Nodame Cantabile ep.09

March 9, 2007 | 11 Comments

Before watching this episode, I was wondering if the beach story would be cut out of the broadcast version. Well, my guess turns out to be correct. At this point, however, I've resigned to the fact that all of the fun chapters will probably be excluded from the broadcast version so I'm a lot more prepared now. From the way the story has progressed, it appears to me that the writers want to ensure that the first 5 volumes of the manga will end around episode 12, leaving around 11 episodes to deal with the last 4 volumes + 1 chapter from volume 10. Oh well, I'm just glad they animate the Nagano music festival since it's completely skipped over in the live action version. This is because one important character, Miki Kiyora, was already introduced in the live action version as Momogaoka music student.

The episode begins with Chiaki and the others on their way to the Nina Lutz music festival. Inside the car, however, Nodame, Mine, and Masumi hum three separate song, driving Chiaki crazy in the process. A narration then explains that a pianist called Nina Lutz has created this festival every year since 1997. The purpose of the festival is to inspire young musicians. Many famous artists are invited to perform and give master classes to the winners of music competitions held throughout Japan. The opening concert would be young musicians from Nagano and the next day, master classes will start with famous musicians. Cut to a shot of Mine looking excited because he's taking lesson from a famous violinist called Kiyo Buskovich. On the other hand, Nodame is not paying attention to her instructor, because she's been thinking about Chiaki. When Nina Lutz asks Nodame to play, Nodame fails miserably because she's lousy at reading notes.

Nina reminds Nodame that she notified everyone that they need to learn the Bartok Suite. And even if Nodame didn't study it, she has heard three other people play it. Nina eventually loses her patience and orders the girl to get out of her class. Later on that day, Masumi notices that Mine looks stressed out so he wonders if Mine miss his father. As it turns out Mine suffers from crisis of confidence because he thinks everyone but him are great players. Masumi is shocked to know that Mine had no idea that students who are in this festival were chosen from yearly auditions. They, on the other hand, simply got in based on Stresemann's recommendation. Masumi is especially happy because a famous timpanist had just praised him. He's also glad that he practiced hard prior to coming here. All of a sudden Nodame appears next to them saying that she doesn't care about this and just want to know Chiaki's whereabouts.

Nodame claims that she's been looking at every cottage and yet she couldn't find Chiaki. In fact, she still hasn't seen him since they arrived at Nagano. Masumi thinks that Chiaki is probably with Stresemann since he came here as Stresemann's student. Apparently there would be an orchestra rehearsal so Masumi thinks they should see him there. Nodame is depressed about this because it means she won't be able to see Chiaki. Unknown to her, Chiaki is currently attending a party for the company chairmen who sponsored the festival. Chiaki is happy since he gets to see many famous musician. Much to his annoyance, Elise orders him to familiarise himself with Stresemann's schedule starting from tomorrow. She also gives him various books on how to deal with the guy. Chiaki protests this appointment, pointing out that this is actually her job. In response, Elise tells him that she's on vacation from now on.

As a result, Chiaki ends up becoming Stresemann's private secretary, as in the one who gets to fetch him food, sake, and take Stresemann back to the room after the guy gets drunk. One night after dropping Stresemann back to his room, Chiaki notes a Dvorak Symphony No.5 music sheet on Stresemann's living room. Thinking that the students are probably supposed to play the composition at the festival, Chiaki begins to study the sheet carefully. The next day, Mine is shocked upon finding out that the piece that they will play is Dvorak Symphony No.5 since he's never heard of it. Stresemann then appear to conduct the orchestra but because he's still suffering from hangover, he ends up puking into a bucket that Chiaki has brought with him. Despite this, Stresemann decides to conduct the orchestra anyway. As soon as the orchestra plays, Chiaki notices that although the group does not blend together, most of the players are good and have practiced hard.

The only exception to this is Mine, who Chiaki thinks have not practiced enough. Later on in the afternoon, Masumi informs Mine of his frustration at Stresemann's behaviour. Mine, however, is too depressed about his performance. It doesn't help that a fellow player tells him that he's an awful player and he couldn't concentrate playing next to Mine. Another girl decides to join in the conversation by asking where they come from. Masumi quickly explains that they are from Momogaoka and that they're just here on Stresemann's recommendation. This seems to impress the other students but Masumi pretends that he's not special at all. Everyone then start talking abou thow they have difficulty finding jobs in music-related fields, scaring Mine in the process. He always believed that being a professional musician would come naturally. However, right now he realises that even these great players find it hard to get into an Orchestra.

Meanwhile, Nodame is happy that she finally gets to see Chiaki while the guy is on his lunch break. Nodame tells him that she's missed him and immediately goes to touch his hand, creeping Chiaki out in the process. Chiaki, however, is more interested in how Nodame went in her masterclass. When Nodame tries to avoid the question, Chiaki becomes suspicious. Nodame admits that she didn't go to the class today because she got kicked out. She goes on to say that she wants to go home now and can't be with Chiaki. Moreover, the teacher scares her. Chiaki is not impressed upon hearing this, telling Nodame to go home if she's scared of the teacher. At the same time, Stresemann is too hangover to do more conducting so the other teacher wonders if they should cancel the afternoon's rehearsal. Stresemann, however, suggests that his pupil fill in for him, pointing at Chiaki. Despite his refusal, Chiaki is selected to be temporary conductor.

In the aftermath of the teacher's decision, Chiaki is introduced to the rest of the students as Streseman's pupil who will fill in for the guy as conductor. The students seem to be impressed by him but Chiaki pays no attention to this and instead criticising them for not understanding a lot of the parts that Stresemann instructed. With that in mind, he wants them to start from the 1st movement. Chiaki's conducting quickly attracts the attention of a journalist who think that Stresemann having a student is news-worthy. While correcting the style of each player in the orchestra, Chiaki notices that one violinist, Miki Kiyora, is pretty good. Chiaki himself seems to be having a great time conducting the group and the result is palpable to everyone around him. The only one who's still depressed is Mine. He feels that although Chiaki is always right in front of him, he seems so far away. Because of this, Mine decides to practice hard that night.

He reminds himself that if Stresemann didn't get sick, Chiaki wouldn't have had the chance to conduct. Mine believes that Chiaki is a great musician and the guy studied hard to get where he is now. Masumi is glad that Mine is being a bit more cheerful and decides to get the guy some juice. However, on his way out he notices Nodame doing strange hand movements at the park. Masumi is spooked out by this and decides to run away from her. Nodame herself is now seen looking at her sheet music and later on stretching her hand to the sky, as if she wants to reach out for the moon. The next day, Stresemann has recover from his hangover so he returns to his conducting job again. This time around Mine actually plays a lot better, impressing his fellow player. The teachers are relieved that Stresemann is back but they think Chiaki would have done a good job as well. He tells Chiaki that one day he'd like to see Chiaki conducts his own orchestra.

On the final day of the music festival, Stresemann takes the role of conducting while Nina Lutz performing with the special orchestra. Meanwhile, the journalist who was impressed with Chiaki is annoyed because her photographer has not found Chiaki yet. Chiaki himself is now at the party, asking a surprised Masumi of Nodame's whereabouts. Masumi claims that she can't find Nodame and lately has been behaving strangely, explaining how Nodame has been behaving like she's an Orangutan. Chiaki asks Nina if she remembers a student called Noda Megumi. Nina informs him that Nodame was excused her from the class and has not come since then. Nina thinks that Nodame doesn't seem to have passion in music and Chiaki should give up on her. Later on, however, Nina hears someone playing Bartok from one of the music room and is impressed by it. However, by the time she gets to the room, Nodame is not there anymore. The episode ends with Chiaki taking a Shinkansen with Stresemann on his way home instead of going back with his friends.

Impression:

I don't think I've mentioned this before but there's one part of Nodame's personality which I really dislike. I'm referring to the one which self-destruct her own chance at development and future just because Chiaki is not around. It's not that I don't want any romance between the two but I hate seeing a character wasting away his/her potential, especially when they have been given a great chance like Nodame. It doesn't help that her only justification is that she has a crush on Chiaki, someone who barely pays attention towards her. What's ironic about this is that after Nina Lutz told Chiaki that Nodame has no talent, Chiaki looks disappointed. That means Nodame actually jeopardised her own chance at being with Chiaki by not trying her best. I think she proved to herself and Nina at the end that she can play well. But I wish she had shown this ability while she was still Nina's student. I feel that it's unfortunate that her talent is not recognised.

On a more amusing note, I was laughing outloud when Mine said that Chiaki has always been in front of him but he feels that the guy is so far away. I am suddenly reminded of the ending song, Konna ni Chikaku de.... I don't think the song was meant to describe Mine but I had a good time laughing about the line anyway. Another funny scene involves Chiaki having to fetch foods for Stresemann and gets thrown carrots by the teacher because he dislikes carrot. This episode also introduces two important characters which will take prominent roles later on when we reach the R☆S Orchestra arc. These two characters are Miki Kiyora and Kimura Tomohito, both of whom are violin players, IIRC. Kiyora's background in the anime/manga is slightly different from the live-action because in the live-action, Kiyora is actually a student of Momogaoka Academy and was the concert mistress for the A Orchestra. In this version, however, Chiaki doesn't meet Kiyora until he and the others meet her in the music festival.

Preview

On next week's episode: The tale of Mongoose and Habu.

© memento 2003