# Nodame Cantabile - Japanese series



## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

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I'm currently watching the live-action version of this appealing Japanese series about students at a music academy. _Nodame Cantabile_ was originally serialized in a magazine, then released to 23 manga volumes. It has been adapted into to television series: a live-action drama (the one I'm watching) and an animé. Both the manga and animé are available in English translation, but the live-action series is readily available to view on-line with excellent English subtitles.

The _Nodame Cantabile_ manga won the 2004 Kodansha Manga Award, and the English translation was named by the New York Public Library in 2006 as one of the Books for the Teen Age. The live-action drama received the 2007 Japanese Drama Academy Awards for Best Drama, Best Lead Actress, Best Direction, Best Music, and Best Title Song; the show was also recognized overseas as Best Miniseries at the 2nd Seoul Drama Festival.

The series and its associated music albums are credited with increasing sales of classical music in Japan.

This series synopsis is from DramaWiki:

Megumi Noda, or "Nodame" is a piano student at Momogaoka College of Music. An extremely talented pianist who wants to be a kindergarten 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. An arrogant multi-lingual perfectionist who once lived abroad in the music capitals of the world as a young boy, he feels mired in Japan because of a childhood phobia.
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. Because of Nodame, Chiaki got 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.

I hope that you are intrigued enough to give this series a try. To watch on-line, search "watch nodame cantabile".


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## violadude (May 2, 2011)

Thanks for showing me this series, Lunasong! I have watched the first episode and think it is very funny!! Chiaki and Nodame make a hilarious comedic duo! Nodame being an innocent and sweet yet very strange, messy and sometimes smelly girl...while Chiaki being a calculating, neat, mostly serious and ambitious man. His reactions to Nodames antics are the funniest part of the show to me, so far anyway.


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## Lunasong (Mar 15, 2011)

"Unusual qualities" is an understatement! Here's the link I gave violadude for watching. I especially appreciate this series because it's music-based!

edit: I found a site with a complete music listing. This site also has links for watching. Here's from just the first episode:
Chibi Chiaki flashback in Prague with Maestro Viera - Dvorak "Czech Suite"
"Look out I like Chiaki" - Mendelssohn "Symphony No. 4 Italian
Chiaki VS Eto (Harisen) at the Lesson Room - Beethoven "Moonlight Sonata"
Chiaki hears Nodame playing piano - Beethoven "Pathetique Sonata]"
Chiaki and Saiko at a bar - Schubert "Impromptu Op.90.No.2
Chiaki flashback of the plane crash landing - Verdi Requiem "Day of Wrath"
Chiaki dreams - Bradfield "The Maiden Whose Voice Made the Animals Sing"
Nodame's dirty room - Beethoven "Pathetique Sonata"
Nodame's apartment hallway - Gershwin "Rhapsody in Blue"
"You forgot your belt" - Hattori Takayuki "Healthy Student"
A Orchestra - Beethoven "Symphony No. 9" - 1st Movement
Nodame & Chiaki piano duet - Mozart's "Sonata in D major for Two Pianos"
Saiko vocal performance - "Mozart Opera The Magic Flute" from Meinem Herzen
Chiaki cleans Nodame's room - Rimsky-Korsakov "Flight of the Bumble Bee"
Nodame's Room - F.W. Meacham "American Patrol"
Milch's appearance - Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" Act II from "Nutcracker"
Milch wanders around Momogaoka - Prokofiev Suite "Montague and Capulets" from Romeo and Juliet
Nodame & Chiaki piano duet - Mozart's "Sonata in D major for Two Pianos"
Chiaki flashback - Dvorak "Czech Suite"
Nodame practices in her room - Mozart's "Sonata in D major for Two Pianos"
Nodame meets Milch - Tchaikovsky's "Serenade for Strings Waltz 2nd Mov"
Milch & Nodame go to Chiaki's room - Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" Act II from "Nutcracker"
Nodame in bed - Tchaikovsky "Waltz of the Flowers" from "Nutcracker"
Chiaki in despair - Beethoven "Pathetique Sonata"
Nodame in lesson room - Mozart's "Sonata in D major for Two Pianos"
Chiaki shampoos Nodame - Gershwin "Rhapsody in Blue"
Nodame & Chiaki piano duet - Mozart's "Sonata in D major for Two Pianos"
Nodame falls in love - Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro Opera" K.492


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## Chibi Ubu (11 mo ago)

Nodame Cantabile was originally conceived as Japanese Anime. There are three seasons with some OAVs:

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/search/name?only=anime&q=nodame+cant

There's a Korean take done in live action as well. Will anyone check it out?


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