Your lie in April

Episode 6

In the middle of this episode, Kaori and Kosei sit in the music room and discuss the piano competition she's entered Kosei into. Then Kosei says something that's very revealing. He says that in that room, it feels like he's in a "world with just them", but when he leaves, that world will go away. Kaori is the "girl his friend likes", and of course Kosei is in the middle of his own love triangle, though he's oblivious to it. This episode is all about those outside relationships, along with Kosei and Kaori's growing bond.

Tsubaki is more than just Kosei's childhood friend. She clearly has a crush on him, and it's difficult for her to watch him becoming closer to Kaori. She knows that, as a musician, Kaori has experiences and hobbies in common with him that Tsubaki will never share. She may have been his friend since childhood, but that may not be enough when it comes to love. Notably, this episode manages to conjure sympathy for Kaori's situation without turning her into an unlikable "obstacle" to the unrequited love that consumes Tsubaki's heart. If anything, Kaori becomes easier to root for this week over Tsubaki. Sure, she's become even more pushy toward renewing Kosei's piano career, but it isn't for selfish reasons. She wants to get Kosei into piano competitions to rekindle his love for the music, not just to make him an accompanist for her own violin achievements. Still, it can be uncomfortable seeing just how much she's invested in this goal, sometimes to the detriment of Kosei's own well-being, until she breaks down and explains her reasoning.

Kaori believes strongly in the idea of channeling one's pain through art, and she can tell that Kosei has a lot of pain in his past that he could use to play powerful music. This could seem idealistic or even exploitative, but it's clear that Kaori is speaking from experience here, not only through the passion she pours into her words, but of course through the hints of her being not well from last week. Even so, she breaks down in tears when she realizes how much she might be hurting Kosei, who she's come to care about deeply. Kosei tells her that he appreciates the push she's given him, but the damage is done. They've fallen for each other hard on multiple levels.

Still, it's nice to be reminded that this story isn't just about Kaori and Kosei's romance, with all the time this episode spends on Tsubaki. The series still cares about its other characters, and will continue to give them prominence when necessary. (Maybe Watari will get a future episode to himself, too.) The end of the episode also introduces two former rivals of Kosei's, eager to enact their revenge when they see that he's back in the competition circuit, providing even richer potential for character drama.

This focus on characters outside the primary romance meant this week's episode was a little quieter and less bombastic than past weeks. It didn't blow me away, but it was good at demonstrating what makes the series great. Music was used well here, both the diegetic stuff and background music. The series even blended them when the Chopin etude that Kosei is learning for his competition is played in the background of his conversation scene with Kaori in the music room. The spirited etude added to the hustle and bustle of Kaori's energetic practice regimen, but there was also plenty of gentle, ambient music for Tsubaki's scene, indicating that her relationship with Kosei is stagnant, still just the supportive friendship it's always been.

Your Lie in April wasn't out to wow anyone this week, but it still turned in a great episode. It was a good reminder that even when this show isn't going for spectacle or psychodrama, it's still one of the best things airing right now. Its characters are interesting, and their relationships ripe for conflict and growth, and those strong elements can carry the show all on their own.

Rating: A-

Your Lie in April is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Rose is a graduate student in musicology, who has written about anime and many other topics for LGBT site Autostraddle.com and her own blog. She tweets at @composerose.