Glass Heart is a new Japanese drama series streaming on Netflix, adapted from Mio Wakagi’s novel by the same name. The plot centers around a young woman named Akane Saijo, who wishes to make a career in music as a passionate drummer, and her eventual experiences with a set of extremely talented and driven musicians. For the average viewer, Glass Heart might feel too lengthy and melodramatic, with stereotypical characters and predictable resolutions, but it will be most enjoyable to fans of Japanese romantic dramas.
Spoiler Alert
What is the Netflix J-drama about?
Glass Heart begins at the Rock Alive Japan music festival, where thousands of fans enjoy the performances of their favorite bands on stage until unexpectedly heavy rains make them scatter in the interval between two performances. Somewhere behind the stage area, a young woman named Akane Saijo receives the most horrible news she could have in such a circumstance, as she learns that the band she has been a part of for quite some time now has decided to drop her. Being a drummer, Akane is not as marketable as a vocalist would have been, and the group has also suddenly decided to become a boy band, meaning that there is no longer any place for her.
Frustrated and also immensely heartbroken, Akane sets up her drum kit on the ground in front of the stage and starts to play her music in the heavy rain, but her talent is immediately recognized by the crowd, who gather around her to enjoy her performance. As if almost magically, a hooded figure takes to the empty stage at this very time and starts to play the piano in harmony with Akane. While the crowds thoroughly enjoy this unusual performance, and many take videos of it as well, it does not really change the fate of Akane, as she has to keep auditioning to get into a band for the next three years. But she finds no luck, and the young woman eventually decides to give up on her passion and help her mother run their family curry shop instead.
Akane sets out to make a food delivery for her mother, like she has been doing regularly for the past few years, but she is a bit startled to hear that the customer had specifically asked for her to make the delivery. But the situation starts to become clear, although quite unbelievable, when Akane realizes that she has been asked to deliver the food at the house of a once-popular singer and composer named Naoki Fujitani. Incidentally, it was Naoki who had played the piano on the stage that day, three years earlier, and he has now sought out Akane for a very specific purpose.
Naoki has been looking to put together a band of his own, and he has already managed to get hold of the popular celebrity guitarist, Sho Takaoka, and a young and talented keyboardist named Kazushi Sakamoto, whose videos had gone viral some time ago. With the band still requiring a passionate and talented drummer, Akane has been called to Naoki’s house to audition for the role. It does not take long for the other musicians to select Akane as the last member of their band, and she can still hardly believe her luck. Despite struggling to keep up with the expectations of the band initially, Akane soon finds her groove as a member of TENBLANK, the latest band promising to take the Japanese music scene by storm.
Who locks up Akane in the room on the boat?
Right from its formation, TENBLANK grabs the attention of music enthusiasts because of the individual popularity of the band members, and it is considered a sort of super band, with extremely talented musicians in every position. Therefore, it does not take long for them to get a call from a music TV show named Music States, and everyone is quite enthusiastic about making an appearance on TV, which will naturally increase their popularity significantly. The shoot is scheduled to take place on a cruise ship, and so the bandmates leave on a chartered boat, where they are to spend the time preparing for the shoot before being taken there.
During this time, Akane feels bored after spending quite some time at the makeup table, and she also gets a little nervous about the performance they are about to have on the cruise ship. After all, this is the first public performance the young woman will ever make, and that too surrounded by her more experienced and popular bandmates, and so she does not want anything to go wrong. Thus, Akane steps into an adjacent room after spotting a drumming set inside it so that she can have some last-minute practice, not just to be in her best form, but also to calm herself down, since playing music is therapeutic to her. But when Akane gets up to leave, after several minutes of practice, she realizes that the door has been bolted from the outside by someone.
Naturally, she fears that someone must have made an attempt to sabotage the band and that her position in the band is now completely lost forever. Akane thinks that her more experienced bandmates will either leave her behind and shoot the segment by themselves, or fire her from the band and replace her with someone else. Nonetheless, she tries her best to get out of the room by forcing open another unused door to the pantry. Meanwhile, Naoki and the others are confused about the absence of their fourth band member, especially since their shoot is about to begin. But much to Akane’s pleasant surprise, the men actually come back to the boat in search of her, confirming that they do actually care for her as well. The shoot for Music States takes place as planned, and TENBLANK finds themselves almost on the verge of becoming a household name.
But the mystery of Akane strangely getting locked inside the practice room remains unsolved until Naoki confronts the band manager, Miyako Kai, about the incident. It was actually Miyako who had latched the door to the practice room shut after she’d noticed Akane playing the drums inside. Miyako had always dreamt of being in a band, particularly as a singer, since she is technically gifted in the art as well, but she could never get her break anywhere. Finally, when TENBLANK was formed, and she was appointed the manager, she felt that she could become the singer in it, and the only female member.
However, when Naoki appointed Akane, and the latter started doing quite well as a drummer, Miyako realized that her time was running out and that there was now no chance for her to be in the band. Thus, out of pure jealousy and spite, she tried to sabotage Akane by locking her in the practice room on the boat. Once the truth is out, Naoki fires Miyako and makes a man named Genji the manager of the band, although he does not reveal the reason to the bandmates. Eventually, Miyako does return to help out the band, although she no longer wishes to be the manager, stating that she has found her way in life.
How are Naoki and Toya related?
The very first rivalry that TENBLANK has in the music world is against a duo called OVER CHROME, led by a popular writer, composer, and vocalist named Toya. Although there is seemingly no specific reason, Toya is extremely competitive and sometimes outright disrespectful towards Naoki and his bandmates. The reason behind this bitterness is revealed later, as we learn that Naoki and Toya are actually half-brothers, and their childhood is where the apparent divide stemmed from. During his childhood, Naoki’s father had left his mother and moved in with a different partner, and they had a son—Toya. Young Naoki had eventually moved in with his stepmother and half-brother, after which his father seemingly abandoned the family again, moving on to some other woman.
Naoki stayed back with his stepmother, who was not at all kind towards him, as she was jealous of the boy’s exceptional skill in singing and playing the piano. She wanted her biological son, Toya, to have the same set of skills, and so she forced the younger boy to keep practicing, even though he did not enjoy it at all. In one instance, Toya had even hurt his fingers horribly after the heavy fallboard fell on his hand. Eventually, Toya and his mother moved away, leaving Naoki behind, but Toya developed a childish dislike towards his half-brother, feeling that it was only because of Naoki that he was made to go through the ordeal of becoming a musician.
But deep down, Toya admits that he had also looked up to Naoki and taken inspiration from him, which is why he has managed to become a professional musician himself. Despite their differences, Naoki rushes to his brother’s help when Toya is stabbed before a performance, and this finally settles everything between them. Ultimately, Toya admits in front of the audience that Naoki is his elder brother, as he requests the latter to perform with him, and the two stars do share the stage, much to the joy of their individual fans.
Who stabs Toya, and why?
When Toya gets stabbed before his performance, it is intentionally made to look like an attack carried out by a young woman who appears to be an obsessive fan. This woman appears in the crowd before and after every performance by OVER CHROME, creepily carrying a teddy bear, and she is seen staring at Toya with fascination in her eyes. However, the truth is far from what it seems, as the woman turns out to be just a loyal fan of the band and of Toya, with the latter acknowledging the support that he receives from her presence at every show. Yes, she is a bit unusual, which is why she is generally all by herself and not with any of the fan groups, but the young woman is not to blame for the attack on Toya.
Instead, it was actually a criminal-minded man, a misogynist, who had somehow sneaked into the empty basement of the theater, and he had targeted the fan, intending to attack her, possibly sexually as well. Just as the man started to run towards the fan, with a sharp knife in his hand, Toya figured out what was about to happen, and he rushed in to save her. He bravely jumped in between the attacker and the young woman, absorbing the stabs himself, and this made the attacker flee as well. Toya does eventually survive the attack without any significant damage, and his true character, as a good but misunderstood musician, is revealed in the process.
Does Naoki finally stop performing to take care of his health?
In the last half of Glass Heart, the final twist in the tale is revealed, as we learn that Naoki Fujitani has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, and his doctor has actually ordered him to live a very restrictive life, i.e. performing music is strictly prohibited. It is most likely that Naoki developed the illness, or maybe it was diagnosed, while getting treated for his fall during the Rock Alive Japan festival at the very beginning of the series. Quite unluckily, Naoki had been struck by lightning during his unofficial performance on stage, playing the piano, and he had been thrown backwards by the impact of it.
Three years later, he had seemingly recovered from the illness, but in reality, his condition had worsened terribly over the years. But music had always been his one and only passion in life, and he was just not ready to distance himself from it. As a result, Naoki created his own band and kept his illness a secret from everyone, including his bandmates and his fans. When the bandmates ultimately find out about it, they have differing reactions, with Sho and Kazushi refusing to perform anymore, as they do not want their friend and idol to get any sicker. However, Akane understands that keeping Naoki away from music might keep him physically healthy, but it would absolutely break him emotionally.
This difference of opinion leads to a number of differences between the bandmates as well, and the group is naturally on the verge of breaking up. However, at the very end of Glass Heart, the members come together once again to have one final performance, at the Rock Alive Japan festival, during which the fans also learn about their favorite musician’s health. Thus, Naoki’s story actually comes to an end on very positive notes, with him being able to publicly perform one last time, and get romantically involved with Akane as well. The truth of the matter remains that he is dying and now has very little time left to live, but Naoki still enjoys himself to the fullest and goes out like a true superstar, refusing to bow down to his physical illness.
Do Naoki And Akane End Up Together?
Despite Naoki initially maintaining a distance from Akane, especially after realizing her romantic inclinations towards him, the musician ultimately comes to a different conclusion. After all, Naoki also had started to develop feelings for the drummer, which originated from both her extremely caring nature, and her musical talent. The two remain most dedicated to their musical expressions till the very end, and instead of seeing love as a distraction, Naoki seemingly learns to accept and immerse himself in it. He is also helped by the realization that there is not much time left for him, and this further makes him give in to love. Just a day before the rock festival, when Naoki happens to be at his lowest, he calls up Akane and expresses his feelings for her, which results in the two finally kissing. Thus, Naoki and Akane do end up together in the end, and this actually brings the band back together as well. Ultimately, their relationship might not last as long, because of Naoki’s illness and his imminent passing, but it will surely be enriching for both of them, nonetheless.
