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| “ | Whether you’re sad, you’re a mess, or you’ve hit rock bottom, you still have TO PLAY! That’s how people like us survive. | „ |
| ~ Kaori Miyazono |
| “ | Kousei Arima... I love you. | „ |
| ~ Kaori, as a spirit, declaring her one, final love to Kousei. |
Kaori Miyazono (宮園 かをり, Miyazono Kaori?) is the main female protagonist of the 2011 manga Your Lie in April and its 2014 anime adaptation.
The only daughter of Ryouko and Yoshiyuki Miyazono, Kaori was a highly proficient and talented violinist, who was known for her free-spirited, extemporised style of playing, based on her personality, which would often go at odds with the judges for her inability to follow musical notes. She was also the friend of Tsubaki Sawabe and Ryota Watari, and later Kousei Arima.
Kaori went to Sumiya Junior High School as a student, where she would later help Kousei, who was revealed to be a talented pianist who went on a decline for two years after her mother Saki Arima's death, in rekindling his passion into the musical instrument, once again. Subsequently, she would work with him as an accompanist throughout the series.
Tragically, however, Kaori died at the age of fifteen after a failed surgery due to her collapsing health, where she would be posthumously honoured by her friends at her funeral.
Kaori is voiced by Risa Taneda in Japanese, who also voiced Yukina Himeragi in Strike the Blood, Ai Mizuno in Zombie Land Saga, and Erina Nakiri in Food Wars and Erica Lindbeck in English, who voiced Mordred Pendragon in Fate, Futaba Sakura in Persona 5, Cassie Cage in Mortal Kombat, Sumire Kakei in Naruto, and Celica in Fire Emblem.
Appearance[]
Kaori Miyazono is a 14-15 year old girl with average height and a slim build. She has blonde wavy hair that reaches down her waist and pale indigo eyes. She is always seen to carry her violin whenever she went with her lovely pink suitcase.
As a little girl, she wore a pink dress, and her hair was at chin-length.
When she was 12-13 years old, she wore a pair of black glasses with thick rims and tied her hair in two low pigtails.
Personality[]
Kaori plays the violin with a free-spirited demeanour that is evident in her performance. She has a strong sense of independence, is erratic, and is easily upset. Her tendency to use passive aggression occasionally is also mentioned. Although Kaori is highly extroverted and can be viewed as more of a support for others, she prefers to rely on herself and only herself.
She is incredibly fond of candy and toys, to the point where when she was briefly released from the hospital, the first thing she did was take Kousei along with her to a store that sold both.
Despite being extremely quick to lash out, Kaori has a very kind and empathic nature, which is evident in all of her interactions with Kousei. She would frequently comprehend how he felt about his abusive mother and his apprehension about playing the piano; her words helped Kousei get through these difficult times, and her compassion helped him overcome his depression.
She begs Kousei to play piano with other kids to make them happy before playing hopscotch with them, and lastly, while she and Kousei were at the mall, she saw a lost child and held the child's hand until her mother found the child. She was happy to see the two of them reunited. Her kindness is also displayed whenever she is around children. Overall, she is a sweet-natured young girl who supports Kousei, which helped him get over his piano anxiety despite her fury and occasionally aggressive behaviour against him.
Background[]
Past[]
Kaori first encountered Kousei Arima at a music concert she attended as a young child with her class. She was instantly moved by his music the minute he touched the keys and began to play.
Kaori had several operations and was physically frail. Despite this, she experienced longer and more frequent hospital stays, which frequently prevented her from attending practise and school. She could have been passing by or eavesdropping one evening when she saw her mother sobbing in the hospital lobby. She then learned that she only had a limited amount of time left to live, and soon after she came to understand it for herself due to her frequent hospitalisations and growing frailty.
Kaori wanted to talk to Kousei when she found out they were going to the same junior high school. Kousei and Tsubaki Sawabe were good friends, therefore she had a hard time catching his interest. In order to become her authentic self, she worked up the bravery to ditch her spectacles in favour of contact lenses (which she was too afraid to wear).
Kaori requested that Tsubaki introduce her to Ryota Watari, another of Kousei's close friends, as she was aware that Tsubaki was a close friend of Kousei's. She would be able to approach Kousei in this manner.
Your Lie in April[]
Kaori engages in playful interaction with three kids while perched atop a park dome, playing her melodica in an effort to call pigeons. A burst of wind causes her dress to flutter, and she notices a boy taking a picture of her. She swiftly attacks him with her melodica and holds him down with a recorder.
Kaori apologises for her aggression after understanding that she had attacked the renowned musician Kousei Arima, and Tsubaki Sawabe fulfils her wish to introduce her to Ryota Watari. Kaori invites the trio to see her compete in the violin competition's preliminary round. The three decide to go to Towa Hall and leave.
When Kaori's turn comes, she alters the set piece (Beethoven's "Kreutzer") and transforms the entire performance into her very own unique music. The audience erupted in jubilant cheers and applause for her at the conclusion of the performance, to the irritation and dismay of the judges, who were far from pleased of her altered performance. A little girl gave her a bouquet of flowers following the conclusion of the preliminary round. Kaori advanced to the next stage of the competition after being selected as the "audience choice."
Kaori kept her condition a secret from everyone. She first demonstrated this by passing out during her first performance with Kousei. She said she was anaemic at the time. There were several recommendations for more serious health issues, though.
She was seen taking medication during Kousei's tournament, and because of her protracted hospitalisation, she was unable to take part in their comeback round. Later it is revealed that she was unable to perform with Kousei due to a house accident where she hurt her head. Tsubaki had informed Kousei about Kaori's illness, so he hastened to see her.
Later, it became clear that Kaori's health was collapsing further, and she was unable to keep her sickness a secret from her friends. Her condition started to cause episodes of paralysis in her legs. She was strolling down the hospital corridor when she abruptly lost her balance and was unable to get back up. Kousei noted that she had become paler and skinnier while she was in the hospital.
Kaori sent Kousei a farewell letter as her surgery drew near. Kaori had surgery the day before Kousei's piano competition. But on February 18th, at the age of 15, she tragically passed away in spite of the doctor's best attempts. Kousei received her letter from her parents, Yoshiyuki and Ryouko Miyazono, at her burial.
Abilities[]
Kaori is a really gifted musician, like Kousei. Her approach is distinctive, nevertheless, in contrast to that of the bulk of the series' musicians. By free-styling, she regularly altered the song's rhythm, pace, and tone. As a result, the melody of the song itself changes.
Despite the judges' criticism, the audience was mesmerised by her free style. In her earlier years, Kousei's piano talents prompted her to begin playing the piano, but she later decided she wanted to play the violin so Kousei could accompany her. She continues to play her melodica while using her piano talents.
Quotes[]
| “ | Was I able to live inside someone’s heart? Was I able to live inside your heart? Do you think you’ll remember me at least a little? You’d better not hit "reset!" Don’t forget me, okay? That’s a promise, okay? I'm glad it’s you, after all. Will I reach you? I hope I can reach you. | „ |
| ~ Kaori Miyazono to Kousei. |
| “ | Maybe there's only a dark road ahead. But you still have to believe and keep going. Believe that the stars will light your path, even a little bit. Come on... Let's go on a journey! | „ |
| ~ Kaori Miyazono |
Trivia[]
- Her date of birth is July 4th.
- Although the exact ailment Kaori had is unknown, fans of the series have speculated that she may have had Friedreich's ataxia, ALS, or bone marrow failure. The most plausible illness, however, is Friedreich's ataxia since its signs and symptoms coincide with those that have been observed throughout in the series.
- Kaori Miyazono's favorite dessert is Canelés.
- Kaori Miyazono's family owns Ma Fille Pâtisserie, a bakery.
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 ;Heroes
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Arima Kousei | Kaori Miyazono | Tsubaki Sawabe | Ryota Watari | ||