Tako Tsubo, also known as stress cardiomyopathy or broken heart syndrome, is a rare, acute-onset dysfunction of the heart muscle, similar to that of a heart attack. It usually results from extraordinary emotional or physical stress.

In the movie Tako Tsubo the protagonist Mr. Ham decides to have his heart removed in order to be relieved of his complicated feelings. Thoughtfully inclined, however, Ham keeps his heart for a while after the removal, to maybe understand it better after all. Tako Tsubo is an animated, surrealistic reflection on how to deal with feelings in a meritocracy.