The Role of the Piano in Anime

The most common use of the piano in anime is for background music which is usually reserved for intimate moments between two characters. For example, in Your Lie in April, there was a moment where one character confessed her feelings to another (Reanna, 2017). In the background, you can hear a piano playing which is perfect for situations such as this as what could be more intimate than a pianist playing alone. 

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The piano can also convey character and create a certain atmosphere. This may be especially important if the background music is constant and needs to change to reflect what is going on in the anime.  Music can also be an incredibly important aspect of world-building.

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One of the most famous anime that uses the piano is Your Lie in April. The anime would feature classical piano pieces being performed by characters to express their internal struggles and turmoil. For example, during a piano competition, the main character Kousei Arima plays Chopin’s Wrong Note Etude (r3gum, 2021). The beginning of his performance was unstable to represent his hesitancy of doing a piano competition but as he continued to play, the sound became more relaxed and singing-like to represent his acceptance of his performance. 

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The piano was also used as a storytelling device in the same anime. In the final episode of Your Lie in April, Kousei plays Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 in g minor during a piano competition (bleuet, 2021). As Kousei played the ballade, he reflected on his struggles as well as how far he had progressed with his piano playing. During certain passages, memories and thoughts began to surface that are reflective of the music. At the same time, the anime takes advantage of this moment to inform the viewers about the fate of Kousei's friend, Kaori Miyazono, who has a degenerative condition and was undergoing surgery during the competition.