Nodame Cantabile

Shinichi Chiaki is a gifted musician who studies piano and excels at violin, but his real dream is to conduct an orchestra. One obstacle traps him in Japan: a severe fear of flying and travel prevents him from studying with the European conductors he admires.

His routine changes when he meets neighbor Megumi “Nodame” Noda, a chaotic pianist who lives in a disastrous room and plays with a freedom that contradicts everything Chiaki believes about discipline. Her style irritates him as much as it fascinates him, gradually opening his ears to forms of expression he used to dismiss. Surrounded by other music students, Chiaki finds a path toward conducting before he can even leave Japan, while Nodame forces him to see music and life beyond the rules he built for himself.