The story is about a piano student, Chiaki, whose secret ambition is
to be a conductor. However his fear of flying, keeps him from studying
abroad and realize his dream. He is thinking of giving up music. But
a fellow student, named Megumi Noda, nicknamed Nodame, helps him to
love music again and puts him on the path to realizing his dream.
Nodame is a talented pianist, who has no interest in piano
competition. But when Nodame cures Chiaki of his fear of flying and
Chiaki can go to Europe, things change. Nodame decides to enter the
concours (music competition) in order to also go to Europe.
Her love for Chiaki raises her ambition.
The series has the themes of healing, renewed hope for despair and
people fulfilling their potential. Chiaki and Nodame by their
interaction push help each other to either reach their goal or aim for
make full use of their talents: Chiaki in becoming a conductor, Nodame
in competing as a pianist. I must say the way Nodame cures Chiaki is
a bit hokey and unrealistic. But this is television, not real life.
She waves a watch given to her by the maestro Stressman and cures
Chiaki by hypnosis. By hypnosis she first gets Chiaki to fly to
Hokkaido. I guess that is the first step in getting over his fear of
flying. But she does interject a bit of self interest, by using the
hypnosis to get Chiaki to buy some food for her such as crab and
cake. Sorry, but I could not help but be amused. In a way Nodame
sort of serves as a �magical girl� found in Japanese
animation. �Magical girls� in many stories had the power to heal.
Unfortunately Nodame is not totally altruistic.
This theme of someone trying to keep someone from wasting their
talents is not a new theme. Mrs. Ellen Myers� original story of what
later became the novel THEY SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED was about an artist
who wastes his potential and the good girl who vainly tries to save
him. When Mrs. Myers first conceived her novel, she was an
agnostic. I believe that after she became a Christian, her novel
took a different direction.
The last episode has a final performance of Beethoven's 7th symphony.
At the enc Chiaki turns and sees Nodame clapping saying "Bravo." This
is not a Christian program. So one may understand why the show
emphasizes a woman's power to transform or inspire than the
providential working of God. However this does not mean God does not
use people to work his will and aid his saints. I think Luther often
called the people who work in our lives, the �masks� of God.
Perhaps someone can produce a TV drama dealing with the issues raised
in NODAME from a Christian standpoint.
# posted by GuyTak @ 7:40 PM
