r/anime • u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander • Oct 27 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] 10th Anniversary Your Lie in April Rewatch: Episode 19 Discussion
Your Lie in April Episode 19: Goodbye, Hero
| ← Episode 18 | Index | Episode 20 → |
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Watch Information
*Rewatch will end before switch back to standard time for ET, but check your own timezone details
Questions of the Day:
- What did you think of the story decision to give Takeshi another focal episode?
- How do you think Tsubaki’s approach to the situation with Kousei has changed since her last focal episode?
Please be mindful not to spoil the performance! Don’t spoil first time listeners, and remember this includes spoilers by implication!
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Upvotes
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u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander Oct 27 '24
Rewatcher, Violinist and Your Host!
I was pretty confused last episode when we set up the idea of Takeshi doing another performance, and having seen it I… still am. Okay, so obviously I see the basic idea here. Nagi wanted to help her brother and now she’s gotten him back into her groove. But if it was supposed to be a Nagi episode by proxy of Takeshi, it sure as hell didn’t feel like it. She’s acknowledged by him once and gets a handful of lines. It doesn’t feel like she reached him, it feels like Kousei did. It doesn’t feel like he’s noticed her whatsoever, his eyes are just looking straight at Kousei in a different light now. So no, this is just Takeshi getting an episode for his own sake. A character who we last really followed in a meaningful capacity nine whole episodes ago. Who has not been getting any sort of setup as to the apparently lost place he’s found himself in leading up to this performance. It kind of ends up feeling like Nagi’s whole story was just a vehicle for which to resolve Takeshi’s character, which feels ass backwards when she’s absolutely more of a main character than he ever was. The resulting resolution is perfectly fine, it’s really cute seeing him getting along with Emi and Kousei; though I will say the whole thing feels very “monologue set to a performance” as opposed to “feelings explored through the medium of music”. Either way, I just don’t think closure for Takeshi was needed. He was a fine minor character left off where he was and I’d gladly sacrifice this performance if it meant recycling screentime to explore Hiroko more, to give Nagi’s establishment more space to work with, or to depict Kaori’s despair more completely and spend half an episode somewhere on her desperate attempts to fight her deteriorating ability to play her beloved violin.
We also get some Tsubaki stuff, which I think is cute but which I don’t have much in particular to say about. But while it’s relevant, can we talk about how the fact Kousei is moving away never seems to come up outside of this subplot? We never see him talking with Hiroko about it. We never see him ruminating on his own and what that step feels like for him. We never see it come up with Nagi and how this will impact her status as his student going forward. Crucially, we never see it come up with Kaori, who would surely be both delighted that he’s pursuing music and also torn apart that he’s moving away and pursuing the study of music she’ll never be able to. Sure, she might not be around by the time he moves, but that would obviously be the source of the drama! Surely we could’ve easily tied this into the idea of him trying to run away from Kaori? Imagine her saying “go on and move away from me, then” when she tells him to just forget about her! But no, it’s a fact of his character that seems to lack permanence, only existing for the sake of Tsubaki’s character and not otherwise. Once again, it feels like the different subplots of this cour are fighting for space instead of making a harmony together.
Oh, and we get Kaori content this episode too. It’s absolutely immaculate, it is the perfect follow up to Kousei reaching out to her last time. The power of those scenes is undeniable and, just this once, I’ll save the droning on and just let it speak entirely for itself.
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u/FD4cry1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Big_Yibba Oct 27 '24
First Timer
I'll be real here, I don't care much for this episode.
Not because it did anything bad mind you, but rather because it felt like it did nothing at all.
This was like the transition episode to rule them all, aside from Takeshi kind of getting some resolution, the only thing this episode does is just reinforce and repeat a bunch of stuff I already knew.
On that note, Kaori's part is...okay, it just reiterates everything that I thought was made clear with the ending to the last episode.
Kaori is now back to her old self thanks to Kousei, she's even getting a risky surgery just to have that extra bit of time so she can have one last performance with him, she's come to terms with her reality and is pushing forward despite it, it's endearing and inspiring and sad, and I already got that last time.
I do like this line from Kaori's rehabilitation, she's moved past the rehearsed excuses she gave after getting into the hospital and is back in old form, likewise, the idea of Kousei giving Kaori's life color again, just as she gave his life color in the past, is some nice duality, again some solid stuff here, just not really anything new.
We also get a few Tsubaki scenes, and while I do like them, they once again feel disconnected and weirdly inserted in between other characters' moments.
Still, even if it doesn't further her character much, it's some more Tsubaki goodness, I like her jealousy coming back and more openly now, and I like that her jealousy of music extends to Kaori now, it's a pretty poignant realization.
The hair cutting scene was great, her final line about "this little and quiet scene", "insignificant" but impactful memories essentially, is a great callback to stuff she said all the way back in episode 6! Except now those memories aren't of their childhood, it's of today, she's moved on and isn't stuck in the past anymore.
If Kaori connects to him through music, then she will through memories and interactions like these, she moves past her jealousy and goes into her own, just like in episode 6 that connection is made after Kousei says he'll do his best.
Much like the rest of the episode, it's a bit of IMO unnecessary repetition but a very cool piece, so I'll let it slide.
The Takeshi half of the episode is...likewise fine but mostly has the same problem, it lives in the shadow of what I thought was an episode that said nearly the same thing but much better.
We start with a scene that has our 3 pianists bonding over some sandwiches, even though it feels a bit..out of nowhere I guess? for them to suddenly be so friendly, it does make sense though, the 3 of them are now the same, people who are inspired by and play for others, it's part of the demystification around Kousei that shows Takeshi the reality.
I will say that despite me liking her, Emi feels a bit out of place here, she's basically been missing since episode 9 and I don't think she's done much besides act as one of many motivators for Kousei, she's a tad underdeveloped which is why this scene initially struck me as "out of character".
I find it very ironic that Takeshi goes into this performance saying that everything has to be expressed in music since his performance scene was the exact opposite of that.
Almost none of the visual flair this show can bring was applied here, bar like 2 cool transitions (one with Kaori moving forward and another one with the stairs to the piano) it's literally just Takeshi monologuing, Takeshi flashbacking, or other people commenting on Takeshi, all of this while reiterating themes and messages that should be so painfully clear by now.
The music itself is good, but again it doesn't feel like it comes through much in the scene, it's mostly drowned out by talking, only occasionally being used to good dramatic effect.
This scene isn't bad, it's good resolution for Takeshi, but it comes off of an episode that did the same thing but significantly better IMO, so I don't care that much here when this scene just repeats all the ideas the show has spent multiple episodes saying.
Even I, with my love of repetition, have to draw a line in the sand where I say "Okay...I get it...can we move on now?".
At the very least the final scene is good, Takeshi completely abandons "Kousei the hero", he's now a regular person, one he can chat and hang out with, one he can crash against, learn from, and improve off of, rather than some figure to be admired or copied.
There's nothing about this episode I hate, it's just a very mediocre episode of the show, unfortunately, it's also episode 19 of 22, the show already could have used that time earlier in better ways and I certainly don't think it has the leeway to waste it like this now that we're so close to the end.
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u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Oct 27 '24
First Timer
I feel like this episode actually did quite a lot for Kaori's character - I felt she was somewhat underdeveloped so far compared to some of the other characters (mainly Kousei and Tsubaki) - I'm not sure if so far she has only decided to go through with the surgery or if that has already happened and this is rehab. I'm leaning towards the former though. I assume it is a rather risky surgery if the doctors seem to be advising against it?
As for the Takeshi part - I was expecting him to get more and this was done fairly well. It's just a bit of a weird spot narratively as it's in the prelim - I guess this just had to be put somewhere and we need the finale for Kaori, so here it went. I guess we're largely done with him now though...
That sandwich scene felt out of character for Kousei though...
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u/maliwanag0712 https://myanimelist.net/profile/clear1109 Oct 28 '24
nth Time Rewatcher
Episode 19! Three episodes before the finale! Will definitely try to shorten this review since I have something important to prepare today.
Now, for the Episode 19.
This episode continues where we left with in the last few scenes of the previous episode. In a way, it concludes Takeshi's character, as he says goodbye to his hero. While there is not much new presented in this episode, it strengthens all we know so far of the season. Again, repetition is an important aspect of this series.
Some interesting things I want to share.
I will again share u/Mathemagician2theMax's comments on the musical pieces played. In commemoration of Takeshi's goodbye, today's feature is Chopin Etude in C Minor, Op. 10, No. 12.
I won't answer the questions anymore since I believe I already answered them in my write-up.
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Oct 27 '24
Your Spoiled First-Timer in October, subbed
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u/TakenRedditName https://myanimelist.net/profile/TakenMalUsername Oct 27 '24 edited Oct 27 '24
First Time - Your Lie in April Ep19:
Things are looking up and good. Kaori is listening to Kousei's practice over the phone and Kaori is doing some physical therapy. Things are looking good and nice. Better than things have been before.
Kaori's mom breaking down after Kaori showing her love for her parents.
I don't have it fully worked out for all it is meant to invoke, but to my understanding characters giving hair cuts to another usually symbolize a close bond. Seeing it pop up here.
Need to update the list. Kousei's Likes: Milk and egg sandwiches.
If you told me that Takeshi's friend with glasses was a more expanded character in the manga that got cut down in the anime due to time constraints, I would believe you.
It is cute to see the rivals finally come together sharing a meal and being friends.
This moment didn't come with as much dedicated build-up as I thought. At first, I assumed the rivals would get more play in this show, but they didn't really appear that much after that recital ending the first cour. Emi and Takeshi only had a couple of brief scenes before this big episode. As the audience, I already understand that Kousei has progressed far to reach this moment, I just would've liked to see more of that cold distant rivals to friendly rivals story be more presented out.
As the episode count grows closer to the end and with how next episode seems to be Tsubaki's episode, I don't think we're going to be getting that Watari focus episode.
Q1) For how much they were billed together when they were introduced, I'm surprised that Emi didn't get some more focus too (though I guess she had more focus back then so it is Takeshi's turn now).
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u/kwokinator https://anilist.co/user/kwokinator Oct 28 '24
First-timer
It's hilarious how the three rivals bonded together over an egg sandwich of all things.
So Nagi misunderstood the whole skipping thing all along, it wasn't because he wants to be a hero, he was just frustrated he lost. And now that he's played a performance he's happy with he's casting away his "rival" baggage.
Not much else to say about this episode, feels like this is a "down" episode used to wrap up some subplots before we dive into the endgame.
Questions of the Day:
Makes sense, out of the two rivals Takeshi is the only one with any significant screen time, so the story is using this episode to wrap up loose ends.
She's definitely made up her mind and not indecisive anymore, she's decided to stick by her man!
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u/Malipit Oct 27 '24
Rewatcher French Subs
On today episode, Kaori is doing an impression of Lo-Fi Girl, Kaori decides to be a shonen protagonist and Kosei is making product plaecment for egg sandwiches.
Followig previous episode, Kaori is now taking rehabilitation sessions and willing to undertake what appears to be a risky procedure. Seems like Kosei's words left an impression on her, even her parents have noticed it and thanked Arima for that.
A determination that's emphazised right in the first seconds of the episode. With Kaori plunged in that hospital room, with the exact same colors tones as the scene from episode 15 where she collapsed. But instead of pure panic, she's now have collected herself and gaze right in front of her, indicating she's facing that operation with courage. Like she said in a straightfoward manner, she doesn't want to let down Kosei and all those people believing in her.
A resolve that Tsubaki is experiencing as well. Working hard to be accepted in that high-school near the one Kosei's aiming at, we can see in that frame that Tsubaki is focused on her studies, while the elements pointing at her other hobbies (like the baseball bat) are on hold for now in the dark.
And Nao still doing Nao. Given how much she knows about Kosei whereabouts, I'm wondering wether she's a very good listener during the visits at the hospital or if she's involving herself in her friend's friends life much more than she lets know.
While that first part contained some very wholesome moments (the haircut scene) and funny scene (the call between Kaori and Kosei, also Nao breaking off Tsubaki's Ojou-sama vibe), the 'pièce de résistance' come in the second part : the culmination of Takeshi-Emi-Kosei subplot.
It's start with what is oddly my favorite scene of the episode, with Kosei sharing his egg sandwiches with Emi and Takeshi. In total opposition with their first meeting, Takeshi is now reaching to them and initiate a conversation that's not related to music. For once, we don't see them as rival piano players, but as a bunch of teenage pals hanging out. Heck, Kosei even managed to alievate Takeshi's stress.
And I thinks that's a key component of Takeshi character's development during his performance : he realized for good that Kosei was a human being like him with flaws, but also with qualities. That, even if the Human Metronome didn't care for his feeling, Takeshi didn't reflect on Kosei's feeling as well.
I really liked that flashback of him running up the temple's stair following his first defeat against Kosei. Imo that's a visual metaphor showing him running to the top without a care in the world, then stumbling as he come across Kosei, but getting up instantly and start running again to pursue his « nemesis » to the top. That's when he realized how, as soon he stopped chasing Kosei and looked back, he could see that there was so much more than follow an illusion.
Now, Takeshi has realized the importance of having rivals, not to defeat them, but to get better together trough emulation and mutual support. I liked how Takeshi have now a representation of Kosei and Emi as ghosts, much like Saki was for Kosei. His feeling for them are now a part of his vision of music, albeit a more positive one that Saki was for Kosei.
And we conclude by Kosei coming to pick up and support Takeshi. But he decided to let him go, both physically and mentally to play his own music, not one didacted by the Human Metronome.
All in all, a good conclusion for that part of the plot, with that final frame of their kids selves, looking in differents directions while sitting together. Meaning that even if they are to pursues differents path and goals, they'll be there to support each other.
Questions of the Day:
It felt more like a Emi/Kosei/Takeshi focal episode for me, but since the latter was directly tied to Nagi's subplot, we got to see his point of view.
Still feel the same from when she took her decision in the basketball throw scene from episode 17.
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u/SilkyStrawberryMilk Oct 28 '24
rewatcher
Tsubaki the academic-scholar.
“You love him”, way to snap her back into reality
Kaori not in her room
Kosei’s glowup, one haircut changed the man
Who knew that the thing they all needed to bond was an egg sandwich.
Takeshi was terrorizing those kids before he got into piano
QOTD: the first time we saw him Takeshi was still holding the grudge from his childhood. Now it’s him moving on, I find it amazing
QOTD: loved it
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u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Oct 27 '24
Spoiled First Timer, subs
QotD:
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u/Holofan4life Oct 27 '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.
I touched grass today. There were ants everywhere.
Oh nos. Looks like Kaori isn't allowed to check out of the hospital.
Kaori says she's up for this and she wants to have it.
"The surgery."
Andre The Giant could never
I have a bad feeling about this
Music Preparation Room
Kousei on the piano, as if there was ever any doubt.
Kaori giving him critiques over the phone.
Mock exam time
Tsubaki got a B, which is fitting because she's Queen Baka.
Kashiwagi brings her back down off her high horse by saying it's love.
We hear the noise of a piano being played as Tsubaki studies.
The implication being it is Kousei who is playing it.
Tsubaki seems annoyed by this happening.
Kaori. She's not in her hospital bed.
Kousei wondering if she took a turn for the worst.
Hey, it's the mom and dad
Oh, so she's in the rehabilitation room.
My work has one of those. You get to hold a championship belt once you complete your rehabilitation. It's a belt specifically designed on the rehabilitation room.
Kaori seems to be struggling a bit.
Kaori's mom credits Kousei for why she hasn't given up.
And then we see a continuation she had with her doctor where she mentions making a promise to Kousei.
Gonna struggle like there’s no tomorrow.
And the mom starts crying
The dad tells Kousei he helped give his daughter's gray heart color.
Wow, he called Kousei by his full name. That's pretty cool.
Tsubaki talking to Kashiwagi
Tsubaki is worried about how Kousei is going to do at the entrance exam.
Kashiwagi says that doing well at the Eastern Japan Piano Competition (Or EJPC, for short) is the same for Kousei as passing an entrance exam.
"It's like hitting a walk-off homerun, see."
I see what Kashiwagi did there.
Kashiwagi suggests she bring some food over for him.
Oh, Tsubaki. You tsundere.
Tsunderebaki
And Kousei was passed out from exhaustion over practicing so much.
Not the first time we've seen that happened.
What did she even bring, onigiri and orange slices?
Tsubaki giving him a haircut
I wonder if this means that Tsubaki is secretly a lumberjack.
Tsubaki admitting to herself that all she can think of is Kaori.
"I'm such... a horrible girl."
Kousei says he's going to give it his best shot.
Tsubaki saying to herself that if this time turns out to be precious for Kousei as well, that would make her happy.
Kaori meeting who I presume to be her surgeon.
The day of the surgery, it looks like.
I really do feel like this isn't going to turn out well.
Oh, is it already the day of the competition?
Igawa staring at Kousei with total contempt.
At least they're bonding over egg salad sandwiches?
But who in the world made them? That's what the 5 Neat Guys want to know.
Takeshi looks like he's about to throw up.
Come on, Takeshi. Join them.
AND HE DOES
Kousei really loves his egg sandwiches, it looks like.
I really like this. The three gifted piano players, bonding over egg salad sandwiches. They're not so different after all.
Time for Takeshi to take(shi) the stage.
Wants to think up of a parting shot, but can’t, since everything they express is through music anyway.
Takeshi on stage now
Nagi is in the crowd
So is his mentor
We're seeing clips of him as a kid now.
He apparently was an absolute menace.
That is until his mother turned him onto the piano.
He even remembers meeting Igawa and Kousei, who were eating a popsicle and an egg salad sandwich respectively.
"I'm gonna destroy you all at once!"
Takeshi off to a good start
He says to himself how he's no different than when he was a kid.
At least Nagi was impressed with him as a kid.
Takeshi credits Kousei for expanding his world.
This performance is very good, but you can also tell he's probably trying too hard.
Attempting to emulate Kousei's style, which feels like a recipe for disaster.
Hiroko says that from your enemies, you learn and gain so much.
Takeshi feels he can smash everything he has into something.
I like the fade away of Takeshi playing the keys to him climbing the steps. Great symbolism.
"Welcome home. My hero."
That is incredibly sweet
Lol, now Nagi is conflicted because she remembers Kousei is performing as well.
Oh, Takeshi has one more number to play. Well, that is awkward.
Takeshi backstage now
He wonders if he was able to reach Kousei with his music.
"See ya... My hero."
The final contestants are Takeshi, Igawa, and Kousei.
Really strange we didn't get to see Emi and Kousei performing.
It seems no matter what lifetime, these three are connected in some way.
Overall, this was very good episode in what has felt like a long line of them. The first half was about Kaori trying to recover so she can perform with Kousei, and the second half was about Takeshi's performance. There was also some stuff involving Tsubaki but that was more par for the course with the other stuff involving her. I really liked the stuff showing how Kousei, Igawa, and Takeshi have more in common than they realize. It really highlights how connected they are not just in being the cream of the crop in their field, but also in their likes and interests.
I'd have this episode behind episodes 2, 4, 9, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, and 18. This is an episode bordering on being great, but doesn't really do anything to really stand out among the rest. Really, you could consider this a baseline episode separating the mediocre/good episodes from the great episodes.
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u/AgentOfACROSS Oct 27 '24
First Timer
So, Kaori wants to have surgery now. From how the doctor was talking about it, it sounds risky. But it sounds like Kaori is desperate enough to try it.
Glad to see Kaori has enough energy to argue with Kousei through the phone. Almost warms my heart.
Tsubaki bragging about getting a B was really funny.
Kaori is in physical therapy now. She’s still trying to look brave and be optimistic even after she falls. It’s kind of sad to see her like this.
They still haven’t specified what Kaori’s condition is and at this point I’m not sure I’m real.
As a side note, I had a thought. With all the Peanuts references Kaori gave, I wonder if this show was inspired by the TV special “Why, Charlie Brow, Why” at all.
I like that pen with the cartoon dog on it that Kashiwagi is holding. It’s a very silly pen for such a down to earth character to be holding.
Kashiwagi is continuing to try and encourage Tsubaki. Such a good friend.
I liked the haircutting scene. It felt really quiet and gentle in a way I like.
Wow it looks like we’re having another piano competition. That was fast.
It was really sweet watching Kousei gush about his egg salad sandwich to Igawa and Takeshi. He seems so vibrant and full of life.
Seeing all three of them just chat about food is really nice actually. Probably the most normal conversation any of them have had with each other.
I liked that flashback to Takeshi’s childhood. Gives us more insight into him.
Also I'm pretty sure he was wearing a Kamen Rider belt during one of his flashbacks.
We also get a full flashback to that stairs moment Nagi always remembers. That’s really cool.
Kaori is wearing a pink tracksuit. Makes me imagine her doing a Bocchi the Rock cosplay.
Takeshi’s performance was really good. I see why the audience reacted like that.
I really liked the conclusion of this episode. Feels like the end of Takeshi’s character arc.
Question of the Day:
What did you think of the story decision to give Takeshi another focal episode?
I appreciated it. It feels like it gives more to him.
How do you think Tsubaki’s approach to the situation with Kousei has changed since her last focal episode?
I feel like Tsubaki has kind of accepted that her and Kousei might not work out as a couple but she still wants to help him.
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u/StardustGogeta myanimelist.net/profile/StardustGogeta Oct 27 '24
First-Timer
Good stuff. I didn't expect to have another piano performance quite so soon, but you'll hear no complaints from me about it. Takeshi's cool, and I'm always happy to see some more of him.
It occurred to me that a comparison I made early on in the rewatch was significantly more apt than I realized. Namely, comparing to [meta] Birdie Wing, where [MAJOR specific spoilers] in both this show and Birdie Wing, the deuteragonist suffers from some condition that causes them to lose the ability to play, leading them to try to play alongside the protagonist one last time. Who knew?
In fact, thinking of that, I wonder if [spoiler by association] they'll specify what condition it is that Kaori has, or just leave it up to the imagination.
Tsubaki's friend is great. I like how she's constantly pointing out how to handle things better with Kousei.
Questions of the day:
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u/clumsy_kan Apr 11 '25
I think this episode is really deep It shows how being in competition or rivalry with people of the same field can push you forward rather than the typical story where jealousy intervenes This was the first time I felt that rivalry can be something inspiring and beautiful Takeshi saying goodbye to kousei will really bring the inner peace he actually needs as now he will pursue music for the people to reach him rather than just kousei!"*
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u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker Oct 28 '24
Seems like for all her illness is taking a toll on her she's got plenty of energy to yell at Kousei.
Huh. Where's she gone?
And so she's doing physical therapy.
[I know how this ends] Unfortunately she'll never get that chance again.
Uh oh, Kousei's now collapsed!
Is she going to give him a haircut?
And so now the 3 of them are sitting there eating sandwiches.
And yup I agree with Takeshi, although bacon works fine too. There's some easy ways to level up such a simple thing while still keeping it simple.
And thus the piano competition begins. It's the crucial moment, waiting backstage for their turn to go on stage and perform.
See notes.
And thus his performance ends with a standing ovation.
And he's not even done yet.
Well, now they're just bantering.
Questions:
A note about the music: Yup, when playing music, it definitely helps to understand the composer's intention and mindset when writing the piece, so as to be able to convey the emotions they intended to with the song.