I thought you couldn't top the drama but wow. This special goes further and deeper into both Chiaki and Nodame's characters and develops clearly their connection to music as well as to each other. The first part focuses more on Chiaki as he faces a competition for the first time, while also figuring out what he can give to music and what makes him stand out from others like him. The second one focuses more in Nodame and how she feels falling behind in a world where music isn't just a hobby but a way of life and faces the question of why she's pursuing it. They both have to walk their paths separately to find out their own answers and, even if there's more romance here than there was in the drama, I loved that their answers are their own and not limited by others. The music is again superb, once more the heart and soul of the story, and the performances are even better, in my opinion. Ueno Juri does an outstanding job in this and I teared up a bit in the 2nd part. If you loved the drama, I'm pretty confident you're gonna adore this special.