Well,
It was worth the watch. My thoughts are thoughts, incoherent but coherent in my mind:
SPOILERS
- This movie depicts children's thoughts well, in my opinion. The way Kai plays so freely but "fails" the piano competition because he didn't play within the regulations... reminds me of how kids "fail" when they don't do things as expected in education based on the regulations of an assignment or project. This doesn't mean they aren't smart or talented. As Ajino-Sensei hinted at, the Japanese piano world was too constricting, too small for Kai.
- Amamiya had been playing his whole life. With the heavy burden of his musically talented parents, he had big shoes to fill, which can be a lot for a little kid. Hearing Kai play was like a breath of fresh air. The way Kai picked up music by ear was a blessing that maybe Amamiya didn't inherit. Amamiya is constantly seen practicing and practicing. At the end of the film, he admits that if he never met Kai, he probably would have hated the piano. In his child mind, when that competition happened and Kai played his piece his way, Amamiya cried thinking he lost. Yet, he won, since he played well within the rules of the contest. Yet, it struck him, seeing that he beleived Kai was the greatest. Yet Kai believes Amamiya is the greatest.
- The girl, Takako, thinking of her most calming spot as the toilet is so fitting. Her having a dog named Wendy, who so happens to have the fur color of Kai's' hair, is also so fitting. Stressing that she'd lose to a well-known child prodigy is so fitting for a musical performance. There's just so much pressure kids put on themselves to be the best, only for them to crack themselves before they even perform. Kai pulled her together, or else she'd have cracked before her time too.
Kai's and Amamiya's goodbye hit hard. It was well-written and made me want to cry.
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