Review of Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

I just want to strangle the guy who created this wonderful piece for making me cry so much. AnoHi (not going to write out the whole thing) is a beautiful story about a girl who dies, but returns to one of her best friends in the form of a sort of "spirit" - but things are not they once were. Her best friends are now all separated and seems hopelessly... unsalvageable (I don't think that's a word, but screw it). The story was simplistic and straightforward - something I really appreciated. There was no need to think hard about what was happening about thescreen in front of me and made it far easier to enjoy and soak in the emotions the story was trying to give off. And the conflicts/drama between the characters with their backstories really put me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The pacing was done well considering that it was a 12-episode piece, finishing off strong with a powerful ending that led me staring at the computer screen long after the credits finished rolling with water leaking from my eyes. One last thing I really liked was that the story didn't end the way I had expected. It caught me by slight surprise, which just added to the leaking water I had pouring out of my eyes.

The art and sound were also simple - nothing special, yet they were both of high quality that could definitely be appreciated as strengthening supplements to the story.

The characters of the story were so colorful. Junpei, Menma, and the rest of the friends all had their quirks and talents, yet they all had a hidden side to them that was revealed as the story went on. And it was heart-warming to see the development of the friends returning to their close relationship to one another as now young adults.

I was sorely disappointed that the story ended the way it did - and so short too! I might have liked it if they stretched it out over a little longer with more cherishing moments of Menma returning to the gang of friends she left with her death - but the ending was beautiful - something I cannot deny no matter how much I wanted another ending. And I really could appreciate the author taking that route, leaving the ending open-ended to a sliver of hope for the rest of the audience before the curtain closes for the last time.