ANIME - Rumbling Hearts... The Eternity You Desire

Rumbling Hearts (aka Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, or “The Eternity You Desire”)

The world changes even as you sleep…



Takayuki was just a regular guy. He was laid back, carefree, and a little thoughtless. But, when a friendship with a gentle, soft-spoken, and shy sweetheart named Haruka blossoms into something more, his perception of the world around him begins to change. His plans for the future, once a casual and aimless goal simply to carry on, are forever altered because of their budding relationship. But then, just as things are getting serious—Takayuki has set his sights on attending the same well-to-do university as Haruka, just to be with her—the meddling of a mutual friend, Mitsuki, who is jealous of their relationship, results in a delay that will change the course of all their plans for the future, forever.

For Haruka, in one heart rending instant, a devastating car crash steals away one of life’s precious gifts: time itself.

Rumbling Hearts weaves a tragic tale of love and loss, of broken dreams and broken hearts, and of the unforgiving passage of time that marks all our lives. It is a strong dose of friendship, romance, betrayal, and the heartache that ensues. In every way, just as the name implies, Rumbling Hearts is an emotional roller coaster through the lives of all involved. For me the strongest aspect of the tale is the realism of the circumstances. Viewers will see the results of post-traumatic stress disorder as well as anterograde amnesia, both the resulting from a horrible accident that shattered lives. After that, we see a strong cast, bolstered by anime dub mega-talent Carrie Savage as the voice of Haruka, that never wavers even as their characters do.



My only problem with the characters is the fact that they don’t seem to be willing to stand up for themselves. These characters all suffer a lot, and all the while they let the world bulldoze them over without a word in defense of their own humanity. I mean, grow up! Takayuki spends the whole series trying to make everyone else happy, and fails miserably. Mitsuki watches him drift off into his shell after Haruka’s accident, and gives him her heart to help heal his. Only Shinji, the fourth friend who we meet in the early stages of the anime, has moved on with his life as Takayuki and Mitsuki are left unmoving, trapped in their own emotions… though eventually they seem to be on the road to recovery as set their sites on rejoining society.

The meat of the story picks up three years after Haruka’s accident, just as it seems the ship has finally righted for the two love-struck fools. But that would make things too easy, wouldn’t it? Circumstances are about to change again, and a whole new tailspin of emotions is bound to follow.

I learned after watching this series a second time recently that it is actually based on a hentai sim-dating game, which I find amusing considering the depth of a very serious story, where characters actually face very real problems. I don’t know anything about the game itself, but if it is anything like the anime, then it’s got to be one of the most in-depth games on the market.



STORY - Overall a tragic tale that leaves a nice light at the end of the tunnel for the future. Score: * * *

CHARACTERS - While you constantly wish the main characters would get their heads out of their arses, the supporting cast provide some memorable moments. Over all the most “real” anime cast I’ve had the pleasure of watching. Score: * * * ½

ANIMATION - While there’s nothing special about it on the whole, it’s clean and familiar as far as the style is concerned. Anime fans will feel at home. Score: * *

AUDIO/SOUNDTRACK - The voiceover is well done, particularly the Japanese version. However, the English cast is strong as well… and anything that has Carrie Savage in it gets an extra half a star, just for having her. On top of that, Rumbling Hearts has a trio of outstanding pieces of music that were written to accompany it. Score: * * * *

INTANGIBLES - This is an anime that plays with your emotions. Even though the characters behave like juveniles here and there, they are adult characters who face adult decisions at every corner. The story is genuine, honest. These are circumstances that we face every day, and it is beautifully pieced together into a heartfelt tale. Kudos to all involved. Score: * * *

Score: 15.5 out of 20 (3.1 stars).

Rumbling Hearts contains some nudity. There are 14 episodes, each running at about 24 minutes.

Great review rainshadow!! I really enjoyed this anime and am happy you told to me to watch it.

That is deffinately a good review as I am now interested in seeing it! Good work rs.