Third season this fall!? I can't wait!
Nodame Cantabile is one that I had on my HDD but never started watching it. There was always something else grabbing my attention. Now that there is time in my schedule (I.E. there are no episodes to watch of the ongoing shows) I decided to finally start it. Wow. I can see what all the hype was about.
The Paris chapter relies on you having already seen the first season, I know there are some out there that each season is stand alone, but this seems to be one of the few that the sequel is a direct continuation. If you watched the first and didn't like it. Avoid this one.
Animation - Great first season, what happened?
I loved the first season, the character designs were nice, they were lively and their movements were fluid. The backgrounds were detailed but not distracting, you could easily get sucked into this world.
The major disappointment with this season was the CG. While there was limited CG during the first one, almost all of the music playing in this one was CG, and it was noticeable. Several of the scenes during the orchestra were CG bodies with pasted heads. It was very disappointing. While the instruments looked nice and were beautifully detailed, the same cannot be said about the characters.
Sound - Oh how wonderful classical music is
It isn't just classical, there are some romantic pieces as well as baroque. But who cares? Really? I sure as hell didn't.
The OP was nice, although I only watched it for the first episode, after that it was skipped. So I can't comment on that, or is my skipping it for the remainding 10 episodes enough? The ED was nice, it was nice that some of the orchestral music carried right into the ED where the drum took over, it was wonderfully blended and the French lyrics were nice.
As for the music of the piano and the orchestra, it wasn't as grand as the first season. It seemed like it was losing focus on the music aspect and developing the relationship between Nodame and Chiaki. Which is nice to see him growing more to like her, I like her, but their relationship isn't the sole focus of this anime!
Story - What story?
Really. What story? The first season was about Chiaki's rise in the Japanese music scene and the relationship between him and Nodame. Sprinkle on that some other characters that actually got some decent development and it was enjoyable. While you are expected to watch the first season before starting the second, it almost seems a waste. Most of the characters introduced in the first season don't make an appearance in the second. Except Stresseman and Kuroki, what happened to Afro-kun and the other members of the orchestra Chiaki led in the first?
While you can't expect them all to make an appearance, I was hoping they would. I wanted to see them meet again in France and play music together, but that didn't happen. The first season was about Nodame getting serious in her piano playing and the support that Chiaki gave her. It was about Chiaki overcoming hurdles, like the fear of travelling overseas. While that carried over into the second season, there wasn't a lot of travel. I mean sure, Chiaki did go on tour with Stresseman, but there was a lot of time skips. Nodame missing Chiaki and their lack of communication. It didn't seem to know where to focus its attention. Which is a let down, at the end, while you will be satisfied of their growing relationship, you wonder what exactly this season was about.
Chiaki entered and won a conducting competition, then he went on tour with Stresseman, then he became the resident conductor of a failing orchestra. It was about that orchestra regaining its reputation... but the story didn't focus on that. It just happened over two episodes. They sucked and their fans were disappointed and then Chiaki took over and they were good again... What happened to all their struggles of finding members and slowly getting better? It seems that Chiaki is magical and automatically makes people around him better musicians.
Meanwhile, Nodame is working on her piano, her dream is to play a concerto with Chiaki, to become Chiaki's wife. While their relationship grows and Chiaki begins to understand her more... it seemed rushed yet lacking. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy Paris-hen, but I feel that there could, and should, have been many improvements before it was greenlighted.
Character - Where'd they go?
Remember the fun that you had watching the first season? Watching the characters come together and enjoy music? Just being able to play together? That doesn't seem to happen here. Yeah, they are in France, which everyone speaks Japanese. Sure, there are a few scenes where French is spoken and the characters start to learn French... but that doesn't go anywhere.
There was a kindling relationship between Kuroki and Tanya near the end, and I hope that gets developed in the third season, but something tells me that won't happen. You are to assume that things went well and they live happily ever after.
The problem with Paris-hen is the lack of decent supporting character development. Remember in the first season how everyone from the S Orchestra got some nice development? Well besides Tanya getting some development, it was left to mostly Nodame, and maybe the second season was more about Nodame, while the first was primarily Chiaki. It was nice to see her grow as a musician and gain friends, friends that were introduced and appeared in a few episodes, then disappeared. Another problem is, there were all these things going on in Chiaki's life, but you don't really get included... the story was told from Nodame's point of view. About her struggling to become more consistent with the piano, wondering about Chiaki, then suddenly it goes to Chiaki, out shopping with Rui and thinking about getting something for Nodame, then it is back to Nodame.
Speaking of Rui, she appears near the middle and gets some quick development, her back history is told from other characters. Mainly Chiaki telling Nodame about things that have happened to her. She takes a break from touring to spend time in Paris with Chiaki and begins making friends, then her mother appears, beats up Chiaki and takes Rui back, that is the last you see of her until the end... Maybe there needed to be more focus on one character instead of several that eventually disappear.
Value/Enjoyment - Fun fun
Here is where most of the score lies. I really enjoyed Paris-hen, despite what it may seem like from my complaining. I was happy to see Chiaki and Nodame grow in their relationship, Nodame is such an oddball and complete opposite of Chiaki. Which is something that Chiaki really needs, for he is so serious with music and she isn't. She plays as her emotions dictates, which to me makes music all the better.
I play guitar, when I started out I was serious like Chiaki, but I got so disheartened... but when I started to become more like Nodame, it became so much fun. Playing happy music when happy, sad when sad, and everything in between. While I am not a prodigy like Nodame, nor can I play something after hearing it once, music is more enjoyable for me when being like Nodame.
Which is something Chiaki needs, to step back from the seriousness and just have fun with it. Whether it be a duet with Nodame, or something else with Tanya and Kuroki (although that doesn't happen). Near the end, while he is still serious, he is more like Nodame. Enjoying the music and where it can take him.
