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skysenshi (10.03.2002)
Soap-operatic anime like this…
…should be serialized into a full-blown anime TV drama.
It boasts of beautiful classical music (some of which are
by Wagner) that effectively set the mood as chains of events
unfold. The artwork and animation are as elegant as the sounds,
with characters' faces that are delicately "sculpted"
and eyes that are so heavy-lidded they can only be deliciously
expressive. The steamy sexual encounters make for mouthwatering
eye candy, with just enough heat in there that doesn't come
off as vulgar.
The plot has a lot of potential, though it only focuses on
one aspect: the yaoi factor. Even then, the tangled
web of emotions is so conscientiously done that one can only
look at this title with a sense of longing. For what, I can't
really identify.
The sequence of events isn't arranged chronologically. Fujimi
Orchestra begins with the end, passes through a series of
flashbacks, trips to the present, and ends with the beginning.
What's more essential here is the flow of the story. It starts
off with Yuki brooding in deep thoughts, causing him to lose
his concentration during a rehearsal. Kei calls his attention
and Yuki ultimately blames Kei for his lack of inspiration.
For a moment I find myself laughing as irony after irony
play themselves out. Yuki is in love with Kawashima but Kawashima
nurses a tendré for Kei, who, in turn, has the hots
for Yuki. When Kawashima confesses her feelings to Kei, Kei
thinks that Kawashima is Yuki's girlfriend and uses this excuse
to reject her. Kawashima promptly informs him that in the
three years that they've been together, Yuki has never made
any move on Kawashima, making her think that he is gay. Kei
takes her word for it. The moment Yuki announces that he wants
to quit because of how Kei runs the Orchestra, Kei takes his
violin and forces Yuki to come with him to his apartment.
There, he forces himself on the young violinist.
Things become painful at this point, seeing as Yuki has never
had sexual congress with another man before. Though I adore
yaoi themes, I can't help but feel sorry for the broken
hearted uke. It's bad enough that the girl he had desperately
wanted to marry didn't think anything of him. That this same
girl indirectly pushes him into the arms of the man he despised
is insult added to injury.
The air becomes heavy with thespian complications. Characters
are filled with remorse for mistakes that have been committed
and they are left to deal with the consequences as they try
to move forward.
Fujimi Orchestra's ends in a slightly happy note, as the
central figures once again prioritize music above all else.
However, the feeling of incompleteness just cannot be shaken.
There are so many things left unsaid, with so many possibilities
laid out, begging for further development. There isn't any
definite resolution, like an open-ended question left unanswered.
Skysenshi's NOTE: The novel has 20+ volumes of noteworthy
little pieces depicting the lives of the Fujimi musicians and the orchestra's rise from the ranks of simplistic amateurs. Fujimi Orchestra's print version has also sparked the interest of fans
other than female shonen-ai lovers. This opinion is based solely
on the anime. Classical music rocks!
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