Lovely anime song

Songs from Whisper of the Heart: theme song and insert songs

Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICSasashina
Deputy Editor of the web media RAG MUSIC. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. In my student days, I studied broadly at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, covering sound, lighting, and video technology, and acquired skills from comprehensive stage production to the fundamentals of creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, and have consistently built my career on the production side, taking on diverse tasks centered around music. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting in my own way, as well as insights and discoveries from interacting with my kids every day. I hope I can be of help to you, even just a little!

This time, we’re featuring the theme song and insert songs from the Studio Ghibli film “Whisper of the Heart.” When you think of “Whisper of the Heart,” it has to be “Country Road,” right? That melody that makes you want to hum it without thinking.

For those who’ve seen the film, it’s an especially memorable song.

The bittersweet relationship between the protagonists, Shizuku and Seiji Amasawa.

Just writing this introduction makes me want to watch it again.

If you listen to the songs collected in this article, I’m sure you’ll feel the same.

Songs from Whisper of the Heart. Theme song and insert songs (1–10)

I’ve decided! I’m going to write a story.Yuji Nomi

I’ve decided! I’m going to write a story. — from “Whisper of the Heart,” performed by Ocha

I've decided! I'm Yuji Nomi, and I'll write the story.

This is the piece “I’ve Decided! I’m Going to Write My Story,” used in the film Whisper of the Heart.

It expresses, with a refreshing piano tone, the excitement you feel when you finally begin something you’ve long wanted to try.

It’s a song that gives you a fresh feeling, like winter has ended and you’re being gently carried by the pleasant breezes of spring.

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Let's fly! Catch the updraft!Yuji Nomi

From 'Whisper of the Heart': Let's fly! Catch the updraft!

Let's fly! Catch the updraft! Yuji Nomi

This is a piece titled “Let’s Fly! Catch the Updraft!” The title comes from a line spoken by Baron, the cat figurine that appears in Whisper of the Heart.

In a slightly mysterious antique shop atop a hill, the protagonist Shizuku discovers Baron.

Whether it’s a dream or reality, Baron takes Shizuku flying through the sky.

Its floating sensation makes listeners feel a gentle sense of wonder.

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The Boy Who Makes ViolinsYuji Nomi

The Boy Who Makes Violins (from “Whisper of the Heart”)

Yuji Nomi, the boy who makes violins

From the film “Whisper of the Heart.” This is the piece titled “The Boy Who Makes Violins.” Here he is: Seiji Amasawa, arguably the biggest romantic in all of Ghibli.

At first, Shizuku saw him as nothing but an annoying guy, but she’s inspired by the way he strives straight toward his dream of becoming a violin maker.

This track passionately and artistically expresses Seiji Amasawa’s unexpected side.

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Songs from Whisper of the Heart. Theme and insert songs (11–20)

Half-Open WindowYoko Honna

It is sung by Youko Honna, who voiced the protagonist, Shizuku Tsukishima.

The lyrics are by Hayao Miyazaki.

It was also included on a single released in June 1995.

The track begins with spoken lines set against a sound that fully conveys the world of Whisper of the Heart.

Why not savor the lingering afterglow of the film as if listening to a reading? It’s a work you can fully enjoy through sound alone.

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Elf QueenYuji Nomi

"Elf Queen" from "Whisper of the Heart" played by ocha

Elf Queen Yuji Nomi

This is a piece called “The Elf Queen.” Inside the old clock at the mysterious antique shop “Chikyuya” on the hill live the “Dwarf King” and the “Elf Queen.” The two are only allowed to meet when the clock’s hands overlap at twelve.

The emotional piano performance evokes an irresistibly vivid image of their sad, heartrending love story.

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On the hill, with a gentle breezeYuji Nomi

On the hilltop, with a gentle breeze (from “Whisper of the Heart”).

On the hill, with a gentle breeze — Yuji Nomi

When you think of the locations in Whisper of the Heart, don’t you get an impression of slopes, stairways, and winding roads along the mountainside? This piece is one that lets you feel the scenery and climate of a cool hilltop.

While many Studio Ghibli films are inspired by various countries, this one is set in Tokyo, Japan, so it reminds us that modern Japanese landscapes aren’t so bad either.

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Earth HouseYuji Nomi

From 'Whisper of the Heart': The Earth Shop

Yuji Nomi, Earth Shop

The house where Seiji Amasawa lives, “The Earth Shop,” which has an antique, European atmosphere and houses an antique store and a violin workshop, was surely one of the most striking buildings in the world of Whisper of the Heart.

The long, resonant tones that heighten the excitement of arriving at that Western-style mansion after following the cat—and the bright, taut sound of the string instruments—make this a wonderfully pleasing piece.

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