Nodame Cantabile ep.14

April 27, 2007 | 17 Comments

I often wonder if the author actually want the readers/viewers to laugh with Nodame or at Nodame. Sometimes I get the impression that the later is truer than the former. While there are some funny moments in this episode, I can't help but cringe a little bit after seeing some of the scenes. The problem is, I'm not sure if I should feel sorry for Nodame or Chiaki. Animation-wise, the quality seems to have gone down a little bit but it's not particularly noticeable since most of the stories do not require intensive animation. The impressive thing about this episode is the classic music that gets played in the last few minutes of the episode. For some reason it gives the episode a slight grandiose feel to it.

Nodame is awakened in the morning by the sound of a mobile phone. When she picks it up, the man on the other side of the phone immediately assumes that she's Saiko. When Nodame denies this the man wonders if the phone is Chiaki's mobile. Nodame decides to give the mobile to Chiaki, who is shocked to know that the caller is none other than his uncle. The guy also wants Chiaki to come back home right away. After the phone call ends, Chiaki is horrified to know that he's just spent a night in Nodame's room. Nodame claims that after the graduation party, Chiaki wanted to drink beer in her Kotatsu. Fast forward, a few hours later, Chiaki ends up bringing Nodame to see his family. Much to his horror, Nodame is now caked in thick make-up because she thinks it'll make her face looks thin. Chiaki immediately orders her to take the make-up off. He also informs her that his family is divorced. The home they're going to used to be his mother's parents'.

Right now, however, it's his uncle's house. Apparently the family, the Miyoshi, looked after Chiaki since he was 12 years old. Nodame is surprised upon seeing the big house. All of a sudden, a little girl comes out of the house and greets Chiaki. She, however, completely ignores Nodame and secretly makes gesture, asking Nodame to leave. Later on inside the house, Chiaki is scolded by his uncle, Takehiko, for deciding on his future without consulting him. Their conversation comes to an end when Takehiko's son and daughter, Toshihiko and Yuiko, notice Nodame standing outside their window. The two immediately comment about how Chiaki's taste has changed. Later on, they decide to let Nodame in but they simply ignore her. At the same time, Chiaki tries to ask his cousin, Toshihiko, to play violin with him but his cousin refuses. Chiaki is surprised so his uncle explains that Toshihiko must focus on his study since he'll take over the Miyoshi company.

As for Chiaki, his uncle decides to introduce him to a famous hypnotherapist to cure his flight phobia. Chiaki has no choice but to do it but he tells the hypnotherapist that this is his third time getting the treatment and none of them ever works. The hypnotherapist himself admits that he's only had 2 successes at this. Regardless, he wants Chiaki to describe his life at school. Because of this, Chiaki starts complaining about how Nodame has been following him around lately. In fact, he wants the hypnotherapist to give her a check-up too. He then starts listing Nodame's flaw including her untidiness and her body smell. The worst part of this is that his uncle think Nodame is his girlfriend. Later on after the session, Chiaki tell uncle that the attempt didn't work. In response his uncle tells him that he'll never be able to be a good musician if he can't go overseas. In that case, he believes Chiaki may as well quit music and work for his company.

Their conversation comes to an end when a baseball flies right through the window, breaking it into pieces. Not surprisingly Nodame is the one who's responsible for this. True enough, Chiaki finds her and Yuiko looking messed up and dirty. Because of this, Chiaki decides to take Nodame out of the area. Yuiko, however, cries and tries to stop the two from leaving. Chiaki is surprised about this because his house used to be different. A flashback shows that his family always played music together. Toshihiko himself once wanted to become like Chiaki. Toshihiko's thoughts come to a halt when Nodame comes to his room to let the guy know that dinner is ready. Much to everyone's surprise, Nodame decides to cook Nabe. The problem is, this is Spring. As it turns out Nodame wants to do Nabe because she never messes up Nabe or Onigiri, for that matter. Toshihiko is not happy about the fact that they have to eat from the same bowl while Yuiko seems to enjoy it.

During dinner, Chiaki's uncle tries to persuade Chiaki to join his company again, even promising to give him the position of his right hand man. Chiaki, however, refuses, claiming that he's nothing if he doesn't have his music. In addition to this, he's going to start a new orchestra. His uncle thinks there's not much that Chiaki can do with an amateur orchestra so he thinks Chiaki would be better off joining competitions for conducting. Upon hearing Chiaki's refusal, Toshihiko snaps and asks Chiaki when he'll see Viera-sensei again. He reminds Chiaki that the guy can't take fly or ship. Nodame is shocked to hear this since she didn't know before. Toshihiko continues and snidely tells Chiaki that he should join the company. He then reveals that a long time ago, they were planning on knocking Chiaki out with medicine and fly him abroad. Unfortunately the car was involved in a pile-up while the plane had to return to the airport due teo mechanical failure.

In his anger, Toshihiko tells Chiaki that he must be cursed and puts his chopstick right in the middle of his Onigiri (a rude gesture signalling death). The boy then cries and runs back to his own room. Later on that night, Yuiko asks Nodame to sleep with her and the two have a good talk. As it turns out Yuiko's mother has left the house because she feels uncomfortable living in the house ever since Yuiko's grandather passed away. Nodame thinks that Yuiko's mother probably just want a little break. That night, Chiaki finds himself awakened due to nightmare. In order to calm himself, Chiaki goes downstairs and play some music. Nodame who also can't sleep decide to accompany Chiaki. Instead of being happy, Chiaki is horrified when Nodame comes down wearing his mother's dress. Upon seeing Chiaki family's music collection, Nodame suddenly feels like playing Piano and Violin with Chiaki. The episode then ends with the entire family looking shocked when they are awakened by the sound of Nodame and Chiaki's duet.

Impression:

Before I watched the live-action version of the series, I have actually checked one volume of the manga out of interest. I've heard some people who have seen Honey and Clover recommended the manga to me. Unfortunately the first volume that I picked up was volume 6 and I happened to flip straight to the story where Chiaki and Nodame visited his family. That chapter turned me off immediately. I felt that Chiaki and his family are a bunch of cold-hearted bastard for leaving Nodame outside when he took her there in the first place. I was absolutely appalled at the way he treats her in this story and still am to this day. While I have seen him giving Nodame some hyper-violence treatment, I don't see that to be as severe as his treatment to her in this story. He's just being completely cold and abusive towards Nodame in this one. Ditto with his family. They look at her like she's the lowest of the low. Someone who doesn't deserve their respect.

On the other hand, Nodame's behaviour is also embarrassing in this episode. That caked make-up was ridiculous. I don't think anyone in their right mind will think that's attractive. I sometimes feel that the author goes out of her way to make Nodame look dumb and that kind of annoys me. Anyway, I decided that the series wasn't for me after I read that manga. Thankfully the live-action version changed my mind and although I still don't like this part of the story, I ended up liking story in general. It's certainly not Honey and Clover as my friend once said though. Anyway, I'm surprised that the writers decided to give this story two episodes. I thought one episode would have been enough to cover everything. Unfortunately next week's episode would be as unpleasant as this one when it comes to the treatment that Nodame gets from Chiaki and his family. I think it's moment like this that make me wonder if Chiaki and Nodame should really get together.

Preview:

On next week's episode: Kuroki and Kikuchi

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