Piano: Melody of a Young Girl’s Heart is an anime produced by Marine Entertainment and directed by Norihiko Sudo. This ten-episode anime series aired in Japan on Kids Station from November 11, 2002-January 13, 2003. The Right Stuf International holds the licensing rights to Piano: Melody of a Young Girl’s Heart in the United States.

Miu Nomaura is the main character in Piano: Melody of a Young Girl’s Heart. She is a shy, well-behaved middle school student in the eighth grade. She listens to her mother, who is constantly fussing about things. Miu also makes excuses for her father, who is constantly late.

When Miu was younger, she discovered that playing the piano was one of the greatest joys in her life. The music made her heart soar, and Miu had the desire to share that feeling with other people around her by playing on the piano. However, now that she is older, Miu has become introverted and too shy to express her feelings, even through her music. Miu is trying hard to please her aloof piano teacher, but Miu’s playing has suffered because of her shyness. Her teacher is growing impatient with Miu’s failure to live up to the expectations he knows that she is capable of achieving.

To add to her situation, Miu’s best friend Yuuki introduces Miu to Takhashi. Takhashi is an upperclassman, and is the handsome star of the track team. Miu develops a crush on Takhashi, which adds to her already turbulent emotional state. However, as time goes by, Miu’s crush on Takhashi seems to help Miu with her piano playing. Also, Miu’s teacher decides to put a little pressure on her by asking her to compose her own piece and play it at the spring recital. However, problems arise for Miu in her own life, as well as with Takhashi, which threaten to extinguish the spark in her music she had reignited since developing her crush on Takhashi.

Piano: Melody of a Young Girl’s Heart is a very simple anime drama, but it is an enjoyable viewing experience. The simplicity of the anime adds to its charm and appeal. I would recommend Piano: Melody of a Young Girl’s Heart to anime viewers who are nine and ten years of age or older. However, I think that with the subject matter and the storytelling style used in the series, that girls will have much more of an interest in Piano: Melody of a Young Girl’s Heart than boys will.