This is the final episode to an absolutely beautiful series, and one of my personal favorites, Your Lie in April. This was the very first thing that came to mind when we were asked to make a blog post about a single episode for the sole reason that I am not one to get emotional in anyway when concerning a show, regardless of how engaged I am; however, this was the closest I have ever been brought to tears from watching television. Just to provide a little bit of background before I delve into the details, the entire show is essentially about this piano prodigy, Kousei, that had experienced some trauma in the past and he is no longer able to hear the notes in which he takes so much pride in playing. This brings us to the female lead, Kaori, and her own style of playing music. In contrast to Kousei who was known as the human metronome due to how accurately he plays to the script, Kaori disregards the competitive aspect of the competitions and simply desires to play the way in which she desires, full of emotion. Fast forward a few episodes and Kousei is finally staring to open up to Kaori and begins implementing her style into his own piano playing after they performed together. However, as with all things, there was a downside. Kaori had a heart disease in which she needed surgery for. The surgery happened to be the same day as Kousei's competition and, despite the girl he loved being at death's door, Kousei had decided to the competition . This brings us to this episode in which he plays his heart out, representing his anguish and the journey that brought him to this stage.
Setting
Quite possibly the most important aspect of composing an excellent story, the setting. It is of the utmost necessity in order to evoke the proper emotions from the viewer as well as provide context that they may have missed out on from the dialogue. In this case, the setting for the most part of this episode is the massive stage in which Kousei is playing on. This stage, void of anything except for him and his piano, gives Kousei a figurative, and literal, spotlight of sorts. Everyone in the audience is unimportant in this very moment and it is only he that matters on this stage. As Kousei continues his performance, the setting transitions into a fantasy like setting with a beautiful, vibrant cherry blossom tree hanging over him on this stage. This imagery emphasizes the elegance in which Kousei is playing with and how he is pouring his heart out on the stage. This cherry blossom tree can also be viewed as reference to the title, Your Lie in April, as it is the sprouting of life that occurs in the spring. Moving forward with the performance, we get the privilege of viewing a picturesque scenery developing, completely unlike that of the boring and bland stage we were looking at not too long ago. We see a clear, ocean like floor calmly reflecting the azure skies and the perfectly white clouds. In this scene Kousei is playing his piano with what appears to be a phantom of Kaori playing her violin, likely all in Kousei's imagination. In this scene, the concept of the audience is completely taken away from the scene and it truly becomes al about Kousei being in his own element, simply his piano and his emotions. This scene can also be taken as a resolution to the previous internal conflict of Kousei in which he was unable to hear the notes and the world became dull and lifeless when playing as he now can hear his notes loud and his mind is currently clear of any doubt in this vibrant, breathtaking environment.
Lighting
Lighting is truly vital when attempting to convey the emotions of the characters on screen or for developing the overall mood for the scene. The visuals for this playing in which he is simply sitting down with little movement is truly stunning and awe-inspiring. One would think that with a stage as the setting, the lighting would be limited to a simple spotlight over the subject as he plays his piano, but this couldn't be farther from the truth. For starters, in correlation with the way in which he eases into the song, the lighting does indeed start off simple with just a spotlight overseeing the stage as the audience is in darkness in order to disconnect them from the viewer's attention. However, because the lighting of a stage is something that most people are somewhat familiar with, no time is wasted in transitioning into something different as the scene progresses. As the music becomes more and more saddening, accurately representing Kousei's state of mind, the background of the stage turns into something akin to a night sky and the cherry blossom tree appears to serve as the new source of light. The way that I interpreted this was the night being Kousei's world prior to the events in the store, an empty and meaningless space. This all changes when Kaori, the cherry blossom, appears and provides light to his world, making the once pitiful night sky a true spectacle with the cherry blossom now present. As the speed of the song picks up, so does the amount of lighting, so as to sort of emphasize the build up taking place. We become introduced to a bright scene in which there is a seemingly natural lighting from the sun in this clean space. As Kousei's playing becomes full of life, there is an abundance of light that draws the viewer's attention to the beauty of the scene. As the song comes to a close, there is significantly less light present, almost so as to bring the night to what was a great day. Kousei's acceptance of everything that has happened, whether it is his past trauma or what he believes to be a one-sided love with Kaori, is accurately portrayed with this now dark background and something akin to a moonlight shining down on him. This also serves as a slight indicator to the viewer that (SPOILER ALERT) Kaori's operation has failed as Kousei has now lost the newly attained light in his life and her phantom fades into nothingness. As the scene is brought to a close, the normal stage returns with his spotlight, letting it be known that it is now all over.
Costume
Though simple in this case, costumes are most influential when putting the mental state of the subject on full display. Kousei's attire is the same as it has always been for his performances, a formal blue suit, which is a stark contrast to the audience as they have all attended the show in casual clothings. This alone shows just how important Kousei is in this moment as he is the man of the hour and it is time to put on a show for these people. Seeing as how the scene is almost entirely just Kousei playing on stage there isn't much else to say. The one exception to this would be in which Kousei envisions Kaori playing alongside him as they did once before. Kaori, donned in the same dress she wore the only time they had played together, is proof of Kousei's fondness of her and how he so treasured that moment. Both being in the same attire they had on when they played together makes it appear as though they are the only two people on Earth and it is only them that matter in this moment.
Staging
Similar to the costumes, there is little to comment on concerning the staging unfortunately. The stress building up to Kousei's performance is properly conveyed through the previous showing of the backstage scenery of the performance. In this scenery, in which everyone's facial expressions can be made clear, one can grasp how truly anxious these supposed geniuses and prodigies were getting right before each and every performance. This minor detail makes them appear all the more human and relatable in the eyes of the viewer. The simple staging of the piano center stage reinforces the idea that all eyes are focused on Kousei, and yet all he can think about is Kaori. Despite this massive stage that everyone was so visible nervous of and being alone with a piano in front of the eyes of dozens, the viewers are well aware that Kousei's mind can only focus on one person. Almost invalidating the weight of the stage, Kaori's impact on Kousei's life is further emphasized and it assures us as viewers that regardless of the result of the surgery, this change in Kousei's heart and soul will remain, as will her memory. After the performance, the almost inevitable result of the surgery is made clear with the scene changing to a graveyard. The parents of Kaori are standing shoulder to shoulder to each other, showing that they are comforting each other, while Kousei stands alone, almost symbolizing how he now feels with the loss of Kaori. However, this is disrupted when his childhood friends appear to comfort him, showing that though he has lost someone of great importance to him, life must continue without her and he is most certainly not alone in his anguish. Returning to how the relations were before the story with the three friends without Kaori; however, the difference between then and now, though not visible to the naked eye, would be felt by the viewers that have had the opportunity to immerse themselves in this superb story.
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