Nodame Cantabile

You Somehow Feels You're Part of Them

Starts weird for me (idk maybe because of the comedy), but as the story progress it gets really good. This is what I call as the perfect drama. Still no longer than 11 episodes but it's rich and thick in its story. You can see the character development. You can see how the love evolves. You even starts to feel like you're part of the S'Okke, and feels sad when they part ways.
It has so many good moments. Some part makes you grinning like an idiot, some parts makes you cry. And now I can't move on. I don't know where to find a good, heart warming drama about music like this. Brravvo!

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This is the best live-action musical series I have watched so far!

I always have a soft spot for musical films, especially films with classical music. I love classical music, and love the piano the most. So "Nodame Cantabile" is a perfect series for me. It makes me fall in love with classical music one more time and also gave me the motivation to start practicing the piano again. As a piano learner, I'm kind of like Nodame who does not read the music sheet very well. Of course I'm not as talented as Nodame. My level is quite basic. I just learnt it to play for fun, but paused for a long time because I don't have a piano with me, and the teacher forced me too much that made me stressed. So this time I'll buy a small piano and try to practice on my own while maybe looking for a more suitable piano teacher.

Anyway, "Nodame Cantabile" is so special and precious to me. I love every music performance throughout the series. I can feel the love for music in every character in the series. I love most of the characters, except the foreign Maestro character. He's just a perverted old man to me. The way he treats women is horrible, and I don't like his fake foreign look and accent either. I felt annoyed every time he appeared. However, as this is an old Japanese drama and as I love everything else and the music just touched my soul every single time, "Nodame Cantabile" is still a 100/10 series for me. I will re-watch it from time to time.

Besides music, this series is also special because of other reasons. I love our girl Nodame so much and also love her beloved senpai Chiaki. Nodame is so adorable, innocent but definitely not a stupid girl. She's a talented piano genius in disguise because of childhood traumas. Chiaki is also a genius with childhood traumas. I enjoyed watching Nodame and Chiaki's character development through each episode, and I loved the way they helped and supported each other in overcoming their own fears to find their real selves and discover their talents. Their romance is so pure, beautiful, and supportive, and it starts out of the love for music. I specially love the scene in the last episode where Nodame was talking about her dream of performing on the same stage with her senpai as a golden pair with full of excitement. Nodame is just too sweet and adorable! No wonder Chiaki hugs her from the back!

Also, they are so hilarious together. I enjoyed watching Chiaki's reactions and his facial expressions every time he's with Nodame lol. I laughed so much while watching them together. Of course I don't take the violence seriously. I understand that's the slapstick comedy style, as this series is adapted from a comedy manga.

Besides the leads, other characters are also very loveable. My other favorite characters are Mine and Kiyora. I love them as an individual character and love them as a couple as well. Their romance is also pure, beautiful and supportive and starts out of the love for music. Not only a wild and sensitive artist, Mine is also the best boyfriend and also the best buddy! While Kiyora is a strong ambitious and brave woman who dares to dream big and work hard to chase after her dream. She’s also a kind and supportive friend. It’s always nice to see this type of female character in a Japanese series.

Another thing that makes "Nodame Cantabile" so special to me is that there is no drama, no villain, no toxic love triangle, and no misunderstanding throughout the series. I just feel the absolute love for music from every character, as well as their desire and dreams, and their struggles while chasing their dreams. I can see myself in every character's struggle, and they also encourage me to face my fears to find my real self and follow my dreams. As how much Chiaki is grateful to his orchestra at the end of the series, I'm also grateful to "Nodame Cantabile" in the same way. I also feel like it's time to end a part of my life, and feel like it's the start of something new. I will move forward to a new journey and discover myself more in that journey. Although there are still fears, but I will stop doubting myself and start to believe in myself more. :)

There are still many more things to talk about this series but I'll stop now. I'm not sure if anyone will ever read this review but I wrote it to myself as the main purpose. Maybe it's a bit lengthy and boring to others. :)

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I’ve been a huge fan of its anime adaptation and was initially hesitant about watching the live adaptation because I always thought live adaptations of any anime and manga were all bad but boy I was wrong. Nodame Cantabile the drama series is splendid and simply a joy to watch. One of the best things I enjoyed about the drama is how it really closely followed the flow of the anime/manga, which is something you don’t really see these days in many live adaptations of books, comics or games etc. Staying close to the original flow of events, each scene wasn’t forcibly dragged to make the show longer and nothing unnecessary or unoriginal was added to the show. Everything was just right and because of that, I was extremely drawn into the series and gave it my fullest attention.

As someone who is relatively new to Japanese dramas, it took me awhile to really get used to the exaggerated comedy in Nodame Cantabile that Japanese people seemed to enjoy. Such comedy is not for everyone and it may seem like a throw off to many who are used to more realistic shows, but an episode or two in may be able to warm you up for the rest of the series, so hang in there first!

I’m not a fan of classical music actually and just like Mine from the show, I actually prefer rock, but not once was I bored throughout the series (as well as the anime). In fact, it opened my world a little and I was able to actually appreciate classical pieces that I once found boring. I even have a Spotify playlist of all the pieces played in the show that I occasionally listen to!

This is a show from the 2000s and you can’t expect the best production quality. I’m quite a picky person when it comes to how well the show is produced but the thing is... Nodame Cantabile is so amazing that I totally didn’t care. Please give it a chance, before you decide to drop it.

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I start to watch Nodame because I love classical music so I expect to see a student competition to each other trying to be the one who was selected to play in the band.

At first I did not like Nodame at all, the manga style, the graphic, the very over reaction of every cast. but because Nodame base on Manga adaptation so I try to continue.

After 3 episodes I feel hooked, the character growth and the story are better and better, especially Music! so I am glad I watch till the end.

If you love classical music this drama will not disappoint you, every song is beautiful and I love the relationship of the band mate too, it is absolutely beautiful.

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THIS is as close a manga adaptation as you will ever see in real life dramas. So, you have to realize, that this tops the goofyness and weirdness of many J-dramas by quite a bit.
I have never read the manga-version, but you can literally see in each scene the angle and direction of comedy manga-drawins, it is SO MUCH over the top.
Naturally, this is a very light-hearted drama, although it touches here and there some serious intentions of the characters.
The female lead Nodame is this quirky, non-ambitious, a little bit crazy and childish girl, who in fact, is as good a musician as it gets - and this was plotwise the most interesting part for me, seeing her try (for some time at least). The protagonist Chiaki is the typical high-quality musician, who suffers from PTSD and dares not to board a plane or ship to go abroad for studying.
One day Franz Stresemann (oh my God, the Japanese version of this German or Austrian dude, is just....lol), a widely known conductor (and pervert), comes to the school and shakes everything a bit up and Chiaki never gets rid of Nodame again...
There is SOME sort of love story, but not really what you are used to, so don't expect too much in this aspect.
The best part for me was to see the ambitions of most of the orchestra members rise and them trying to reach their goals, whilst listening to some fine music.

If you're looking for some really goofy entertainment right straight out of a manga, then you should give this a try.
(If you want to see the more realistic and longer version, then go to Korea's version - Tomorrow's Cantabile, which I found to be just as entertaining in its own way.)

PS: The thing I loved most about this drama... was hands down the fart-song and how Harisen danced to it. It was DIVINE :D

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Oldie but Goodie. Stresemann steals the show

I watched the anime of Nodame Cantabile back in 2007. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch later seasons.

I figure I'll rewatch the anime and get back to it, but first I'll watch the jdorama, which came out in 2006.


§ Overview

Noda Megumi, aka Nodame, is a talented but airhead pianist. She acts like a child.

She then meets the top student of Momogaoka, Chiaki Shin'ichi, whom she falls in love with.

This is an unlikely romance between two talented people whose personalities are poles apart.


§ Notes

1. The drama started slow. It's not helped that I know the general flow of the story. I couldn't help but feel that the slapstick is dated.

Still, it's not bad once you get used to it. Besides, a character that I forgot existed in the anime stole the show in this jdorama.

Franz Stresemann's character is played by Takenaka Naoto, and he is so hilarious that he steals the spotlight whenever he is around. I checked the anime to compare, and the anime version doesn't seem to be as compelling as the live-action version. The anime version has blond hair, but speaks fairly standard Japanese as far as I could tell. In contrast, the live-action character wears a wig and speaks an exaggerated foreign accent that's so hilarious.


2. I do remember Shin'ichi's trauma, but I couldn't remember if the anime explored Nodame's trauma. I think this jdorama gives them equal weight.

Speaking of trauma, it doesn't go too much into emotion as what Your Lie in April did. The latter takes this issue more seriously. In contrast, Nodame Cantabile is mostly comedick and inserts the issue of trauma to make it more palatable. It's like adding honey so you won't taste the bitterness of a strong bitter pill.


3. Even though I heard that the anime is more faithful to the manga and Season 1's ending is good, this jdorama ends it at a much better spot.


4. If you like classickal musick, I believe this is one of the shows you can't go wrong watching.


§ Conclusion

This is a nice romance. The story still holds, though some of the physical comedy may feel dated. If you've seen the anime, this version still has plenty to offer.

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Tremenda Joya de los clásicos japoneses ♥

Por fin me vi esta joyita de los clásicos japoneses, Nodame Cantabile. Pasé todo mi fin de semana viendo la serie de 11 capítulos, los 2 especiales y las 2 películas, y puedo decir que no me arrepiento de nada. Cada episodio me mantenía enganchada; en especial, Nodame, con su alegría y picardía, llevaba la serie a flote junto al carácter serio de Chiaki. Realmente, el dúo de estos dos fue hermoso desde que se conocieron hasta el final de la historia en la segunda película. Los extrañaré muchísimo a los dos.

Y es que se complementaban tan bien. Como dijo Chiaki al final: ella lo salvó de la decepción y la miseria que estaba viviendo en Japón, al punto de casi abandonar la música, y lo llevó finalmente a Europa para cumplir sus sueños. Pero él también fue el medio que le permitió a ella salir de su zona de confort y explotar su talento. Realmente se complementaban de manera perfecta.

Amé su relación porque fue muy cómoda y cercana desde que se conocieron. Él le cocinaba, le limpiaba, le lavaba la cabeza, la mantenía cerca aunque la molestara; la dejaba ser, pero siempre estaba con ella cuando lo necesitaba o quería estudiar música. Ella, por su parte, era su fan número uno: él quería dirigir una orquesta y ella le consiguió una; cuando él estaba deprimido y sin rumbo, ella le ponía anime para inspirarlo con historias de superación; se reunía con los miembros de la orquesta para cuidarlos como si fuera su esposa, lo promocionaba con todo el mundo y siempre lo admiraba. Con ella, él se sentía especial.

Ella vivía por ese hombre, y aunque él no era tan intenso, le demostraba lo cómodo, feliz y agradecido que estaba con ella. Luego se dio cuenta de que la amaba, y por eso, cuando empezaron a salir, fue tan natural que nadie se dio cuenta de cuándo comenzó realmente su relación, porque fluyó de manera automática y espontánea. Aun así, sigo pensando que fue al final de la serie, antes de irse a Europa.

Claro, hay que destacar que aunque se amaban y pasaban mucho tiempo juntos, no se limitaban mutuamente en su camino musical. Podían estar separados si la situación lo requería. Ambos luchaban por sus sueños y priorizaban sus carreras sin abandonarse, especialmente Chiaki, pero Nodame también se esforzaba mucho y logró hacer un gran debut en Europa.

Leí comentarios que decían que ella solo dependía de él y que Chiaki fue muy malo con ella, pero no sé qué serie vieron. En la película final, él la prioriza, la cuida, la ayuda con la tarea antes de su presentación con la otra pianista, y siempre está preocupado por ella. Es cierto que a veces debía dejarla enfrentar las cosas sola, porque no podía estar siempre en su cabeza, pero eso no significa que no la quisiera o no estuviera para ella.

Claro que no me gustó que nunca tuvieran una presentación juntos, pero me encantó lo que dijo el director: “Su relación es su propio concierto.” Ellos juntos son su concierto, y lo amé.

Los que dicen que solo él progresó y ella no, están equivocados. Es verdad que Chiaki tuvo dos orquestas, ganó un premio como director, hizo su debut y consiguió su propia orquesta oficial. Pero ella también logró muchísimo: aprendió a leer partituras, obtuvo una beca en Francia, pasó sus exámenes, realizó sus propios recitales, consiguió trabajos como pianista profesional y logró su gran debut. Al final, también superó su sentimiento de insuficiencia en la música y siguió su sueño de estar en los escenarios. Ambos alcanzaron sus metas, y los dos quedaron bajo la misma firma como músicos profesionales.

En cuanto a la música, me encantó muchísimo. Pude escuchar piezas completas de orquesta y música clásica, conocer sus historias y adentrarme más en ese mundo que antes no conocía. Lo amé todo. Tremenda joya. ♥

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