Print Review: Nodame Cantabile vol 1-3

Review Nodame Cantabile vol 1-3Written by WarpshadowRating very good

Shojo manga sometimes has a reputation of being overly dramatic. Not so with Nodame Cantabile which is nice series which remembers to put the comedy in romantic comedy.

Shinichi Chiaki always wanted to study under the famous Mr. Viera in Europe but a paralyzing fear of airplanes has made him a prisoner in Japan. One night he learns about his next door neighbor who is a very messy woman. The next day Chiaki finds out that this woman is Megumi Noda or Nodame, a talented if undisciplined piano player. What neither of them realize at the moment is that they will play a huge part in each other's lives and careers.

Nodame Cantabile is a romantic comedy of the Shoujo variety. What that description doesn't tell the prospective reader is that this is a manga that is far more accessible to many viewers than your average shojo manga. The story is often very funny and the characters slowly grow on the reader, at least they did for me. The art style is a bit different from that of most Shojo manga as well which is a nice change from the usual sparkles and guys that look like girls. If there is one weakness to this manga it is that even though it depends so much on music there is none although that is more of a limitation of the manga format.