Nodame Cantabile
There's a couple different adaptation of Nodame Cantabile beside the original manga, including two anime (Chapter Japan & Paris), one Japanese drama (Chapter Japan), and one Japanese drama special (Chapter Paris). My pilgrimage started with the manga, then the drama, then the first anime, then the drama special, and then the second anime. While each medium has its strengths and weaknesses, this is one of the few works that actually excel in all versions.
I don't consider myself musical, especially when it comes to playing any musical instrument, but Nodame Cantabile easily opens the door to classical music for me. The manga orchestrates an interesting cast of characters with a fascinating story line to make up a unique melody. Even with all the classical music terms and names, it's attractive rather than intimidating. Of course, being a romanticist, the relationship between Nodame and Chiaki is one of the main driving forces for me as well. XD
While the manga is loaded with knowledge of great composers and music pieces, it lacks the audio component which is critical for a music-themed work. The anime and drama may not adhere to the original as closely, but it's invaluable to be able to see the characters come to live and hear the music. Instead of names consisted of letters and numbers that mean nothing to me (e.g. Etude Op.10-4 in A flat major), I can immerse myself in the melody and just enjoy the experience.
The drama version was quite intense, with deliberate gag and comical effects. I had a bit of trouble adjusting from the princely image of Chiaki in the manga to a real person, but Tamaki Hiroshi pulled off the prestige bearing rather nicely. Ueno Juuri's Nodame was so dramatic that she almost overshadowed Kawasumi Ayako's Nodame in the first anime. The biggest point going for the drama version for me was actually Takenaka Naoto's Milch, which the anime's Milch just couldn't compare.
The anime version is close to the original art style and uses a soft palette and lighting. The quality is pretty consistent and the instrument playing seems genuine to me. The second anime season, Chapter Paris, retains the same level of quality but at the same time also employs CG rendering for a lot of the conducting scenes and flowery effects, which I'm not particularly fond of. Seamless implementation of 3D CG into a 2D art medium with a harmonious result is very difficult, but Chapter Paris is within tolerable range for me.
Chapter Paris has a much smaller cast, so the seiyuu's acting skill becomes critical. Nodame has calmed down quite a bit and grown more mature in Chapter Paris, and Kawasumi Ayako really shines as Nodame here. Seki Tomokazu is exceptional as usual, and Itou Shizuka and Matsukaze Masaya are great as supporting characters.
Due to the time constraint, both the drama special (total about 5 hours) and the second anime (total about 4 hours) have to omit quite a lot of scenes and details and focus on different aspects. In this respect, while the drama special version is lively and entertaining, it pales when compared to the anime version for me. My brother would probably think otherwise, though, as he usually prefer story-driven than character-driven stuff.
All in all, I highly recommend Nodame Cantabile and all its adaptation for anyone whether music is your thing or not.
Why hasn't anyone licensed the anime yet? orz
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Monday, February 09, 2009
I consider myself a newbie when it comes to Vocaloid. While I probably haven't even listened to 0.1% of all the Vocaloid songs out there, there's a couple that I really like and go back to from time to time. ココロ is one of them, and the 悪ノ series by 悪ノP is another.
悪ノ娘(Aku no Musume/Wicked Girl) depicts a princess who ascends the throne at the young age of 14 and rules over her kingdom with spoiled and selfish tyranny, and how she meets her end. Despite the cruelness of the subject, the song style is rather light-hearted with a quick tempo, as if putting on a stage play at a local comedy theatre.
I'm sure the series wouldn't have touched so many people's heart if not for 悪ノ召使(Aku no Meshitsukai/Wicked Servant), the companion song that tells the same story from the view point of the servant with the same face that's only mentioned once in 悪ノ娘. As it turns out, the twins were forced to separate when they were little, resulting in the heartless nature in the princess. The lost twin is brought back to her, but as a servant who does the biddings of the princess, no matter how sinful it is. At the end, he switches roles with the princess and dies at the guillotine disguised as her. She is his other half, and he loves her dearly, to the point of dying for her.
At the communion today, the pastor reminded us once again that Jesus loves us so much that he died for us. Len (the servant) is willing to die for Rin (the princess) because they are twin siblings. Jesus is not related to us by nature, yet He loves us and gives His all to us, so that we can be clean and be free.
In リグレットメッセージ(Regret Message, not written by 悪ノP), Rin thinks back to what Len had done for her and regrets her actions, but Len won't be back again. Jesus, on the other hand, rose from the dead after three days! When I do something wrong or stupid, it's not too late to repent and change, and Jesus is there for me every step of the way.
It's kind of hard to lay out in words what went through my mind when I heard those words from the pastor this morning and mentally made a comparison with Len in 悪ノ召使. I think this is one of the reasons why I like the song so much, to see the great display of love.
On the topic of 悪ノ召使, here are some PV that I mylisted. These two are chorus projects, and I especially love the second one, 悪ノ召使 -Classical version-【ミニ合唱】Project Edition. I couldn't help but tear up when Len sings T__T
On the subject of parallel comparison, I found Re_birthday and one of its PV just now (yes, I've been listening to the 悪ノ series on Niconico while writing this). Another uncunning resemblance! Len, alone in a dark space and chained down by the blood and tears from people he's wronged, is condemned by his sins. Then one day, the dark space opens up a crack and lets in a small light, freeing him from the chains and giving him a second chance. Sounds like every born again Christian's path, eh?
I think Re_birthday links up the trilogy (悪ノ娘、悪ノ召使、リグレットメッセージ) very nicely and completes the 悪ノ series along with ぜんまい仕掛けの子守唄(Zenmaijikake no Komoriuta/Clockwork Lullaby). こんな素敵なシリーズありがとう、悪ノP氏!(Thank you for this wonderful series, Aku no P-san!)
悪ノ娘(Aku no Musume/Wicked Girl) depicts a princess who ascends the throne at the young age of 14 and rules over her kingdom with spoiled and selfish tyranny, and how she meets her end. Despite the cruelness of the subject, the song style is rather light-hearted with a quick tempo, as if putting on a stage play at a local comedy theatre.
I'm sure the series wouldn't have touched so many people's heart if not for 悪ノ召使(Aku no Meshitsukai/Wicked Servant), the companion song that tells the same story from the view point of the servant with the same face that's only mentioned once in 悪ノ娘. As it turns out, the twins were forced to separate when they were little, resulting in the heartless nature in the princess. The lost twin is brought back to her, but as a servant who does the biddings of the princess, no matter how sinful it is. At the end, he switches roles with the princess and dies at the guillotine disguised as her. She is his other half, and he loves her dearly, to the point of dying for her.
At the communion today, the pastor reminded us once again that Jesus loves us so much that he died for us. Len (the servant) is willing to die for Rin (the princess) because they are twin siblings. Jesus is not related to us by nature, yet He loves us and gives His all to us, so that we can be clean and be free.
In リグレットメッセージ(Regret Message, not written by 悪ノP), Rin thinks back to what Len had done for her and regrets her actions, but Len won't be back again. Jesus, on the other hand, rose from the dead after three days! When I do something wrong or stupid, it's not too late to repent and change, and Jesus is there for me every step of the way.
It's kind of hard to lay out in words what went through my mind when I heard those words from the pastor this morning and mentally made a comparison with Len in 悪ノ召使. I think this is one of the reasons why I like the song so much, to see the great display of love.
On the topic of 悪ノ召使, here are some PV that I mylisted. These two are chorus projects, and I especially love the second one, 悪ノ召使 -Classical version-【ミニ合唱】Project Edition. I couldn't help but tear up when Len sings T__T
On the subject of parallel comparison, I found Re_birthday and one of its PV just now (yes, I've been listening to the 悪ノ series on Niconico while writing this). Another uncunning resemblance! Len, alone in a dark space and chained down by the blood and tears from people he's wronged, is condemned by his sins. Then one day, the dark space opens up a crack and lets in a small light, freeing him from the chains and giving him a second chance. Sounds like every born again Christian's path, eh?
I think Re_birthday links up the trilogy (悪ノ娘、悪ノ召使、リグレットメッセージ) very nicely and completes the 悪ノ series along with ぜんまい仕掛けの子守唄(Zenmaijikake no Komoriuta/Clockwork Lullaby). こんな素敵なシリーズありがとう、悪ノP氏!(Thank you for this wonderful series, Aku no P-san!)
Friday, February 06, 2009
I had a chance to go to Vancouver Downtown the other day, and what was supposed to be a side excursion to knowledge turned out to be another shopping trip. Not that I'm complaining. XD
Before departing on my journey to venture into the unknown and scary territory of Vancouver Downtown, I did a quick search on Google Maps for Japanese book stores, hoping to locate the one tipped off to me by the girl at Sakura Media. Well, the result rendered two possibilities within walking distance, Sophia Books and Book Off. I went to Sophia first because that seemed to be the less likely one (I always leave the best for later) and, as expected, walked out empty-handed. I did see a volume of the Kyouran Kazoku novel series, but I didn't get it. It's not quite my cup of tea.
Then I walked into Book Off and knew, right that instant, that I just hit the jackpot! Not only did the store offer a wide selection of books and manga in Japanese with great prices, but also Japanese music and DVD, and even console game software. And it's 20% off everything in the store, with the exception of the $2 items, during the whole month of February!
After about two hours or so, I re-emerged into the night with a big and heavy bag of loot and a thinner wallet. I would have grabbed more stuff, but I was taking the transit that day so it was best to keep the luggage relatively light.
To keep the long story short, here's a list of what I got:
CD
- Sound Horizon: 5th Story Roman (the most expensive purchase of the day, but absolutely worth every single penny! I didn't even imagine I can get it outside Japan without ordering online!)
- Sound Horizon: Shounen wa Tsurugi o
- Atari Kousuke: Kizuna/Natsu Yuuzora
- Atari Kousuke: Hana
- Utsunomiya Takashi: easy attraction
- Kamen Rider Kabuto OP Single: NEXT LEVEL
- Sousei no Aquarion OP Single: Sousei no Aquarion (the seiyuu version is superb!)
- db songbook featuring Kuwashima Houko
- Symphonic Suite Dragon Quest IV
Books
- Library War
- Library Civil War
- Library Crisis
- Favorite (darn the American spelling...) Japanese-English dictionary
Yup, I finally went and got a Japanese dictionary. The Rikaichan add-on is awesome, but it's much more convenient to use a paper dictionary while reading a book. Maybe that will motivate me to start rolling the novel translation project I've been planning forever. Speaking of which, I might switch my target from the Saiunkoku Monogatari series to the Library War series... We'll see.
Yeah, I went in to look for manga, but I ended up not buying any 'cause I already grabbed so many things. Maybe next time, whenever that will be.
I was really tempted to buy the anime DVD there, but they're Region 2 DVD... :(
Their DS game selection was rather small compared to the other consoles, but at least they are in Japanese! Too bad I already bought Dragon Quest IV; I rather play it in Japanese than in English. Ah well, at least now I know where I can get a few of the Japanese games. I had to put two DS games back to the shelf because I was trying to keep my next month's credit card bill down after my anime spending last month. CT, FF III, and DQ IV are probably enough to keep me busy until next year anyway.
All in all, it was a fruitful day. The only disappointment was that the Japanese eatery I was planning to have lunch at was no longer there. Granted, it was at least a good four years or so since I last went there. The sushi cafe express I ended up going was relatively cheap (man, one has to go broke eating out in Downtown all the time), and the food was not bad. Not the best place to chat and relax with friends, though.
I think all I have left to buy is the Gundam 0080 DVD from Sakura Media and hopefully AIR TV if they have it (gotta use those coupons!), and I'll be good with my ACG shopping for a long time. Until chance leads me into either Sakura Media or Book Off again, that is. I can't decide whether it's a curse or a blessing to be living so far away from everywhere... =v=
Before departing on my journey to venture into the unknown and scary territory of Vancouver Downtown, I did a quick search on Google Maps for Japanese book stores, hoping to locate the one tipped off to me by the girl at Sakura Media. Well, the result rendered two possibilities within walking distance, Sophia Books and Book Off. I went to Sophia first because that seemed to be the less likely one (I always leave the best for later) and, as expected, walked out empty-handed. I did see a volume of the Kyouran Kazoku novel series, but I didn't get it. It's not quite my cup of tea.
Then I walked into Book Off and knew, right that instant, that I just hit the jackpot! Not only did the store offer a wide selection of books and manga in Japanese with great prices, but also Japanese music and DVD, and even console game software. And it's 20% off everything in the store, with the exception of the $2 items, during the whole month of February!
After about two hours or so, I re-emerged into the night with a big and heavy bag of loot and a thinner wallet. I would have grabbed more stuff, but I was taking the transit that day so it was best to keep the luggage relatively light.
To keep the long story short, here's a list of what I got:
CD
- Sound Horizon: 5th Story Roman (the most expensive purchase of the day, but absolutely worth every single penny! I didn't even imagine I can get it outside Japan without ordering online!)
- Sound Horizon: Shounen wa Tsurugi o
- Atari Kousuke: Kizuna/Natsu Yuuzora
- Atari Kousuke: Hana
- Utsunomiya Takashi: easy attraction
- Kamen Rider Kabuto OP Single: NEXT LEVEL
- Sousei no Aquarion OP Single: Sousei no Aquarion (the seiyuu version is superb!)
- db songbook featuring Kuwashima Houko
- Symphonic Suite Dragon Quest IV
Books
- Library War
- Library Civil War
- Library Crisis
- Favorite (darn the American spelling...) Japanese-English dictionary
Yup, I finally went and got a Japanese dictionary. The Rikaichan add-on is awesome, but it's much more convenient to use a paper dictionary while reading a book. Maybe that will motivate me to start rolling the novel translation project I've been planning forever. Speaking of which, I might switch my target from the Saiunkoku Monogatari series to the Library War series... We'll see.
Yeah, I went in to look for manga, but I ended up not buying any 'cause I already grabbed so many things. Maybe next time, whenever that will be.
I was really tempted to buy the anime DVD there, but they're Region 2 DVD... :(
Their DS game selection was rather small compared to the other consoles, but at least they are in Japanese! Too bad I already bought Dragon Quest IV; I rather play it in Japanese than in English. Ah well, at least now I know where I can get a few of the Japanese games. I had to put two DS games back to the shelf because I was trying to keep my next month's credit card bill down after my anime spending last month. CT, FF III, and DQ IV are probably enough to keep me busy until next year anyway.
All in all, it was a fruitful day. The only disappointment was that the Japanese eatery I was planning to have lunch at was no longer there. Granted, it was at least a good four years or so since I last went there. The sushi cafe express I ended up going was relatively cheap (man, one has to go broke eating out in Downtown all the time), and the food was not bad. Not the best place to chat and relax with friends, though.
I think all I have left to buy is the Gundam 0080 DVD from Sakura Media and hopefully AIR TV if they have it (gotta use those coupons!), and I'll be good with my ACG shopping for a long time. Until chance leads me into either Sakura Media or Book Off again, that is. I can't decide whether it's a curse or a blessing to be living so far away from everywhere... =v=
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