Your Lie in April

Kousei wins a string of national piano competitions, and his notes echo through concert halls, earning praise from teachers and audiences alike. His impeccable technique and expressive interpretation establish him as a prodigy whose name is whispered in rehearsals and gala concerts. Crowds and mentors alike anticipate every recital as a showcase of precision and emotion.

His mother's death hits hard and triggers a devastating breakdown during a recital. He discovers he has lost the ability to hear the piano—he sees the notes float off the page and feels only the heavy thud of the keys as he plays.

Two years pass as Kousei withdraws from music, the world turning colorless and distant. He wanders through life with friends Tsubaki and Ryouta, performing only out of habit while emotionally disengaged.

Kaori Miyazono bursts into his world with fearless energy and a violin, her improvisational playing offering a new, unrestrained approach to music. Through her, Kousei begins to glimpse a form of expression that is alive in the moment.

As Kaori brightens his mood, Kousei realizes he is falling in love. Kaori, however, seems more drawn to Ryouta than to him, complicating his feelings.

During a concert sequence, Kaori collapses and is rushed to the hospital, where doctors diagnose anemia that places limits on her future. The moment reframes their musical bond as a race against her illness.

Kaori invites Kousei to perform with her at a gala, but she does not arrive and her health deteriorates further. The setback deepens the emotional stakes as they face uncertain futures.

A duet between Kousei and a friend rekindles Kaori's resolve to seize every moment, inspiring her to push beyond limits. Her enduring spirit motivates him to engage with music more fully.

Kaori undergoes a risky surgery in the hope of playing with Kousei again, despite daunting odds. The surgery embodies the tension between fear and the longing to perform together.

In the finals of the Eastern Japan Piano Competition, Kousei plays with Kaori's intangible presence guiding him, a depth he never imagined. The music swells as he feels her beside him, turning the stage into a shared, radiant moment.

Kousei learns that Kaori has died during the operation, a devastating blow that lingers as a haunting memory. Yet her memory becomes a lasting chord in his life, shaping how he plays and what music means to him.

Kaori's parents deliver a letter she left for Kousei. The note reveals she knew death was near and chose a path of greater freedom in both her personality and her music so that she would not carry regrets to Heaven. She confesses that her love for his piano playing began when she was five and that she pretended to harbor feelings for Ryōta to draw closer to him. Tsubaki offers quiet comfort, and a photograph of Kaori as a child returning from the concert serves as a bittersweet keepsake.

Kousei frames the photograph of Kaori as a child returning from the concert, turning it into a tangible reminder of the fragile, hopeful path ahead for music and love. The memory lingers, signaling that life and art can persevere beyond loss.