“Dead childhood friend Menma returns as a ghost, reuniting estranged friends to fulfill her wish and find closure.”
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない。
Would You Love or Hate This?
AI-powered analysis tailored to your taste
Based on your preference for character-driven stories with layered emotional arcs, this title's exploration of identity and belonging would deeply resonate. The pacing mirrors series you've rated highly, and its thematic depth aligns with your appreciation for nuanced storytelling...
However, the slow initial episodes might test your patience given your history of dropping shows that don't hook you early. The art style shift in the middle arc could also be a concern...
Synopsis
Dead childhood friend Menma returns as a ghost, reuniting estranged friends to fulfill her wish and find closure.
Jinta Yadomi is peacefully living as a recluse, spending his days away from school and playing video games at home instead. One hot summer day, his childhood friend, Meiko "Menma" Honma, appears and pesters him to grant a forgotten wish. He pays her no mind, which annoys her, but he doesn't really care. After all, Menma already died years ago. At first, Jinta thinks that he is merely hallucinating due to the summer heat, but he is later on convinced that what he sees truly is the ghost of Menma. Jinta and his group of childhood friends grew apart after her untimely death, but they are drawn together once more as they try to lay Menma's spirit to rest. Re-living their pain and guilt, will they be able to find the strength to help not only Menma move on—but themselves as well?
What people say
Community consensus
Derived from 500 sampled reviews of 569
What 500 viewers settled on.
Polarized
σ 1.95 · split reception
6.3 pts
Recommenders 9.1 · others 2.8
↓ 0.56
Running avg · Jun 2011 → Jul 2025
- 8 “This anime was really good and touchy. At times it felt slow, and I felt Jinta was a late bloomer to how he could have proved Menma was "real". Overall it was great and I clapped during the end...”
- 8 “Oh my god, this anime is so sad. It's kind of confusing at first, but the plot is clear and there are no fillers. Menma is an adorable, loving character that I would love to have as a friend....”
- 10 “Ano Hana is simply amazing. there are no words to describe how much i loved watching this. nearly every episode brought me to tears, especially the last few. the character development is just...”
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- Format 11 × 22′ eps × min
- Total runtime 4h 02m all episodes
- Aired Apr 2011 – Jun 2011 Spring 2011
- Source Tv media type
- Rated PG 13 - Teens 13 or older
- Ref. BS-5996 catalog
Produced by
- Aniplex Producer
- Dentsu Producer
- Fuji TV Producer
- Fujipacific Music Producer
Licensed by
- NIS America, Inc. Licensor
- Aniplex of America Licensor