La Corda d’Oro: Blue Sky

La Corda d’Oro: Blue Sky: Final Review

La Corda d’Oro: Blue Sky follows the Seisou Academy ensemble’s participation in Japan’s national ensemble competition. After receiving a mysterious letter at one of her violin performances that reads, “Is this where you meet your limit?” Kanade and her friend Kyoya are pulled into joining Seisou Academy and its ensemble by their childhood friend Ritsu. They, of course, encounter many fierce competitors on their journey—many of whom they befriend—but one in particular, Myoga Reigi, possesses a passionate hatred for Kanade. This merely adds to her troubles, for she and Ritsu are struggling to make their own sounds blossom. They cannot help but think that they should have been more prepared than this before the competition.

La Corda d’Oro: Blue Sky: Episode 08-10 Review

Episode seven features the semifinal round of the competition. After this round, Kanade receives additional responsibility for the ensemble (I know this is a bit vague, but I don’t want to give too much away).

La Corda d’Oro: Blue Sky: Episode 05-07 Review

As I mentioned in my last review, the ensemble competition begins with episode five, so a big highlight of the series takes place rather early on. The preceding exposition was very effective, though, so the series is not too rushed. Rather, it is moving at an extremely interest-maintaining pace.

La Corda d’Oro: Blue Sky: Episode 02-04 Review

Lots of new characters are introduced between episodes two and four, but their introductions help further the plot. Primarily, we meet many of Seisou Academy’s rivals from other schools that are competing in the ensemble competition, including members from Amane High School and Shiseikan High School.

La Corda d’Oro: Blue Sky Episode 01 Review

The exposition of this series is conveyed very effectively; necessary backstory is delivered in a fast-paced, yet mostly believable manner. However, Ritsu suddenly asking his friends to join the academy just to help with the competition seems to be a bit of a cheap move to tie the plot together.