Just finished: Nodame Cantabile

And so, from its humble television origins in 2006 to its grand cinema extravaganza in 2010, I’ve watched Nodame's progress with interest. Although I never quite understood why it was so popular, with massive ratings, best-selling soundtrack CDs and the actors being treated almost like rock stars when doing interviews in Japan and abroad, but I did find it entertaining.

Now the last “episode” has been subbed by SARS. Released in cinemas early in 2010, it tells Nodame's story as she sees her friends entering competitions and improving themselves, whereas she seems to be making no progress at all. The start of the film is taken up by reintroducing old faces and giving them a happy ending, which is all fine, but it’s Nodame's slide into (and out of) depression that takes up most of the second half of the film. This means this is a bit short on laughs, but at least this story is about Nodame. She seemed a bit in the background in the 2009 film. The last scene – where Chiaki and Nodame play the same piece they played together in episode one – is a lovely way to end the series and gives it a nice symmetry as we end where we began musically.

An enjoyable show which grew into a phenomenon: its mix of clowning and culture introduced classical music to many people who otherwise wouldn’t have given it a chance. For that, it should be applauded, at least.

Just watched: Nodame Cantabile: The Movie I

Recently released by Sars Fansubs, the story of Megumi Noda continues with this – the first of two cinema releases. Well, I say the story of Megumi Noda, but this film focuses mostly on Chiaki-senpai, the conductor. All of the major plot points revolve around him with Nodame supplying light relief every now and again.

The broad physical comedy and over-acting are still in place. Now computer graphics are sometimes used to emphasise the more manga-esque moments, but there are also some bits where the use of dummies is not hidden at all, which nicely undermines the seriousness of the classical soundtrack, the Parisian location and the general big-budget feel as well as making some of the comedy violence more palatable.



The story is nothing new (Chiaki turns around the fortunes of a failing orchestra), and it is held up by a healthy chunk of flashback footage from the TV series. Being the first of two films, the ending can't be called satisfactory, leaving all the loose ends to be tied up during the sequel, but when it's funny, it's funny, and when it's serious, it's serious. And when it's over-the-top, it's pretty much absurd, but that's part of the charm, isn't it?

Plus, the audience's reaction to hearing a classical piece of music is still the same every time. I wonder if there are people in Japan who think that in Europe you're not allowed to applaud at classical concerts until someone stands up and shouts “bravo”.

Not recommended: Nodame Cantabile

Just so this blog doesn't turn into a list of things I like, I'm going to occasionally focus on my less favoured programmes. I have mixed feelings towards Nodame Cantabile. Odd that, since everywhere else I look people heap praise upon it. It’s won awards, has now got two more TV specials being made for it and its soundtrack is Japan’s biggest selling classical music CD or something. So why am I so apathetic towards it?

I get the feeling that it helps a lot if you’ve read the original manga series. That way the characters won’t seem like a bunch of hysteric stereotypes and are in fact accurate portrayals of the comic. Certainly, the first episode had me scratching my head over some of the acting. What works on the page doesn’t necessarily work on screen (see also: the end of No Country For Old Men) but I suppose a less faithful rendition wouldn’t have been as well received. For me, who had never seen the manga at all, it was a bit like being thrown in at the deep end, and I simply had to accept their weird quirks without thinking about it too much.

The comedy, like the acting, is very broad and physical, which brings me to a dilemma. Both male and female characters are on the receiving end of comedy knocks which I should approve of, but I found it unsettling to see a woman punched in the face for not playing a piano just right, even if it was done in a cartoon-y style. Should I, in this post-post-feminist world be okay with such slapstick being given out to both men and women alike? Meh, perhaps I’m behind the times, but it bothered me.

On the plus side, the music’s good, with a nice version of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in episode four or five (I forget), the acting (once you get used to it) is fine especially from the two leads, Ueno Juri and Tamaki Hiroshi, and the storyline does become more interesting and involved as you go. But that’s about it. I enjoyed it for what it was, but it’s not a title that’d spring to mind when talking about the best in Japanese TV.