Nodame Cantabile (2006)

This was the first Japanese drama I've ever watched and I still find it difficult to find another that compares. Whether you are a musical person or not, this drama will definitely find some way to lure you into the musical world.
First things first. The music: Absolutely amazing. I love the way they make the music the epicenter of everything in this drama. Sure, it has a cast of wacky characters, but when it comes to the music, everything else just goes to the background. You forget the silliness and instead get lost in the musical atmosphere.
Secondly, character-wise I think Nodame is by far the cutest most silly and lovable female leads of all time. Chiaki, is just an absolute stud in this and I fell for this guy instantly. Some might complain about the romance between the two characters, calling them childish and what not. But I found it to be so entertaining and enjoyed ever minute! The rest of the characters are hard not to love and I found myself wishing a happy ending for each and every one of them.:))) (Especially disco guy! Hahaha.)

It was because of this drama, that I started playing the piano again. I had given up on it in high school, but this drama brought me back to it and helped me appreciate the world of classical music once again. :)

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I've given it the highest score in everything, because it's my most favorite story ever. Being a big lover of classical music and always charmed by world of musicians I really couldn't ask for anything better. The acting is outstanding, not only the leads, but also the supporting characters are all very lively and unique. Some of them may feel a little bit overdone, especially foreigners played by Japanese actors, but they will make roll with laughter. Takenaka Naoto as Franz Strezemann was just epic. Apart from all the enjoyable silliness, the drama, at least in my opinion, was very touching at times, especially the follow-up story in specials and movies. That's why I highly recommend to watch it all.Even my husband, who usually don't care about that "asian stuff" that I'm crazy about, loved it and watched it 3 times with me. If you like classical music, but you think of it rather emotionally than seriously and you enjoy anime-like gags, you will have a blast watching this. I did!

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Read the manga and/or watched the anime?
Worried this will 'ruin it'?
Worry no more! You will LOVE it!
Never heard of the manga or the anime?
Worried this is far from what you are usually used to in a drama?
Worry no more! You will LOVE it!

A hilarious yet strangely moving story about the how a love of music can bring together people of contrasting personalities on a journey of epic self-discovery. Sounds cheesy but fellow sceptics, worry not! This drama is a joy to watch. Just stick with it and I promise you won't regret it.

In their roles, Tamaki Hiroshi and Ueno Juri bring to life complicated characters in such a way no manga/anime enthusiasts can fault. As with any adaptation, there are tons that could go wrong; from executing the story to getting right the casting/acting. Furthermore, the hardest thing to do is maintain the 'feel' of the original piece of work which was drawn or animated. This is hard to do this without making the drama look tacky or overacted. Nodame Cantabile however, managed to really capture the point of 'live action' making this drama a perfectly complementary to the manga/anime. Yet it as a stand-alone it somehow manages to remain accessible and enjoyable to the general public.

The incredibly colourful supporting characters are just wonderful to watch, with enough screen-time to keep things lively and interesting, yet not too much to keep us from enjoying the story of the two wonderful leads. The progression of the story is perfect, not too slow to become a drag and not too fast to hurt the overall impact of the drama.

The slapstick humour is so well-executed that you can't help but laugh out loud (even if you saw yourself as having a more 'sophisticated' sense of humour). The blend of comedy and serious drama is flawless and there is enough to please those who look forward to tearful emotional scenes. What can I say, the drama caters to variety of people! If you know a thing or two about classical music, you are bound to enjoy the wonderful pieces portrayed. And if you don't, you'll be surprised to find yourself with a new sense of appreciation for it.

I can't sing enough praise for this drama. It is far from typical, effortlessly funny and uplifting. Great chemistry between the entire cast, tons of memorable scenes and wonderful use of music.

For lovers of music, comedy and drama, a definite must see. And for those who have doubts about whether this drama is their cup of tea Broaden your horizons and give it a go.

You could be pleasantly surprised. :)

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I am going to repeat and refine my comments from the Nodame Thread here in my review:

When I first started this drama I actually did NOT like it. A lot of the humor is very wacky, comic book, slapstick. Which makes sense since it is based off a manga. It is definitely a drama that, at first, doesn't veer far from a manga style, unlike other live adaptations of manga that do not follow a graphic novel format.

I felt, while watching these early episodes, the style just wasn't for me. But as the episodes progressed there was tangible character growth. Especially from Nodame whose crazy, childish personality grated on me. As she grew and as I got to know the story and characters, that feeling diminished. The main leads and secondary characters all have growth! With the different concerts, orchestras forming and school year progressing, the plot moves along and doesn't stay stagnant. I didn't expect to come to like this but I did. Very Much!

Also, in spite of the cartoonish beginnings which lowered my expectation of content and writing, this also proved untrue. There are some scenes, especially in the latter half that have real depth and unexpectedly smart and mature dialog. I wish I could expound on this but let me just say the characters say and do things that are atypical of how dramas normally handle standard scenes and the relationships contained within.

The music is what this show is all about. Beautiful classical pieces are played through out and in the background making Nodame Cantabile pretty unique in the drama world. I gave the music a well deserved 10.

I am finished now with the 1st season and moving onto the first special. A week ago I almost dropped this. If you are like me and slapstick, comic style manga's aren't usually your thing, I recommend you stick with it and just maybe you will come to appreciate it like I did. If comic manga adapted dramas are your thing, Nodame Cantabile is Perfect for you!

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I honestly don't know why I started watching Nodame Cantabile just because 1. I dont like classical music and 2. I didnt know who any of the cast was...

Story- It was hilarious but also inspiring. Other than that the plot is pretty ordinary.

Acting/Cast- The acting was perfect. Loved the entire cast because they fit their roles perfectly. I'm a new fan of Tamaki=D

Music- Wonderful score that matched the theme of the show. I wasn't interested in listening to the music outside of the show though. I do have more respect for classical music though after watching this.

Rewatch- Because it was so entertaining and I loved the cast I'd watch this every year.

Overall Nodame Cantabile is different but I'm glad I gave it a chance. Its one of the best J dramas out there. So watch it!

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It took me a while to get used to this type of Japanese drama where it's showing comical actions similar to manga/anime style. I like it though after a few episodes, the music is top-notch, it's something I look forward to when I watch an episode. Acting is ok, wouldn't say it's the best I've seen but they have charm, the actor playing Mine is really good though, I like his acting. I haven't read the manga or watched the anime yet, so I don't know how true the live-action is to the original work, but I was expecting it to be focused more on Nodame's story, which in the drama, specials and movies it didn't really, it's more like Chiaki is the main character. While there should be really no complains about it being Chiaki's story but still I was hoping for more of Nodame's growth, but it was so slow and I really wish they focused on her more cos I really want to know more, she isn't a simple character after all, she has more depth but I don't think it was fully utilized. Also there's some really good supporting cast on this with their own background and story to share, just wished the director focused on that as well. Anyways, I'm recommending this drama, it's fun, lively and the musical scores are great.

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Note: I rarely give 10 or 9. Thus, if it has 10/9 rating in a particular category, then it really overwhelmed my criteria.

Overall - Well directed as the adaptation from the anime had been profoundly made the story livelier, meaningful and entertaining. Simply amazing!

Story - Each of the characters is very unique which made the story unique. Idealism was conveyed precisely as incorporated in the reality of classical music industry. Hidden meaning and/or figurative interpretation of reality had been flawlessly embedded.

Acting/Actor - The characters were portrayed brilliantly. Character to character connections had been portrayed with convincing and precise emotions.

Music - Awesome choice of classical pieces. Outstanding!

Rewatch Value - Just listening to the classical music had been enough. But what made this more rewatchable is because of the story made out of it with great direction and production and superb acting.

Having said these, for people who love classical music with great story, it's now the time to have it on your "plan to watch" list or should I say "completed" list.

Well for others, you may give it a shot and you'll never know, it might make your day/week.

By the way, my criteria per review and how I rate each category are discussed in my profile.

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On the surface, Nodame Cantabile is a typical romantic comedy of opposites attracting. Tamaki Hiroshi and Ueno Juri are pitch perfect as the mismatched pair, seamlessly veering from slapstick hijinks to emotionally grounded moments of discovery. However, the show’s real love affair is with music, and it’s a doozy, a delirious, swooning, unicorns-and-rainbows relationship that captures the raw joy of shared artistry, of that moment when an eclectic group of individuals joins together to become something greater than themselves.

The manga-esque staginess takes a bit of getting used to, with heavy-handed (literally) physical attacks and cartoonish mugging. The silliness alternates between endearing and alarming, but there is nothing frivolous about the show’s treatment of music. It notes how unforgiving the arts world can be, full of too many gifted students and too few opportunities, how competition, envy, harsh instructors and grueling practice regimens can drain the spark from performers. But, to its credit, the drama never glosses over the discipline needed to do great work. This is a show that celebrates both playfulness and rigor, suggesting that the best art comes not from one or the other but from a happy marriage of the two. It isn’t the misfits vs. the superstars, but an understanding that both are needed to bring a score to life. Moments of true harmony may be fleeting, but when they happen, in either love or music, it’s cause for celebration.

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I was hesitant to watch this at first because I hate watching older shows....but after a long while I decided to finally swallow my pride and give it a shot.

This is one of the funniest shows I've watched in a long time! If you enjoy classical music you will definitely like this, but if you aren't a big fan of classical music you may just want to skip it because the majority of the show is listening to the music.

I did feel that it was a little too music based for my tastes and would of preferred more comedy and a little more detail to the actual story line, but other than that it was great.

This review is based strictly off of episodes 1-11 and not the specials, I'll do a review on those separately.

This is most definitely a show you shouldn't miss out on and I think everyone who watches it can enjoy it, it leaves you with a feel-good feeling after every episode and occasional tears from laughing too hard.

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At first I don't really like it because its comedy genre, and I doubt to start watching this because as long as I remember the manga wasn't really appealing to me. Fortunately, I got convinced by all the good review and rank in some site if not I won't see this wonderful dorama.
Comedic dorama based on manga usually have unreal expression in them, and that whats happen in this drama too. But it's not even feel awkward in this dorama. All the character look convincing and play they part perfectly. They played their character into every little detail that make me feel they are the real person.

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First things first. This drama changed my whole attitude towards classical music. About the story, the manga is brilliant in itself, but due to the large number of anime-like gags and exaggerated situations, you'd think the drama would lose its connection to reality somewhere. But it doesn't. Instead NC creates a magical world of its own where you lose yourself in Noda Megumi's brilliance and Chiaki Shinichi's slow rise to fame and influence. Comedy part of the drama too is extremely well-done, with members of the orchestra like Masumi and Mine making you laugh your guts out. While Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Rachmaninoff's immortal creations provide a brilliant backdrop for Chiaki and Nodame's growing relationship. To make things perfect Tamaki Hiroshi's portrayal of the prickly Chiaki is bang on however Ueno Juri as Nodame clearly steals the thunder. Her acting and mannerisms are so accurate and reminiscent of an eccentric genius, that you start thinking that Nodame may just be for real. To all those who may not like the drama(just in case), do go watch the anime or read the manga. This is a story nobody should miss out on.

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