If you have seen any of the Nodame Cantabile’s editions in the past, either the anime or the Japanese drama, you might be a huge fan. I am in that place before watching this version called Tomorrow Cantabile, and I was really scared of the result. First because I really wanted it to be great as the original. Secondly, because as a fan of Joo Won’s performances, I wanted everyone to know how good of an actor he is.
I have to admit that the first approach of this Tomorrow Cantabile was amazingly similar to everything that has to do with Nodame’s. It has that feeling that only the original has. Characters are perfectly and carefully casted and the whole thing is like a strong firm waltz.
Synopsis of Tomorrow Cantabile
Nae Il is a genius pianist that wants to be a kinder garden teacher. Nobody knows of her abilities, her included. One day Yoo Jin, a music college sunbae and another music genius, listens to her playing the piano. He finds her inspirational at that time but later on he will discover way more about her.
For example that she’s a complete nut job (not that he isn’t). She doesn’t care about any type of cleaning, either her room, or herself. She’s completely in love with him and, she’s his neighbor.
Together they will make friends through music and try their best to achieve perfection at their musical choices. Dealing with all their traumas and trying to overcome difficulties. Childhood traumas, bad decisions and musical challenges.
Starring in Tomorrow Cantabile Korean Drama
Joo Won (Bridal Mask, 7th Grade Civil Servant, Good Doctor) is Cha Yoo Jin, a magnificent piano player that dreams of being a conductor one day. He has an awful personality since he demands perfection from musicians and that doesn’t make him many friends, although he, at first, couldn’t care less. Another fantastic job from Joo Won, he’s a perfectionist as well and I could see Chiaki Sempai in his reactions although the script made him softer overall.
Shim Eun Kyung (Miss Granny, Sunny, Bad Guy) is Seol Nae Il, a childish young woman that enjoys playing the piano and have no idea how good she actually is. She also has some maturity issues due to some things that happened to her when she was young, but all she cares about now is loving Yoo Jin and becoming a kinder garden teacher. She’s a great actress, so great that I probably expected more of her part, it’s a really hard role to play and she did okay, although at some instances it felt fake and that never happened with the original version of the character.
Also starring in Tomorrow Cantabile Korean Drama:Park Bo Gum, Bae Min Jung, Ko Gyung Pyo, Min Do Hee, Jang Se Hyun, Baek Yoon Sik, Lee Byung Joon, Ye Ji Won, Ahn Kil Kang, Namgung Yeon, Kim Yoo Mi, Bang Eun Hee and many more.
Conclusions of Tomorrow Cantabile
Its impossible to review it without comparing everything that has been released of this amazing story, first because there is a huge amount of fans all over the world, and secondly because characters are so personality specific that it had to be perfect to satisfy us all.
On the counterpart I have to admit that many of the character personalities, were easier to understand from the very beginning because I had the Japanese edition knowledge. But I will always wonder if I had never seen anything about this story before, would I have fallen in love with them like I did? Would I have understood them or hated them?
Sadly I will never have that answer since it’s been years since I fell in love with Nodame. In this Korean version of it, I felt all the characters were well achieved, but found Nae Il a little too forced, that never happened with the Japanese drama version of it, at all. And although it’s a great remake, if you have never seen anything of it, I rather recommend the first version or the anime. In the end, we can always turn to our favorite again and watch it countless times.