Your Lie in April Review (Anime) – A Wonderful Tearjerker

Your Lie in April was one of the most memorable anime that aired in 2015, and its impact hasn’t lessened with its official UK release – if you haven’t watched this, then as an anime fan it should be a high priority for you as it’s truly wonderful and will keep you enraptured until its end.

 

Your Lie in April follows Kousei, an outstanding pianist who gives up playing the piano once his mother passes away until the energetic Kaori forces him to pick up the piano once again. Your Lie in April tells a powerful story so I won’t go too far into it – and you really should experience it for yourself – but what follows is a gripping story of love, loss, growing up and passion, and how Kousei decides to deal with all of these new experiences.

 

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It’s truly wonderful.

Kousei himself is a troubled youth who’s struggling to cope with his mother’s death and, as she was his teacher, he’s given up on piano as it’s become too painful for him to continue playing. We get to see him grow as a character as he slowly realises his love for piano once again, even though playing the piano may be the least enjoyable thing for him to do. Kaori isn’t having any of this and wants to see him play, especially as he was a child prodigy, and she wants to see him perform for herself. Kaori can be pretty full on which might make her seem annoying but her heart’s in the right place and the two of them share a wonderful friendship.

 

Your Lie in April is emotionally charged and being reduced to tears isn’t entirely uncommon for viewers of this series, and it tells a beautiful story filled with humour, heartbreak and hope – you’re likely either reading this and nodding along in sign of agreement, or already making your way to ordering the anime now because it’s a great addition to your growing anime collection. Part Two might not be out yet but the series as a whole is strong, and the final piano piece, Ballade No.1 in G Minor by Chopin, is incredible. If you’re not a fan of classical music then you might know Chopin as one of the main characters in JRPG Eternal Sonata.

 

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It tells a beautiful story filled with humour, heartbreak and hope.

Author and artist Naoshi Arakawa has gorgeous, stand out art that A-1 Pictures have wonderfully brought to life for 22 episodes. Your Lie in April really benefits from being animated as the music comes to life and, as music is such a vital part to the story, it was always a bit of a shame that the manga pages themselves couldn’t produce the music. Watching the heart and passion of children chasing their dreams of becoming world famous musicians has been thrilling, intense, and delicate – with each child notably playing in their own styles – and it’s utterly enthralling.

 

It’s not all music though, and there’s plenty of vibrant colours and breathtaking scenery to lose yourself in. The art, particularly the characters, is instantly recognisable as Arakawa’s art now and for good reason as his art is undeniably brilliant. A-1 Pictures were the perfect fit for this anime and, having checked out the manga for myself, they’ve adapted it incredibly well.

 

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It’s utterly enthralling.

I couldn’t really write this review without talking about the music, and many classical songs are used throughout the course of the show. Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart and other recognisable artists have renditions of their songs played and it’s enough to get your interest in classical music going! I might not listen to it often but I find myself listening to classical every now and again, and Chopin is usually top of the list – I knew of him before Your Lie in April but having more people become interested is a good thing. The soundtrack created for the show isn’t left behind either, and the opening and ending themes keep bringing me back again and again.

 

One new thing on Anime Limited’s home release that you wouldn’t have heard when it was airing is the addition of an English dub. Veteran voice-actor Patrick was in charge of directing and he gathered some excellent talent including the lovely Erica Lindbeck as Kaori and Max Mittelman as Kousei. They’re joined by Erica Mendez, Erika Harlacher (Erica/Erika seems to be a pretty popular name in voice-acting!) and Kyle McCarley, and you’re likely going to recognise a handful of other voices too. They each do a fantastic job in bringing their characters to life and it’s an English dub well worth checking out – of course, you can still watch it in Japanese with subtitles if you’d prefer.

 

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It’s enough to get your interest in classical music going!

It’s easy to write a Your Lie in April review because of how awe-inspiring each aspect is and whilst the second half of the anime hasn’t released in the UK yet, I wanted to write about it all here because, well, I was really feeling it. Anime Limited’s release is another thing that they can be proud of and I’m thankful that they’ve brought it to the UK. It goes without saying but if you’re a fan of anime or like what you’ve read here, then you should definitely check Your Lie in April out soon – it’s great that it adapts the manga to the end too!

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