La Corda d'Oro

La Corda d'Oro
金色のコルダ
(Kin'iro no Koruda)
Genre Romance, Music, Fantasy
Game
Developer Koei
Publisher Koei
Genre Role-playing video game, life simulation game, visual novel
Rating
  • CERO: A (PS2, PSP)
Platform Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable
Released Windows:
  • JP September 19, 2003
PlayStation 2:
  • JP March 18, 2004
PlayStation Portable:
  • JP November 16, 2005
Manga
Written by Yuki Kure
Published by Hakusensha
English publisher Madman Entertainment
Viz Media
Chuang Yi
Demographic Shōjo
Magazine LaLa
Original run March 5, 2004May 24, 2011
Volumes 17
TV anime
La Corda d'Oro: Primo Passo
Directed by Kōjin Ochi
Studio Yumeta Company
Licensed by Sentai Filmworks
Network TV Aichi, TV Hokkaido, TV Osaka, TV Setouchi, TV Tokyo, TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting Co., Ltd.
English network Animax, Anime Network
Original run October 1, 2006March 25, 2007
Episodes 3
Game
Kin'iro no Corda 2
Developer Koei
Publisher Koei
Rating
Platform PlayStation 2
Released
  • JP March 15, 2007
Game
Kin'iro no Corda 2: Encore
Developer Koei
Publisher Koei
Rating
Platform PlayStation 2
Released
  • JP September 20, 2007
Game
Kin'iro no Corda 2: Forte
Developer Koei
Publisher Koei
Rating
Platform PlayStation Portable
Released
  • JP February 26, 2009
TV anime
La Corda d'Oro: Secondo Passo
Directed by Kōjin Ochi
Studio Yumeta Company
Network Kids Station
Original run March 26, 2009June 5, 2009
Episodes 2
Game
Kin'iro no Corda 2 Forte: Encore
Developer Koei
Publisher Koei
Rating
Platform PlayStation Portable
Released
  • JP August 20, 2009
Game
Kin'iro no Corda 3
Developer Koei
Publisher Koei
Rating
Platform PlayStation 2
PlayStation Portable
Released February 25, 2010
Anime and Manga Portal

La Corda d'Oro (金色のコルダ Kin'iro no Koruda?) is a role-playing game series targeted at a female audience under the Neoromance series from Koei. The title comes from the Italian for The Golden String.

The story is being adapted into a manga by the game’s character designer, Yuki Kure, which is currently serialized in LaLa magazine. An anime adaptation, titled La Corda d'Oro: Primo Passo, was first broadcast by TV Tokyo from October 2006 to March 2007. The anime also premiered on Animax. It was aired across its respective networks worldwide, including Hong Kong and Taiwan, also translating and dubbing the series into English for its English language networks in Southeast Asia and South Asia, and other regions. Sentai Filmworks acquired North American rights to the series, has released it in two half-season box sets, and is streaming it online.[1] The first of a 2-episode anime special, entitled La Corda d'Oro: Secondo Passo, was aired by Kids Station on March 26, 2009, but unfortunately the season ends on a cliffhanger. Secondo Passo was meant strictly to promote the video game.[2][3]

Contents

Plot

Kahoko Hino is a student in the General Education section of Seiso Academy. One day she runs into Lili, a musical fairy, who grants her a magical violin and a place in the school's annual musical competition. Kahoko refuses, only to be pressed on by Lili until she accepts the instrument and place in the competition. As she practices, Kahoko is amazed that she can play any musical piece as long as she knows the tune and plays it with her heart. As the competition goes on, she becomes more and more attached to the people she is trying to compete with.

Characters

Voiced by: Yūki Nakajima (game); Voiced by: Reiko Takagi (anime and drama CD)
Kahoko is the female protagonist of the series. She is a 2nd year student at Seiso Academy and is in the General Education department. She has a warm and friendly personality and is very honest and straightforward, as shown from the way she expresses herself through her violin. She remains oblivious throughout the story to the attention of the males surrounding her. She doesn't know that 5 handsome male students liked her. She lives with her mother, younger sister and older brother, though nobody knows who is her father because there is no evidence. She is also half-hearted. Near the ending of the manga, Kahoko realises her feelings for Len Tsukimori (as seen below) and the both of them ended up together. She was given a violin by the fairy Lily for being able to see him. At first she was very nervous about this but soon finds that with the help of the other characters she has found her passion. She also changes the lives of others such as Len Tsukimori when she helped teach him that music is about heart not just talent or helping Shimizu Keiichei finding his "sheet music."
Voiced by: Kishō Taniyama[4]
He is a 2nd year student from the Music department. His specialty is the violin, just like Kahoko. Len always comes to Kahoko's side every time she gets hurt. Len's world revolves around his violin, even though he reveals that he doesn't like the violin. His mother is a famous pianist, and his father is a violinist, who both think that music should be played from the heart, but Len doesn't agree with his parents on that matter. He likes Hino Kahoko (female protoganist of the story). He came to realize these feelings when Hino showed him that music is full of heart and not just with talent. He told her once that he almost lost the ability to play the violin and the same shouldn't happen to her. He is a bit like a criticizing older brother showing her the ropes of the music world.
Voiced by: Daisuke Kishio[5]
A 3rd year student who takes in 1st year girls as his loving fans. He tries to act carefully to avoid any bad rumors. His specialty is the flute. He has been best friends with Kazuki and supports him in everything he does. He is in the Music department in Seiso High. But later on in the anime and the manga he reveals a hidden side to Hino that he keeps hidden from everyone else, even his best friend, Kazuki Hihara. He finds that he himself is also attracted to Hino, telling himself that when she's around his "rhythm" is thrown off. HE even plays her a song as a way of expressing his feelings without actually telling her.
Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama[6]
A 1st year student whose specialty is the cello. He has angelic eyes and often sleeps. His world revolves around his cello. He told Hino that his main schedule is "sleeping, waking up, playing the cello, sleeping again." Other than that he goes to the library frequently and goes to concerts as much as he can. He is called "Sleeping Beauty" for his sleepiness and handsome face. He is a close friend with Hino for helping him find his "sheet music" and often tries incorporating anything that can help the sound of the music. He often reveals secrets about himself that he wouldn't share with others with hr. He told her that when he sees her or somebody else on stage he often wonders why his music sounds so different. When he smiles Hino also mentions he looks like a angel. He firsts shows her his sheet music inside a catholic church where he played "Bach's cello prelude no. 1"
Voiced by: Masakazu Morita[7]
He is a 3rd year student from the Music department. He is the best friend of Azuma and supports him in everything he does. His specialty is the trumpet. He is energetic, loud and carefree, and he loves to eat anything. He has a brother who Hino meets when they are playing basketball in a park. He first discovered the trumpet when a girl was practicing on the roof of the school and tries it out. He is in love with Hino and realizes this when he fell and scraped his knee and she came to help him. Hihara also came to her rescue when she forgot the notes to "Gavote" and is like a younger brother figure.
Voiced by: Kentarō Itō[8] / Voiced by: Ayumi Tsunematsu (young Tsuchiura)
A 2nd year student from the General Education department. He plays soccer and his specialty is the piano. He always helps Kahoko, because Kahoko was the reason he started playing piano again. Roytaro, like Hino, is very straightforward and honest which he shows through his performance in the last selection. He usually says exactly what he thinks, especially to Hino, which means he can get a bit angry, but he is also loving and caring. He is like her older brother who shows his emotions through his piano, like when he choose a Chopin song to show his frustration with not being able to help Hino. He has a deep rivalry with Len and vise versa.

Media

References

External links

Official sites

Other sites