Nodame Cantabile by Tomoko Ninomiya

Nodame Cantabile Vol. 25 by Tomoko Ninomiya
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nodame Cantabile is a manga that could become a classic.
I read the whole story, 25 numbers, just rushing through every volume, fascinated by the setting and the characters.
The setting is a bit peculiar: the protagonists are students of a musical university. Classical music is what keeps all of them together. Nodame and Shiniki are the main protagonists and their love story starts and continue in a rather unpredictable manner, drown in small hilarious scenes that gives a realistic depth to them.
The characters are not drown in a very fancy way, despite that it is a modern style that is light and gives space to some little fashion touch. I think what is the most amazing part of the drawings is the details about the instruments, which are incredibly accurate and beautiful.
There are many characters that are presented in the story, but despite that one doesn't get too disoriented, on the other hand, it was nice to have some variation.
There were some chapters that had a bit slower pace than others, with a tiny tendency to be a bit too repetitive. Luckily, there were also many unexpected events that gave energy to the whole plot.
I really enjoyed reading Nodame Cantabile. It made me goes back on when I was studying at the conservatory and it made me realize how much I have missed playing the piano and how much beautiful the classical music can be. Not only, the passion and stubborness that characterizes all the characters made them admirable and inspired me.
Pity though that the last two volumes were focusing too much on the Opera and too little on Nodame and Shiniki. After all, after so many volumes, one would have expected a bit more classical ending, an official proposal, maybe a kid, or at least, the concert done together.
I would definitely recommend this manga, for the interesting story, but also for the humoristic side of it and for opening the doors to the world of the classical music, which is too often left just for a bunch of elite people.

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