Review of Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

AnoHana is one of those anime with the goal of making you cry. Since I'm a crybaby, this would make me cry right? Wrong. Yes, I did tear up on the last episode but it wasn't the "My heart is breaking and I just want to lament my loss" nor "My heart is filled with so much joy right now". It was the "Aww, that's so sad but it didn't affect me that much. A few tears will do.". I honestly question myself if it really DID make me cry. For now, I'm going to tell you the things that I love. The animation andart style are absolutely gorgeous. I'm so happy I watched it in HD. There were a lot of sceneries and the moment when the sun rose up in the last episode was one of the greatest animation I've ever seen. It made the scene more beautiful.

The soundtrack was great as well. The opening song gave me the "Kimi no Nawa" feels. The ending song was also very beautiful. It was perfect for the theme the anime was aiming for. And the way they added the ending song as background was well-timed it made some scenes more emotional.

In terms of the characters, there's only one person who caught my interest the whole time- Jinta's father. He was a great dad. He didn't get angry when Jinta refused to go to school and supported him instead. He gave him freedom and let Jinta decide for himself.

This attitude may cause debates since parents are supposed to be disciplinarian but I truly appreciate his parenting style. I honestly believe that a person can only grow if you let go of the reins and let him face the consequences or rewards of his actions. But don't forget to help him when he needs one.

Jinta's dad did the same thing. He didn't scold him and continued to shower him with his love. Jinta, in turn, noticed this and at first thought that things were easier if he could do whatever he wanted. But later on, Jinta realized the importance of responsibility and apologized to his father.

Did you see that? By giving Jinta freedom, he realized his mistakes on his own and decided that he would correct them and be a better person. There's a big difference between forcing your ideals onto another person and that person developing his own principles, after all. And of course this is just my own opinion.

And now, let's go back to the discussion if AnoHana really made me cry. Well it did, but JUST a little bit. As I looked back, there were a few things that explained why I didn't sob.

First, my emotional attachment to the characters (except for Jinta's father) wasn't deep. That's why when they all suffered, there was only just a light tug in my heart and nothing more.

Second, I moved on too easily because the ending didn't satisfy me. Yes it tied up loose ends but there was just something missing. Compared to the ending of Re:Zero, it paled in comparison. Although the ending of AnoHana is good, especially on the last frame, it just didn't have the same impact.

Third, I was really disappointed. I expected AnoHana to be dramatic and relatable that'll break my heart. It's also highly rated and is always included on the list of saddest anime of all time. So where did it go wrong? I have one answer. Too long. The story dragged for so long I skipped some scenes which ultimately made me not too emotionally invested.

Fourth, I wasn't completely "present" on that world. Just like what I have stated in my review of Re:Zero, to be "present", I need to LITERALLY feel what the protagonist Is feeling. I was emotionally present when Subaru, the protagonist in Re:Zero, suffered and celebrated. All of his emotions were my own. And in AnoHana, that didn't happen to me. I was like an outsider trying her best to meddle in her neighbor's affairs out of pity and concern. And it wasn't a good feeling.

Over-all, AnoHana is a good anime. Even though a lot of things in this anime except for Jinta's father are forgettable, I still enjoyed some of its parts.

I rate AnoHana 7 out of 10.

Story: 6/10
Art: 10/10
Sound: 10/10
Character: 5/10
Enjoyment: 5/10
Overall: 7/10