Thoughts on La Corda d'Oro

I tend to think of this show as UtaPri's serious, angsty older cousin.

It's definitely less vibrant than UtaPri, and isn't quite as much fun either. I think part of the problem might be that it takes itself too seriously. We hardly ever get to see the cast just hanging out and having a good time.

The other part of the problem?

It feels like you're playing through everyone's path simultaneously.


Yes, some love interests get a bit more screen time than others, as is expected, but largely it switches between them like it wants to please everyone. And, while they might succeed in not angering people wanting a particular guy, it fails to give any satisfaction when even Hino doesn't know who she likes. I understand why this sort of anime feels it has to be open-ended, but I have seen other shows be much more entertaining and much less worried about making everyone a love interest.

May I compare this to UtaPri again? It's easy to compare the two because they're quite similar in some ways. Okay, so UtaPri is brighter and more cheerful and, all in all, isn't meant to be taken particularly seriously. Yes, it's got serious moments, but it has fun being what it is. La Corda, on the other hand, is focused on being serious the majority of the time, despite the magical element to the whole thing.

UtaPri also gives you a "everyone is the love interest" ending, but it's right for that show. It works, because you can see them all working together and playing together, and it's fun. The indecisiveness can be ignored. La Corda gives you "everyone is the love interest and no one wins" which leaves the main plot hanging and totally inconsequential, which makes you feel like you've wasted 24 episodes leading up to a less-than-satisfactory finale. I mean, I assume that in the game, who wins depends on the choices you make. I understand that. But this is an anime. It requires more than a brief "let's all play together" moment when the entire series is about the competition and who will win.

And I know I'm making this show sound bad, and I'm sorry. I did like watching it, to some extent. It just didn't capture my attention, and I felt like I had missed out on something when the end was...well, not an end.

Overall, I'd say to spend your time on a more enjoyable series, but if you enjoy instrumental music and stuff like this, go for it.

Not that anyone cares, but I would have chosen Yunoki's path. Flute players unite!

~Hana



I do not own La Corda d'Oro or the picture used above; they are for review purposes only.