Nodame Cantabile 23-24 and Series Review
Haremettes attack from the front and rear
First off, Ep 24 wasn't the final episode but should have been before Ep 9 instead. A funny piece, based on Ch 21, about Nodame, Chiaki, Mine and Masumi's trip to the sea prior to the Nagano festival - the main 'plot' point being that Nodame finds out about Chiaki's fear of the sea and boats.
Ep 23 didn't hold too many surprises. Chiaki and the Rising Star Orchestra had a great performance, answering Sakuma's original question about what Chiaki was trying to do in Japan. Chiaki goes on a quest to the ends of Japan to retrieve Nodame. Who has recovered her mojo after admitting that she enjoyed performing. And the Maradona judge Auclair, via Harisen, has given her an opportunity to study in Paris. Which Chiaki somehow ends up going to instead of Vienna.
Nodame Cantabile 19-22
Gives you crabs?
Pressed for time and lots to catch up on so just some brief points from last week's Animax Asia broadcast. Screencaps from Memento.
Ep 19:
- Hypnosis was a bit convenient but was made palatable by how it was foreshadowed in Ep 14 during the visit back to Uncle Take's house and that hypnotherapy was credited for Rachmaninov's recovery following the disastrous reception to his First Symphony.
- Man, Kaori is hot and LOL too much information moment. I can understand Stresemann's discontent with the fact that Viera has such a beautiful wife.
The long road to Suzumiya Haruhi no Gensou
All anime roads take me home / to the place, where I belong / Evangelion, Ayanami Rei / Take me, anime roads~ I vaguely remember that how hearing Bach's Air on a String, Pachelbel's Canon in D, Dvorak's Cello Concerto in B minor on the Evangelion OSTs (particularly Death and Rebirth) sparked a mini-classical music boom, as evidenced by the purchases of cello-centric CDs on the left column.
Watching Nodame Cantabile has re-ignited that interest, causing me to dig out all my classical music CDs from the aforementioned era. In general, anime fandom - especially when characterized as otaku - tends to focus on obsession with anime to the exclusion of everything else (including other stuff at the base of Maslow's hierarchy), for me, in the course of anime, I've listened to more classical music than I otherwise would have if I had not watched anime. Likewise, learning the basics of photography because of an interest in figurine photography (okay, inheriting a Nikon D200 with 18/200 VR lens was the biggest spur though). Or read a Chinese weiqi beginner's manual from cover to cover, even though I hate reading in Chinese, because of Hikaru no Go. Or to take a basic course in Japanese language over a lazy but definitely finite and not repeated undergraduate summer. All in all, being an anime fan has enriched my life in some unexpected ways; would love to hear from readers about your experiences in this respect too.
Nodame Cantabile 15-18
Death penalty!
Another week, another set of episodes of Nodame Cantabile on Animax Asia and screencap stealing from Memento.
Ep 15. Warm and fuzzy moment as Chiaki x Nodame x Elgar heals the rift between Cousin Toshihiko and Uncle Takehiko. Nodame getting stomped on by the whole clan was so sad but true; hearing it from Yuiko must have been particularly damning. This pretty much prepared the ground for her shock at being reassigned to Etou the harisen teacher who then unwittingly triggers a painful flashback. Nodame's Ogiuesque reversion to her native dialect and outburst gave a hint of why she's the way she is. Though, as mentioned in the opening wrt Chiaki's childhood memories, what actually happened might not have been that serious but her memories may have become embellished to sustain the reaction to the initial trauma.
LOLOL at how Chiaki's new orchestra squabbled about the solo performance. Man, Kiyora is hot.
Nodame Cantabile 11-14
I'm just astounded that the current series I'm most excited about is old news to the aniblogosphere, being 'current' only WRT the Animax Asia broadcast schedule. Chiaki's story was interesting from the get-go and I look forward to his (inevitable?) success. And it was Ep 11 that gotten me seriously hooked.
Ep 11. Ah, this has gotten me to dig out my Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 CD. As Garten noted (from whom I've also stolen the above screencaps), the Chiaki/Stresemann version is slower than the usual interpretation but it was enjoyable and not unexpected since Stresemann had already told Chiaki right from the outset not to play the piece in the orthodox or Russian style.
Recent Comments
- Sora no woto 9 (2)
- Bakemonogatari 14 (10)
- Zyl: Understanding is...
- Jesus159159159: I...
- Sora no woto 8 (3)
- Ithekro: So Felicia...
Series & Themes
Maki Maki Blogroll
- drastic my anime blog
- baka-raptor
- random curiosity
- yuribou
- ani-nouto
- sea slugs!
- mou yamete!
- kurogane
- suguru's dame dame
- the banzai! effect
