrow by Rachmaninoff sounds amazing. It is dramatic as well as touching. I also found one live concert playing all the music in the anime. It really makes me in awe!!! Japanese production is indeed amazing!!!

Here are some clips for Kaori and Arima on stage