Koyoi Oto Furu Sora no Shita

Can I just say... doki doki!

The underlying premise of Koyoi Oto Furu... is not a romantic tryst between the heroine and her dashing knight, but it somewhat shines through the subtle storytelling regardless.

Our protagonist Miyabi Kise loved playing the piano and may have mesmerized a fan or two back when she initially started playing but has developed a trauma after her mother's death and refuses/is unable to speak. Due do certain circumstances, she comes to stay with (a rather scrumptious looking) music teacher who taught alongside her mother. Enter music teacher's current prodigy who just happens to be one of Miyabi's longtime fans, and you have quite a stage set for their relationship high jinxes.

Part of the trauma also discouraged Miyabi from playing the piano anymore so anytime she is asked/offered, she intensely rebuffs such chances. Then why is our hero, Mr Man-Bangs-Yue bent on hearing her play no matter what? Because that's what will create tension and sparks between them you silly goose!

Let's start with the art: Top Notch stuff. Like what dreams are made of, if like people often conjecture, we do indeed dream only in black and white. It's not too flowery or cute, not threadbare or severe. The bishies are dreamy and naughty looking and Miyabi's expressions, gestures and actions all look like she just got done training for Black Swan. Seriously high re-readability due to the art's oomph factor alone.

Characters are very sweet and relatable, not in a cloying sense, but because everyone is so earnest and straightforward. There isn't too much angst for it to get annoying, but there is a tense chemistry of sorts between each set of characters which keeps your turning the pages eagerly. No annoying shoujo tropes or stereotypes about sweeping her into your arms or falling in love at first sight here! But that doesn't mean there aren't moments which just take your breath away or make your pulse quicken simply because you need to look away from the intimacy of certain moments for fear of being voyeuristic!
Secondary characters are introduced every now and then and they actually contribute to the plot rather than just being fulcrums or points of conflict between the main couple.

I thoroughly enjoyed the overall feel of the story along with all the issues addressed in the story including admiration, loneliness, trauma and moving on from it, diffidence and insecurity and perhaps even love to a certain extent.

It's not too short, I would have loved it to be a whole lot longer given the art and the playfulness of the plot and the intensity each character brings forth, but it's of quite a satisfactory length at 5 chapters. You'll inhale them all at one go if like me you're looking for a good read with passion, attitude and the elegance of a piano-centric script.