Your Lie in April
Your Lie in April
Now Showing

Your Lie in April

"I met the girl under full-bloomed cherry blossoms, and my fate has begun to change."

8.6
Yr 2014
Rt 23m
Status Ended
Animation Comedy Drama
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

Kousei Arima was a genius pianist until his mother's sudden death took away his ability to play. Each day was dull for Kousei. But, then he meets a violinist named Kaori Miyazono who has an eccentric playing style. Can the heartfelt sounds of the girl's violin lead the boy to play the piano again?

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 95 /100

Your Lie in April is widely celebrated by critics and audiences as a masterpiece of the romance and drama genres. Reviewers frequently praise the series for its emotional depth, highlighting how it poignantly balances themes of music, childhood trauma, and personal growth. It is consistently lauded for its ability to elicit strong emotional responses from its viewers, with many describing the experience as "heart-rending" and "beautifully tragic."

Beyond its narrative reach, the show has earned high marks for its technical execution. Critics have pointed to the series' high-quality animation and an exceptional soundtrack as standout features that elevate the storytelling. Its relatable portrayal of adolescent pressures makes it a resonant classic for teen audiences and veteran anime watchers alike.

“As inspiring as Harold and Maude, with all the romance teens love, this series is a true classic.”

“It is a brilliant work of art that portrays the lives of its characters realistically and, at the risk of sounding a little gushy, quite beautifully.”

“A beautifully tragic exploration of music, trauma, and personal growth, despite its heavy themes surrounding loss, abuse, and suicide.”

“It is truly a must-watch masterpiece for all the right reasons.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Crunchyroll
US • CA • UK
Hulu
US
Netflix Standard with Ads
CA • UK • US
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Crunchyroll Amazon Channel
US • UK • CA
Netflix
UK • CA • US
Why fans love it

Kousei Arima is a piano prodigy struggling to exist in a world that has gone silent for him. The show weaves together the rigid pressure of conservatory life with the vibrant unpredictability of late-teens romance. It functions as both a heavy character study on grief and a bright, comedic exploration of high school rivalry, anchored by the performances of Natsuki Hanae and his costars.

Music acts as the primary language here. Rather than opting for simple metaphors, the animation tries to map the internal headspace of musicians during a performance. This makes the rivalry and the shifting social dynamics feel visceral, grounding the larger-than-life drama in clear, practiced technical effort. It is a specific look at how art can be both a weight to carry and a necessary way to rebuild a fractured identity.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 10
Longest run 22 eps
Natsuki Hanae
Natsuki Hanae
as Kousei Arima (voice)
22 episodes
Risa Taneda
Risa Taneda
as Kaori Miyazono (voice)
22 episodes
Ayane Sakura
Ayane Sakura
as Tsubaki Sawabe (voice)
22 episodes
Ryota Osaka
Ryota Osaka
as Ryouta Watari (voice)
22 episodes
Nobuo Tobita
Nobuo Tobita
as Mr. Kazama (voice)
4 episodes
Mamiko Noto
Mamiko Noto
as Saki Arima (voice)
11 episodes
Kazuyuki Okitsu
Kazuyuki Okitsu
as Saitou (voice)
4 episodes
Fuyuka Ono
Fuyuka Ono
as Tsubaki's Mother (voice)
1 episode
Show 67 more
Yuki Kaji as Takeshi Aiza (voice) 14 episodes Saori Hayami as Emi Igawa (voice) 12 episodes Inori Minase as Koharu Seto (voice) 10 episodes Atsuko Tanaka as Yuriko Ochiai (voice) 9 episodes Yumi Kakazu as Emi's Mother (voice) 1 episode Shunzo Miyasaka as Emi's Father (voice) 1 episode Mie Sonozaki as Hiroko Seto (voice) 13 episodes Toru Okawa as Yoshiyuki Miyazono (voice) 4 episodes Naomi Shindo as Ryouko Miyazono (voice) 4 episodes Yuka Terasaki as Toshiya Miike (voice) 4 episodes Ai Kayano as Nagi Aiza (voice) 8 episodes Ben Hiura as Junzou Ibata (voice) 6 episodes Takanori Ooyama as Akira Takayanagi (voice) 8 episodes Atsuko Yuya as Takeshi's Mother (voice) 1 episode Minako Kotobuki as Izumi (voice) 3 episodes Haruka Yamazaki as Boy (voice) 1 episode Kenta Sasa as Judge (voice) 1 episode Daisuke Nagumo as Audience Member (voice) 1 episode Shizuka Ishigami as Nao Kashiwagi (voice) 16 episodes Ari Ozawa as Komugi (voice) 5 episodes Tomomi Betsui as Audience Member (voice) 1 episode Daichi Hayashi as Audience Member (voice) 1 episode Shinobu Matsumoto as Judge (voice) 4 episodes Ai Kakuma as Clerk (voice) 2 episodes Chinami Hashimoto as Girl (voice) 1 episode Eiji Takeuchi as Male Student (voice) 1 episode Ruriko Aoki as Audience Member (voice) 3 episodes Rina Dendou as Satsuki (voice) 11 episodes Airi Ootsu as Nashida's Teacher (voice) 1 episode Minami Takahashi as Contestant (voice) 1 episode Chitose Morinaga as Child (voice) 1 episode Tomoko Tsuzuki as Audience Member (voice) 3 episodes Takatsugu Awazu as Audience Member (voice) 1 episode Akinori Egoshi as Audience Member (voice) 1 episode Marie Miyake as Nurse (voice) 5 episodes Yusuke Kobayashi as Contestant (voice) 3 episodes Manami Tanaka as Softball Club Member (voice) 2 episodes Nao Fujita as Parent (voice) 2 episodes Maria Naganawa as Softball Club Member (voice) 1 episode Syuhei Toyoshima as Opponent in Soccer Match (voice) 1 episode Kanehira Yamamoto as Homeroom Teacher (voice) 5 episodes Takuma Nagatsuka as Soccer Club Member (voice) 1 episode Megumi Okada as Parent (voice) 1 episode Genki Muro as Music Competition Committee Member (voice) 5 episodes Ryoko Maekawa as Female Student (voice) 4 episodes Ikuji Nose as Judge (voice) 6 episodes Yuki Ishikari as Soccer Coach (voice) 2 episodes Ryuichi Kijima as Male Student (voice) 3 episodes Taishi Murata as Male Student (voice) 2 episodes Jun Inoue as Audience Member (voice) 3 episodes Tomo Muranaka as Judge (voice) 2 episodes Shiina Natsukawa as Girl (voice) 2 episodes Mitsutoshi Shundo as Judge (voice) 2 episodes Mika Kanda as Announcement (voice) 4 episodes Harumi Sakurai as Announcement (voice) 5 episodes Naoko Komatsu as Judge (voice) 4 episodes Hiromichi Tezuka as Music Competition Committee Member (voice) 7 episodes Rie Murakawa as Female Student (voice) 2 episodes Yohei Osa as Judge (voice) 3 episodes Kohei Amasaki as Music Competition Contestant (voice) 2 episodes Yuuko Iida as Audience Member (voice) 3 episodes Junya Enoki as Contestant (voice) 2 episodes Takumi Watanabe as Male Student (voice) 2 episodes Haruki Ishiya as Audience Member (voice) 2 episodes Miho Wataya as Parent (voice) 2 episodes Kitsune Kagura as Male Student (voice) 2 episodes Mariko Higashiuchi as Boy (voice) 2 episodes
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Your Lie in April overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

trauma violin classical music friendship rivalry romance unrequited love tragedy school middle school based on manga school life piano shounen anime prodigy love polygon introspective music admiring cruel post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) child prodigy
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
October 10, 2014
Status
Ended
Episode Runtime
23 minutes
Origin
JP
TMDB Votes
1,164