The Piano Forest (2018)
A tranquil tale about two boys from very different upbringings. On one hand you have Kai, born as the son of a prostitute, who's been playing the abandoned piano in the forest near his home ever since he was young. And on the other you have Syuhei, practically breast-fed by the piano as the son of a family of prestigious pianists. Yet it is their common bond with the piano that eventually intertwines their paths in life.
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Episode 1 - Chosen One
Release Date: 2018-04-09Shuhei Amamiya transfers into Kai Ichinose's elementary school. As an aspiring pianist, he's shocked that Kai has no teacher after hearing him play.
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Episode 2 - To Play Chopin's Pieces
Release Date: 2018-04-16To Ajino, who hurt his musical abilities in a car accident, meeting Kai seems like fate. But Kai just wants to be able to play a certain Chopin piece.
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Episode 3 - What Mozart Has Left
Release Date: 2018-04-23Ajino sets a Mozart piece as Kai's entry for the contest, but Kai worries that he hasn't found his own style of playing. Shuhei is favored to win.
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Episode 4 - The Best Piano
Release Date: 2018-04-30After Takako's performance, it's time for Kai to take the stage. With his mother, Ajino and Shuhei's father watching, it's time to show his skills.
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Episode 5 - God of Competition
Release Date: 2018-05-07After the contest, Shuhei transfers back to Tokyo and Kai finds that the piano in the woods is broken. Takako vows to win for Kai's sake.
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Episode 6 - Forest of Piano
Release Date: 2018-05-14The piano in the forest goes up in flames, but Ajino tells Kai that it can live on within him. His mother tells him to concentrate on his music.
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Episode 7 - Reunion
Release Date: 2018-05-21Five years later, Shuhei returns to Japan determined to see Kai again. After some searching, he finds his friend in a very unexpected place.
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Episode 8 - A Letter of Challenge
Release Date: 2018-05-28An injured Takako travels to Tokyo with her teacher Shiba, who first noticed her at the competition five years before. There, she meets Kai again.
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Episode 9 - New Signs in Warsaw
Release Date: 2018-06-04At the Chopin competition preliminaries in Poland, Kai nearly has a meltdown, but Shuhei performs as usual. Shuhei is frustrated when they meet again.
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Episode 10 - The Chopin Competition
Release Date: 2018-06-11The first contestants take the stage for the Chopin competition. Kai is shocked that a Chinese pianist's playing sounds just like Ajino's.
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Episode 11 - New Wind from Poland
Release Date: 2018-06-25Shuhei takes the stage at the competition, impressing everyone. Taking a walk to calm his nerves, Kai meets Polish pianist Lech.
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Episode 12 - Fortississimo
Release Date: 2018-07-02It’s finally Kai’s turn to play. His playing transports the audience to the forest as Shuhei, Takako and Ajino reflect on their friend’s journey.