If you have watched the drama version of Antique which featured Takizawa Hideaki, Fujiki Naohito, Shiina Kippei and Abe Hiroshi, rest assured that this anime is not a rehash of that drama. It is because the anime has an entirely different focus and even dares to touch on yaoi so openly which is a taboo in programmes which can be seen by children. I have no idea how BL animes are structured since I've never seen one before but this is rather daring already, in my opinion.
The drama was shown during primetime so that could be one of the reasons why the story didn't touch on gay relationships at all. As the anime is shown in a late night timeslot meant for mature audiences, it is no wonder that the anime stays closer to the original manga. That being said, I wouldn't classify this as a yaoi anime too. There are some direct references to homosexual relationships BUT it is not the main theme of the story. I probably wouldn't be able to withstand it if this was all about yaoi.
The four main characters in the story are Tachibana Keiichiro (Fujiwara Keiji), Ono Yuusuke (Miki Shinichiro), Kanda Eiji (Miyano Mamoru) and Kobayakawa Chikage (Hanawa Eiji). Among these seiyuus, only Hanawa is a new name to me. Although I've seen some of his roles before, I don't have any impression of that since they were mostly small roles which did not have that many lines. Fujiwara and Miki are both veterans in the business and are buddies in real life. I like Fujiwara best when he was Hughes in Hagane no Renkin Jutsushi and Hanamoto Shuuji in Hachimitsu to Clover. As for Miki, he can be heard in many animes such as Fujiwara Takumi in Initial D and Mansairaku in Otogizoushi. And for those who know Death Note, you will be aware that Miyano played the lead role of Yagami Light in the anime. As such, from the lineup, this is pretty much a star-studded cast.
In case you are unfamiliar with the story, let me just go through it quickly. Tachibana is a rich man's son who has nothing to worry about, on the surface at least. However, due to a kidnapping incident he was involved in as a child and which went unresolved for years, Tachibana started to detach himself from the world, unconsciously and tried very hard to be nice to everyone. And he developed an unexplainable dislike for cakes which he attributed to being fed by the kidnapper with cakes on a daily basis. One day, he suddenly decides to open a cake shop despite disliking it and reunites with Ono, his ex-schoolmate in senior high school who was introduced to be the patissier in his shop. And there was a story between these two.
Apparently, Ono took a liking to Tachibana at that time and even confessed his feelings to the latter. However, Tachibana was so disgusted with the thought and even told Ono to go and die. This made Ono decide to give up all reservations and be open about being a gay. In a way, Tachibana helped Ono be himself and accept his sexual orientation BUT he felt a bit guilty about the way he treated Ono then and had reservations about hiring him. Tachibana believed Ono's story that he had forgotten what happened during high school but in reality, Ono remembered everything.
As for Eiji, he is a promising boxer who has to give up his career because of a detached retina. In the first episode, he has yet to meet Tachibana and Ono thus the focus within this episode was on the reunion between them. Eiji will subsequently join the team as an apprentice. Likewise for Chikage, he will be featured later in the story.
If you had watched the drama and anime, you would have known that the drama revolves around Eiji but in actual fact, the manga and anime focuses on Tachibana. Frankly speaking, I like the Tachibana focus better, probably because I prefer him to Eiji. And he's my No.1 favourite character followed by Chikage, Ono then Eiji. Guess it's because I prefer older guys. ^__^ Another significant different between the two versions is that Ono is potrayed as a gay in the anime instead of the drama dropping hints that Ono has a different sexual orientation but it turns out that the scriptwriter paired him up with a woman at the end. For those who are very against yaoi themes, I suggest you drop this now. Or else, you will be in for a nasty shock when it gets further into the story. I for one, isn't too keen on yaoi but I can still stomach the directness of the reference to such relationships, so far.
The story is appealing not just because of the humour but I would say it's the underlying theme of how everyone has a side which is little known by others and we all have our problems no matter how great we appear to others. Tachibana is bothered by the kidnapping incident, Ono has problems with his sexual orientation which alienates him from his family and causes a lot of issues with his past employers, Eiji's forced to quit and has to seek out a new path in life while Chikage is so dependent on Tachibana and vice versa to the extent of belittling himself all the time. As such, these four guys will unknowingly or indirectly help one another overcome or cope with whatever problems they have as time goes by. I have no idea how the story will end since I did not read the manga. However, based on what I've seen so far, some episodes did end with a heartwarming tone so it has a feel-good element which makes this more enjoyable to watch.
As for the theme songs, I like the OP better probably because it's more catchy. And the idea of using 2D characters in a 3D setting is unique. I complement the staff for thinking of such an idea.
And for those who get hungry easily, don't watch this on an empty stomach. It will prompt you to look for something to eat at the end. And I've developed a craving for cakes these days partly due to this anime but then it's hard to find a shop like Antique which has nice cakes and nice-looking guys. ^__^ Keep watching this anime to satisfy your craving then!
Title: Nodame Cantabile Classic Instruments Selection Box
