Product Details

• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English, Japanese
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Right Stuf
• DVD Release Date: March 27, 2007
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B000LP5FD6
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #274,946 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Adapted from a dating sim game, the popular shojo (girl's) series To Heart (1999) spawned a TV sequel, a manga adaptation, and two OAVs. High school students Akari and Hiroyuki have been friends since kindergarten, and she hopes they'll stay by each other's side forever. Akari's upbeat, cheery nature balances Hiroyuki's distracted, oblivious personality. He's really a nice guy, but he often seems to be drifting along in a private, skewed orbit. Hiroyuki visits rich and beautiful Serika at her Occult Club, and trains with perky aspiring martial artist Aoi. Akari never seems to feel any jealousy, but helps the other girls with unflagging good spirits. Adolescent girls may enjoy the rather normal high school existence depicted in To Heart, but it feels very tame: The series offers neither the anime verité realism of Azumanga Daioh nor the keenly observed drama of His and Her Circumstances. (Unrated, suitable for ages 10 and older) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars MAKING FRIENDS WITH GIRLS, May 28, 2007

By 

Sesho "www.sesho.libsyn.com" (Pasadena, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Heart, Vol. 1: New Feelings (DVD)

Akari and Hiroyuki have been friends since they were kids but now that they're in high school, Akari wants things to move to a more romantic space. But it seems Hiroyuki doesn't see her as girlfriend material. Not because he thinks she's ugly or anything, but they've been around each other so long that it's more like a brother/sister vibe between the two. It also doesn't help that Hiroyuki is too lazy and inattentive to notice little subtleties like the looks of disappointment Akari flashes when she can't hang out with him. It's also hard to notice Akari's feelings when their friend Shiho is always in his face, talking loudly and trumpeting her many talents for all the world! The more subdued Masashi rounds out the quartet of friends and he's just the opposite of Shiho, preferring to remain in the background and serving as a cool head. Hiroyuki has a knack for making girl friends, most of them an otaku of one form or another. For instance, there's the rich heiress Serika, who is the only member of the school's Occult Club and barely speaks above a whisper. Aoi is another girl whose obsession is Extreme fighting. Hiroyuki ends up helping them all in one way or another, not knowing that Akari is beginning to feel a bit threatened about all these females hanging around Hiroyuki.

To Heart is a harem comedy at its core, but it presents the form in such a laid back and subtle manner that it rises above its own genre. For instance, the girls in the show are not all desperately in love with Hiroyuki and wanting to sleep with him. At this point he's just doing nice things for them from the heart and forming friendships. He's helping them with their problems, not being pursued by them. Even Akari's feelings aren't really out in the open. It's left to the viewer to decide what the characters are thinking instead of one of the girls or guy narrating over the animation. None of the girls have been very annoying yet, so I hope that trend continues. The symphonic score gives To Heart a bit more class that most anime of this stripe. You've probably seen shows with a similar premise but To Heart just does everything better. This looks like a promising series.