Nodame Cantabile
Encyclopedia
is a manga
by Tomoko Ninomiya
. It was serialized in Japan by Kodansha
in the magazine Kiss
from July 2001 to October 2009 and collected in 23 tankōbon
volumes. A two-volume sequel, called Nodame Cantabile: Opera Chapter, which began serialization in the 10 December 2009 issue of Kiss, was released in 2010. It is licensed in North America by Del Rey Manga
. The series depicts the relationship between two aspiring classical musicians, Megumi "Nodame" Noda and Shinichi Chiaki, as university students and after graduation. It received the 2004 Kodansha Manga Award
for best shōjo manga.
The series has been adapted as two different television series: as an award-winning live-action drama
that aired in 2006 followed by a sequel television special that aired in January 2008, and as an anime
series spanning three seasons with the first one broadcast in 2007, the second one in 2008 and the third one aired in 2010. Two live-action movie sequels to the television drama, with the same actors, were produced with release dates of 18 December 2009 and April 2010. In addition, several soundtrack albums of classical music have been released, as well as three video games.
Shinichi Chiaki is Momogaoka's top student. Born into a musical family, he is talented in piano and violin and has secret ambitions to become a conductor. As an arrogant multi-lingual perfectionist who once lived abroad in the music capitals of the world as a young boy (namely Prague), he is trapped in Japan because of his childhood phobia of airplanes and the ocean.
They meet by accident. Nodame quickly falls in love, but it takes much longer for Chiaki to even begin to appreciate Nodame's unusual qualities. Their relationship causes them both to develop and grow. Along the way, they meet some crazy people (like Masumi, Mine, and Stresemann) and make lasting friendships. Because of Nodame, Chiaki gets the opportunity to lead a student orchestra and begins to have a broader appreciation of people's musical abilities. Because of Chiaki, Nodame faces her fears and enters a piano competition. Opportunities open up as both begin taking risks, stretching themselves far more than they ever thought possible.
After graduation, Nodame succeeds in curing Chiaki from his phobia and they both move to Paris where Nodame continues her piano studies at the Conservatoire de Paris
while Chiaki starts a professional career as a conductor. In Europe, they encounter new friends and rivals, as well as keep in touch with their friends from Japan.
volume of Nodame Cantabile. Noda, currently a piano teacher in Fukuoka
(the home-town of her fictional counterpart), composed the music and co-wrote (with Ninomiya) the lyrics for the "Fart Song" Nodame plays in the first episode of the anime series, and visited Ninomiya upon the birth of her son.
Ninomiya also based the character of James DePreist, the musical director of the fictional Roux-Marlet Orchestra in Paris, on a real-life counterpart with the same name. James DePreist
was Permanent Conductor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
, and conducted the Nodame Orchestra, which provided the music for both the live-action drama and the anime adaptations.
. It was serialized by Kodansha
in the biweekly josei
(aimed at younger adult women) manga magazine Kiss
from 10 July 2001 to 10 October 2009. The untitled chapters have been collected in 23 tankōbon
volumes . It is licensed in North America by Del Rey Manga
, in France by Pika Édition
, in South Korea by Daiwon C.I.
, in Thailand by NED Comics, in Indonesia by Elex Media Komputindo
, and in Taiwan by Tong Li Comics
. All volume covers feature Nodame with a musical instrument.
Starting in May 2008, Japanese serialization changed from biweekly to monthly because of Ninomiya's pregnancy. Serialization went on hiatus starting October 2008 following the birth of her son and Ninomiya's subsequent diagnosis of having carpal tunnel syndrome
, but resumed again with the 10 March 2009 issue of Kiss on a irregular schedule depending on her continued recovery. In June 2009, the series went on hiatus again when Ninomiya was hospitalized with acute appendicitis, and resumed serialization in the 25 July issue. In July 2009, Asahi Shimbun
reported that the manga was scheduled to end in the spring of 2010, coinciding with the release of the final live-action movie. However, the series ended with chapter 136 in the 10 October 2009 issue of the magazine.
Starting in late 2009, a sequel titled Nodame Cantabile - Opera Hen started running in the same magazine. It ended in September 2010. The numbering of the volumes follow right after the original series so they start at volume 24.
broadcast in 11 hour-long episodes from 16 October to 25 December 2006 on Fuji TV, covering events up to volume 9 of the manga. This was followed by a four-hour sequel television special, Nodame Cantabile New Year's Special in Europe, adapting further events in the manga after Chiaki and Nodame move to Paris, broadcast on Fuji TV on 4 and 5 January 2008. These were directed by Hideki Takeuchi from scripts by Rin Etou, and starred Hiroshi Tamaki
as Shinichi Chiaki and Juri Ueno
as Megumi "Nodame" Noda.
Music direction was by Daisuke Mogi with original music by Takayuki Hattori, with several works of classical music featured in each episode. The orchestral music was performed by Nodame Orchestra, which consisted of members specially selected for the live-action drama with professional support from the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
. The Orchestra was conducted by James DePriest, Permanent Conductor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, who would later have his name and likeness used in the Nodame storyline as the musical director of the fictional Roux-Marlet Orchestra. The opening theme for both the drama series and special was the First movement ("Andante Cantabile") from Beethoven's Symphony No. 7
, and the ending theme was Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue
, both performed by the Nodame Orchestra conducted by Toshiaki Umeda.
An episode of , the fictional anime series that Nodame watches, was created by J.C.Staff
for the drama. The anime was written and directed by Ken'ichi Kasai
, the director of the first season of the Nodame Cantabile anime. Segments of the PuriGorota anime were shown during episode 4 of the Nodame Cantabile drama, with the complete anime released as a DVD extra with the Nodame Cantabile anime series.
Two live-action movie sequels to the television drama, with the same actors, have been announced with an anticipated release in December 2009 whilst the second film to be released 3 months later in 2010. Filming began in May 2009 and lasted for five months, and included location filming in Vienna.
television series, produced by Fuji TV and animated by J.C.Staff
. The series was broadcast on Fuji and associated stations in the Noitamina
time slot. The first season, called just Nodame Cantabile, was broadcast in 23 episodes from 11 January to 28 June 2007, and the second season, called Nodame Cantabile: Paris Chapter, was broadcast in 11 episodes from 8 October to 18 December 2008. Both seasons were also later aired in Japan
on the satellite television
network Animax
. The first season was directed by Ken'ichi Kasai
(the director of the Honey and Clover
anime) and the second season by Chiaki Kon
, and starred Ayako Kawasumi
as Megumi "Nodame" Noda and Tomokazu Seki
as Shinichi Chiaki. An original video animation
(OVA) episode was included with the limited edition volume 22 of the manga when it was published in Japan on 10 August 2009, and a third and final anime season, called Nodame Cantabile: Finale started airing in January 2010.
On 6 February 2009, the series received its English language
television premiere on Animax Asia
across its networks in Southeast Asia
and South Asia
, airing the series with its original Japanese audio and English subtitles. and later its air in English Dubbed on 12 June 2009.
Music director for both seasons was Suguru Matsutani. As with the live-action drama, several works of classical music were featured in each episode, performed by the Nodame Orchestra. The opening theme of season one was "Allegro Cantabile" by Suemitsu & The Suemith
, and the ending themes were "Konna ni Chikaku de...
" by Crystal Kay
(episodes 1–12), "Sagittarius" by Suemitsu & the Nodame Orchestra (episodes 13–22), and "Allegro Cantabile" by Suemitsu & The Suemith (episode 23). The opening theme for the second season was "Sky High" by The Gospellers (with melody taken from the Third movement ("Allegro Scherzando") of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2
), and the ending theme was by Emiri Miyamoto x solita (with variations on the theme from Ravel's Boléro
). The opening theme for the final season is "Manazashi Daydream" by Yuu Sakai (with variations on the theme from Bach
's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
) and the ending theme is "Kaze to Oka no Ballad (風と丘のバラード)" by Real Paradis with Nodame Orchestra.
The first season was released on 8 DVDs between April and November 2007. A box set was released in February 2008 with an additional 15-minute original video animation
(OVA), taking place between episodes 8 and 9. The series has been licensed in Russia and South Korea. The first DVD of the second season was released on 24 December 2008, with additional DVDs scheduled to be released monthly. As of March 2010, the first thirteen episodes are available for streaming in the US on Crackle
.
In addition, Nodame Cantabile Special BEST! was released 19 December 2007, a "best-of" compilation of the most popular works from these albums to date.
for shōjo
manga, and was a jury recommendation at both the 2005 and 2008 Japan Media Arts Festival
s. It was a finalist for the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2005 and 2006, but did not win. In 2006, the English translation was named by the New York Public Library as one of the Books for the Teen Age. The series is a perennial best-seller in Japan: the first 16 volumes sold over 19 million copies as of January 2007, and the series sold 2.8 million copies in 2008, making it the 8th best-selling manga series in Japan that year. Volume 17 was the third best-selling manga on the Oricon
charts for 2007, and volumes 20 and 21 were the 6th and 7th best-selling manga on the Oricon charts for 2008, respectively, selling 1.2 million copies each. According to an Oricon survey men and women aged 10–40, Nodame Cantabile was the second "most interesting" manga series published during 2008. The series and its associated music albums are credited with increasing sales of classical music in Japan.
The English translation of Nodame Cantabile has been praised for its quirky, interesting characters, sense of humor, and clean art. Dirk Deppey
in The Comics Journal
praised Ninomiya's storytelling, saying she "has a solid sense of when to accentuate the highs and lows with just the right note, and understands that one can only do this by not hitting such notes very often", resulting in "an understated soap opera" that is "a seamless and enjoyable storytelling experience." Reviewers have called Ninomiya's character development subtle, while noting it is the character interactions that drive the story, and that "each character has a real and lasting effect on others." Reviewers also cite Ninomiya's ability to depict "scenes of people playing music that no one can hear" and her sense of humor as factors in the series' appeal. Ninomiya has been criticized for not handling transitions between storylines well, for sometimes letting the characters derail the story, and for art and backgrounds that are sometimes too plain. Matt Thorn
criticized the English translation for inaccuracies of tone.
The live-action drama received the 2007 Japanese Drama Academy Awards for Best Drama, Best Lead Actress (Juri Ueno
), Best Direction (Hideki Takeuchi), Best Music (Takayuki Hattori), and Best Title Song; the show was also recognized overseas as Best Miniseries at the 2nd Seoul Drama Festival. Juri Ueno also was named Best Newcomer at the Élan d'or Awards for her performance, and the next year was named Best Actress at the International Drama Festival in Tokyo Awards for reprising her role as Nodame in the television special. The New Year's Special in Europe received an average household rating of 20.3% and 21.0% for the two nights it was broadcast in Japan, making it them the highest-rated drama episodes of the week. The first soundtrack album for the drama, Nodame Orchestra LIVE!, reached number seven on the Oricon
album chart, breaking the record for highest ranked classical music album.
The drama has been praised by reviewers for, especially, the acting.
The opening episode of the anime series broke the record for audience share for its time-slot. The first DVD volume debuted at number 3 on the Oricon chart for anime the week it went on sale.
Although the anime has not been licensed in English, it has still received notice from English reviewers, who praised the character development and chemistry, the balance between drama and comedy, voice acting, and especially the music—both the performances and how it was presented. Reviewers did complain that the visual design of some secondary characters were too similar.
In 2006, a cafe based on Nodame Cantabile opened in Harajuku
, Tokyo, including live music from the live-action drama and sets from the show.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
by Tomoko Ninomiya
Tomoko Ninomiya
is a Japanese manga artist, based in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In 1989, she made her debut with London Doubt Boys.She is best known for her series Nodame Cantabile, which received the 2004 Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo manga...
. It was serialized in Japan by Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
in the magazine Kiss
Kiss (magazine)
is a Japanese josei manga magazine published by Kodansha, with a circulation of over 140,000. It was first published in 1992 as a monthly magazine Monthly Kiss....
from July 2001 to October 2009 and collected in 23 tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes. A two-volume sequel, called Nodame Cantabile: Opera Chapter, which began serialization in the 10 December 2009 issue of Kiss, was released in 2010. It is licensed in North America by Del Rey Manga
Del Rey Manga
was the manga-publishing imprint of Del Rey Books, a branch of Ballantine Books, which in turn is part of Random House, the publishing division of Bertelsmann. It was formed as part of a cross-publishing relationship with Japanese publisher Kodansha. Some of the Del Rey titles, such as Tsubasa...
. The series depicts the relationship between two aspiring classical musicians, Megumi "Nodame" Noda and Shinichi Chiaki, as university students and after graduation. It received the 2004 Kodansha Manga Award
Kodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in four categories: children's, shōnen, shōjo, and general. The awards began in 1977, initially with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The first award for the...
for best shōjo manga.
The series has been adapted as two different television series: as an award-winning live-action drama
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
that aired in 2006 followed by a sequel television special that aired in January 2008, and as an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series spanning three seasons with the first one broadcast in 2007, the second one in 2008 and the third one aired in 2010. Two live-action movie sequels to the television drama, with the same actors, were produced with release dates of 18 December 2009 and April 2010. In addition, several soundtrack albums of classical music have been released, as well as three video games.
Plot
Megumi Noda, or "Nodame" is a piano student at Momogaoka College of Music. As an extremely talented pianist who wants to be a preschool teacher, she prefers playing by ear rather than reading the music score. She is messy and disorganized, takes baths several days apart and loves to eat, sometimes stealing her friend's lunchbox when it is filled with delicacies.Shinichi Chiaki is Momogaoka's top student. Born into a musical family, he is talented in piano and violin and has secret ambitions to become a conductor. As an arrogant multi-lingual perfectionist who once lived abroad in the music capitals of the world as a young boy (namely Prague), he is trapped in Japan because of his childhood phobia of airplanes and the ocean.
They meet by accident. Nodame quickly falls in love, but it takes much longer for Chiaki to even begin to appreciate Nodame's unusual qualities. Their relationship causes them both to develop and grow. Along the way, they meet some crazy people (like Masumi, Mine, and Stresemann) and make lasting friendships. Because of Nodame, Chiaki gets the opportunity to lead a student orchestra and begins to have a broader appreciation of people's musical abilities. Because of Chiaki, Nodame faces her fears and enters a piano competition. Opportunities open up as both begin taking risks, stretching themselves far more than they ever thought possible.
After graduation, Nodame succeeds in curing Chiaki from his phobia and they both move to Paris where Nodame continues her piano studies at the Conservatoire de Paris
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
while Chiaki starts a professional career as a conductor. In Europe, they encounter new friends and rivals, as well as keep in touch with their friends from Japan.
Development
Tomoko Ninomiya based the character of Megumi Noda on a real-life counterpart with the same name. Ninomiya first learned about the real Noda when the latter, a music college student at the time, posted a photograph of her messy room on a website Ninomiya managed. This inspired her to start a comedy series about a sloppy music student. Ninomiya consults with Noda about musical details, claiming to receive inspiration from her, and thanks Noda in the acknowledgments of every tankōbonTankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volume of Nodame Cantabile. Noda, currently a piano teacher in Fukuoka
Fukuoka, Fukuoka
is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...
(the home-town of her fictional counterpart), composed the music and co-wrote (with Ninomiya) the lyrics for the "Fart Song" Nodame plays in the first episode of the anime series, and visited Ninomiya upon the birth of her son.
Ninomiya also based the character of James DePreist, the musical director of the fictional Roux-Marlet Orchestra in Paris, on a real-life counterpart with the same name. James DePreist
James DePreist
James Anderson DePreist is an American conductor. One of the few African American conductors on the world stage, he is currently the director of conducting and orchestral studies at the Juilliard School and laureate music director of the Oregon Symphony.-Biography:DePreist was born in Philadelphia...
was Permanent Conductor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
The , also known as Tokyō , is one of the representative symphony orchestras of Japan. The Orchestra was founded in 1965 by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, to commemorate the Tokyo Olympics ....
, and conducted the Nodame Orchestra, which provided the music for both the live-action drama and the anime adaptations.
Manga
The Nodame Cantabile manga was written and illustrated by Tomoko NinomiyaTomoko Ninomiya
is a Japanese manga artist, based in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In 1989, she made her debut with London Doubt Boys.She is best known for her series Nodame Cantabile, which received the 2004 Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo manga...
. It was serialized by Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
in the biweekly josei
Josei
also known as or , is a term that refers to the target demographic of manga created mostly by women for late teenage and adult female audiences. Readers range from 15-44. In Japanese, the word josei means simply "woman", "female", "feminine", "womanhood" and has no manga-related connotations at...
(aimed at younger adult women) manga magazine Kiss
Kiss (magazine)
is a Japanese josei manga magazine published by Kodansha, with a circulation of over 140,000. It was first published in 1992 as a monthly magazine Monthly Kiss....
from 10 July 2001 to 10 October 2009. The untitled chapters have been collected in 23 tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes . It is licensed in North America by Del Rey Manga
Del Rey Manga
was the manga-publishing imprint of Del Rey Books, a branch of Ballantine Books, which in turn is part of Random House, the publishing division of Bertelsmann. It was formed as part of a cross-publishing relationship with Japanese publisher Kodansha. Some of the Del Rey titles, such as Tsubasa...
, in France by Pika Édition
Pika Édition
Pika Édition is a French publisher headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, specializing in manga. Founded as a daughter company of Media System Editions, it was taken over by Hachette Livre in 2007.-Distribution:...
, in South Korea by Daiwon C.I.
Daiwon C.I.
Daewon C.I. , short for Daewon Culture Industry, is a subsidiary of Daewon Media founded in 1991. This South Korean publisher releases domestic and imported comics, Newtype Korea Magazine, children's books, and light novels. With Haksan Culture Company and Seoul Cultural Publishers, Daewon C.I...
, in Thailand by NED Comics, in Indonesia by Elex Media Komputindo
Elex Media Komputindo
Elex Media Komputindo is a major Indonesian publisher of literature on computers as well as comic books. In addition to local comic books, it also publishes Japanese manga, Korean manhwa, and Chinese manhua. Founded on 15 January 1985, Elex Media Komputindo is within the publishing arm of the...
, and in Taiwan by Tong Li Comics
Tong Li Comics
Tongli Publishing Co. , most known as Tong Li Comics, is a publishing company which distributes a variety of domestic and imported comics in the Republic of China .-History:...
. All volume covers feature Nodame with a musical instrument.
Starting in May 2008, Japanese serialization changed from biweekly to monthly because of Ninomiya's pregnancy. Serialization went on hiatus starting October 2008 following the birth of her son and Ninomiya's subsequent diagnosis of having carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is an entrapment idiopathic median neuropathy, causing paresthesia, pain, and other symptoms in the distribution of the median nerve due to its compression at the wrist in the carpal tunnel. The pathophysiology is not completely understood but can be considered compression...
, but resumed again with the 10 March 2009 issue of Kiss on a irregular schedule depending on her continued recovery. In June 2009, the series went on hiatus again when Ninomiya was hospitalized with acute appendicitis, and resumed serialization in the 25 July issue. In July 2009, Asahi Shimbun
Asahi Shimbun
The is the second most circulated out of the five national newspapers in Japan. Its circulation, which was 7.96 million for its morning edition and 3.1 million for its evening edition as of June 2010, was second behind that of Yomiuri Shimbun...
reported that the manga was scheduled to end in the spring of 2010, coinciding with the release of the final live-action movie. However, the series ended with chapter 136 in the 10 October 2009 issue of the magazine.
Starting in late 2009, a sequel titled Nodame Cantabile - Opera Hen started running in the same magazine. It ended in September 2010. The numbering of the volumes follow right after the original series so they start at volume 24.
Live-action drama
Nodame Cantabile has been adapted as a live-action television dramaJapanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
broadcast in 11 hour-long episodes from 16 October to 25 December 2006 on Fuji TV, covering events up to volume 9 of the manga. This was followed by a four-hour sequel television special, Nodame Cantabile New Year's Special in Europe, adapting further events in the manga after Chiaki and Nodame move to Paris, broadcast on Fuji TV on 4 and 5 January 2008. These were directed by Hideki Takeuchi from scripts by Rin Etou, and starred Hiroshi Tamaki
Hiroshi Tamaki
is a Japanese actor, singer, and model from Nagoya, Japan. When he was still in high school, he was discovered by a talent agent while out shopping with friends. He made his debut in the drama Am I Weird? in 1998...
as Shinichi Chiaki and Juri Ueno
Juri Ueno
is a Japanese actress from Kakogawa, Hyogo, Japan. She was one of six actors to receive the "Newcomer of the Year" prize at the Japanese Academy Awards in 2005 for her role in Swing Girls....
as Megumi "Nodame" Noda.
Music direction was by Daisuke Mogi with original music by Takayuki Hattori, with several works of classical music featured in each episode. The orchestral music was performed by Nodame Orchestra, which consisted of members specially selected for the live-action drama with professional support from the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
The , also known as Tokyō , is one of the representative symphony orchestras of Japan. The Orchestra was founded in 1965 by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, to commemorate the Tokyo Olympics ....
. The Orchestra was conducted by James DePriest, Permanent Conductor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, who would later have his name and likeness used in the Nodame storyline as the musical director of the fictional Roux-Marlet Orchestra. The opening theme for both the drama series and special was the First movement ("Andante Cantabile") from Beethoven's Symphony No. 7
Symphony No. 7 (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92, in 1811, was the seventh of his nine symphonies. He worked on it while staying in the Bohemian spa town of Teplice in the hope of improving his health. It was completed in 1812, and was dedicated to Count Moritz von Fries.At its debut,...
, and the ending theme was Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue
Rhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects....
, both performed by the Nodame Orchestra conducted by Toshiaki Umeda.
An episode of , the fictional anime series that Nodame watches, was created by J.C.Staff
J.C.STAFF
, is a Japanese animation studio founded in January 1986. Their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden, in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Excel Saga, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Shakugan no Shana, Toaru Majutsu no...
for the drama. The anime was written and directed by Ken'ichi Kasai
Ken'ichi Kasai
is a Japanese anime director, born on 12 April 1970 in Gifu Prefecture.He is amongst J.C.Staff's most noted directors, having directed the highly-rated Honey and Clover series. Beginning his career as a production manager, using his birth name, he moved onto direction with J.C. Staff...
, the director of the first season of the Nodame Cantabile anime. Segments of the PuriGorota anime were shown during episode 4 of the Nodame Cantabile drama, with the complete anime released as a DVD extra with the Nodame Cantabile anime series.
Two live-action movie sequels to the television drama, with the same actors, have been announced with an anticipated release in December 2009 whilst the second film to be released 3 months later in 2010. Filming began in May 2009 and lasted for five months, and included location filming in Vienna.
Anime
Nodame Cantabile was also adapted as an animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
television series, produced by Fuji TV and animated by J.C.Staff
J.C.STAFF
, is a Japanese animation studio founded in January 1986. Their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden, in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Excel Saga, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Shakugan no Shana, Toaru Majutsu no...
. The series was broadcast on Fuji and associated stations in the Noitamina
Noitamina
– "Animation" written backwards – is a Fuji Television programming block, devoted to anime, originally broadcast each Thursday night from 24:45 to 25:15 . It was launched with the intention of expanding the target audience beyond the typical young male demographic...
time slot. The first season, called just Nodame Cantabile, was broadcast in 23 episodes from 11 January to 28 June 2007, and the second season, called Nodame Cantabile: Paris Chapter, was broadcast in 11 episodes from 8 October to 18 December 2008. Both seasons were also later aired in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on the satellite television
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
network Animax
Animax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
. The first season was directed by Ken'ichi Kasai
Ken'ichi Kasai
is a Japanese anime director, born on 12 April 1970 in Gifu Prefecture.He is amongst J.C.Staff's most noted directors, having directed the highly-rated Honey and Clover series. Beginning his career as a production manager, using his birth name, he moved onto direction with J.C. Staff...
(the director of the Honey and Clover
Honey and Clover
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Chika Umino. It is also known as and H&C. It is published by Shueisha, initially serialized from June 2000 to July 2006 in the magazines CUTiEcomic, Young YOU, and Chorus, and collected in ten bound volumes...
anime) and the second season by Chiaki Kon
Chiaki Kon
is a Japanese anime director who directed the anime adaptations of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Umineko no Naku Koro ni, and Nodame Cantabile: Paris Chapter. She also worked the storyboard and dramatization for the anime Midori Days and did the Opening Animation for Shōnen Onmyōji.-External links:...
, and starred Ayako Kawasumi
Ayako Kawasumi
is a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer. She is affectionately referred to by her fellow voice actors and fans as "", "" and "". She is a skilled pianist, having practiced the piano since childhood....
as Megumi "Nodame" Noda and Tomokazu Seki
Tomokazu Seki
is a Japanese voice actor. He formerly worked for Haikyou and is now the head of Atomic Monkey.-About:Some of his most notable roles include Shinichi Chiaki from Nodame Cantabile, Gilgamesh from Fate/stay night, Rob Lucci from One Piece, Gundam characters Domon Kasshu and Yzak Joule, from G Gundam...
as Shinichi Chiaki. An original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
(OVA) episode was included with the limited edition volume 22 of the manga when it was published in Japan on 10 August 2009, and a third and final anime season, called Nodame Cantabile: Finale started airing in January 2010.
On 6 February 2009, the series received its English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
television premiere on Animax Asia
Animax Asia
Animax Asia is the Japanese anime TV network Animaxs English language feeds in Southeast Asia and South Asia, as well as its feeds across other regions of mainland Asia, including Hong Kong and Taiwan...
across its networks in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, airing the series with its original Japanese audio and English subtitles. and later its air in English Dubbed on 12 June 2009.
Music director for both seasons was Suguru Matsutani. As with the live-action drama, several works of classical music were featured in each episode, performed by the Nodame Orchestra. The opening theme of season one was "Allegro Cantabile" by Suemitsu & The Suemith
Suemitsu & The Suemith
Suemitsu & the Suemith is a Japanese solo project headed by Suemitsu Atsushi . He performs piano and vocals for the project...
, and the ending themes were "Konna ni Chikaku de...
Konna ni Chikaku de...
"Konna ni Chikaku de..." is Crystal Kay's 20th single, released on February 28, 2007. It was Kay's second single off the album "All Yours" after "Kitto Eien ni". This single was used for the ending credits of Japanese anime Nodame Cantabile. In the anime, the melody from the song is used in...
" by Crystal Kay
Crystal Kay
Crystal Kay Williams , known by her stage name Crystal Kay, is a singer and songwriter from Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan...
(episodes 1–12), "Sagittarius" by Suemitsu & the Nodame Orchestra (episodes 13–22), and "Allegro Cantabile" by Suemitsu & The Suemith (episode 23). The opening theme for the second season was "Sky High" by The Gospellers (with melody taken from the Third movement ("Allegro Scherzando") of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2
Piano Concerto No. 2 (Rachmaninoff)
The Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, is a concerto for piano and orchestra composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff between the autumn of 1900 and April 1901. The second and third movements were first performed with the composer as soloist on 2 December 1900...
), and the ending theme was by Emiri Miyamoto x solita (with variations on the theme from Ravel's Boléro
Boléro
Boléro is a one-movement orchestral piece by Maurice Ravel . Originally composed as a ballet commissioned by Russian ballerina Ida Rubinstein, the piece, which premiered in 1928, is Ravel's most famous musical composition....
). The opening theme for the final season is "Manazashi Daydream" by Yuu Sakai (with variations on the theme from Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring is the most common English title of the 10th movement of the cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. A transcription by the English pianist Myra Hess was published in 1926 for piano solo and in 1934 for piano duet...
) and the ending theme is "Kaze to Oka no Ballad (風と丘のバラード)" by Real Paradis with Nodame Orchestra.
The first season was released on 8 DVDs between April and November 2007. A box set was released in February 2008 with an additional 15-minute original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
(OVA), taking place between episodes 8 and 9. The series has been licensed in Russia and South Korea. The first DVD of the second season was released on 24 December 2008, with additional DVDs scheduled to be released monthly. As of March 2010, the first thirteen episodes are available for streaming in the US on Crackle
Crackle
Crackle is a digital network and studio, featuring commercially supported streaming video content in Flash Video format. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and its content consists primarily of Sony's library of films and television shows...
.
Music
Several albums of classical music have been released in association with Nodame Cantabile. Some were promotional tie-ins with the manga, while others are soundtrack albums for the live-action and anime series.- Nodame Cantabile - Released in September 2003 (ISBN B0000C4GLG), with sections of music by Rachmaninov, LisztLisztLiszt is a Hungarian surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Franz Liszt , Hungarian composer and pianist* Adam Liszt , father of Franz Liszt* Anna Liszt , mother of Franz Liszt...
, Brahms, Gershwin, Beethoven, and Chopin that are performed by the characters in the manga series. The performers included the Vienna Philharmonic, London Symphony OrchestraLondon Symphony OrchestraThe London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
, and Berlin Philharmonic.
- Nodame Cantabile Selection CD Book - Published on 10 August 2005 by Kodansha (ISBN 978-4-06-364646-7) as a book with accompanying CD. The CD includes works by Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Gershwin, Liszt, Mozart, Debussy, Ravel, and Richard StraussRichard StraussRichard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
that are performed by characters in the manga series. The book includes commentaries by music critic Sakuma.
- Brahms Symphony Number 1: Nodame Cantabile - Released in September 2005 by King Records (ISBN B000ALJ16S), with recordings of Brahms's Symphony No. 1Symphony No. 1 (Brahms)The Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68, is a symphony written by Johannes Brahms. Brahms spent at least fourteen years completing this work, whose sketches date from 1854. Brahms himself declared that the symphony, from sketches to finishing touches, took 21 years, from 1855 to 1876...
and SchubertFranz SchubertFranz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
's Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished"Symphony No. 8 (Schubert)Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in B minor , commonly known as the "Unfinished Symphony" , D.759, was started in 1822 but left with only two movements known to be complete, even though Schubert would live for another six years. A scherzo, nearly completed in piano score but with only two pages...
, which are performed in the series by the R☆S Orchestra. 50,000 copies had been sold by the end of October 2005, the month after release.
- Nodame Cantabile Selection CD Book vol.2 - Published in August 2006 by Kodansha (ISBN 978-4-06-364666-5), covering music that appeared in the manga series since the release of the first Selection CD Book, including pieces by Berlioz, Ravel, Stravinsky, FranckCésar FranckCésar-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck was a composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher who worked in Paris during his adult life....
, Dukas, and Mozart. Included in the book are commentaries by oboist and conductor Daisuke Mogi and music professor Osawa Tetsu.
- Nodame Orchestra LIVE! - Released 15 November 2006 (ISBN B000I5YAD0) as a 2-CD soundtrack for the live-action drama as performed by the Nodame Orchestra. It included works by Beethoven, Gershwin, Mozart, Brahms, Pablo de SarasatePablo de SarasatePablo Martín Melitón de Sarasate y Navascués was a Navarrese Spanish violinist and composer of the Romantic period.-Career:Pablo Sarasate was born in Pamplona, Navarre, the son of an artillery bandmaster...
, BachBạchBạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
, Chopin, Debussy, Stravinsky, and Schubert. This reached number seven on the OriconOricon, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
album chart.
- Nodame Orchestra STORY! - Released 21 February 2007 (ISBN B000M7XSPU) as a 2-CD soundtrack from the first season of the anime series, again performed by the Nodame Orchestra. It included works as supposedly performed by the fictional student ensembles S Orchestra, A Orchestra, and R☆S Orchestra. It included works by Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Bartók, Dvořák, Gershwin, Rachmaninov, André JolivetAndré JolivetAndré Jolivet was a French composer. Known for his devotion to French culture and musical thought, Jolivet's music draws on his interest in acoustics and atonality as well as both ancient and modern influences in music, particularly on instruments used in ancient times...
, Listz, Saint-Saëns, Elgar, Bach, Brahms, Schubert, Debussy, Schumann, Stravinsky, and de Sarasate.
- Nodame Cantabile Selection CD Book vol.3 - Released in August 2008 (ISBN 978-4-06-364666-5), covering music that appeared in volumes 16–20 of manga series, since the release of the second Selection CD Book. It included works by Rossini, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Bach, and Debussy.
- Nodame Cantabile: Paris Chapter - Released 15 October 2008 (ISBN B001DNF70Q) as a 2-CD soundtrack from the second season of anime series, again performed by the Nodame Orchestra.
In addition, Nodame Cantabile Special BEST! was released 19 December 2007, a "best-of" compilation of the most popular works from these albums to date.
Games
Three Nodame Cantabile games have been released in Japan:- Nodame Cantabile for Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, released 19 April 2007 by Namco Bandai GamesNamco Bandai Gamesis an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...
. - Nodame Cantabile for PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, released 19 July 2007 by BanprestoBanprestois a Japanese toy company, best known in America for game development, headquartered in the Shinagawa Seaside West Building in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It was founded April 1977 as Hoei Sangyo, Co. Ltd. The company was renamed Coreland in 1982, and during the 1980s it worked mainly as a subcontractor for...
. for WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
console, released 27 December 2007 by Namco Bandai Games.
Reception
The manga of Nodame Cantabile received the 2004 Kodansha Manga AwardKodansha Manga Award
is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in four categories: children's, shōnen, shōjo, and general. The awards began in 1977, initially with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The first award for the...
for shōjo
Shojo
The term refers to manga marketed to a female audience roughly between the ages of 10-18. The name romanizes the Japanese 少女 , literally: "little female". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative and graphic styles, from historical drama to science fiction — often with a strong...
manga, and was a jury recommendation at both the 2005 and 2008 Japan Media Arts Festival
Japan Media Arts Festival
The Japan Media Arts Festival is an annual festival held by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs since 1997. The festival for a nominal year was usually held during February or March next year, rather than at the end of the nominal year. For instance, the 2010 Japan Media Arts Festival, where...
s. It was a finalist for the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2005 and 2006, but did not win. In 2006, the English translation was named by the New York Public Library as one of the Books for the Teen Age. The series is a perennial best-seller in Japan: the first 16 volumes sold over 19 million copies as of January 2007, and the series sold 2.8 million copies in 2008, making it the 8th best-selling manga series in Japan that year. Volume 17 was the third best-selling manga on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
charts for 2007, and volumes 20 and 21 were the 6th and 7th best-selling manga on the Oricon charts for 2008, respectively, selling 1.2 million copies each. According to an Oricon survey men and women aged 10–40, Nodame Cantabile was the second "most interesting" manga series published during 2008. The series and its associated music albums are credited with increasing sales of classical music in Japan.
The English translation of Nodame Cantabile has been praised for its quirky, interesting characters, sense of humor, and clean art. Dirk Deppey
Dirk Deppey
Dirk Deppey is a comics journalist and critic. He is best known as the writer of The Comics Journal's news blog Journalista!. He was managing editor of The Comics Journal from 2004 to 2006.He currently resides in Tucson, Arizona.-External links:...
in The Comics Journal
The Comics Journal
The Comics Journal, often abbreviated TCJ, is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels...
praised Ninomiya's storytelling, saying she "has a solid sense of when to accentuate the highs and lows with just the right note, and understands that one can only do this by not hitting such notes very often", resulting in "an understated soap opera" that is "a seamless and enjoyable storytelling experience." Reviewers have called Ninomiya's character development subtle, while noting it is the character interactions that drive the story, and that "each character has a real and lasting effect on others." Reviewers also cite Ninomiya's ability to depict "scenes of people playing music that no one can hear" and her sense of humor as factors in the series' appeal. Ninomiya has been criticized for not handling transitions between storylines well, for sometimes letting the characters derail the story, and for art and backgrounds that are sometimes too plain. Matt Thorn
Matt Thorn
Matt Thorn is a cultural anthropologist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Manga Production at Kyoto Seika University's Faculty of Manga in Japan. He is most well known in North America for his work dealing with shōjo manga. He has appeared at multiple anime conventions, including...
criticized the English translation for inaccuracies of tone.
The live-action drama received the 2007 Japanese Drama Academy Awards for Best Drama, Best Lead Actress (Juri Ueno
Juri Ueno
is a Japanese actress from Kakogawa, Hyogo, Japan. She was one of six actors to receive the "Newcomer of the Year" prize at the Japanese Academy Awards in 2005 for her role in Swing Girls....
), Best Direction (Hideki Takeuchi), Best Music (Takayuki Hattori), and Best Title Song; the show was also recognized overseas as Best Miniseries at the 2nd Seoul Drama Festival. Juri Ueno also was named Best Newcomer at the Élan d'or Awards for her performance, and the next year was named Best Actress at the International Drama Festival in Tokyo Awards for reprising her role as Nodame in the television special. The New Year's Special in Europe received an average household rating of 20.3% and 21.0% for the two nights it was broadcast in Japan, making it them the highest-rated drama episodes of the week. The first soundtrack album for the drama, Nodame Orchestra LIVE!, reached number seven on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
album chart, breaking the record for highest ranked classical music album.
The drama has been praised by reviewers for, especially, the acting.
The opening episode of the anime series broke the record for audience share for its time-slot. The first DVD volume debuted at number 3 on the Oricon chart for anime the week it went on sale.
Although the anime has not been licensed in English, it has still received notice from English reviewers, who praised the character development and chemistry, the balance between drama and comedy, voice acting, and especially the music—both the performances and how it was presented. Reviewers did complain that the visual design of some secondary characters were too similar.
In 2006, a cafe based on Nodame Cantabile opened in Harajuku
Harajuku
Harajuku is the common name for the area around Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan....
, Tokyo, including live music from the live-action drama and sets from the show.