Review of Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

- "Menma, we found you!!!!!" - - "You guys finally found me!!!!" - So, ah yeah! You know: AnoHana is an anime that is a big tear-jerking, but it's very deep at the same time. Menma was the best character on all the anime. SHE DIDN'T DESERVE TO DIE, BRUH!!!! So, let's start with the review, but I can say, startly, that: this anime is an masterpiece, and everyone needs to take time to live that experience, right? Let's go, and you know: it's time to cry again, on this quarantine..... and a warning: this review also has spoilers, as all the reviews that Ido. So, let's go straight to the point right now, because I'm coiling too much.

Story: 10/10

So, the main premise of the story is: the difficult of dealing with the death of dear people, and how hurtful it can be, but at the same time, this is just one of best ways to make us to maturate, and even though someone too special for you was died, you need to keep (locked with 7 keys) this person on your heart forever. The story talks about an group of 6 friends (Jintan, Poppo, Tsuruko, Yukiatsu, Analu and Menma) that were separated, due to the death of one of their friends by an accident (in that case Menma). So, 10 years passed, and the group is still separated. Basically everyone is taking their own pathes alone, and the main character affected by the Menma's death was Jintan. He basically get out from the school (and from the school's sporty club) after the incident, and he's just only staying home, because he (and everyone) are with an childhood trauma, due to Menma's death. But after an 10 years, the Menma's ghost just appeared to them (first to Jintan and after for everyone), because Menma really wanted to realize an wish before her death. At the first, she doesn't know exactly what was her wish, but with the course of episodes, Jintan are joining all his old friends, to help Menma to discover: what was her wish? So, the story is just like that. And yeah, at the end (from the 1st to the final episode), I just exploded into tears. Because we can see an constant coming-of-age process to all the characters. They're becoming friends again, they're joining their old secret base (which are in a forest, and in the childhood, they were and still are the Super Protectors of Peace), only to be able to see Menma again and discover her wish. And with the course of episodes, we discover: what was the real wish of Menma. I mean, Menma really had a lot of wishes (not just one). She: just wanted to make fireworks with their friends; just wanted to see Jintan cry, because after the death of his mother (and yeah, his mother just died, and you'll noticed that on the entire anime), Jintan became a tough guy, practically feelingless. But all the wishes are just connected to one main wish: that Menma really want to see all her friends together and forever, even if she was no longer among them. So, this just hitted my heart so deeply, it hurted a lot, and I cried too much. But I need to say: their friendship is something pretty, unique and something that we really wish to have in the real life. I think this anime can change the life of many people. Because, nowadays, the people are being less friendly, and this anime is just to say: that people needs to be kinder with each other, and need to valorize more the people around them. Because, people are paying more attention to things that are not so valuable to be focused, and forgot about their friends and the people around. So, AnoHana is an incentive to make people rethink about the lives, because for the characters, the death of their friend (Menma) was an tragedy, and with that, they cried a lot, but matured too much. It was an trauma, but it was an life-changing event to them. I mean, the 1st episodes can be heartwarming (because there's some moments that was funny), but I bet (if you still didn't watch this) you'll cry with the last episodes, as I did. And if you still didn't watch AnoHana, you're losing your time, so just go to watch it. And the last episode, bruh: it just crushed me. When Menma was disappearing into the sunrise, because she was already realized her wish, so she can go to the sky paradise (and with the friends reading the messages that she left to everyone), bruh.... it's impossible to not get emotional with that moment. I mean, because you'll see the trajectory of the characters, you'll see their maturation process, and you'll cry with that. The messages that Menma left to them was an stab to the heart (it was basically: I like the way you guys are; don't fight themselves; Menma doesn't like of that; Stay together as friends forever, please; This is my big wish). And I couldn't contain myself on that time, I exploded into tears, and my eyes got red. This was so deep bro. So, anyway, AnoHana is not an tear-jerking anime, it's an learning, so 10/10. It's impossible to not get attached to the story, and this is an memorable thing (will be stuck on my head forever), because it's life-changing, and an opportunity to rethink about that life we're living right now. So, 10/10. Very great story, it portraits the youth amazingly good, and I had some nostalgia feelings while I was watching AnoHana. Because this show is a little bit old, but it's still gold.

Art: 9/10

So, you know, this anime was launched on 2011. And the art, on this year, was still not the best. But, A-1 Pictures studio (since your foundation) is always producing a lot of stunning art-looking animes. I hardly found the HD episodes of AnoHana, but the art was so great for an anime of this year. I mean, for me, the saddest animes that A-1 Pictures produced were: AnoHana and Shigatsu Wa Kimi No Uso (those are very f*cking sad and with truly emotional stories). And AnoHana's animation art is pretty above average. I got confused by the art style between this and Darling in the FranXX (I already said that on my Darling's review), but they aren't from the same director, so it got me confused. But the art on AnoHana is pretty good, and pretty decent on my opinion. The scenarios design is pretty pretty realistic, and the character design is something very cute, specially when it comes about Menma (owww, she was so cute, but she died, and this fact just broke my heart into a lot of pieces). But the art is very good, so, there's not too much to talk about this point. It's a little bit simple, but it's very beautiful and gleaming to look. So, 9/10, because is quite gorgeous, specially the main bridge art design (that's on the main cover artwork), and about the scenarios style. These two things are so pretty. 9/10

Sound: 10/10

Ok, it's being hard to me, to don't cry while write this review, so I'm trying to contain myself. The soundtrack aspect makes AnoHana even more memorable. Both opening and ending are so perfect and delightful to hear. Both of them were give to me an nostalgia feeling, and that was something new to me. Just hearing (and seeing) the opening, it already makes me cry, because the opening just reflects the major of things about the anime, and the opening and ending lyrics are so beautiful and emotional. It talks about: love, youth, childhood, the dreams that we already had on our childhood, about hope, and the lyrics also reflects about the main things on the anime. And if you pay a lot of attention, you'll notice that: the opening was sung by the Jintan's voice actor, and the ending was sung by the voice actors of Analu, Tsuruko and Menma. And also this fact just get me to the emotions. Sorry, but I'm the type of person that cry so easily with the things. And, the background soundtracks is not something very visible, but it's very touching to hear. There's only piano background soundtracks, but only on the moments when it has flashbacks of their childhood with Menma. And the piano soudtracks was so touching to hear, makes me even sadder, because those flashback moment are very catchy. So, I got more emotioned by the ending song, due to the style, etc. And with the final moment, the "Secret Base" song just fitted so perfectly, and it was like an heartbreaking moment. And mixed with this song makes more even sad. So, 10/10. It's something very memorable, and one of the main elements that will make you sad with AnoHana.

Character: 10/10

And the character aspect was something very inspiring. We can describe all the characters (before and after the Menma's death): Jintan, before the main guy who was the leader of everyone, and after the guy that doesn't leave his home, and having a lot of regrets and blame above Menma; Analu, before the shy girl, that was a little bit unsecure with herself and wished to be like Menma when she was a child, and after the girl that made some friends, a very outgoing and stressful girl with Jintan situation, and still wants to be like Menma; Poppo, well he didn't change almost anything about his personality: he continues to be the most friendly guy on the anime, before and after the Menma's death, and he's very kind, and still likes of his old friends, even with the tragic accident; Yukiatsu, before the quiet guy, that didn't consider Jintan as the leader of the team, and loved so much Menma, and after the sporty and smart guy (that studies on an advanced school), and hates Jintan, because he thinks that Jintan was the responsible by the Menma's death. And Tsuruko; she also didn't change her personality, before and after the Menma's death: she continues to be the shiest girl on the group, but now, she's on the same school of Yukiatsu, and she's still a little bit unsecure with herself. So, all the characters are descriptable, and in one time or another, you'll ended up identifying with one of them. I identified myself with Jintan, because he was the member of the group that loaded a lot more of regrets about Menma (and that's something that really hitted me). Again, the characters are very inspiring, and you'll experience their: situations, pains and unsecurities. Especially about the Menma's mother, because she was really suffering by the death of her daughter, and I felt her suffering so so hardly. And there's one main interesting thing that you can learn about the Japanese culture: when the people die on Japan, the members of your family (and your friends): lights up an incense, and pray for the died people to stay good, anywhere they are. And they do this in front of an portrait of this people, with a lot of candles and flowers on the background. And that's something very good to know about the Japaneses, but the death of the people, for us, is something very hurtful, because you lost an important people to your life development, right? But on the Japan's culture don't! They believe that the people die, but when they die, they go to an place called "Limbo" (which is basically an place that's the transition between the death and the reincarnation). Because the Japan's culture believes that people can reincarnate on an near future, but in an another form (like in an form of: another person, or of an object, etc.) This looks a little bit strange, but yeah! I respect that! So, the characters is something very unique and will touch your heart in a lot of moments, that you'll feel of what they are passing, right? 10/10, that's a fixed thing. I would like to talk more about the characters, but it's something a little bit unexplainable, simple words can't explain about the beauty of all the characters, and about their feelings. It's an heartbreaking element on AnoHana.

Enjoyment: 10/10

Overall: 10/10

So, as you guys could see, I cried too much with AnoHana, because it was an slice-of-life anime that really got my respect. I ended up this anime today (surprisingly), and I kept crying for like 30 minutes or something after finish the last episode. You know, our parents probably don't like too much about that, because: "they also think that some shows can be very sad, but it's only reasonable to cry during watching, right? And after watch something like that, tears after watching are something very exaggerated, that we don't need to be like that, because (at least my parents) they keep saying that the things that happen on the animes wasn't happened on my life, etc". Well, what can I do??? Most of the animes are very sad with inspiring messages and lessons, because Japanese are attached to make shows of that type, right? And I like too much of anime, so what can I do? The things above, at least my parents, are keep saying to me. But I don't care too much about that, because sometimes we really need to cry, right? We need to reflect about the actual that we're living, because life is very hard nowadays (specially on this quarantine), so can't we suffer for a little bit?? Lol, it looks funny, but it's true. We need a balanced life, between happiness and sadness. That's an fact! But I never expected to cry with an anime in the same way as Koe No Katachi. Because this movie was the saddest one I've ever seen. And I wasn't expecting to cry as the same way it was with Koe No Katachi, and it was!!! On the final episode, I cried like a child, and I really need to hope that, one day, Menma will reincarnate to the world again. Again, she's not a real person, but: WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH, MENMA!!! YOU ARE AN HEARTWARMING CHARACTER, THAT WILL STAY ON OUR HEARTS FOREVER!!! I just got emotional, by only saying that, yeah!!!! And after the big rivers of tears, AnoHana is an anime to make you breath so deeply, and think: what were the most hurtful regrets on my life until here?? Am I being a good persom until here? And yeah, AnoHana just passed three beautiful messages: keep the image of dear people for you FOREVER on your heart (even they're dead or not); valorize more the people around you; and even with the difficulties and pains that the world can bring to you, you need to go ahead, maturate and continue to be a kind person with your next, so as the Menma said: "You need to continue to be friends and stay together forever, even if I'm no longer among you guys". That's definitely was a shot on the chest, and I'm pretty that this anime can change the life of many people, as with me. So, yeah. I finish my review right here. I really enjoyed too much AnoHana, and as Koe No Katachi, I cried rivers after watching, and it can take a place on my heart so easily. Inspiring characters and life-changing story makes AnoHana as a masterpiece. AnoHana is definitely on my top 10: best animes that I've ever watched. It's something memorable, and for the curiosity: AnoHana, on Japanese, literally means: "the flower that blooms". So, same as the whole name: "AnoHana: The Flower We Saw that Day". And the last things that Jintan said on the last episode just intensified my feelings harder and harder. But, anyway, 10/10 to this anime. It's very unexplainably perfect the beauty of AnoHana, and you noticed that l like too much to do long reviews, and this is also another one. Have a nice day, guys! Bye!