Glass Heart Review: Saijo Akane finds herself joining a band with some of the biggest names in Japanese music after she is ousted from her band. Overcoming artistic differences and her bandmates’ quirks, the group comes together to create magic that grips the audience like no other.
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Glass Heart Netflix Cast
Satoh Takeru, Miyazaki Yu, Machida Keita, Shison Jun, Suda Masaki, Karata Erika, Takaishi Akari, Takehara Pistol, You, Fujiki Naohito
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Glass Heart 2025 Directors
Kakimoto Kensaku, Goto Kotaro
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Glass Heart Screenplay by
Okada Mari, Akutsu Tomoko, Kosaka Shiho, Kawahara Anna
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AKA
玻璃之心
The series has 10 episodes, each with a runtime of around 35 minutes and is based on the novel Glass Heart by Wakagi Mio.
Glass Heart Review
The good and bad thing about musicals for me is that I tend to get lost in the songs, so much so that everything else goes to the background. Something similar happened with Glass Heart, Netflix’s newest Japanese musical series that features some stellar musical compositions performed by the best of the best in the Japanese musical scene, and I was, of course, lost in its notes.
Saijo Akane finds herself joining the legendary Fujitani Naoki, Takaoka Sho and Sakamoto Kazushi’s new band after an unexpected encounter. Thus starts an upward battle to find the right notes that gel well together and leave their audiences enchanted. You are drawn to their deep music and their fantastic musical sequences as they sing, dance and play their hearts out.
I think these are the moments that the series shines because the adrenaline rush is palpable through the screen. Just like the characters, who seem to be engrossed in their roles on stage, the audience finds themselves lost with them, going through the motions of their roles. It’s magnetic to watch the actors during these moments because they feel so free; I found myself absolutely charmed by their performances. TENBLANK’s stage energy—the chemistry, intensity, and sheer drama of real music—brings emotional catharsis like few other scenes in recent television.
Featuring songs created by some of Japan’s most influential artists, including Radwimps vocalist Yojiro Noda, Taka from ONE OK ROCK, Zarame, Yoohei Kawakami of [Alexandros], and more, the series has paid immense attention to its music, and it shows in every scene. Every moment on stage and sometimes even off it is magical. The actors apparently took lessons to play the instruments showcased in the series, and their dedication truly shows.
The moments before and after the performances, however, feel lacklustre in comparison. The energy falls off drastically, and there’s a ton of baggage surrounding the characters that drag the runtime down. Although yes, the series is partly about these musical geniuses and their complicated lives, so there’s bound to be a ton of baggage, but it does make us want to skip through to the good parts sometimes. But that doesn’t happen often, and even some of the more dramatic moments are definitely entertaining nonetheless.
On the other hand, the biggest confusing feelings I felt were for Miyazaki Yu’s Saijo Akane, whose character is very shallow and doesn’t have much to offer. She has two states of existence and offers little else, and unfortunately, she’s one of the people we focus on a lot. Other than her, we have Satoh Takeru’s Fujitani Naoki, who is a flawed and mysterious musical genius. I loved him and his portrayal of his character. Furthermore, I found myself absolutely charmed by Machida Keita; he brings a raw charm to his character that is befitting of a guitarist.
Final Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed watching Glass Heart. Although it has the potential to get a bit boring, I found myself entertained throughout, regardless. It’s a good show that keeps you hooked, despite its flaws.