Hello there, Yuu here. I've always loved Your Lie in April, also known as Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, so very much, so I jumped eagerly at the chance to be able to write this.
Your Lie in April (Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso 四月は君の嘘)
Probably one of the most well-known beautiful anime works, Your Lie in April, or Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, gives us a good look into life and death, and the motivations of musicians. Besides bringing you on the thrilling feels train, it is also an anime about facing up to what you may want to shy away from. Arima Kousei, who had become unable to hear the piano, gradually enters the musical world again with the spurring of Miyazono Kaori, a beautiful violinist.
Perhaps you have just watched Your Lie in April for the first time, since becoming an anime fan recently, or perhaps you felt nostalgia rewatching Your Lie in April. While you're at it, why not let us pop you a few recommendations of other anime you may like?
1. March Comes in Like a Lion (3-gatsu no Lion 三月のライオン)
Immediately the first anime that comes to mind. March Comes in Like a Lion starts with a shogi boy Kiriyama Rei, who excels in shogi but comes under great pressure in matters of the interpersonal. He meets a family of three sisters and a grandad, who shares with him the warmth of a family and he gradually matures throught the series.
Both Kiriyama Rei and Arima Kousei are talented in their own areas, having put in a great deal of effort and toil in addition to talent, but also face a great deal of pressure. Arima Kousei could not take the pressure and withdrew, while Kiriyama Rei still manages to hold on but at the expense of building interpersonal relationships.
Both of them have lost their family, and as such we see that the other characters fill in the gaps in their hearts. Kousei has his friends, while Rei meets the threee sisters.
In both anime, the female characters essentially change our male protagonist's lives for the better. And this change moves us. We see our main characters grow, take on their fears, and do what they thought they were unable to do before.
To learn more about the Japanese board game similar to Chess but with a huge twist, check out my post:
Shogi: A Game of Betrayal | https://yuusanctuary.wordpress.com/2018/07/09/shogi-a-game-of-betrayal/
2. Carole and Tuesday
Carole and Tuesday is an anime original that aims to appeal to music lovers of the world. A lofty aim, but nonetheless they have sourced artists internationally, and the Japanese director is experienced. The show begins with two girls who wish to make it big on the musical scene.
Similar to YLIA, we have a huge music presence in the anime. Carole plays the keyboard while Tuesday plays the guitar, and they actually do perform music, i.e. the music portion is not cut out, nor is it shoddily done.
3. Five Centimeters per Second (Byousoku go Senchimiitoru 秒速五センチメートル)
Five Centimeters per Second is about love unrequited. A girl moves away, but our male character still holds on and continues to write letters and unsent messages. But over time, love withers away...
To read more on 5 Centimeters per Second, on Yuu's Sanctuary, go here:
5 Centimeters per Second 秒速５センチメートル Byousoku go Senchimiitoru | https://yuusanctuary.wordpress.com/2018/08/18/5-centimeters-per-second/
4. HaruChika (ハルチカ ～ハルタとチカは青春する～)
Perhaps one of the anime of lesser popularity on this list, and less well known. Nevertheless! It has a music theme and a more lighthearted less drama feel compared to Your Lie In April, and for most people who have become so polarised by drama, it would be a good stress reliever.
Chika enters high school determined to up her feminine stats, and picks up the harmonica to be the epitome of female beauty. She develops a crush on the band instructor, teacher Kusakabe, and soon realises her love rival is her male childhood friend, Haruta, who also has a crush on the same teacher. Watch as they help potential members solve mysteries troubling them, and gain enough members for their ensemble competition.
Granted, the music performances rarely seem on par with the music in Your Lie In April. We do see a similar parallel of 'main character meet opposite sex and their world turns upside down'. Chika is reuntited with Haruta again and is dumbfounded that they both pursue the same love interest.
5. AnoHana: The Flower We Saw that Day (あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない)
Jump aboard the feels bandwagon, and we'll go for a hell of a ride! Another key characteristic of Your Lie in April is the emotional rollercoaster of it, and AnoHana brings you for another heart-moving story that will fill in the gap in your heart left by Your Lie in April.
Tending to similar themes of death and romance, AnoHana is of a group of childhood friends who drift apart after a deadly incident that takes Menma's life. Jinta, who loved Menma, soon sees her reappear as an older Menma. However, the rest are unable to see her. Jinta does his best to fulfill her wishes so she can move on.
Definitely a must watch.
~Yuu
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