Review of Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
About once a year I need to remind myself not to get too complacent in trusting reviews and recommendations and to come into things without expectations. For me, this anime was that reminder for 2020. If you have a look at my profile and my favorite anime list you'll see a plethora of anime about love, romance and sad, emotional content. This is very much my type of show. Between that and the great reviews and plethora of recommendations on top 10 lists and such I came into Anohana, a show I'd been meaning to watch for months, thinking I'd probably love it. Spoiler- Ididn't.
From everything I can tell this show is simply overrated. For its short 11 episode ride I teetered back and forth between "I've seen this before" and "this is kind of boring". There simply isn't a lot of meat on the bone. There's really only one major "event" or plot point in the whole show (the ending) and it just didn't hit me in the feels. Many tropes and cliches are on full display here. Mixed gender group of high school age friends who have known each other for a long time? Check. Love triangles and different people having feelings for each other that they're too shy/afraid to vocalize? Yep. Growing and bonding as a group and learning via your shared experiences? Of course. I don't think any of the characters in this program are memorable and they're all, for the most part, generic stereotypes.
I also think this being "one of the saddest anime of all time", a remark I've heard many, many times, is wildly overstated. I'm not someone who is ashamed of being emotionally effected by games or anime. I have absolutely shed my share of man tears when watching deeply emotional programs. This show never got me even close. I simply did not find it all that emotionally impactful.
I DID think the show had nice animation and a pretty good soundtrack, particularly its ending song "Secret Base". That's fine and well, but presentation can only take you so far when there's a lack of actual substance. I spent most of my viewing experience watching a lot of talking and crying and waiting for something to happen- waiting for that amazing, emotional moment that made it clear as day to me why people like this anime so much- and it simply never came. It was just kind of slow and boring and forgettable.
Overall, this is a GOOD show, but I don't think it's a GREAT one or anything beyond that. Perhaps some of my comments above make it sound like I didn't even find this to be a good show and that gets back to the bigger picture point I started this review with- this is why I shouldn't come into an anime with expectations. Maybe if I'd come into this completely blind and neutral I'd not be this disappointed. But I didn't. And I am.
OBJECTIVE RATING- 7.5
PERSONAL ENJOYMENT RATING- 7