Anime: Piano

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by mosteo on 2006-04-26 00:00

A nice portrait of the school days. I guess it's better if you've played some instrument to properly enjoy this anime. Of course, if you're a pianist and if you've practiced yourself the pieces played by Miu (as is my case) it will be the best scenario for enjoyment.

Animation: While there's nothing over the top and we have the fair amount of still frames, I noticed many attempts to make more alive the scenes where other animes just go for the still. In this regard if you're attentive you can find some nice details here and there. It's a good detail that in the only sequence where we can see Miu's hands while playing the piano, they indeed correspond with the music that's being interpreted. Another nice detail is that the sheet music of the classical pieces is also the one that should be (the Chopin waltz and the beethoven sonata). So, while there's nothing really outstanding in the animation, it is correct and detailed so I give it an eight.

Sound: Dubbing is ok. In the first chapters we get a good progression in the waltz interpretation by Miu, starting mechanical and ending properly played (contrarily to what other reviewer says). That's also a nice detail. Where the anime falls short is that, for a piano-based story, the original piano pieces are a bit bland. The opening is maybe too reflexive and I usually skipped it.

Story: While not very original, it's one of the more consistent stories in anime I've seen. Consistent in the sense that characters do what seems fit for them. There're no forced things to further the plot and the narrative progresses with a very natural flow. Also there's not stupid beach chapter or other cliches like that. You won't find many surprises but it certainly strikes as a plausible story. Also, the values transmitted are good and the depiction of moral decisions is also good. Extra points for the principal character for not crying at every turn.

I must warn that the story may be destined to young people (certainly it feels the anime for most young people I've seen) but if you can get in that mood, like you can enjoy Exupery's The little prince without being a child, you should see it. (Well, I guess it take to be an adult to properly enjoy Exupery's book).

Character: The strong point of the anime. All characters are well fleshed and act in a consistent way. If you have had a hard piano teacher you'll perfectly identify with Miu, her doubts and feelings about going to the next piano lesson, her dismay after playing and so on. For me this was spot on, and I suppose laking the experience will substract a lot of value from this anime for other people, but if you went to music lessons as a child it will probaly awaken old memories in you. Another nice touch is that some secondary plots are hinted but not made obvious, giving credit to the viewer intelligence. Typical drama cliches are also avoided in favor of more real life outcomes, which I also valued.

Value & enjoyment: I guess it very much depends on your background. I was not so drawn to this anime like with others, who forced me to see chapter after chapter. However, this one has a component of personal identification that few others can match. If you happen to be in the same situation, it's a must. Also, the excelent general polish of the story and characters make it a rare gem in this respect.

So all in all, a very competent anime that strives more to set the mood than to narrate a lot of adventures. A must for piano aficionados.

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by fluence on 2004-02-21 10:02

A fairly decent anime about a girl playing the piano. The few pieces that were played were nice, but there were far too few...

Overall it was actually somewhat stimulating (as opposed to extremely boring), which surprised me considering its theme.

A nice surprise, but far from exceptional.

~Animation~
Fair animation overall, but I really disliked her hairdo, as in it was a distraction.

~Sound~
The opening theme is a nice little piano piece, but was still a very dull way to start off each episode.

The ending theme wasn't good, I listened to it once.

I wish they'd played more piano pieces throughout, but the few that were there were played very well. Too well, really, as they do not vary, and she's supposed to be learning the piano :roll:...

The seiyuu were good, and otherwise the BGM was fair.

~Story~
Almost boring, there's actually a good bit of humor to complement the somewhat stale plot.

The major failing of this anime is its length, as things are not allowed to develop properly and all the episodes feel both rushed and lethargic at the same time, as if they were forcing themselves to a constant pace while really trying to gush force with emotion. Perhaps they used a metronome to pace themselves... (ha ha ha *sigh*)

~Character~
The characters go through sudden spurts of development that seem to barely further their lives. I think it's because the anime is so short, but it's not a good enough excuse.

Overall the characters were interesting, though, I just wish they would have showed more emotion. Perhaps this stems from poorer animation and voice acting?

One very positive aspect, Piano has the most realistic cat I've seen in anime to date...

~Value & Enjoyment~
I really enjoyed Piano despite its failings, as it was certainly interesting and cute. I wouldn't recommend it as a collector's item, though, as it doesn't have nearly enough pizazz to warrant a purchase.

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by themug on 2003-04-20 00:20

Piano is a purely atmospheric anime with a deliberate low pace and a very subtle storyline.

It is a lot about the feelings of our heroine, young piano player Miyu, and how she deals with the situations around her - all connected by the piano.

Piano is very close in spirits to Whisper of the Heart and Mahou Tsukai Ni Taisetsu in how it deals with teenagers growing up and finding their place in life but with a sharper focus on atmosphere. Though we learn quite a bit about the characters in the short 10 episodes.

The animation is good and accompanied by beautiful scenery and background art. For a series dealing with piano playing the music is very subtle and the pieces are only played very shortly so you do not have to be a music afficionado to appreciate it.

A very moody piece of anime and therefore sure not for everyone. If you are easily bored and like more the action approach you should stay clear of this one. But if you enjoy a quieter atmosphere this is a great anime for you.

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by gambit on 2003-04-19 05:51

Piano isn't an anime which is only about music. It is about a girl named Miyu who is playing the piano since a long time and how she copes with her lessons - given bij the coldhearted sensei, her father - who's always working, and the problems at school. Or rather, the problems of her best friend Yuuki.
Don't expect the plays to be flawless. After all, Miyu is only a trainee, not a professional pianist, so every now and then you'll hear a major screwup ^_^

Piano has some very impressive, beautiful scenes where they display the scenery, sunset and much, much more of such scenes. Together with the extremely low pace of storyline, they make this series not into a very interesting anime, but a very good atmospheric anime, like Kokoro Library. Everything in this anime is about how she feels, how her surroundings feel and they try to transfer that feeling to the people who watch this anime.
If you liked Kokoro Library, you might want to give this one a chance, but if you like action or romance anime, then this is probably not the best choice.

I do have to add that they use very subtle daily-life comedy, which made the 'enjoyment'-factor going up :)