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Description
The son of a famous pianist, music student Shinichi Chiaki dreams of studying abroad and becoming a conductor like his mentor. Unfortunately, his fear of flying grounds his lofty plans! As he watches other classmates achieve what he has always wanted, Shinichi wonders if he should quit music altogether. Then one day he meets fellow student Megumi Noda, also known as Nodame. This oddball girl cannot cook, clean, or even read a music score, but she can play the piano in incomparable Cantabile style. And she teaches Chiaki something that he has forgotten: to enjoy his music, no matter where he is.
Winner of the Kodansha Manga Award for Shoujo in 2004.
25 Volumes (incl. Encore Opera Hen) (Complete) + Extra Chapter (2016)
Completely Scanlated?
Yes
Anime Start/End Chapter
Starts at Vol 1, Chap 1 [Season 1]; Vol 10, Chap 53 [Paris-Hen]; Vol 17, Chap 95 [Finale] Ends at Vol 9, Chap 52 [Season 1]; Vol 16, Chap 94 [Paris-Hen]; Vol 23, Chap 136 [Finale]
Don't believe the hype: this manga is just so damn boring. Pages and pages of neverending rehearsals, concerts, perfomances or just people who play some instruments, looking cool (or at least - trying to look cool) while playing them, with the public that cheers, claps and is like "zOMG, this music is so great, they're so good!". I'm not kidding. It's just like this: for 25 volumes. ENOUGH ALREADY! It's boooooring.
The love story is totally irrelevant. It's like it's not even there. But the biggest problem with "Nodame Cantabile" is the art that's seriously terrible. Ninomiya cannot draw for the sake of her life (have you checked her previous work "Genius Family Company"? Go check on that and I dare you to tell me it's well drawn! -_-). The characters' expressions are dull, blank and they all look the same. Always. After reading a couple of chapters the thing just really stands out and it becomes annoying. It almost feels like Ninomiya can draw just those 3/4 expressions and keeps using them over and over again.
I will never understand how this manga can be funny to someone, 'cause I know I haven't laughed even once in 22 volumes that I read. If you want a fun josei go check "Kuragehime": that one will make you roll on the floor, especially the early volumes. If you want a josei about love and people who make music, do yourself a favor and go check "Sakamichi no Apollon". It's shorter, funnier, sweeter, deeper. In a word, it's better; the characters are amazing and the manga is way more enthralling than "Nodame Cantabile".
Review time! Well, I'm a band geek, choir nerd and music lover in general. So this is my type of manga. I already love josei + romance so that adds up to a score of 10! So, this is an edit to my previous review. I just finished the entire series and anime too. Gotta say, it was amazing and worth it. Very emotional at some parts, and almost made me shed a tear. It's beautiful, overall and I highly, recommend it.
Nodame's I can do this, no I can't. - while this is actually fairly realistic, as a plot point it started to become overdone. students have many more problems besides their schoolwork. the author could have focused more on how they pay the bills, especially since Japan lacks many of the student scholarships the US has, so they often have to foot the bill of college while in college (with the help of parents.) - also, this grew frustrating to me because as a university student, I am constantly worried about graduating within 4 years (currently looking at 5, double major worth it?) and yet Nodame's family has no problems with continuing to pay for her education and living expenses. - I would also be bothered by the fact that Nodame has spent a good 5-6 years studying music without planning to go into it, but there are lots of people like that. they go to med school and then don't become doctors, etc.
Nodame's and Chiaki's Established Relationship - Chiaki just seems to get with Nodame because she's there and doesn't seem to be going away and because he really admires her piano playing. - I don't even remember why Nodame likes Chiaki, since it happened right at the beginning. - Once they're together, they never seem to consider the other's feelings. I realize a lot of the humor in this comic is character driven but after a while the dynamic of their relationship quit being funny and just became frustrating. The only change they seem to have toward each other is Chiaki deciding to be with Nodame. Their are no conversations of "It bothers me when you do this." "Okay, I'll try to change my behavior." Of course, I always expect more from josei manga, so it was frustrating to see their relationship be played out a bit more like a shoujo manga.
Paris vs. Japan - The author repeats storylines, which I don't mind too much becuase she tends to tweak them enough to be interesting, however I grew frustrated that she would pick up and drop different threads seeming at random. For example, she kept introducing side characters with a lot of pomp and implications that they would be necessary for the plot line but then were reduced to a joke or recurring mr. i-have-a-friend-who-has-a-friend-that-can-do-this, be it set up a concert or find 20 amazing players in time for a show.
While the above bother me, they didn't start bothering me until the end of the series. Especially when I realized I was on the last volume, and it didn't seem like the story lines would be better wrapped up.
The Art - I actually liked it, because the characters weren't all the same body shapes just with different hairstyles that a lot of mangaka do. - though her art was lacking when it came to the character's expressions. many of the characters looked pained when they were performing, which would constantly lead me to believe their performance was going poorly, until it ended and everyone said how good it was.
Predictions - I liked that my predictions weren't always right, particularly in the beginning. It was nice that the story didn't always take the turn I expected, which made it interesting and exciting to read. - It made it a bit more mature (josei-like) and reminiscent of real life.
While I seem to have focused on a lot of the flaws in my review, I actually really did enjoy this series, save the abrupt ending. While there is the 2 volume continuation, I didn't enjoy it all that much because it felt like the characters were pulled back in time, where before the ending may have been abrupt, but it also felt like the characters had matured a little, but the sequel seemed to erase all maturation from the characters for humour's sake.
Also: If you liked this manga, check out Matsumoto Tomo's works like Beauty is the Beast (Bijo ga Yajuu) and Kiss (which is another manga about piano players.)
I've been meaning to read and watch this for years now. I finally got the chance to watch all three seasons of Nodame Contabile, and am now downloading the entire series for reading. *-*
People the ending sucks. But my questions is “Did u only read 23 vol of it?” Cause if u read through vol 24-25 you get a very great series just like School Rumble and Usagi Drops. Watch the anime ans i'd love it. Now i'm about to watch the drama which i heard is ACTUALY according to the series. But awesome plot awesome characters awesome manga. THIS IS A MUST READ!
I'm so sad that this great manga ended with rushed ending >.< but, however It's still one of my favorite manga ever. Never bored reading it again and again then giggle at every sweet moments of Chiaki Nodame, expilicit ir not. Plus, reading this manga kinda motivating me to know more about classical music A must try!!. You'll never regret reading it
Parts of NC are great - memorable characters (the main ones - Nodame is adorable and INTERESTING, at least, not so much the side characters...) and a cute relationship. As a musician myself, I am familiar with most of the songs they mention so I've got personal depth in the connection with the story.
But the cons...if you aren't familiar with the music (and even if you are), the story can fall really flat. After a while, its Chiaki again...on the stage...conducting and looking all intense...flash to audience....flash to soloist...wait, haven't I seen this before? Yup, pretty much every other chapter! It gets really repetitive and unemotional. Also, the romance moves incredibly (sometimes painfully) slow. Its a pretty subtle story. But although pretty much nothing ever happens, when a small moment does happen, the couple is just so adorable that you have to smile. Art is nothing special - plain and sparse. Its the story driving (or not driving) the action here, though the art does improve slightly.
The ending sucked (though not as bad as I thought it would reading these reviews).
This manga is quite a slow one if you're lookin for some romance. Buuuuut, it's really gooood anyways! cuz cuz it's really cute and has a funny kinda sarcastic humor. : D But also, sometimes it makes you wanna just tell the story to HURRY THE *BEEP* UP! oh well. It's awesome anyhow.
I just love this series so much and the anime just makes it much better with all the music. I always find this series really touching. Oddball Nodame with the genius Chiaki is a great pairing as their relationship brings out the best of both of them. I love how this stuck up man becomes so enchanted or drawn in by Nodame's music no matter how much it sucked in the beginning. You could say they need each other. Nodame always brought out the love in music that Chiaki strived to perfect and move foward with. Also Chiaki brought out the desire to become better from within Nodame. Their love through music is so touching and you can feel it. (I especially love the anime because they use such touching music!!!)
Spoiler (highlight to view)
Some people felt disappointed with the ending and truthfully, I was too. But later, it felt just right. Nodame's dream was to play together with Chiaki conducting, but she felt such impact from playing with you know who...=). Then Chiaki realizes how much he loves Nodame's piano and how he wants to bring it out onto his stage and tears fall. This couple will be together forever and will always support each other and never let the other's music fall behind!!!! (Even though Nodame has a little catching up to do -.-)
The comic was great, and I used to give it 8 for rating. But the ending is so disappointing. I'd rather think that it hasn't ended, unfinished is better than badly finished.
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