Story : 7.6
The two episodes of Lovely Heart are split into two individual stories however the efficiency in writing is what makes these bottle episodes work. What I absolutely enjoy about the songs is not only that they’re included in the first place, but that they actually provide deeper insight into who our main characters are. Furthermore the dialogue and slight movements help the viewer adjust to the scenario they find themselves in when they start the episode, quickly establishing the dynamic and backstory of the characters with few seconds wasted through quality subtext.
The storylines of each episode are far from unique however the contextual storytelling adds an air of sophistication to these works which elevates the bland plots to a higher level than your average run-of-the-mill school hentai. Looking at the original works, they are pretty quality doujin however the subtlety achieved in the hentai takes an already great work and transforms it by removing the limitations of the doujin medium, adding another dimension to the story.
Art and Animation: 8
For a hentai produced in 2019, it was obviously not cheaply made however in staying true to the original artwork it feels as if the artists have creatively boxed themselves in with Aina leading to some awkward moments in the hentai. Overall they didn’t have many creative liberties to take with the background and setting referencing the original works however they still took it a step further with different establishing shots and cutaways that built a world that felt lived in instead of a single room in the void.
Where they strayed from the doujin were also well-intentioned, pulling away from the hentai norm and avoiding the gratuity of bodily fluids involved. The bodies of the characters was also a nice change of pace, where we didn’t have a couple Chad Thundercock’s massive 20 inch literally gutting every girl as her cartoonishly large boobs bounced at seemingly the speed of sound. Every character was treated respectfully which complimented the more realistic approach to storytelling and the details of the anatomy of the body, the motions feel very realistic, was just the cherry on top in terms of art and animation.
Music : 8
The background music was pretty good, knowing when to go for absolute silence and the other songs strengthens the story telling by dictating the pacing and establishing the mood of each scene.
Now the novelty of this show, the music videos. Were they the best mind blowing music I’ve ever heard? No, but also I listen to anime OPs and K-pop so what do I know. That said, as a person who doesn’t mind Japanese vocals they were a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. By no stretch of the imagination were they about to be nominated for a Grammy but they definitely provided me with a new experience that wasn’t just more trauma in my long tenure of hentai watching. I could definitely see myself showing these songs to people just to tell them they came from hentai and I’m seriously considering downloading the second episode’s song to add to my playlist. There was clearly work and careful thought put into the production of these songs and man can these girls sing.
Cinematography : 8
I think shot selection is not something that many people talk about when discussing hentai however it is absolutely a standout quality of Lovely Heart. You’re never bored going from shot to shot, every single one expressing new emotions being introduced to the scene or enhancing those already established. It is a testament to the direction and passion put into this show that every scene always feels visually interesting and never takes you away from the moment, rather sucking you deeper in as it goes along.
Characters : 8
Of the two episodes, Aina clearly has the much deeper development as we get to explore the two sides of her, the internal side and the external side, much more deeply than Hosokawa. However, what I loved about Hosokawa’s arc was that we were still left rather confused towards the end of her episode until the song and the final scene with her smile showing the vulnerable side she hides away.
Conclusion
Lovely Heart’s anime adaptation does everything that could be asked on an adaptation and more. While Lovely Heart isn’t a completely faithful adaptation, every scene that it adds just enhances without being considered pure fluff. The extra scenes add a layer of depth that isn’t portrayed in the doujin and gives me more motivation to fap as it doesn’t just feel like the character stumbled into the situation just to fuck. The way the dialogue is written, the shot choices and the way the small movements of the characters are animated speak volumes of the team’s dedication to push their craft far beyond the bare minimum that is usually required of hentai. This passion is most clearly displayed in the fact that they sought to include original songs which were written to be narratively significant to the overarching story which is something that you can really appreciate if you’ve been a hentai connoisseur for as long as I have. Lovely Heart definitely deserves a watch and not just something to skip to the sex scenes for, it is a delicately crafted piece of art that deserves the patience to be appreciated by the viewer. And if you don’t want to fap to it, then at least stay for the music.
