The Essentials
Name: Rumbling Hearts, Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, KimiNozo, The Eternity You Desire
Genre: Drama, Romance
Episodes: 14
Released: October 5, 2003 - January 4, 2004
Based On: Kimi ga Nozomu Eien game
Director: Tetsuya Watanabe
Produced By: Media Factory, Studio Fantasia
US Distribution By: Funimation
Major Japanese Cast
Takayuki Narumi: Kishô Taniyama
Mitsuki Hayase: Tomoko Ishibashi
Haruka Suzumiya: Minami Kuribayashi
Akane Suzumiya: Tomomi Uehara
Shinji Taira: Masaki Andou
Ayu Daikuuji: Kiyomi Asai
Mayu Tamano: Kyouko Yoshida
Major English Cast
Takayuki Narumi: Kevin M. Connolly
Mitsuki Hayase: Colleen Clinkenbeard
Haruka Suzumiya: Carrie Savage
Akane Suzumiya: Leah Clark
Shinji Taira: David Wilson-Brown
Ayu Daikuuji: Luci Christian
Mayu Tamano: Monica Rial
Scores
Animation: 7/10 (x 4 = 28 pts)
Story: 10/10 (x 4 = 40 pts)
Music: 10/10 (x 4 = 40 pts)
Coherence/Story Arc: 10/10 (x 2 = 20 pts)
English Dubs: 9/10 (x 1 = 9 pts)
Gut Score: 9/10 (x 5 = 45 pts)
Total: 182/200 (91%)
Review
Rumbling Hearts, perhaps better known as Kimi ga Nozomu Eien or just KimiNozo, is a story about a love triangle between three high school-turned college-aged friends: Takayuki, Mitsuki, and Haruka. The situation is set up when Haruka, who Takayuki was dating in high school, is involved in a traffic accident and is in a coma for 3 years. During those 3 years, Takayuki, who blames himself for the accident because he was late to meet Haruka for a date, and Mitsuki, who blames herself for the accident because she is the one who made Takayuki late, become involved after Mitsuki helps to bring Takayuki out of his deep depression caused by his guilt.
Most of the series is set after Haruka wakes up believing no time has passed since the accident, and the doctors not wishing to reveal the passage of time lest more mental damage coming to Haruka. This creates the awkward situation where Takayuki has to act like no time has passed with Haruka - meaning he has to act like her boyfriend in the hospital, which makes Mitsuki, who had been Haruka’s best friend in high school jealous and defensive about her relationship with Takayuki.
As Takayuki spends more and more time with Haruka, and finding out that he clearly isn’t over his relationship with her, his and Mitsuki’s relationship becomes more dysfunctional and spins out of control, threatening to leave any friendship between the three of them shattered.
Throw into the mix Takayuki’s, Mitsuki’s, and Haruka’s high school friend Shinji, who tries to comfort them, but who ends up getting hurt himself, as well as Haruka’s sister Akane, who is angry over what she sees as Mitsuki’s betrayal of Haruka by her becoming Takayuki’s new boyfriend after the accident, and you have an almost soap-opera-feeling drama where no one seems to make any right choices, and where there is confusion over whether there is any correct choice.
The animation in this series is decent and is really the only significant flaw in the show, but I thought the music is superb. The English dubs also impressed me, considering I had gotten used to hearing only the Japanese language version for a year before hearing the US release.
This is a series that anyone who is looking for a series with a deep and complex story, and/or who like hard-core romance dramas will greatly enjoy. The twists and turns, peeks and valleys that the characters ride make this a compelling watch, even if one isn’t normally drawn to the drama or romance genres.
First Watched: February 2006
Do I Own: Yes
Do I Recommend: Yes
