In my opinion,
Piano no Mori is one of the best anime movies. The animation is beautiful, the forest scene is breathtaking, and the music is indescribably lovely. The film features performances by the renowned pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy. Click here to listen to his
music.
Story: (9/10) – GreatAmamiya Shuuhei makes a temporary move from Tokyo to a small town. On his first day of school, it doesn’t take long for him to be picked on by the class bullies. He is thrown a challenge to play a strange piano which is found in the forest near the school. Though the piano is rumored to be broken, music could be heard from it at night. This ignites his meeting with Ichinose Kai, who seems to be the only one capable of getting sound out of the so-called broken piano.This film is a joy to watch. My first impression was that this film might have something to do with the supernatural. However, there’s nothing supernatural about it. In fact, this film comes with a good and rich story.
Art/Animation: (8/10) – GoodThis film is very lively and colorful. I especially love the piano/forest scene. It’s really beautiful. I also love those scenes where the pianists play the piano. The animation is really good and it captures their emotions very well. As for character designs, I think it’s average. If you have read the manga before, you will appreciate the efforts made in making the characters look much better in the film.
Music: 10/10 – AwesomeSimply great!! The film features performances by the renowned pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Character: 9/10 - GreatI love the two main characters, Shuuhei and Kai. The story is mainly about their friendship, he contrast in their personalities, and of course music. One plays the piano because he thinks that it’s his fate to do so, while the other plays spontaneously from memory and observation.
Enjoyment: 9/10 – GreatIt’s a little slow in pace. If you don’t mind that, I’m sure you will enjoy the show. I certainly did!
Overall: 9/10 - GreatThe characters are likable and the story is rich. If you enjoy classical music, you will certainly enjoy this movie.
