This is a funny manga about college students studying music. Shinichi is a piano major, but really wants to study conducting instead. He quits his piano lessons in a fit of anger, then meets Megumi Nodame, who is a free spirit. Nodame can barely read music, but plays piano beautifully from memory in a Cantabile (singable) style. When these two opposites become friends, Shinichi learns to enjoy music again, and Nodame is forced to clean her filthy apartment. When Nodame is asked to accompany a fellow violin student, it's up to Shinichi to make sure she is prepared for their music exams.

I liked the characters pretty well, but nobody really stood out to me. I mainly just liked the parts about the music and the piano, since I'm a pianist.

Shinichi is really uptight, and he learns to loosen up and make mistakes. I didn't really like his character because he is angry and depressed most of the time. But Nodame brings some sunlight into his life and into his music! I did like his musical journey, discovering what he wants to study.

Nodame is completely irresponsible, and can't cook or clean or even bathe herself regularly. What is she, mentally disabled?! Shinichi cleans her apartment for her and cooks her meals, and naturally she starts to fall in love with him because he feeds her. (hhmmm... okay? She's not a stray cat.) She got on my nerves, because she's very childish and silly and is constantly hungry. Those seem to be her main traits.
But she has a few great scenes and bits of dialogue where she shows a real insight into music and how it should be played. She also has a beautiful grasp on what it means to accompany an instrumentalist, and the delicate relationship that is balanced between a piano and violin together.

So I loved the parts about music and what it's like to study music in college, but the characters and storyline weren't amazing. The artwork is nothing special either. It's not bad, but it's not grabbing my attention either.