Bravo Kitty! A teeny tiny epilogue of them married and playing Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Piano Concerto in a concert would have been enough for me too (this reminds me of an old Hollywood film where a husband-wife duo play and conduct Tschaikovsky’s 1st Piano Concerto, but I completely forget the name of the film).

While I loved Joo Won in this, this is the drama that introduced me to Park Bo Gun. His cellist story was the most satisfying character arc for me. Mambo! I secretely hoped we’d get a glimpse of him in an epilogue...

Kitty what a lovely piece! I had no idea you liked the piano this much. 🤧

I've only read the original manga - many years ago now - and I absolutely adore it. But of course I must check out the anime and/or live versions so I can listen to the music! 🤗 Done. I'll definitely catch this sometime.

This was great Kitty! I was so happy to see someone write about Tomorrow's Cantabile (and so surprised to see I was mentioned 🙂). I totally want to see your epilogue. Woojin and Naeil's cute married scenes would totally make up for the lack of a kiss 😄

A disclaimer : I admittedly have not seen this drama yet, but...

I adore your piece about it, all the same. Your words and voice are wonderful to hear, and I’m always down for a happy ending that includes music and passion. 😁

*hugs* Congrats and I’m so glad you got published, Kitty!

Nodame and Chiaki always remain as one of my fave OTP since forever. Just like you, I was always a bit upset how the manga and anime never show them getting married or even show when they finally able to perform on a real stage and not just in the practice room. I cant really appreciate the kdrama version because they feel more like a school politics drama rather than a real classical music drama, but I would really love to see your epilogue version in kdrama. After all they still have an amazing performance from all the leads whom I really like (Joo Won, Shim Eun Kyung, Park Bo Gum). I'm still waiting for the day when animegod or mangagod or maybe just dramagod to answer my prayer to let me see Chiaki and Nodame perform a piece together and become a real golden couple (and of course they can also show us how they are finally become a married couple)

Thanks 🙂
Thank you a lot!
Me, I loved this drama soooo much😍, even without knowing or having watched the original, the manga or whatever other version.
And you know why? Because of the music.😄
I am an absolute fan of classical music and I knew some of the pieces before watching the drama, I have read the biography of most famous composers in the XVI, XVII XVIII and XIX Century!
More than that, this was one of the few good things in my country, the orchestra system (if I could call it like that) was financed by the government and concerts used to be almost for free. I went to watch performances of all Beethoven's symphonies, Haendel's Messiah, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Vivaldi's Four seasons, that Rachmaninoff's second piano concert... Mozart, Chopin, Rimsky Korsakov, Ravel, Bizet, Schubert, Bach, Paganini, Tchaikovsky!!!!! Almost for free everything live! And it didn't mean it was cheap performance, they were very good orchestras and good musicians🤓.
So I learned a lot about classical music in my youth, and that is why Nodame Cantabile, except for the silly noble idiocy and yeah, part of the end, was so special for me. 😅
So, after this very long introduction, I just want to tell you, @fatcat007, that I agree with you in every word. I am you, I also would have been happy with that epilogue. Thank you for sharing it with everybody.
Even the beanies who hasn't watched the drama, they should go and watch it.🙋 In this one it doesn't matter to get spoiled with the end, because it is the beginning and good part of the middle of the drama that is juicy good and only for the music it is worth watching, even over and over again. That Leonard Bernstein's Mambo!!!! Puff! Wonderful!😊😉😀
If you have the chance, look for Gustavo Dudamel's conduction of it in YouTube.
I saw him conducting the 5th and the 9th Symphonies when I was like 24. Unforgettable moment in my life as a classical music fan! And Dudamel is indeed amazing, like Yoo-jin!
(Sorry the long of my comment😐)

@fatcat007 I loved Cantabile Tomorrow!!! If I'm going to be honest, I don't quite remember too much of the plot, but I do remember that it was a drama focused on classical music, and I was, and still am, so into that!! I've been playing classical piano for too many years to count, and I'm so grateful that you like the piano as an instrument the most because I do too (obviously, or else I wouldn't have stuck it out for so long)! Rachmaninoff is one of my favorite composers (along with Liszt and Tchaikovsky, I'm a romantic junkie), and his concerto (although still too difficult for me to succeed in playing) is also one of my all-time favorites!
I remember especially enjoying Cantabile Tomorrow because of the reason you stated, that it focused on how music can make a very positive impact on lives. Music is a huge part of my life, and we honestly need more dramas centered on classical music, along with a married Nae-il+Yoo-jin.
Three not very well known pieces I suggest you listen to are: Dumka by Tchaikovsky, Sonetto 104 del Petrarca by Liszt, and Piano Trio No. 1 by Ravel.

Wow! Never thought anyone would write about Cantabile Tomorrow. Thank you for this @fatcat007!

For same strange reason, this drama is one which I've rewatched a couple of times or at least some snippets of it. I like to do it during this time of the year when the weather changes a little. I don't get autumn in Singapore but the cooler winds and rain are kind of the closest I can get. The cinematography is beautiful in this show and Joo Won looked the best in this one.

Japanese comedy is not my cup of tea but somehow I laughed a lot while watching the live action Nodame Cantabile. I missed a few things from the J version - the kotatsu and Franz Strezemann(I didn't like the K version). Otherwise, the Korean version struck a note with me more than the Japanese's.

I could never understand why this drama drew so many negative comments in the recaps until JB or GF had to step in and talk about it. It was probably my first encounter with how fanatic fans can be about their beloved show which in this case is the Japanese live action.

Back to this post, I really love your epilogue. I too would like to watch Yoo Jin and Nae-il performing on stage as a couple. Add on the home shenanigans - it always cracks me up that Nae-il had Yoo Jin wrapped around her little finger and I will be happy!

I enjoyed your epilogue! I didn't watch the drama through because I was busy that time but I did catch up to the ending on Dramabeans so I was disappointed that the writers did not dwell on the romance in the last episode, even if they had one episode for our couple only! Nowadays, I don't think it's necessary for a drama couple to end up married but I wanted a proper closing for Nae-il and Yoo-jin.
By the way, I heard there was going to be a Chinese adaptation of Nodame Cantabile but it's loooong and I see neither of the actors as the leads, so I'm fearing it's gonna be a loose adaptation eek.

I love this drama too, don't really understand the negative reactions to it.
I did not watch the J version but I doubt it will change my love for the K version.

I especially love Joo Won's excellent potrayal of Yoo Jin. Joo Won and Park Bo Gum truly look like accomplished performers, one can hardly tell the play-acting. The rest of the cast are excellent too, although I can see that they are play-acting the instruments.

My biggest gripe will be Shin Eum Kyung wonky acting for the first few and last episodes, but that is not her fault.

i loved them both but i would love that teeny tiny epilogue of WishfulToki too! wonderful writeup!

But I want it all, your epilogue and the kiss! Great write-up.

I needed this! Thanks @fatcat007!
I watched the Japanese version and Korean version of drama. I loved them both, but I related the the Kversion more on a personal level. Thanks for the fun facts about the manga and anime versions too!

Thank you so much for writing this, @fatcat. When I saw the topic of this month this show was also the very first one that came to my mind. Even though the story really is seriously incomplete and unfinished it remains one of my all time favorite dramas.

This show was irresistible to me. Perhaps it is because I grew up with classical music- listening to my father playing. Chopin, Grieg and Beethoven on the piano- he actually majored in Piano for the first half of his career while my mother studied Opera. So I truly love Nae-il's Cantabile.

If I were writing the epilogue I probably would have substituted Grieg's Piano Concerto (Opus 1) for the gorgeous Rachmaninoff- but only because in the series we saw Nae Il nearly killing herself to master it. Or maybe, just to make it more fun, we could have them doing Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue- if only because the episode could include fit in the whole thing rather than just the excerpts which we got in the series.

But I would want to add in a little more for an epilogue: A second later scene that shows our couple returning to this school where Yoo-jin (who was clearly patterned after the great Eugene Ormandy) will now teach conducting- after a great and glorious career- and Nae Il will become the most beloved Piano Professor of all time. And they are not just married but we see them bringing their children with them. All right, so this is probably too much.

@fatcat007, this is a gem. I was always disappointed with the way their story is left up in the air. You have incorporated everything I was hoping for... and it would be even better if it was sealed with a kiss... just saying... ^^ <3 <3 <3

Standing ovation for @fatcat007!!!!
I'm not exactly fan of Cantabile Tomorrow but reading your writing I feel so relatable! I want to share some of my own experiences...
Just like you said, for many romance-comedy dramas, I just wish to see our OTPs in "happier endings" like getting married, or having kids, or walking in the sunset with gray hair, etc... Just like you, I wish we could see "just a little bit more". Why can't the production teams present a few minutes into their "happily ever after" life?
Speaking of which, very out of topic, this reminds me of my favorite drama ending (no name to prevent spoiler :D). In the very last 5 minutes, the female lead is pregnant and her husband is carrying their first child while waiting for her to finish work. Then spanning to the female lead in her 70s, wrapping up work, so that she can rush to a date with her husband. I was in the moon thinking "So they grow old together", "can't believe they are loving and still going on dates", "so cute"...
On the other hand, I do appreciate a special case whose the director/writer decide to stay true to original manga, eg: They Kiss Again - Taiwanese version of Itazura na Kiss... Cos there's a credit message from the Director showing gratitude to Manga author (who passed away) and saying that he wants to keep the ending is left hanging that we do not know if Zhi Shu and Xiang Qin will have baby or not, just like the manga, and as long as they;re together they will be happy. I think the Director really wins me over right there...