Cello Hiki no Gauche (1982)

The story concerns Gauche, a professional cellist. During rehearsals for a performance, he is scolded by the conductor because his playing is not good enough. His timing is off and he seems to have no "feel" for the music.

Gauche returns to his lonely cottage and starts practicing. Then a cat enters who tricks him into understanding the inner meaning of the music. The importance of practice is shown by a cuckoo, rhythm by a badger and tenderness by a mouse. In four days he learns the true meaning and feeling of music and develops into a great musician.

Laced with popular classical music this special combines fun and inspiration for all ages and audiences.

(Source: AnimeNfo, edited)

Gauche Main

Sasaki, Hideki Japanese

Child Tanuki Supporting

Takahashi, Kazue Japanese

Field Mouse Child Supporting

Field Mouse Mom Supporting

Cuckoo Supporting

Conductor Supporting

Amenomori, Masashi Japanese

Cat Supporting

Takahata, Isao Director, Screenplay

Urakami, Yasuo Sound Director

Miyazawa, Kenji Original Creator

Aihara, Nobuhiro In-Between Animation

Reviews

Jan 18, 2009

SilentNovA

Recommended

Classical music really does have some good stuff with it.

Gauche the Cellist is a movie that tells the story of a guy named Goshu that just tries his best to be a better cellist player. His hopes are put down by the conductor that's managing the orchestra. Surely, this was a big downer for Goshu. Being bad already and out of tune at playing his instrument, he doesn't get any support from anyone at all. He then decides to practice harder back at his cabin so he can prove his master wrong. As he does, random animals appears out of nowhere. That's where the fun ... starts. The plot is really very straightforward, until those talking animals just showed up mysteriously.

The movie's animation, I'd have to admit, isn't all that great. Considering that it's made back in the '80s, I consider the bad quality of the animation. I wouldn't be too generous giving it a higher mark, but below a 'fair' score would also be too harsh, with the account that it is an old movie. There's nothing much really to talk about concerning the art. The setting takes place for a short time at the school building where the conductor and other students were, and most of the movie focuses on his cabin, where most of the story happens. The cabin is in the middle of a rice field, and maybe on the outskirts of a jungle just across a bridge. But it's really nice to see a view of that place, which reminds me of how a simple life should be lived as back then. Even dragonflies are focused by the animators flying around, along with other insects/birds that usually just get ignored.

The sound was good. Gauche the Cellist focuses on classical music obviously, since a cello is part of the title in the first place. If you appreciate this kind of music, then this will surely be a good movie to watch. I'd say the voice acting could have been done better though, since some parts of the movie I can't even hardly hear the voices at all (it just lowers all of a sudden sometimes). But again, an old movie, so I gave it some considerations. The playing of the cello by Goshu was also enjoyable for me, and when he actually got better at it, which was really a good listen.

The characters are mainly a person, then a bunch of animal creatures. Each of those animals seemed to teach Goshu about something that he has yet to discover for himself. It's like one of those stories with moral lessons where animals talk. Exactly just like that. Those animals really got the smarts to pull off helping out a guy in need. Even the conductor back at where Goshu performs have that angry-looking face that just makes one wants to punch him right on the face. He's that irritating that I laugh it out for being irritated at that guy. Really unique characters, with added flavor, making animals do the work.

As I said, if classical music doesn't bother you, then this movie is worth checking out. Despite the old animation, it's really a movie that I enjoyed. Nodame Cantabile was also a fun series that focuses in classical music, and this movie should just be added to anyone's collection if they're into that.

I really recommend Gauche the Cellist mostly to music enthusiasts, specifically to Nodame Cantabile fans that watched the show because of the music as part of their reason. I can see why this movie isn't all that popular, but I really recommend it to anyone that likes something new to watch, something different.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Nov 4, 2009

cobrascope

Recommended

Simple. Wonderful. Beautiful. Comforting like a hot mug of hot chocolate in front of a warm fire! A rarely seen Takahata gem. A film any musician should appreciate.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Aug 31, 2015

BowlingJD

Recommended

Before Studio Ghibli was officially formed in 1985 and after Miyazaki directed Castle of Cagliostro in 1979, Takahata directed Gauche the Cellist in 1982. Standing at only an hour long, this is the perfect pop-in (vhs reference) movie for that day when you just cannot agree on what to watch.

This film features Gauche, a cellist, and by the way the conductor is super disappointed in his playing during a rehearsal, is not all that great a player. With the big concert just around the corner, Gauche must step up his game or else risk disappointing everybody. Motivation being on his side, he goes back to ... his small lonely little cottage house and starts to practice. Each concurring night, he is visited by a different animal, which in turn, helps teach him different techniques that end up improving his playing. A nice story told basically in music form.

If it has not been guessed yet, the music in this anime is superb. The old classical music seems to match and blend perfectly with the old coloring and hashing style of the art. Most would think that the art is out dated, but in some realities it is simply unique and different.

Gauche the Cellist really puts the viewer into the audience chair during each of Gauche’s performances. A different technique, some light humour, just a really simple and nice story that brings some peace to the anime world.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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