Nodame Cantabile

Book excerpt: Nodame Cantabile is an award-winning manga, anime and live-action drama which began in January 2007. Shinichi Chiaki is the top piano student at his university and an excellent violinist, but he dreams of someday becoming a conductor. However, he has several deep-rooted fears about traveling, and so finds himself trapped in Japan. Because of this, he questions how far he can go in music, especially when he's passed over again and again. This is when he meets Nodame, or Megumi Noda, a messy free spirit who reminds Chiaki that music can be fun. Chiaki learns how to deal with others and begins to realize what is possible for him, even within Japan. bull;a game based on the manga was announced for the Nintendo DS, for release in Spring 2007.