Those Snow White Notes is an anime about the shamisen,
which is probably Japan’s most iconic traditional musical instrument. The story follows Setsu Sawamura, the
talented teenage grandson of shamisen maestro Matsugorou Sawamura. Setsu grew up idolizing his legendary grandfather,
and has come to replicate the pieces that he’s heard from him. However, Setsu has never been interested in showing
the world his gifts, and thus, he’s never joined a competition or recital.
On his
deathbed, Matsugorou urges Setsu to find his own unique way of playing the
shamisen instead of just imitating his sound.
After Matsugorou’s death, the grieving Setsu runs away from his home
village, and with only his shamisen with him, decides to find his path in
Tokyo. Eventually, he’s found by his estranged
mother, Umeko, a beauty and skincare tycoon as well as an amazing traditional
singer. She enrolls Setsu to Umezono
Academy, wherein he soon finds himself joining and helping the newly formed shamisen
appreciation club. Reluctant at first,
he gradually becomes more invested. As
he grows to appreciate his experiences with his novice clubmates, and as he encounters
other brilliant shamisen players, a fire is lit under him to become a more
ambitious and original musician.
This anime
series is an adaptation of a manga, but I honestly don’t think it’s as
effective in that medium. After all, the
music is half of what makes Those Snow
White Notes compelling. From the OP
to the scenes where the shamisen is played, this show thoroughly captivates and
moves its audience with its music. If
nothing else, this show will make you love shamisen music.
The
animation, which is gorgeous all throughout, also plays a part in enhancing the
musical experience. I love it whenever
animation realistically portrays the playing of musical instruments (prime
example: Kids on the Slope), and this
is the case with the shamisen playing in this show. In addition, the musical performances are
also occasionally accompanied by metaphorical visualizations, such as rain, wind,
snow, and cherry blossoms, which somehow make the music feel more refined and emotive.
The general
structure and elements of the plot are nothing really new. At first, at least with its first episode –
which is an outstandingly strong pilot – it gives off the impression of being a
thought-provoking, subversive, and deep arthouse drama. I thought that it was going to be same kind
of special coming-of-age musical that Kids
on the Slope was. However, that
first episode is kind of misleading. The
rest of the show doesn’t match the kind of show that that first episode was
seemingly selling. For after that first
episode, the show begins operating like your typical shonen storyline around an
MC that’s participating in a sport or a club.
Nevertheless,
the narrative still has aspects of profundity here and there. It’s still more thoughtful than the average
sport/club shonen storyline. Moreover, the
show is extremely effective in stirring emotions. It has heart, a winning sense of earnestness
that totally succeeds in winning the audience over. There are certain scenes that are just
utterly beautiful and impactful (my favorite is the shamisen duet between Setsu
and his older brother Wakana, and when Umeko sang an Enka song while Setsu
accompanied her with the shamisen).
Also, the themes that it explores – especially those that revolve around
Setsu’s character journey – are totally engaging.
Overall, even
though it isn’t the next the next Kids on the Slope (seriously, if you haven’t already, go watch that masterpiece), I still love Those Snow
White Notes. And even though it’s following
a familiar story structure, the solid execution yields a rewarding experience
nonetheless.
It’s such a
bummer that the debut season only did a 12-episode cour. It felt like the momentum of the narrative
was for a double cour. Anyway, it
definitely ended at a place where I was made extremely intrigued of seeing
where Setsu’s arc would move forward to – as well as raring for more hyped shamisen performances.
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