This drama was around when I started with dramas and I had watched some of the anime but I didn't get around to watching it until now. I'm so glad I finally did. The story is very good and even though the formula of "quirky girl meets serious boy", the key in the success of that kind of storyline is in the characters themselves. Nodame isn't just a "quirky girl", she's an extremely likeable character, with fears and worries and reasons to be as she is, a girl who likes music as an expression. Chiaki is an over-achiever, who tends to push others in the same way he pushes himself, but who has anxieties and worries that, even if sometimes played for fun, end up being a serious obstacle in his life. The performances of Ueno Juri and Tamaki Hiroshi are superb and succeed in the very difficult task of making animated characters just as relatable in drama form. Without talking about story-line elements, the change of format from manga/anime to drama has some things that could not translate as well. The violence-driven comedy that is taken not at all seriously in animated form is a bit more difficult to pass in live action, at least to me, especially knowing a past of violence is involved in the storyline at one point. Still, I suppose it's a risk they had to take. Music in this drama is superb. Music is the heart and soul of this story and this drama respects it faithfully; if you like classical music, this drama is a must. All in all, I really loved this drama and I understand why it's regarded as a classic (pun intended) even if it hasn't yet been 10 years from its original release.