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Johncli117112
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Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso review
Reading this feels like listening to a talented singer with great voice, who unfortunately keep making the same mistakes and hitting the wrong notes over and over again until the whole performance is kind of ruined.
Er, random musical analogy aside, there's actually a lot that I like from this manga's set-up. For starter, the fact that the the main characters are middle-schoolers/pre-teens, which I don't see very often in manga. It's a great period when kids are mature enough to start exploring complicated feelings and emotion, while still retaining the sense of childhood innocence lacked by high-schoolers. Naoshi Arakawa's art hits similar kind of sweet spot by combining the intensity of typical shounen art and sensitivity of shoujo style, creating a signature look that's both powerful and very easy on the eyes. He's very, very, good at paneling and impactful framing, too. Someone once said to me that "a comic/book about musician is kind of useless because you can't hear the music", however, Arakawa's art has enough power and details that the characters absolutely resonate with me during their performance scenes.
I like the main character, too. Arima Kousei is an unusual protagonist for this type of comic, quieter and more perceptive than your typical lead. Most importantly, his mental block makes for an intriguing internal conflict and a very realistic depiction of a real life issue. Physical abuse by a parent figure is a serious thing, and watching a fundamentally good kid struggle to come to terms with it and overcome the guilt he shouldn't even bear is simultaneously gut-wrenching and inspiring. It's also very interesting to see Arima's past as a child prodigy, as well as the bond he formed with his two lifelong rivals.
.....Now, about those "wrong notes".
In addition to music and internal struggle, there's a lot of comedy and romance in April. To be frank: they don't work at all. The comedy first: nowadays I've been bothered a lot by the sense of humor in many shounen/shoujo manga, as it often try to pass off abusive, sexist, and/or problematic behavior as something 'cute' or 'funny', and I also find that issue here. April's main joke is to have Arima routinely abused (physically and emotionally) by the two main female characters, which is not only unfunny, but becomes extra disturbing when you consider the boy's background. Like... I dunno girls, your friend there was severely abused in his childhood, maybe you shouldn't kick his kneecap/throw his head with softball/choke him with recorder/emotionally blackmail him?
It happens too often to be coincidental, which leads me to suspect that Arakawa-sensei really think that brute force and aggressive girls are the best therapy for abuse-induced trauma. I'm not an expert on psychology... but yeah, that doesn't sound right at all. The problem with the comedy ties directly to the romance one, since the aforementioned two girls are also Arima's love interests. It's basically a tiresome love square, with the second boy never becoming significant or memorable enough. I couldn't care less which girl Arima ends up with, as they're both selfish, petulant, and manipulative. Teenagers are never perfect beings, I know, but these girls are just too damn unsympathetic. The occasional melodrama makes it even worse, as some of the characters like to suddenly break out of character and wax some purple prose. Imagine watching kindergarteners have a childish fight, and seconds later quote Shakespeare out of the blue-the effect is as jarring as that.
(there's another girl character that I actually like, just because she's much wiser and more mature than everyone else. Unfortunately, her only role is to be the thankless Best Friend/Adviser character).
The music performance scenes are the biggest strength of the series, but they're not entirely free of problems either. As I've mentioned above, Arakawa's art is more than good enough to convey the emotional state of the musicians during their performance, but he also frequently have a bunch of random people in the audience providing unnecessary amount of corny commentary. "That boy looks nervous!" "Ooh the melody truly comes from her heart!" "I could feel the emotion coming!" Yes, yes, please shut up, Random Audience #3.
In spite of all that, I'm actually happy I got to read this manga and learn about Arakawa. There's such a great deal of artistic talent on display here that I'd definitely still check out his future works--I just hope next time I can truly get behind his characters and narrative.
Er, random musical analogy aside, there's actually a lot that I like from this manga's set-up. For starter, the fact that the the main characters are middle-schoolers/pre-teens, which I don't see very often in manga. It's a great period when kids are mature enough to start exploring complicated feelings and emotion, while still retaining the sense of childhood innocence lacked by high-schoolers. Naoshi Arakawa's art hits similar kind of sweet spot by combining the intensity of typical shounen art and sensitivity of shoujo style, creating a signature look that's both powerful and very easy on the eyes. He's very, very, good at paneling and impactful framing, too. Someone once said to me that "a comic/book about musician is kind of useless because you can't hear the music", however, Arakawa's art has enough power and details that the characters absolutely resonate with me during their performance scenes.
I like the main character, too. Arima Kousei is an unusual protagonist for this type of comic, quieter and more perceptive than your typical lead. Most importantly, his mental block makes for an intriguing internal conflict and a very realistic depiction of a real life issue. Physical abuse by a parent figure is a serious thing, and watching a fundamentally good kid struggle to come to terms with it and overcome the guilt he shouldn't even bear is simultaneously gut-wrenching and inspiring. It's also very interesting to see Arima's past as a child prodigy, as well as the bond he formed with his two lifelong rivals.
.....Now, about those "wrong notes".
In addition to music and internal struggle, there's a lot of comedy and romance in April. To be frank: they don't work at all. The comedy first: nowadays I've been bothered a lot by the sense of humor in many shounen/shoujo manga, as it often try to pass off abusive, sexist, and/or problematic behavior as something 'cute' or 'funny', and I also find that issue here. April's main joke is to have Arima routinely abused (physically and emotionally) by the two main female characters, which is not only unfunny, but becomes extra disturbing when you consider the boy's background. Like... I dunno girls, your friend there was severely abused in his childhood, maybe you shouldn't kick his kneecap/throw his head with softball/choke him with recorder/emotionally blackmail him?
It happens too often to be coincidental, which leads me to suspect that Arakawa-sensei really think that brute force and aggressive girls are the best therapy for abuse-induced trauma. I'm not an expert on psychology... but yeah, that doesn't sound right at all. The problem with the comedy ties directly to the romance one, since the aforementioned two girls are also Arima's love interests. It's basically a tiresome love square, with the second boy never becoming significant or memorable enough. I couldn't care less which girl Arima ends up with, as they're both selfish, petulant, and manipulative. Teenagers are never perfect beings, I know, but these girls are just too damn unsympathetic. The occasional melodrama makes it even worse, as some of the characters like to suddenly break out of character and wax some purple prose. Imagine watching kindergarteners have a childish fight, and seconds later quote Shakespeare out of the blue-the effect is as jarring as that.
(there's another girl character that I actually like, just because she's much wiser and more mature than everyone else. Unfortunately, her only role is to be the thankless Best Friend/Adviser character).
The music performance scenes are the biggest strength of the series, but they're not entirely free of problems either. As I've mentioned above, Arakawa's art is more than good enough to convey the emotional state of the musicians during their performance, but he also frequently have a bunch of random people in the audience providing unnecessary amount of corny commentary. "That boy looks nervous!" "Ooh the melody truly comes from her heart!" "I could feel the emotion coming!" Yes, yes, please shut up, Random Audience #3.
In spite of all that, I'm actually happy I got to read this manga and learn about Arakawa. There's such a great deal of artistic talent on display here that I'd definitely still check out his future works--I just hope next time I can truly get behind his characters and narrative.
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washington-rain3
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Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso review
I've watched this in English, Japanese, and now read it.
This story still rides on top of almost every single other story I know. It could hit harder because I'm a musician and thus constantly am relating to Kosei and Kaori, but as a musician, the ups and downs they go through, along with Takashi, Emi, Miike, and Nagi are some of the most honest writing of musicians I've read. I was always a little anxious to read it after watching it because, as is obvious, music is an auditory experience. Trying to express the thoughts, emotions, etc. on paper is not an easy thing to do. Yet, Naoshi Arakawa does it in a way that translates beautifully.
The art style is wonderful, allowing for the seriousness in tone and style that comes to the matured art form that is a stage performance, and then shifting to the more lighthearted style that comes in middle school. The laughter, the anger, the joy, every little spike in emotion that we all experience as young teens and pre-teens.
The story, as I previously mentioned, tears me to pieces. While there's the ever present question that people have still been trying to figure out for as long as I can remember about what Kaori is dealing with, to me, that doesn't matter in the end. The story wouldn't change if it was a real or made up thing because what matters is the characters and how they change and grow throughout the story. How they deal with love, loss, and facing their futures.
There's very little I would change to this story. Maybe that is because I'm a musician, because I'm a romantic, because I've walked in their shoes in more cases than the average person. But whatever it may be, this story is still a masterpiece to me after watching, rewatching, and now reading.
This story still rides on top of almost every single other story I know. It could hit harder because I'm a musician and thus constantly am relating to Kosei and Kaori, but as a musician, the ups and downs they go through, along with Takashi, Emi, Miike, and Nagi are some of the most honest writing of musicians I've read. I was always a little anxious to read it after watching it because, as is obvious, music is an auditory experience. Trying to express the thoughts, emotions, etc. on paper is not an easy thing to do. Yet, Naoshi Arakawa does it in a way that translates beautifully.
The art style is wonderful, allowing for the seriousness in tone and style that comes to the matured art form that is a stage performance, and then shifting to the more lighthearted style that comes in middle school. The laughter, the anger, the joy, every little spike in emotion that we all experience as young teens and pre-teens.
The story, as I previously mentioned, tears me to pieces. While there's the ever present question that people have still been trying to figure out for as long as I can remember about what Kaori is dealing with, to me, that doesn't matter in the end. The story wouldn't change if it was a real or made up thing because what matters is the characters and how they change and grow throughout the story. How they deal with love, loss, and facing their futures.
There's very little I would change to this story. Maybe that is because I'm a musician, because I'm a romantic, because I've walked in their shoes in more cases than the average person. But whatever it may be, this story is still a masterpiece to me after watching, rewatching, and now reading.
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ClockLock4
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Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso review
This was a terrible manga. I only read the second volume because I couldn't find the first one and it was pathetic. The girl and all the kids were annoying. The girl should've gone out of the story faster. The whole concept was bad. Guy is ugly. Also why a piano? Couldn't you've played Minecraft instead because it's a musical instrument, obviously. Also fanservice terrible. Boku no Pico was better. Like, seriously, the anime where the guy r*pes a smol child is better. Also, there was no stands. This is not a troll, this is my honest unfiltered opinion. And I'm not being sarcastic. DIO
wasn't in it. No vampire daddy = bad. Astolfo was absent.
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sweeny11
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Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso review
Oh dear Lord,why have you forsaken me you sick @%$^$%^*%*@$$!#........Welcome everyone to what is another drunk review,brought to you by Jack Daniels and Sons with a twist of Cola.Oh if you're not old enough to drink you probably shouldn't be here cause the internet,the admins of MAL and indeed the whole world has gone soft in the head and cannot handle honest,brutal,punch to the stomach opinions cause someone might be offended..Well that's your fault for being fruitcakes so bugger off.
And where do i start with this anime?Story?Yeah i can do that.So it's a touching story of a young lad who is a pianist.And a genius one at that.He is like a Jimmy Hendrix only he isn't black and didn't die in a pool of his own vomit after taking a ton of drugs.Anyway,he strollls through a park,remembering his dead mother who abused him relentlesly.Then a miracle happens.He meets a young prison....Oh fuck...Sorry a girl,i meant a girl.But in my defense she must have done some time,probably for beating someone to death...Gone off topic there a bit.Back to the anime,she plays a harmonica with 2 kids in the park..And all of the sudden some pigeons arrive at the scene and they all jump up and down and sing the song of.....What the fucking hell is this?A 60's movie?Even in 60's movies this wasn't acceptable and it is in a 2014 anime?What's next?A weirdo with an umbrella singing and flying and shit?
You can already see where this is going,right?No?Well let's dig deeper then!From then on we have the all time classic threesomes,foursomes and whatnot between the characters,you know the sort:boy loves girl A,girl A loves boy B,boy B is intrested in guys so he loves boy C and it goes on and on and....Zzzzzzz..It's mostly a music anime.Or is it?You see the writers and the studio tell us that this is solely a music anime,but after watching the whole damn thing all i got was:"Oh my giddy aunt,another Kanon has found its way into my little world of screams and violence and Behemoth".And i wasn't far off the mark.This is very much like the Unholy Cancerous Trinity(UCT from now on),Kanon,Air,Clannad,only it has some music in it.
I should say that i don't like classic music.I always thought it was a means for mass murderers to cover the screams of their victims in the basement.But this time,for some reason it captivated me.Even if for a little while,the moments where the characters perform is nothing sort of magical.It's a modernisation of the classical music scene.And here's the clever bit.The animation helps intensify the experience.The movements are lifelike,it's like nothing i've ever seen.And the characters when they're not consumed in pointless threeways are very good.There's chemistry and it shows.
But here's where the fun stops and we start going into the pits of hell,where a ring was forged.One ring to rule them all,one ring to find them and into eternal melodrama bind them.Oh yes THE FEELS MAN THE FEELS..The drama burger is back leaving extra vomit in its' wake.And i'm not fucking with you.22 eps of untold misery,22 eps of needless melodrama just to keep the economy running along with your noses..Tissue industry has to make do somehow.THANK YOU THE FEELS THANK YOU.From episode one up to the last moment this manages to make the UCT seem like a baby shower.I kid you not,in every episode you have the same scenes over and over,the same dialogues,just to give you a fake feel of drama.Cause that's what sells these days.And we have UCT to thank for that.It set the trend for other cancerous animes to appear.And it wouldn't rank as cancerous if one or every character dies of some illness of course,of course.
But what this anime does that most don't is connecting you to the characters.I'll give them that.Even though the characters are hateful they manage to be likeable at the same time.That was my impression at least.Maybe i'm wrong,maybe i've gone mad but at least compared to UCT the characters aren't worthless pieces of shit,making sounds,giggling throughout the entire series.
Then another bit that had me confused.The animation.Like i said above in the performance parts the animation was absolutely stunning.Nothing comes close to that.But then they let the whole thing down by making the characters mouths like i took a combat knife and made them look like Joker.It looked creepy and idiotic and i didn't like it one bit.In fact it came close to ruining the whole experience for me.Who thought that that was a good idea?Honestly i wanna find them and beg them,why on earth did they make them look like Venom for Spiderman?
I can keep going on and on until i take up all the space in the internet.But the thing is that despite all i've said you should watch it.If for nothing else watch it for the glorious bits of animation and the music.AND FUCK THEM FEELS YOU CHEAP BASTARDS.Thank you and fuck off and good night.I love you all.
And where do i start with this anime?Story?Yeah i can do that.So it's a touching story of a young lad who is a pianist.And a genius one at that.He is like a Jimmy Hendrix only he isn't black and didn't die in a pool of his own vomit after taking a ton of drugs.Anyway,he strollls through a park,remembering his dead mother who abused him relentlesly.Then a miracle happens.He meets a young prison....Oh fuck...Sorry a girl,i meant a girl.But in my defense she must have done some time,probably for beating someone to death...Gone off topic there a bit.Back to the anime,she plays a harmonica with 2 kids in the park..And all of the sudden some pigeons arrive at the scene and they all jump up and down and sing the song of.....What the fucking hell is this?A 60's movie?Even in 60's movies this wasn't acceptable and it is in a 2014 anime?What's next?A weirdo with an umbrella singing and flying and shit?
You can already see where this is going,right?No?Well let's dig deeper then!From then on we have the all time classic threesomes,foursomes and whatnot between the characters,you know the sort:boy loves girl A,girl A loves boy B,boy B is intrested in guys so he loves boy C and it goes on and on and....Zzzzzzz..It's mostly a music anime.Or is it?You see the writers and the studio tell us that this is solely a music anime,but after watching the whole damn thing all i got was:"Oh my giddy aunt,another Kanon has found its way into my little world of screams and violence and Behemoth".And i wasn't far off the mark.This is very much like the Unholy Cancerous Trinity(UCT from now on),Kanon,Air,Clannad,only it has some music in it.
I should say that i don't like classic music.I always thought it was a means for mass murderers to cover the screams of their victims in the basement.But this time,for some reason it captivated me.Even if for a little while,the moments where the characters perform is nothing sort of magical.It's a modernisation of the classical music scene.And here's the clever bit.The animation helps intensify the experience.The movements are lifelike,it's like nothing i've ever seen.And the characters when they're not consumed in pointless threeways are very good.There's chemistry and it shows.
But here's where the fun stops and we start going into the pits of hell,where a ring was forged.One ring to rule them all,one ring to find them and into eternal melodrama bind them.Oh yes THE FEELS MAN THE FEELS..The drama burger is back leaving extra vomit in its' wake.And i'm not fucking with you.22 eps of untold misery,22 eps of needless melodrama just to keep the economy running along with your noses..Tissue industry has to make do somehow.THANK YOU THE FEELS THANK YOU.From episode one up to the last moment this manages to make the UCT seem like a baby shower.I kid you not,in every episode you have the same scenes over and over,the same dialogues,just to give you a fake feel of drama.Cause that's what sells these days.And we have UCT to thank for that.It set the trend for other cancerous animes to appear.And it wouldn't rank as cancerous if one or every character dies of some illness of course,of course.
But what this anime does that most don't is connecting you to the characters.I'll give them that.Even though the characters are hateful they manage to be likeable at the same time.That was my impression at least.Maybe i'm wrong,maybe i've gone mad but at least compared to UCT the characters aren't worthless pieces of shit,making sounds,giggling throughout the entire series.
Then another bit that had me confused.The animation.Like i said above in the performance parts the animation was absolutely stunning.Nothing comes close to that.But then they let the whole thing down by making the characters mouths like i took a combat knife and made them look like Joker.It looked creepy and idiotic and i didn't like it one bit.In fact it came close to ruining the whole experience for me.Who thought that that was a good idea?Honestly i wanna find them and beg them,why on earth did they make them look like Venom for Spiderman?
I can keep going on and on until i take up all the space in the internet.But the thing is that despite all i've said you should watch it.If for nothing else watch it for the glorious bits of animation and the music.AND FUCK THEM FEELS YOU CHEAP BASTARDS.Thank you and fuck off and good night.I love you all.
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Robinne12
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Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso review
Do we love what do or do we just do it because these activities are the only things we know in life? Do we do it for others or for ourselves? Why is that when competition gets mixed in with these activities, we stop having fun and it becomes stressful and frustrating? These questions are asked by Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso.
The story of this manga seems like a familiar one. A young high school boy with exceptional talent stops enjoying the piano. I really don't wanna say anything more than that because I feel like it would spoil a good story. I wouldn't say that the story is cliche, but it is a familiar one. If it is a cliche story, I would be glad to say that it owns up to it.
The art is very good! I want to say that it has a style similar to a lot of shoujo manga despite actually being a shounen.
Unlike the story, I can't defend the character's personalities when it comes to being cliche. There's the childhood friend, the playboy best friend, and the girl that changes the protagonist's life.
Overall, I enjoyed this manga so much. It's easily a 9/10 in my book. I noticed that the current rating is less than an 8, which is probably because the manga is seldom updated so don't get fooled by it! There's an anime coming out for this manga so if you don't wanna get spoiled, just wait for the anime!
The story of this manga seems like a familiar one. A young high school boy with exceptional talent stops enjoying the piano. I really don't wanna say anything more than that because I feel like it would spoil a good story. I wouldn't say that the story is cliche, but it is a familiar one. If it is a cliche story, I would be glad to say that it owns up to it.
The art is very good! I want to say that it has a style similar to a lot of shoujo manga despite actually being a shounen.
Unlike the story, I can't defend the character's personalities when it comes to being cliche. There's the childhood friend, the playboy best friend, and the girl that changes the protagonist's life.
Overall, I enjoyed this manga so much. It's easily a 9/10 in my book. I noticed that the current rating is less than an 8, which is probably because the manga is seldom updated so don't get fooled by it! There's an anime coming out for this manga so if you don't wanna get spoiled, just wait for the anime!
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Lea898
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Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso review
It would seem that feeling some modicum of emotional involvement whilst watching/reading something is all it takes to make a masterpiece these days. Whilst emotional involvement is always a great thing, it's not enough to excuse problems that a particular work in question has. On another note, it irks me when people say they "got the feels" from watching something because more often than not, it was something stupid/cliché/melodramatic. Maybe I'm a heartless sociopath or maybe it's because I've been through a lot worse in life, but I can't help but scoff when people tell me they cried like a baby whilst watching stuff like
the first season of Clannad. Then enters Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, an anime/manga series that plagues me with cognitive dissonance because there was no shortage of moments where I couldn't help but catch the proverbial feels and yet there were also no shortage of moments where I was irritated beyond all belief.
The main reason why I found myself becoming emotionally involved with Shigatsu in the first place was because of Kousei himself. My own mother is dead, so I know exactly where the poor bastard's at and I couldn't help but get attached to him. Shigatsu to me was less about the music and was more along the lines of a story about coping mechanisms. Throw in some romance and next thing you know, I'm hooked! Of course, not everything was perfect and there were minor flaws I noticed here and there that gradually turned into major problems that seriously affected my enjoyment of the series. What was once endearing became tedious and even when it was tedious, there were still bits and pieces of the series I loved the shit out of and it baffles me as to why it had to be like this.
The biggest problem by far that Shigatsu has is all of the psychological monologuing that went on over the course of its run. I said in my anime review that monologues are powerful and if used sparingly, they can further strengthen any emotional impact that a particular scene has and that will always be a fact. Of course, the mangaka (and A-1 Pictures by extension) just doesn't seem to understand that more monologues does NOT equal more emotional weight. It just makes those particular scenes increasingly tedious to get through. I wouldn't mind this if I actually wanted everything the characters were feeling spoon-fed to me as if I were some emotionally inept otaku with no social skills whatsoever, but I actually WANT to think while I'm reading or watching. I don't understand why mangakas and anime studios think it's a good idea to have everyone say exactly how they feel like it's some kind of Disney musical, but it's a phenomenon that really needs to fucking stop because it just feels condescending as all hell.
Another problem that I have with Shigatsu as a whole is the comedy. I'm perfectly aware of the fact that levity has a place in storytelling because excess tension tends to build up quickly in stories like this and can quickly make something tedious or just plain uncomfortable to sit through. What's more is that Shigatsu is aimed toward a mainstream shonen audience that probably can't handle the intensity of stuff like Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan. However, Shigatsu's particular style of comedic relief irritated me quite a bit whilst I was watching the anime because of the fact that it was so poorly timed. Any sort of drama that being built up was immediately ruined by some poorly-timed visual gag to the point where I found it hard to become invested in what was going on. Now the manga has a lot of these moments as well and whilst it's a lot more tolerable in print rather than in anime form, it's still something I take umbrage with if only because of the fact that the gag-manga style of levity Shigatsu uses doesn't fit with the subject matter it actually deals with. If it were more in-line with the kind of humour shows like Daria used, I'd be all for that but alack it's not and we'll just have to deal with that.
Now those two problems aside, another thing that never really sat right with me was how Kousei was treated by his friends over the course of the series. He's got a dead mother who was pretty damn abusive toward him. The last thing the bloke wants to do is play the piano, and yet he still finds himself drawn to it because you know... that was his thing. I understand his friends want him to just play the bloody instrument again and that 14-year-olds aren't psychotherapists by any stretch of the imagination, but the way they go about doing so is rather cruel to say the least. He's harassed and manipulated quite a bit over the course of the series and somehow, that's the solution to all of his problems. You know, Kousei would've had a mental breakdown if he was a real person because he'd be forced to re-live some nasty childhood trauma. I wouldn't really have much of a problem with this were it not for the fact that I've seen shit like this first-hand, and it *RARELY* works out. It also doesn't help that there was a lot of inappropriate gag comedy that was going on during these scenes where Kousei was forced to play the piano again, but let's not get into that.
While we're on the subject of 14-year-olds, I can't help but feel like this entire ordeal is a bit farcical in hindsight. Don't get me wrong: young teenagers are more than capable of experiencing all kinds of intense emotions, but it gets REALLY ridiculous when you have a bunch of 14-year-olds prattling on about "seeing the notes" and love and all that shit. The dialogue gets so ridiculous sometimes that it's laugh-out-loud hilarious and other times it's just flat-out cringeworthy. Maybe if Kousei and Kaori were like college freshmen or something, it would be more bearable but that sadly isn't the case. I love my romantic melodramas as much as the next Indian guy who grew up on Bollywood movies, but even guys like me have limits.
If this review sounds more like a long-winded list of complaints than an actual review, I apologise. There's a lot of things that people overlook when they talk about this series that it just irritates the shit out of me. It's not like this manga didn't do anything right from the get-go because that's not the case whatsoever. For starters, the concept of a story about a teenager trying to move on from past tragedies whilst learning how to deal with new ones that come on the horizon is something that I just love to no end and in the midst of all the annoying comedy, the tedious monologues, and all the farcical melodrama, there are some great lessons to be found and once in a great while, there comes a powerful scene that would've left you in tears were it not for all the problems I listed beforehand.
Ultimately, Shgiatsu wa Kimi no Uso is a very flawed series but that certainly doesn't mean that it's without merit. While it did get a lot of things wrong (and I do mean a LOT of things), what it got right was almost enough to make up for the tedium that was present beforehand. It's such a shame that a mangaka like Inio Asano wasn't the one who made this series because I get the feeling that if this was something by Asano himself, it would probably end up in the Top 30 here on MAL alongside Oyasumi Punpun. Alas, that's not the case at all and we have to put up with what we got. Overall, I give Shigatsu a 6.5/10 (which rounds up to a 7/10). Even though there's a good deal of stuff it got right, what it got wrong is just impossible for me to look past. With that said, at least it managed to end on a rather ceremonious note instead of just fizzling out completely like Elfen Lied did. Thanks for reading this review like always. Feedback is always welcome and with that, I'm out. Peace.
The main reason why I found myself becoming emotionally involved with Shigatsu in the first place was because of Kousei himself. My own mother is dead, so I know exactly where the poor bastard's at and I couldn't help but get attached to him. Shigatsu to me was less about the music and was more along the lines of a story about coping mechanisms. Throw in some romance and next thing you know, I'm hooked! Of course, not everything was perfect and there were minor flaws I noticed here and there that gradually turned into major problems that seriously affected my enjoyment of the series. What was once endearing became tedious and even when it was tedious, there were still bits and pieces of the series I loved the shit out of and it baffles me as to why it had to be like this.
The biggest problem by far that Shigatsu has is all of the psychological monologuing that went on over the course of its run. I said in my anime review that monologues are powerful and if used sparingly, they can further strengthen any emotional impact that a particular scene has and that will always be a fact. Of course, the mangaka (and A-1 Pictures by extension) just doesn't seem to understand that more monologues does NOT equal more emotional weight. It just makes those particular scenes increasingly tedious to get through. I wouldn't mind this if I actually wanted everything the characters were feeling spoon-fed to me as if I were some emotionally inept otaku with no social skills whatsoever, but I actually WANT to think while I'm reading or watching. I don't understand why mangakas and anime studios think it's a good idea to have everyone say exactly how they feel like it's some kind of Disney musical, but it's a phenomenon that really needs to fucking stop because it just feels condescending as all hell.
Another problem that I have with Shigatsu as a whole is the comedy. I'm perfectly aware of the fact that levity has a place in storytelling because excess tension tends to build up quickly in stories like this and can quickly make something tedious or just plain uncomfortable to sit through. What's more is that Shigatsu is aimed toward a mainstream shonen audience that probably can't handle the intensity of stuff like Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan. However, Shigatsu's particular style of comedic relief irritated me quite a bit whilst I was watching the anime because of the fact that it was so poorly timed. Any sort of drama that being built up was immediately ruined by some poorly-timed visual gag to the point where I found it hard to become invested in what was going on. Now the manga has a lot of these moments as well and whilst it's a lot more tolerable in print rather than in anime form, it's still something I take umbrage with if only because of the fact that the gag-manga style of levity Shigatsu uses doesn't fit with the subject matter it actually deals with. If it were more in-line with the kind of humour shows like Daria used, I'd be all for that but alack it's not and we'll just have to deal with that.
Now those two problems aside, another thing that never really sat right with me was how Kousei was treated by his friends over the course of the series. He's got a dead mother who was pretty damn abusive toward him. The last thing the bloke wants to do is play the piano, and yet he still finds himself drawn to it because you know... that was his thing. I understand his friends want him to just play the bloody instrument again and that 14-year-olds aren't psychotherapists by any stretch of the imagination, but the way they go about doing so is rather cruel to say the least. He's harassed and manipulated quite a bit over the course of the series and somehow, that's the solution to all of his problems. You know, Kousei would've had a mental breakdown if he was a real person because he'd be forced to re-live some nasty childhood trauma. I wouldn't really have much of a problem with this were it not for the fact that I've seen shit like this first-hand, and it *RARELY* works out. It also doesn't help that there was a lot of inappropriate gag comedy that was going on during these scenes where Kousei was forced to play the piano again, but let's not get into that.
While we're on the subject of 14-year-olds, I can't help but feel like this entire ordeal is a bit farcical in hindsight. Don't get me wrong: young teenagers are more than capable of experiencing all kinds of intense emotions, but it gets REALLY ridiculous when you have a bunch of 14-year-olds prattling on about "seeing the notes" and love and all that shit. The dialogue gets so ridiculous sometimes that it's laugh-out-loud hilarious and other times it's just flat-out cringeworthy. Maybe if Kousei and Kaori were like college freshmen or something, it would be more bearable but that sadly isn't the case. I love my romantic melodramas as much as the next Indian guy who grew up on Bollywood movies, but even guys like me have limits.
If this review sounds more like a long-winded list of complaints than an actual review, I apologise. There's a lot of things that people overlook when they talk about this series that it just irritates the shit out of me. It's not like this manga didn't do anything right from the get-go because that's not the case whatsoever. For starters, the concept of a story about a teenager trying to move on from past tragedies whilst learning how to deal with new ones that come on the horizon is something that I just love to no end and in the midst of all the annoying comedy, the tedious monologues, and all the farcical melodrama, there are some great lessons to be found and once in a great while, there comes a powerful scene that would've left you in tears were it not for all the problems I listed beforehand.
Ultimately, Shgiatsu wa Kimi no Uso is a very flawed series but that certainly doesn't mean that it's without merit. While it did get a lot of things wrong (and I do mean a LOT of things), what it got right was almost enough to make up for the tedium that was present beforehand. It's such a shame that a mangaka like Inio Asano wasn't the one who made this series because I get the feeling that if this was something by Asano himself, it would probably end up in the Top 30 here on MAL alongside Oyasumi Punpun. Alas, that's not the case at all and we have to put up with what we got. Overall, I give Shigatsu a 6.5/10 (which rounds up to a 7/10). Even though there's a good deal of stuff it got right, what it got wrong is just impossible for me to look past. With that said, at least it managed to end on a rather ceremonious note instead of just fizzling out completely like Elfen Lied did. Thanks for reading this review like always. Feedback is always welcome and with that, I'm out. Peace.
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Dunkjoe2
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Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso review
So you see, I'm into Anime's and Manga's that have some "music and art" in it. Then my brother recommended this Anime and I watched it whole day without even getting sleep and as we all know the Anime is still on going as well as the Manga.
In some sense, Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso has really has a genre of Drama but what I dont like about this when I accidentally read the last part (Chapter 44) Some dude posted it and I wondered if that's really the last part...and I actually read it. Idk if that's fake or not but all I know is that I hate what i just read.
In the very start, Kousei seems a bit uncertain, and all the long way the Anime seems to have a roller coaster story line, the romance aspect is awesome and its crazy. The adaptation of Classical Music is so inspiring that I, myself also regretted of not taking up any music lessons.
I may spoiled some of you but I if you're rooting for Kaori x Kousei, well...there are just things that dont lasts, aren't they? I love the quotes the author got from Charlie Brown and even from Marcy.
I just really expected that this one will have a beautiful ending but I was wrong, and if ever they will release a Season 2 of this after the last chapter, I'd probably won't watch it.
That's all. Thank you.
In some sense, Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso has really has a genre of Drama but what I dont like about this when I accidentally read the last part (Chapter 44) Some dude posted it and I wondered if that's really the last part...and I actually read it. Idk if that's fake or not but all I know is that I hate what i just read.
In the very start, Kousei seems a bit uncertain, and all the long way the Anime seems to have a roller coaster story line, the romance aspect is awesome and its crazy. The adaptation of Classical Music is so inspiring that I, myself also regretted of not taking up any music lessons.
I may spoiled some of you but I if you're rooting for Kaori x Kousei, well...there are just things that dont lasts, aren't they? I love the quotes the author got from Charlie Brown and even from Marcy.
I just really expected that this one will have a beautiful ending but I was wrong, and if ever they will release a Season 2 of this after the last chapter, I'd probably won't watch it.
That's all. Thank you.
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euniceeloise3
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Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso review
Story: 10/10
I would just like to say that Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso is worth a read. There are lots of symbolism in the story that makes you want to look at the story in another perspective. At first, I was a bit confused but it left me in a whirlwind of emotions. #ICriedALot
Art: 7/10
The art is so-so. I've seen better. I've seen worse.
Character: 9/10
I love the character development. It's not too fast and not too slow. Just perfect, but again, it could have been better.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I didn't want to put down my ipad. I just wanted to finish it right away.
Overall: 9/10
It's a masterpiece but it isn't flawless. I think there could have been a better narration.
I would just like to say that Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso is worth a read. There are lots of symbolism in the story that makes you want to look at the story in another perspective. At first, I was a bit confused but it left me in a whirlwind of emotions. #ICriedALot
Art: 7/10
The art is so-so. I've seen better. I've seen worse.
Character: 9/10
I love the character development. It's not too fast and not too slow. Just perfect, but again, it could have been better.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I didn't want to put down my ipad. I just wanted to finish it right away.
Overall: 9/10
It's a masterpiece but it isn't flawless. I think there could have been a better narration.
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MadmanRat8
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Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso review
Don't waste your time on this. I started this and at first, I enjoyed it but at around episode 14 it took a nosedive. They don't explain how Kaori ended up in the hospital besides saying she fell. How though, how did she fall did she fall because she had some sort of disease, or did she just trip. And the ending, oh the fucking ending. The ending was so fucking depressing but it was horrible. What should've happened is kousei was at the hospital while Kaori is having the surgery and she wakes up and starts dying but in their final moments together they
should've confessed their love for each other. Not some dumbass she appears in his mind they play together and then gets fucking smited. And the dumbass letter she wrote to him. It was so mediocre i wanted to vomit, don't get me wrong the shit made me cry. And lets take a minute to look at kousei. Hes a fucking idiot that cant take hints at all. How in the world did he not realize Tsubaki liked him. And how he's always just fucking standing there and not doing anything made me wanna reach through my monitor and beat the living shit out of him. And at the end instead of going to the hospital to stay with kaori he still goes to the fucking contest. Imo i kinda think he could've been written way better. Overall I think that you really shouldn't waste your time on this and watch something else.
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muntasir1239
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Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso review
Shigatsu wa Kimi No Uso is amazing,but the feels man the feels in this manga is just wow. I alrready finished the manga series ill try to not include spoilers though that will be hard.
Story 10/10
The story is way too amazing,we started the story with a troubled pianist who have a dark past with his deceased mother making him unable to hear the piano keys as he plays,his name is Arima Kousei. One day he met a girl in spring,who changed his whole world. The girl is a violinist named,Miyazono Kaori who is infact likes Kousei's friend Watari.. Kaori invited Kousei to play a duet with her at a concert however Kousei stopped halfway,but Kaori said to play again. so he did. Leaving the audience confused.Then Kaori and Kousei have gotten close and is most likely to hang out in the music room. Kaori reveals that she and kousei have been invited to the gala concert. But at the Gala Concert Kaori didint show up,leaving kousei to peform alone and the stage Kousei finally said his final goodbye to his mom. Later,it was revealed that Kaori have been hospitilized. Well i wont tell anymore than this bc it may contain HUGE MASSIVE SPOILERS.
Art 8/10
In the manga i have to give it an 8. Because some parts of the manga looks very wierd ,although in the anime the art is amazingly done. The manga art wasnt that nice either some parts was just messy.
Character 10/10
The Character's Backstorry and Development are amazing. Each characters backstory are sad and painful ,but then they leatned to overcome it. Especially Kousei ,He have been in his mother's shadow for a long time,then somewhere in the manga he started to let go of his aad past and moved on to a. Better future. Kaori also have a tragic past,but it may contain spoilers so.
Enjoyment 10/10
What can i say? I rlly enjoyed this manga. It has it happy sides,romantic sides,and also painful sides. WARNING This anime contains a. Lot of feeels .
Overall: 9/10
Story 10/10
The story is way too amazing,we started the story with a troubled pianist who have a dark past with his deceased mother making him unable to hear the piano keys as he plays,his name is Arima Kousei. One day he met a girl in spring,who changed his whole world. The girl is a violinist named,Miyazono Kaori who is infact likes Kousei's friend Watari.. Kaori invited Kousei to play a duet with her at a concert however Kousei stopped halfway,but Kaori said to play again. so he did. Leaving the audience confused.Then Kaori and Kousei have gotten close and is most likely to hang out in the music room. Kaori reveals that she and kousei have been invited to the gala concert. But at the Gala Concert Kaori didint show up,leaving kousei to peform alone and the stage Kousei finally said his final goodbye to his mom. Later,it was revealed that Kaori have been hospitilized. Well i wont tell anymore than this bc it may contain HUGE MASSIVE SPOILERS.
Art 8/10
In the manga i have to give it an 8. Because some parts of the manga looks very wierd ,although in the anime the art is amazingly done. The manga art wasnt that nice either some parts was just messy.
Character 10/10
The Character's Backstorry and Development are amazing. Each characters backstory are sad and painful ,but then they leatned to overcome it. Especially Kousei ,He have been in his mother's shadow for a long time,then somewhere in the manga he started to let go of his aad past and moved on to a. Better future. Kaori also have a tragic past,but it may contain spoilers so.
Enjoyment 10/10
What can i say? I rlly enjoyed this manga. It has it happy sides,romantic sides,and also painful sides. WARNING This anime contains a. Lot of feeels .
Overall: 9/10
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bunny1ov3r6
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Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso review
"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.
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.
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czxcjx14
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Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso review
I discovered Your Lie in April after I read AnoHana and I told myself that I would never read this since it was a sad drama. Fast forward 8-9 months and I've started to read a lot of romance and Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso popped up. I thought it was interesting and then I realized that Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso is the japanese title for Your Lie in April. I already got to chapter 10 so I said "Whatever, I'll keep reading". As the story progresses, you don't notice it immediately, but you can tell. You can tell something is going to happen
and it's going to hurt. I personally enjoyed this but I won't be reading it again as I don't like drama manga.
Story: 9/10
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The story was amazing and I loved it. This doesn't mean it's perfect. Certain parts do progress slowly and can get boring but that's only in the beginning. The other thing I dislike is the tragedy in the story as it hits you like a bus.
Art: 8/10
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I don't really know how to judge the art since I only recently started reading manga but it's pretty good though the lips of the characters can be a bit weird at times.
Characters: 10/10
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The development of characters is outstanding and I really felt like I knew the characters personally.
Enjoyment: 10/10
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I honestly enjoyed Your Lie In April because of the characters and the story. The ending did somewhat anger me but I can live with it.
Overall: 9/10
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Your Lie In April is an amazing story with great characters and art to back up the story. However, the ending can seem sudden (it did to me) and the art does look weird in certain places. The drama in the manga isn't my type as it's a sad drama and I get immersed in them so it hurts even more. Even if you hate sad stories, I urge you to read this because the story will captivate you.
Story: 9/10
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The story was amazing and I loved it. This doesn't mean it's perfect. Certain parts do progress slowly and can get boring but that's only in the beginning. The other thing I dislike is the tragedy in the story as it hits you like a bus.
Art: 8/10
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I don't really know how to judge the art since I only recently started reading manga but it's pretty good though the lips of the characters can be a bit weird at times.
Characters: 10/10
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The development of characters is outstanding and I really felt like I knew the characters personally.
Enjoyment: 10/10
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I honestly enjoyed Your Lie In April because of the characters and the story. The ending did somewhat anger me but I can live with it.
Overall: 9/10
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Your Lie In April is an amazing story with great characters and art to back up the story. However, the ending can seem sudden (it did to me) and the art does look weird in certain places. The drama in the manga isn't my type as it's a sad drama and I get immersed in them so it hurts even more. Even if you hate sad stories, I urge you to read this because the story will captivate you.
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Lolzipop99715
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Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso review
This is gonna be a short review because I've never written one before and because my english suck.
BEWARE : MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS:
The first thought who popped into my mind when I finished this manga was, oddly, his similarities to Hachimitsu to Clover (Honey and Clover). The stories aren't the same, nor is one a copycat of another, but they do share an interesting trope of the "tragic prodigy" (for lack of a better term) shared between Hagumi Hanamoto and Kaori Miyazono. And Kousei too, I guess : if their abilities as genius won't fail them, their bodies will.
And it's funny. Take Tsubaki and Yamada, for instance. They're both fit, strong girls, whereas Hagumi and Kaori are rather frail. Normal people are healthy and well in their skin, while for people with outstanding artistic abilities, the body mostly gets in the way. And who say body also say time and time restriction : the body never have enough time to finish what the mind started.
Well, anyway, that's enough for dorkish me. For the review : the main annoyance with "Your Lie in April" was the repetitiveness of certain elements, aka flashbacks, characters's private thoughts, etc; and if it wasn't repetitive, it just dragged too much. I know some of this repetitiveness was probably necessary to really show... stuff (like how much the memory of Kousei's mother still haunt him) but I don't know... it bored me anyway. Or the "bottom of the ocean" trope : we got it the first time, no need to bring it over and over again. And just sometimes, it gets a tiny bit too cliché, or with a symbolic a tad to obvious (hint : when Kousei jump off the bridge with Kaori...)
That said, I'm still giving it an 8 outta 10, because 1) it made me cry, and 2) it inspired me. Big time. And somehow, it managed to keep me up way too late at night for almost a whole week. So as a work of art, it served its purpose. For me at least :D
BEWARE : MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS:
The first thought who popped into my mind when I finished this manga was, oddly, his similarities to Hachimitsu to Clover (Honey and Clover). The stories aren't the same, nor is one a copycat of another, but they do share an interesting trope of the "tragic prodigy" (for lack of a better term) shared between Hagumi Hanamoto and Kaori Miyazono. And Kousei too, I guess : if their abilities as genius won't fail them, their bodies will.
And it's funny. Take Tsubaki and Yamada, for instance. They're both fit, strong girls, whereas Hagumi and Kaori are rather frail. Normal people are healthy and well in their skin, while for people with outstanding artistic abilities, the body mostly gets in the way. And who say body also say time and time restriction : the body never have enough time to finish what the mind started.
Well, anyway, that's enough for dorkish me. For the review : the main annoyance with "Your Lie in April" was the repetitiveness of certain elements, aka flashbacks, characters's private thoughts, etc; and if it wasn't repetitive, it just dragged too much. I know some of this repetitiveness was probably necessary to really show... stuff (like how much the memory of Kousei's mother still haunt him) but I don't know... it bored me anyway. Or the "bottom of the ocean" trope : we got it the first time, no need to bring it over and over again. And just sometimes, it gets a tiny bit too cliché, or with a symbolic a tad to obvious (hint : when Kousei jump off the bridge with Kaori...)
That said, I'm still giving it an 8 outta 10, because 1) it made me cry, and 2) it inspired me. Big time. And somehow, it managed to keep me up way too late at night for almost a whole week. So as a work of art, it served its purpose. For me at least :D
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Suzuhana8
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Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso review
This review will be based on the current 26 chapters, and things might change (maybe if it takes a nosedive at some point).
Story: 10/10
Biggest point: The best thing about this manga is how the author delivers the story. The story is so well-written that the emotion and the feeling it gives makes so much impact to the reader. The flashbacks are timed beautifully within the middle of every scene, which gives more emotion to the readers. There's a ton of symbolism in the story, which goes well with the essence of the characters. You'll be put at the edge of your seat.
Art: 7/10
I'm not really impressed with the art, though. It's a little bit inconsistent and scanty at times, but these shortcomings really didn't affect the impact of the manga. Overall, it's okay.
Character: 10/10
You might think that it's quite cliche. MC with a tragic past, along with a childhood friend and an idiotic bestfriend, then here comes the tsundere heroine that changed the MC and stuff--
NO. The characters are definitely not shallow. Actually, they are made pretty well thanks to the flashbacks shown. These characters have actually a lot in mind, and there's a whole lot more inside them than what you see. Every chapter gives more life and emotion to such characters, and you'll be attached to them at some point.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I can't say anything. It's captivating.
Overall: 9.4/10
I have high hopes for this work of art. I'm extending my thanks to the author who took time making this series. I'll be waiting for more.
Story: 10/10
Biggest point: The best thing about this manga is how the author delivers the story. The story is so well-written that the emotion and the feeling it gives makes so much impact to the reader. The flashbacks are timed beautifully within the middle of every scene, which gives more emotion to the readers. There's a ton of symbolism in the story, which goes well with the essence of the characters. You'll be put at the edge of your seat.
Art: 7/10
I'm not really impressed with the art, though. It's a little bit inconsistent and scanty at times, but these shortcomings really didn't affect the impact of the manga. Overall, it's okay.
Character: 10/10
You might think that it's quite cliche. MC with a tragic past, along with a childhood friend and an idiotic bestfriend, then here comes the tsundere heroine that changed the MC and stuff--
NO. The characters are definitely not shallow. Actually, they are made pretty well thanks to the flashbacks shown. These characters have actually a lot in mind, and there's a whole lot more inside them than what you see. Every chapter gives more life and emotion to such characters, and you'll be attached to them at some point.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I can't say anything. It's captivating.
Overall: 9.4/10
I have high hopes for this work of art. I'm extending my thanks to the author who took time making this series. I'll be waiting for more.
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theo75
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Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso review
Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, or Your Lie in April as it is called in the English translation is an incredibly unique series. While there are certain other content with a very similar feel, Your Lie in April brings a twist unlike a majority of other series I have seen, that twist being Music. The music in this series is both beautiful and sorrowful, fitting the overall theme incredibly well and further enhancing the series to be something unlike what I've read before.
Story
The story of Your Lie in April is rather simple and somewhat cliche, not to say that the story is bad to any stretch of the imagination, in fact much like one of the general themes of being unique and just being yourself, the series takes the plot in new and unexpected ways over and over again. Ultimately however it is the individual characters that serve to support the story and work through these cliches, and because the characters are so distinct and lovable it brings this tired plot to life. While as a whole the plot was not boring there is some confusion regarding the emotions and love triangles evident in the series, it may just be my laziness but i became quickly confused with who was in love and who loved the leads, especially when the rival pianist Emi is introduced as it is implied that she has feelings for the male lead Arima but with her temperamental character it quickly becomes hard to deduce her intentions. While a quick google search can alleviate the confusion quickly a reader shouldn't have to look something up to answer questions that the story has left unanswered, which acts to detract from the story overall. Regarding the ending I would be giving away a major spoiler and wish to refrain from talking directly about it, but when it comes down to it, the ending is both incredibly sad, heart-rending even, and incredibly fulfilling leaving the reader with a sense of closure and an end to the personal story arcs for our characters. Ultimately however I found the simple story easy to follow if a bit predictable at times but, it makes a few minor alterations to the standard to make it a unique experience.
Art
The art is one of the best facets of this series hands down. The art is done in a realistic fashion, the character designs are meticulous and beautiful with character designs that are distinct enough from each other to easily differentiate everyone from one another. A special amount of detail and precision however has to go for any of the concert scenes, each of these scenes has incredible visual detail and is made to feel decidedly epic. Each of these scenes surpasses the last with more emotion and feeling put into every panel to make it as though the reader themselves are at the concert. In contrast the quiet and loving scenes such as Kaori and Arima Practicing together in the music room is made to feel relaxed and open with good use of open space to give a welcoming and enjoyable scene, other quiet scenes of note are any of the outdoor scenes, especially nighttime scenes, which are beautifully depicted in such a fashion that makes the scenes in question magical. A special mention should go to the art for the starfields and sky, both of which play an important symbolic role for the leads, they are depicted in beautiful detail and are truly incredible. Overall the art style works well for the story and is made easily distinguishable from other Shoujo style art and is a wonderful addition to the series. However if the art is marred by anything at all it would have to be the style of the slapstick in the series, and while I understand it is present to alleviate tension in the reader it felt rushed and was sloppy looking in comparison to the rest of the designs present. But when it comes right down to it the art is by far some of the best I have seen in a long while and rightly deserves praise. More than anything I would love to see a full color edition of the manga be released to fully enjoy the art and design of this series.
Characters
As previously stated the characters in this manga are what keep the story from falling apart with the lead characters Kousei Arima and Kaori Miyazono being well developed with a smidgen of cliche added to ground the characters to certain tropes of the traditional Shoujo style. Starting from the top we have Kousei who is a piano prodigy, trained by his abusive mother he has become one of the most skillful musicians, playing the score the composer set for him perfectly, but because of his own feelings and his mother's death he has given up playing the piano, that is until he is introduced to our female lead. Our female lead is, the lovable, Kaori Miyazono, Kaori is a violinist who is in love with our male lead Arima's best friend, she is funny, impulsive, and kind with a nurturing side towards children and animals, and most of all skilled in her art, however when it comes to how she plays her music is where she becomes more interesting. Kaori is a musician not bound by the strict score the other musicians are so fond of, her style is in direct contrast with that of Arima's which helps fuel the central conflict Arima has early on. The supporting cast is chock full of interesting characters but most predominantly are, Arima's best friend and captain of the middle school soccer team Watari, and the childhood friend of Arima's Tsubaki, each of these characters is given full chacater development and towards the end are borderline full protagonists in their own right more specifically with Tsubaki and her quest to truly understand her emotions and try to open up to the one she loves. Other supporting cast are the rival pianists of Emi and Takeshi who have set their sights on Arima due to their interactions with him in the past, as well as famed pianist and Kousei's caretaker, Seto Hiroko, and Takeshi's younger sister Nagi. Now to tackle the elephant in the room, Saki Arima, Saki is the deceased mother of Kousei and was incredibly strict with him in his piano that she could be considered abusive, while the character herself makes me incredibly uncomfortable she is necessary to further the plot and serve as an antagonist for the early parts of the story, as well as doubling as a representation of Kousei's guilt. In conclusion the characters were fun and had great motivation and reactions which serve as a supportive pillar to the weaker story.
Enjoyment
I don't have words to describe my true enjoyment of this series, and having finished it and upon writing this review I can't help but relate this feeling I have for this series to that of Clannad and Anohana, as they are rather similar in concept and tone, eliciting an emotional response from the reader. I love this series and i highly recommend it, the anime adaptation is also spot on and follows the manga well and comes with a strong recommendation as well. Moreover I was moved so deeply by this series that I wanted to share my thoughts in a review for the first time ever! If after 15 years of Anime and Manga fandom one series can move someone to do this I would say it was incredibly enjoyable.
Overall I find Your Lie in April to be incredibly fun and unique, with a heart-rending plot and a great theme, just remember to be yourself and the rest of it will fall into place.
Story
The story of Your Lie in April is rather simple and somewhat cliche, not to say that the story is bad to any stretch of the imagination, in fact much like one of the general themes of being unique and just being yourself, the series takes the plot in new and unexpected ways over and over again. Ultimately however it is the individual characters that serve to support the story and work through these cliches, and because the characters are so distinct and lovable it brings this tired plot to life. While as a whole the plot was not boring there is some confusion regarding the emotions and love triangles evident in the series, it may just be my laziness but i became quickly confused with who was in love and who loved the leads, especially when the rival pianist Emi is introduced as it is implied that she has feelings for the male lead Arima but with her temperamental character it quickly becomes hard to deduce her intentions. While a quick google search can alleviate the confusion quickly a reader shouldn't have to look something up to answer questions that the story has left unanswered, which acts to detract from the story overall. Regarding the ending I would be giving away a major spoiler and wish to refrain from talking directly about it, but when it comes down to it, the ending is both incredibly sad, heart-rending even, and incredibly fulfilling leaving the reader with a sense of closure and an end to the personal story arcs for our characters. Ultimately however I found the simple story easy to follow if a bit predictable at times but, it makes a few minor alterations to the standard to make it a unique experience.
Art
The art is one of the best facets of this series hands down. The art is done in a realistic fashion, the character designs are meticulous and beautiful with character designs that are distinct enough from each other to easily differentiate everyone from one another. A special amount of detail and precision however has to go for any of the concert scenes, each of these scenes has incredible visual detail and is made to feel decidedly epic. Each of these scenes surpasses the last with more emotion and feeling put into every panel to make it as though the reader themselves are at the concert. In contrast the quiet and loving scenes such as Kaori and Arima Practicing together in the music room is made to feel relaxed and open with good use of open space to give a welcoming and enjoyable scene, other quiet scenes of note are any of the outdoor scenes, especially nighttime scenes, which are beautifully depicted in such a fashion that makes the scenes in question magical. A special mention should go to the art for the starfields and sky, both of which play an important symbolic role for the leads, they are depicted in beautiful detail and are truly incredible. Overall the art style works well for the story and is made easily distinguishable from other Shoujo style art and is a wonderful addition to the series. However if the art is marred by anything at all it would have to be the style of the slapstick in the series, and while I understand it is present to alleviate tension in the reader it felt rushed and was sloppy looking in comparison to the rest of the designs present. But when it comes right down to it the art is by far some of the best I have seen in a long while and rightly deserves praise. More than anything I would love to see a full color edition of the manga be released to fully enjoy the art and design of this series.
Characters
As previously stated the characters in this manga are what keep the story from falling apart with the lead characters Kousei Arima and Kaori Miyazono being well developed with a smidgen of cliche added to ground the characters to certain tropes of the traditional Shoujo style. Starting from the top we have Kousei who is a piano prodigy, trained by his abusive mother he has become one of the most skillful musicians, playing the score the composer set for him perfectly, but because of his own feelings and his mother's death he has given up playing the piano, that is until he is introduced to our female lead. Our female lead is, the lovable, Kaori Miyazono, Kaori is a violinist who is in love with our male lead Arima's best friend, she is funny, impulsive, and kind with a nurturing side towards children and animals, and most of all skilled in her art, however when it comes to how she plays her music is where she becomes more interesting. Kaori is a musician not bound by the strict score the other musicians are so fond of, her style is in direct contrast with that of Arima's which helps fuel the central conflict Arima has early on. The supporting cast is chock full of interesting characters but most predominantly are, Arima's best friend and captain of the middle school soccer team Watari, and the childhood friend of Arima's Tsubaki, each of these characters is given full chacater development and towards the end are borderline full protagonists in their own right more specifically with Tsubaki and her quest to truly understand her emotions and try to open up to the one she loves. Other supporting cast are the rival pianists of Emi and Takeshi who have set their sights on Arima due to their interactions with him in the past, as well as famed pianist and Kousei's caretaker, Seto Hiroko, and Takeshi's younger sister Nagi. Now to tackle the elephant in the room, Saki Arima, Saki is the deceased mother of Kousei and was incredibly strict with him in his piano that she could be considered abusive, while the character herself makes me incredibly uncomfortable she is necessary to further the plot and serve as an antagonist for the early parts of the story, as well as doubling as a representation of Kousei's guilt. In conclusion the characters were fun and had great motivation and reactions which serve as a supportive pillar to the weaker story.
Enjoyment
I don't have words to describe my true enjoyment of this series, and having finished it and upon writing this review I can't help but relate this feeling I have for this series to that of Clannad and Anohana, as they are rather similar in concept and tone, eliciting an emotional response from the reader. I love this series and i highly recommend it, the anime adaptation is also spot on and follows the manga well and comes with a strong recommendation as well. Moreover I was moved so deeply by this series that I wanted to share my thoughts in a review for the first time ever! If after 15 years of Anime and Manga fandom one series can move someone to do this I would say it was incredibly enjoyable.
Overall I find Your Lie in April to be incredibly fun and unique, with a heart-rending plot and a great theme, just remember to be yourself and the rest of it will fall into place.
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melonpanfan12
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Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso review
"Color."
Yes that's the word I use. Do you know why? This manga is black and white on the surface, but the feelings and the story are just so much more. I wanted to find a specific quote to start out my review, but this word in the story just stuck out so much more than any single quote.
On that note, lets get into the story. Sure the basis of the story is pretty basic and common (protagonist meets tragedy and meets girl who changes his life), but the way it is portrayed is truly remarkable. This manga will really make you think and besides really needing to think out of confusion in other mangas or animes, this really makes you think of various things in life. I went into this manga thinking it'd be another simple happy read; it seemed to start that way, but you could just tell that the story gets much deeper.
The art was fantastic. It stuck out to me in how it was a bit different from what I'm used to, but it was off and on for me. Some scenes, especially performance scenes, would just scream detail and you could practically just feel the music.
The characters! This is a fantastic change of pace from the static characters of most mainstream mangas/animes, our characters truly develop and start to change. Don't want to spoil. Seriously just read and find out. If you look at it generally, the characters do have that really mainstream, if you will, personality. I do feel that Watari could have used a little more development, but other than that, the characters were vivid and wonderful.
I probably don't need to write much for my overall and a enjoyment, but that was a perfect 10! Anything that can make think this much and feel so many feels will usually be up here.
P.S. listen to the songs they are playing on piano/violin while reading the manga, it really heightened my experience!
Yes that's the word I use. Do you know why? This manga is black and white on the surface, but the feelings and the story are just so much more. I wanted to find a specific quote to start out my review, but this word in the story just stuck out so much more than any single quote.
On that note, lets get into the story. Sure the basis of the story is pretty basic and common (protagonist meets tragedy and meets girl who changes his life), but the way it is portrayed is truly remarkable. This manga will really make you think and besides really needing to think out of confusion in other mangas or animes, this really makes you think of various things in life. I went into this manga thinking it'd be another simple happy read; it seemed to start that way, but you could just tell that the story gets much deeper.
The art was fantastic. It stuck out to me in how it was a bit different from what I'm used to, but it was off and on for me. Some scenes, especially performance scenes, would just scream detail and you could practically just feel the music.
The characters! This is a fantastic change of pace from the static characters of most mainstream mangas/animes, our characters truly develop and start to change. Don't want to spoil. Seriously just read and find out. If you look at it generally, the characters do have that really mainstream, if you will, personality. I do feel that Watari could have used a little more development, but other than that, the characters were vivid and wonderful.
I probably don't need to write much for my overall and a enjoyment, but that was a perfect 10! Anything that can make think this much and feel so many feels will usually be up here.
P.S. listen to the songs they are playing on piano/violin while reading the manga, it really heightened my experience!
Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso
Autor
Arakawa, Naoshi
Artista
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