June 9th, 2020 
Charles Solomon 
As every otaku knows, choosing your club is a key decision in Japanese high school life, and the kid who’s the only member of a beloved but obscure club is a standard anime character. Schools eliminate clubs with fewer than five members, so recruiting more kids is vital, whether it’s for the Classical Literature Club in Hyouka or the Sumo Club in Hinomaru Sumo.
Once the status of the club is assured, the members quickly bond, helping each other deal with personal and academic challenges. They all pull together to make a hit at the annual cultural festival or to stage a come-from-behind victory in a major competition. In Free!, the swimmers of Iwatobi High win a place in the nationals, even though the team consists of the four main characters.
Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life follows the familiar pattern; the twist is its focus on the Koto Club. Considered the “National Instrument of Japan,” the koto is about six feet long, with 13 silk strings that are plucked. (The closest Western analog is the zither.) American viewers may not fully appreciate the technical and artistic challenges of the instrument and its musical repertoire.
Nerdy Takezo Kurata (voice by Alejandro Saab) is the only returning member of the Koto Club. His frantic efforts to recruit new members brings in an unlikely candidate: Chita Kudo (Daman Mills), Tokise High’s brawling bad boy. But Kudo was raised by his grandfather, a koto maker. Wrongly arrested for trashing his grandfather’s workshop, he’s had to endure the label of “delinquent” ever since. Kudo joins the club to reclaim his bond with his late grandfather.
Initially, Kurata’s unexpected friendship with Kudo may remind viewers of Kaoru and Kawabuchi in Kids on the Slope. Kudo is misunderstood, impatient and hot-tempered, addressing Kurata as “Specs” and “Four Eyes.” But Kurata lacks Kaoru’s intellectual depth. Although he’s club president, his insecurities plague him, and he assumes a supporting role.
Instead, Kudo bonds with another new member: Satowa Hozuki (Amber Lee Connors), a musical prodigy whose family runs a famous koto school. Satowa also endured a difficult childhood. After the death of her gentle father, she became a living advertisement for the school, which her stiff-necked mother struggled to maintain, despite her limited talent. When Satowa broke with tradition and played in ways that reflected her feelings, she forfeited a national title and her mother’s affection.
Satowa charms three boys who admire Kudo into joining the club, even though none of them has ever touched a koto. They’re followed by Hiro Kurusu (Alexis Tipton), who initially tries to pit the club members against each other, but is won over by their sincerity and kindness. The five new members agree to pursue Kurata’s goal of reaching the national competition, despite the odds against them.
As the show progresses, Satowa teaches the musical newbies how to play the koto and how to play as an ensemble. Kudo reveals hidden reserves of talent and sensitivity. Just before their first big performance, Kudo injures his wrist protecting Satowa from a falling instrument. Their blasé faculty adviser tells him not to play, but the trust and support he gets from other players enables Kudo to perform.
Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life began as a manga by Amyu in 2012, which sold 2.3 million copies. It was later adapted to a play, and to the anime by Platinum Vision, which debuted in April, 2019. Season one ends inconclusively, after Kudo plays through his pain. The story continues in season two, and a third season is rumored to be in the works.
Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life: Season One
Funimation: $49.99 2 discs, Blu-ray
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