Heart and Yummie Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Heart and Yummie Blu-ray Movie Review

Heart and Yummie is an animated feature from 2010. The anime feature is produced by Yasumichi Ozaki (Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo, Lupin III: Dragon of Doom). Created by Tatsuya Miyanishi, Heart and Yummie offers delightful animation. The animation is produced by Ajiado (Ascendance of a Bookworm, Fist of the North Star: Strawberry Flavor). The feature-film highlights voice performances by Kappei Yamaguchi, Tomoyo Harada, and Seishirō Katō.

Heart (Kappei Yamaguchi) is a sweet and kind-spirited dinosaur who finds himself in a giant world brimming with adventure. The young dinosaur explores the wonderful outdoor terrain and soon manages to find a whole wide world of fun. Raised by his mother (Tomoyo Harada), Heart has an adventurous spirit.

 A tyrannosaurus, Heart is shocked when he learns he is actually a meat-eater dinosaur – overwhelmed, Heart runs away from home. Soon Heart meets Yummie and the dino becomes a part of his life. Though Heart thinks this other dino looks tasty to eat, the two find themselves testing the strength of their friendship and alliance. Can Heart be a hero?

The creative character designs by Yoshiaki Yanagida (Ascendance of a Bookworm, Spirit of Wonder) are an engaging aspect of the release. The character designs are impressive and creative fun. There is a lot to enjoy in an animated production with colorful and engaging dinosaur characters. A good effort by Yanagida.

The animation is impressive in the Heart and Yummie film. The art direction by Takashi Nakamura (The Anthem of the Heart, Summer Days with Coo) and chief animation direction by Yoshiaki Yanagida (Ascendance of a Bookworm, Kimagure Orange Road) are essential to the production. The animation capably brings to life the storyboards by Masaya Fujimori (Kaiketsu Zorori, Seven Days War). The art certainly helps to usher in a strong creative style that works well throughout the feature. These are beautifully animated dinosaur characters and the outdoor scenery of the background animation is similarly impressive. A great effort for the anime.

The cinematography by Akio Saitô (Little Nemo - Adventures in Slumberland, Lupin III: The Legend of the Gold of Babylon) is visually engaging throughout the production. The lush and engaging visuals of the cinematography are an essential part of the experience. The cinematographer understood the style necessary for the film.

The score composed by Tamiya Terashima (The Boy Who Saw the Wind, Tales from Earthsea) is entertaining and moving. The music provides a nice sense of emotional gravitas to the film and similarly provides a sense of action-packed fun for the adventurous sequences during the feature-film. A quality effort from composer Terashima.

Written by Hiroaki Jinno (Nintama Rantaro, .hack//Intermezzo) and Osamu Murakami (Tatsuya Miyanishi Theatre: Heart and Yummie), Heart and Yummie is a well-written script. The film is an outstanding effort for a children’s anime film. The story is heartwarming. It pulls at the heartstrings many times throughout the film. A moving, engaging, and fun story.

Directed by Masaya Fujimori (Fairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix Priestess, Izetta: The Last Witch), Heart and Yummie is a must-see for dinosaur fans. The anime film has so much warmth and heart. The film has a great heart and it wears it on its sleeve. The filmmaking is entertaining and there is a lot of charm to the filmmaking. A must-see for dinosaur fans.

Heart and Yummie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray from Discotek Media, Heart and Yummie is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The video quality on the release is excellent. The high-definition video looks crisp and clear during the presentation. Colors are outstanding and there is considerable "pop" to the image. The color reproduction appears excellent and engaging here. The encoding is impressive and the release doesn't suffer from egregious compression issues. A nice presentation from Discotek.

Heart and Yummie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound and Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. English subtitles are provided. The release does not provide an English dubbed option. The lossless audio encoding sounds crisp and clear. Dialogue is well reproduced. The score sounds clear and dynamic during the audio presentation. A worthwhile lossless sound mix.

Heart and Yummie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Theatrical Trailer 1 (HD, 00:44)

Theatrical Trailer 2 (HD, 1:39)

Art Gallery includes 43 click-through art slides.

Heart and Yummie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Heart and Yummie is a wonderful and heartwarming anime film. For anyone who considers themselves a big dinosaur fan, Heart and Yummie is a must-see. The animated film has a wonderful heart and with an abundance of fun characters and stunning animation, Heart and Yummie is a great watch. The anime is wonderful in so many respects and is sure to be a great hit with dino dans. Highly recommended.