Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day Series Review
***SPOILER WARNING!!!!***
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Story:
Anohana is a story about friends who drift apart after the death of one of the groups members. The story centers itself around Jinta who has arguably taken the most toll from the death of Meiko. In the beginning of the show Jinta starts to see Meiko (AKA Menma) who he writes of as a "summer beast" or hallucination. He quickly realizes she isn't a figment of his imagination and goes on to accomplish the wish she wants so she can "go to heaven". As the story progresses we learn the toll that Menma's death had on all the people around her and the weight everyone had been carrying through all those long years.
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Characters:
Jinta - Jinta is one of the central characters of the plot. He takes a heavy toll on Menma's death and is quite heartbroken about it. Because of this situation he has become a recluse and basically a hikikimori. As the series progresses we actually see that he isn't alone in the fact that he blames himself for Menma's death.
Meiko (Menma) - Is a sweet girl who wants to do right by her friends. She is caring and supportive but also has her own reasons to be around her old group of friends. We learn more about what she truly desires as we come to the end of the series.
Anjo (Anaru) - Another member of the Super Peace Busters. We learn more about her motives and her real personality as the series progresses. Out of all the characters I felt worse for her than anyone else.
Yukiatsu - Least favorite character of the series and a weirdo. But you'll have to find out for yourself what is wrong with him. A real jerk to Jinta and the rest of the group we don't really get his full story until closer to the shows conclusion. The show does it's best to redeem him at the end.
Tsuruko - A real go getter but a somewhat cold and shy person. She is not particularly hard to read but she holds up a defense that we don't learn until well after everyone else in the show. I personally love how well she held together all these years and how forward she is. Personally one of my other favorites of the show.
Popo - Last but not least we have Popo. Not to be confused with DBZ's Mr Popo. He is a hard working and energetic. Another one of my favorites and is a very trusting friend. He is somebody that I would personally love to hang with. We learn of his burdens very late in the show and it feels somewhat forced. However, his story in his own right is tragic.
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Music:
The OP
Anohana did not have a remarkable soundtrack but it did have a few standouts. Namely the OP which always got you into the proper mood for the show and what you were about to see. You couldn't ask for a better opening for a show like this.
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Animation:
Animation took me a while to get used to. The art style can be quite beautiful at times and at other times it could just be average. There was never a moment I thought the animation or art style went below average. It was consistent and stuck with a style all the way to the end. Most of the images in this review are from the show including the above screen grab. I personally liked how they panned around scenes and the use of camera angles. Not everyone will live it but I personally was pleasantly surprised by how good everything was.
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Overall Thoughts:
This is a good anime. Not everyone likes the author but I thought this show had something to tell and had a meaning behind it. It did get melodramatic at times but for the most part this was a feel good show through and through. Some will get depressed by it. It will probably create a void for you. If you like
Clannad or
Toradora then chances are you will probably like this show.
It may be a simple message and one you won't have to think that hard about but it's theme is an important one and is something that I think most people can resonate with or can put themselves into the shoes of any one of these characters. It's not a perfect show but what it sets out to do and say it does wonderfully.
-PshycoNinja