#studio a1

Number 3/?: Anthem of the Heart (Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterunda)

(this review is SPOILER FREE!!!)

Now, before anyone yells at me I was unsure if I should call this anime “underrated” because I actually don’t know how well known/well liked it is in the anime community, I just know that within my own anime circle no one else has seen it, so I’m gonna call it underrated ok???

But anyway, this movie is so so great. It has one of the best personifications of anxiety/depression/mental illness I’ve ever seen, and is a really unique storyline that uses fairy-tale elements executed in a modern setting.

The story is as follows: the protagonist Jun Naruse was a big chatterbox as a child, until she told a big secret that destroyed her family as she knew it. Ever since then, she is unable to speak for very long without feeling intense pain. However, she soon discovers there is one exception to this rule, which is a bit of a spoiler so you’ll have to watch to find out :)

Anthem of the Heart was made by Studio A-1 Pictures, which is also responsible for some of my favorite anime of all time such as Your Lie in April, The Promised Neverland, Erased, and Anohana (among others) so it’s almost a no brainer that this movie would be something I specifically would like.

If you like music, that’s another reason to watch Anthem of the Heart. All of the main characters are singers/musicians/performers, and the main plot centers around putting on a class show. One of the characters actually rewrites lyrics to famous instrumental pieces, and these re-written songs are featured in the movie and sound hella cool.

Also, if you need more convincing, Isla McTear did a review of this movie on the Mother’s Basement channel and the video is titled “The Best Film you’ve Never Seen” (this video doesn’t spoil but it reveals more about the plot than what I’ve written, if you want to go into it completely blind maybe hold off from watching):

https://youtu.be/t1XW4m7JBZA?t=27

So what are you waiting for?? Add Anthem of the Heart to your watch list ASAP!!

Thanks for reading,