Your Lie in April Episode 8: Let It Ring
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Watch Information
*Rewatch will end before switch back to standard time for ET, but check your own timezone details
Comment Highlights:
- /u/maliwanag0712 gave us voice actor insights!
- /u/Malipit offered a lot of insight on Watari and the new characters
- /u/TakenRedditName took note of the odd gap in appearance over just two years
- /u/Gamerunglued extended the mythologised reading and talked about the philosophy of music within the world of the show
Questions of the Day:
- Whose performance did you like more?
- How do you think Emi and Takeshi will react to Kousei’s performance?
Please be mindful not to spoil the performance! Don’t spoil first time listeners, and remember this includes spoilers by implication!
by LittleIslander
16 Comments
**Rewatcher, Violinist and Your Host!**
Today on Hibike! Eupho- err, wrong show.
I feel like they *had* to be a better way to approach this episode. We dive right into Takeshi’s performance, which is natural, but whereas the last two stage performances dominated their respective episodes this one feels like it’s over before it’s hardly started. He doesn’t get any of the fancy bells and whistles afforded to Emi’s performance about the colour of his soul or whatever, it’s like we throw him under the bus just to make her stand out so much more than him. Then we’re just kind of waiting around watching nothing very interesting happen with a very restrained presentation (probably due to needing to animate two performances this week) and the whole pace just languishes (although [this face](https://i.imgur.com/L7hf02f.png) cracked me right up). We already got a good idea of who Takeshi and Emi were last time, it feels like what we get here is just a lot of stating the obvious despite the dynamic between their instructors being kind of fun. When we finally get to Emi’s performance things are right back into gear, but it feels like I’m not as able to compare to Takeshi’s performance as I really *should* be due to the fact that it was like fifteen minutes ago and they’re on complete opposite ends of the episode. When I got there it was more an “ugh, finally” rather than a “oh! finally!” sort of feeling, you know?
Which is unfortunate, because the performances are fantastic! Takeshi’s song burns hot like a fire with the energy of a firecracker. A desperate plea for Kousei to notice him, leaving you with the feeling that if he stopped playing for even a second and lost his momentum he might just die on the spot. That if the performance went just a little longer he might burn out, but he’s so good at this he knows exactly how thin to spread himself. It totally evokes what we’ve seen of him as a person, hotheadedly competitive yet also kind of terrified under the surface. Meanwhile Emi’s playing feels tempered and passionate, its energy carefully kept under control yet as deep as an ocean under the surface. She’s not shooting for his Kousei’s eyes, his attention, but trying to find a melody that will reach through to his very heart. A performance fueled on the back of years leading up to this specific moment. Just like Kaori she plays from the heart, but she doesn’t give a lively call to spring but instead of a dark lament of winter. Whether or not she reaches Kousei will have to be seen next episode, but we at least get to see that she may have [reached another generation](https://i.imgur.com/85bIK8F.png) just as Kousei’s music reached her all those years ago.
[](#awe)
Hello, everyone. Holofan4life here.
Welcome to the Your Lie In April Rewatch!
Oh, and nay I forget…
**First timer**
It’s been a while since I’ve sat down and watched what would be considered a sad anime. I’ve seen Angel Beats, Air, both Clannad series which are two of my favorite series, and even NieR this year which for my money is the best anime of the year. But in almost all those instances with the exception of NieR, I watched those series very early on in my anime fandom. So early, in fact, I don’t think Your Lie In April had aired yet.
My expectations for the show are decent, I would say. I don’t expect to love it as much as Clannad, but I do think it’s going to be quite exceptional. Of the new shows I’ve seen during rewatches this year, which have been Paranoia Agent, Samurai Champloo, No Game No Life, Penguindrum, Yurikuma Arashi, Sarazanmai, and Re:Zero, I expect to like it more than those with the exception of Samurai Champloo and Re: Zero. And if that’s the case, then that’s pretty good because I really liked all those series.
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
I’m watching the sub, by the way.
I’m expecting this episode to be a quick watch, so let’s not waste any time.
Takeshi sent a letter
Thankfully, we know who it’s from
This is basically a continuation of the end of the last episode.
Rumors circulating Kousei can’t hear anymore.
I know he’s trying to emulate Mozart and all, but that’s going too far.
Takeshi’s goal is playing against Kousei.
Takeshi entering the stage
Everyone has their eyes on him
Wow, he is good
Even woke Watari up
Takeshi’s entire character is him going “Notice me, senpai!”
The animation here really is beautiful.
This is the show in its element
Lol, Watari reluctantly giving applause.
Main judge believes that a rival can make you grow far faster than being taught by someone.
Kousei being told by the black haired girl that he caused Takeshi to reach these heights.
Takeshi backstage now, his hands trembling.
And Kousei calls him amazing, which has him like putty in his hands.
Judges evaluating now
Akira Takayanagi is apparently a shallow mentor.
Meanwhile, the dark haired girl has fallen behind.
Igawa-san. That’s her name.
Right, we saw her last episode
Watari seemingly having a crush on Igawa, which must be awkward for Kaori considering she has a crush on him.
Didn’t even make it past the preliminaries.
Oh, this is Takayanagi
I thought he was the main judge but I guess not.
Takayanagi talking to Ms. Ochiai, who I assume is Igawa’s mother.
Oh, she’s the mentor of Igawa
I’m bad at this, huh?
He’s taunting his student being better than hers.
Yeah, I can see why people can’t stand him.
Shallow so much, Lady Gaga would be proud.
Ochiai mentioning that the slightest thing can affect Igawa’s performance.
I thought she was a pianist, not a mailman.
I guess with Kousei being gone, her motivation has vanished. But now that he’s back, it’s a different ballgame.
Takayanagi and Ochiai should just fuck already.
Like, for real
Igawa ready to take the stage
Now we’re seeing how she got into piano recitals.
It was Kousei who inspired her, because of course.
She started bawling out of nervousness, and that caused him to bail on the performance.
What she’s describing seems like a far cry from how either of them are now.
The woman talking to Igawa calls her a strong child.
Present day, Tsubaki tells Kousei she has a thing for him.
Igawa that is, not Tsubaki. God forbid she tells him how she feels.
Also, this doesn’t necessarily surprise me because of how obsessive Igawa seems to be of Kousei.
Almost as obsessive as Takayanagi bragging about his superiority of his student [](#chitogheh)
Igawa at the piano now
That red dress on her is iconic
Damn, she is good
This is arguably even better than Takeshi’s performance.
I like how she starts off slow instead of coming out guns blazing. Leaves more of a lasting impression that way.
Emi says she’s been playing the piano all this time in order to reject Kousei.
So, she’s playing for the opposite reasons as Takeshi is playing. I really like the parallel at play here.
Kousei sees red, yellow, and yellow as her emotions.
She wants the Kousei she looked to to come back.
Anger and loneliness. That’s what she’s playing with.
Again, the animation here is wonderful.
And she proceeds to get thunderous applause.
Kaori knows she played by pouring her soul into the notes.
Let it ring. Let it ring. Let it ring.
Let it ring.
Overall, this was a very well done episode. We got to see both Takeshi and Igawa perform, and specifically the reasons why they perform in relation to Kousei. The Igawa stuff is in my opinion more interesting because it plays more into Kousei leaving playing the piano for two years. Specifically, the effect it had on everyone else. We know how much Kousei reacted to his mental blockage, so it’s good to see how other people interpreted such a thing in the immediate fallout. That’s an angle we haven’t seen outside of Tsubaki to a much lesser extent.
This I would only have behind episodes 2 and 4. It’s very good, but I also feel like they were holding back somewhat for when Kousei gets on stage. This feels like an appetizer to the main entreé, and they did such a good job of hyping up Kousei’s performance that when the time comes, I’m expecting that episode to honestly be the best episode of the entire series. Anything less would be kinda disappointing.
**Spoiled First Timer, subs**
* It must suck living your entire life simping for a rival who doesn’t even know you exist.
* I don’t think “intrepid” means what you think it means.
* Once again, it’s hard to compare a performance of a song I don’t know.
* All the fan clubs, none of the presidents.
* It’s amazing how quickly they can make me hate every judge character we’ve seen.
* Watari is the worst.
* A new dress already? I guess if they’re going to music contests, they must already be well to do.
* What, is the stool made of Styrofoam? How does a five-year-old accidentally knock it down?
* …I can’t tell the difference. This is just what it’s going to be the entire show, eh?
* Yellow is loneliness? Makes about as much sense as jealousy, I guess.
*QotD:*
1) [Couldn’t Tell **Don’t Remeber**](#nyanpasu)
2) Why, with dramatic close-ups, of course!
**First Timer**
Watari should really take note here because the development and emotional resonance our two rivals have managed to get in just this one episode already eclipses him by quite a bit.
[](#awe)
I love the dynamics Emi and Takeshi have with Kousei and how they reflect on their personalities.
Starting with Takeshi, I like that we start off on the same scene last episode ended on but with a bit of added context, learning that he chose to do this competition *even before* he knew Kousei was going to join [really gets you to understand how he views Kousei](https://imgur.com/a/2q2SUUv).
Kousei is Takeshi’s goal and motivation, he’s been trying catch up to him for years and that obsession has brought him to new heights, his playing is immediately strong and energetic, reflective of himself, he comes off as the type of person[ who wears his heart on his sleeve](https://imgur.com/a/TbJkTzX) and shows off all his emotions.
Takeshi however is enraptured by Arima Kousei the “Human Metronome”, his earnest personality and drive to beat Kousei perhaps cause him to miss the bigger picture.
Takeshi is great but there’s a reason this episode is titled “Let it Ring” and not “A Rival is a special thing”, because even more than to set him up, his part in the episode feels like juxtaposition to Emi’s part, this is *her* episode.
After Takeshi’s performance Emi says “[don’t make me laugh](https://imgur.com/a/xspYxUm)” in regard to whether Kousei also inspired her, this initially comes off standoffish of her but much like her entire personality there’s a hidden depth here, one that’s very apparent [the next time she says this line](https://imgur.com/a/jdwvMsJ) (repetition!).
Really most of what she does this episode feels like it’s meant to emphasize this emotional depth, cold and detached on the outside, fiery and emotional on the inside.
[](#kannainspect)
Sure, she also has Kousei as the core of her motivation, but her reason for playing is hardly the same, she wants the real Kousei back, not the same one Takeshi looks up to, the one who plays piano because he likes it not because of his mom.
It’s no wonder then that last episode, she’s the one to make the observation that [Kousei isn’t playing for himself anymore](https://imgur.com/a/Hj1Yi3P).
Unlike Takeshi who had Kousei on his sights these two years and showed consistent improvement thanks to that, the lack of Kousei is the source of her middling recent results.
Again the difference between her in and out personality comes into play, on the outside [she seems “temperamental”](https://imgur.com/a/w7IIv35) like the tiniest things effect her, in reality though her entire reason for playing has disappeared, [now that he’s back her real drive and emotion start showing up again](https://imgur.com/a/LuTK4C8).
The same goes for her style of playing, starts off very subdued but goes on to become fiery and emotional, [the piano told her what Takeshi feels about Kousei](https://imgur.com/a/Uk8i45y) and it tells the audience the same thing when she’s playing
Of course the real highlight this episode is her performance, honestly even though the characters talk through it to explain it all to the viewer, I don’t think that was necessary at all, [a single picture is worth 1000 words](https://imgur.com/a/qLDugnl) and I think this scene really speaks for itself, a small change in visual direction combined with the mesmerizing and dramatic piano create what is in my opinion, one of the strongest emotional moments in the show thus far, one that doesn’t need tears to get me invested.
[](#happyclap)
I just love the colors and the seasons coming into play again, it’s a nice visual that even before her performance the show already evokes curiosity and hints on her feelings [with her bright red dress](https://imgur.com/a/rPEkCtN).
It’s also very interesting that despite being represented by red and yellow, the colors of fall, she plays “Winter Wind”, much like the visuals imply there’s a real sense of change here, the winter wind blowing away the fall leaves.
To really tie it all up, I just think [this sentence on why she started playing](https://imgur.com/a/TTorXjf) is great, it gives massive impact to this performance of Kousei’s, helps to excite you for the potential behind the “real him” playing and it really helps solidify how strongly she feels on this.
This episode not only sets up our rivals in a really interesting way it also gives a lot of extra tension, excitement and impact to whatever Kousei will do next episode, not only am I invested in Kousei now, I also care about his effect on these two people who are massively invested in him, the show kills two birds with one stone here and does it in a masterful way.
[](#rengehype)
**First Timer**
We’re starting with a recap about Takeshi rejecting his trip to Europe to compete against Kousei.
He’s continuing to give off very classic shounen rival vibes.
Is this guy in the audience’s Takeshi’s dad? I don’t remember if that’s been established. If so, he’s very normal looking compared to his son.
Takeshi’s piano playing is really good.
I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s hard to imagine this story in manga form. Music plays such a large role that I feel like it would be like something was missing if I just read it.
Takeshi apparently has his own squad of fangirls. Guess that makes him the Watari of the classical music world.
That bit where Takeshi walks out all exhausted and ends up tumbling into a somersault reminded me of Willy Wonka.
Takeshi’s reaction to Kousei telling him he was great is perfect. Kousei’s way too honest and nice a person to form a rivalry with anyone.
Got it. The guy in the audience was just Takeshi’s mentor, not his dad.
Watari gets a single fang when he sees a girl he likes. That’s oddly adorable.
Interesting to see Takeshi and Emi’s mentors talking to each other. Very rare to see two adults having a conversation in this show.
I like how Emi is practicing her finger movements as she walks out onto the stage. Animating hands seems hard.
Tiny Kousei walks weirdly.
Emi’s story about seeing Kousei in the past is really interesting. Hearing how emotional she is both in the past but also when talking to her manager is a big contrast to how reserved she comes off elsewhere.
We’re eight episodes in and I’m just going to admit, I don’t know what the pedals on a piano do.
Emi’s piano playing is good. I don’t know jack about classical music but I feel like her rendition of the piece sounds more gothic than Takeshi’s.
Kousei starts seeing colors while watching Emi play piano. It’s probably just visual symbolism, but for a moment I wonder if Kousei has synesthesia
The colors look really good in this scene though.
Okay Kaori sees the colors too, definitely just symbolism and not synesthesia.
If I had to guess, next episode will be about Kousei performing.
**Questions of the Day:**
**Whose performance did you like more?**
Emi’s. It made a great finale for the episode.
**How do you think Emi and Takeshi will react to Kousei’s performance?**
I think they’re both kind of expecting for Kousei to blow them both out of the water again. But if Kousei ends up fumbling it on stage they might both be very surprised.
**Your Spoiled First-Timer in October, subbed**
– Stress-vomiting is 100% a real thing, [my “cried so hard I threw up” list](https://i.imgur.com/ycJAE5x.png) is related to that I’m pretty sure. [](#kumikolook)
– [Having someone to directly compete against *is* a good motivator to do even better yourself.](https://i.imgur.com/h4W6dU8.png)
– [I *really* am curious as to how Kouhei will do in this.](https://i.imgur.com/m0xEGo9.png) [](#csikon)
– [And it was really good.](https://i.imgur.com/liwULw7.png) [](#seasonalapproval)
– Not a long comment today since it was a lot of just the two performances, but it *was* quite good. [](#listen)
**First Timer**
Today we have two performances that I wish didn’t have internal monologue over them. If the characters are thinking that while performing, I’d say they are distracted. Keep that to the intermission where we had all the backstory, please. But other than that, I don’t think I have a lot to say once again – the backstories themselves were done pretty well, and I already care about both of these characters more than I do about Watari, and in terms of backstory they probably even have Kaori beaten for the moment… I guess her development will come later. But obviously we haven’t heard the star of the show yet – his performance could go two ways, and I can’t really say which the writers will choose here. But him interacting with his rivals is already a win in my books, as it shows progression.
**First Time – Your Lie in April Ep8:**
I don’t have much specifically to point out because the episode was about the two rival’s performances.
The big new thing to me was that they revealed what set Emi apart from Takeshi. While Takeshi’s rivalry is more centred on them as piano players, Emi’s rivalry stems from a more personal origin. Unlike the people who sneer at Kousei, Emi saw the person under the Human Metronome. She saw and felt the little boy who was so nervous to get on stage and who was so excited that he managed to play. She knows the real Kousei and wants to tear down the Human Metronome.
No offence to Takeshi, but Emi showed him up in their shared episode. Her performance swept the audience (in-show and out) [with a big fancy setpiece.](https://i.imgur.com/UBLo60k.png)
[](#sobright)
On a complete note, the instructors were having the more anime petty rivalry than the actual anime teen rivals. Real “My kid is better than your kid.” Takeshi and Emi just want to prove themselves to one specific kid they looked to. The adults are the ones proudly boasting their kid is the best
___
**Q2)** Oh boy, now there is even more expectations on Kousei’s performances. The one thing I see will come out in his music is how much he has grown recently, his new outlook on life. I hope Emi and Takeshi will able to feel his heart and go [](#poltears)
[removed]
[removed]
**This is a post originally belonging to u/Malipit. I’m posting it to see if it shows up.**
Hi, this is Malipit from the Your Lie in April Rewatch. Here is my comment that got insta-deleted, I do not use spoiler tags, do you something that might trigger the deletion ?Rewatcher, French Subs
HIBIKE ! EUPHON…. erm… KOSEI!
For once, I wasn’t really convinced by that episode. Sure, we’ve entered a piano competition arc, sure we have to properly introduce Emi and Takeshi and give them the spotlight in that episode, sure both musical pieces were absolutly stunning. But at the end of the day, it felt…. conventional ? … Repetitive even ?
We have two part in this episode : One part dedicated to Takeshi, the other to Emi.
Right at the beginning, we have the confirmation that Takeshi’s driving force is to have a rematch against Kosei and being noticed by him : the first time we see his eyes his when he mentions is goal is getting to Kosei. Even smol Takeshi is mirroring Tsubaki’s admiration when smol Kosei was playing.
And on stage, Takeshi is like a sun. Captivating his audience by his consistent radiance, even waking up Watari and make him jealous. And all along, Takeshi have one goal in mind : being noticed by Kosei (mission complete by the way). To the point that I’m convinced there is a fanfiction somewhere on the internet involving Takeshi and Kosei in a romantic manner.
On the other hand, we have Emi. Much like Kaori, she express her feelings through music to topple Kosei’s Human Metronome persona and draw out his more emotional self. The one that motivated her to start playing piano. Again, we have a flashback of her discovering Kosei talent that mirroring Tsubaki admiration. I wonder how Kosei’s didn’t still have a fan club at this point.
On the stage, in opposition to Takeshi, she’s like a moon. Sometimes invisible, sometimes shining bright in a bewitching way. Again with her one goal to be noticed by Kosei (also mission complete). To the point I’m, again, convinced there is a fanfiction somewhere on the internet involving Takeshi and Emi in a romantic manner.
Finally, following ‘s analysis of the previous episode, on the different interpretations of myths by adulthood and childhood and how the former is asking the later to be exactly like ancient myths carved to stone, we can see here a striking exemple : Takeshi’s professor insisting his pupil to drop the Maihô contest in order to launch his international carreer. Like Kosei’s mother, he wants Takeshi to become a successful piano competitor, the natural course of his carrer has to be this way. His adult and ambitous mind cannot compute that Takeshi aim at a more spontaneous and childish goal by beating a rival in the more shonen way.
Emi’s teacher seems more compasionate to her pupil, but dwelve also in passive-aggresive quarrel with Takeshi’s teacher. Imo, aa part of her wants to see her pupil win just to prove a point to her own rival.
At the end of the day, not much to say in this episode. It doesn’t contains the emotional power of the previous one and seems more of a continuation of episode 7.
**Rewatcher, French Subs**
Hibike! Eupho…. erm… Kosei !
For once, I wasn’t really convinced by that episode. Sure, we’ve entered a piano competition arc, sure we have to properly introduce Emi and Takeshi and give them the spotlight in that episode, sure both musical pieces were absolutly stunning. But at the end of the day, it felt…. conventional ? … Repetitive even ?
We have two part in this episode : One part dedicated to Takeshi, the other to Emi.
Right at the beginning, we have the confirmation that Takeshi’s driving force is to have a rematch against Kosei and being noticed by him : [the first time we see his eyes his when he mentions is goal is getting to Kosei](https://imgur.com/a/MkHn9ga). Even [smol Takeshi](https://imgur.com/a/xW994jA) is mirroring Tsubaki’s admiration when smol Kosei was playing.
And on stage, Takeshi is like a sun. Captivating his audience by his consistent radiance, [even waking up Watari and make him jealous](https://imgur.com/a/roVA2Wv). And all along, Takeshi have one goal in mind : being noticed by Kosei ([mission complete by the way](https://imgur.com/a/rCza2Zo)). To the point that I’m convinced there is a fanfiction somewhere on the internet involving Takeshi and Kosei in a romantic manner.
On the other hand, we have Emi. Much like Kaori, she express her feelings through music to topple Kosei’s Human Metronome persona and draw out his more emotional self. The one that motivated her to start playing piano. Again, [we have a flashback of her discovering Kosei talent that mirroring Tsubaki admiration](https://imgur.com/a/5MFn5Jh). I wonder how Kosei’s didn’t still have a fan club at this point.
On the stage, in opposition to Takeshi, she’s like a moon. Sometimes invisible, sometimes [shining bright in a bewitching way](https://imgur.com/a/lGRLwiC). Again with her one goal to be noticed by Kosei (also mission complete). To the point I’m, *again,* convinced there is a fanfiction somewhere on the internet involving Takeshi and Emi in a romantic manner.
Finally, following ‘s analysis of the previous episode, on the different interpretations of myths by adulthood and childhood and how the former is asking the later to be exactly like ancient myths carved to stone, we can see here a striking exemple : Takeshi’s professor insisting his pupil to drop the Maihô contest in order to launch his international carreer. Like Kosei’s mother, he wants Takeshi to become a successful piano competitor, the natural course of his carrer has to be this way. His adult and ambitous mind cannot compute that Takeshi aim at a more spontaneous and childish goal by beating a rival in the more shonen way.
Emi’s teacher seems more compasionate to her pupil, but dwelve also in passive-aggresive quarrel with Takeshi’s teacher. Imo, aa part of her wants to see her pupil win just to prove a point to her own rival.
At the end of the day, not much to say in this episode. It doesn’t contains the emotional power of the previous one and seems more of a continuation of episode 7.
**Questions of the day**
* Whose performance did you like more?
Props have to be given to Takeshi for outshining Watari, that’s no small feat. But we have Emi suummoning colors and swirling leaves in the room, she’s the winner here.
* How do you think Emi and Takeshi will react to Kousei’s performance?
Kousei will get on a stage, smirking, and annouces that’s it not even his final form. Then he’ll begin a musical piece so powerful the piano will transform into a mecha, blasting sound waves to the room (oops spoiler). So I think Emi and Takeshi will react by fusing their music together and battle Kousei in a epic showdown. /s
More seriously, I have litteraly no recollection of the next episode. Maybe because it was a part that, like today, didn’t left a mark on me. I think they’ll be disapointted at first to see Kosei so diminished, but ends up supporting him during his “recovery” in order to get back their long awaited rival.
**Rewatcher**
Given that this episode is composed mostly of two performances, that gives me relatively less to talk about today. Naturally both are excellent performances, and there is one other thing I think is worthy of mention. But the main thing I did for today is that I did light research (by which I mean I read the Wikipedia pages) for the pieces that Takeshi and Emi chose to play, and I’m going to attempt to ascribe meaning to their chosen pieces. Much like how Kousei’s Wrong Note ties to his story, I believe that both of their pieces tie to their own story too. I’m very much not a Chopin expert and this is minimal reserach that wouldn’t pass a school assignment, but it’ll do for a reddit rewatch.
Starting with Takeshi, his piece was Chopin’s Étude Op. 10, No. 4, which has the nickname “Torrent Étude.” From what I can tell, it is a demanding piece but in a very straightforward way: it’s fast. It makes great demands particularly of the left hand, almost treating it as a second right hand by passing figures from one hand to the other. The fingers rarely cross over each other which facilitates this speed, and one critic described the most challenging aspect of the piece as one’s ability to overcome “regularity and briskness of attack.” In describing its color, American music critic James Huneker (1857–1921) believes that “despite its dark key color”, this étude “bubbles with life and spurts flame,” and Italian composer and editor Alfredo Casella states: “The piece should be finished with extreme impetuosity and without any relaxing, almost like a body hurled with great velocity [suddenly dashing] against an unexpected obstacle.” So this is a perfect fit for Takeshi, the straightforward and earnest kid who puts his all into his performances, and will smash himself against a wall to have a chance to defeat his rival. Takeshi admires the “human metronome” part of Kousei, he saw that skill as making Kousei a rival he can measure up to, so it makes sense that he’d interpret that in this straightforward way. Technical skill can mean speed, it shows he’s dexterous enough to use both hands for extraordinary technical precision, and it captures his character, he’s someone who “bubbles with life and spurts flames,” someone who’s captivated by torrents of notes. Kousei is returning after two years and he wants to prove his superiority, so choosing a piece that is straightforwardly technical is a very Takeshi way to prove he’s more “human metronome” than Kousei. While the piece is expressive, that dexterity is its defining feature, just as it is of Kousei himself.
What I found particularly interesting were the judge’s comments though. They praised Takeshi for “confronting the music with sincerity” and were impressed that “this is Aiza’s Chopin.” During the interlude, they praised his “great presence,” while the phrasing “he didn’t make any mistakes either” implies that this was a secondary reason for praising his performance. It’s a lot of praise of the amount of himself he put into his music, not exactly what you’d expect when the most praiseworthy thing is slavishly copying the score. This suggests to me that Kousei is not something that anyone can be, and competitions are not *really* judged solely by slavishness to the score. That criteria can only work for someone like Kousei, who was so precise that it was undeniable. The average performer cannot remove themselves from the score, it’s expected to be part of the performance for everyone except Kousei. I also felt like the venue didn’t match the atmosphere of serious competition that it previously did. Takeshi has a fanclub of girls who cheer loudly for him, and the audience members were mostly young people in casual dress saying things like “bravo.” His performance isn’t human metronome, it’s technical because it’s an expression of himself, it’s his earnest and straightforward desire to beat a specific person, and that resonates with young people more directly. He’s also skilled but it’s not so overwhelming that it’s the primary thing he’s praised for. The old guard is already falling out, like it or not it’s the child musicians who are expressing themselves that have been creating the next generation of pianists.
One such example is Emi, who was inspired by Kousei’s very first performance. His debut was earnest, nervous, and adorable, but even a kid like that managed an incredible performance. Emi wanted to chase that earnest love of music, but Kousei changed to remove all the love and become machine-like. To her, this was a betrayal, so she rejects everything that it stands for. Like Kaori, she has a complete disregard for the old guard and the standard that Kousei set. Her piece is Chopin’s Étude Op. 25, No. 11, also known by the nickname Winter Wind, as the show says. Based on what I’ve read, I think that what’s meant to be interesting about this piece isn’t so much the piece itself as much as the way that she plays it. It is described as “a study for developing stamina, dexterity, accuracy and technique – essential skills for any concert pianist.” It’s also seen as one of the most difficult of Chopin’s etudes. Each hand has intense challenges like long runs, huge octave jumps, and difficult articulations. Both hands have to work together completely, “treating both hands as separate melodies that work together, in a duet for one performer.”
So this is, at its core, a highly technical piece of music that requires some of the most extraordinary skill and precision of any of Chopin’s work. It’s the sort of thing that people praise Kousei for being able to do, but Emi rejects Kousei’s playing and adult’s attitude towards it. But in spite of that, the thing that is taken from her performance is the extraordinary emotion that she’s put into it. She changes the color of the room, and expresses intense loneliness through her playing. Her performance is not remembered for its technical prowess despite being known as one of Chopin’s most technical and difficult etudes, this piece is how she expresses her deep emotions about the state of music and Kousei’s role within it. She feels betrayed by Kousei, so she’s intensely lonely without anyone to chase, so much so that she barely has reason to express herself anymore and her ability to play changes based on petty things. But more importantly, that she’s taken this highly technical piece and performed it in such a powerful way based on expression and changing the color of the room, could be seen as a rejection of the “human metronome” mentality. And that dissonance already exists in the piece, one music critic said of Winter Wind that “Small-souled men, no matter how agile their fingers, should avoid it.” As you’ve heard, it’s an emotionally moving and evocative piece of music. But on the wikipedia page there was only that one single sentence about the legacy of this piece beyond many paragraphs of technical stuff. If this is a piece that is known for its technical difficulty but in truth is deeply evocative, so much so that it should be avoided by those with small souls despite their technical prowess, her performance makes it a perfect vehicle for her to express her rejection of the human metronome and of the system of judging performances based on slavishness to the score.
Emi is almost like a more unhinged Kaori, and it shows in her attitude towards music, her results, and this performance. [spoiler] >!It is not a coincidence that the little blonde girl sitting right next to her in that childhood flashback is Kaori herself. Both of these characters are a product of something similar, they started in the same place and have similar attitudes towards music, despite their very different reactions and reasons for being what they’re like in the present. After all, Emi can afford to have her day ruined by petty stuff like having a bad hair day, Kaori doesn’t have enough youth left for that.!<
Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with 10 minutes of pure performance. Episodes like this are always where the series’ appeal is at its most pure. Music is great, and listening to great music with additional dramatic context is always going to make for an enjoyable episode. The show wants us to be enamored with music for its own sake, and this is a chance to make that happen.
**QOTD:**
1. I think Emi’s is certainly the most interesting one. Winter Wind is a very beautiful piece, and the one sentence about its color that exists on the Wikipedia page feels like it’s pretty telling of its reputation in a way that makes it feel perfect for Emi in particular.
2. No spoilers
## nth Time Rewatcher
Eight episodes in, and we finally see some pianist competition action in the series! This could be my shortest review because we focused in this episode (jk it’s as long as the other ones LOL)
### Now, for the Episode 8.
* **A sidenote on piano animation.** Let me just give a note on the piano and the piano performances here. According to some reviews I watched (link later hahahaha), the hands shown are accurate, like the placements are correct. Even the piano used, which is Steinway & Sons, is shown correctly, as [one comment in the original Ep 1 discussion thread claims](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/2is8kh/spoilers_shigatsu_wa_kimi_no_uso_episode_1/cl54g7h/). So, as many already pointed out in the previous episodes, some scenes in the past eps are stills, maybe because the production team wants to focus on showing beautifully these performances. At this point, they seem to succeed to show the correct playing. BTW, I’m not sure if there are other anime which used Steinway & Sons for their piano. I remember them using Yamaha or other brands.
* **On Aiza Takeshi’s performance.** Takeshi’s interpretation of Chopin Etude in C# Minor Op. 10 No. 4 is quite splendid! Well, he is the previous champion, so even the judges already know that he is one of the strongest contenders. His strong (but maybe tsundere?) personality, together with his will to crush Kousei, is fully reflected in his performance. Same reason Takayanagi-sensei is grateful to Kousei, for he became an image that Takeshi wants to reach.
* **On Emi Igawa.** Emi is quite an interesting character. She is driven by passion, but at the same time, even the tiniest discomfort or change in mood will make or break her performance. She’s not as free-spirited as Kaori, because she still follows the norms of piano competitions, but her piano is mainly driven by her emotions. This is manifested in how feisty and powerful her performance of ‘Winter Wind’ is. That colorful shades of red and yellow in the end is so good, it helped us visualize what the audience feels about the performance. This is one of the reasons why I feel that the anime is a great adaptation — they used the medium to elevate the source material, using colors to show mood and emotions. Kudos to the production team for nailing that aspect!
* **On Emi and Kousei.** In this episode, we have seen how OP Kousei’s first performance was. With how poignant yet innocent his performance was, Emi started crying after witnessing that! Without knowing anything, Kousei made Emi a pianist! Sadly, Kousei has other much more important matters to handle, hence he was not able to know how important he is to other musicians of his age (that includes Kaori, as well)
* **On the young pianists’ trainers.** We have seen three trainers in this episode. Ochiai-sensei, who guided Emi to where she is right now, Takayanagi-sensei, which is the young trainer, and Kousei’s mom. Ochiai-sensei gives a slight idea on why Kousei’s mom acted that way. Once she discovered that Kousei has some talent in the piano, she drilled Kousei, making a piano competition winning machine capable of getting first places in the most efficient way. Ironically, this made Kousei weak. In the face of tragedy, that style of playing made him unable to hear his own music. However, Ochiai-sensei built Emi on a different way, supporting her and not abusing her. Maybe that’s also the reason why she said that ***Emi is a strong girl.***
* **A culmination: Let it Ring!** Now that we have seen the performance of the two, let’s see how Kousei will fare in this competition. Based on his convo with the cast last episode, he still can’t hear the piano. ***Let it ring!***
### Now, some interesting stuff I want to share.
I will again re-share u/Mathemagician2theMax’s notes about the pieces played or to be played in the series. These comments came from the original discussion thread (episode [6](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/2m7ebg/spoilers_shigatsu_wa_kimi_no_uso_episode_6/cm1wful/) and [7](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/2mwgd6/spoilers_shigatsu_wa_kimi_no_uso_episode_7/cm8ormv/) aired about 10 years ago.
> **Chopin: Étude in C-sharp Minor (“Torrent”), Op. 10, No. 4** – “In direct contrast to the slower and calmer etude before it, the Etude Op. 10 No. 4 opens with a sharp chord followed immediately tumultuous sixteenth-note runs in both hands. There are several major difficulties associated with this piece. The sixteenth-note runs make up the melody. The difficulty with this is that the piece switches which hand does these runs every few measures. Therefore, the melody switches from the right hand to the left hand and back, many times. There is also a certain amount of difficulty present in playing the sixteenth notes softly but still very rapidly and fluidly. The pedaling of this etude may also pose a problem. The etude’s nickname is the “Torrent”. Just the right amount of pedal must be used to achieve this effect. If one uses too much, the piece sounds like a sluggish river; on the other hand, if one uses too little, it sounds very choppy and detached. To top things off, for its speed, this is one of the longest etudes of the 24. Fortunately, the piece is not as challenging musically as some of the other etudes, but one might find that one has a great deal of trouble in transferring the musical ideas from one’s hands to the keyboard! The etymology of the nickname is immediately apparent upon listening to the piece.” [(Source)](https://www.ourchopin.com/analysis/etude.html)
> **Chopin: Étude in A minor (“Winter Wind”), Opus 25, No. 11** – “Upon hearing the first four measures of this piece, one might be inclined to believe that the piece stays this simple. Not so! Originally, the etude did not have those four bars; Chopin was persuaded to add that introduction later by a friend. Once those four bars are over, the piece becomes infinitely more difficult. Fingering work for the right hand can take weeks of solid work, as the fifth bar’s right hand is representative of the right hand of the entire 10+ page etude. The right hand is also made difficult by the fact that there are two melodies – the “top” melody is the one that creates a chromatic scale in the fifth bar (the first, third, fifth, etc. notes), and the “bottom” melody acts as an accompaniment. This would not be difficult except that every other note switches melodies! The left hand is not technically challenging, but quite exhausting to play due to the constant enormous jumps that can reach three or four octaves.
> Even though the right and left hands could be etudes in themselves, this etude combines both hands into an epic study of endurance and the ability of the right hand to emphasize the upper melody. Playing either hand for thirty seconds at proper tempo is not very difficult, provided one knows the notes. Playing the either hand of the entire piece at proper tempo, however, is another story! However, in spite of this, one must not forget that there is a musical element to this piece as well. It takes a true virtuoso to brave the trials of learning the piece and the technical difficulty involved in playing it whilst playing with the impassioned emotion Chopin intended.” [(Source)](https://www.ourchopin.com/analysis/etude25.html)
Want to listen to their performances again? Here are the links:
* [**Chopin Etude Op. 10 No. 4, “Torrent” as interpreted by Rousseau**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHiU-u2ddJ4)
* [**Chopin Etude Op. 25 No. 11, “Winter Wind” as performed in YLIA**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIdqPKy1jHg)
### Now, Rewatchers Only. First timers, keep out.
* [**On Emi Igawa’s Cry. S+ SPOILER EPISODE 22**]>!Yes. In case you missed it, [Kaori sat beside Emi](https://imgur.com/a/aigPlIP) when she started to cry. Of course, we won’t know that’s her until Kousei reads her letter in the finale.!<
* [**Curious about Emi Igawa? SPOILERS YLIA CODA MANGA**]>!If you became curious of her character, one chapter of the CODA manga is devoted to Emi and her fan club. It’s just a funny story on how one guy became the head of her fan club after spending time with her.!<
* [**On Takeshi Aiza. SPOILERS EPISODE 18 AND YLIA CODA MANGA**]>!It’s just funny that when Takeshi watched Nagi’s performance, it was until my nth rewatch that the one he is beside with is his girlfriend HAHAHA. Except those tiny tidbits shown in the Coda manga, I’m quite curious on their dynamic.!<
### Now for the Questions
> Whose performance did you like more?
Actually I like them both, but the animation team seemed to like Emi’s performance more, given how colorful it is HAHAHA
> How do you think Emi and Takeshi will react to Kousei’s performance?
The answer to this question depends on how Kousei performs on stage. Let’s see.
Spiky hair guy doesn’t seem like he’s having a good day.
Seems he did well anyways.
Lol he’s already rooting for her…
Huh. Seems like she fell off.
And now some backstory for her.
Of course she was inspired by Kousei.
Sure seems like everyone likes her.
Seems like she hasn’t quite fallen off yet.
Also, this may seem weird but yes, performing music on stage is absolutely a time when you can start thinking about random things. Here she’s thinking about what she had for breakfast, or her hair etc., but yes with enough practice to turn this into muscle memory you can definitely just let your subconscious do the music while you let your mind wander. I have ever stood on stage singing in my school choir while thinking of what to have for lunch later that day.
Questions:
1. Much as I would like to bash Watari for immediately rooting for Emi, she ended up being pretty good.
2. Well, that depends on if it’s any good or if it’s any bad.
A note about the music: This may seem weird but yes, performing music on stage is absolutely a time when you can start thinking about random things. Here she’s thinking about what she had for breakfast, or her hair etc., but yes with enough practice to turn this into muscle memory you can definitely just let your subconscious do the music while you let your mind wander. I have ever stood on stage singing in my school choir while thinking of what to have for lunch later that day.
**First-Timer**
I forgot to mention it yesterday, but it looks to me like Kousei grew six years in two years. He must’ve had one hell of a growth spurt!
Something about this episode, with all the competition and such, reminded me of *Birdie Wing*. Is it just me?
We got some nice songs today. Looks like Kousei’s up next.
Questions of the day:
* I might have preferred Takeshi’s performance. That said, I’m no expert on how to accurately judge the skill of a piano player once they’re beyond the threshold of making obvious mistakes, so I’m just going off personal feeling there.
* I’m expecting it to be like [speculation] >!Kousei starts playing emotionally, completely different from his old by-the-book style, and absolutely everyone is stunned and speechless!<. It seems like the only thing that would be thematically appropriate at this point [continued speculation] >!though it would be unfortunate, since as I mentioned yesterday, I’m not sure I necessarily want the show to portray that style of music as better than the stick-to-the-score approach!<.