History YMMV / YourLieInApril

** Tsubaki. Her character was initially well-liked as the tomboyish GirlNextDoor and childhood friend who was trying to get Kousei to play piano again. As the series progressed, a good number of fans started to dislike her, thinking she had became way too selfish and whiny once she realized her feelings for Kousei and started wishing Kousei would stop playing piano so he can pay attention to her. The way she [[spoiler:discouraged Kousei's feelings for Kaori, outright told him that he didn't have a chance with Kaori and wished him to suffer for not reciprocating her feelings]] doesn't help. On the other hand, some still sympathize with her finding it painful to see Kousei drift away from her and her feeling as though she can't do anything for hi.

* BrokenBase: The MoodWhiplash between comedy and serious drama is one of the things that gets disagreement over. Do the slapstick moments bring some much-needed levity, especially in the heavier latter half of the story, or are they just disruptive? It doesn't help that the slapstick is at the expense of somebody whose mother used to violently beat him, which comes off as very tone deaf.

* CaptainObviousReveal: In retrospect, the ending twist that [[spoiler:Kaori liked Kousei, not Watari]] comes off this way. [[spoiler:Kaori spends most of her time around Kousei and barely has any scenes together with Watari. The story occasionally reminds the viewer that Watari is the one Kaori likes, but [[ShowDontTell doesn't show it much]].]]

* DiagnosedByTheAudience: While Kousei's mother's [[spoiler:and Kaori's]] disease is unnamed, it's explained that she will lose control of her legs and her limbs and suffer from seizures that will lead to heart failure. Most fans have suspected that due to the symptoms, she could be dealing with ALS. However, there is no surgery for ALS, so it could also be a carcinoma which metastasised to the spinal cord/cerebellum. Other possible diseases include multiple sclerosis and Friedreich's ataxia.

** Kaori's lack of patience with Kousei, insisting that he get back into music, becomes this way when you see that his mother treated him the same way, harhly tutoring him and punishing him for minor mistakes. The similarity between the two is openly acknowledged, [[spoiler:and Kaori is struggling with a terminal illness, just like Kousei's mother did.]]

** Many who've watched the show understandably refuse to forgive Kousei's mom for her horrific abuse of him, and see her justification as just too flimsy compared to the cruelty she showed. It doesn't help that the abuse is front and center for almost half the series, with the justification only coming in Episode 13 out of 22, well after the abuse is firmly cemented in viewers/readers' minds. Also the fact that there were other options available instead of abusing Kousei into making him good at piano playing (like getting someone else to teach him to play the piano or just help him find another career) only makes her treatment of him even more unjustified.

** Tsubaki. Her character was initially well-liked as the tomboyish GirlNextDoor and childhood friend who was trying to get Kousei to play piano again. As the series progressed, a good number of fans started to dislike her, thinking she had became way too selfish and whiny once she realized her feelings for Kousei and started wishing Kousei would stop playing piano so he can pay attention to her. The way she [[spoiler:discouraged Kousei's feelings for Kaori, outright told him that he didn't have a chance with Kaori and wished him to suffer for not reciprocating her feelings]] doesn't help.

** Tsubaki. Her character was initially well-liked as the tomboyish GirlNextDoor and childhood friend who was trying to get Kousei to play piano again. As the series progressed, a good part of fans started to dislike her, thinking she had became way too selfish and whiny once she realized her feelings for Kousei and started wishing Kousei would stop playing piano so he can pay attention to her. The way she [[spoiler:discouraged Kousei's feelings for Kaori, outright told him that he didn't have a chance with Kaori and wished him to suffer for not reciprocating her feelings]] doesn't help.

** Likewise, Kaori herself has received some backlash for being generally insensitive and manipulative towards Kousei and practically forcing him back into the world of music...when his whole traumatic backstory is centered around being made to play music. It doesn't help that her reasons for doing so come off as entirely selfish and like Kaori is deciding "I know best" when it comes to what's for Kousei's own good. On top of all that [[spoiler:she lied to Kousei in their first meetings on many different levels, such as telling him she's in love with Watari rather than him, not telling him that she knows who he is and how long she's been inspired by him, and even neglecting to mention the fact that she has a Terminal Illness that will very likely end up killing her! Kousei only learns the full truth in a letter from her he reads after she's already dead.]]

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: [[spoiler:Kaori]] says "Want to commit double suicide with me?" in one episode. Sure, she was quoting a book, but it's not unknown for [[spoiler:terminally ill people]] to feel [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled suicidal]].

* ItWasHisSled: The ending quickly became this. [[spoiler:Kaori's death]] spread like wildfire.

** Many who've watched the show understandably refuse to forgive Kousei's mom for her horrific abuse of him, and see her justification as just too flimsy compared to the cruelty she showed. It doesn't help that the abuse is front and center for almost half the series, with the justification only coming in well after the abuse is firmly cemented in viewers/readers' minds. Also the fact that there were other options available instead of abusing Kousei into making him good at piano playing (like getting someone else to teach him to play the piano or just help him find another career) only makes her treatment of him even more unjustified.

** The aforementioned Kaori Miazono is a hopeful girl with a terminal illness. Despite her awful condition, she refuses to let life bring her down and introduces herself to her love Kousei through a friend for the chance to play music with him. As her body grows frailer, Kaori determines to undergo a dangerous medical procedure in the hopes it will buy her a little more time to play with Kousei, only to die during the surgery. Though some would argue she falls into JerkassWoobie territory due to her treatment of Kousei in order to get back into piano playing.

* DesignatedHero: Kaori's actions throughout the story are largely built around [[spoiler:serving her own dreams and aspirations with little regard for those who stand in her way, or even ''why'' they stand in her way]]. Not only does she pressure Kousei into returning into the world of music despite his very evident trauma revolving around music (and his unresolved familial issues), she [[spoiler:''lies'' to him by never once admitting that she crushed on him, all the way to her ''death'']], saddling him with a whole 'nother round of emotional trauma.

* CharacterPerceptionEvolution: Kaori Miyazono was pretty well-liked by viewers for her upbeat personality, her earnest efforts to help Kousei through his trauma, and for [[spoiler: having a notorious TearJerker of a death]]. However, as awareness of mental health has increased over the years, her approach in helping Kousei has been harshly criticized as an example of [[HappinessIsMandatory Toxic Positivity]], she at times came off as [[ManipulativeBastard emotionally manipulative]], and her tendency to inflict AmusingInjuries on Kousei was looked at as incredibly tone deaf due to his past as a child abuse victim.

* LikeYouWereDying: Kōsei learns that Kaori is terminally ill, but as she is dying, she helps him recover from his childhood trauma and convinces him to re-embrace the piano.

* CharacterPerceptionEvolution: Kaori Miyazono was pretty well-liked by viewers for her upbeat personality, her earnest efforts to help Kousei through his trauma, and for [[spoiler: having a notorious TearJerker of a death]]. However, as awareness of mental health has increased over the years, her approach in helping Kousei has been harshly criticized as an example of [[HappinessIsMandatory Toxic Positivity]], she at times came off as emotionally manipulative, and her tendency to inflict AmusingInjuries on Kousei was looked at as incredibly tone deaf due to his past as a child abuse victim.

* CharacterPerceptionEvolution: *Kaori Miyazono was pretty well-liked by viewers for her upbeat personality, her earnest efforts to help Kousei through his trauma, and for [[spoiler: having a notorious TearJerker of a death]]. However, as awareness of mental health has increased over the years, her approach in helping Kousei has been harshly criticized as an example of [[HappinessIsMandatory Toxic Positivity]], she at times came off as emotionally manipulative, and her tendency to inflict AmusingInjuries on Kousei was looked at as incredibly tone deaf due to his past as a child abuse victim.

** Likewise, Kaori herself has received some backlash for being generally insensitive and manipulative towards Kousei and practically forcing him back into the world of music...when his whole traumatic backstory is ''centered around being made to play music''. It doesn't help that her reasons for doing so come off as entirely selfish and like Kaori is deciding "I know best" when it comes to what's for Kousei's own good. On top of all that [[spoiler:she lied to Kousei in their first meetings on many different levels, such as telling him she's in love with Watari rather than him, not telling him that she knows who he is and how long she's been inspired by him, and even neglecting to mention the fact that she has a Terminal Illness that will very likely end up killing her! Kousei only learns the full truth in a letter from her he reads after she's already dead.]]

* MemeticLoser: Poor Tsubaki... (though at least [[FirstGirlWins she gets a win in the end.]])

* DesignatedMonkey: Kousei can be seen as one. Most of the comedic and funny moments of the manga and anime come from him suffering several AmusingInjuries (usually at hands of [[DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale Kaori and Tsubaki]]). However, given that he is a NiceGuy and he has a very sad and traumatic backstory which involves ''getting beaten by his mother'', most of these moments seem only to add more pain in his life and it's dubious whether they can be considered funny actions.

* AcceptableTargets: It's generally frowned upon to wish death on a parent in any culture, but there's hardly a soul who'd fault Kousei for saying that he wished his mother would die already after being publicly screamed at, guilt-tripped, and hit so hard that he ''bled''. Keep in mind this was also the ''latest'' of countless instances of her nightmarish abuse.

** Likewise, Kaori herself has received some backlash for being generally insensitive and manipulative towards Kousei and practically forcing him back into the world of music...when his whole traumatic backstory is ''centered around being made to play music''. It doesn't help that her reasons for doing so come off as entirely selfish and like Kaori is deciding "I know best" when it comes to what's for Kousei's own good. On top of all that [[spoiler:she lied to Kousei in their first meetings on many different levels, such as telling him she's in love with Watari rather than him, not telling him that she knows who he is and how long she's been inspired by him, and even neglecting to mention the fact that she has a TerminalIllness that will very likely end up killing her! Kousei only learns the full truth in a letter from her he reads after she's already dead.]]

* AuthorsSavingThrow: The live-action movie tones down some of the manga's more controversial aspects, like Kousei's AmusingInjuries despite his past as a child abuse victim. In particular Saki's infamous beating where she made him bleed was toned down to just her slapping him, which, while still questionable, was much more forgivable.

* DiagnosedByTheAudience: While Kaori's disease is unnamed, it's explained that she will lose control of her legs and her limbs and suffer from seizures that will lead to heart failure. Most fans have suspected that due to the symptoms, she could be dealing with ALS. However, there is no surgery for ALS, so it could also be a carcinoma which metastasised to the spinal cord/cerebellum. Other possible diseases include multiple sclerosis and Friedreich's ataxia.

* HilariousInHindsight: The [[spoiler:Charlie Brown]] quote becomes funnier when you remember [[spoiler:[[WesternAnimation/WhyCharlieBrownWhy they made a special]]]] where it too focused on the romance (well, friendship) between a guy and an IllGirl. Even funnier/sadder when you remember that [[spoiler:the girl in that special is a survivor.]]

* UnfortunateImplications:
** [[https://mageinabarrel.com/2014/11/17/is-it-okay-to-like-your-lie-in-april/ Many accuse this series]], even on this Wiki, of poorly handling the subject of abuse. Kousei is [[TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong more or less bullied into going back into the source of his trauma, despite his objections]]. The narrative paints his abusive childhood as just him making excuses, and Kousei [[HonorThyAbuser ends up wishing his mother would forgive him]] despite what she had done.
** Even with accepting the [[MoodDissonance slapstick comedy]] the series also unintentionally pushes the message that [[FaceYourFears exposure therapy]] is the best method to overcoming past trauma. As noted Kaori and Tsubaki resort to essentially bullying Kousei into finally playing piano again.

* FanPreferredCouple: Almost no one ships anything but Kaori/Kousei.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment:
** Every moment where Kaori says that her chances of becoming a bride/having a successful marriage are ruined due to Kousei (and in one moment, Watari) seeing her private parts (accidentally, of course) were supposed to be comedic.[[note]]Episode 1, 5, and 12[[/note]] [[spoiler: However, it becomes sad when you realize that she indeed will never be anyone's bride because of her terminal illness that leads to her death. Even worse, she was aware the entire time she wasn't gonna live long.]]
** A lot of the comedic {{Slapstick}} that [[ButtMonkey Kousei]] is put through early in the series, and the RunningGag of him neglecting his eating habits to the point of passing out, becomes considerably less funny once the audience learns that he was the victim of [[AbusiveParents child abuse]].

* TooBleakStoppedCaring: Kousei's misery is the foundation for this series. When it's not being PlayedForDrama, it's being PlayedForLaughs. [[HopeSpot Even when things seem to be going well for Kousei]], like him overcoming the trauma of his abuse to play piano again, [[YankTheDogsChain the story punches him square in the balls with]] [[spoiler: Kaori's death]]. That combined with everybody besides Kousei [[WorldOfJerkass being huge jerkasses]] is enough to utter the EightDeadlyWords.

** Likewise, Kaori herself has received some backlash for being generally insensitive and manipulative towards Kousei and practically forcing him back into the world of music...when his whole traumatic backstory is ''centered around being made to play music''. It doesn't help that her reasons for doing so come off as entirely selfish and like Kaori is deciding "I know best" when it comes to what's for Kousei's own good. On top of all that [[spoiler: she lied to Kousei in their first meetings on many different levels, such as telling him she's in love with Watari rather than him, not telling him that she knows who he is and how long she's been inspired by him, and even neglecting to mention the fact that she has a TerminalIllness that will very likely end up killing her! Kousei only learns the full truth in a letter from her he reads after she's already dead.]]

** Tsubaki gets this when [[spoiler: Kousei rejects her]]. While it's understandable that she has been there for Kousei since they were kids, her reaction to it boils down to her acting like [[EntitledToHaveYou An Entitled]] "[[DoggedNiceGuy Nice Girl]]."

* WhatAnIdiot: Saki Arima. Seriously, how on earth was she not aware that there were so many other options to make sure her son, Kousei, has a good future instead of resorting to abusing him into becoming a good piano player? She could have easily helped him find another career, or get somebody else to teach him how to play the piano, or an even better idea, she could have NOT abused him. Especially when you consider that there are so many great pianists in the world who didn't get abused in order to become an excellent pianist. And if those options really were unavailable, then the story does a very poor job at making that clear.