A Heartfelt Andante (Korean: 손 안의 안단테) is a drama webcomic by Korean writer/artist Na Yoonhee. It was first published in Korean on Naver on September 9, 2022. The English translation debuted its first three chapters on Webtoon on January 23, 2023.
Due to a heart condition, Da-ul, the son of a wealthy family, was hospitalized for most of his life. Just before a lifechanging heart transplant, he overhears that the heart donor was a genius classical pianist named Yuwon. An overwhelmed Da-ul resolves to make the most of his fortune.
Eight years later, Da-ul can't get Yuwon out of his head. He checks in on Yuwon's loved ones — and just so happens to find Yuwon's depressed ex-fiancee, Yeonjo, in the middle of a suicide attempt.
Thrown together by this horrible first meeting, Da-ul makes it his mission to mind his heart donor's lover. But is this care driven by guilt, or something else?
Tropes:
- Exact Eavesdropping:
- In the first chapter, Da-ul overhears hospital employees discussing his upcoming heart transplant. It's how he finds out that his donor is a prominent young pianist.
- In the third chapter, Da-ul comes home early and hears his mother talking with a servant. This conversation is coincidentally about Yuwon (since Da-ul had spent money on one of Yuwon's compositions earlier in the day). He learns that his mother had not only compensated Yuwon's mother for his heart, she had also looked after his fiancee Yeonjo and her mother until the latter passed.
- Exhausted Eye Bags: To emphasize that she is currently in despair, Yeonjo is drawn with prominent bags under her eyes in her debut chapter.
- Interrupted Suicide: Da-ul tracks down Yeonjo and arrives at her piano academy just as she attempts suicide. He breaks in and manages to save her.
- Literal Change of Heart:
- Da-ul begins the story a bitter, apathetic youth. When he finds out that his heart donor was a young piano prodigy whose life was cut short by a car accident, he resolves to better himself and become worthy of the heart.
- Discussed Trope by Da-ul's friend Hyo-seo, who says in Episode 8 that if this were a movie, Da-ul would become a piano genius after getting a pianist's heart.
- Metafictional Title: The webcomic's title, A Heartfelt Andante, is taken from a music composition Yuwon was working on before he died.
- Production Throwback: An ad for the author's prior webcomic, Whale Star: The Gyeongseong Mermaid, is briefly seen as Da-ul browses the internet in the first chapter.
- Relatively Flimsy Excuse: Hyo-seo suggests that Da-ul pretend to be a distant relative of Yeonjo's dead boyfriend Yuwon as an excuse to be concerned about her. He ends up telling this lie to her in the next chapter.
- Sneeze Cut: Variation in the ninth chapter. After Da-ul winds up using Hyo-seo's lie that he's a distant relative of Yuwon, he curses Hyo-seo in his head. The very end of the chapter is Hyo-seo commenting that he's got chills for some reason.
- Unwanted Assistance: Yeonjo is reluctant to accept the aid of Da-ul, who is a stranger to her, and keeps trying to get him to leave.
