Review of Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
The 11 episode anime has ended and it was very good, I like the story of 6 friends who are torn apart upon the sudden dead of their most cheerful of them, so my rating: Story: Good 7. I like the plot were 6 childhood friends whom were once close with each other until tragedy stuck that has affected their friendship and has devastated one of them the most, to the point that he has become a recluse and for some reason he’s the only who could see the soul of the dead Menma , it turns out that he (Jinta) is actually Menma’s unfinished business. Theanime itself has also given us an idea as to how Japanese perceive life after dead, were they believe in reincarnation, not surprising that it is based on their Shinto belief. I also like the part were the ghost, Menma, doesn’t know why she hasn’t cross-over yet and so the whole 11 episode of this anime is for both Jinta and Menma’s quest (soon everyone else joined in) to find the reason for Menma to cross-over, also the anime deals on the relationship of Menma’s remaining friends to rediscover themselves and to move on.
Art: Mediocre 5.
Whoever did the illustration of this anime is probability the same one who did “Working” and “Toradora.”
Sound: Good 7.
I’m referring to both the opening and closing themes, it really tells something about the anime even if I can’t understand Japanese.
Characters: Good 7.
Lest start with the ghost.
Honma Meiko (Menma) – she’s a ghost, like duh, every body knows that (sorry guys, just talking to myself), enough of that, so she can’t cross-over until she has settle her unfinished business with Jinta which she has no idea that it is the reason for her unable to cross-over (I may have said that already), but I really like her childish behavior it kind of make her fun to watch. It’s a good thing that she’s also a poltergeist in which she can manifest herself through physical objects.
Yadomi “Jintan”Jinta – Well, it is obvious as to why he’s the only one to see Menma, he experienced a double tragedy in his life, first the death of his childhood friend/crush Menma and later on the death of his mother, the double tragedy turn him into a recluse or what they define in Japanese as a “Hikikomori.” Like Menma, he wonders as why he’s the only one who can see her and has no idea as to why Menma hasn’t cross-over after so many years of pestering him. I like his character of being stubborn but caring, but, I really am disgusted by him on having to be a freeloader and relay complete on his padre (father) who seems to be too kind to let him be so.
Anjou “Anaru” Naruko- At first one might think that she’s a nice girl turned wild co’z of her association with 2 of her classmates who goes on wild sprees, as it turns out she has some reservation all along being in their company and realized that she prefers the old gang back, unfortunately in the last episode she still seen with the 2 bitches whom nearly got her into trouble, I sympathize with her desire to be Jinta’s love interest and her jealousy towards Menma, which I think she’s a match for him instead of being a match for Yukiatsu. I got to hand it to the character’s voice actress I did know that Tomatsu Haruka, the same girl who did Lala Satalin Deviluke of “To Love Ru,” it is amazing that she can change the annunciation of her voice base on the character’s personality to the point that you might think it’s a different person .
Hisakawa Tetsudo or Poppo- The thing about him is that he’s as devastated as Jintan co’z he’s the first person to see Menma dead. What I like about him is that even if he’s carrying a heavy burden in his heart he still manages to put up a happy face.
Matsuyuki “Yukiatsu” Atsumu – Like Jintan he’s also affected by Menma’s death, but unlike Jintan and Poppo he was able to move on, I really don’t understand as to what gives about him dressing up as Menma and spooking everyone else, is it to make everybody to forget about Menma or was he trying to make everyone remember her? By the way I really like him paired up with Tsuruko.
Tsurumi Chiriko or “Tsuruko”- Of all Menma’s friends she probably the only one to completely move on, but was taken a back with her feelings for Yukiatsu, like Anaru she also has some jealousy towards Menma. What impresses me is her tsudere attitude towards the gang, co’z it is not like that she despises them, it’s just that she can’t bare to see some of them who still carries a burden about Menma (how many times do I have to mentioned that name?)
Enjoyment: Good 7.
The genre of this anime did deliver as what is expected, and it’s all good.
Overall: Good 7.
Overall the slice of life genre of this anime is more profound that the drama genre, co’z this does happen in real life, so about the 11 episode, in the case of Menma (I’m getting tired of mentioning that name) her plan was to make Jintan cry co’z that’s what she promise the latter’s madre (Jintan’s mother), as she gathers the gang, things didn’t when the way she planned and decided to do some damage control, but unlucky for her in such haste death is waiting for her. But the thing here is that what’s keeping her from crossing over was her plan to make Jintan cry all along. Also we see the gang opening up to each other thus rediscovering the friendship they had which what Menma (her again) wanted to do too. The slice of life of this anime shows us that the things we search for, is something that we don’t realizing that what we having been looking for is just near by, it also teaches us a lesson that the world is not gonna stop for anybody and that one must move on regardless of the pain he/she carry’s. In the case of ghost, the most difficult thing about them is guessing what their unfinished business is