Daniel never imagined that someone like him, who always prided himself on having a high tolerance for emotional scenes, would end up wiping tears while finishing the finale of a manga. As a guy who usually didn't get emotional over farewells in TV dramas, he was surprised to find himself so deeply moved.
Honestly, Kaori's death in the manga didn't come as a shock to him. With all the hints from her previous collapses, many readers were likely prepared for it. Although he had hoped to see a traditional happy ending where Kaori and Kousei ended up together, he had to admit that a tragic ending seemed more fitting for this story. A miraculous recovery would have felt unrealistic.
This manga was, after all, a true coming-of-age story, and growth is always at the heart of such tales. Before meeting Kaori, Kousei had sunk into despair after his mother's death and had given up playing the piano. The story used Kaori's death to show that Kousei had grown enough not to fall back into despair after losing someone he loved.
While the story might seem somewhat conventional in that sense, with its own set of flaws, its meticulous attention to detail gave it a unique emotional impact. It was a tale that consistently captured the beauty of youth, making the ending the perfect culmination of everything that came before.
Wiping away his tears, Daniel closed the manga and leaned back on his couch, feeling a sense of emptiness. The ending, in a way, was perfect. Every character had grown, and each one found a sort of closure. Kousei and Kaori's story spoke for itself.
Kaori had two wishes during her life. One was to perform a duet with Kousei, which she achieved before her death. The other was for Kousei to become a happy pianist, which also came true after she passed. As for Kousei, with Kaori's help, he could continue on his life's journey, stronger and more resilient, playing the piano once again.
Tsubaki, Kousei's childhood friend, learned to face her feelings, boldly confessing to Kousei while understanding that her actions could shape her reality. She studied hard and was accepted into a high school near Kousei's music school, and even her cough during the concert helped Kousei finish his performance.
Emi and Takeshi found renewed motivation, setting off on another wonderful journey. Nagi grew out of her obsession with her brother, learning to approach both music and the people she cared about in a healthier way.
Despite it being such a good story, it felt as though something precious had been lost. After some thought, Daniel came up with a plausible explanation: This was probably the charm of a tearjerker.
After sitting quietly on the couch for a while, Daniel opened his laptop to check the online comments. As expected, *Your Lie in April* had sparked a lot of discussions.
"*Your Lie in April* has ended. My feelings are mixed. Honestly, I wanted Kaori to survive, but thinking about it, if she had, the emotional impact might have been much weaker."
"Damn that Porter!"
"Hey, you're blaming the wrong person! This was written by the Porter's student."
"No mistake! The Porter's student learned from the Porter, right? Writing such a sad story—it's definitely the Porter's influence! Couldn't they just have a happy ending?"
"Exactly!"
"I'm sending this guy a box of razor blades!"
Reading these comments, Daniel shook his head, quietly liking them. Although he thought the story was well-done, he agreed with these fans—blaming the Porter for everything seemed reasonable. To quote a classic line from *Fate/Zero*: It's all the Porter's fault!
Soon, Daniel noticed another highly liked comment:
"The concept of 'lies' runs throughout the story, serving as the biggest foreshadowing and connecting the characters' relationships."
"In the entire story, it's the lies told by each character that drive the plot and develop the characters. Claire skillfully used this understated technique to lay the groundwork for the story's progression."
Daniel nodded in agreement. He had thought the same. Kaori pretended to like Watari to get closer to Kousei, calling him 'Friend A.' Tsubaki lied about liking Saito to hide her feelings for Kousei. Watari, knowing Kaori liked Kousei, pretended to be busy so that Kaori and Kousei could spend more time together.
These lies not only propelled the plot but also deepened the character development, making each person in the story more memorable. This was likely why the manga was titled *Your Lie in April*.
After closing the comments, Daniel began his work as a manga reviewer. He thought for a moment before writing the title:
"No Regrets in April, In Another Life, I'd Be 'Friend A'!"
"In this beautiful spring, there's a manga that quietly entered my heart. It left behind the most vibrant colors, only to end in the most melancholic way, leaving behind the most unforgettable lines—"
"Spring is coming soon. The spring that brought us together is coming soon. The spring without you is coming soon…"
---
Meanwhile, in a certain villa.
Ren scrolled through the online posts, muttering to himself, "Damn it, how did this end up being my fault? I didn't even draw it!"
Ren felt wronged. The manga was drawn by his student, but when he checked Claire's social media, it was full of praise.
"Keep going! I'll definitely read your next work!" "I hope you continue making these emotional stories!" "You're a genius!"
Ren saw countless comments like these. But when he looked at his own account, it was a different story.
"Porter, what have you been teaching her? Why is she drawing such a sad manga?"
"Damn you, Porter! Misleading the youth!"
"Porter, I'm sending you a box of razor blades."
See? The fans were so biased! Claire was getting all the praise, while he was getting all the blame! Ren felt terribly wronged. He hadn't even done anything, and yet it was all his fault?
"What are you so upset about?" Jada gave Ren a sideways glance. "If I remember correctly, didn't you suggest Claire change the ending? Something about how youth is a memorable encounter and a painful farewell?"
"Uh… (⊙﹏⊙)" Ren froze for a moment. It seemed like… it really was his fault?
If he recalled correctly, Claire originally wanted a happy ending where Kaori survived. But after his persuasion, she changed her mind.
And judging by the questions she'd been asking him lately, it seemed she had developed a bit of an obsession with writing tearjerkers...
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