Nodame Cantabile: Finale

[Ascaloth]

Real life, real life, oh how you have shackled me. Watched Episode 8, finally.

I have a message for Kon Chiaki:

For your travesty of ~Paris~....

You are forgiven.

Bring on the Third Movement!

EDIT: Just got to say this. That Stresseman-Faust scene was....everything I expected, and more. Never thought I'd say this, but...good job, Kon.

[hai_san]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Heck, even with Chiaki out of the picture, he ain't that dirty.

Originally Posted by Joojoobees

Well, I don't know if I would go that far...

Heck you all have too dirties minds

[Sinestra]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

At this point, his career doesn't need a boost. And he's not so interested in Nodame (that way) that he'd jeopardize his relationship with Chiaki just to sleep with her. Heck, even with Chiaki out of the picture, he ain't that dirty.

I doubt he's put that much forethought into it anyway.

Yea im not even sure why this implication was bought up. I never once entertained that he was trying to get her in bed. More than anything he has a plan up his sleeve to get her back on track. Since this is make it or break it time for Nodame. He probably thought of something that would annoy the hell of Chiaki. We all know how he loves trying to one up him.

[Joojoobees]

Originally Posted by Sinestra

Yea im not even sure why this implication was bought up. I never once entertained that he was trying to get her in bed.

Well, did you see season 1? I think the whole reason the implication came up was Stresseman's character (which was mostly revealed in season 1).

[Sinestra]

Originally Posted by Joojoobees

Well, did you see season 1? I think the whole reason the implication came up was Stresseman's character (which was mostly revealed in season 1).

Yes iv seen season 1 but even then i could read between the lines. Theres a fine line between extreme behavior and acting on them. Even in season 1 i knew this was part of Stressemen's personality but you could tell what he was really interested in when he actually had real conversations with Nodame. Other woman well.........thats a different story.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Joojoobees

Well, did you see season 1? I think the whole reason the implication came up was Stresseman's character (which was mostly revealed in season 1).

That's just the surface. Chiaki has cooking, Streseman has women - especially hostesses. But for both of them, music comes first. And they both want Nodame to grow into a great, world class pianist. Also, I'm never quite sure how much of his fooling around is just what it looks like, and how much is his trickster mentor nurturing his students. In an odd reversal of cultural stereotypes, Chiaki is painfully blunt. Streseman, on the other hand, keeps playing tricks on him to force him to grow. With Nodame, however, he's more direct... but only just. I guess he wants to play with her in part at least because he believes it'll be beneficial to her as a musician.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Does anyone think "anything else" happened after the kiss? In our household the consensus was no.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

They "practiced piano". And by "practice piano", I mean "practice piano". Wouldn't be the first time Chiaki gets blue balled by her.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

- Since when are they physical? The way they've built their relationship is so weird, it's hard to tell.

Originally Posted by BBOvenGuy

It's never actually been said, but if I had to guess, I'd say sometime after Nodame's Mozart recital. It's been three years now just since they went to Paris, so it would have been shocking to discover that things hadn't reached that point, really.

While I'd usually agree that, given their ages and relationship, they might have been sleeping together on and off for a while, judging by the anime, it seems like a much more recent turn of events, starting perhaps with that kiss as Nodame rehearsed with Chiaki. I think this because it helps explain the suddenness of Nodame's proposal. I can see Nodame feeling that sleeping together meant they had passed the final hurdle in their relationship -- since they're in love it's time to marry. (I don't think it's just a loss of virginity event; it's perfectly plausible that Nodame wasn't a virgin when she met Chiaki in the first place.) The other obvious motivation is her loss of confidence in her talents. Becoming Chiaki's wife and, perhaps, teaching kindergarten must seem a lot more appealing at this point than an uncertain and demanding future as a professional musician.

[aliensporebomb]

Let me be the first to say:

Episode 9:

Spoiler:

Epic beyond epic. I don't want to ruin it for anyone but.....EPIC!

Wow.

[blewin]

Originally Posted by Tubby

Just read some posts above. As already mentioned, it's the Faust opera and it has a very special meaning

to quote the wikipedia artikel about Faust:

The story concerns the fate of Faust Nodame in his her quest for the true essence of life music. Frustrated with learning and the limits to his her knowledge and power, (s)he attracts the attention of the Devil (represented by Mephistopheles Milch eh Streseman), who agrees to serve Faust Nodame until the moment (s)he attains the zenith of human happiness, at which point Mephistopheles Lord Sith Streseman may take his her soul. Faust Nodame is pleased with the deal, as (s)he believes the moment will never come.

Though last sentence may not be true.

Edit:THIS beautiful theme would also be a fitting as BGM, however it may be a "bit" out of place.
Just tried it and wow, works perfectly. Let the music fade in as he activates the magic circle.

thanks for the explanation. Been wondering what the opera's singing. I thought there's got to be a story related to Nodame's current situation.

As for the magic circle, I found that a bit strange.... but then, it did well in bringing out that temptation Nodame's facing. uhh, and she's never missed one of Auclair's lessons. Still shows how immature she is in dealing with her emotions.

[Tubby]

Spoiler for Episode 9:

That piano concerto was beyond beyond epic. I was as awe struck as the people in the anime and raged so hard when the outro came. 1 week T_T

[Joojoobees]

Ep.9 -- great. Loved the performance, but what in the HELL is ass fortune telling?

[BBOvenGuy]

Oh wow oh wow oh wow...

To tell you the truth, I didn't know that much about Chopin's first piano concerto before, but now I think it's the BEST PIANO CONCERTO EVER!!!

Okay, maybe not. But I like it a lot more now.

I hope you'll allow me a little self-indulgent digression...

Spoiler for self-indulgent digression:

I have a friend in my church choir who is a small-time Hollywood producer. (These things happen when you live in Southern California.) A few years ago, she was producing a play about the life of Sojourner Truth at Hollywood's Hudson Theatre, and she recruited a bunch of us to sing African-American spirituals at various points during the performance. On the show's final night, I was the only tenor who could make it, which meant that in the couple of places where the tenor line stood out, I would essentially be singing a solo. I hadn't sung a solo in public in about thirty-five years - not since the first grade. I'd had other opportunities, but I was too scared to accept any of them. This was my chance to face my phobia and do away with it.

So the big moment arrives, the second verse of William Dawson's arrangement of Ain'-a That Good News. I'm ready to go - but then I notice what the actress playing Sojourner Truth is doing. I've done the play several times, so I know what her next line is - it's a good one, and if I come in on time, I'm going to trample it. So I hesitate - she says the line, the audience reacts, and then I start singing.

It was only for a couple of seconds, and I very much doubt anyone noticed it but me - but I felt like for those couple of seconds, I had the power. I was in control of the whole show, and I could choose to make it better.

And that's what I was reminded of when I saw Nodame performing Chopin. I'd had a brief taste of what Nodame was doing, and I recognized it.

Okay, end of self-indulgent digression.

I said this the other day, but I'll say it again. I really hope that in the last few episodes...

Spoiler for manga spoilers:

...they bring in this character who's supposed to bring Nodame's composing ability back into the picture.

Oh, and one more thing... for me, one of the big differences between the live-action drama and the anime is Stresemann. Yes, he's a goofy character, but he has a serious side too, and that just doesn't show up for me with the actor the drama has playing him. (Not so much that it's a Japanese actor in "white-face," but that it's a Japanese actor playing the part as a Japanese actor in "white-face," i.e. as if his very presence is some kind of joke.) Stresemann knows exactly what he's doing bringing Nodame to London, but I'm not sure how well that will show up in the movies.

[Ascaloth]

Watched Episode 9.

I'm not going to say this is one of the best episodes of Kon's Nodame.

That is because it is one of the best episodes of Nodame, period.

The ending may be slightly abrupt, but I found myself wondering throughout whether Kasai had not retaken the reins of the franchise halfway through the series, so thorough was the treatment of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 throughout the episode. This is the Nodame I've been missing since the start of ~Paris~.

[Joojoobees]

Originally Posted by BBOvenGuy

Oh, and one more thing... for me, one of the big differences between the live-action drama and the anime is Stresemann.

I completely agree with you. The Stresseman from the anime is a funny character, but I can believe him as a real person. I loved the poster for his concert in this episode, BTW.

Originally Posted by Ascaloth

I found myself wondering throughout whether Kasai had not retaken the reins of the franchise halfway through the series, so thorough was the treatment of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 throughout the episode. This is the Nodame I've been missing since the start of ~Paris~.

Again, I agree, 100%. Paris had some cute moments, but always felt like something was lacking. Now that they are "facing the music head on", I can be happy that the real Nodame is back.

[Dop]

Originally Posted by Ascaloth

Watched Episode 9.

The ending may be slightly abrupt, but I found myself wondering throughout whether Kasai had not retaken the reins of the franchise halfway through the series, so thorough was the treatment of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 throughout the episode. This is the Nodame I've been missing since the start of ~Paris~.

Yes. That's exactly what i was thinking. Easily the first time the sequel series have got down and remembered that music is an important part of the storyline. That was practically up to the level of the Rachmaninov and Gershwin sequences from the first season.

[Kanon]

Well, let me fourth that then, it's been a while since we got such a powerful concert. Episode 9 was just wonderful. Glad to finally see Nodame in the spotlight ! Chiaki getting more screentime than her has always been my complaint about the series, I'm not sure this is true, but this has always been the impression I got.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by Kanon

Chiaki getting more screentime than her has always been my complaint about the series, I'm not sure this is true, but this has always been the impression I got.

The two get just as much screentime as each other, though it's Chiaki who get's more 'music screentime' if you know what i mean, so i can see where you're coming from when you say such things.

I believe if both this series and Paris Hen had more episodes, then we would have seen more episodes like this weeks outstanding performance. I guess it's now in the story that the concert plays a huge impact in the story, to be apart of a whole episode.

[Sinestra]

Episode 9 was wondrous beyond all belief. Nodame first debut and the first piece she gets is Chopins 1st thats just amazing. I couldnt help it but she said she didnt want to see Chiaki with all those people standing there i LOL. Stresemann always has a plan but i couldnt fathom this was it. Her performances rivaled that of Rui's. Nodame's eccentric style is what iv always loved about her and it also shows Stresemann level by adjusting to her changes without so much as a glance. Even the Orchestra members were impressed by her and enjoyed making music with her thats a pretty clear sign. Im very interested to see how this plays out. Everything has changed and Nodame cant go back to how she was this is just beginning.

[Joojoobees]

Originally Posted by Sinestra

I couldnt help it but she said she didnt want to see Chiaki with all those people standing there i LOL.

Why do you think she didn't want to see him? Chiaki seemed to think their relationship was over, but I was wondering if she was embarrassed because she had proposed to him and got rejected.

[Kirarakim]

I don't know I always feel people over praise the musical pieces of the first series. Don't get me wrong I love the music itself but the scenes looked awful. I think I could just pause my computer screen and listen to the music on a CD or I-Tunes and get a better effect.

In this episode the animation is still not perfect but I actually enjoyed watching Nodame play and listening to the music.

On another note I also liked her Mozart recital at the end of the 2nd series.