Anime Digest
Mashiro no Oto is alternatively known as Those Snow White Notes. The anime is adapted from a manga of the same title. The anime tells the story of Setsu Sawamura, who drops out of high school and runs away from his village after his grandfather dies. After running away from home, he reaches Tokyo with the hope of finding his musical style of playing shamisen. Setsu’s worrying mother, Umeko, who is wealthy and successful, involves herself in her son’s life and tries to enroll him in high school. As he becomes a high schooler again, he is convinced by Shuri Maeda, a fellow schoolgoer, to join the club to teach the instrument, which ignites his love for the instrument and forms his unique style of playing the musical instrument.
The Feel-Good Part
People who like to know about different artistic cultures will especially like this musical anime. Shamisen is a musical instrument originating in traditional Japan. Not many of us have heard about this instrument, and thus the anime is very informative and spreads awareness about the traditional musical instrument among the masses. This musical anime is one of the best series in this genre. The music and soundtrack of the anime are beyond perfect and indeed will touch your heart.
The Disappointing Factor
The narration of the anime is poor and would have been better. Some of the characters in the anime are stereotypically depicted, which was utterly unnecessary. At some point, the storytelling seems rushed and has many things going on all at once.
In-Depth Analysis
Being a slice of life anime, the anime delivers a range of emotions from sadness to happiness to struggle in life. Most of the characters are written exceptionally well, especially the titular character of Setsu. His sorrow and struggle were depicted very realistically, which is bound to touch one’s heart. The character development of Setsu is very evident. His journey of finding his unique style of playing the musical instrument gives the viewers one or two life lessons. The anime beautifully captures the raw emotions of an artist who has the talent but lacks uniqueness and motivation. Coming to the soundtrack, the soundtrack of this anime is top-notch and expresses the culture of Japan beautifully.
Star Performance
Nobunaga Shimazaki voiced the titular character of Setsu Sawamura. The supporting cast includes Rikako Aida, who voiced for the character of Yuna Tachiki, Takako Honda for the character of Umeko Sawamura, Reina Kondou for the character of Yui Yamazato, and many more.
Overall Opinion
Mashiro no Oto is one of the best in the genre of musical anime. From its storyline to its soundtrack, it is no less than a masterpiece. The character development is written in such a relatable manner that would touch your heart. Mashiro no Oto must be watched if not for any reason, then the soundtrack will compel you to watch this.
