The Anthem of the Heart (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Jun stopped speaking after her childhood trauma. When she accidentally exposed her father's infidelity, he blamed her for the family conflict. In her distress, she imagined a fairy egg cursing her to seal her words so she wouldn't hurt anyone again. In reality, her silence is psychological, her fear of causing harm with her words manifests as physical stomachaches when she tries to speak.

Foreshadowing: The film shows Jun as a talkative child who loved fairy tales, making her retreat into silence more impactful.

• jun naruse
• silence
• curse
• childhood trauma
• stomachache

The fairy egg is not a real magical curse but a psychological coping mechanism Jun created as a child. After blaming herself for her family's fallout, she imagined a fairy egg that cursed her by sealing her words. This allowed her to attribute her inability to speak to something external rather than facing her own fear. By the end, Jun realizes the fairy egg was imaginary and uses this realization to finally accept her past.

Foreshadowing: The fairy egg appears as a whimsical childhood creation, hinting at its imaginary nature.

• fairy egg
• curse
• imagination
• psychological block
• self-blame

Jun can sing because her psychological block is specifically tied to spoken words that she fears will hurt others. When she sings, she's expressing herself through music rather than direct speech, which bypasses her fear of causing harm. The musical becomes her vehicle for communication because it's a form of expression that doesn't trigger her stomachaches.

Foreshadowing: When Jun first hears Takumi singing, she's captivated, this hints at singing as her path to voice.

• singing
• musical
• voice
• expression
• music therapy

During middle school, both Takumi and Natsuki had feelings for each other, but Takumi never expressed his feelings and just went along with what others wanted. Natsuki told her classmates they weren't dating when asked, though she had hoped Takumi would confess. This regret drives Takumi's nighttime conversation with Natsuki before the musical, where he finally admits he always regretted not trying to convey his feelings.

Foreshadowing: Natsuki's jealousy toward Jun and her claim to have a current boyfriend hint at unresolved feelings from the past.

• takumi sakagami
• natsuki nito
• middle school
• unrequited love
• regret

The love hotel on the hilltop is the same "castle" Jun admired as a child. As a child, she didn't know what it really was until she saw her father leaving it, exposing his infidelity. When Jun runs away before the musical, she goes to this shut-down love hotel, confronting the physical location where her trauma began. This represents her finally facing the source of her pain directly.

Foreshadowing: The film opens with young Jun's fascination with the "castle" that turns out to be a love hotel.

• love hotel
• hilltop castle
• childhood
• infidelity
• confrontation

Jun runs away after overhearing Takumi tell Natsuki that he's not in love with Jun and that he regrets not expressing his feelings for Natsuki during middle school. Heartbroken, she goes to the love hotel and the fairy egg appears, telling her she worsened the curse by trying to convey her feelings for Takumi. This emotional breakdown causes her to abandon the musical.

Foreshadowing: Natsuki's earlier misunderstanding about Takumi's feelings for Jun sets up this painful revelation.

• run away
• heartbreak
• musical performance
• overhearing conversation

Takumi finds Jun at the shut-down love hotel where she's somehow able to speak normally. He tells her that her inability to speak isn't caused by the fairy egg's curse but by her own fear. He lets her vent all her anger and frustration, allowing her to finally express herself freely. This confrontation helps Jun understand that her voice was always within her control.

Foreshadowing: The fairy egg's earlier appearance as a child when Jun was crying mirrors this emotional confrontation.

• takumi sakagami
• confrontation
• fear
• voice
• vent anger

After Takumi reveals that her silence stems from fear rather than a curse, Jun confesses her feelings to Takumi, even though she learns he's still in love with Natsuki. Despite this heartbreak, she chooses to perform because she realizes the musical is about her own story and her mother needs to hear it. Her desire to convey her feelings to her mother overrides her personal pain.

Foreshadowing: The musical was created specifically to tell Jun's story in fairy tale form.

• musical performance
• confession
• mother
• self-acceptance
• courage

Yes, at the movie's ending, Daiki finally confesses his feelings to Jun. While Jun's feelings were directed at Takumi and Takumi reconciles with Natsuki, Daiki's confession represents his own emotional journey. The film ends on a hopeful note with Jun stepping forward with her restored voice and the group moving ahead with their lives.

Foreshadowing: Daiki's feelings for Jun developed gradually during their time preparing for the musical.

• daiki tasaki
• confession
• feelings
• ending
• hope

Jun's mother finally understands when Jun performs in the musical and sings to convey her feelings directly. The musical tells Jun's story in fairy tale form, allowing her mother to hear about the love hotel incident, the curse Jun imagined, and the psychological impact of being blamed for the family conflict. Through song, Jun finally communicates what she couldn't say for years.

Foreshadowing: The entire musical project was meant to help Jun share her story with her mother.

• mother
• reconciliation
• understanding
• musical
• song
• family