Fan reviews: Nodame Cantabile

McCloud · 16 May 2007

i finished this in a day..very funny but i wanna see more nodame characther develop .. wondering the way she learn in europe .. after that i need more story bout gathering the Oke

apeman · 7 May 2007

this is one of a master piece japanese drama that i have seen...

ssie · 19 Apr 2007

what i really love about this series was the awesome classic music. i've always loved classical music and to have such a dorama that featured the gorgeous sounds of piano and violin totally had me drooling. i love how chiaki was acting cool but fell for the funny nodame who doesn't even know how to clean her room nonetheless. i really think that this was one of the best dorama in 2006 and i actually couldn't find fault with this series (except for the exagerrated scenes which are forgivable). you're missing half of your life if you wouldn't watch this series.

shari · 3 Apr 2007

Take a bunch of circus clowns, dress them as students, give them violins and timpani instead of kazoos and slide-whistles, and you've got Nodame Cantabile. If you like circus acts, you may love this show. If you like classical music, better turn off the sound and play your grandpa's Spike Jones vinyls.

Wynter · 26 Mar 2007

Before I begin my praises, let me state the two, and only two, problems I had with this drama. First, I find the title a little misleading. It gives the impression that this drama is going to be about Noda Megumi, but as I watched it, it became clear that the emphasis is hugely on Chiaki-kun. This isnft a problem, per say, but I would have liked to have seen more development in Nodamefs character. She develops musically, but her inner depth remains the same. And second, I disliked Stresemann. It wasnft so much the actor, Naoto Takenaka, who I think is grand. It was more the physical appearancec and personalityc andc I dunno. He just annoyed me. I cringed whenever he appeared in an episode. There is something so dirty about him. Whenever he opened his mouth, I felt sticky and disgusted. And he wasnft at all convincing as a conductor, which I suppose is a flaw in Naoto. He was way off beat and didnft follow the measure conducting that way itfs supposed to be. But anyways, aside from these two points, the drama was perfect.

People may consider the comedy in this drama to be a bit gslapstickh but I thought it was artistically done. The physical scenes were well choreographed and the animated acting was refreshing. Ueno Juri was brilliant, as usual, but Hiroshi Tamaki pleasantly surprised me. He was surprisingly good in this comedic role, and much of the dramafs success needs to go to him. I havenft read the manga so I donft know how closely the plot was followed, but the storyline was very good. It grew slowly in a delightfully liquid way. I was emotionally upset when the drama came to an abrupt end after the final performance.

Ah, the performances. There are few words I can use to convey just how divine the music was in this drama. Ifve always been a fan of classical music, so perhaps the goverwhelmingh factor was downplayed on me a bit. But itfs not just the music. Itfs the musical artists and their interaction with the audience. Itfs the members of the orchestra and their interaction with each other. Itfs the players and their interaction with their instruments. When Nodame sits in the audience and weeps, I weep as well. The music is powerful, yes, but it is made even more beautiful by the characters and the actors who play such characters. During that last performancec when the violins lifted, I swear I had shivers dancing on my spine.

This is a drama you can watch repeatedly without getting bored. Writing this review is making me want to watch it again. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

JChang · 30 Jan 2007

Very funny and cannot stop watching. I finished the drama in 2 days.

Shindou · 25 Jan 2007

A well-adapted series led by Ueno Juri and Tamaki Hiroshi. Juri played her part very well and Tamaki certainly shone in the leading role. The supporting characters were well represented by the rest of the cast, Takenaka being a very interesting 'Stresemann' character. Mizukawa Asami was probably my fav character in this series :) - she looked quite professional and i'm actually curious if she played the violin for this filming of the series. The comedy in the series served the dorama well and certainly did not overwhelm the underlying storyline and the more serious issues the characters faced. Last of all, the background music and classical pieces chosen for this series were surprisingly well-picked. I would definitely recommend this light-hearted comedy without reservation! Bravo!!

Doff · 25 Jan 2007

I'm almost lost for words right now.. I just finished wathing this series, watched it all in one go, holy shit, It's funny as hell, almost fell off my chair, i don't know how many times, and moreover, i couldn't stop the tears from falling in that last episode, so damn amazing. And i'm a guy... really this stuff.. pweh..
So if you want to watch a drama with excellent actors, you'll get a bit of everything in this drama. Watch!"

sucigam · 8 Jan 2007

This is a show that is comprised of 3/4's comedy and 1/4 drama. I won't really go into the comedy aspect of it as most people have already talked about how hilarious it is every single episode. Think of all the crazy physical comedy going on in a manga or anime brought to life and that's pretty much what Nodame Cantabile is in a nutshell.

As for the drama aspect I think this is where the show really sets itself apart as something special. It goes into a subject that I don't think we see enough in dramas which is with the character becoming part of something bigger than himself and undergoing a major shift in personality due to the effect of those around him, specifically by his love interest (or better described as his punching bag that goes gyabo! when you hit it) who is a polar opposite of himself. This show reminds me of Densha Otoko (made by the same director) in that yes it is a love story but more than that it's about becoming a better person because of the interactions with people we take for granted.

It is also reminiscent of Densha because of its great ensemble cast. There is of course the two leads who both seem like they were destined to play there respective characters, but the other orchestra members also give great performances that are so memorable. Special nods go to Eita(Mine) and Koide Keisuke(Masumi) who do so much with the little lines they are given. Also Kimura Ryou coming in in the last few eps as Kiyora(musically) and Masumi's(err.. romantically?) rival was a great decision, that guy is a comedy ace and brought in some fresh comedy when the series needed it. Most importantly though is Takenaka's portrayal of Stresman, he deserves some kind of award for stealing every scene he is in.

Nodame is really well done with the best musical arrangement I have ever heard in any drama and it is a shame that it isn't more popular than it is. I'm guessing that once it becomes more accessible this show is going to be recognized as one of the best, if not the best of 2006.

prismatic_star · 4 Jan 2007

This drama does not fail to make you laugh! It's a recommended watch!

adinda_indriaputri@yahoo · 2 Jan 2007

actually now im still watching it i have reached episode 9 and indeed i really like it..such a hilarious jdorama maybe cause i never seen like this one before...though the story line is really simple they can make it really interesting mixed with brilliant act..

adinda_indriaputri@yahoo · 2 Jan 2007

actually now im still watching it i have reached episode 9 and indeed i really like it..such a hilarious jdorama maybe cause i never seen like this one before...though the story line is really simple they can make it really interesting mixed with brilliant act..

jeune_daisy · 1 Jan 2007

I quite enjoyed it. Somehow it wasn't so real but I have to accept that this drama adapted from Manga. I like Chiaki sama and Nodame a lot, they make a great couple!!

dokodemodoa · 23 Dec 2006

funny, great music, yet still touching..
love it!!

8thSin · 13 Dec 2006

This is probably the funniest dorama series I've ever seen. All the actors did a great job, and the story was so well written that it's hard to believe this is a comedy series, not to mention it's based on manga, which usually have pathetic storylines. The performance scenes were very moving, and they did a very good job displaying the passion in music.

Nodame Cantabile features CG that make you feel like watching anime. It effectively removes cheesiness in manga-based doramas. Hopefully this is the the new trend!

idetakun · 8 Dec 2006

A good comedy proceeds in the right pace ~
Chiaki sama is cool and funny~
What a lucky girl nodame is to live at the next door of this hearthrob><

prismatic_star · 26 Oct 2006

I like it alot! It's hilarious! I gave it an eight though since there was some scenes that weren't well explained.