The Anthem of the Heart

The Anthem of the Heart
Promotional poster featuring main character Jun Naruse
Literally	My Heart Wants to Shout
Directed by	Tatsuyuki Nagai
Screenplay by	Mari Okada
Story by	Super Peace Busters
Produced by	Shunsuke Saito
Starring	Inori Minase Kōki Uchiyama Sora Amamiya Yoshimasa Hosoya Yō Yoshida Keiji Fujiwara
Narrated by	Kōki Uchiyama
Cinematography	Hiroyuki Moriyama
Edited by	Shigeru Nishiyama
Music by	Mito Masaru Yokoyama
Production company	A-1 Pictures
Distributed by	Aniplex
Release date	September 19, 2015 (2015-09-19) (Japan)
Running time	120 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Box office	US$8.5 million

The Anthem of the Heart (subtitled Beautiful Word Beautiful World) is a 2015 Japanese animated youth drama film produced by A-1 Pictures, directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai, written by Mari Okada and character designed by Masayoshi Tanaka and serving as chief animation director under the creative team Super Peace Busters. The original title is Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterunda. (心が叫びたがってるんだ。, lit. The Heart Wants to Shout) and it is abbreviated as Kokosake (ここさけ). It was worked on by the staff who had previously worked on the anime series Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day and its film adaptation, as well as Toradora!. It was released on September 19, 2015.

Plot

As a young girl, Jun Naruse is excitable and talkative. One day, she sees her father exit a love hotel, accompanied by another woman. Without understanding the situation, she tells her mother, resulting in her parents' divorce, and her father blaming her for this. While she is crying, she imagines a fairy egg that curses her by sealing her words so she won't hurt people again. As a result of her "curse", Jun is unable to speak and she suffers stomachaches whenever she tries to.

Years later, when Jun is attending high school, her homeroom teacher, Kazuki Jōshima, signs her up as a member of the Charity Committee along with three other classmates: Takumi Sakagami, Natsuki Nitō, and Daiki Tasaki. When she goes to the Committee's room to reject her position, Jun hears Takumi singing and is captivated. She then tells Takumi of her past, using her phone, and requests him to turn her words into a song. In this way Jun learns that, though she cannot speak, the 'curse' isn't in effect if she sings. Her class decides then to perform a musical for their school festival, based on the story of her experience narrated in the form of a fairy tale.

While discussing the musical, Daiki has a falling out with his teammates that is stopped by Jun, who consequently has another stomachache for talking, but this improves her bonds with the other Charity Committee members. Misunderstanding Takumi's concern for Jun as a sign that he is falling in love with her, Natsuki tells Takumi that she will cheer them on despite her own feelings for Takumi.

The next day, Daiki makes amends with his teammates. As they spend time together preparing for the musical, Jun starts to develop feelings for Takumi, while Daiki starts to develop feelings for Jun. Daiki asks Takumi regarding his relationship with Natsuki, having heard rumours that both of them were dating during middle school, but Takumi denies this since Natsuki had told her classmates then that they were not dating when she was asked. At the night before the musical, Takumi asks Natsuki about the boy she's dating currently, leading Natsuki to finally reveal that the boy she's referring to is none other than Takumi himself, before she accuses him of falling in love with Jun. Takumi reveals that while he is concerned about Jun, he is not in love with her and he has always regretted not trying to convey his feelings for Natsuki during middle school even when he was aware of her feelings for him at that time. Unbeknownst to them, Jun overhears their conversation. Heartbroken, she runs away and meets the fairy egg, who reveals that she has worsened the curse by trying to convey her feelings for Takumi. Jun doesn't show up on the day of the musical, leaving Natsuki to fill her role while Takumi frantically goes searching for her.

Takumi finds Jun at the love hotel that has been shut down. To his surprise, she is able to talk normally. Jun angrily lashes out at Takumi as he tells her that the reason she is unable to convey her words is not because of the fairy egg's curse but because of Jun's own fear. Wanting to hear her voice once more, Takumi allows Jun to lash out all of her anger and frustration until she is satisfied. Jun confesses her feelings for Takumi, but it is revealed that Takumi is still in love with Natsuki, to which Jun replies that she knew. Takumi then expresses his gratitude for Jun because before he met her, he was unable to say what he truly felt properly and only went along with everyone else. This convinces Jun to perform in the musical. Jun and Takumi arrive just in time before the final scene, allowing Jun to sing and convey her feelings to her mother who finally understands what she had been through. As the musical ends, Jun realises that the fairy egg was actually nothing but an imagination that she created to have someone she could blame for her condition, and now she decides to open up her heart, coming to terms with her past.

As the movie ends, Takumi and Natsuki reconcile their relationship, while Daiki finally confesses his feelings to Jun.

Cast

• Inori Minase as Jun Naruse (成瀬 順, Naruse Jun)
• Kōki Uchiyama as Takumi Sakagami (坂上 拓実, Sakagami Takumi)
• Sora Amamiya as Natsuki Nitō (仁藤 菜月, Nitō Natsuki)
• Yoshimasa Hosoya as Daiki Tasaki (田崎 大樹, Tasaki Daiki)
• Yō Yoshida as Izumi Naruse (成瀬 泉, Naruse Izumi), Jun's mother
• Keiji Fujiwara as Kazuki Jōshima (城嶋 一基, Jōshima Kazuki)
• Kouki Uchiyama as Fairy Egg

Characters

Jun Naruse (成瀬 順, Naruse Jun)

Jun is the protagonist. She was originally a very upbeat, cheerful child, but after she exposed her father's unfaithfulness to her mother, she became quiet, timid, and unable to speak. She later finds her voice by joining Takumi and the others in making a musical, in which she plays the main character.

Takumi Sakagami (坂上 拓実, Sakagami Takumi)

Takumi is another central character, who like Jun, is also quiet and timid. Like Jun, his parents are divorced, and he lives in the care of his grandparents. He plays piano, and played a major role in helping Jun set up the musical for the Charity Committee.

Daiki Tasaki (田崎 大樹, Tasaki Daiki)

A member of the school's baseball team, he is initially seen as grumpy and fully rejects the idea of the musical. Through the course of the movie, he learns to warm up to his classmates, and plays a central role in the musical. He also starts to develop feelings for Jun, and eventually confesses to her.

Natsuki Nitō (仁藤 菜月, Nitō Natsuki)

Takumi's ex-girlfriend, she still retains feelings for Takumi. Though initially reluctant to join the musical, she warms up, and becomes a close friend of Jun. It is suggested Daiki had feelings for her, though she rejected them.

Fairy Egg

A small mystical being resembling a white egg that only Jun can see. He has a thin moustache, two black dots for eyes, while wearing a tuxedo and a fedora hat with a feather on top. After Jun accepted his request to help her as a child, the Fairy Egg put a curse on her and sealed her mouth closed so that she'll never speak and hurt people ever again. In the end, he is revealed to a fragment of Jun's imagination.

Music

Theme song

"Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru" (今、話したい誰かがいる)

Lyrics: Yasushi Akimoto

Arrangement: Akira Sunset, APAZZI

Vocals: Nogizaka46

Insert song

"Harmonia"

Lyrics: Kotringo

Composition & Arrangement: Mito (from Clammbon)

Vocals: Kotringo

Others

These are already-existing songs with a bit of modifications that are used in the drama scene.

"Sky Symphony" from 'Around the world in 80 days'.

"Over the Rainbow"

Lyrics: E.Y. Harburg

Composition: Harold Arlen

Arrangement: Mito (from Clammbon)

Vocals: Natsumi Kiyoura

"Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, 2nd Movement"

"Swanee"

Lyrics: Irving Caesar

Composition: George Gershwin

"Summertime"

Lyrics: DuBose Heyward

Composition: George Gershwin

"Isezakichō Blues" (伊勢佐木町ブルース)

Lyrics: Kōhan Kawauchi

Composition: Yōichi Suzuki

Vocals: Sasara Satō, Mina Aoe is referred to in the film

"Eikan wa Kimi ni Kagayaku" (栄冠は君に輝く)

Lyrics: Daisuke Kaga

Composition: Yūji Koseki

"Aoi Shiori" (青い栞)

Composition: Yuki Ozaki (from Galileo Galilei)

"Greensleeves"

Release

The film was released in theaters in Japan on September 19, 2015. In the United States, the film is licensed by Aniplex of America.

Reception

The film grossed US$8.5 million.

Nick Creamer of Anime News Network rated the film a B+ rating. In his review, he said that despite the last act being hampered by typical dramatic tropes, he praised the film for its well-written characters, grounded storytelling and classically minded soundtrack, concluding with, "It's an endearing little film that tells one small story with some real grace. Definitely recommended." Fellow ANN editor Zac Bertschy placed the film at number four on his top 5 best anime list of 2015, calling it "a sweet, lighthearted and sincere little drama" with solid character animation and emotional moments, and commended it for using the medium's limitless potential to tell its story regardless of genre, concluding with, "[I]magine any other country on earth creating an animated film like Anthem of the Heart. Every now and then you've got to stop and recognize the truly unique things about anime that are still true – like the fact that it tells stories with animation that no one else does."

Live-action film

A live-action film adaptation was announced in March 2017. Directed by Naoto Kumzawa, it stars Kyoko Yoshine, Kento Nakajima, Anna Ishii and Ichiro Kan. Filming began in March 2017 in Chichibu, Saitama and the film was released on July 22, 2017.

External links

• Official website
• The Anthem of the Heart (film) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• The Anthem of the Heart at IMDb