Forest of Piano
ピアノの森 (Piano no Mori (TV))
- Drama
- Music
- Performing Arts
- School
- Episodes
- 12
- Duration
- 25 min per ep
- Aired
- Apr 9, 2018 to Jul 2, 2018
- Status
- Finished Airing
Synopsis
*Forest of Piano* follows two boys whose lives are shaped by vastly different beginnings, yet drawn together by the same instrument. Kai grows up in humble circumstances and teaches himself by playing an abandoned piano hidden in a nearby forest, returning to it again and again from an early age.
Syuhei, raised in a respected family of pianists, has been surrounded by formal training and expectation for as long as he can remember. As their shared connection to the piano deepens, their paths gradually converge, setting both on a course that will change how they understand music—and each other.
Otaku Consensus
Forest of Piano earns its solid-but-not-ecstatic reception, reflected in its 7.32 MAL score and 71/100 AniList score, by treating classical performance as a question of class, education, and artistic philosophy rather than simple talent worship. Gaku Nakatani’s direction, Aki Itami’s compact series composition, and Harumi Fuuki’s music give the 12-episode season a clear dramatic spine, but the most persistent drawback is Gaina’s visible CGI in piano-performance staging, which can feel less elegant than the writing around it.
Why You Should Watch
Watch Forest of Piano if you want a classical-music anime more interested in how musicians are formed than in romantic melodrama. It scratches part of the same itch as Your Lie in April and Nodame Cantabile, but its appeal is quieter: teachers, technique, class background, and the psychology of performance are treated as serious dramatic material. The 12-episode format makes it easy to sample, while the seinen source gives the conflict a more reflective edge than a typical school-competition story. Viewers who enjoy watching art become a discipline, with formal training rubbing against instinct and social pressure, will get the most from it. If your priority is fluid hand-drawn performance animation, temper expectations; if your priority is music as character argument, this is the draw.
Key Characters
- KKai
Kai is compelling because his playing forces the story to question who gets to be called a legitimate musician and whether refinement must come from institutions.
- SSyuhei
Syuhei stands out as a foil whose privilege is not simple comfort, but a burden of expectation, pedigree, and comparison.
What Makes It Stand Out
- 1
The TV anime was produced by Gaina and aired as a concise 12-episode season from April 9 to July 2, 2018, giving the adaptation a compressed, performance-focused structure rather than a long school-life sprawl.
- 2
Harumi Fuuki is credited for the music, a crucial role in a series where classical performance is not background flavor but the central dramatic language.
- 3
The show uses CGI in its piano-related visuals, a choice visible enough to be recognized in audience tagging; it helps stage exact performance mechanics but is also the production element most likely to divide viewers.
- 4
Aki Itami’s series composition leans into the material’s coming-of-age and educational angles, with teacher influence, artistic philosophy, and time progression treated as structural pillars rather than side details.
- 5
Sumie Kinoshita served as both character designer and chief animation director, giving the character art a unified supervisory hand across the season.
Fun Facts & Trivia
- Fun fact 1
- Forest of Piano is based on Makoto Isshiki’s original work, and the anime’s AniList tagging strongly reflects its seinen identity with high marks for Coming of Age, Philosophy, Classical Music, and Educational elements.
- Fun fact 2
- The ending theme involved Aoi Yuuki as performer, while hisakuni handled both composition and lyrics, making the ED a notable staff intersection between voice-acting fame and songwriting credit.
- Fun fact 3
- The series has a measured database footprint rather than cult-obscurity status: on MAL it holds 59,843 votes, a 7.32 score, Rank #3022, and Popularity #1902.
- Fun fact 4
- AniList records 552 favourites for the anime, indicating a smaller but dedicated core of viewers beyond its broader 71/100 average score.
- Fun fact 5
- Amanda Moreira is credited as the Brazilian Portuguese ADR director, a reminder that the series received localized handling beyond its Japanese broadcast context.
Studios
- Gaina
