Today we’re revisiting ‘Naeil’s Cantabile’, also known as ‘Tomorrow’s Cantabile’ a comedy K-drama from 2014. The protagonist’s name, Nae-il also means ‘tomorrow’ is Korean, which explains that duality there.
The series was based on the Japanese manga ‘Nodame Cantabile’ by Tomoko Ninomiya, which ran from 2001 to 2009. The manga had already spawned an award-winning 2-season J-drama, two sequel movies, and a 3-season anime, so I think it’s fair to say it’s popular. It’s actually one of the most popular and best selling Josei manga titles ever.
The story revolves around several students in a prestigious Music College, their hard work, their growth, and their relationships. Front and center we have quirky but brilliant pianist Noda Megumi (Nodame), our lovable oddball of a main heroine, and the arrogant perfectionist musical genius Chiaki Shinichi (pianist, violinist and conductor -yeah).
Personally, I was a big fan of the manga, and the J-drama version remains one of my favorite dramas to date. The cast was phenomenal – Ueno Juri in particular was the perfect Nodame-, the pace consistent and satisfying, and the music excellent. It was a very memorable show, and when I saw that a Korean version was coming out I was there.
The story
Shim Eun Kyung stars as Seol Nae-Il (Nodame), a brilliant but weird pianist, who tends to ignore the score and do her own thing – not a great trait if you want to be winning competitions. Cha Yoo-Jin (Chiaki), is portrayed by Joo Won. He comes from a family of celebrated classical musicians, he’s a perfectionist and a musical prodigy. So why is this prodigy studying in Korea instead of Switzerland or Austria? He has a crippling fear of airplanes and ships from a childhood trauma, so he can’t really leave the country.
Yoon-Hoo (Park Bo Gum) is an original character in the drama that kinda mixes traits from two different manga characters. He’s a charismatic and flirty cellist who develops a crush on Nae-Il. As far as second leads go, he’s very well written and conceived.
In the opening scenes, we see others praising and complimenting Yoo-Jin, establishing him as the ‘top’, in looks and talent. All he can think about however, is how many mistakes they’re making when playing and that they all suck. I know, lovely. But wait! He hears a sound that’s wrong but somehow does not suck! His interest is piqued. Why yes, it is our Nae-il playing!
When they actually meet by chance, Nae-Il falls head over heels for him – Yoo-Jin not so much. Their friendship (?) causes them both to grow as musicians and as people. It’s thanks to her that he gets the opportunity to lead his own orchestra (dream come true), and starts getting over his PTSD. In turn, Nae-Il starts facing the music more seriously (pun intended, I will not apologise), as well as processing her own trauma.
Besides them are many colorful characters for you to know and adore, from the explosive rocker violinist Yoo Il-Rak to the timpani master Ma Soo-Min.
The deep-dive
Park Bo Gum is in this. Kidding, kidding, there’s more. Although I should say that the character of Yoon-hoo certainly was a very interesting second male lead; by all accounts he’s one of the highlights of the show. Park Bo Gum’s acting just helped showcase this multidimensional and refreshing character, and all his emotional depth.
Personally, I liked Joo Won as Yoo-Jin; He balanced the aspects of his character very well, going from ultra serious to goofy when dealing with Nae-Il.
Now, I know Shim Eun Kyung got a lot of flack about her performance in this, but she wasn’t that bad. She tried going for the intense comic-book silliness that particularly characterized Ueno Juri’s portrayal, but it felt too much and at times forced. Plus, the drama overall kinda tried smoothing over that silliness, which did not help.
I’ve generally noticed that K-drama adaptations of manga tend to shy away from the silliness and some of the humor tropes in the source (eg. gags). This was true for ‘Naeil’s Cantabile‘ as well – our oddball protagonist felt even more oddballish when the rest of the cast was only *internally* weird.
Now the one thing that, unfortunately, really stood out, was the endless product placement. I know most K-dramas have some product placement, but I’ve never seen it done so awkwardly and constantly. Yoo Jin’s mom visits, out of the blue, to deliver “healthy drinks’ that she proceeds to point towards the camera like some ’70s commercial. Just, why?
The verdict
While the verdict so far is meh, what makes this drama worth a watch is the plot. The way the characters interact, and most importantly the way they help each other grow, is beautiful. I’d say go read the manga too, but who am I kidding, who’s got that kind of time just lying around?
I’ve intentionally avoided drawing many comparisons between the J-drama and this version of ‘Nodame/ Naeil’s Cantabile‘ – beyond a few specific points. They’re two very different experiences of the same story, and honestly, especially if music dramas are your thing, just watch both.
