La Corda D'Oro / Kin-iro no Corda

Episode 11 -

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Well, Ryotaro came in first this time with Kahoko in second place and Hihara in third. I’m happy to see that Tsukimori is in seventh place and not completely out of the competition. However, Kahoko feels guilty for placing so high because of a magic violin.

It was funny when Ryotaro said that talking to Shimizu was like talking to an alien, but he does agree with him when Shimizu says that Kahoko’s music sounds honest. Glad she didn’t hear that! It would have only made her feel more guilty.

Hihara recruits Kahoko to help him find a present for his older brother and Yunoki goes with them. They have a fun time and Kahoko feels a little better afterwards. It was nice to see how Hihara and Yunoki met too.

It looks like Yunoki won’t be able to pursue a career in music, perhaps because of family responsibilities, but most shocking is the fact that he tells Kahoko she’s “annoying”. Maybe he isn’t so nice after all.

Episode 12 -

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Yunoki is a completely different person from his public persona and wants Kahoko to leave the competition. Later, she’d like to tell someone about the way Yunoki is deceiving everyone, but never gets the chance. Once again, she speaks with Yunoki and threatens to tell everyone about him, but he says that it will be his word against hers. Kahoko also tells him that she’s staying in the competition and I don’t think he was too happy to hear that. Yunoki tells her that everyone has secrets and that hit a nerve with Kahoko; she can only think of her own guilty secret and decides that she can’t really criticize Yunoki after all.

Ryotaro can see that Kahoko is troubled and reminds her that she can talk to him, but she only thanks him. She thinks that she is very much like Yunoki in deceiving people and feels more guilty than ever. Her fellow students are working so hard and she is living a lie by using a magic violin. She feels even worse after Tsukimori speaks with her.

Kahoko meets Hihara on his way to orchestra practice and he invites her to go with him. She tries to decline, but Yunoki shows up and gets invited as well. Upon entering the room, of course Yunoki gets all the attention, but Kahoko discovers that there’s a rumor circulating about her dating Ryotaro. Hihara didn’t like hearing that and adamantly answers the girls for her, even as Kahoko protests that she isn’t dating Ryotaro. Then another violinist approaches Kahoko and asks her for some advice on her playing. Mai plays beautifully and Kahoko is once again reminded of her own deception and runs from the room.

Osaki catches up to her and praises her efforts. Kahoko surprises him by asking him to play his violin and he plays Debussy’s “Beau Soir” for her. It brings tears to her eyes and makes her feel so much better. She decides that she was being selfish and by the time Hihara and Yunoki catch up to her, her resolve has been strengthened.

Episode 13 -

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Since Kahoko keeps devoting more and more time to practicing and less time to her studies, Lili takes her violin away – at least until midterms are over. But it’s for her own good as well. Although she studies with her friends, Kahoko misses her violin and feels she may fall behind in her music, since everyone else is still practicing every day.

After the exams, she learns that the theme of the next selection will be “something irreplaceable”. Kahoko would like to start practicing again, but she can’t get Lili to appear and Lili doesn’t really want to return the violin to her just yet anyway. It was nice of Tsukimori to give her some advice about her form though.

Kahoko learns more about the history of violins when she goes to see an exhibit of musical instruments. She bumps into Shimizu there and they both look at how their individual instruments are made and how they produce sound. Kahoko realizes that she really does love the violin. Shimizu tells her that he finds her performance “fascinating” and it’s a funny moment because Kahoko thought he was going to say something else.

Being without the violin, Kahoko learned that she really does appreciate it more and the next time she asks Lili to appear and give it back to her, she says that it’s out of love and not for any other reason such as the competition. This is what Lili has been waiting to hear and wants her to play with “honest feelings”. Lili is happy now and returns the violin to Kahoko and she is just as happy to get it back, having found her “something irreplaceable”.

And it turns out that she didn’t do all that well on her exams either. Yunoki happens to see her grades and tells her that he doesn’t like “dummies”. Kahoko lets him know that she just doesn’t care what people think, but Yunoki does enjoy teasing her. Unfortunately, Kahoko can’t do a thing about it, since it would still be her word against his.

Episode 14 -

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Hihara overhears Kahoko mention an engagement with Yunoki and jumps to conclusions, telling the other guys that Kahoko is getting engaged to Yunoki. In reality, Yunoki is using Kahoko to help him get out of another marriage proposal, but Hihara has the guys upset at the news and they all go to Yunoki’s house to see for themselves. They meet Miyabi, Yunoki’s sister and while she explains the situation to the others, Yunoki has a private chat with Kahoko. He is just so two-faced; Kahoko is helping him out and all he does is insult her. She should just walk out on him and leave him to his fate, but Kahoko isn’t like that.

Yunoki justifies his actions by saying that Ayano is just one of several marriage candidates, and since he’s pretty much settled on someone else, he needs to get rid of the others. But it’s all unemotional business with him; he’s just so cold and unfeeling. Ayano is a beautiful girl and very much in love with Yunoki, not caring that he claims to love Kahoko. She is everything that Kahoko isn’t and Kahoko pales in comparison to her. Even the spying guys can see this is a losing battle. And to top things off, Ayano asks Kahoko to let her wed Yunoki and in return, she will allow Kahoko to be his mistress. Instead of being insulted, Kahoko is just puzzled and Miyabi tells the guys that Ayano exists in her own fantasy world. Then again, Ayano’s been in love with Yunoki since she was ten years old.

When Ayano asks Yunoki what he likes about Kahoko, Yunoki knows the guys are watching and plays to their jealousy by embracing Kahoko, kissing her on the head and saying that he admires her dedication to things. Ayano begins to cry and Yunoki feels nothing at her distress. But then Yunoki’s grandmother comes home and everyone is hidden in a storage closet together while Yunoki and Miyabi greet their grandmother. However, Ayano decides she must also pay her respects and leaves the storage room to greet her as well.

The grandmother is very strict and scolds the three of them for improper behavior and seems to care for nothing more than the Yunoki reputation. She is especially hard on Ayano and a cold-hearted Yunoki does nothing to defend her. Ayano is told to leave and Kahoko can’t take it anymore. She reveals herself and her companions and tries to defend Ayano, while telling the grandmother that they are there to discuss the upcoming competition. The grandmother still berates Yunoki and Kahoko tries to intervene, but then Yunoki actually stands up to his grandmother. I wonder why he did this for Kahoko and not for Ayano. Even the grandmother is surprised by this, but still orders them from the house.

Ayano cries and apologizes to Kahoko for leaving the hiding spot and in return, Kahoko also apologizes and reveals the lie by telling her that there’s really nothing between herself and Yunoki. Yunoki looks displeased, but defends his actions and tries to explain things to Ayano in a nicer way. I guess he has to be nice since he has other witnesses there. But for all his kindness, I think Ayano just fell in love with him all over again.

Later on, Kahoko and Yunoki are alone again and have another chat. Yunoki is more at ease, even laughing with genuine feeling and causing Kahoko to ask which is the real Yunoki. She tells him that hiding his true self and deceiving others must hurt him. It looks as if he’s going to insult her again, but thinks better of it. Yunoki looks into Kahoko’s sad eyes and tells himself that “anybody who’s tricked by those, it’s their own fault”. Perhaps he isn’t so unfeeling after all and there’s another reason for the way he acts. It must be hard when your life is not your own; family reputation is everything and marriage is just another business deal to further the family name. The others call to Kahoko to leave and Yunoki thanks her as she goes, but she thinks he’s just making fun of her again. Once they are gone, Yunoki is alone in the beautiful garden, lit by a full moon, and plays his flute. The music just sounds so much sadder this time - as if his very soul is crying.

At the train, Ryotaro runs into an old girlfriend named Sakimoto. She looks happy to see him and when she spots Kahoko, she asks if she’s Ryotaro’s new girlfriend. They both deny it and since Tsukimori is also with them, Sakimoto then asks if Kahoko is his girlfriend. It makes for a very embarrassing but funny moment!

Episode 15 -

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Amo corners Kahoko and Shoko and asks them their opinions of the guys. She tells Kahoko that there are rumors about her and Ryotaro when Mori walks in, so she gets questioned as well and the whole thing turns into a girl’s gossip session between Amo and Mori. It’s a good thing that Kahoko and Shoko didn’t participate because the guys are just outside the door and can hear every word! Amo asks Kahoko who she likes the most and the boys are eager to hear what she has to say. Unfortunately, Yunoki shows up and the guys get caught listening. Amo scolds them and ends up not getting an answer from Kahoko.

Kahoko goes to the park to practice the violin and sees Hihara playing basketball with some guys. She gets introduced to his brother, Haruki, and he embarrasses Hihara before the rest of the boys join them. They tell Kahoko that she’s cute and should hang out with them for a while. Hihara gets flustered and the guys say they were only joking, but Kahoko decides to stay there and practice while Hihara returns to the game. As Kahoko plays, Hihara stops for a moment and says he should have brought his trumpet.

Kahoko starts to feel relaxed with her playing, but she thinks of Yunoki and makes the violin screech. Then she thinks of Ryotaro and his ex-girlfriend and hits another sour note, causing Hihara to ask if she’s ok. Haruki is very astute and suddenly remembers something that he has to do and says he has to leave. Kahoko sees that he’s wearing the hat that she helped Hihara to pick out for him and it seems that Haruki knows it too when he tells Hihara to thank Kahoko for the hat as he hands Hihara the basketball before leaving and taking the rest of the guys with him.

Hihara is going to treat Kahoko to some refreshment as a thank you, but they run into Ryotaro and his ex-girlfriend at the outdoor café. Ryotaro looks guilty and Mizune thinks that Hihara is Kahoko’s boyfriend, getting some very funny reactions. They all end up sitting together and Mizune apologizes for another mistake, but says that Hihara and Kahoko look good together. For some reason, once Mizune introduces herself, Hihara is really happy to hear that Ryotaro actually once had a girlfriend and tells her about the competition and that Ryotaro plays the piano – something that Mizune never knew about Ryotaro although she had dated him for three months.

As they talk, Mizune suggests Hihara and Ryotaro play some basketball together. They guys are well matched in skill, but I think they’re enjoying the opportunity to impress the girls more. The sun begins to set and the lights come on and the guys are still playing. Watching them, Mizune tells Kahoko about her relationship with Ryotaro and why it didn’t work out since it really wasn’t much of one. Mizune then asks Kahoko which of the boys she’s “after” causing Kahoko to gasp which interrupts the guy’s concentration and Hihara falls, scraping his arm. Mizune drags Ryotaro away to leave Kahoko and Hihara alone. As they walk along, Mizune tells Ryotaro that he’s much “softer” and wonders why.

Kahoko tends to Hihara’s wound over his protests, but I think he likes getting the attention from her. She puts a bandage on the scrape and he calls her “Kaho-chan” but I don’t think he meant to say it out loud since he gets flustered and ends up saying that it’s a cute name for her. Hihara invites her to use his first name, but she refuses, thinking about what Mizune said. I think she hurt his feelings, but he seems to get the message, although he admits to himself that he likes her. That night, his trumpet playing is a little sad as he thinks about Kahoko, but perhaps he’s found his “something irreplaceable”.

Episode 16 -

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Osaki asks for volunteers to help out with some violin lessons for children and Kanazawa makes Kahoko and Tsukimori accept. Hihara and Shimizu accept as well and Yunoki and Ryotaro seem a little surprised that Hihara calls Kahoko “Kaho-chan” now. But I wonder how Kahoko is going to pull off giving violin lessons.

First the group plays a Mozart piece, but having never heard it before, Kahoko doesn’t know it and messes up. Tsukimori very nicely comes to her rescue and helps her out. Although she still has difficulties, the quartet finally gets in sync and the kids loved it. And Shimizu wants to play it again! Back at school, it was very funny when Kanazawa tried to get a cat to pick out the order for the next selection. The cat just curls up and goes to sleep and Kanazawa has to do it himself anyway.

Hihara joins the children in taking a violin lesson and gets a little flustered at Kahoko’s attentions. I guess he’s still coming to terms with his feelings for her. Tsukimori is really popular with the kids but looks uncomfortable with it. Watching the children enjoy their discovery of music, Kahoko regrets not learning at their age as well. She even tries to play a normal violin at one point, but her attempt sounds awful. Then Tsukimori walks into the room and demands an explanation. But Hihara barges in and Kahoko is saved from having to answer Tsukimori. She runs out of the room and worries about what she should do, telling herself that everything she does is a lie.

The children spot her and come over to thank her for the day, but their compliments only distress Kahoko more. When they ask her to come back and tech them again, she asks them how they feel about liars. They all say that they hate liars and Kahoko agrees with them and begins to cry. This is the scene that Hihara comes upon and isn’t sure what to think. Back at school, Hihara is lost in thought and Yunoki questions him about the days with the kids. But Hihara’s answer isn’t very convincing and Yunoki asks him if something happened. Although Hihara says no, he admits he’s confused. I wonder if he thinks there’s something between Kahoko and Tsukimori.

Ryotaro finds Kahoko on the roof and she seems out of sorts. He asks her if something is wrong and it looks as if she wants to talk to him but changes her mind and says that it’s nothing. Ryotaro doesn’t like that answer and when Kahoko looks up at him to reassure him, Tsukimori is right behind him! Kahoko gives an excuse and makes a hasty exit. Tsukimori asks Ryotaro if he knew Kahoko before the competition and he answers in the negative. Ryotaro wants to know what’s going on since Kahoko got upset only when she saw Tsukimori, but he just walks away from Ryotaro. Now Ryotaro must think there’s something between Kahoko and Tsukimori as well. Later, it looks like Ryotaro may have to sacrifice playing soccer for his music.

Kahoko becomes more diligent in her practicing, wanting to “become the real thing” so she doesn’t have to lie anymore. But she’s concentrating so hard that she doesn’t see Tsukimori until he grabs her arm, forcing her to stop playing before she breaks the strings. Kahoko would like to leave the room, but Tsukimori won’t let go of her arm and he again demands an explanation for her awful playing the day before. Feeling badly about lying again, she says that she was just fooling around, but Tsukimori isn’t satisfied with her answer and presents the facts of the mystery that surrounds her and her playing, saying he just doesn’t understand any of it. However, he comes very close to the truth but dismisses it as impossible. He says it doesn’t matter anyway, but her feeling towards music does and when she can’t answer him, a disappointed Tsukimori walks away, saying that he can’t “accept” her. And a guilty Kahoko realizes that she can’t contradict anything he said.

This show has been fun to watch, but is Lili or anyone else ever going to do something about Kahoko’s guilt at “cheating” with the magic violin?

Yes, all the guilt/depression trips Kahoko takes are starting to annoy me.

Episode 17 -

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Kahoko is really depressed and has been avoiding Tsukimori. Ryotaro and Hihara are concerned and thinking that Tsukimori did something to her, confront him. But Tsukimori says he doesn’t know why Kahoko is acting the way she is and that they should ask her themselves. He also tells them that they should be more concerned about the competition the next day. Ryotaro gets angry and Tsukimori asks him why he gets “so worked up” over Kahoko; then he says that he should ask himself the same question.

Kahoko’s practice doesn’t go well and she goes home in a pouring rain. Music must mean something to her after all because when a car hits a puddle, she protects the violin case from the splash with her body and ends up getting soaked. Once home, she dries off the violin case before taking care of herself first and realizes that she loves her violin.

The next day, Kahoko meets Tsukimori on the way to the competition and greets him, but his response to her is very flat. In the dressing room, Yunoki notices that Tsukimori, Ryotaro and Hihara are out of it. As he helps Shimizu with his neck bow, he casually asks Ryotaro if Kahoko is all right, but he says he doesn’t know anything. Osaki is helping out Kanazawa and comes to collect them. He also notices that something is a bit off with the guys.

The contest begins and Hihara is up first with Schubert’s Serenade, but his playing is off and ends up sounding awful. Shimizu is next with Faure’s Siciliene. Kahoko says that he sounds nice, but Kanazawa says he’s off a bit and Tsukimori says Shimizu is “uneasy”. Kahoko’s mood of late even seems to be affecting all of them in some way.

Shoko is next and is very nervous. She plays the second movement of Three Romances by Schumann and plays the best so far. Tsukimori is next with Ravel’s Tzigane and his performance is so amazing that the audience is stunned into silence afterwards, before erupting into enthusiastic applause and cheering. Ryotaro is next and will play Chopin’s Revolution; he also gives an excellent performance.

As Kahoko’s turn gets closer, she wonders how she can possibly perform on the same stage as these highly skilled musicians who are on such a completely different level from her. Kahoko believes she’s been very naive up until now and will never be able to compete with them. When Ryotaro finishes, he also receives enthusiastic applause and cheers. Kahoko is up next and will play Melodie by Tchaikovsky.

Returning backstage, Ryotaro sees how distressed Kahoko is, but she takes the stage anyway. Lili appears and is all ready to enjoy her performance, but can see that something is very wrong. Kahoko is thinking of the other performers and wants to do as well as them. She begs the violin to help her, but demands too much from it and breaks the strings, shocking everyone. This can’t be good.

Now that Kahoko is actually playing the violin by herself without any magical help, I don’t think she’ll be winning any competitions! :lol:

Ok, I have a problem -

spoiler

In episode 23, the guys play “The Entertainer” which I thought was by Scott Joplin and was considered “rag”. But in the subtitles, it is identified as being by Chopin. Is that right? Maybe there are two versions? This really threw me because it really doesn’t sound like a Chopin piece. Or am I just crazy? Wait - don’t answer that one! :lol:

Wicca, I think it’s a case of

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a translator not catching the difference between “Chopin” and “Joplin” when pronounced by a Japanese speaker. The translator was probably not familiar with Scott Joplin’s works and was assuming it was a classical piece. I’ve seen this with other translations. For example, in the full version of “Mind As Judgement” the last line (sung in English by Faylan) is transcribed as “Get out! I shot! Get out”. After listening to that song multiple times,cross checking with a ballad version Faylan did that is on YouTube and by using logic I have determined that the correct lyric is “Get out, I shout, Get out.” However, when I submitted to AnimeLyrics.com, they said this:

"The problem was that in the CD scans it was implicitly written as “I shot”. Our stance at AL.com is that for officialdom purposes any roman-lettered word should be left unedited to preserve “accuracy” even if it was an error in print of the CD booklet.

To make matters worse, if it was an error in print, it was still unrectified in Faylan’s subsequently-released album Polaris. It still reads “I shot” there."

Anyway, I know what I heard. Besides, I can point to dozens of typos in all manner of subtitles I have seen lately. I’m about to offer my services as a proofreader. I think they need it!

Thanks Newshawk, I was worried there for a minute, but I should have known better.

And as for proofreading - I say go for it!

Episode 24 -

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I actually enjoyed this pleasant episode very much. It was more relaxed without the pressures of performing or Kahoko’s guilt trips / worrying. The boys finally seem to know where they’re going and what they want. And it’s all because of Kahoko. Even Shoko seems to be coming out of her shell a little bit. The guys all seem to be half in love with Kahoko too and it’s making them feel their music more.

I am intrigued by Kanazawa’s story. The little bits and pieces of his back story so far are making for a nice mystery. I hope to see more of his past. And I wonder if Kahoko will have the same positive effect on him as she’s had on the others and if he will sing again.

Well, you saw him start to pull out a cigarette and change his mind…

Episode 25 –

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Yunoki is back from England. He canceled his study abroad and I wonder how his grandmother will feel about that. Kanazawa knew all along that Yunoki was coming back and never said anything. But Kahoko is happy that everyone will be together for the final selection. In fact, everyone is happy that Yunoki is back and of course his personal fan club is too.

Mori hurts her hand and won’t be able to accompany Kahoko. Ryotaro volunteers, but Kahoko can’t let him since he’s also a contestant. It’s a big shock that Shoji shows up and asks to accompany Kahoko. She’d like to make up for her past mistake and was encouraged by Kahoko’s determination. Kahoko accepts her offer and the performance order is changed to allow them some practice time together.

Yunoki is the first to perform and he plays “Vocalise” by Rachmaninov. It’s a lovely piece and you can see how much he’s changed because of Kahoko. And Yunoki gave Kahoko the courage to stop deceiving people. The next player is Hihara and he chose to play “Jupiter” from “The Planets” by Helst. He taught Kahoko that music can be fun and gave her his strength and support.

Next up is Shoko and she plays the “Clarinet Polka”. Because of Kahoko’s influence, she isn’t nervous anymore. She has grown and really has some stage presence now. Shimizu is after her and he plays Bach’s “Prelude” on a baroque cello and this really impresses the judges. Kahoko appreciates his seriousness and the fact that he taught her so much about music.

Tsukimori is next and plays “Caprice No. 24” by Paganini. He showed Kahoko the beauty and power of the violin and encouraged her music. Ryotaro takes the stage next and plays Liszt’s “La Campanella”. He always cared for Kahoko and acted like a big brother, encouraging her and scolding her when she needed it. Because he was there for her, Kahoko worked harder than she would have otherwise. And from Kahoko, Ryotaro got the courage and will to perform in front of an audience again. Kahoko freed him and now he’s able to find fun in playing the piano. However, Tsukimori and Ryotaro are still rivals and each promises not to lose to the other, although they each agree to continue playing in their own style.

Finally, it’s Kahoko’s turn and she will play “Ave Maria” by Schubert. She takes the stage without changing her school uniform, deciding instead to just be herself. As she plays, she thinks of the wonderful friends and memories she’s made thanks to music. It was a long, hard road for her, but it was worth it. She loves her violin and playing its music lifts her up. Kahoko dedicates this performance to Lili in thanks for introducing her to music. She also considers this performance her first step on her further journey into music.

Kahoko plays really well and afterwards cries with happiness as she thanks her violin. In fact everyone played well thanks to Kahoko’s influence. They all played with improved technique and everyone learned to play with feeling, from the heart. As she later sits in the dark auditorium, Lili appears to thank her for a good competition and she promises him that she will continue to play the music that’s inside of her. She suddenly hears music and finds that the guys are on the stage, playing just for her. It’s a beautiful piece of music that communicates just how they feel about her. The others soon join Kahoko and they all enjoy the performance together.

It was nice that the end credits showed the children putting on their concert with the help of Kahoko and company and I think it’s wonderful that they have passed on their love of music to a new generation.

But didja notice they never said who won?

Perhaps in the next episode? I want to know as well.

Episode 26 –

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It’s a good while after the competition and Kahoko is taking violin lessons now, which is nice. The competitors are invited to a retreat with a theme – “The Search for That Singular Sound”. I liked how Kahoko’s friends urged her to enjoy a summer romance.

Kahoko arrives at the retreat and decides to look around, but encounters Hihara. He takes her to a park with a view of the ocean. The lovely park inspires them to play together again. Afterwards, Hihara says that his playing has become more fun because of her. Later, Kahoko gets lost, but is rescued by Osaki. He compliments her violin playing and she suddenly becomes nervous. She asks him about the “Violin Romance” and gets to hear a little about the competition he once participated in.

Back at the house, Yunoki greets her and whispers in her ear to meet him after dinner. Kahoko does so and he guides her to a beautiful moonlit garden with a unique fragrance that turns out to be Queen of the Night flowers which only bloom for one night every summer. He plays a song for her as thanks for making the competition fun, but deep down, he’s really thanking her for giving him the courage to go against his family. As Yunoki plays for Kahoko, the surrounding flowers bloom and when he finishes, he tells the blushing Kahoko that she’s cute.

Later that night, Kahoko can’t sleep and finds Kanazawa in the kitchen, making midnight snack. I liked that he was humming an aria. Maybe that’s a good sign. Kanazawa asks Kahoko if she’s interested in anyone. She blushes, thinking of the guys, but answers him with a no. Then he makes her all self conscious when he tells her that she’s “special”. The next day, everyone has a great time at the beach and back at the house, Shimizu asks Kahoko to listen to him play. He leads her to a chapel in the woods and plays his baroque cello for her. Shimizu tells Kahoko that she’s taught him something important and as he plays, Kahoko feels as if she’s “surrounded by a sea of sound”. Shimizu has found the score inside of him and feels that he can play his best when he thinks of Kahoko.

Kahoko later ends up at the aquarium where she bumps into Tsukimori. He’s doing a favor for a friend and intends to play his violin for a depressed dolphin. The day before, it didn’t work, but today, with the presence of Kahoko, the dolphin responds to the music. Tsukimori knows that Kahoko puts her all into everything she does and he wonders if he can do the same. The happy dolphin seems to thank them afterwards and Kahoko praises Tsukimori’s playing, but he lets it slip out that it was because of her and thanks her in his own way.

Sitting in the house’s garden, Kahoko agonizes over the theme of the retreat. Ryotaro finds her and invites her to go with him. He takes her to a piano that has been played by famous pianists, including Tsukimori’s mother. Ryotaro plays for Kahoko in thanks for helping him to find his music again. As the sun sets outside, the room darkens and the constellations appear on the ceiling. The enchanted Kahoko gasps as she is transported to the stars.

On the final night of the retreat, there is a barbecue and Kahoko reflects on how she got to hear her friends perform again. Her pleasant reverie is interrupted when Amo appears and asks her about a summer romance. Kanazawa later asks Kahoko if she’s found the answer to the theme and Kahoko tells him that it’s still vague, but has decided that it’s “the sound you can only hear in that particular instant” when someone plays their music. Amo again teases Kahoko about a summer romance as Hihara asks Kahoko to play. They others would also like to hear her and Kahoko agrees. Shoko accompanies her on the piano as Kahoko plays a small part of something that she is only just learning and it ends with Kahoko hoping to again play with all of her feelings someday.

I did have a couple of problems with this show. First of all, it was about a competition but no final winner was ever announced. I know the story evolved to make them all winners in their own way, but it would have been nice to see who the judges chose as a final winner. I also didn’t really enjoy Kahoko’s up again, down again guilt trips. I did understand her dilemma and the story presented it well. However, I think too much time was spent on it and it became a bit overpowering – especially since there were parts of the story where they could have shown a little more depth, such as Yunoki having to deal with his grandmother and having older brothers that he was not allowed to best. I would have like to have seen more about Kanazawa, Osaki and Shimizu too. In fact I wish they had expanded a bit more on all the other characters, rather than focusing on Kahoko feeling guilty all the time. But I also have to say that listening to all of the beautiful music in this anime more than made up for what was lacking in the story. I also enjoyed how Kahoko influenced the others towards improvement, making them look at music differently and causing them all to play from the heart.

Another incredible synopsis, Wicca! It’s almost as good as watching the episode.

I’ve been thinking about this since I read your comments above, Wicca. This is what I’ve arrived at:

spoiler

I’ve realized that the competition wasn’t the focus of the story-it was the vehicle. The focus of the story was Kahoko’s growth from a quiet General Studies student to an accomplished violinist and how it influenced and transformed the entire school. Prior to the competition, there was division at Seiso Academy-the Music Department students looked down on the General Studies students and the General Studies students resented the Music Department students. Kahoko was looked down on at first by the Music Department students-remember the sabotage effort that led to Ryotaro joining the competition.

As Kahoko struggled with her guilt over her deception, it affected everyone she knew-her fellow competitors, her friends, the teachers and even the student body at large. As she came to grips with her predicament and strove to overcome it, her fellow competitors, friends and even her teachers gained the strength to face and overcome their issues. In the end, though it may sound cliche, everyone won in the end-not in the self-esteem “everyone get a trophy” sense but in the sense of their all having grown and overcome the obstacles in their lives. In that sense, I’m not so upset that the winner of the competition was never announced. To me, it would almost be anti-climatic to find out.

As for the balance of the story, I would have to agree with you, Wicca. There were times I was almost yelling at the TV, “Get over it, Kahoko, and do what you need to do!” However, I don’t know how much more time that would have allowed to flash out the back stories on the other competitors. What I would have loved to have sen it devoted to was the back story on Kanazawa-something just hinted at in the series.

…and was it just me, or did you miss having one last “Lili’s one Point Classic”?

Apropos of nothing, this makes post 2222 for me!

La Corda D’Oro ~primo passo~ Box to Add Multiple Endings

posted on 2011-05-24 08:30 EDT
Kojin Ochi to direct new DVD sequences for endings with 7 characters