Ao no Orchestra

When was the very last time we actually got something close to something like a traditional orchestra portrayed in anime? If 2019's anime adaptation of Kono Oto Tomare! wasn't even enough evidence, then the closest semblance would have to be KyoAni's Hibike! Euphonium franchise series hemorraging since the 2010s, or even going back to Piano no Mori or Nodame Cantabile of the classic late 2000s. Most certainly, no one would've expected mangaka Makoto Akui's musical coming-of-age melodrama work of Ao no Orchestra a.k.a Blue Orchestra to make a small note in modern anime, largely because this show was overlooked thanks to the fact that there's nolicencing from either Crunchyroll or other Western licensors for that matter, even for a show that only premieres on NHK Educational TV, the kids channel arm of the conglomerate Japanese TV station NHK that brought you the Mairimashita! Iruma-kun a.k.a Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun series since 2019. Despite the fact that I would tell you to sail the high seas to watch this show, this work clinching this year's 68th Shogakugan Manga Award in the Shonen category (together with Yofukashi no Uta a.k.a Call of the Night), for an award-winning manga, that should say something about this show that to be honest, I wish that TwoSet Violin will cover this show in a blimp someday since it's right under their ballpark. The proper way to describe Ao no Orchestra a.k.a Blue Orchestra would be this: A lone violin virtuoso. The power of harmony and friendship. The violin prodigy of the Aono family: father Ryuuji, a total marksman of a player in both instrumentals and life. Being a famous musician and a professional violinist who has won numerous competitions, all looks set for the meteoric rise of Ryuuji...that is until he got himself into trouble, and not in the kindest of ways: a scandalous affair, which broke the entire family apart with devastating results. As a result, his current ex-wife and their only son, Hajime, were distraught by the media, creating a high-profile paparazzi affair where they were being harassed day and night. This is especially so for Hajime, whom his father had taught him violin from an early age, and set up to be his successor in the same vein that he did in his years of becoming a professional musician, who, with that scandal, put a stop to his growth because of the harsh memories associated with it to take care of his ailing mother who's been a strong supporter of him in his growing-up years. The girl who was constantly berated for being a bully in her early years, who became the bullied — that is the life of Ritsuko Akine. Almost like Mushoku Tensei's tsundere Eris of all people, Akine is an earnest girl who just loves living and breathing life, but her rash personality can easily be a negative for misunderstandings, which is why she's constantly being bullied. Fortunately, her saving grace is that she always turns to the violin if she's feeling down, and that has been her passion ever since, which in turn, touched Hajime's heart to pick up the violin once more and play to the best he ever could, with his father's nightmare spirit in tow of overcoming the harsh familial scandalous episode in his life. And together with Takada, their homeroom teacher that saw them through their worst episodes, he inspires them with confidence and spirit as they move forward from middle school to high school. Yet, another boy's claim to fame was that he's admitted to the orchestra purely based on musical talent; this is Nao Saeki's life as someone who unceremoniously is also somewhat of a foreigner due to his hair colour being a pure-white accent. Like Ryuuji, Saeki is seen as a child prodigy, but his success in that aspect is one that began once he met Hajime, and both of their personalities clash for better or worse. To make matters worse, the fate that intertwines both boys make for one hell of a realism melodrama that is hard to avoid any conflict that consequently will make and separate both of them. The other storymaker of Haru Kozakura: like Hajime, she stands alongside him as one of many candidates trying to be the next child prodigy in their childhood days of winning as much of the violin competition chunk as possible. But, he's so affixed on his walk to victory that she can only notice him from afar, and she develops a crush for Hajime, being the kind and shy girl who always hides behind others' backs, and one that like normal girls who are jealous of romantic love, sees him and Akine's growth together so much that they're like a couple musically, far from the truth that they both were brought up in different circumstances, and the violin being the constant common interest in their lives. Like Hajime, she's an only child being supported by her mother, and has had her fair share of standing out, so confidence is not her strong suit that is overcome with time. The story of many dysfunctional characters in an orchestra that makes them tuned with each other: a boy whose future was bright, and it all came tumbling down with a single spark; a girl who was constantly bullied for all her life until a passion sparks her joy; another boy who questioned his existence until he came over to realise who he was all along; and another girl who had confidence issues and was finding confidence in who she really is. It's a fairly cookie-cutter kind of melodrama seen in most AniManga, and the realism of sticking its guns to real-life examples, despite the manga being a slow burn, gives that edge of humanity that even if you have been in a band/orchestra or not, choose any "sport" and it'll speak to you. Based on the experiences of real-life bands, the highly-prestiged Umimaku High School Orchestra Club is as real as anything could get, with their numerous awards and rich history that even a single misstep would paint a grim picture for the club's future. Headed by its conductor, Hiroaki Ayukawa is a strict teacher who gets straightforward to the crux of making the orchestra club improve with time and highlighting talents that would help spur the club forward. Its concertmaster, 3rd year student Sou Harada, is as akin to Ayukawa's right-hand man as anyone could get, supervising the club and making sure that all members are strictly confined to the conductor's high standards before his arrival. Together, from its 3rd year club president, Mari Tateishi, and the same-grade students to the section leaders that help mould Hajime, Akine, Saeki and Haru's growth, the orchestra club grows from strength to strength, anchoring the good and sieving out the bad to become a club that outsiders would expect nothing but high expectations for and raising the future young generation of potential players. I'll be very blunt here: director Seiji Kishi hasn't gotten the best overtime, and despite being one of Studio Lerche's in-house directors, this show feels like it's his side hustle while preparing for You-Zitsu a.k.a Classroom of the Elite's return for Season 3 next year. To be fair, scriptwriter-cum-series composer Yuuko Kakihara's magic works here as par for her course of keeping the series consistent in its execution, which it does decently to a degree of effectiveness. And despite the show being handed over to the old-timer studio of Nippon Animation, their modern returns in the form of 2021's Yakunara Mug Cup mo a.k.a Let's Make a Mug Too and last year's Love All Play don't look all that impressive from a production standpoint, and that even tells in Ao no Orchestra that they had to implement CGI especially for the big performances, to me, it feels like this was too big of an ambitious job for the rather dated studio to try something new, But I guess props for trying, despite it looking jarring at first, you'll get used to it for the show's long-haul, 24-episode run. Obviously, the highlight has got to be the music, which is supported by real Japanese musicians portraying the main and side characters, which makes a big impact for a musical work like this. In terms of the OST, I've really gotta say that I admire Novelbright's OP "Cantabile" for being one of the most slow-but-classy OP songs of the year; it really gels well with the OP visuals (despite it being like a lyrical MV of sorts), and you really can't afford to skip on one of the most impressive, soul-feeling Anisongs of 2023. And yes, as a musician myself, I may hate how Pachelbel's Canon has become one of the most overused classic songs in the history of music (so much that it hurts my ears), but I have to say that I kind of enjoyed soshina feat. Yuika's Canon variation ED song, which is just a different canonically sounding Canon. Ao no Orchestra a.k.a Blue Orchestra, even if it has Blue in the name (like Blue Period), may not be the show that everyone cares, but for the minority, to me, it's good enough that this show gets the traction from those who really care. A decent series for all that's worth, even for a slow burn, and overall, a pretty good shape. Just one thing that I need to teach you: be a pirate and sail the high seas for shows like this; your experience will be elevated.