And so it ends. Saying goodbye to Nodame feels like saying goodbye to an old friend. It’s a little hard to let go. Especially since there’s plenty more good times that could be had. But still, though it wasn’t the grand finale that I might’ve wished for, I thought it was a fitting end to the show.

The episode picks off basically where the last episode left off. Nodame’s still checked out after her performance with Stresemann, and coping with it by starting her own orphanage of Roux-Marlet children.

Meanwhile, all her friends remain distraught and confused about Nodame’s strange behavior, not quite understanding why she seems to be turning her back on a wonderful future.

While Nodame entertains the kids with a fanciful (and not well received) version of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Chiaki returns to settle the relationship issue with Nodame.

But after the kids tease Nodame for screwing up Twinkle Star, Nodame gets all srs biz and unfurls Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 31 on them. Chiaki, who up that point, seemed to be willing to let Nodame squander her musical future in order to just be with her, is moved my the performance and realizes that it’s impossible for him to keep her talents hidden away. The animation during this episode was excellent, and I especially loved the way Nodame’s hair flowed during her playing. It just looked… beautiful.

Spurred by her playing, Chiaki busts in and instead of proposing marriage, proposes that Nodame play a concerto with him and Roux-Marlet or whichever orchestra she wants. But to Chiaki’s surprise, Nodame rejects him saying she already got to play with Stresemann. But more than that, she admits that she’s afraid she can’t top herself, which might ultimately lead to her not loving Chiaki (although I think that was a joke, Chiaki takes it pretty seriously).

Undeterred, Chiaki whisks Nodame away to some place (I can’t remember what the woman’s name was) to play Mozart’s sonata for two pianos – the first piece that the two played together – hoping that by doing so he can rekindle her love for playing. Chiaki’s voiceover during this scene was perfect, as he talks about the spark that can happen from one note and how it could change everything. Like the moment where he heard Nodame playing in her room, full of trash, that eventually changed their lives forever.

While the performance doesn’t go particularly well, Chiaki’s message seemingly got through. As the next scene shows Nodame going back to Yoda-sensei to continue learning with him. But I think the one thing this scene did do was seal the deal with Nodame and Chiaki. Although Nodame sort of plays it up for laughs (hearing Kawashima’s "fall in love" engrish is just too cute), I think the scene removed any question about whether Nodame and Chiaki would stay together or not, which is key, since it’s basically the last time we see the two together in this episode, before we get the epilogue montage.

Yun Long leaves and heads back home. While Frank gets to do a duet with Rui (otaku power!). Actually, I don’t remember ever seeing or hearing Frank play, so I completely forgot what instrument he played.

Roux-Marlet while improving its rep, still has financial issues, leading them to perform at an onion festival.

Again, Chiaki’s voiceover is fantastic, as it does a great job of summing up my feelings for the show.

Beyond the Nodame hijinks, and the awesome relationships, everyone on this show has been bound together by their love for music.

The story never forgets this. While the latter seasons may not have had the extended performances that the first season did. Music has always remained the centerpiece of which this show revolves around.

And by doing so, it gives an amazing amount of depth and feeling to the performances we hear, and to the characters we meet.

You know that often used trope in anime: the power of love conquers all! You know how it always feels cheesy? Well, Nodame is the one show where I think the power of love does conquer all. Utterly so. And I thought the scene between Nodame and Lucas was a fitting cap to that theme. Why do they do the things they do? To give back to society? To make the most of their talents? Maybe. A little bit. But more than anything, it’s their love for music that ties the binds.

From Elise to Milche…

To Chiaki and Nodame.

I was anxious about the ending, knowing that there was displeasure with the manga ending. But actually, I thought it was a fitting end to the show. I can understand why people were disappointed. There could’ve been things that were done better. I would’ve loved seeing a final grand performance with Nodame and Chiaki and Rising Star orchestra. I would’ve loved for Chiaki to not have forgotten about his marriage proposal. And a 12th episode would’ve helped the pacing, which was a bit quick.

But in the end, I got what I wanted. Nodame x Chiaki staying together, with both continuing to pursue their love for music. It’s the best of both worlds. It wasn’t the most closed loop of endings, but I’m ok with that. It leaves the door open for future stories, which I hope, hope, hope we’ll see (and will, since there’s at least one more OVA confirmed).

Like I said above, it’s hard to say goodbye. Especially to a show with characters that I’ve come to love. Even though it’s only been a short time, I feel like I’ve grown with the characters and they’ve grown with me. So it’s that much harder. But what a ride it’s been. And I can’t express my admiration enough for Tomoko Ninomiya in creating a masterpiece and for Chiaki Kon and Kasai Kenichi in really bringing it to life. Nodame Cantabile isn’t just a great anime, it’s a great story, period.

After the epic highs of the last episode, I wondered how this episode would pick up. And while it felt a lot more schizophrenic, and even a bit frustrating, it was still powerful stuff.

Loved seeing the montages of all of Nodame’s friends coming across her performance online. But when Auclair and the other sensei express their disapproval, I couldn’t help but get a little upset at them. While I’ve understood what they’re trying to do with Nodame, even I’ve felt like Auclair was being too deliberate with her and treating her too much with kid gloves. I never quite understood why, but this episode did a great job answering that question for me.

Elise is just crazy funny. Between getting Nodame to "sign" her contract and become a giant slave girl, or calling Chiaki pretending to be Nodame, Elise delivers the goods.

There is a healthy dose of emo in this episode, as Chiaki sulks over Nodame ignoring him, and Nodame sulks over… well, I’m not sure exactly what. Perhaps it’s satisfaction at achieving a goal? Or the fear that she’ll never be able to perform as well as she’s did with Stresemann? For someone who comes across as spacy, Nodame internalizes her agony with music to a surprising degree. But with Nodame’s heart and future aflutter, she ditches Elise and Stresemann and disappears with her passport and wallet.

Ah, the showdown between Auclaire and Stresemann. To be honest, like Stresemann, I thought Auclair searched him out, but apparently he just happened to be in town. Auclair is not a fan of Stresemann, and not just because of Nodame. I really liked this scene because my questions about why Auclair seemed to hold Nodame back were answered. I thought he really explained Nodame’s struggles really well, and the challenge in getting her to enjoy music for the quality of the music. And with that, I understood why he’d been holding her back, why he’d had her study so many different composers. With that said, I don’t blame Stresemann for putting Nodame on stage. I think he meant for the best, and in the long run, I think it was good for Nodame. But after the Auclair’s argument, even I felt a little sheepish for cheering Nodame on last episode.

After ditching London, Nodame heads to Egypt of all places, where she finds that she has fans even there. Admittedly, I was a little frustrated with Nodame, because I had a hard time understanding why Nodame was so conflicted. She enjoys playing. She likes that other people enjoy her playing. What is there to think about beyond that? Auclair mentions her distaste for the "industry", but what of the industry does she need to agonize over? The politics? The grueling routine? The necessary ambition? But as I watched the episode and thought about it, it finally dawned on me that Nodame likes playing, but not as a career. It’s like I enjoy cooking and think I’m pretty good at it (ok, this is a patent lie, but just bear with my analogy), but I wouldn’t want to put in the effort it would take to become a professional chef. I think that’s where Nodame is. Every step she takes towards stardom is a step towards a life she may not want. But her talent seems to be taking her down that route, whether she likes it or not.

I can empathize with Chiaki, who’s stuck in a bad place. I’d be pulling my hair out if Nodame disappeared on me like that, so I applaud his patience. But I couldn’t help but feel that he was giving up on her too quickly. The way everyone talks about Nodame’s fragility and capriciousness, I keep thinking that she’s one step away from going off into the mountains to become a crazy hermit.

I laughed out loud at Stresemann’s translation. Kudos frostii, that "feeling ultra-good" line sounded so typically Stresemann. But Stresemann, perhaps feeling a little guilty, tracks down Chiaki and sort of tries to ease Chiaki’s concerns about Nodame saying she wouldn’t play again. I don’t know if he actually accomplished that, but he seemed to have sparked a little fire inside Chiaki.

Meanwhile, on her way back home, Nodame misses the Paris stop and ends in a completely different country (missing countries in Europe must be like missing a state in the US. I can’t imagine missing a stop and accidentally ending up in Canada for example). Unfortunately for Nodame has no more money and has to resort to sleeping in a hotel storage closet for the night. I’m surprised they even gave her that. All in all, a sad scene, as Nodame cries for Chiaki.

Nodame finally returns home to a barrage of congratulatory faxes and a message from her family, which serves to remind Nodame of the crossroads she’s in. In case you’re wondering what’s on the game board, here’s what was in the manga. Interestingly, there’s no Chiaki course. Meanwhile, Tanya, Yun Long, Kuroki and the gang blast in to find Nodame merrily playing her Moja Moja Suite. But Nodame is still unwilling to come back to reality, as she essentially ignores her friends, instead regaling with a couple kids that Kuroki was babysitting.

Kuroki sends Chiaki an MMS letting him know that Nodame’s back and seemingly in good spirits. Meanwhile, Chiaki wonders whether Nodame might’ve been better off staying in Japan, and as I watched her playing with the kids, I couldn’t help but think the same. Maybe Auclair would’ve gotten through to her one day. But Nodame just seems like she’d be so much more carefree if she’d gone on to become a Kindergarten teacher. Still, we get a huge breakthrough at the end when Chiaki decides that he’ll accept Nodame’s proposal.

I can’t believe there’s only one episode left. :emotion: I feel like they could still tell the story over another season. But where will we end up next week? Will Nodame accept Chiaki’s answer to her proposal? In doing so, will she quash her playing career? Or will she turn down Chiaki, to focus on her playing? In that game board, there was no Chiaki course, but two of the courses seem like anti-Chiaki courses to me (the Professional and back to Japan courses). But I don’t know if the School Course is a possibility anymore. Or, if so, it won’t be the same. So where will Chiaki fit in? It’s funny that all this time, we wondered how Nodame would fit into Chiaki’s ambitions. But now the table has completely turned.

Personally, I would prefer the Chiaki x Nodame ending, whether or not Nodame continues playing. After watching this episode, I just don’t think Nodame has it in her to be a "pro." It’s not about settling, but about choosing a path that would make her happiest. And I think accepting Chiaki’s answer would make her the happiest (and Chiaki too). But if that doesn’t happen. All I ask for is closure.

If the last episode was one of the best episodes of Nodame Cantabile, this one just upped the ante. My stomach was in knots, my breath taken away and I had shivers listening to Nodame perform – equally in awe and hoping that Stresemann could hold the beautiful disaster together.

It’s the S-orchestra guys! I hope this isn’t the extent of their involvement in this season, but with just two episodes left, I’m not too hopeful of getting much more from them.

I can’t believe Stresemann’s 73-years-old. For one, he looks like he’s in his 40′s. And two, he hits the town like he’s in his 20′s. Although Nodame didn’t look like she originally wanted to be there, or maybe she was a little in disbelief, it was pretty cool seeing her taking the initiative and guiding the piece the way she wanted it.

Nodame’s always been sort of the sympathetic character as far as her relationship with Chiaki’s been concerned. But I wonder if that dynamic has turned. 88-56-87 is 35"-22"-34" for those not on the metric system. I don’t know if I’m the only one, but I find myself doing those calculations every time I see the three sizes. Oh, and that’s pretty impressive… if true.

I was thrilled with Rui’s 2+ minute performance last week, but did you notice that Nodame’s performance went nearly 6 minutes? It felt like it took up just about the whole second half of the episode. Last week was awesome. This week was sublime on a level above.

Once Nodame’s fingers crashed onto the keys and I saw the shots of everyone’s faces and reactions, I thought "yabai!" Are they good looks? Or bad looks? Are they just so stunned by her playing? Or are they in shock because something is off? With Nodame, it’s usually a mixture of both. And at that point a knot formed in my stomach as I hoped and prayed that Nodame would be able to hold it together.

Chiaki sums it up best, even here, Nodame is still Nodame, unpredictable, uncontrollable as ever. But that’s why listening to her play is so unique. There’s no one else like her. Still, as talented as Nodame, I would guess that there’s very few composers that would be able to hang with her – able to adjust to her unpredictability. If it weren’t Chiaki, Stresemann’s was clearly the best alternative to conduct Noda’s debut.

I have to admit, I was nervous for Stresemann as I was for Nodame. "Keep it together Stresemann! Make it work!" I thought. The Nodamustang image from the last episode popped up in my mind. The anime, throughout the three seasons has done a fantastic job characterizing her playing as something truly wild and untamable, but also remarkable is that her playing, as "eccentric" as it is, never fails to draw in everyone. From the crowd to the concert master, who’s changing his style on the fly.

And then when the music stops, there’s the slight pause, and the crowd breaks out in a roar. Wow. It brought a tear to my eye. I took a deep breath and could finally relax knowing that it all went keikakudoori. I thought everything about this scene was brilliantly directed, from Chiaki’s voiceover, to the faces and expressions, to the light and flower effects. Everything about it just sucked me into Nodame’s world. I’d imagine it’d been the same effect if this scene were playing in the real world and I was sitting in the orchestra seats. Just tremendous.

Bravo, Stresemann. You deserve a rest. Or at least some ice cream.

What a way to end the episode. As Chiaki points out, everything’s changed and they can’t go back to where they were before. It just feels more and more likely to me that Chiaki and Nodame’s path towards brilliance will ultimately pull these two apart. I hope I’m wrong. But that’s feeling like the most "real" ending.

Wow, well this was a topsy, turvy episode of Nodame Cantabile. Some great moments and a totally head scratching ending.

Nodame’s "Just as Keikaku" face was worth the price of admission to this show.

But the main act stole the show. 2+ minutes of the Ravel piece, pretty much uninterrupted by dialogue (except for two short lines). It was awesome. It was magnificent. In a world of sound bites, quick cuts, and 5 seconds of fame, this felt like an eternity, in a good way. I was hoping it would go on forever.

But the effects of Chiaki and Rui’s masterful performance would go beyond just the two minutes of music. It’s funny how a side character such as Rui, who’s never really even talked to Nodame, has had such a big impact on Nodame’s relationship with Chiaki and her musical goals. Like Chiaki points out, from the moment Rui was introduced, she’s always managed to ignite a dangerous side to Nodame.

But for the first time Nodame doesn’t respond by losing herself in her playing – instead playing the perfect waifu role. All seems to be well, but this was probably the worst possible reaction Rui’s performance could’ve incited.

Nodame shying away… In the end, Nodame is remarkably similar to Chiaki. Opening up then pulling away at the worst possible moments. It’s what makes the relationship feel so real, but it’s also a big source of frustration.

So I have to admit, I’m pretty much always going to give Chiaki the benefit of the doubt, because he reminds me a lot of… well, me. Except I’m not as singularly focused (or talented) as he is. But personality-wise I get where he’s coming from. His reacts the way I’d react. And I’m not sure there was a good way for him to respond when Nodame spontaneously proposes to him (although boinking her probably wasn’t a good idea). Chiaki was getting a lot flack in the MAL forums for not accepting her proposal… but, c’mon! It’s the first thing in the morning. No one just happens to accept a proposal out of the blue like that. I don’t know what I would’ve done. Probably just laughed and joked it off similarly. It was a terribly awkward moment, Chiaki has no idea how to respond, and I think director Chiaki Kon did a really nice job of conveying that.

There were some great expressions in this episode. Many of which were from Nodame, but also some from the supporting characters as well. I was struck by Yoda’s expression, particularly. It’s hard to explain, I saw sadness, but there was something else to it. A sense of loneliness, not Yoda’s, but maybe something he was sensing from Nodame and her absence.

After the wonderful Ravel piece at the beginning of the show, it was stunning to hear Nodame’s version of Beethoven. Stresseman, who arrived in Paris to party with Chiaki, instead finds a disconsolate Nodame, bereft of all motivation after hearing Rui play. Stresseman implores her to show her what she’s learned at which point she breaks into the Beethoven. And although I wish it went on longer, seeing Stresseman’s dour expression (another excellent one), Nodame’s tortured face, and hearing his explanation of the piece ("lamentation, utter exhaustion, so you can’t even think") was weighed tremendously heavy on me. You hear about music impacting scenes, this would be a prime example.

Meanwhile, Chiaki’s in Italy, tortured by Nodame’s proposal. He calls himself an idiot. He wonders what if she was serious? What would he do? Then he dismisses that possibility, thinking that she was shying away again. And wonders why, after coming so far, is she seeming like she’d throw it all away. Really, an excellent internal battle.

I do love Stresseman, because he has a way of just taking over scenes. Stresseman seems to be making an offer to Nodame to see the world. But what in the world was with the magic circle at the end? I can’t tell if I liked it or not, it was just so… bizarre to see. Three episodes left and the plot continues to thicken. Why is this season so short!?

Man, I should’ve saved my "Bebe-chan grows up" subtitle for this week. Another good Nodame x Chiaki-centric episode.

Nodame and Chiaki have always had this weird give and take. Actually, it’s more Nodame’s weirdness. For someone who can be so obsessed with Chiaki, she also becomes remarkably cool to him when she gets deeply involved in one thing or another. If she had a better attention span, I think she’d be prime for megalomaniac training.

But days of forgetting about Chiaki, and missing his shows pays off as Bebe-chan’s new dedication to her studies gives Yoda sensei reason to graduate Nodame from a bebe (lol) to a Megumi. Aww, I’ll miss my bebe-chan though. There’s something about listening to Ayako Kawasumi screaming "bebe-chan!" that really soothes my soul.

But lest bebe-chan get too full of herself, Yoda sensei leaves her to continue practicing her Beethoven piece, to try to perfect the betrayal, despair and hopelessness the end of the piece is supposed to convey. Bebe-chan, though is a little too buzzed about her recent graduation, that is until she learns that Chiaki and Rui will be spending some alone time together to practice for the upcoming concert. I am Bebe-chan’s complete lack of surprise. I am Bebe-chan’s inflamed sense of rejection. I am Bebe-chan’s broken heart.

Actually, I don’t think Bebe-chan was that broken up by the news. The Rui x Chiaki drama was forced, but I think it was on purpose. Like Yun Long suggests, I think she was having a little fun with it and being melodramatic to draw her inspiration to perfect the end of the Beethoven piece.

Chiaki really should be used to how slobby classically trained girl musicians are. Rui’s slobness reaches Nodame’s level. It only looks better, because she has a larger place I think. And what in the world is California juice? Some sort of watered down wine?

I thought the scene in which Chiaki and the Roux-Marlet concertmaster was really interesting. Chiaki hints at wanting to hold back during Rui’s performance, without stating that it’s probably for Nodame’s sake, but is rebuked by the conmas, who delivers a really excellent line actually. Basically, don’t be defensive, since Chiaki has nothing to defend. It’s an interesting way to deliver the typical "give your best every time!" line. It also forces Chiaki to check himself, because he realizes that holding back for Nodame’s sake doesn’t make sense, since she’s shown that she never fails to blow his expectations away. It’s moments like these where I think "damn, that Nodame must really be something special."

The big news for Nodame, beyond her graduation from bebe-chan, is that Yoda sensei has plans for her in the works (unbeknownst to her). Competition plans. I wonder when we’ll see that come to fruition. It’s a big deal for Nodame, but not big enough for the series end. Next episode we’ll see Chiaki and Rui shine. I’d expect Nodame to get to compete in the next episode after that. Maybe even stretching two episodes. That would leave us with one final episode for them to go out with a bang. There’s supposedly a Nodame OAD planned to be released in April, but I’m sure that’s not going to be connected to the main story. Argh, time’s running out. I’m getting antsy. We shall see.

I’m late posting this because a.) I was saving the world in Mass Effect 2 (much better than ME1) and b.) I’ve been thinking for the last couple days about what exactly to say. To put it succinctly, it was a great episode.

For anyone that’s been clamoring for more Nodame x Chiaki in this season (uh, is that basically everyone?) this is the episode that delivers the goods. Funny Noda moments. Funny Chiaki moments. Heartwarming Noda moments. Heartwarming Chiaki moments. And funny and heartwarming moments between Noda and Chiaki. Plus, even though we didn’t get any grand performances, once again I enjoyed hearing Chiaki explain the story behind the songs, as he leads Noda through practice boot camp. But the dorama begins when Nodame by happenstance learns from Yun Long that Chiaki will be performing the Ravel piece that she so adored with Rui. Tomokazu Seki’s "yabai!" when Chiaki realizes Nodame’s discovered the truth had that perfect hint of "oh crap, danger!" to it.

Again, kudos to the seiyuu, in this case Ayako Kawasumi, because I think her delivery had that perfect mix of heartbrokenness and defiance, as Nodame finally unleashes her frustrations with being treated as a bebe-chan by everyone from Chiaki to Yoda-sensei. It’s totally understandable. Because everyone seems to treat Nodame with kid gloves on. On a separate note the way that word "bebe-chan" sounds really cracks me up. When I go to Japan I’m going to go around calling people bebe-chan just to see what happens.

lol, Chiaki is really an old man. I wish I could get by on 4 hours of sleep every night. I did that by accident a few weeks ago, and it took me a week to regain any semblance of nighttime normality. Ugh, maybe I’m getting too old. Anyway, I thought it was interesting that Chiaki tells Nodame that maybe Yoda-sensei isn’t letting her enter competitions, not because she hates her, but because she lacks the skills. It’s interesting because "lack of skill" was something that I never associated with Nodame. Lack of devotion, lack of discipline – yes. But lack of skill? That hadn’t even crossed my mind.

Nodamustang! I don’t know why I found that so funny. But after seeing all the times where Chiaki disappointed Nodame, it was really nice to see him make a sacrifice to be with her and to challenge her skills. It wasn’t played up too much, but going as far as cancelling his Italy trip, and studying with Viera-sensei… that’s such a big deal.

What the… fish? Nodame Cantabile continues it’s great tradition of visual gags, as I loved seeing the very, very sudden process in which Nodame goes from consumed with playing to stinky and totally gassed. I imagine this is how a Sim would look like when they’re energy and hygene bars suddenly go from green to red.

It was really cool seeing Yoda-sensei watching Nodame’s playing with such an intense look on his face. I wonder if this was the first time that he really felt that Nodame was living up to her potential. Seeing how he has an intense practice schedule for Nodame planned, it feels as if he’s trying to cram a lifetime of learning into the 3 years he has with her. Nodame’s like a high draft pick, who toiled away years in the low minors, before she realized that she’s only got a year left to make it to the majors, lest she be considered a bust forever (I blame Shinmaru for starting the sports analogies).

Ah, another kiss! I liked it. Really low-key, no drama. It makes sense. How long have they been "together?" No need for the typical anime shebang! Just a cute moment between the two. Besides, I bet they’ve gone much farther already anyway .

While most of the episode was focused on Chiaki helping Nodame, there was a little movement on the Kuroki x Tanya front, as Tanya apologizes, and Kuroki asks her to play as his accompaniment. Honestly, I like Tanya chasing Kuroki, but I don’t really like him reciprocating her advances so openly. It’s just more funnier when she’s stealing kisses and he’s getting blue in the face.

One more thing I wanted to comment on, when Kuroki and Chiaki were talking about Nodame, it’s interesting that when Kuroki suggests that the two play with the Rising Star orchestra, Chiaki dismisses the suggestion, because he doesn’t want her to be satisfied and let things come to an end. It makes me wonder if he thinks Nodame still just wants to be a kindergarten teacher. A Rising Star orchestra finale would be a fantastic way to the end the series, IMO. But his comment made me curious about what he’s thinking.

For an episode that focused mostly on Tanya and Yun-Long, I thought this episode was great. Of all the 2nd and 3rd season episodes, I thought this got as close to the first season "feel" as any.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… While Tanya manages to pass the first round of her performance, unfortunately Yun-Long’s dreams are shattered when he fails to do the same – even though he did manage to overcome his nerves.

Don’t they have shower curtains in Paris? Chiaki, this one’s your fault. Also, shouldn’t Chiaki have been in Italy by now? I got the impression last episode that he was immediately heading to Italy to study with Viella, while traveling back to Paris to conduct with Roux-Marlet. I guess he’s heading out there after the performance with Rui. Even though the episode had more of a dramatic feel to it, funny moments like these really help to break it up. Actually, the dynamic when the gag scenes are in between serious scenes makes them even funnier.

Yun-Long isn’t the most memorable of side characters (where are you Mine-kun!?), but I really felt for him when he couldn’t bring himself to finish writing the letter, just because of the brutal finality of it. You don’t practice your ass off and devote your whole life to honing a craft just to teach some rich kids how to play piano. Even if China is a hot market.

Yun-Long manages to break out of his malaise fairly quickly though. And continues to support Tanya in her quest to win the competition. Even asking Chiaki to bring Tanya’s "prince," Kuroki-kun out to the competition. Both Kuroki and Chiaki were hilarious this episode. Kuroki, for his embarrassment over Tanya, and Chiaki for his deadpan reactions.

Tanya’s performance is very good, even Chiaki thinks he underestimated her chances at making it to the finals. However, for whatever reason, perhaps because of Tanya’s flamboyance, she fails to make it to the finals. I gotta give director Chiaki Kon some credit, because I think she did a real good job making it easy to empathize with Tanya and Yun-Long. Yun-Long overcomes a crutch, only to fail making the cut. Tanya plays brilliantly, only to be shot down due to an ass of a judge’s biases. All their best effort, all in vain. Two dreams shattered so easily; their future paths determined by the whim of "somebody else." Unless you’re one of the 5 people in the world who’re undeniably brilliant at what you do, like say Lebron James or Chiaki, your future is so heavily impacted by random people who may not even care about who you are. Even Nodame’s victim to this.

Tanya responds to her failure much more poorly than Yun-Long did, shutting herself in her room and splurging on potato chips and getting fat. Ah, Chiaki’s honesty, I love it.

Meanwhile, Frank and Nodame head over to the final round of the competition, where we’re treated to some oldies but goodies. I loved hearing the Rachmaninoff piece again and seeing the flashbacks. It’s such a great song that harkens some excellent Nodame memories. And then seeing the Ravel’s piece blow Nodame’s mind reminded me of the scenes when Chiaki would conduct, and flowers would bloom in the background. All in all, even though none of the pieces were played very long, this episode did not skimp on the music. For the first time in a while, it really felt like the music was central to the plot – which is the way it should be.

God, it cracks me up seeing Kuroki’s reaction to his own suggestion. After learning that Tanya can’t continue her studies because she’s no longer going to receive government support and will have no place to stay, Kuroki breaks character and makes a shocking proposal, offering his place to Tanya to stay in. Kuroki tries to alleviate the shocking situation by claiming that it’s just a living arrangement and nothing more, but that seems to infuriate Tanya even more, and she rejects Kuroki’s proposal, since it’s not like they’re dating anyway. But she’ll come crawling back, I know it. I’m sure Tanya will take up Kuroki’s offer later, but I hope Kuroki x Tanya doesn’t end up happening. I just think it’ll be much more amusing if they’re living together and all the while, Kuroki tries to claim he has nothing to do with her.

Nodame, still on her Ravel-high, blasts into the room right after Tanya leaves and hurdles Chiaki for a perfect 10. Did you know the Winter Olympics started this week? I didn’t. Does anybody care about the Olympics? I want to see that organization and event disappear forever, but I digress. Nodame excitedly claims Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major for her and Chiaki, when she finally gets to perform with him.

As Nodame’s playing has become more refined and "professional" I think some of its whimsicalness was lost. But here’s another scene that I loved just because it really draws on that first season feeling. Watching Nodame play a song she heard for the first time from memory – and do an unbelievable job of doing so, leaving Chiaki, Kuroki and Yun-Long in awe just reminds me how excellent she really is. Like Kuroki says, she’s on a totally different level.

But sadly, Yoda-sensei still has more lessons for Nodame to learn, continuing to rebuff her desire to enter a competition. And just when you think Rui couldn’t cockblock any more, she sends Chiaki her song choice… you guessed it, Ravel’s Piano Concerto. I really hope Chiaki convinces Rui to do some other song. It’s going to break Nodame’s heart if Rui jumps her again.

Along with the new Japanese girl who doesn’t really look Japanese (although to be fair, I guess Nodame doesn’t look very Japanese either).

I was glad to see Nodame be quick to forgive Chiaki, albeit with some much deserved baka inu treatment (sans the whip). This was a really nice moment between the two, as Chiaki doesn’t try to hide his reasons for missing Nodame’s performance, while Nodame is quick to show some understanding, even if she’s still a little pissed about it. But moreso than Chiaki missing her performance, Nodame seemed more annoyed that the salon concert didn’t lead to bigger and better things for her. But at the very least, Chiaki’s absence did lead to him drunkenly putting his hand on Nodame’s stomach/crotch area. I laughed at that scene, not really because it was erotic (not in the slightest), but because it looked more like how a husband puts his hand on his wife’s stomach when she’s pregnant. I think Nodame would make a good mom. And if not, she could totally destroy Yamamoto as a kindergarten teacher.

Just as cute was Chiaki showing off his jealous side when Nodame receives the call from Mr. Robert (Shitsuji-san has a name!) the next morning checking in on her. And then from Lucas the precocious teen. Neither of whom are at the equivalent level of a Rui or one of Stresemann’s cabaret girls, but it’s nice that he still cares. On the other hand, I still feel like the two are dancing around their relationship. Chiaki says that he’s immediately heading out to Italy to study under Viella, while continuing to conduct the Roux-Marlet, and conducting with Rui and the Wiltord Orchestra, but Nodame’s response sounds like their completely misunderstanding each other.

But before we get any further with Nodame x Chiaki, we have to take a commercial break… to introduce you to a new character! Her name is Rima, she’s a Japanese pianist, and if you thought it was weird for Nodame Cantabile to introduce a new character when the show’s so close to being over… well, I can’t disagree with you. On the bright side (or the bad side if you’re thinking of this episode as a throwaway), you probably shouldn’t get too fond of her, as she’s really just a foil to help push Tanya’s story forward.

Having failed in her competition (along with Yun Long), she finds out that she’s going to be competing against him again in the next competition. And while Tanya shows a newfound dedication to her craft, she’s broadsided when she sees Kuroki, the plain dude oboeist (I happen to like him a lot) hanging out with Rima. Thinking that the two are an item, and pissed that she underestimated Kuroki’s appeal, Tanya resorts to the typically Russian response: swigging large quantities of vodka while setting food on fire. –1 for not throwing any shotglasses or molotov cocktails at the wall. However, Tanya’s prospects look better when she finds out that Kuroki’s not dating Rima, and is simply doing a favor for his teacher by looking out for her as she prepares for an exam over the next month. It’s very much a short term thing. Although if Kuroki wanted to, I bet he could’ve swept Rima off her feet. But anyway, one thing leads to another, and Tanya ends up kicking Nodame out of her room, to give to Rima to stay for the next month while she’s practicing.

All Rima’s practicing does is inspire everyone else in the apartment to practice to – which just ends up depressing Rima, since she’s so much worse compared to Yun Long, Tanya, and especially a Tsuchinoko-charged Nodame.

In the end Rima fails her exam, and decides to head back to Japan. Which by now, you shouldn’t be surprised by, since we already decided not to get too attached to her. She is pretty cute, in the way she clings to Kuroki like a lost puppy, but… she’s pretty much a useless character. But thanks to the contrived love triangle, Tanya realizes she needs to act quick and steals a kiss from Kuroki, who’s passed out under the kotatsu. I’m sort of ambivalent about the Tanya x Kuroki pairing. I was more amused when Kuroki was chasing Nodame for a short while. But whatever, if she wants him, she can have him. But score one for Tanya’s musical development, which has progressed quite a bit as she closes in on graduating, mostly due to her distaste of going back to Russia – the cold, cold, barren land. And also one for her personal development. Even though she still has a penchant for garishly ugly clothes, she seems like she has a much better sense of what she wants with the world.

I can only wonder what side character we’ll get to focus on next episode.

There were some laugh out loud moments in this episode, but they were mostly overshadowed by most of the dramatic breakthroughs. Oh nothing terribly melodramatic, but definitely some major events.

Chiaki and Son Rui meet for dinner at Rui’s behest to discuss life, love and overbearing moms. Son Rui’s getting a fair amount of screen time for someone who I didn’t think was a big deal, but I suppose it’s her meeting with Chiaki that set the dominoes to fall for Chiaki’s random encounter with his former sensei, Viera.

Rui bares her heart out (and becomes smitten by others) and remembers the reasons why she loved playing piano in the first place. It’s pretty interesting to watch Chiaki’s response. I suppose he’s always been sort of a cool and calm kind of character, but there’s a nonchalance and confidence he displays when reminiscing with Rui that didn’t exist before. Even the way he thinks about Nodame has grown. It’s almost as if they’re like a married couple. Sadly for Rui, her seduction skills are mucho fail compared to her piano skills. Stick with your day job… which she does. After hearing her play with some passion, Rui’s mom decides to leave the next day, content that her daughter is playing because she still has the heart for it. But before she leaves, Rui agrees to play one performance – but with Chiaki conducting the orchestra.

Meanwhile, Stresseman is bummed out after he learns that a former rival, Lippi, has died. I don’t know who Lippi is and I don’t think it’s supposed to matter. Even if it was a blatant plot device, anything to give Stresseman some screen time is a good thing in my book.

With Son Rui’s life problems all patched up, we move onto a resplendent Nodame who puts her d-cup wares and horrendous makeup skills on full display for her new best-friend, shitsuji-san. While I think Ayako Kawasumi’s crazy Nodame voice is hilarious, I really loved hearing her using her soft voice during these scenes. Something about that word "gyabon" is very cute when it’s said quietly and matter of factly.

Nodame’s salon concert goes brilliantly, although I wish they dragged out the Chopin piece longer than they did. As soon as it was getting interesting, there was no music. Actually, all of the songs were like that. They started and stopped so quickly that I never really got to appreciate them. While Nodame’s performance is going well, there’s some concern when it gets later and later and Chiaki still doesn’t show. One reason for that would be that a metro strike and a dearth of taxis has left Chiaki stranded. Of course, the bigger reason is that Chiaki by happenstance has a sudden reunion with his idol and former sensei, Sebastiano Viera, and decides to join him for a practice. For an event that was built up so much over the past two-and-a-half seasons, the reunion itself is pretty anticlimactic. I don’t know if this is how it happened in the manga… but I expected more fireworks. I suppose this might be more realistic than the grand ballroom Disney type of reunion, but man… You would’ve thought that Viera was just some old chum of Chiaki’s. To be fair, Chiaki seems pretty stunned by the random encounter, which is what I would expect from him. At least they got his reaction right.

During the intermission, Nodame gets a message from Chiaki telling her that she can’t make it. But Nodame shows off her newfound maturity by brushing it off and vowing to play as if he was still there. Between that and the sudden explosion of her dress, she has a pretty eventful second half, but gets through the performance just fine – even when the safety pin pops loose and disappears during her performance. Surprisingly no one seemed to notice it. To be honest, I’m not sure why they even bothered to show the dress pop a second time.

After saying goodbye to her new best friend, shitsuji-san, Nodame heads off into the night with a violent Mukya! That last scene where she runs off was framed really well IMO. Was Nodame’s final mukya! a mukya of triumph, a mukya of excitement, a mukya of despair, or a mukya of determination? Because I interpreted as all of the above.

I don’t blame Chiaki too much for missing Nodame’s performance. Realistically, I don’t think he would’ve made it on time even if he had tried to get there. So he has a nice built-in excuse if he wants to cover it up, but eventually he’ll have to pony up the real reason. And I guess we’ll see how upset Nodame will be. I think she’ll be understanding as long as he makes up for it. But that mukya made me wonder.

I’m also starting to worry that Nodame and Chiaki won’t be together with each other at the end of the show. Although their relationship seems to have reached a new level of acceptance (at least on Chiaki’s part), I can’t help but feel like the two are drifting further apart (Nodame’s shirt huffing notwithstanding). Both of them clearly feel the same based on their conversation in the last episode, but neither seem to be doing much about it. Look, Son Rui’s all well and good, but let’s be honest. Nobody gives a crap about her problems. NEED MOAR Chiaki x Nodame scenes! We only have 8 episodes left for God’s sake!

Even though Nodame Cantabile doesn’t crack my top 5, if I could marry a show, this would be the show I marry. Why? Because after each episode, I realize that for whatever nitpicky faults I completely adore the characters, their situations, the story and the music. It’s not the sexiest show and it’s not the cutest show, but it hits all the right notes. I get all zetsuboushta when I realize it’s the last season. But enough of that! Let’s focus on the good stuff!

Note to self: don’t get involved with Nodame’s unconscious mind. There are things that you cannot unsee. While Nodame’s tripping out after learning that she’s going to get to perform in a salon concert (btw, what exactly is a salon concert? Is it like chamber music?), Chiaki’s planning to move out of the apartments into a swankier place of his own so he can get some peace and quiet to prepare for his concerts. It’s a much less drastic move compared to what he’s done before (moving to Paris, traveling around Europe with Stresseman), but I was glad to see him think of Nodame in his own way.

However, Nodame only finds out about Chiaki’s move when she returns with her celebratory chicken and overhears him talking to the piano tuner. The ensuing conversation between the two is good stuff for the shipper crowd. No major breakthroughs, but I did like that seeing Chiaki explain that he wasn’t moving because of Nodame. I’ve felt that in the past, part of his reason for traipsing around the world was to create some space between him and Nodame, but in this case, I didn’t get that impression at all. Actually, I was thinking that it was pretty bold for Chiaki to be having this discussion while the piano tuner was still around, and lo and behold! It turns out the nice piano BGM during that scene was actually being played by the piano tuner since he had no way of getting out. Kudos! Way to read the mood!

I think Nodame has been secretly hanging out with Issei. But unlike the disturbed sweater huffer, I completely support Nodame’s shirt huffing habit. I need to go back and change the title to my last post: Winners don’t huff… unless they’re Nodame. But as Chiaki astutely points out – this is Nodame. Eccentric as always. That has never changed about her.

The first part of the episode was Nodame x Chiaki-centric, but the latter half deftly moves onto show a bit more about Son Rui. Who after much effort, and chocolate-gifts finally convinced Nodame’s teacher, and nude plant model, O’Claire to give her some private lessons. However, those private lessons don’t seem to have the attention to detail that she hoped they would have. Ironically, I’d bet that it’s due to her chocolate gifts. It’s gotta be hard to give a focused lesson when you lose that sugar high. No doubt, O’Claire’s teaching her in her own way though. I see a lot of the same issues in her that Nodame had when she first met O’Claire, albeit in a complete opposite way. While Nodame had spirit and fire, she needed discipline. But while Rui has that discipline, she lacks spirit and fire. She plays like she eats, because she has to, not stopping to appreciate the finer details.

This becomes even more apparent when Rui sits in on Nodame’s lesson and sees O’Claire teaching her in a completely different way: disciplined and very technical, even bringing Nodame back from her denpakei fantasies. Well, that is until she gets kicked out for distracting the two. After getting kicked out of the lesson, she reflects on why she wanted to come to Paris in the first place. And realizes that she hadn’t done anything she had originally hoped to do. Definitely a common lament for us out in the real world. The grass is always greener on the other side. Until you get to the other side, and realize that you’re just cutting that grass exactly like you’d cut it back on the old side.

Heh, another note to self: never marry a pianist, unless I plan on hiring a maid too… actually… wait a second, that’s a brilliant idea! Megalomaniacal parents have always really annoyed me, so it was nice to see Rui finally stand up to her oppressive mother, who had made a surprise visit to try to force Rui in doing a few performances for her own "profit."  Between Rui’s displeasure with her routine and old hag-sama coming back to nag her, I’m surprised she didn’t throw a bigger fit.

Heh, I totally forgot about those bratty ballet dancers. Cracks me up. These kids have no respect these days. But it creates a chance for Rui, because she manages to catch Chiaki just as he’s leaving the practice. Wuh oh. I bet she’s looking for a place to stay. And she’s feeling all depressed and lonely. I just hope she doesn’t mind showing up on Nodame’s hidden CCTVs. Those types of videos where people do this and that have a way of getting onto the Internet.

I think every show should take a lesson from Nodame on a.) how to choose an appropriate ED and b.) how to properly fade out to it. In all three seasons I’ve seen, even with the changes in song, Nodame Cantabile always seems to cut to the ED perfectly. Doesn’t matter if it’s a happy moment, a dramatic moment, or a sad moment. It always fits the mood just right. I don’t know how they do it. But it just amps you up for the next episode. The OP has really grown on me as well, I can’t wait until the full song is released.