Whisper of the Heart Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Whisper of the Heart Blu-ray Movie Review

A masterpiece penned by the great Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away).

Whisper of the Heart is a slice-of-life anime drama. The story begins with the journey of a bookworm girl who discovers she is reading the same books as a mysterious boy – who turns out to be her same age. As the fable unfolds, the girl eventually enters a fantastical world filled with magic and with a talking cat – thus the journey continues. Based on the manga by Aoi Hiiragi, Whisper of the Heart explores the journey of the human heart and the passions of the soul (as the story explores dreams: focusing on the creative passions of the two young protagonists).

Featuring a screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro), Whisper of the Heart was impeccably directed by the late Yoshifumi Kondo (who died tragically shortly after the film was finished). Whisper of the Heart is a beautiful film and one which Kondo perfected on every level: a testament to his strengths as a filmmaker as much as to the gifts of Miyazaki. A masterpiece that no anime fan should miss. Share it with your loved ones.

A must-own steelbook for an anime masterpiece.

For more information regarding Whisper of the Heart, please refer to the original review as written by Kenneth Brown.

Whisper of the Heart Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from GKids, Whisper of the Heart is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen. The Blu-ray release features a high bit-rate encode of 30 mbps (which easily bests the encode bit-rate of 18 mbps from the previous Walt Disney Blu-ray presentation). For more information on the video-quality, please refer to the review by my colleague Stephen Larson.

Whisper of the Heart Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 in English or Japanese (with English subtitles). The lossless, high-resolution, 24 bit depth audio is a glorious way to experience the film. For more information on the lossless audio quality, please refer to the review by my colleague Stephen Larson.

Whisper of the Heart Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes the same supplemental package included on the original release by GKids and additional information on these supplemental features can be found here.

The special edition from GKids comes in a collectible steelbook with stunning art work (showcasing one of the most iconic sequences from the animated masterpiece). The beautiful art shines radiantly and manages to make a wonderful impression. The print quality is terrific and the steelbook has a nice sheen which impresses in hand. The purple color is outstanding – and the perfect choice for the steelbook.

Whisper of the Heart Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Whisper of the Heart is one of the most magical and enchanting animated films of all time (regardless of country of origin). The tale is heartwarming and enduring. With a masterful screenplay by filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away), Whisper of the Heart is a classic that belongs in the collection of all anime fans. Highly recommended.