Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso Anime Review

The sound of a piano can be quite beautiful, but there are those who can't hear that beautiful sound. If there was a pianist like that, he may stop being a pianist, but there also may be a violinist who will get that pianist back on his feet. I first heard about this anime from being one of those anime that aired during the Fall 2014 season, but I forgot to watch it until pretty much immediately after it ended. I guess I wanted to see what all of the hype it got was all about. (Plus, I completely fell in love with the first opening theme before I actually started watching the anime.) I'm glad I decided to, as this turns out to be a beautiful anime.

Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, also known in English as Your Lie in April, is about a young pianist named Kousei Arima. He was well-known among child musicians, but after his mother died, he found that he was unable to hear the notes when he plays his piano. As a result, he has a break-down at a performance and ultimately gives up on the piano. In the two years that passed after that, he hasn't played the piano. One day, Kousei meets a young, aspiring violinist named Kaori Miyazono. Albeit against Kousei's will, Kaori helps him return to the piano and bring color back into his gray life.

The thing I loved most about Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso is obviously its music. As I mentioned toward the beginning of this review, I listened to the first opening, "Hikaru Nara" by Goose house, before I even started watching this anime and ultimately fell in love with it; it's become one of my all-time favorite anime openings. It's not just that, though; the second opening and both of the endings are quite beautiful as well. It's the same thing with the piano and the violin performances, especially the one in the last episode. That was REALLY beautiful!

The story was a rather excellent one, with a good amount of character development. It was so nice to see each character grow, especially Kousei. However, with this warning being as spoiler-free as I can manage, the ending is pretty sad, so beware! The characters are all very likable.... well, except maybe Kousei's mother; in the flashbacks that she appeared in at the beginning, she came off as such an awful person! Finally, the animation is very beautiful. A-1 Pictures has done some wonderful animation before, but the animation in this anime is just plain stunning!

Overall, Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso is a great anime. If you like beautiful anime in nearly every way possible, I would recommend that you check out this one. I hope my review has reached you!