Intense criticism of Your Lie in April arises

A critical opinion about the popular anime "Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso" (Your Lie in April) has caused a stir on Reddit, becoming a trend and generating an intense debate among fans of the series. The publication, which questions the quality of the writing, characters and representation of domestic violence in the series, has resonated strongly among users of the platform, dividing opinions on one of the most acclaimed works of the drama genre.

In his review, the Reddit user expresses his bewilderment at the outpouring of praise that "Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso" receives as a heartwarming drama, noting that the series lacks coherent writing, obnoxious characters, and an "absolutely horrific" portrayal of domestic violence. According to the commentary, the mixture of childish and exaggerated comedy with a subject as serious as that of a young man fighting his inner demons is a mistake of tone that minimizes the gravity of the plot.

The author of the review directs especially harsh words towards the main characters, describing Saki Arima, the mother of the protagonist Kousei, as "the worst mother I have ever seen in an anime", and argues that her physical, mental and emotional abuse of her son is unforgivable, even if it is tried to be justified by his terminal illness. In his opinion, the series does not do enough to redeem the character, and the same applies to Kaori Miyazono, the female co-star, whom he compares to "a worse version of Angelica Pickles" for her manipulative and abusive behavior towards Kousei.

The review also addresses the show's portrayal of domestic violence, noting that while Saki's abuse is portrayed as horrific, the abusive actions of Kaori and Tsubaki, another friend of Kousei's, are treated lightly and as if they were funny. The Reddit user argues that this unequal treatment sends a dangerous message, suggesting that it is acceptable for women to perpetrate violence, but not men.

Intense criticism of Your Lie in April arises

The post has generated an avalanche of responses on Reddit, with some users defending the work and its emotional approach, while others have expressed agreement with the criticism, pointing out flaws in the portrayal of abuse and the anime's tonal inconsistency. This debate has reignited the discussion about the way drama anime address sensitive topics such as domestic violence and emotional abuse, and whether "Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso" handles these elements appropriately.

"Everyone talks about Saki and Kaori, but do they remember Ryota? He never supported Kousei and whenever Kousei had a nervous breakdown, he would say things like "He's a man, he's going to get over it on his own." No, that's a horrible message. Men are also sensitive like women and also deserve emotional support. If Kousei were a woman, Ryota and the other characters would likely be emotionally supportive rather than mocking their traumas. Literally, the 2 rivals are much better friends than Kousei's own 'friends'."
"I have to agree. It always baffles me how this anime is valued so much when it's so strong with the 'Don't you understand, she abused you for your own good!'"
"If I remember correctly, the protagonist also invents a fantasy in his head that basically says, "Oh, the only reason she beat me mercilessly and tortured me mentally was because she actually loved me. Now I'm cured.'"
"The music is phenomenal, the art style is charming, and Kousei is objectively the best-written character. But god, you're absolutely right about basically everything. Why the hell is the child abuse victim of the slapstick character? If they needed one this bad, their male best friend was literally there! Why do the hell Kaori and Tsubaki constantly force him to do what they think he should do "for his own good" (just like his mother)? If this was going to be a serious story about healing and overcoming trauma, then the characters obviously shouldn't be forcing someone to face their trauma! Why the hell do Kaori and Tsubaki act so entitledly on Kousei in general with little to no remorse (and no, Kaori's damn "sorry, I was a bitch, I was just seriously ill" letter doesn't count)?"
"Do you know what bothered me? That the mother's friend knew about it or was suspicious and just turned a blind eye."
"I feel like the excellent presentation covers a lot of questionable writing. I loved the first few episodes but realized it was just because of the beautiful animation and music."
"There's been a resurgence of criticism towards Your Lie in April and god, I wish I'd heard more about it. I had to abandon it after 3 episodes because you could tell that they were not going to treat the sensitive subject with any kind of decorum. I was surprised that all my friends told me how much they loved it. I just couldn't figure it out. I still can't."
"In real life it's not much better, it's going to take like another 50 years before domestic violence/abuse of men and boys by women is taken seriously."
"Looking back, I only liked the show because of the beautiful visuals, animation, and music, and while I'm not going to lie, I was moved at the end, I still absolutely hate the way they treated domestic violence and for a long time I ignored it as if I just didn't get it."
"The only sane character in this show, in my opinion, is Seto. She regrets her past for encouraging Saki to become this abusive mother and I'll be honest, Kousei improved her piano skills and confidence thanks to her guidance and not Kaori. (Kaori hasn't even resolved her mother's trauma and Seto gives her a different perspective, even though she's wrong.)"
"That's actually THE reason why I hate that anime. It's lauded as some kind of emotional masterpiece when in reality it's like a justification for child abuse with a cast of horrible people who are supposed to be your 'friends' compounding said trauma by ALSO physically assaulting you and forcing you back to the thing that caused such intense trauma in the first place. I hate Saki and that bitch Kaori equally. And of course, the latter further traumatizes Kousei with his trash at the end of the series. Such an irritating anime—though, Japanese values tend to have a 'Don't mess around' mentality about family conflicts and things like filial piety to justify child abuse for 'one's own good,' so it was foolish of me to expect this kind of topic to be handled with the seriousness and sensitivity it deserves."
"I've always hated this anime for the way it completely ignores the fact that Kaori pretends to like Kousei's friend Ryota (and even dates him) just to get close to Kousei, and then when he dies on his sweet farewell/confession note, he asks KOUSEI to apologize to Ryota for lying to him. How is that romantic? What little pathos his incredibly predictable death was able to evoke was somewhat diminished by the show's incredibly off-key choice to try to sell this as sweet when it's simply pathetic and disgusting."
"I saw it for the first time a year ago and I REALLY wanted to like it, but it was very rare that they practically ignored the abuse that was going on and Kaori with her crazy manipulative tactics, and as a former pianist, I didn't really understand the dark "competition" environment where all the pianists hated each other and their lifelong dreams were to beat each other, Lol, it was very weird. Great art style and easily one of my favorite openings of all time, but I can't say I'll see it again."
"I get your point, but to say it's 'awful' or the 'worst anime' is a bit of an exaggeration."
"At the time I liked it because it made me feel very sad and I was looking for shows that made me feel sad, I don't think I wanted to see it now. I'd probably just be critical and think about what you wrote."
"Oh, wow. I've never seen Your Lie in April, I always assumed it was about a girl helping a guy grieve."
"Are there any Japanese works that deal with domestic and family abuse in nuanced ways that don't trivialize it by people who have their heads stuck in their own asses?"