An extremely underrated anime in the west at least. In Japan it seems it was a much bigger deal. It is based on one of the most popular JRPG franchises in history with Production IG at the helm aided by some of the top voice talent of the time with character art from one of the otaku worlds most premier artists and an elaborate figure line to boot. What gives? Perhaps the notion of an anime based around baking bread was too silly for westerners to want to understand at the time. The bread is simply the vehicle so to speak for many nice thematic concepts. If you enjoy RPGlike anime and are fond of works in the iyashikei canon like Natsume Aria Mushishi etc then this anime is well worth your time since it does justice to both of these genres. The main cast is a quartet of bread bakers who live on a remote island with a variety of settings: a church a castle orchards the seaside cliffs a town an infirmary a magical forest a spooky chateau... you get the idea. The early episodes are spent with the young bakers interacting in these settings and the various characters who live there. This provides a good sense of the islands culture and how everyone living on the island contributes to the nearly utopian society and chiefly how the integral role of the main characters on the island is reflected in the people they meet. Each of these early episodes is thorough and subtly fulfilling probably because of how well the quintessential RPG feel is translated to anime form I think its the music and character designs that help the most. The later episodes probe at something more overtly personal and existential. The main character searches for his true identity and purpose on the island as he wrestles with his past present and future. He has something to learn from all the other island residents regarding this but ultimately needs to come up with his own answers and decide on the path he cuts for himself. The philosophical moments are nothing too complex but something so spiritually essential doesnt need to be if its handled intricately which this anime does. A bit of conflict is introduced later in the anime but in terms of series structure it is not traditionally utilized. The final battle is typically the pinnacle of a story but since this is neither an action nor adventure series it is used as a tool to round out the more sensitive issues the anime is primarily focused on. If you are concerned about things like the origin of the enemy and what their motive is youre asking the wrong questions. Perhaps this element is more integral in the Shining games but here it decidedly isnt and the anime writers justify this with how well the metaphysical themes are pursued instead. This is a well produced series. The animation and modelling generally look artistic and detailed with some occasional budget cutting and less detailed frames. The backgrounds extras and CG are clear and crisp but perhaps with a bit of that sterile generic look that plagued many late 2010s and beyond anime. Overall it is a visually appealing show and the Tony Taka artwork is wellserved. Tonys art shouldnt need any reviewing but I will say it is on par with anything else hed ever done which is no less than very very good. One might balk at the very costumey look of the characters: a dutch maid a miniskirt nun a china dress catgirl a witchhat goth loli and ask themselves why people would wear these same outfits every day on a temperate island. It has to be appreciated as a part of the RPG genre and as part of the artists greater repertoire. By the end of the series however there are some answers as to why the characters might have such wardrobes and I think along with the music it helps seamlessly translate the specific feel of a classic JRPG to anime form. 240https://i.ur.com/vhKPyu0.jpeg 244https://i.ur.com/sWxt308.jpeg 149https://i.ur.com/8bS7FA5.jpeg I wrote this review because an average score of 6.13 on MyAnimeList and 56 on Anilist is absolutely criminal given that this anime has so many positive features and virtually no missteps. Shining Hearts is a true testament to the battered otaku spirit of the forgotten golden age. Maybe people in the west werent ready for this in 2012 but it is now an era where something like Dungeon Meshi is a mainstream hit and Aria has been rediscovered as a classic cult series by the younger generation so it might be possible for Shining Hearts to pick up just a few new fans.