Review of Rumbling Hearts (2003)
– previously
Conflicting, selfish loves lead through disaster and despair to picking up the pieces, in three years.
Romantic melodrama. This is an adept combination of stereotypes such as bouncy big-breasted heroines with absurd hair, a major mood twist, and even comic relief with drama. It actually works well enough. A greater weakness is a medical implausibility necessary to the plot. Don’t miss the skits following the credits.
The English release title is inane. The original title, Kimi ga nozomu eien, means primarily “The Eternity You Wish for” because it uses the verb 望む. Without changing its pronunciation, that verb can be spelled with a different kanji, as 臨む. That would change the meaning of the title to “The Eternity Ahead”. It would then be the (potentially negative) future facing you whether you like it or not, instead of the future you want. The writing is not ambiguous, but the sound of the title is, carrying a subtle menace. I like that double meaning.