So it's near the end of summer season and what better way to end the month than to talk about a story that got a lot of traction with its sad tragictale of losing fondness for the love of music. The story follows a boy who ,upon the loss of a abusive yet loving mother, does not seek to pursue a career or rather loses motivation towards playing the piano. This prodigy player was an enigma in his youth but again the beatings from his mom took a toll until her death that nailed a coffin on his hopes. A hope however reignites in the form of a blissful yet annoying girl who idolized his playing and makes it a mission to get him back on his feet.
As great of an encouragement she was , she herself came with some baggage as she was fighting an illness that was slowly taking her life. Just as his positivity was flowing back up, this sudden news put him back down. She still made it a mission for him to not lose passion for his love of music and not let a tragedy get him down no matter what.
Personally, I saw this more as a selfish request by Kaori to just listen to the boy one more time before she passes on, but her help did get him back into the rhythm and regardless of his future, it did seem like the conclusion was of moving forward. Things like death are part of life which have to be dealt with. You soldier on regardless of regrets and push forward to that new scenario which could to more blissful events. Of course with the ending, we kind of get that sense as Tsubaki, a childhood friend who has a crush on Kousei hopes to be that shine from him soon. As great of a story as it may have been, did it really need the elements of a romcom as a major factor?
One thing I definitely disliked about the story is that of Kaori's approach towards Kousei throughout the anime. This whole thing with getting close by pretending to go out with a close friend Ryouta, a playboy constantly changing girlfriends. Also annoying the hell of Kousei to do a duet in an upcoming competition bugged me probably more than it did him. It became even pointless after Kaori made a crying plea to be a able to convince him. The comedy, I think was irritating, but I can forgive that had they just focused on telling the story of getting a good friend back up rather than love being a major theme.
Continuing, I think the layout of Kaori could have been executed better if Kousei to her was, not just this pianist she admired from afar, but perhaps a childhood friend who happens to be a girl. Before I get any further, I should answer why Kousei has to be a girl. For the most part, the cliche in these cases, especially an anime, call for a boy and girl, who were friends when they were little to force the romance. There is never any way in can be platonic, and you will think to ship them. Maybe I'm wrong but it just a common tale that leads it to never be "just friends " unless another love interest comes into play.
Going further to how they could have utilized Kaori and Kousei(as a female) , well my opinion is that since she decided to utilize the violin, you could still make a case that she choose that because Kousei had decided on the piano. The idea for her would be a dream duet that blows everyone away and maybe that dream could be shared not just by Kaori but Kousei too. Maybe when they were children, Kaori gets a gig to a prestigious school away from home since she became a prodigy in the violin, kinda leaving Kousei behind. You can from there still have that storyline with Kousei and her mother.
As we all saw in Your Lie, the mom did put Kousei in the ringer. Extreme, harsh abuse is what she gave Kousei to be a top pianist. You can utilize that story into this genderbend, where Kousei may have forgotten about Kaori due to the hands of her mother. The death and abuse all took it a toll and she wanted to stop altogether. Kaori, on the other hand, while trying to pursue her dream of being a top violinist is suddenly hit with an illness.
Continuing, the doctors tell her and her parents of her condition and how it might result in her imminent death. Kaori is depressed, but soldiers on. Perhaps she sees a picture of her and Kousei and decides to move back to see her old friend. Of course, she learns of her unfortunate situation and realizes with what little time she has to help Kousei.
From there, you can make that story about doing some competition and getting a female Kousei involved. I don't know if I would do that pretending to date Ryouta, ,but I know I would utilize him and Tsubaki just as close with Kaori as they are with Kousei. With Ryouta, if they insist, perhaps fake dating Kaori is fine, but I would do something where Ryouta opens up to actually having these true feelings for Kousei. Kaori realizes this and insists he admits it to her and stop this fooling around he has been doing because his feelings for those women isn't as true as Kousei's. Then you got Tsubaki.
Of course, dating Kousei (female) is out of the picture, unless they want to go yuri. Still, the character she has been could still be beneficial to this Kousei, where because she wasn't good or isn't fond of music, she feels she is losing a very close friend in Kousei and wants to remain her best friend. While I am on the subject, you can make a story reflecting on the past where Kousei along with Tsubaki and Ryouta became friends during elementary, but again music got in the way, and Tsubaki felt a bit adrift from Kousei. Yea even though she had other friends, Tsubaki always felt closest to Kousei. Of course she will still be by her side after Kaori's death.
Speaking of Kaori, obviously I still do the same story of Kaori dying and Kousei soldiering on with the competition. The climax I would still keep the same, with the unfortunate circumstance that Kousei won't have that opportunity of a dream performance with Kaori, but must continue on for the sake of her, close friends and inner self.
Overall, I was not a fan of the way the story was handled in Your Lie in April. I felt if they were going to tell it the way they did, then it should've been two girls with promising futures in music, but unfortunate circumstances got in the way. As one could not live enough for a dream to continue, she left it all in the hands of a friend, not as a burden, but a mission that needed to be fulfilled regardless of a cruel fate. A duet must then be shifted into a solo that has the dream of two. The conclusion is Kousei performing for none other than Kousei and Kaori.
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