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Your lie in April
Episode 16

by Rose Bridges,

It's getting harder and harder for Kaori to hide the truth about her illness from her friends. She's not only falling down out of nowhere, but also drawing blood when she does. She finds herself bursting into tears for no reason, worrying about if others will remember her after she goes. Her friends, like Kosei, are too gracious to ask her what exactly is going on, but that doesn't mean they're clueless. Kosei's still clueless about other things too, namely that Kaori is developing feelings for him she doesn't have for Watari. It's becoming harder and harder for Kaori to hide her true feelings about anything, and this episode builds until she breaks, leaving it on an ominous note.

That's not to say this week's Your Lie in April was all doom and gloom, however. There was plenty of lighter stuff, especially involving Kosei and Hiroko's new piano student. We got a chance to see Kosei's very different personality when in a position of authority, and to learn just how much Hiroko cares for him. (She thinks of him as her son! Aww.) Even the stuff with Kaori and Kosei wasn't all sad. She dragged him with her to the mall and had him hold her bags while she jumped all over the merchandise. How is she able to do that despite being so sick? Well, therein lies the biggest problem with this show: its "comedy."

The humor in Your Lie in April is easily its weakest link, keeping it merely "good" when it has the potential for greatness. It's frustrating, because we really need those moments of comic relief at this point in the story. The main, dramatic plot is getting ever more serious and depressing, and those breaks keep viewers from falling into despair. As the show increasingly relies on them though, more of their flaws become exposed. The visual humor is the main culprit here; super deformed gags are tired, and the slapstick fights were never that funny in the first place. They're even more jarring now that Kaori's condition has made it impossible to take them seriously, and it brings the viewer out of the show.

What's interesting is that Your Lie in April does manage some inspired verbal humor. One of my favorites this episode was when Kosei told Nagi, "Make sure there's a distinction between fortissimo and pianissimo." (For those who don't read music or Italian: fortissimo means "very loud" and pianissimo "very soft.") Among the few SD moments that worked was Kaori's admonishment of Kosei for not visiting her with a strong combination of visual and verbal humor. Those diamonds in the rough make it that much more frustrating when Your Lie in April's humor can't stick the landing the rest of the time. In an episode with as much comedy as this one, it's a serious drawback.

Speaking of Kosei's piano lessons, let's talk about Nagi, his student. I'm not sure how I feel about her character yet. At first, I thought she didn't quite fit with where the show was going tonally. Then I thought the more lighthearted moments in her lessons were a good release from the overall drama. I also liked her bonding moment with Kosei in front of the shrine, and how it deepened their connection. The kicker was the reveal of why Nagi is so obsessed with hating Kosei: she's Takeshi's younger sister. Combined with the strong resemblance between her crush and older brother (please don't be one of those anime, Your Lie in April), it gave me a really uncomfortable vibe. There are so many ways Nagi could both add and seriously detract from the show, and I'm not sure which route Your Lie in April is going to take yet.

While there were definitely some strong moments, Your Lie in April is on shaky ground this week. This is a transitional episode, an augur of things to come. It's the beginning of the end for our heroine, and the façade she's putting on for her friends is fading fast. I also doubt we'll be seeing much more of Kaori's Watari excuse, as she begins to realize she has feelings for Kosei. It's also the beginning of Nagi's development as a character in her own right, and not just a comedic device. There are many different roads that Your Lie in April could take as it winds down its story. I just hope it chooses well.

Rating: B

Your Lie in April is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Rose is a musicologist who studies film music. She writes about anime and many other topics on Autostraddle.com, her blog and her Twitter.
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