Since 2015, April has never been the same for anime fans. While death is a normal part of one’s life and the concept itself is pretty saturated throughout the anime medium, there are only a handful of characters who managed to make the entire fandom weep due to their demise.
Miyazono Kaori is definitely one of the most prominent of such characters. How did Kaori die? What was her illness? Let’s find out.
How did Kaori die?
Miyazono Kaori lost her life to an autosomal-recessive genetic disease called Friedreich’s ataxia. Throughout the course of the series, Kaori did her best to hide her illness from Kousei and the others. The first hint of it was during her performance with Kousei, where she collapsed. She claimed to be anaemic at that time, but as time goes on, her symptoms got severe.
Towards the end of the series, her health declined rapidly to the point that hiding it had become impossible. Kaori’s skin lost all colour and she had lost a considerable amount of mass alongside becoming very weak. On the 18th of February at the age of fourteen, she succumbed to her illness after going through her final surgery, even after the doctor’s best efforts.
What was her illness?
Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA or FA) is an autosomal-recessive hereditary illness that causes difficulty walking, loss of coordination in the arms and legs, and deteriorating speech. Symptoms typically appear between the ages of 5 and 20. Many teenagers develop hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and require a mobility device such as a cane, walker, or wheelchair.
Some patients lose their sight and hearing as the condition develops and might even cause Scoliosis and diabetes. Mutations in the FXN gene on chromosome 9 cause the disorder, which produces a protein called frataxin. Ataxia is caused by degeneration of nerve tissue in the spinal cord, particularly sensory neurons that are important for muscular control.
Miyazono Kaori’s Musical Spirit
Kaori figured that she didn’t have long to live pretty early on in her life, after witnessing her mother crying in the hospital lobby. Due to her frequent hospitalizations and surgeries, she couldn’t even be regular in her music lessons. However, Kaori chooses not to mop over her disease and instead opts to live life to its fullest, with the little time she had.
Both Kaori’s personality and music embody the essence of her true spirit. She’s always free-spirited and unpredictable, which keeps most people who see her from the outside oblivious to her disease. Her music is totally ruled by her emotions and artistry rather than sticking to the specific mechanics and rules of music, much to the dismay of many judges.
Conclusion
Despite her quick temper, Kaori is a very kind and compassionate person, as evidenced by her interactions with Kousei, who would frequently understand how he felt about his abusive mother and his fear of playing the piano. Kaori’s words helped Kousei get through these dark times, and her compassion helped him overcome his depression.
Miyazono Kaori was too beautiful of a soul gone too soon. Even though fans knew it was coming, everyone was holding onto at least the tiniest shred of hope available, hoping that her surgery would succeed. Your Lie in April is truly a masterpiece among all anime in existence.