Even though my memory has now begun to fade, passively tossing meagre details into oblivion, I remember a friend of mine talking about a specific anime almost every week, trying to convince us to watch it. What started in 2017 eventually caught up to me in 2019, when I asked another friend of mine if I should really watch Your Lie In April, something that had been suggested all along. He sighed, smiled, and expressed an air of affirmation, accompanied by words which are spoken by people who have endured, absorbed and processed a vivid assortment of emotions, all at once. In that moment, I knew I had to watch this anime. Eventually, one day, I lined up all the episodes at once, began my voyage of the April Lies, and what followed on, will likely stay with me forever.

I lived a life I never actually existed in, as I watched Your Lie In April. During the initial episodes, I stayed around for the complete goofiness and idiocy which the characters exhibited. Dilly-dallying around, meeting someone new, infatuation at first sight and giggling all the way, all of it held me, until the first note of music; the stark tone of vibrancy poetically struck me, giving my reasons to stay hooked a new lease of life, and adding new ones while at it.

“Setbacks are inevitable to superstars. Adversity is what separates the good from the great. After all, stars can only shine during the night.” – Watari Ryota

Music resounds within me, and even though I'm not a professional, I deeply cherish it. Every beat and every sound that's created in harmony of any sort, comes to caress or soothe me, transporting me into places where you cannot enter without them. Creativity and imagination have been some of my strongest pillars in life, and I can relate to moments that sometimes transcend everything else. Trust me, a major part of this anime is just that. Raw music, inspiration, determination, crossing hurdles, togetherness, and the painful whips of lovely rhythms.

“Sure, I know that I have no right to be feeling this way. But I still don’t like it! I just don’t like it. We were always together. I was always by his side. During time of joy, and grief as well. But…I realize he’s far away from me now… I’m not by his side…there’s somebody else there.” – Tsubaki Sawabe

In life, eventually, hopefully, you come around a person who makes you believe that anything is possible. Things you knew you couldn't do somehow feel a little more doable. That very person, her existence, her presence, is so blinding, so overwhelming, that you simply stand in awe at her sight. Your heart skips a beat and at that moment it' just you and her versus the world, I've felt that. Her achievements and her actions, you see them in action, only to find yourself helpless, giving in to everything possible to try to exceed yourself every day, to surpass yourself every moment, yeah, I've felt all of it, like Arima Kousei, the protagonist.

I wanted to write more about what all I could relate to with this show, but that's probably a conversation we can have some other day.

“A lump of steel, like a shooting star. Just seeing the same sky as you makes familiar scenery look different. I swing between hope and despair at your slightest gesture, and my heart starts to play a melody. What kind of feeling is this again? What do they call this kind of feeling? I think it’s probably, called love. I’m sure this is what they call love.” – Kousei Arima

Honestly, I have loved once. Yet, a couple of people suggest that I 'want' to 'believe' that I loved. Coming back from that uncertainty, I connected with the vibe of the characters. There is an intricate web of emotions concocted around them, and it’s heart-warming to watch it all unfold. Either it’s a life you did live, or it’s a life you always wanted to live.

Admittedly, even though the anime is short, at places, it does have a sluggish screenplay, but none of it seemed to deter me from enjoying the grand scheme of things.

Before I forget, let me tell you this as well. There is crazy symbolism in this anime, seriously! The opening, episodes, dialogues and moments, they’re layered with cycles of hidden meaning.

“Such a cruel boy. Telling me to dream one more time. I thought I was satisfied because my dream had come true. And I’d told myself it was enough. Yet here you are, watering this withered heart again.” – Kaori Miyazono

I find myself randomly listening to the show’s opening and remembering moments, and as I write all of this down, I am laden with goosebumps at every paragraph, reminding me that there is so much more to be felt and expressed.

If you like music, warmth, cold, happiness, sadness, vulnerability, expression, symbolism, journeys, and being engaged in a tale of crimson lights, then hear me out, Friend A. Go ahead, watch this anime, and remember me.

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