The 1995 Studio Ghibli film 'Whisper of the Heart' has a 4K remaster that aims to recreate the original theatrical color, and a recent broadcast on NTV drew a 7.5% household rating in the Kanto region.
Studio Ghibli's 1995 film 'Whisper of the Heart,' directed by Yoshifumi Kondo, has received a 4K remaster. In an interview with Cartoon Brew, cinematographer Atsushi Okui, who has worked on most Ghibli films since 1993, explained that the remaster's goal was fidelity to the original theatrical experience. Okui said the work aimed to recreate the original film color, not to make the cel art as vivid as possible.
The film also appeared in Japanese television rankings for the week of April 27 to May 3, 2026. A special broadcast of 'Whisper of the Heart' aired on NTV on May 1 at 9:00 p.m. and earned a 7.5% household rating in the Kanto region, according to Video Research. That rating was higher than the top-rated regular weekly program, 'Sazae-san,' which scored 5.9% on May 3. The broadcast was not listed among the regular weekly rankings.
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Cartoon Brew interviewed Atsushi Okui, the cinematographer behind most Studio Ghibli films since 1993, about the 4K remaster of 'Whisper of the Heart' and the theatrical re-release of 'The Secret World of Arrietty.' Okui explained that the remaster aimed to recreate the original film color, not to make the cel art as vivid as possible.
Video Research published the Japanese animation television rankings for the week of April 27 to May 3, based on household ratings in the Kanto region. The top spot went to "Sazae-san" on Fuji TV with a 5.9% rating on May 3. "Detective Conan" on NTV took second place at 5.1%, followed by "Chibi Maruko-chan" on Fuji TV at 4.4%. A special broadcast of Yoshifumi Kondo and Studio Ghibli's "Whisper of the Heart" aired on NTV on May 1 at 9:00 p.m. and earned a 7.5% rating, though it was not listed among the regular weekly rankings. "My Hero Academia: More special" ranked fourth among regular programs with a 2.7% rating on NTV. The live-action "Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan: At a Confessional" film aired on NHK on May 3 and received a 2.1% rating. The ratings are estimates based on a household survey and do not include recordings viewed later.