Do you remember the scene in Attack on Titan when Commander Erwin asked Eren, “What do you see?” I’ve long forgotten what Erwin’s exact words were, but I remember the sentiment. No matter how sure you are of your worldview, it doesn’t reflect what’s in front of you. Recently, I had a moment that made me question my worldview. Something defeated the norms I’ve established and sealed them away like Gojo. That thing was Tune In to the Midnight Heart, a harem anime that forgot how to harem.
We all expect the same things from a harem: fan service, a tsundere saying “baka,” and pulsar levels of denseness. Is it repetitive? Yeah. Do weebs complain about it? Of course! But what happens when it’s not there? What happens when an MC walks into a room full of half-dressed waifus, and he’s the one to get offended? I can’t answer that. I’m still trying to figure it out. What I can tell you is that Mayonaka Heart Tune should be on your watch list. Here is why.
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Tune In to the Midnight Heart Synopsis
Arisu Yamabuki is as close to perfection as one can get — top of his class, comes from a rich family, 8″ penis, and the personality of TM Opera O. But the road to perfection is a lonely one. And before Bucky-kun made it to the top, he sought solace in a little-known late-night radio broadcaster by the name of Apollo. Arisu cherished the late-night radio host (love and miss you, Art) so much that he confessed to her! But soon after, Apollo disappears from the airwaves. And all Arisu has to remember her by is the “I love you” she closed her show with.
Years later, that confession poses a problem. To truly be perfect, Yamabuki-kun needs to get that “I love you” back, so he searches high and low for Apollo by asking girls to tell him that they love him. As luck would have it, his search gets results. On the first day of a new school semester, Apollo’s voice sounds from the school’s speakers. But when Bucky-kun makes his way to the school’s broadcasting room, instead of Apollo, he’s confronted by four bishoujo waifus. Yet he knows one of them is the radio broadcaster he loved. So Yamabuki-kun makes a deal: if the girls allow him to join the broadcasting club (so he can find Apollo), he’ll fund their ventures and help them turn pro. But will that bring him closer to Apollo? Will it help him tune in to the midnight heart?
A Harem with a GOAT MC
Getting mad that a harem has a wimpy MC is like getting mad that the sun is hot. Our gripes do nothing to alleviate the issue. Thankfully, the best part of Tune In to the Midnight Heart is the MC. While Bucky’s intentions aren’t admirable, his approach is. Even if self-interest is your motivation, you can accomplish a lot of good. I admit that I’m biased toward transactionality. So, seeing an anime move the plot forward because the MC provides something the girl(s) he’s after need/want, instead of the usual “power of friendship,” is healing. His grandiose approach is always entertaining, even when baffling. But you always see that at heart, he’s a great guy (surrounded by great company).
The Tune In to the Midnight Heart girls don’t trail far behind either. While we still see the occasional tsundere behavior, there’s a maturity that’s severely lacking in other harem shows. They understand that while boastful and eccentric, Bucky is doing right by them. Enough understanding and familiarity exist between the characters that the eventual romance won’t seem as forced as it does in many other harems.
But if you’re a fan of some aspects of the harem genre, even if they’re distorted, they’re present. It’s a pleasant balance.
I’ve never liked talking about animation. I’m a lowly writer who likes horny stuff and fan service. By that metric, my understanding of animation is woefully ignorant. However, Studio Gekkou’s art style is pleasant. Tune In to the Midnight Heart won’t win any animation awards. But it’s among the better animated shows of the season. Mayonaka Heart Tune is an anime centered on voices, and the voice acting lives up to that. The VAs give heartfelt and enjoyable performances. Overall, this is a solid 4/5 Megumis.
Tune In to the Midnight Heart Deets
Masakuni Igarashi writes and illustrates the Mayonaka Heart Tune manga. Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine and K Manga app have serialized the manga since its September 2023 debut. Kodansha USA publishes the English print version of the manga. Studio Gekkou, known for its work on TenPuru, is animating the series.
For anyone who likes to dig for little tidbits about the shows they watch, here’s something for you. Tune In to the Midnight Heart released a collaboration with Shigure Ui to promote its first volume. Its second volume got a promo video with Ayane Sakura voicing all the girls in the series. Unfortunately, Ayane-san didn’t return to voice any of the girls in the anime.
Crunchyroll is streaming Tune In to the Midnight Heart in its original Japanese (with multiple language subtitles) and an English dub. A new episode of the anime simulcasts every Tuesday. Rikka is Best Girl, and you can’t change my mind.
© Masakuni Igarashi / Kodansha / “Tune In to the Midnight Heart” Production Committee
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