The Piano Concerto for the Left Hand in D major was composed by Maurice Ravel between 1929 and 1930, concurrently with his Piano Concerto in G major. It was commissioned by the Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm during World War I. The Concerto had its premiere on 5 January 1932, with Wittgenstein as soloist performing with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. This leads to a rather decent recital in the auditorium and, whatever else one can say about this series, it is trying hard. It continues to blend in actual music as part of its story and I do appreciate that. Taking time to remember that the grieving process is still ongoing for a lot of these people is also a very welcome touch.

The piano element was an interesting choice because it can be hard to convey music through the written medium, however, the author did manage to capture the essence of people’s love for piano music. In fact, as evidenced by the detailed endnotes on the different piano pieces mentioned in the story, it was clear the author had done their research and that really helped bolster the credibility of the piano music inclusion. The first half shows Shu’s worthless home life and worthless school life as he is portrayed as a decent kid who has been beaten down by his broken home. He meets Akari, and they have a rambunctious evening that involves getting her to her piano concert on time and vehicle theft and the cops and lessons learned and her infectious attempts to get Shu to fall in love with music.It’s the mangaka’s first serialized story and it feels like it in both the awkwardness of the storytelling and the way the narrative is just going for it like crazy every step of the way. It’s just wild and, while I initially couldn’t even with the writing, the whole thing grows on you as it progresses. So, on the whole, this story was very powerful and beautiful in many senses. I think that manga readers who love stories centred around the theme of music and especially of piano players will love this manga. I will finally add that the drawings were very cute, though some things didn't particularly please me in the depiction of women/girls (i.e. the sexy maid with a big bosom was a bit too cliché and a bit sexist in my opinion). When tragedy cuts the relationship between Shu (a high school delinquent) and Akari (a piano prodigy) short, Shu is devastated and blames himself. In the midst of this tragedy, he realised his left hand is no longer his own as he begins a journey with music, exploring hope and purpose ... First of all, thank you so much NetGalley, publisher, and author, for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review)

Although at first Wittgenstein did not take to its jazz-influenced rhythms and harmonies, he grew to like the piece. When Ravel first heard him play the concerto at a private concert in the French embassy in Vienna, he was furious. 'He heard lines taken from the orchestral part and added to the solo, harmonies changed, parts added, bars cut and at the end a newly created series of great swirling arpeggios in the final cadenza. The composer was beside himself with indignation and disbelief.' Later Wittgenstein agreed to perform the concerto as written, and the two men patched up their differences, 'but the whole episode left a bitter taste in both their mouths'. [7] The piece was commissioned by Paul Wittgenstein, a concert pianist who had lost his right arm in the First World War. [1] Paul Wittgenstein at the piano The art is beautiful, and especially the scenes where we have Shu and Akari playing together. In general, the composition was always creative and compelling, and the art style was just a treat to look at. However, one of my favourite things about music manga is how the art represents the sound. Aside from with Shu and Akari, I feel the art could have done a bit more to aid us in picturing how the music sounds and should make us feel. Dunoyer, Cecilia (1993). Marguerite Long: A Life in French Music, 1874–1966. Indiana University Press. p.97. ISBN 0-253-31839-4. What really made this volume memorable was the unexpected emotions that constantly bombarded the reader due to the sudden twist and it’s impact on multiple characters. If the story has continued on as a contemporary exploring grief without the fantasy element it would’ve been an automatic five stars and perhaps a manga to remember. The fantasy element didn’t necessarily detract from the story so much that it took the story in a completely different direction, one that seemed sceptical at first but slowly grew into its own and, by the end, the idea of another person living in someone’s hand didn’t seem so odd.I went into this volume completely blind, having seen the art on the cover and found interest - I have to say I was quite surprised by the turn it took. I was expecting it to go in a very different direction than it did, and I am somewhat grateful - though it contains tragedy, the story reads almost like a rom-com in its tone at parts, with playful and cheerful characters contrasted to the experience of grief and the different forms that can take.