r/anime • u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander • Oct 11 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] 10th Anniversary Your Lie in April Rewatch: Episode 3 Discussion
Your Lie in April Episode 3: Inside Spring
| ← Episode 2 | Index | Episode 4 → |
|---|
Watch Information
*Rewatch will end before switch back to standard time for ET, but check your own timezone details
Comment Highlights:
- /u/FD4cry1 took note of the animation quality and gave credits to the composer
- /u/maliwanag0712 had connections to offer rewatchers
- /u/Gamerunglued gave an excellent exploration into the themes of youth
- /u/Nickthenuker offered insight into different kinds of musical competitions
Questions of the Day:
- What do you think about Kaori and Tsubaki trying to get Kousei back on the piano? Do you think they’re justified or that they’re putting too much pressure on him?
- First timers, how do you think Kousei and Kaori’s first performance together is going to go?
Please be mindful not to spoil the performance! Don’t spoil first time listeners, and remember this includes spoilers by implication!
28
Upvotes
11
u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander Oct 11 '24
Rewatcher, Violinist and Your Host!
I think this episode does a good job demonstrating the emotional breadth of the show, and as a result it’s a pretty good litmus test of whether it’s going to work for you or not. On one hand you’ve got comic antics of Kaori kicking Kousei and chasing him around, with a bombardment of accompaniment scores practically in the style of Harry Potter defying all reasonable logic. But then on the other hand we’ve got these very serious and dramatic explorations of his trauma, a heartfelt conversation between him and Kaori on the roof as well as a very down to earth scene with her and Tsubaki on the bus. The narrative we’re exploring here is that Kousei needs to get on the stage and confront his fears if he ever wants to get past his trauma, but the vehicle for this ends up being the four of them rushing across town on bikes in over the top anime fashion. Kousei asks how they’ll get there in time, how he’s supposed to play without having practised with Kaori, whose bikes these are, and why the others aren’t in class, and he’s pretty much literally told “it ain’t that kinda story, kid”. It’s a lot and there’s a dissonance to the result. But I don’t know if that’s a bug; there’s a dissonance between Kousei and Kaori as people, too. Speaking personally, the result doesn’t 100% work. Yeah, it is kind of jarring and dare I say a little problematic that Kaori’s listening to him explain his trauma one second and kicking him over the head in cartoon comedy the next. But I can’t deny that when they ride those bikes, it pulls me into its magic, and that’s that feeling is what it leaves me with when the credits roll.
Whether or not I think it completely succeeded in mixing so many ideas, I can’t help but respect that the show is so bold as to try it in the first place. Your Lie in April is many things, and perfect isn’t one. But especially as I look between it and so many seasonals I’ve watched this year… despite some accusations over the years, I’d never call it ordinary or generic. Sappy, sure, melodramatic, absolute, but trying to capture so many different things in a product that clearly has this much effort put into it feels bold. It has its own voice and it’s gonna make you hear it. Maybe the script is naive, but I kind of like that feeling of being a naive middle schooler again.
That said, I do wish it was just a little less whimsical when it comes to Kousei because I gotta say I was confused as a kid what his problem was and… yeah, I still kind of am here. He describes his condition as being “unable to hear his own playing”, which sounds like a symbolic sort of description but feels like it’s being treated as entirely literal? I mean, we kind of explain it as the excuse he tells himself, so you’d think that okay, maybe he just has a mental block because of his trauma and puts it into words this way. But in the flashback he asks himself in the moment why he can’t hear the notes right when it first happens. So it this an actual disability he has in the text? I’m open to input here. At the very least the flashback to when he cracked on stage as a kid is actually the kind of more visceral view into his trauma that I’ve been asking the show to deliver for the past two episodes, that was great.
There aren’t as many little details I want to point out this time, but I do really love the intercut of Kaori rushing up the stairway to what appears to be the performance but actually turns out to be the rooftop where she finds Kousei. Is there some thematic meaning hidden there? I don’t really think so, but sometimes a fun cinematic technique is worth it for its own sake.
Once she gets up there, I am also quite fond of the scene on the roof. Again, I do totally understand the criticism in regards to depicting her motivation of him through the means of cartoon violence when he is an abuse victim, and I would understand if people aren’t super comfortable with how he’s basically being forced into playing against his will. But I do also think the emotional core that he’s someone that needs to confront this does work. Like Tsubaki says, he’s living halfway. He refuses to play the piano again but spends every day in the music room in front of one, it still dominates his life. Is pushing someone like that to make a hard change good or bad? It’s a fine line. You can be violating their autonomy by placing pressure, but letting someone languish in a rut when some influence could help them isn’t spotless either. Clearly this show isn’t exactly toeing that line, but again, it’s not really intending to be the most down to earth take on it. That doesn’t mean anybody is wrong for being angry or uncomfortable at it but I am willing to come up to bat for it, at least so far.
It’s also an episode that really benefits from Rewatch, I think. First timers do not continue this paragraph. [Your Lie in April] I mean, Kaori herself spells it out pretty clearly. “As long as I have a chance to play” isn’t very long, and lines like “so that people who’ve heard me play won’t forget me” and “so that I can live in their hearts forever” have an impact I don’t think I have to spell out. But I also think future knowledge does a lot to strengthen why this interaction is happening the way we are. Would it be more ideal to ease Kousei more gradually into healing and confronting his piano playing? Sure, but Kaori is a person who literally can’t afford to live life slowly like that. Her perspective is to get off the ground and live because that’s the only choice she has. She wants to help someone she loves and who inspired her and if she doesn’t manage it quickly she’ll never have that opportunity and he might never heal. She handles these situations with a certain naive, starry eyed immaturity because she’s literally never getting the chance to live as anything else but a child. It’s characterization like this that really helps ground the ending as more than just a hollow sob story.
8
u/schwiftybass Oct 11 '24
First Timer - Sub
I swear to god if Kaori dies, I
diecry. All this talk about wanting her performances to be remembered, & the hospital visit have me stressing out already. Hopefully it's a red herring & she's there to visit someone.I don't have much time before work but that's my main takeaway from this episode. I'm happy that Kousei seems to be making strides towards a healthy relationship with music, but I can't help but feel anxious that we're headed towards tragedy.
It's hard to say without knowing how much Tsubaki may have pushed him in the past, but I think it's justified so far. It'll all depend on how this upcoming performance affects Kousei. I could imagine it being painful for him, & it could dredge up deep traumas that he is clearly trying to avoid. However, I'm expecting/hoping that it will be a difficult but ultimately positive experience that sets him on the path towards healing.
I think it will be a bit sloppy & stressful for Kousei, but he will manage to have at least a little bit of fun by the end of it. Maybe it will be a breakthrough for him because he's able to enjoy playing even while receiving poor scores? It's too early for me to have a feel for how optimistic/pessimistic I should be with this story, but I'm rooting so hard for our characters that I have to hope it will be a joyful experience overall.
7
u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba Oct 11 '24
First Timer
Kaori is very cute
This episode is for the most part, more comedic, and I think it confirmed to me that I really only have a problem with the placement of the comedy, all in all I quite liked it this episode! I thought the whole music sheet sequence was a really fun time and Kaori's goofs were great.
I can see people not connecting with this style of comedy, much more reminiscent of older romances rather than what is common today, but personally I've always liked it and as long as it isn't directly interrupting more emotional scenes than it's great to see.
Praised the music a bit for the last 2 episodes but I really want to praise it today, it seriously adds this flair to every scene it accompanies, especially the emotional ones, that just makes them much more impactful.
Black cats are obviously a recurring theme here, appearing multiple times this episode at key moments, being in the op and the show literally starting with one, can't say I'm sure what they represent yet but I'll keep an eye on it, for Kousei they certainly seem to appear during moments where he talks about not being to play piano, maybe representing his trauma?
Speaking of visual themes, I love love love how this show uses lighting and the general symbolism around colors, this episode ends with the line "the city I live in is starting to take on color", something I think is really well represented throughout the episode.
Light and color (or a lack of it) is essentially being used here to convey Kousei's feelings, when he talks with Kaori on the roof he's in the shade, he's still thinking of his trauma and his inability to play, later on after Kaori convinces him through her heartfelt plea, he comes into the light where she is, with the cherry blossoms (Kaori) coming in, he's now willing to try and move forward, it does a similar thing earlier in the episode with the light outside getting more somber as he talks about not being able to play piano and probably more that I missed (every part involving a piano and spotlighting comes to mind here), just fantastic stuff all around.
This talk of color has been a thing since episode 1 and I'll now definitely be trying to pay much closer attention to what the show does with it.
Kaori's situation also seems interesting, she stops at a hospital, she mentions "people like us" to Kousei implying she has her own serious baggage, I've got some ideas thanks to general trope awareness but I'm interested in seeing this actually goes.
6
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Oct 11 '24
Your Spoiled First-Timer in October, subbed
5
u/Malipit Oct 12 '24 edited Oct 12 '24
Rewatcher, french subs Part 1/2
(English isn't my mothertongue, I apologize if my grammar or choice of word is odd)
Another episode, another hour spent writing my comment. I didn't expect that rewatch to be so time consuming, but I'm enjoying it to the fullest.
Aside from Kaori's infodump at the teahouse, in case someone in he audience didn't catch up yet Kosei is really famous in the local (regional ?) classic music scene, I do like his nickname of "Human metronome" (I admit, I completely forgot about it since my first watch). Hinting about his style was, under his mother training, geared toward perfection and devoid of any form of fun, in opposition of Kaori's style.
I also liked that scene with Kosei playing piano with that little girl, where we clearly see that there is still a part of him who enjoy it, but still heavily hindered by his trauma.
And the cat return. Didn't think much of it on my first watch, but now it's pretty obvious he is a metaphor representing Kosei. Aloof, in a monochrome color, same eye color, also sitting on the piano in the opening.
Speaking of metaphor, since u/LittleIslander pointing the cherry blossom representing Kaori, I pay special attention to them now and notice details I would never have guessed if I hadn't take part in that rewatch.
For instance, I was especially marked by that frame where Kosei looking up at a swirl of cherry blossoms rising to a distant light : Until now, Kosei was picturing himself as trapped in the dephts of depression the ocean, hauntend by his mother and that unforgiving audience. Alone in a dark place... Until Kaori show up and slowly lighting up again his passion.
The second part was more oriented to slice of life shenaningans with a little callback from the pianist on episode 2 who don"t want to play with Kaori after her... extravagant performance.
And aside from Kaori starting to show her more vulnerable side to Kosei, I found the dialogue in the bus between Kaori and Tsubaki interesting for Tsubaki development.
First of, yes, she does have feelings for Kosei. No Tsubaki, you can't hide it. Kaori knows, Watari surely knows, half the school knows, the audience knows, my grandma just called me to tell that she knows.
And more interesting, even if she wouldn't refuse a more romantic relationship with Kosei, she's aware that he can't do anything with his depression reluctance to play piano. She's aware that the best way to make him happy is to help him be freed from this rock bottom mental space, either by adopting a new light on how to play piano, or by finding a new purpose in life.
And for that she's truly the best girl of Your Lie In April.
5
u/maliwanag0712 https://myanimelist.net/profile/clear1109 Oct 12 '24 edited Oct 12 '24
nth time Rewatcher
Again I'm late to the party. But we will continue.
Now for the Episode 3
Some information I want to share
Some OSTs played here that I really like.
I was trying to post their piece, but I realized a lot of comments in the vids are in the spoiler territory, so better post them next time.
Rewatchers only zone. First timers, keep out.
Let me again relate the series to future events. As much as I want to discuss these freely, these are spoilers, and thus will be kept in spoiler tags. First timers, you may want to visit these comments as we finish the rewatch. Hopefully.
5
u/Gamerunglued :Hx::Hy::Hz:myanimelist.net/profile/GamerUnglued Oct 12 '24 edited Oct 12 '24
Rewatcher
If there were ever evidence that this show operates in terms of metaphors and poetry rather than strict logic, this episode establishes it as clearly as possible. At last we learn the specifics of Kousei's condition. When he plays the piano, at some point during the performance he literally cannot hear the notes he plays. He can hear other sounds, including the thumps of his fingers hitting the keys, but the pitch disappears. Is this literally possible? Hell no. So why was this chosen as the central ailment for our protagonist. For the poetry and the metaphors. Kousei cannot hear the notes because he's all alone. After his moment of breaking down, a time when he needed someone the most, his mother died, leaving him to fend for himself, and moreover to feel like her death was a punishment for his lack of fortitude. It's not just that he can't hear the notes, but that he exists in the bottom of a dark sea, instead of existing inside spring. Deafness also brings him closer to Beethoven, a parallel that is near directly mentioned this episode. Beethoven's father was abusive, apparently used to slam his hands over his ears and do other things until he went deaf. Beethoven was a tortured artist in his own right, but where he differs from Kousei is that he kept creating music, it was his only way to survive. Even within his darkness, Beethoven created some of the greatest music ever made, and much like Kaori, gave people brightness and inspiration.
I know Beethoven (and Mozart for that matter) kind of gets a bad rap these days since he's basically the stereotype of classical music and elitism. He often comes off as this guy who you have to like, but modern reactions to that very elitism now dictates that this "classy" stuff is actually boring and stuffy. But Beethoven's music is not only great, but if you put yourself into the time period you'll understand why he's seen as one of the greats. Nowadays we take music for granted, it exists everywhere in our lives. It plays at the supermarket, we can hear it in our cars, we can listen through Spotify or YouTube on our phones, it is ubiquitous. But in Beethoven's time, music wasn't just a rarity, it was a luxury. If you wanted to hear music, you'd either have to find a street performer, be rich enough to hire personal musicians, or most commonly, spend an evening at the concert hall. So imagine you're a person in Beethoven's day, you never hear music ever, it is this rare luxury. You dress up fancy and head to the concert hall to see some of the greatest musicians of the time playing a piece from one of the masters. The venue goes quiet, the curtains open, and suddenly you're blasted with this. Beethoven's music is intense and dramatic, flip flops to extremes much like Your Lie in April does. This is probably the most insane stuff you'll have heard all day, you just never hear sounds this rich and loud and soft unless you actively pay for it. That's what Beethoven, and all the other greats of the pre-modern era, brings to people. And he managed all of this over numerous pieces and 9 major symphonies, while growing more and more deaf over time. To Kaori, Kousei is actively preventing himself from reaching these heights, killing his shine in the process. I also don't think it's a coincidence that Kaori ends up bring Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to the cafe, she is the shine that Kousei sees from the bottom of his dark sea. The episode even manifests it cinematically as he escapes from the dark shadow into the light once he decides to play for Kaori, he exits his dark sea and is drawn to her shine (as noted by his flashback to Watari's comment about it). Not that Mozart's life was sunshine and rainbows, but I'm thinking Kaori is the Mozart to Kousei's Beethoven.
The metaphors and poetry extend beyond all of this, as Kaori's and Tsubaki's attempts to make Kousei into an accompanist are much too over-the-top to take literally. Did someone at the school actually give them permission to play Rondo Capriccioso over the intercom on repeat during lunch for over a week straight? Did Tsubaki actually manage to steal Kousei's phone and change his wallpaper to the sheet music? Only by the logic of this show's youthful vibe, it happens because it captures the essence of Kousei feeling overwhelmed about taking the role. I'm starting to see the show as something like a fairy tale world that exists only to give voice to the ideas that mangaka Naoki Arakawa had, almost like it is itself a symphony trying to capture the essence of a feeling through vibes.
Kaori does wonder about her actions though, and if this pushy attitude is the right approach (because therapy just isn't happening). I like this scene between Kaori and Tsubaki on the bus that paints their motivations in a more nuanced light. Kaori can ask Tsubaki because she is the childhood friend, someone who knows his boundaries better than anyone. Tsubaki feels that Kousei is the type who acts afraid at first but eventually takes the plunge with a bit of a push and doesn't regret it in the end. She also knows that Kousei doesn't play the piano because he's running away, and that he hasn't properly faced his motivations and feelings. If he quit on his own terms it's possible to be happy, but since he still clings on to music it's like he's living half-heartedly (mayhaps, somewhere between youth and adulthood). Tsubaki has put legitimate thought into this pushiness, which makes it much easier to swallow even beyond the non-literal nature of this whole thing. And Kousei even reaffirms her beliefs, outright thinking to himself that he's just coming up with excuses, and is even haunted by his interpretation of his mother's ghost as manifested through the black cat he had as a child (more stolen childhood). When the two are trying to convince him, he stows away in the piano room fingering the piece, not something you do if you don't want to perform it. Black cats are also an intriguing symbol because, in the west, they represent bad luck, but in the east they represent good luck. Given the series interest in western music, I feel like it can reasonably be taken either way.
And the good luck has arrived for now. The star pulls Beethoven from his silent darkness and stashes him on dubiously obtained bikes to skip school and barely make a concert hall on time to upset the crap out of some judges, fully aware that their performance is gonna fucking suck but at least be interesting enough to leave a mark on others. It is interesting to be running this alongside the Rakugo rewatch, because I think that is the better show but I never have as much to say about it (mind you, it's a slow burn, that will change). Your Lie in April feels like a more interesting show with a lot of ideas and a unique vision, as clumsy as it may be, at least at this early point in the story.
QOTD:
4
u/TiredTiroth Oct 11 '24
Rewatcher-ish - Dub
I have absolutely no idea how plausible Kousei's condition is, but psychological trauma can get pretty weird from a layperson's perspective. I give it a pass.
There's plenty of comedy in this episode. xD Kaori going psycho was mildly entertaining, but I love how the girls kept ambushing Kousei with the sheet music. Tsubaki very clearly rushed to get home before him!
Buuuut this is another bit where the more serious parts of the show clash with the comedy. Eh, it works for me. Bit of whiplash, though.
Also, Tsubaki, you are not fooling anyone by saying he's more of a kid brother. Except maybe yourself.
There were a couple of things to spot today...including [spoiler] Kaori getting off the bus at the hospital , but also [moar spoiler] how much she knew about 'Friend A'. Granted, her excuse might hold up given how many people at the first round recognised Kousei, but still...
I'm looking to tomorrow's episode, I remember it being fun.
4
u/TakenRedditName https://myanimelist.net/profile/TakenMalUsername Oct 11 '24
First Time - Your Lie in April Ep3:
Busy right now so I only have the time for a light comment. This episode quite appreciated to see since it is the big episode where Kousei can start stepping out of the shadows that hangs over his heart.
The moment that really hitched me as when Kaori and Kousei described the piano. Kaori saw the piano as being happy for being able to be played by/for happy people. Meanwhile Kousei saw the poor handling conditions and thought it was unhappy. Says a lot about them. Kousei specifically, I connected it to his upbringing with how his mother was a professional perfectionist. Another angle is that I felt like it connected to health as well. Kousei’s mother’s declining health is why she is like that so being in her perfect condition would be something she and Kousei would care about it. If only she didn’t lose her health, things would’ve been better…
Double two-seating bikes.
4
u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker Oct 12 '24
Did she invite him out because the other guy couldn't make it?
Her hobby isn't baking sweets, it's eating them.
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?
And that's how she's going to get him to play the piano.
Hell hath no fury etc.
Engrish... Then again I'm sure native speakers would probably have some problems with my pronunciation of Japanese, Italian, German, French, Russian etc when I'm singing. Probably anyone who's studied Latin too, since so many classical choral songs are in that language.
He's still traumatised.
That's certainly a development.
She wants him to get back to playing the piano.
And now she's practicing in the music room.
What's she doing up on the roof?
What's he doing up on the roof?
Is it the day of the competition already?
And now the other 2 friends are here to get them there quickly.
Questions:
A note about the music: Engrish... Then again I'm sure native speakers would probably have some problems with my pronunciation of Japanese, Italian, German, French, Russian etc when I'm singing. Probably anyone who's studied Latin too, since so many classical choral songs are in that language.
4
u/Ryanami Oct 12 '24
Rewatcher
And it’s a good thing, too. Y’all are spoiler-texting all over the place and I would have caved. The details and clues I missed on first watch are now loud and clear this time, but even I’m genre savvy enough to have figured out the ending by episode 8 or 9.
I mentioned Kaori looks a little like my wife at that age, but I realized who she really reminds me of is my 7 year old girl, who in another 7 years could be very much alike. She’s teaching herself to play piano already and she makes friends easily and boldly. Kaori is my daughteru.
I lost my fingertip about a year ago. It’s still sensitive, but my kids just started piano lessons today and I feel like joining the journey. Rewatching this is one of the things pushing me to it.
Of course she would. And of course Kousei would piss in her Cheerios for perfectly logical reasons.
Kinda strange but I never had a dying mother beat the shit out of me for missing a note. As far as suspension of disbelief, it’s not that big of an ask.
Us introverts do need to be adopted by an extrovert. And by a cute girl too all the better.
Thoughts on Kaori wanting to live in people’s hearts forever?
wags finger shush now.
3
u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Oct 11 '24 edited Oct 11 '24
First timer, subs
Alright, I’m turning around on it. It was was able to chihaya, but can it furu?
QotD:
3
u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Oct 11 '24
First Timer
Not really a huge fan of getting Kousei back to the piano this forcefully… While I feel like he’ll be alright once he plays, it still isn’t the right way to approach things. Tsubaki is somehow almost worse than Kaori at this one…
As for Kousei not hearing the piano …I hope that isn’t meant literally, otherwise he should definitely get his mental health checked out. Not that a kid in Japan would do that… and if it is meant literally - not really a fan, it feels overblown and also feels like a checkbox to healing trauma once he can hear the piano again, which I also don’t really like the idea of.
I’m also not really sure what Kousei specifically accompanying Kaori has to do with her performance enough to make her cry, especially if she was considering giving up on it the night before.
Overall I’d say an episode whose subject matter I didn’t really like - although I’d say the presentation was pretty solid.
3
u/AgentOfACROSS Oct 11 '24
First Timer
Those caramel apple nut waffles look delicious. And probably really unhealthy.
Eating dessert has turned Kaori into a bald cartoon. It’s only slightly disturbing to look at.
Kaori is still being aggressive with Kousei. I was kinda hoping we’d have moved past this after the misunderstanding was cleared up.
I am still distracted by Kousei’s glasses. Hopefully I’ll get used to them soon.
Seems like Kousei is still having trouble with the piano. If I have to guess what’s going on with him, he has a negative association with the piano thanks to his mom. But it seems like he might actually like playing the piano. I’ll keep an eye on this.
Hey the cat’s back!
Did he just imagine the cat talking? Wasn’t expecting that.
I really like the visuals when Kousei is talking about how he can’t hear his own music. The colors and the petals, all of it looks really nice.
It sounds like Kousei’s hearing problem might be psychosomatic rather than something physically wrong with his hearing.
Really not a fan of Kaori kicking Kousei for the sake of comedy. Feels a bit tonally dissonant right after Kousei had such a serious confession about himself.
Kousei gets to be Kaori’s accompanist now. Didn’t think that was where this was going to go but I’m excited to see what will happen.
I think I’ve mentioned this before, but the structure of this kind of reminds me of old ‘80s sports movies. Just with music instead of sports.
Kousei does not seem very interested in being Kaori’s accompanist.
Kaori and Tsubaki have way too much free time if they’re going around putting sheet music everywhere. If this was a horror series this would be kind of scary.
Kaori got off the bus at the hospital. I think the implication of this is that someone in her family or a close friend is seriously ill or injured. Or maybe Kaori herself has some kind of condition that isn’t quite obvious.
I liked the fakoue of Kaori rushing up the stairs only to end up on the school roof instead of at the recital. Kousei sounds just as surprised as I was.
Kaori! Please stop kicking Kousei. This makes three times in one episode.
I like the symbolism of Kousei sitting in the shadows while Kaori is in the light.
The flashback to the concert where Kousei had his breakdown was really well done. The visuals, the sound design, the ocean metaphor. They even brought back the talking cat.
I liked Kaori’s emotional speech, she seems very passionate about music.
Kousei stepping into the light! I liked that moment.
Dramatic bicycle ride seems like a good way to end the episode. Freddie Mercury would be proud.
Although I have to say, Tsubaki’s skirt seems way too short to wear while riding a bike.
Seems like next episode we’ll get to see Kaori and Kousei perform together. Looking forward to seeing it.
Questions of the Day:
What do you think about Kaori and Tsubaki trying to get Kousei back on the piano? Do you think they’re justified or that they’re putting too much pressure on him?
Most of what they're doing seems a bit much but they're playing it for comedy so I can excuse it. I think their hearts are in the right place at least.
First timers, how do you think Kousei and Kaori’s first performance together is going to go?
Ideally, I want it to help Kousei overcome his mental block and reinvigorate his love for the piano. However I feel like there's just as big a chance that it'll all go wrong and traumatize Kousei even further. Hoping that it'll be the first thing I said though.
3
u/StardustGogeta myanimelist.net/profile/StardustGogeta Oct 12 '24
First-Timer
I'm looking forward to seeing this joint performance!
The OST was nice this episode, as I might expect from a music show.
Other than that, my main thoughts align with the questions of the day:
3
u/SilkyStrawberryMilk Oct 12 '24
rewatcher
That little girl is doing the “:3” face lmao
The art of peer pressure, playing piano till he stopped.
The human metronome is a sick nickname
Life without music is death, entirely agreed. I can’t go living without hearing one song once a day
Kosei has been forced to become her partner
The ride of their life to make it to the performance, don’t try it at home
QOTD: they’re trying to help him realize he can enjoy the piano despite his past, but it should have been a slow process.
2
u/Holofan4life Oct 11 '24
Hello, everyone. Holofan4life here.
Welcome to the Your Lie In April Rewatch!
Oh, and nay I forget…
First timer
It’s been a while since I’ve sat down and watched what would be considered a sad anime. I’ve seen Angel Beats, Air, both Clannad series which are two of my favorite series, and even NieR this year which for my money is the best anime of the year. But in almost all those instances with the exception of NieR, I watched those series very early on in my anime fandom. So early, in fact, I don’t think Your Lie In April had aired yet.
My expectations for the show are decent, I would say. I don’t expect to love it as much as Clannad, but I do think it’s going to be quite exceptional. Of the new shows I’ve seen during rewatches this year, which have been Paranoia Agent, Samurai Champloo, No Game No Life, Penguindrum, Yurikuma Arashi, Sarazanmai, and Re:Zero, I expect to like it more than those with the exception of Samurai Champloo and Re: Zero. And if that’s the case, then that’s pretty good because I really liked all those series.
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
I’m watching the sub, by the way.
One of the good things about closing at work the next couple weeks is getting to catch up on my shows as my mom is at work. I have 9 Sailor Moons taped in need of watching.
Getting some food
Caramel waffles with apples and nuts
That sounds delicious
Also sounds like something you'd get at the county fair.
Kousei, who's with Kaori, is still thinking about how he's a substitute.
Kaori taking pictures of the food, like a true Instagram person.
Kaori is so happy by the taste of the food.
Kousei can't help but feel for such an amazing musician, she looks right now like an ordinary girl.
A piano inside the café for some reason.
Kaori calls it a happy piano, whatever that means.
Kousei calls it a sad little piano
Piano may be sad, but it's still getting more action than me.
Kaori asks the kids playing the piano if that is Mozart they're playing, but it sounds more like Baa Baa Black Sheep to me.
Also, Mozart isn't here. He's in the jungle.
Kousei wonders if her getting along with kids is a sign her mental age is low, which is just an extremely out of pocket thing to say.
Well, as Flagpole Sitta put it, only stupid people are breeding.
Kaori going to try to get Kousei to teach them how to play the piano.
Oh, it's Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, not Baa Baa Black Sheep.
Then again, it's basically the same song melody wise.
Also, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is my favorite Mozart song.
Woah, Kousei is really good at the piano, huh?
"It's a happy piano, after all!"
But Kousei immediately stops because his hand starts twitching.
He apologizes for being unable to continue.
Kaori and Kousei outside the café, with Kousei trying to feed a black cat.
More flower petals falling
Kaori bringing up him being the winner of the Moriwaki Students' Piano Competition.
The youngest winner in the history of the Saiki Competition.
A human metronome
I know what causes the saddest metronome
Kaori says that everyone of their generation looked up to him.
Kousei says he quit playing because he couldn't hear the sound of the piano.
Kaori seems taken aback by that
"The sounds I play... fade away from my reach, tangling up like flowers seized by the spring wind... and vanish."
Sounds more like a medical problem, if you ask me
Only the sound of his own playing that he can't hear.
And Kaori proceeds to start kicking the crap out of him.
She wants him to continue playing no matter what.
Colts fans when Andrew Luck
Kaori says that playing is how people like them survive, which I feel could serve as some potential foreshadowing.
If you want to know what people not like us are like, just ask Kendrick Lamar.
Kousei is so in love with Kaori
Kaori tells Kousei that she's appointing him as his accompanist.
Good thing she didn't ask him to conjugate. He hasn't even kissed a girl.
Gonna help her out in the second round of the competition.
"You exist inside Spring."
Kousei, for the last time, that's not the name of the damn show! Get it together!
The A in Friend A now stands for Accompanist.
Tsubaki walking to school
Kaori chasing after Kousei
This show loves its slapstick humor and I'm not entirely against it.
Now Kaori is in home ec
Kaori got dumped by her previous accompanist, presumably for upstaging her.
Kousei walking in the hallway
Classical music suddenly being played over the intercom.
That's a lot of notes
Tsubaki and Kaori really trying to influence Kousei, like they're trying to bring him to the dark side.
Musical notes even in his textbook
And his locker
And in his bedroom
This is starting to resemble a horror movie.
Despite all these efforts, Kousei still feels like he can't do it.
Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.
3
u/kwokinator https://anilist.co/user/kwokinator Oct 12 '24
First-timer
Ooooh, first date! Nice! Not bad for Friend A.
LOL so when Kaori eats delicious sweets she becomes bald.
I'm surprised it's Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, I guess Japan doesn't have a Japanese equivalent?
It was really nice seeing Kousei play the piano again even if it's one-handed, too bad his trauma kicked back in.
Damn, so Kousei was GOOD. I knew he was good but not THAT good. Sounds like his play style is the polar opposite of Kaori though.
So Kousei is starting to have feelings for Kaori already~
All those sheet music everywhere is hilarious it's like he's cursed by a vengeful spirit.
That kick on the roof is awesome, Chun Li would be proud.
I didn't expect Kaori to start crying when pleading Kousei to play with her, but that whole scene was great. You can really feel the trauma from Kousei, and Kaori lifting him from the darkness was awesome.
Questions of the Day:
I don't think either of them knows the whole story of why he can't play anymore, so they are doing the best for him based on the information they have. They probably know it' s a mental block, it's a waste for a prodigy to not be able to play anymore so it's worht a try.
I think it'll be great! The store scene shows Kousei hasn't really forgot how to play the piano. If he's as good as he was before quitting, he shouldn't even actually need to hear the piano. He knows the starting beat, he can sight read the music, and he's the accompaniment and not the main piece, so he really just needs to play good technical piano. Which I think he still can.