Your Lie in April Review Part 1: A Christian Perspective on the Heartbreaking Musical Anime

In Part 1 of our Your Lie in April review, we will explore the film from a Christian perspective. Because our review and content guide for Your lie in April is so long, we have split this post into two parts. Part 2 is available here.

This is Part One of our Your Lie in April Review containing an analysis of the plot, themes, and characters. For Part Two, which contains the Content Guide, click here.

Synopsis of Your Lie in April (Anime)

Kousei Arima is a high school student who is highly gifted on the piano. Tragically, due to traumatic circumstances, he is no longer able to hear the piano’s notes. One day, he meets a spirited violinist named Kaori Miyazono, who encourages him to start playing the piano again—but Kaori has a secret of her own. As the two start playing music together, they discover important lessons about life, music, and love.

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Your lie in April Review: A Christian Perspective on the Heartbreaking Anime About Music, Love, and Healing

In our Your lie in April review, we will discuss the anime from a Christian perspective and explore the characters, themes, and content in the show.

This review is a two-part series; the first (this review) contains an overview and analysis of the story and characters; the second contains an overview of the content, including a Your lie in April parent guide.

Our entire Your lie in April review will contain spoilers, but we will note any major ones.

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Your Lie in April English Dub Cast

Max Mittelman (Jun “Yuuki” Shiratori in Erased) stars as Kousei Arima, a child pianist and the main character. Erica Lindbeck (Naruko “Anaru” Anjo in Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, Barbie in films from 2016-2017) is Kaori Miyazono, and Erica Mendez (Raphtalia in The Rising of the Shield Hero, Emma in The Promised Neverland) is Tsubaki Sawabe. Finally, Kyle McCarley (Tower of god,* Erased, Violet Evergarden) is Ryota Watari.

I want to give a special shout-out to Erica Mendez, one of my favorite voice actresses. Her character in Your Lie in April, Tsubaki, has a positive attitude, which is called her “saving grace.” She struggles with her emotions and her relationship with others, but she cares about people, especially Kousei, so much.
I find this notable because she also plays Emma in The Promised Neverland and Raphtalia in The Rising of the Shield Hero—both encouraging and positive characters.

*I intentionally use lowercase here to clarify the difference between “god” in the title and the God of the Bible.

Your lie in April Review: The Plot

The story revolves around Kousei’s journey as a pianist, which means there are a lot of performances. The performances are filled with beautiful music, but honestly, I feel like the pacing of the series is a little slow. I know I might be in the minority (here’s an article (contains spoilers) arguing that there aren’t any filler episodes), but I sometimes struggle to get through the show. It’s beautiful, heart-wrenching, emotional, and brings you on a journey towards healing, but it’s a little repetitive and slow for me personally.

The story has many lessons, but one of the best is “Play with sincerity, give the performance of your life with everything you’ve got.” Kousei and the other musicians work hard to master their instruments. This quote reminds me of Colossians 3:23 (ESV):

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

When we do things, we need to work at it with all of our hearts. The size of the task doesn’t matter; we should do everything for God.

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Kaori’s Health: Childhood Illness in Your lie in April *Spoiler Alert*

 Kaori’s illness haunts most of the series. But one question haunts viewers: What is Kaori sick from?

Unfortunately, we never learn the true answer. That said, are many fan speculations:

It is unknown what illness Kaori suffered from, but fans of the series have hypothesized that she suffered from Bone Marrow Failure, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Friedreich’s Ataxia, with the last as the most likely disease as the symptoms line up with those seen in the series. (Source)

Kaori also admits she has anemia, but besides that, all we can do is speculate. Her condition becomes worse over the course of the series, and at first, she tries to downplay the severity of her illness to her friends.

It’s really sad, as she is only 14/15 years old in the series, and she deteriorates as time goes on before eventually passing away due to a failed surgery.

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Kousei’s Childhood: Parental Abuse and Abandonment in Your lie in April *Spoiler Alert*

Unfortunately, in the past, Kousei’s mother, Saki Arima, abused him physically and emotionally. Her abuse continued until her death. Despite her abuse, Kousei still cared about his mom, and put his all into the piano in hope that it will help his mother get better.

Their relationship is really sad. Kousei missed out on many happy memories because of his mother’s control over his life, especially when it came to the piano.

Once, he had a black cat, Chelsea; however, Kousei’s mother abandons her after the cat hurt Kousei. This event was a turning point for young Kousei; he acknowledges being “stuck in his mom’s shadow” since he lost his cat.

After his mother’s death, he isn’t the same, and struggles to hear the notes on the piano. Their relationship was not what a mother/son relationship should be.

Hiroko Seto: Kousei’s Maternal Figure

Kousei gains a sort of maternal figure in Hiroko Seto, his mother’s pianist friend. Hiroko has known Kousei since he was little, and once she steps back into his life, she supports him and gives him room to grow and find healing.

Your lie in April Review: Kousei’s Absent Father Figure

And then there’s Kousei’s dad, whom we barely see. He is out of town for large stretches of time, leaving Kousei to fend for himself.

According to Fandom,

Hiroko Seto described him [Kousei’s father] as a “free-range parent” due to him always being away on business trips.

Thankfully, Tsubaki lives next door and is able to check up on him, but otherwise, he’d basically be alone (at least until Hiroko steps back into the picture).

Kousei’s father is a poor example of what a parent should be. Fathers should not be abandoning their kids. Kousei is probably 14 or 15 and he is home alone for long stretches of time. That’s too much, even for a teenager.

Kousei doesn’t have an alternative father figure in Your lie in April, but Kaori’s parents are both kind and welcoming to him, which is sweet.

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Tsubaki and Kousei: Childhood Friendship in Your lie in April

Tsubaki is…quite the character. My first time watching, I preferred her over Kaori. She’s the girl next door, both literally and romantically. She’s one of Kousei’s best friends and has been since their childhood. She is maternal and cares about Kousei a lot.

Still, their dynamic is…weird, to say the least. She’s Kousei’s opposite—athletic, loud, and super bossy. She is easily jealous when something steps between her and Kousei. Tsubaki is emotionally charged and frequently expresses her feelings through physical abuse, which Kousei is often on the receiving end of.

Kousei, on the other hand, is musical, emotional, quiet, and introspective. He accepts his role as “Friend A”—the guy doomed to be friend-zoned by the girl he likes.

Despite their differences, Tsubaki and Kousei’s shared past keeps them connected. The series often parallels their past and present, revealing the true extent of their friendship.

*Spoiler Alert* Tsubaki struggles to realize her feelings for Kousei, and leans into the “I like you, so I’m mean to you,” stereotype of young love. Tsubaki’s emotions often lead her to be a jerk to Kousei, but their friendship remains strong.

*Spoiler Alert* After my second watch, I might prefer Kaori over Tsubaki, but I do hope that Kousei and Tsubaki have a future together.

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Your lie in April Review: Are Watari and Kaori Dating?

Watari is Kousei’s male best friend, and he likes Kaori. My first time watching Your lie in April, I thought Watari and Kaori were a couple, but turns out, I was wrong. They never officially date in the series, which is honestly a good thing.

Watari is…definitely interested in women. He hopes to see Kaori getting a second sponge bath (accidentally sees the first), and he dreams of moving to the UK to play soccer and hanging out with supermodels.

Even though Watari is interested in Kaori, he still pursues other girls at the same time, which is definitely a problem from a Christian perspective—we should be loyal to others.

What’s interesting is that when Watari comments on another female and calls her hot— he even gushes about her—Kaori doesn’t seem upset about it at all even though she supposedly likes him. It’s very odd, and if I were Kaori, I’m not sure I’d react so nonchalantly.

*Spoiler: It does function as foreshadow.

Watari’s Loyalty to Kousei

Though Watari can be a bit of a flirt, he is still a good friend to Kousei. When Kousei struggles, feeling like he messed up Kaori’s performance, Watari reminds him that Kaori turned to Kousei. He also encourages Kousei to visit Kaori in the hospital, which, to me, is really sweet. Instead of getting jealous about Kaori and Kousei’s connection via music, he encourages and supports them. At one point, he even notes that Kaori needs Kousei, not Watari.

Although Tsubaki believes that Watari is rather superficial, Kousei knows that “he’s a good guy at heart.”

Kaori’s Feelings *Major Spoiler Alert*

Kaori actually liked Kousei, not Watari, and we find this out after her death. There were definitely signs (such as Kaori’s reaction to Watari’s obsession with a female performer) that she wasn’t interested in him. Honestly, I’m pretty sure that if Kaori had lived, Watari would have supported Kousei and Kaori wholeheartedly.

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Finding Healing Through Music: Your lie in April Review

One of the main themes in Your lie in April is that music heals. Many of the musicians grow as they play their musical pieces, and no one grows more than Kousei.

*Spoiler* Kousei lives with so much pain and trauma. He struggles to hear the notes on the piano, believing that it’s a punishment because of his past mistakes.

*Spoiler* Throughout the series, he finds joy and healing through music (and the influence of others), but it’s a long process filled with growth, setbacks, and more growth.

Music is beautiful, and it can certainly be a positive influence on us. That said, what Your lie in April misses is that true healing comes from Christ.

As 1 Peter 2:24 (ESV) says:

 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Christ’s sacrifice heals us from sin, offering us hope and a future. True healing comes from Christ. We don’t have to worry about the past; instead, we can look to the future because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for us.

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Paralleling Kaori and Saki Arima: How Women Affect Kousei in Your lie in April *Spoiler Alert*

There are plenty of parallels between Kaori and Kousei’s mother. The most obvious is their illness. Both are special to Kousei and both have life-threatening illnesses before ultimately succumbing to their illness (although, in Kaori’s situation, her death is directly due to a failed operation, though it was merely going to buy her some additional time).

Considering how important both women are to Kousei’s life, his reaction to the deaths of each makes sense. When he loses his mother, he struggles to play the piano—something she taught him. It’s because of Kaori’s influence on his life that he picks the piano up again.

When Kaori passes away, he continues to move forward in his life. Unlike the loss of his mother (which caused him to spiral), Kousei knows that, after losing Kaori, he should continue living—thanks to the influence of those in his life, especially Kaori, and the growth he’s experienced since meeting her.

Abuse in Your lie in April *Spoiler Alert*

Another interesting parallel between Kousei’s mother and Kaori comes from the way they physically and verbally interact with Kousei. Both try to get him to practice playing piano and to take his playing seriously, but both are somewhat abusive.

Saki’s abuse is harmful to Kousei, and Your lie in April frames it as a serious offense (though, in the story, the biggest consequence Saki faces for her abuse is her broken relationship with Kousei). Despite Saki’s horrific treatment of Kousei, we learn that she did care for her son and was trying to help him have a future with the piano even after she passed away (this does NOT excuse her behavior; instead, it further complicates her actions).

Kaori’s abuse, in contrast, isn’t intended to be taken seriously. It’s playful and cliche (from an anime standpoint), but I still don’t condone her actions towards Kousei.

Both women have a major role in Kousei’s life, his personal growth, and his musical career. I just wish we knew more about where he goes in the future after Kaori passes away.

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Competition in Your lie in April

Throughout the Your lie in April anime, Kousei participates in various musical competitions and showcases.

Many of Kousei’s fellow musicians idolize him, and many aim to best him in competition. The desire to go beyond Kousei’s level sometimes consumes them.

*Spoiler Alert* As time goes on, Kousei and his competitors find common ground and even become friendly with one another. They’re still competitors, of course, but it’s a really sweet shift.

Once, Kousei tries to switch spots with another musician named Miike. The musician refuses because it’s the last spot, which is a coveted position, and it was something he earned. The musician isn’t very kind to Kousei, and even starts speaking poorly about Kaori. Kousei is nice about it and apologizes to the musician.

However, his piano teacher, Hiroko Seto, believes Kousei needed to defend Kaori and stand up for her. Regardless, turns out this musician is also a major Kousei fan, and although he wasn’t kind, Kousei still reacted kindly towards the other musician.

*Spoiler Alert* Kousei even becomes the tutor to Nagi Aiza, the sister of Takeshi Aiza, one of the pianists closest to Kousei’s level. Takeshi is one of the pianists who is consumed with the idea of beating Kousei in competition. Nagi’s favorite person is Takeshi and her relationship with him means the world to her. Therefore, Nagi desires to “sabotage” Kousei. As a pianist herself, she ends up tutoring under Kousei, and the two become friendly.

Though the competitors become friendly, the competition doesn’t fully wane, and I imagine that they continue to grow in friendship, skill, and competition as time goes on.

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Your lie in April Review: The Importance of Music in the Anime

Competition is important to Your lie in April, and the musical performances are very detailed.

They play plenty of classical pieces from Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, and Chopin. I am not musically gifted and I don’t really play any instruments, but I still found Your lie in April very educational. I started noticing some interesting tidbits from the music in the anime, and I ended up doing a little research and learning some cool things!

Cool Musical Facts I Learned Because of Your lie in April

Here few things I learned because of the Your lie in April. Your lie in April doesn’t cover all of this but it inspired me to look some information up and learn more.

Disney’s Once Upon a Dream and Your lie in April

1. I didn’t realize that Disney’s “Once Upon a Dream” from Sleeping Beauty was originally a classical piece by Tchaikovsky before Disney adapted it for their film. It was cool to recognize the piece in Your lie in April and then do a little research to learn the song’s backstory. Disney wrote the lyrics, but if you listen to a classical version from the Sleeping Beauty ballet, you’ll recognize the song. Here’s an example:

Chopin’s Etude Op. 25 No. 5 in Your lie in April

2. The other song that sticks out is Chopin’s Etude Op. 25, No. 5. Kousei plays this song and it helps to emphasize the inner turmoil he faces, and it honestly sounds like he’s playing it incorrectly. This is, of course, partially thanks to the minor key the song is played in.

Chopin wrote this étude with a series of quick, dissonant minor seconds. The effect has earned the étude the nickname “Wrong Note” (source).

It works perfectly in Your lie in April, and learning that this piece is nicknamed “Wrong Note” further emphasizes the inner turmoil Kousei faces as he plays the music.

A Real Musician’s Reaction to Your lie in April

As I already mentioned, I am no musician. But, real musicians have reacted to Your lie in April. I’m embedding a video below in case you’d like to hear more from actual musicians:

Regardless of who you ask, most people will agree that the music in Your lie in April is part of what makes the anime so masterful.

Your lie in April Review: Why the Anime is so Important

I know the Your lie in April anime is based on a manga, but I am so glad that they adapted it for the screen because performance is so important to the message of Your lie in April, and although reading is fantastic too, I can’t imagine it having the same effect (I haven’t read the manga so I could be wrong). I’ve seen other fans suggest watching the anime over reading the manga as well because of the music.

They even have a live musical adaptation of Your lie in April.

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Kaori: Living Life to the Fullest

Kaori is mischievous and spirited. She sneaks out of the hospital, jumps off a bridge for fun, and chooses to live life fully on her terms. She actually reminds me of Sakura from I Want to Eat Your Pancreas.

Kaori and Tsubaki even sneak into a pool with the others and light sparklers. Kousei, Watari, and another friend are all with them, and Kousei nearly drowns. Kaori and Tsubaki want to light rockets, but Watari puts a stop to it.

She brings Kousei back to reality and lives her life to the fullest.

Kaori has a great outlook on life, but her fun-loving nature often leads to chaos and reckless choices.

*Major Spoiler Alert from here until the end of this section* Nonetheless, at the end of the anime, we finally discover why she lives her life so fully. In her letter to Kousei, she writes:

That’s when I knew I didn’t have much time.

I made a choice:

I ran. And I didn’t look back!

I started living life exactly how I wanted, so I wouldn’t be all mopey in heaven. Contacts are weird, but I tried ‘em. Tried eating a whole cake by myself too, because why not? Music that used to boss me around? I played it my way! (source)

*Spoiler Alert Reminder through the end of this section* Kaori chose to live her life the way she wanted because she didn’t have much time left. Although her choices are questionable from a Biblical standpoint, I admire her attitude and desire to find joy in her life.

As Psalm 118:24 (ESV) reminds us, “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

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Your lie in April Review: How Our Behavior Affects Younger Generations

One indirect lesson Your lie in April reminded me of is to be careful with our behavior. Children often mimic the adults (or older influences) in their life. They look up to us and want to be like the people they admire most.

And to be honest, this doesn’t stop when we grow up, either. Adults often mimic the strongest influences in their lives, too.

In Your lie in April, there are multiple situations where young children pick up behaviors (specifically speech) from older influences.

The first example I want to highlight involves Kaori cursing in front of children. Kaori calls Kousei a “jack*ss,” and the kids start repeating the curse word.

Another example happened when Kousei was a young child. Hiroko, angry with her husband, starts to call him a “dummy” and sings about kicking *ss.

Little Kousei starts to mimic her and sings her song as well. Although the moment is important to Kousei’s development (it causes Hiroko to encourage Saki to make Kousei a pianist), it doesn’t negate the inappropriate speech he picked up from Hiroko.

We need to be careful what we say and how we speak because it can have an effect on children; they will pick things up from us, and we don’t want to model or normalize inappropriate speech.

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FAQs for Your lie in April Review

Conclusion: Your lie in April Review

In our Your lie in April review, we explored and analyzed the story and characters from a Christian perspective.

Your lie in April is a heartwarming and sad story about musicians growing in their emotional and professional lives.

From an anime standpoint, Your lie in April is one of the cleaner anime out there, but it’s not perfect. There are still a few content concerns from a Christian perspective, including some spiritual, language, and relational considerations. I outline these concerns in part 2 of my Your lie in April series of posts. I recommend checking it out before making your final decision on the anime.

Do I recommend Your lie in April? The themes of growth, healing, and the power of music resonate with the emotions, and it’s a very well-created anime. With discernment (and my content guide), I might recommend it for ages 14 and up.

Each family should make their own decision about what’s appropriate for them.

For part two of our Your lie in April review, we will cover the content concerns and provide a content guide. Click here to jump to part two.

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Screenshot from Aniplex USA trailer for Your lie in April on Youtube. All rights belong to their respective owners; screenshot is used under fair use for review, criticism, education, and commentary purposes.