Emi Igawa

Emi Igawa shares the same age as Kousei Arima, and it was his soul-stirring debut performance at age five that first ignited her passion for the piano. Yet as the years passed, she watched in disbelief as that once-inspiring boy transformed into a mechanical, emotionless performer—more metronome than musician. Fueled by a mix of frustration and longing, Emi resolved to defeat him through playing that pulses with raw human feeling, hoping to reawaken the artist she once admired. Her performances are notably susceptible to her emotional state, making her as unpredictable as she is formidable on the competition stage.