Your Lie in April
Kousei Arima is a child prodigy known as the "Human Metronome" for playing the piano with precision and perfection. Guided by a strict mother and rigorous training, Kousei dominates every competition he enters, earning the admiration of his musical peers and praise from audiences. When his mother suddenly passes away, the subsequent trauma makes him unable to hear the sound of a piano, and he never takes the stage thereafter. Nowadays, Kousei lives a quiet and unassuming life as a junior high school student alongside his friends Tsubaki Sawabe and Ryouta Watari. While struggling to get over his mother's death, he continues to cling to music. His monochrome life turns upside down the day he encounters the eccentric violinist Kaori Miyazono, who thrusts him back into the spotlight as her accompanist. Through a little lie, these two young musicians grow closer together as Kaori tries to fill Kousei's world with color.
- 2014-2015
- 1 season
- HBO Max
- Animation, Comedy, Drama, Music
- TV-PG
Kousei Arima is a child prodigy known as the "Human Metronome" for playing the piano with precision and perfection. Guided by a strict mother and rigorous training, Kousei dominates every competition he enters, earning the admiration of his musical peers and praise from audiences. When his mother suddenly passes away, the subsequent trauma makes him unable to hear the sound of a piano, and he never takes the stage thereafter. Nowadays, Kousei lives a quiet and unassuming life as a junior high school student alongside his friends Tsubaki Sawabe and Ryouta Watari. While struggling to get over his mother's death, he continues to cling to music. His monochrome life turns upside down the day he encounters the eccentric violinist Kaori Miyazono, who thrusts him back into the spotlight as her accompanist. Through a little lie, these two young musicians grow closer together as Kaori tries to fill Kousei's world with color.
Season 1 Episode Guide
22 Episodes 2014 - 2015
Episode 1
Monotone/Colorful
Thu, Oct 9, 2014 23 mins
Piano prodigy Kousei Arima suddenly found himself unable to play the piano after his mother's death. Ever since then, it's like he's been frozen in time. His childhood friend, Tsubaki Sawabe, watches over him with concern. One day, she invites him on a double date. Kousei's other childhood friend, Ryouta Watari, is being introduced to a certain girl. Kousei reluctantly heads over to the rendezvous spot. There, he sees a girl playing a melodica. This girl, who allegedly has a crush on Watari, is Kaori Miyazono. And she turns out to be a violinist.
Episode 2
Friend A
22 mins
Kousei gets tricked into going to a performance by his close childhood friend and in that performance he starts to regain a shred of his passion.
Episode 3
Inside Spring
22 mins
Kousei doesn't seem to comprehend why he feels the way he feels regarding the violinist. Kaori asks him to become her accompanist for the second round of the parliaments yet he does not want to do it and even runs and hides just so he won't do it.
Episode 4
Departure
23 mins
It's the day of the second round of the preliminaries. Kaori and Kousei await their turn in the hallway of the venue. Noticing that Kousei is a bundle of nerves, Kaori head-butts him. Looking Kousei in the eye, she encourages him by saying, "I know you can do it." And their musical journey, with no clear destination, begins. Although they start off quietly, just as the melody changes, Kaori unleashes her true colors - She starts playing the violin with her whole body. In order to keep pace with her, Kousei plays precisely, never hitting a false note. But the more Kousei focuses on their music, the more the notes disappear, and the less he is able to hear the sound of the piano - Eventually, his accompaniment spins out of control, and he abruptly stops playing. Then Kaori stops playing as well. Smiling, the young girl whispers to him, "Again..."
Episode 5
Gray Skies
23 mins
Kaori is hospitalized after the competition. Kousei thinks deeply that playing the piano is the only way he can live. Tsubaki gets asked out by her senior she had admired before.
Episode 6
On the Way Home
22 mins
Kaori wants Kousei to continue playing the piano, then she enters him for a competition. Kousei starts to practice hard with Kaori. Tsubaki realizes that she is jealous of her.
Episode 7
The Shadows Whisper
22 mins
Kousei isn't sure that he could master a set piece of music, it makes him feel sick. Kaori gives him courage. On the competition day, he meets his childhood rivals again.
Episode 8
Let It Ring
22 mins
Takeshi Aiza and Emi Igawa. These two have a strong rivalry with Kousei. But what drives them to play piano?
Episode 9
Resonance
22 mins
It's Kousei's turn to take the stage, and everyone is waiting to see whether or not he will be able to play. How will he be able to perform with the memories of his mother still floating in his mind?
Episode 10
The Scenery I Shared with You
21 mins
Kousei's performance begins. He starts off on a roll, but then midway through, his playing begins to fall apart. Hearing this uneven performance, the audience starts to buzz. Are the rumors that Kousei can no longer hear the sound of his own playing true? In their hearts, Kaori, Tsubaki, and Watari cheer Kousei on from the audience, while Emi and Takeshi, who've just finished performing, look on with concern. Onstage and alone, Kousei confronts his own trauma regarding his mother.
Episode 11
Light of Life
24 mins
The qualifiers are up, but Kousei is sure he already knows where he placed. Takeshi and Emi however are desperate to see how their greatest rival was marked.
Episode 12
Twinkle Little Star
22 mins
School broke up for the summer vacation, Kousei and Kaori practice for gala concert. Sometimes, they enjoy to play with fireworks including Tsubaki, Ryota, and Nao.
Episode 13
Love's Sadness
23 mins
It's the day of the gala concert, and it's time for them to go on, but as Kaori is a no-show, Kousei takes the stage alone. The venue is abuzz over the strange situation of the accompanist, Kousei, showing up onstage by himself. And so Kousei starts playing the song his late mother loved, Kreisler's Love's Sorrow.
Episode 14
Footprints
23 mins
Kaori has been hospitalized since the day before gala concert. Kousei went to see Kaori in the hospital with Tsubaki and Ryota. He gets a bad feeling because she reminds him of his mother. Meanwhile, Tsubaki has to face her mind honestly.
Episode 15
Liar
22 mins
Kousei decided that he'll leave home to study music in school when spring arrives. Tsubaki broke up with her boyfriend because he has already realized she loves Kousei. Meanwhile, Kousei hesitates to see Kaori again. Then, he gets to know a girl, Nagi, she has enmity against him.
Episode 16
Two of a Kind
22 mins
Hiroko decided to let Kousei teach the piano to Nagi. Nagi can't fully dislike him, because he's very nice to her except for the lesson time. And Kaori and Kousei goes shopping with doctor's permission.
Episode 17
Twilight
22 mins
Kaori told Kousei what kind of situation she is now by quoting the lines of the novel that they have read, so he hesitates to see Kaori again. Ryota and Nagi give him a good advice. Then, Kousei thinks of a good idea to encourage her.
Episode 18
Hearts Come Together
22 mins
Kousei asks Nagi to let him perform at the Kurumigaoka Junior High culture festival. He wants to reach Kaori through his music. With that in mind, he and Nagi take the stage, and their performance begins. But unlike during practice, Kousei, the supporting player, in a complete switch of gears, begins playing at an incredible pace, filling the music with an aching atmosphere, pressuring Nagi. And Nagi, unwilling to give in to Kousei, tries to hold her own.
Episode 19
Goodbye Hero
22 mins
Kaori decided strongly that she undergoes surgery to play music with Kousei again. Kousei practices intensively for a competition, because his future success depends on being achieved a high ranking in it. Tsubaki studies very hard to go to high school near music school where Kousei aims for.
Episode 20
Hand in Hand
22 mins
Tsubaki told Kousei that he loves Kaori, and along with that, she confessed her love. Kousei became conscious who he loves. Kousei and Ryota pay Kaori a visit in the hospital.
Episode 21
Snow
22 mins
The shock of seeing Kaori's condition suddenly take a turn for the worse causes Kousei to once again turn away from the piano. "Music takes away everyone I care about..." His past trauma flashing through his mind, Kousei finds himself all alone again.
Episode 22
Spring Breeze
23 mins
Kousei realizes that he's onstage now because of the people in his life - the same people who support him. Playing the notes that they all gave him, Kousei pours his entire soul into his performance, so that it will reach Kaori.