Nodame Cantabile: The Final Score – Part I (のだめカンタービレ 最終楽章 前編) is a romantic comedy which was released in December of 2009. The movie was made as a sequel to the drama and released in two parts, the first part released in late 2009, and the second part released in early 2010. This is probably because the director wanted to give a full round up of the story instead of shortening and fitting everything into two hours. The story is originally a manga written by Ninomiya Tomoko. Followed by the popular response from a large fan base of josei (female) readers, it was made into an anime (2007) and also a live-action drama (2006). The director of the drama is Takeuchi Hideki, who is also the director for this movie. The live-action drama also had a huge fanbase and that was why Takeuchi decided to make a movie for it. Tamaki Hiroshi (Chiaki-senpai) and Ueno Juri (Nodame) are the lead characters in the drama and the movie. Their great compatibility with each other is shown through the screen since they have worked with each other before. Other big names in this movie also include popular talents like Eiji Wentz, Becky, and Yamadu Yuu. Since it is not the first time the cast has worked together, everything in the movie has a great flow.
While Chiaki has become the new permanent conductor for the Le Marlet Orchestra, he soon finds out what an unfortunate situation he has been drawn into. The Le Marlet orchestra used to be one of the most prestigious orchestras in Paris, but as conductors changed, the players in the orchestra also quit and changed around often. Having a lack of budget and fans, the orchestra is going downhill. Chiaki works hard to make his orchestra rise back up in status and he is one that does all he can in order to achieve a goal. On one of the upcoming performances, his only celesta (a piano-like instrument) player quit and he is once again in a crisis. He wants Nodame to play for him and Nodame is happy to be able to fulfill her wish to perform on stage with her Chiaki-senpai. But due to a misunderstanding, Rui (Nodame’s love rival) ends up taking her part. The performance ends with the audience laughing and applauding which is another big blow for Chiaki. He still has a long way to go to reach his goal. Nodame on the other hand is also practicing hard for her graduation exam. But of course Nodame does not function without always thinking about her Chiaki-senpai. She also works hard to help promote his orchestra so that people will once again go listen to them. This part one of the movie focuses mainly on Chiaki’s struggle to find his place in the orchestra and slightly hints about the troubles of Nodame trying to find her place in Chiaki’s life.
Lots of special effects are used in order to enhance the characters’ emotions. Tamaki Hiroshi and Ueno Juri uses lots of facial expressions and overreacts to things in order to portray the animated-like quality of the characters. Exessive use of facial expressions does not hinder the performance, but in my opinion it makes the movie even more comedic and enjoyable. The camera also works well with the acting, because there are many close-up shots of the facial expressions. This allows the audience to fully experience the emotions that are portrayed. Nodame’s character is very innocent and acts childlike at times. She always falls into her own little world when she is feeling a sense of happiness. This is when the director uses animated animals, rainbows and sparkles to surround Nodame in her fantasy world. Chiaki also has animated emotions, just like when he is shocked that he became the permanent conductor of a failing orchestra, he literally falls into an unending dark hole in space. This contrasts Chiaki who is serious and thinks a lot and Nodame who is very innocent and revolves life around Chiaki. But in a way, they balance each other by having what the other is lacking. The casts’ great acting skills plus the use of special effects really gives this movie a quality that no other has.
Nodame Cantabile is a story about young people who live in the world of classical music. So of course, this movie uses a lot of classical pieces from Chopin, Liszt, Mozart, and Beethoven to name a few. It is important that popular pieces were used so that the audience can recognize and feel the sense of closeness to it. Music is played almost non-stop in the movie, even if it is very quietly. The climax of each piece of song played also parallels the climax of something Nodame is doing. Like when she was about to fall into a fountain while getting a toy boat for a kid, the music playing is near the climax and increases in volume as she falls. Scenes changes a lot with the music too, like back and forth between what Chiaki is doing and what is happening to Nodame.
One thing I dislike about this movie was the flashbacks from the drama being too long. It is great for those who did not watch the drama because it tells you a bit about where the story is at, but for fans who have watched the drama, it was really boring and long. Overall I enjoyed this movie a lot because I am a huge fan of the drama. Vivid colours, good music, decent camera work, great scenery and a great cast. I would recommend this movie for those who enjoy classical music or just want a comedy to watch.