Your Lie in April by Naoshi Arakawa, which was adapted into an anime by A-1 Pictures, is famously known for its breathtakingly gorgeous art and heartbreaking story. Protagonist Kousei Arima was a child prodigy pianist because of his mother’s strict teaching skills. After his mother’s passing, Kousei had a breakdown at a recital, the piano reminding him of his loss and the trauma he endured when his mother was around. Since that moment, Kousei has been unable to hear the piano whenever he attempts to play.
The story becomes more hopeful after Kousei meets Kaori Miyazono, a violinist who plays with a genuine passion and love for music. Kaori pulls Kousei into the world of music again as her accompanist. By working alongside Kaori, Kousei follows her free-spirited playing style and is soon able to hear the piano again. While falling in love with music once more, Kousei falls in love with Kaori, but his world changes once more after discovering that she is severely ill. Your Lie in April has had a strong impact on anime fans across the globe, but it isn’t the only story that can break hearts with a beautiful tale.
Anthem of the Heart & Given: Healing Broken Hearts Through Music
The Anthem of the Heart is an animated film by A-1 Pictures that follows the story of a young girl, Jun Naruse, who loves fairytales and has a special place in her heart for a castle on top of the hill that she doesn’t know is actually a love hotel. Jun speaks out after seeing her father leave the castle, accidentally sharing his infidelity, and is soon blamed by her father for ruining the family. After this, Jun imagines that a fairy egg curses her so that she is unable to speak and hurt others.
While in high school, Jun’s teacher signs her up for the Community Outreach Event with three of her other classmates. At first, Jun tries to reject the position, but she is soon drawn in after hearing one of her classmates singing. Jun and her classmates decide to perform a musical for the school festival. By working with her team, Jun comes out of her shell more, even if she doesn’t speak. With her classmates, Jun is able to discover more about herself and the world around her, as well as identify love in the process. Fans of Your Lie in April will find entertainment through Jun’s adventures with her classmates. However, viewers will also reminisce on the pain of Kousei and Kaori’s tale as the characters of The Anthem of the Heart go through many struggles.
If it’s the musical aspect of these stories that fans enjoy, Given by Natsuki Kizu, produced as an animated series by Lerche and Blue Lynx studios, is a perfect story to engage with. It follows Mafuyu Satou as he deals with the loss of his boyfriend, who fell victim to suicide. Mafuyu carries his boyfriend’s battered guitar with him everywhere as a way to hold onto him. At school, he meets Ritsuka Uenoyama, the lead guitarist of a band. Upset at seeing Mafuyu’s sadness, Ritsuka fixes his guitar in hopes that it will make Mafuyu feel better.
After this interaction with Ritsuka, Mafuyu longs to play the guitar and even goes to band practice with him. After discovering his talents, Mafuyu joins the band and is able to use music to process what he has gone through. While Mafuyu struggles with his past, he also learns that he is deserving of love and support, finding both through his new path. Given shares an incredibly crafted story about love and loss, but it doesn’t shy away from some humor — and it also features a top-notch soundtrack.
Orange & I Want to Eat Your Pancreas: Even the Shortest Life Is Worth Living
For fans who like a bit of mystery, Orange by Ichigo Takano and produced by Telecom Animation Film is the perfect pick. Main character Naho Takamiya receives a letter in the mail that claims to be from herself 10 years in the future. She thinks the letter is a prank at first, but after reading the rest of it, she begins to believe that it might be true. The letter instructs her to watch over a new transfer student, Kakeru Naruse. Naho’s life is turned around as she goes out of her way to follow what her future self asks of her. Later on, Naho learns that her friends have been getting letters from their future selves as well. The group must work together to save Kakeru from what the future holds. Love, friendship and mystery tie this story together and is perfect for fans of Your Lie in April who are used to a little heartbreak.
I Want to Eat Your Pancreas is an animated film produced by Studio VOLN and is based on Yoru Sumino’s light novel of the same name. The film centers around an unnamed high school student who finds a diary in a hospital waiting room. After he starts to read it, he discovers it belongs to Sakura Yamauchi, a popular girl from his school. The diary reveals that Sakura has a fatal pancreatic illness that she has kept secret from her peers. As the only person who knows, friendship blossoms between the two. With knowledge of the inevitable, Sakura and the boy take advantage of the time they have to make lasting memories. Life may be short for Sakura, but she doesn’t let that get in the way of making new friends and having fun. Similar to Your Lie in April, this film will send viewers through a rollercoaster of emotions.
What makes Your Lie in April’s story so memorable is the way that such heavy topics are handled. Not only does the narrative face some harsh realities head-on, but it also shows that life doesn’t have to be filled with suffering because of this. Stories like Your Lie in April, The Anthem of the Heart, Given, Orange and I Want to Eat Your Pancreas can therefore be therapeutic for viewers, as through both beauty and pain, these tales remind the world that life, no matter how long or short, is ultimately worth living.
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