Your Lie In April: Tragically Beautiful

Nefarious Reviews

It is the month of April, so it is only fair that I re-watch one of my favorite anime shows, Your Lie In April. Your Lie In April is about a piano prodigy named Kousei Arima who loses the ability to hear the piano keys he is playing due to a traumatic event in his childhood. While in his depression, Kousei meets an eccentric, carefree violinist named Kaori Miyazono, who tries to help Kousei snap out of his depression, build his confidence, and get him to start playing the piano again to face his trauma. Your Lie In April is an incredibly emotional anime, and I would like to use this post to describe the emotional impact this anime had on my life more than writing a normal review.

Watching this anime, I felt like I had so much in common with Kousei Arima. As Kousei was growing up, his sickly mother would have him practice playing the piano for an obscene amount of hours a day, frequently becoming physically and emotionally abusive towards Kousei. Her incessant drive to have Kousei only play the notes on the page and not express himself with his music gave him the nickname of "The Human Metronome" to his peers. In my childhood, my father would force his beliefs on me and have me go to religious institutions when I did not want to go. This negatively affected my relationship with my father and drove me to quit having a religious affiliation. It is heartbreaking to see Kousei keep playing the piano and win competitions in the misguided belief that winning will help his mother feel better, despite her illness. On the other hand, my father's imposition of his beliefs only made me resent him even more.

I identify with Kousei's depression, as sometimes, I tend to see the world in black and white, instead of color, due to the issues I had growing up. I also identify with Kousei's lack of self-confidence. In the anime, Kousei experiences hardships that draw him back into his shell. He tells himself that he cannot play the piano due to not being able to hear the keys, when it is nothing more than a mental block that requires tough love from Kaori and his friends. I always find myself doubting my accomplishments and abilities, and feel like I do not deserve it. I have friends that try to cheer me up and tell me otherwise, but I cannot help but let these negative thoughts fester. Kousei is someone that is always in his own thoughts and is oblivious to the people and situations around him. I tend to feel that way as well, where sometimes when I am in a meeting or talking to someone, I zone out and think about something else. 

Kaori is someone who is always upbeat and sees the world in full, vibrant color, regardless of her medical condition. Kaori is the one who makes Kousei see in color again and helps him to not only play the piano again, but to express himself with every piano key he presses. If his peers consider Kousei a robot, then Kaori is the one that turns him human. Now, I am not necessarily waiting for a woman that will help me to see in color, but there a couple of things that I fall back on in order to express myself. One thing is this very blog. I am able to express my opinions and myself freely by using the blank canvas that is the white text box, where my words go. The other thing is going to Toronto FC matches and standing in the supporters sections. I am able to lose myself in the atmosphere, let off steam by screaming my face off, and block out everything going on in my life.

I am not a fan of classical music, but the use of that genre in Your Lie In April, as well as the original soundtrack, is astounding. The classical music was amazing for the pianists to communicate their emotions to the audience, and the anime goes to great lengths to explain that to the viewer. The original soundtrack is memorable, and helps to emphasize more emotional and significant moments.

Your Lie In April conveys a wide range of emotions, but above all, it is a beautiful sadness. The anime uses the vehicles of loss, trauma, and teenage romance to plunge the characters into the states of depression, jealousy, and ultimately euphoria and triumph. In my teenage and adult life, I have never cried watching a movie or TV show. Your Lie In April nearly had me crying on multiple occasions because the personalities and situations of the characters involved (especially Kousei) hit too close to home for me. I may make it a habit to watch this anime every April. This show made me feel things that no other show made me feel, and I thank the creators for it. Your Lie In April is a must-watch for everyone.