Much of the action in episode 14 of Your Lie in April (Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso) takes place in a confined space – the bare walls of a small hospital room. But while the action in this episode is passive, our protagonist’s thoughts are moving a mile a minute. Two trains of thought are hurtling through Arima’s mind – the first is a fearful one, as he again worries that he’ll lose someone so dear to him. The second, though almost overtaken by the first in this episode, remains hopeful, as Arima continues to be fully drawn toward Kaori, determining that she again lifted him up, having selected the previous piano piece specifically for him.
As Arima explains his performance to Kaori in this episode, it seems that he hasn’t fully processed it. The audience, though, has – we witnessed how he struggled through it and came out shining. But we remember, maybe better than Arima, that it was a struggle, even before the recital, as haunting memories came flooding back to him (remember that Arima kept telling Kaori he didn’t want to play this piece). But in the pain, there was meaning.
There was a reason Kaori chose this song for Arima.
Our lives are no different. As we struggle through difficulties – divorce, financial hardships, stress, pain – we sometimes wonder why this is all happening to us. In a sort of parallel, Tsubaki is going through her own difficult piece, and she may be wondering the same – why does she feel this way? Why doesn’t he feel the same? Why must I hurt?
For the Christian – though as in Arima’s case, we may not see it until later – we know that there’s purpose in the pain, as God molds us and makes us more like Him. But we have to endure the pain, go through the fire, and not avoid it. In a way, we must embrace the hardship as a trial that will help us grow and not skip the recital because it’s just too hard.
There’s a reason that song was chosen for you.
Play it.
Thanks for the encouraging word. I have to say that I really needed it. The semester just started and its taking some getting used to. I have to say as this series goes on I find that 2 things keep on popping up. The first is how much like Kids on the Slope this is, and second the series seems to be going towards an Air like ending. I’ve got a sense of foreboding.
I’m glad this encouraged you!
Kids on the Slope is an interesting comparison – it’s one I made immediately when the show started (Kids on the Slope lite, perhaps?), but I’ve forgotten since. And now that you mention it, I still see these two series sharing some similar qualities, and more than skin deep. As for Air…yeah, there seems to be tragedy on the horizon, but perhaps it will mix with something uplifting as well.