'Nodame Cantabile' is a heart-warming coming-of-stage about bringing people together through their shared love for music. It's much more than the romantic comedy that appears to be; set against a soundtrack of glorious classical music, 'Nodame Cantabile' captures the meledious journey of its slightly off-beat orchestra of characters. I really appreciated how the dramas conflict wasn't based on "good" vs "evil", but was an intrinsic battle that Chiaki himself had to overcome. Chiaki isn't just critical of those around him, but he's also highly critical himself which prevents him from being able to form valuable relationships with people and thus understand music better. Nodame is the person that challenges this struggle of Chiaki's and helps him - unbeknowst to him - to discover a vast capacity to love people (as well as to overcome his fear of flying). Here we have a mistmatched pair who are able to understand each other and help the other to grow. The romance might not be in your face, but the subtlety is a thousands times more touching. The way Chiaki is so deeply affected by what Nodame says, does and plays shows that a beautiful sort of love his forming. He might not realise how he feels, but the audience is able to clearly ascertain that there's more to his feelings than a massive appreciation for how Nodame plays the piano. Speaking of subtlety, I really love how character development is portrayed in NC: its poignant, subtle, and unexpected. It is isn't simply expressed through words, but through actions and - most importantly - through music. Music is a vital part of our lives. It is the one thing that is able touch people's hearts and bring people from all walks of live together. 'Nodame Cantabile' is able to capture the profound affect that music has on its characters lives as we see a character letting go of all of their inhibitons and becoming one with the music. This is most prominent with Chiaki - the tension in his shoulders seems to disspitate when he lets himself become one with the music and his orchestra during the last episode. He's relaxed, free and loving every minute of what he's doing. Being able to portray all of that without words takes both great directing and great acting. Most people talk about Ueno Juri's portrayal of Nodame when NC is mentioned, but I think that Tamaki Hiroshi is the real star of the show. His performance of Chiaki is so sensitive that I can feel Chiaki growing up and learning how to love more vividly through the way he plays with intonation, his eye expressions, the way his body moves with passion whilst conducting and the small smile that plays around the corners of his mouth. The connection Tamaki Hiroshi has with Chiaki's character is so compelling, I really can't imagine anyone else playing Chiaki. I look forward to watching more of Tamaki's work. For one to fully enjoy 'Nodame Cantabile' one has to overlook the slightly too anime-like execution of this drama. The humour is what prevents the story from gaining that perfect 10 - it offsets the tone of the drama due to its overly whacky and slapstick nature. I guess its part of the dramas charm, but I would have personally preferred it in smaller doses. The most aggravating part of the humour was the violent tendencies that Chiaki had towards; punching and throwing really ain't cute, and it did leave a bad taste in mouth. All in all, 'Nodame Cantabile' has become a firm a favourite. It's beautiful, poignant and charming, and despite its silliness it manages to convey a touching message about love and music. The finale will leave you swelling the absolute grandure of Beethoven's Symphony No.7 as well as the overwhelming amount of emotion that managed to be conveyed through barely any dialogoue in the last 15 minutes. It's definitely one to watch and should not be skipped!