This one’s special with a story that feels authentic, and doesn’t consist of the usual shoujo manga tropes.
Edit after reading the whole thing: to get to the very end, readers are going to have to track down three separate parts: the main 136 chapters, then the very funny ten-chapter Opera Hen for more story and finally the short one-shot Chapter 0 for the inconclusive conclusion.
I chose to watch all three seasons of the anime first, before tackling the manga. I recommend doing that because there’s so much music integrated into the story, it’s just easier to get the full picture of what’s happening that way. Luckily the anime is pretty faithful to the manga, with hardly any material cut out--in the first third at least. As I write I’ve now completed 68 chapters, the halfway point in the manga, which I’m now enjoying easily as much as the anime. (Although it’s necessary to stop reading and search for the matching music sometimes.)
Summary of the romance: the two MCs, who are both music students and apartment block neighbours, one an uber-talented aspiring conductor and the other a still-developing but gifted pianist, come from contrasting backgrounds and have contrasting, flawed personalities. The conductor, a boy, Chiaki, the son of a rich, cosmopolitan, musical family, has a tendency to be cold and perfectionistic, which sometimes alienates others. The girl, Nodame, a pianist and the daughter of provincial seaweed farmers, is warm and funny and plainly devoted to Chiaki. However she’s also an oddball, who seems (at least to me) to be suffering from mild Asperger’s syndrome and/or perhaps ADD. (The way she can reproduce complicated pieces on the piano from memory made me wonder if she is meant to be a savant.) While he is ambitious, well-organised and clearly headed for success, she is disorganised, unmotivated and seems to be headed for mediocrity. Eventually, in order to realise her potential and not to be left behind by Chiaki, Nodame will have to get her shit together. (It’s not going to be easy.) For his part, the ambivalent-seeming Chiaki has to figure out Nodame is someone he can’t live without.
Chiaki’s also a bit of a tsundere and the scenes depicting their rocky relationship are often very funny and sweet. Besides these two, there are numerous other musician characters and episodes involving orchestras, rehearsals, concerts, music lessons, music practise, music exams and music competitions. Nodame is also an anime-loving otaku which leads to some funny gags, which are probably relatable to manga/anime fans.
Even if you’re not a big music fan, this one is heart-warming and very entertaining. If you love classical music, this is probably the most enjoyable manga you’ll ever read. Lastly the art is very nice.