Forest of Piano

Forest of Piano
Cover of the first volume of Forest of Piano as published by Kodansha
ピアノの森 -The perfect world of KAI-
Genre Drama
Manga
Written by Makoto Isshiki
Published by Kodansha
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Young Magazine Uppers
Weekly Morning
Original run 1998 – 2015
Volumes 26
Anime film
Directed by Masayuki Kojima
Written by Ryuta Hourai
Music by Keisuke Shinohara
Studio Madhouse
Released July 21, 2007
Runtime 101 minutes
Anime television series
Directed by Gaku Nakatani
Written by Aki Itami
Mika Abe
Music by Harumi Fūka
Studio Gaina[lower-alpha 1]
Licensed by Netflix
Original network NHK
Original run April 9, 2018 – present
Episodes 24

Forest of Piano, known in Japan as Piano no Mori: The Perfect World of Kai (ピアノの森 – The perfect world of KAI, lit. "Piano's Forest"), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Makoto Isshiki. It was serialized by Kodansha from 1998 to 2015, initially in Young Magazine Uppers before transferring to Weekly Morning. Serialization is irregular, and went on hiatus in 2002 before resuming in 2006. The series ended after 26 bound volumes.[2] The series was adapted into a 2007 Japanese animated feature film by director Masayuki Kojima and production company Madhouse. The film featured performances by the renowned pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy. An anime television series adaptation produced by Gaina premiered on April 9, 2018 on NHK.[3][4]

Plot

Forest of Piano is a story that follows Kai Ichinose, a boy who lives in the red light district but escapes at night to play the piano in the forest. Shuhei Amamiya, the grade-school son of a professional pianist, transfers to Moriwaki Elementary, Kai's elementary school. But it doesn't take long before Shuhei is picked on by the class bullies, and gets involved in a dare to play the mysterious piano in the forest, leading to his meeting with Kai, who seems to be the only one capable of getting sound out of the thought-to-be broken piano. Kai's ability earns him the respect of Shuhei and his music teacher, former master pianist Sosuke Ajino. Both Shuhei and Ajino try to get Kai to take proper piano lessons, but Kai is at first resistant to refining his piano-playing technique. However, after hearing Sosuke play a Chopin piece he just can't seem to play himself, he relents.

Characters

Kai Ichinose (一ノ瀬 海, Ichinose Kai)
Voiced by: Sōma Saitō, Ryoko Shiraishi (young)[4] (Japanese); Johnny Yong Bosch[5] (English)
Kai is the son of a prostitute and an elementary school student who often plays the mysterious piano in the forest. He has the ability to instantly remember any piano piece he hears and play it back perfectly. In the future, he is a renowned pianist.
Shūhei Amamiya (雨宮修平, Amamiya Shūhei)
Voiced by: Natsuki Hanae, Yō Taichi (young)[4] (Japanese); Griffin Burns[5] (English)
Shuhei is a transfer student from Tokyo who makes quick friends with Kai following their love for the piano.
Sōsuke Ajino (阿字野壮介, Ajino Sōsuke)
Voiced by: Junichi Suwabe[4] (Japanese); Kyle McCarley[5] (English)
Sosuke is the music teacher at Kai and Shuhei's school. In his youth he was a famous pianist who won several awards for his playing, however his career was abruptly ended after an accident injured his left hand and killed his fiance. After discovering Kai's affinity for the piano, he becomes his coach.
Takako Maruyama (丸山誉子, Maruyama Takako)
Voiced by: Aki Yuki[6] (Japanese); Cristina Vee[5] (English)
Takako appears as one of the participants at the regional piano competition. She was inspired by Kai to become a better pianist.
Namie Amamiya (雨宮奈美恵, Amamiya Namie)
Voiced by: Mariya Miyake[6] (Japanese); Julie Ann Taylor[5] (English)
Namie is Shuhei's mother.

Development

Makoto Isshiki was inspired to write Forest of Piano when she watched a documentary showing Stanislav Bunin winning the International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition in 1985.[7]

Media

The series is licensed by Sharp Point Press in Taiwan.[8]

Manga

No.Japanese release dateJapanese ISBN
01 August 6, 1999[9] ISBN 978-4-06-346030-8
02 August 6, 1999[10] ISBN 978-4-06-346031-5
03 October 8, 1999[11] ISBN 978-4-06-346040-7
04 April 7, 2000[12] ISBN 978-4-06-346056-8
05 August 7, 2000[13] ISBN 978-4-06-346067-4
06 March 7, 2001[14] ISBN 978-4-06-346097-1
07 September 7, 2001[15] ISBN 978-4-06-346118-3
08 May 17, 2002[16] ISBN 978-4-06-346142-8
09 November 8, 2002[17] ISBN 978-4-06-346169-5
10 July 22, 2005[18] ISBN 978-4-06-372449-3
11 December 22, 2005[19] ISBN 978-4-06-372483-7
12 April 21, 2006[20] ISBN 978-4-06-372509-4
13 December 22, 2006[21] ISBN 978-4-06-372554-4
14 June 22, 2007 ISBN 978-4-06-372610-7 (normal ed.)[22]
ISBN 978-4-06-364699-3 (limited ed.)[23]
15 May 23, 2008 ISBN 978-4-06-372675-6 (normal ed.)[24]
ISBN 978-4-06-362113-6 (limited ed.)[25]
16 August 21, 2009[26] ISBN 978-4-06-372752-4
17 March 23, 2010[27] ISBN 978-4-06-372881-1
18 July 23, 2010[28] ISBN 978-4-06-372917-7
19 November 22, 2010[29] ISBN 978-4-06-372917-7
20 September 23, 2011[30] ISBN 978-4-06-372980-1
21 November 22, 2011[31] ISBN 978-4-06-387022-0
22 August 23, 2012[32] ISBN 978-4-06-387099-2
23 May 23, 2013[33] ISBN 978-4-06-387117-3
24 May 23, 2014[34] ISBN 978-4-06-388324-4
25 October 23, 2014[35] ISBN 978-4-06-388389-3
26 December 22, 2015[36] ISBN 978-4-06-388485-2

Anime

An anime television series adaptation produced by Gaina premiered on April 9, 2018 on NHK.[4] The anime was originally listed to air 12 episodes,[37] but was later announced to air 24 episodes.[38] The 24 episodes will air in two seasons, with the first season airing from April to July 2018, and the second season scheduled to air from January 2019.[39] Netflix have announced that they had acquired exclusive streaming rights for the series worldwide, and simulcast the series in Japan, and released the series globally in September 2018.[40]

No. Title[38][lower-alpha 2] Original air date[38]
1 "Chosen One"
"Erabareta Te" (選ばれた手) 		April 9, 2018
2 "To play Chopin's Pieces"
"Shopan o Hiku Tame ni" (ショパンを弾くために) 		April 16, 2018
3 "What Mozart has left"
"Mōtsaruto no Yuigon" (モーツァルトの遺言) 		April 23, 2018
4 "The Best Piano"
"Ichiban no Piano" (一番のピアノ) 		April 30, 2018
5 "God of Competition"
"Konkūru no Kamisama" (コンクールの神様) 		May 7, 2018
6 "Forest of Piano"
"Mori no Piano" (森のピアノ) 		May 14, 2018
7 "Reunion"
"Saikai" (再会) 		May 21, 2018
8 "A Letter of Challenge"
"Chōsen-jō" (挑戦状) 		May 28, 2018
9 "New Signs at Warsaw"
"Warushawa no Taidō" (ワルシャワの胎動) 		June 4, 2018
10 "The Chopin Competition"
"Shopan Konkūru" (ショパン・コンクール) 		June 11, 2018
11 "New Wind from Poland"
"Pōrando no Shinsei" (ポーランドの新星) 		June 25, 2018
12 "fff"
"fff (Forutisshisshimo)" (ｆｆｆ（フォルティッシッシモ）) 		July 2, 2018

Reception

Forest of Piano received the Grand Prize for best manga at the 12th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2008.[41]

The movie adaptation debuted in 9th place at the Japanese box office the week it came out, unusually high for a non-franchise animated film.[42] By the end of the year, it had grossed the equivalent of $1,555,297, ranking 119 on the overall yearly box office chart for Japan.[43] In South Korea, the film played for 50 weeks and grossed the equivalent of $182,884.[44] The film was nominated for the 2008 Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year.[45]

Notes

  1. ↑ Fukushima Gainax renamed into Gaina on August 9, 2018 after Kinoshita Group Holdings acquired the studio.[1]
  2. ↑ English titles are taken from Netflix.

References

  1. ↑ "Kinoshita Acquires Fukushima Gainax, Moves Studio to Tokyo Under New Name". Anime News Network. August 20, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Piano no Mori Manga's Final Arc to Start in August". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  3. ↑ "The Piano Forest Manga Gets TV Anime in April 2018". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Piano Forest TV Anime Reveals Cast, Staff, Ending Song Artist". Anime News Network. January 31, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Chosen One". Forest of Piano. Episode 1. USA: Netflix. Event occurs at Closing credits, English Language Cast.
  6. 1 2 "Character". Official Website (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  7. ↑ "2008 Japan Media Arts Festival Manga Division Grand Prize PIANO NO MORI". Japan Media Arts Festival. Archived from the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  8. ↑ 琴之森(01) (in Chinese). Sharp Point Press. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  9. ↑ ピアノの森 (1) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  10. ↑ ピアノの森 (2) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  11. ↑ ピアノの森 (3) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  12. ↑ ピアノの森 (4) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  13. ↑ ピアノの森 (5) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  14. ↑ ピアノの森 (6) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  15. ↑ ピアノの森 (7) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  16. ↑ ピアノの森 (8) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  17. ↑ ピアノの森 (9) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  18. ↑ ピアノの森 (10) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  19. ↑ ピアノの森 (11) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  20. ↑ ピアノの森 (12) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  21. ↑ ピアノの森 (13) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  22. ↑ ピアノの森 (14) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  23. ↑ ピアノの森 限定版 (14) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  24. ↑ ピアノの森 (15) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  25. ↑ ピアノの森 限定版 (15) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  26. ↑ ピアノの森 (16) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  27. ↑ ピアノの森 (17) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
  28. ↑ ピアノの森 (18) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
  29. ↑ ピアノの森 (19) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  30. ↑ ピアノの森 (20) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  31. ↑ ピアノの森 (21) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  32. ↑ ピアノの森 (22) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
  33. ↑ ピアノの森 (23) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  34. ↑ ピアノの森 (24) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  35. ↑ ピアノの森 (25) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
  36. ↑ ピアノの森 (26) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  37. ↑ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (April 2, 2018). "The Piano Forest TV Anime Listed with 12 Episodes". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  38. 1 2 3 "Piano no Mori - NHK Anime World" ピアノの森|NHKアニメワールド. NHK (in Japanese). Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  39. ↑ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 1, 2018). "The Piano Forest Anime Gets 2nd Season in January". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  40. ↑ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (April 8, 2018). "The Piano Forest TV Anime Gets Netflix-Only Streaming With Release Outside Japan Slated for this Fall". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  41. ↑ "Award winning works – Piano no Mori". Japan Media Art Plaza. 10 December 2008. Archived from the original on 12 February 2009. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
  42. ↑ "Japanese Box Office, July 21–22: Piano no Mori at #9". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  43. ↑ "2007 Japan Yearly Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  44. ↑ "South Korea Box Office: October 9–11, 2009". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  45. ↑ "Japan Academy Prize (2008)" (in Japanese). Japan Academy Prize. Archived from the original on February 20, 2008. Retrieved December 20, 2010.
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