Aayush Sharma
‘Glass Heart‘ is a musical drama that chronicles the journey of a musical group, TENBLANK, and the individuals within it who want to make their mark in the world of music. The story primarily focuses on Akane Saijo, a college student who is trying to become a part of the music industry. However, she loses all her hopes when she faces continuous rejections and decides to move away from her dream. Yet, a chance encounter with musician Naoki Fujitani changes everything, and Akane finds herself being the drummer of his band. As the band and its members, Naoki, Akane, Sho Takaoka, and Kazushi Sakamoto, begin their musical journey, they realize it won’t be easy to achieve greatness. Moreover, Naoki’s unique working style gives birth to tensions within the band, creating moments of friction.
Despite it all, the band continues to create music that resonates with the public and brings them closer. Their success doesn’t go unnoticed by their nemeses, and they try everything to push the band down with their dirty tricks. Even though the series primarily focuses on music, it explores a lot about how human connection, shared dreams, and personal struggles shape the bonds between people. The narrative is not just about the band creating music, but also about what happens before and after that. The inclusion of these aspects not only makes the storyline richer but also creates a lot of interest in whether it takes inspiration from real-life events or a musical group that faced such situations.
Tenblank is a Real Band Created During the Show
To answer the question straight up: Yes, TENBLANK is a real band. The show’s narrative takes inspiration from the novel of the same name by Wakagi Mio, and TENBLANK has been created as a pivotal part of the title’s fictional world. The band has four members Naoki Fujitani, Akane Saijo, Sho Takaoka, and Kazushi Sakamoto. To make the band feel real, original songs were written for the series by Yojiro Noda, the lead vocalist and songwriter of the Japanese rock band Radwimps. The original songs in the series deepens the characters’ journeys and gives a level of authenticity to the band’s rise. Each track captures the spirit of youth, ambition, and heartbreak. What’s even more exciting is that TENBLANK is making real-world debut with an album, blurring the lines between fiction and reality in a way that has never been done before. According to GQ Japan, the band will make its real-world debut by releasing its first album in August.
The idea of TENBLANK starts when Sho Takaoka meets Naoki Fujitani and sings a song on the streets. Although Sho doesn’t want to play in a band, Naoki’s melody does something to him, and he quickly asks him if he wants to start a band. Sho can play the guitar, while Naoki can sing. At the time, Naoki says no and walks away. Years later, Naoki meets Sho, requesting him to be a part of the group. When he asks how many members are in the band, Naoki says there are two (him and Sho). They start recruiting members, and first, they sign up for Kazushi, who plays the keyboard and helps them with arrangements. On the other hand, they round up Akane as the last member of the band and will play drums. That’s how viewers get the first look at TENBLANK, and although the story seems very familiar, there is no indication that a band with this name existed or exists now.
The tale of TENBLANK feels similar because it walks a well-trodden path by countless tales about the birth of musical groups. Chance meeting, creative struggles, clashing personalities, and external conflicts come together to form the heartbeat of a rising band. Much like inspirational stories about bands starting in school festivals and garages, the show captures that particular moment when music brings together individuals different from one another and shapes them into something larger than themselves. Be it bands like One Ok Rock or Band-Maid, their members never thought that building a band would guarantee them success, but they kept on going and remained true to their art. In today’s generation, the aforementioned musical groups two of the leading musical groups in Japan because of their rousing compositions. The show’s storyline takes inspiration from such musical groups to make the band’s journey even more relatable.
Naoki Fujitani and Akane Saijo are Fictional Characters Brought To Life By Incredible Actors
Similar to the overarching narrative in ‘Glass Heart,’ Naoki Fujitani and Akane Saijo are also fictional characters that appear in the show and the novel written by Wakagi Mio. Takeru Satoh and Yu Miyazaki, who trained to play instruments during the musical scenes, portray the aforementioned characters in the series. Naoki Fujitani is a brilliant, yet reclusive musician who stopped making music after getting hit by lightning. For years, he couldn’t work, but now he has returned to continue his dream by creating a band called TENBLANK. Meanwhile, Akane Saijo is a college student trying to make it big in the music industry. They both meet and form a bond that they had never experienced before. Both characters work hard and let their talent speak for itself.
The actors went through extensive training and learned to play instruments and how to sing. Speaking in an interview with GQ Japan, Miyazaki opened up about how she showcased Akane’s charming personality by realizing how important it is to have a connection with people. She said, “I realized that it’s not something to think about, but rather how much you can face your band members and the audience at live shows, and how important it is to feel everyone.” Her character goes through a process where she taps into her abilities of emotional expression, not just technical skill. This shift allowed her to show Akane as a character who is hesitant at first and then transforms into a confident performer who plays with heart. As she starts to truly feel the music, her growth becomes an important core of the band’s journey.
Read More:Glass Heart Ending Explained: Do Naoki and Akane End Up Together?
