Trained to be the star of the show, can Kōsei find the music he lost when his mother died by playing in a duet with a violinist?
YOUR LIE IN APRIL VOLUME 1
WRITER: NAOSHI ARAKAWA
ARTIST: NAOSHI ARAKAWA
TRANSLATOR: ALETHEA NIBLEY, ATHENA NIBLEY
LETTERER: SCOTT BROWN
PUBLISHER: KODANSHA COMICS
COVER PRICE: $10.99
WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS
Kōsei was bound for greatness, or at least that’s what everyone in the music community thought. With his abusive task driver of a mother holding the reigns of his education, Kōsei looked like he couldn’t be stopped. But then, when she died, Kōsei choked during a competition and hasn’t been able to play the piano sense.
Perhaps it’s because he no longer has someone pushing him, or maybe with his abuser gone he doesn’t know how to process what happened to him, but Kōsei cannot play the piano. He starts playing, and by the middle of the song the piano falls silent to his ears. And, not being able to hear the music, he cannot continue playing.
What follows is the start of a story meant to help someone find their place in life, after they have lost their way. I was incredibly impressed by the pace of the story, and it felt so natural and perfectly timed. I’m already attached to the four main characters, and am especially interested to see how the romance between the two main characters will develop. It’s not hard to see some of the shojo tropes falling into place, but this is so masterfully done I really don’t mind.
I feel like this is aimed at an older crowd, though not for any sexual or violence issues. I don’t expect any flashbacks that might show child abuse to be graphic, but it’s still a very sensitive subject regardless. But I anticipate the emotional connection to be intense, and beautiful while it happens.
THE AUDIENCE’S FAVORITE
This series has beautiful artwork that seems to flow easily from one page to the next. With as much talk as the series has about classical music, I feel like this artwork compliments it perfectly with a nice balance between incredibly detailed and simplistic.
The art really shines, however, in close up shots with the musical instruments, especially the violin. There was a gorgeous two-page spread of one of the main characters taking stage with her violin that was simply breathtaking.
There are a few times where I felt that the art was too simplistic, and not that it was bad, but it felt out of place with how detailed everything else was. It also isn’t quite the same as the chibi art style, which I think might have fit better. While it kind of makes me scratch my head, it is definitely not a deal breaker.
BOTTOM LINE: I GET THE HYPE NOW
I have not heard one bad thing about the Your Lie in April anime, which recently finished. In fact, everything I’ve heard has been glowing. Now, I see why. The art is wonderful, and the only thing missing is actual music, but now I’m definitely going to check out the anime, as well as follow the manga as it’s released.
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