Short review: Nodame Cantabile is an adorable slice of life/drama series with a heartwarming romance. Having an ensemble of characters you want to root for, you learn about music and life, and it’s fun all the way. It’s doesn’t hurt that it’s one of the funniest manga as well.
Full review:
Warning: review contains spoilers
When I saw the anime way back when, I immediately fell in love with it. It has a really simple premise, and it moves along kind of slowly, but the characters’ development is quite captivating. The manga moves along the same way, through Nodame and Chiaki’s university years, then all the way to when they move to Paris. Our leads push each other in a really unique way and bring out the best in each other, and that’s what moves the plot along. It’s fun to watch Nodame, Chiaki, and even their friends develop because of each other - not only in music, but also with interpersonal relationships. With a relaxed, ambling-along-the-path plot, all the orchestras and competitions and concerts make you proud with each step that the characters, main and supporting alike, take.
Speaking of the characters, Nodame and Chiaki may be the focus of the manga, but you’ll find yourself loving their classmates and fellow orchestra members, as well as their eventual housemates. In the style of many a jousei manga, relationships happen so naturally - there’s no unnecessary angst or drama. They may be slow at getting there, but when they reach their potential, it’s worth it. We see different personalities when it comes to dealing with relationships and music and more importantly, growth.
As for the art, Tomoko Ninomiya boasts a really distinct art style - you’d recognize that they’re her drawings easily. However, there have been critics who have mentioned that some of the side characters are hard to tell apart, which could be an issue for shoujo/jousei authors since characters are more realistic in terms of hair styles/colors. That being said, though, the art is still done well enough to convey the music and the emotions of the characters. This isn’t exactly easy because music is an aural experience, but Tomoko Ninomiya manages to express that through her art.
Overall, it’s difficult for one to word exactly why Nodame Cantabile is a must-have experience. It’s not a heavy, exciting, action plot, but it’s still a wonderful story about love, friendship, and overcoming obstacles to achieve success. Given that the series is about music and the anime practically follows the entire manga, I’d suggest the anime over the manga.
Plot 8/10
Art 7.5/10
Characters 10/10
Overall 8.5/10
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