About Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life

"Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life" is a 2019 anime tv series, based on the manga of the same name written by Amyū. The story follows a group of high school students who revive their school's Koto (Traditional Japanese string instrument) club and aim to win the national Koto competition.

Making / Production

The series was produced by Shueisha and animated by Platinum Vision, with Ryōma Mizuno serving as director and Ayumu Hisao handling series composition.

Actors

• Junya Enoki voiced the character 'Takezō Kurata' - the sole remaining member of the Koto club, passionate about preserving it.
• Atsumi Tanezaki played the character 'Satowa Hōzuki' - a prodigious Koto player who helps to revive the club.
• Yūma Uchida portrayed 'Chika Kudō' - a delinquent who is surprisingly adept at the koto.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• Originally a popular manga, Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life actually had over 23 volumes published before it was adapted into an anime series.
• The anime series was split into two parts, with part 1 airing in Spring 2019, and part 2 airing in Fall 2019.

Quotes

• "Even if we can't play well, it's important that we don't stop playing." - Takezō Kurata
• "Each string on a koto tells a different story." - Satowa Hōzuki
• "I want to play a sound that no one's ever heard; a sound that'll reach out to everyone." - Chika Kudō

Music, Soundtrack

• The series opening theme, "Tone", is performed by Shouta Aoi.
• The ending theme, "Speechless", is performed by Yuuma Uchida.
• Japanese Koto music, used throughout the series, effectively expresses the mood and enhances the storytelling of the show.