"The music... is dyed in color."

After such a long time not reading romance stories I'm finally getting into some lately. First I started off with some popular shoujo titles, and when I'm running out of new books to read, I stumbled upon Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso (Your Lie in April). I thought this was just going to be a casual read about your typical romance + bits of music. Boy was I wrong, for this manga has proved to be a really emotional ride I shall never forget.

Story - The story is interesting. The beginning was rather predictable, it started with the introduction of Arima Kousei, a prodigal pianist who stopped performing the piano because of a traumatizing event. Then one day, a hurricane came into his life and wrecked his everyday routine. This hurricane was a seemingly loud, cheerful, and free-spirited girl named Miyazono Kaori. By the arrival of this girl, Arima's life did a 180 degrees turn as he's forced to face the piano again. Past memories resurfacing, meeting former rivals, and the bittersweet feeling of love and affection were what followed next. It started off as a sole growth story of Arima, and the initial atmosphere of this story was fun and touching, but later on metamorphosed into something more melancholic, more intricate, and a hell lot more depressing. Regardless of what you feel about the ending, you can't deny that Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso is a really beautifully crafted piece of work. It builds up emotional attachments to the characters and by the time you've finished it, there's a warm feeling inside your chest. The story really flows and I especially love the dialogues. The words are spot-on and not just fillers for the story.

Art - The art is, ok I guess. Moderate at best, though. It's not sparkly nor is it particularly beautiful, but still okay. What I'm bothered of is the lips. Sometimes the author colors the lips and it looks like they're awkwardly using a bright red lipstick. It's disturbing.

Character - What's the most impressive here is really Arima's character growth. He has always been a warm, gentle individual, but later on he will mature a lot. By using his past experiences and finally realizing what being a musician is, he no longer runs away. He learns to face his past, makes peace with himself, and that shows in the music he plays.

I would also like to highlight Miyazono Kaori. She starts off as your typical heroine the male lead likes, but later on you'll also realize that that's not the only thing to her. Her character isn't something the author randomly pasted on a girl to make her likable, but she has something that drives her to be the way she currently is. Her background is not messy, but really well-written. Tsubaki is also a really nice character, she bullies Arima a lot but deep down we all know she cares a lot for him. This is not just about the male lead and the female lead, but about everybody's characters and everybody's stories.

Enjoyment - This, ladies and gentlemen, is indeed a really emotional ride. The atmosphere changes very quickly and unexpectedly and I want you guys to brace yourselves for what's about to come (though I doubt you can't guess what's the ending going to be like). But it's a really beautiful story. It makes you feel something, and that feeling lingers for a while inside your heart even after you have finished it.

All in all, Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso is really enjoyable. I recommend this to everybody. Even if it may start off as cliche, believe me, there's more to it than what it seems. And in the end, let the title -- Your Lie in April -- sink into you. Once you do, though, I doubt you can forget about this amazing piece of work for the next few months, or maybe throughout your life.