Those Snow White Notes
Movies
Alternate Titles
ましろのおと
Mashiro no Oto
Synopsis
After the passing of his grandfather and teacher, Setsu Sawamura moved from Aomori to Tokyo with his shamisen, a traditional Japanese instrument with three strings. He finds his life fallen apart as a high school dropout drifting aimlessly, until one day his mother appears to get him back on the right track. Once back in school, Setsu rediscovers his passion for the shamisen…
Background
Those Snow White Notes is a manga series written and illustrated by Marimo Ragawa that has been serialized in Kodansha's shonen manga magazine Monthly Shonen Magazine since December 2009 and has been published in 27 tankobon volumes as of March 2021. The manga has won the 36th Kodansha Manga Award in the shonen category and the Excellence Award in the manga category at the 16th Japan Media Arts Festival. A novel adaptation by Madoka Maruyama was also published in the December 2011 and May 2012 issues of Monthly Shonen Magazine
An anime adaptation was announced in the September 2020 issue of Monthly Shonen Magazine. It is being animated by Shin-Ei Animation and features Hiroaki Akagi as director with Yoichi Kato handling series composition, Jiro Mashima handling character designs, and the Yoshida Brothers composing the music. The anime’s opening theme song is "Blizzard" by Burnout Syndromes, and the ending theme song is "Kono Yume ga Sameru Made" by the Yoshida Brothers. The anime will premiere in Japan on April 2, 2021 on TBS, MBS, and other channels. It will be available to stream online through Crunchyroll.
Characters
Setsu Sawamura (Voiced by: Nobunaga Shimazaki)
A 16 year old who admires his grandfather Matsugoro’s Tsugaru shamisen and inherited his skills and talent for the instrument. He moves to Tokyo after his grandfather’s death and transfers into Umezono Academy, where he becomes a member of the Tsugaru shamisen club.
Wakana Sawamura (Voiced by: Yoshimasa Hosoya)
Setsu’s 19-year-old older brother and a fellow Tsugaru shamisen player. He has a serious personality but shows an emotional side when it comes to the shamisen. He is Matsugoro’s apprentice and is a talented performer who has placed high in national competitions. However, due to this he is keenly aware of his limitations as a player.
Umeko Sawamura (Voiced by: Takako Honda)
Setsu and Wakana’s mom. She is in her 40s, though at first glance she looks like she is in her 20s. She is the CEO of a large company and travels around the world on business. She has entrusted Matsugoro to raise her sons while she is busy working. She tracks down Setsu when he moves to Tokyo and makes him enroll in Umezono Academy.
Matsugorо Sawamura (Voiced by: Tomohisa Aso)
Setsu and Wakana’s grandfather and Umeko’s father. He is a shamisen master. Due to his selflessness, he never became famous but he was highly regarded for his talent. He mentors Setsu and Wakana in playing the shamisen while encouraging them to find their own sound. He spent 30 years completing his improvisational piece “Spring Dawn,” which he completed before his death.
Shuri Maeda (Voiced by: Yume Miyamoto)
Setsu’s classmate. She is bad around guys and until Setsu came along she was the only member of the academy’s Tsugaru shamisen club. For some reason, she is familiar with the improvisational piece “Spring Dawn” and hopes to perform it for her grandmother.
Yui Yamazato (Voiced by: Reina Kondo)
Shuri’s childhood friend and an otaku who loves anime and video games. She happens to see Setsu perform during a live broadcast and is known as a shamisen genius. She joins the Tsugaru shamisen club along with Kaito after being invited by Shuri.
Kaito Yaguchi (Voiced by: Nobuhiko Okamoto)
Shuri and Yui’s childhood friend who is a grade above them. He used to tease Shuri when they were kids, but he has actually been in love with her since that time. He has a rivalry with Setsu and uses the shamisen as a way to get closer to Shuri.
Rai Nagamori (Voiced by: Tatsuhisa Suzuki)
A student at Umezono Academy who is experienced playing the hosozao. He is a member of the crafts club but has been playing the shamisen since he was a kid.
Seiryu Kamiki (Voiced by: Yuichiro Umehara)
An extremely talented player who has won the national championship two consecutive times. He is a graduate of Umezono Academy and the founder of the academy’s Tsugaru shamisen club.
Soichi Tanuma (Voiced by: Tasuku Hatanaka)
His father is Ryugen Kamiki, who is Seiryu’s teacher. He is childish and takes things at his own pace, but his skill as a shamisen player is top notch.
Mai Tanuma (Voiced by: Shiori Mikami)
Soichi’s younger sister. She has held a grudge against Setsu ever since competing against him in a shamisen competition. Since then, she has had a one-sided rivalry with him. She is an acquaintance of Yui’s from an online game.
Takaomi Kaji (Voiced by: Yuuki Kaji)
A talented shamisen player who leads Osaka’s representative team, Billiken-san. He attracts girls due to his looks and attracts attention due to his steady technique and perfectly coordinated performances.
Ushio Arakawa (Voiced by: Fukushi Ochiai)
A third-year high school student from Fukuoka and a member of the Toho Academy’s traditional Japanese music club. He likes to perform in the center so he can stand out. He attracts audiences with his creative performances and impressive playing ability.
Sakura Yamano (Voiced by: Yuna Taniguchi)
A first-year student in junior high and the daughter of Taraji. She has a caring personality and has admired Setsu ever since hearing him play.
Keiko Koyabu (Voiced by: Tomoyo Takayanagi)
A female teacher and the Tsugaru shamisen club’s advisor. She became the club’s advisor after forming a crush on Seiryu when he was still a student there. She knows next to nothing about shamisen.
Hiroshi Otawara (Voiced by: Kyоoya Kimura)
Owner of the traditional Japanese instrument shop Rinne. He begins tutoring the members of the Tsugaru shamisen club after doing maintenance on Seiryu’s shamisen.
Yuna Tachiki (Voiced by: Rikako Aida)
A 22-year-old girl who works at a hostess bar while trying to become a gravure idol. She financially supports her boyfriend Taketo’s band. She takes in Setsu after he comes to Tokyo.
Taketo (Voiced by: Tetsuya Kakihara)
Yuna’s boyfriend and the vocalist of the indie band Pink Punk Gadget. He single-handedly carries the burden of the band’s popularity and is highly prideful. He’s also a bit of a playboy.
Music
- Opening Theme Song: "Blizzard" by Burnout Syndromes
- Ending Theme Song: "Kono Yume ga Sameru Made" by The Yoshida Brothers
Official Links
Staff
- Original Creator: Marimo Ragawa
- Director: Hiroaki Akagi
- Series Composition: Yoichi Kato
- Character Design: Jiro Mashima
- Tsugaru Shamisen Supervisor: Yoshida Brothers
- Music Supervision: Yoshida Brothers
- Animation Production: Shin-Ei Animation