Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day - Reviews

I'm going to have to be honest, this anime was amazing. The plot is great and the animation was flawless. It's embarrassing to say but, this anime made me cry more than any other anime I've ever watched in my life. It is extremely sad and I didn't think I'd cry like I did with Anohana. The first 4-6 episodes aren't very exiting and we're so boring I almost dropped the anime. But I'm glad I didn't because the last half is really interesting and awesome. Some parts of Anohana made me cringe hard, but this anime was still very cool and exiting! 

I absolutely loved this anime!!! It was actually one of the first animes that made me cry so hard lol. I highly reccomend watching if you like tear-jerking animes!

Introduction and Summary:

Anohana is a coming-of-age anime that focuses on the sensitive topic of ‘grieving’ or the process of grieving. It shows the ability of different characters within the story and how they process someone's death. The story starts with Jinta Yadomi [also known as Jintan] lazing around on the last few days of summer. He suddenly sees his childhood friend of whom has passed, Menma, wandering around and talking to him as if she were still alive. Trying to figure out why she is still on earth wandering about, Jinta assumes it’s because she has unfinished business on earth; an unfulfilled wish. To fulfill Menma’s desire, Jinta must go back and reflect on the past. Talk to his childhood friends (group) that broke apart due to Menma’s death and rejoin for the sake of her reappearance. Together they face their own problems while dealing with Menma’s (selfish vs. unselfish). 

Pacing:

In terms of pacing, much like any other slice-of-life or coming-of-age show, Anohana starts with a slow and steady pace, only later ohasize the characters' emotions (which later helps with character development), regardless of whether tn and in very few parts in the middle is the pacing ever fast. There are two reasons for the switch between pacing. Firstly, pacing helps make viewers feel as if they are experiencing whatever the characters experience in real-time. Lastly, the pacing in general, helps with the plot as it helps emphe character was a man or an extra. [Spoiler] A scene that focused on the pacing and emotions was Menma's mother having a breakdown in front of the Super Peace Busters. It focused on her rage and contempt for the other character moving on quickly and felt fast due to the yelling and fast-talking. You can see the other characters were startled as well because the outburst was so sudden. This was something so unexpected that even I was caught off guard. [spoiler end]

Plot:

The storyline in itself is really well written. The entirety of the idea about facing the topic of grief is interesting to the application of ‘ the stages of grief’ over a group of characters (or as they called themselves: Super Peace Busters). Throughout the anime the authors throw viewers off with multiple twists and turns. In my eyes I see three significant ones. [Spoiler] Yuki in the dress, Menma’s mother having a breakdown, and the way Menma was sent to heaven  [spoiler end]. I personally felt that the anime, although sad, had an extremely fulfilling ending. It was perfect in the fact that closure was given to the audience. The friend group obviously is seemingly repaired and Menma is laid to rest the proper way. I wouldn’t have asked for a different ending. Though it most likely broke multiple people's hearts to see their favorite characters crying and leaving, that is what makes the story significant and unique compared to a lot of other sad anime. 

Animation and Art:

Honestly, I wasn’t a massive fan of the art style, and the animation was mid at best. It was just another ecchi slice of life that doesn’t help separate this anime from others. When I watch anime, I expect something unique, and if both the art and animation are just regular, then the score will reflect that. There are points within the anime where the movement doesn’t seem fluid and is poorly transitioned. That is all. The only memorable scene where the art and animation seemed significant was when everyone was crying. To continue, the art of the characters especially reminded me so much of Pokemon for whatever reason. They weren’t aesthetically attractive. Like I’m sorry, Menma’s hair is just so butt ugly I couldn’t find myself to be too attached to her. It’s the annoying innocence that threw me off. I fell in love with the characters because of their relatable problems and expressive emotions rather than the art style. Also, I had a problem with the type of eyes for whatever reason. It was so emotionless during some crucial scenes. 

Sound:

I will say the soundtrack is fire, it has that summer innocence that I really dig. The background music that reflected the situation and scenes were also nice. Other than that there wasn’t anything really all that significant. The voice acting was pretty good, especially during the more expressive scenes but the background noises (stepping or walking) was mid. 

Characters:

I love the development of the characters in this anime. There are times where as a viewer; characters are put in relatable positions or states of emotions. Suppose one is not feeling that relatable aspect than its pity or empathy for them. Also, because of various characters, one can relate to multiple things, which is exceptionally unique. It's also charming to see the characters having to focus on their problems. Recognizing problems such as these isn't an easy task and makes them uncomfortable, but when they talk about it as a group to try and solve it… It's wholesome and is something that makes viewers feel more connected to said characters. For example, Jintan lazes around skipping school nearly every day in the beginning but starts going back for the sake of Menma and his friends. The character development, unlike some other anime, is pronounced and nice for a change. 

Overall:

The anime itself is really enjoyable. Although some parts of Anohana were slow and boring, the characters keep viewers interested in the plot. The friendship aspect and problem solving makes it refreshing. The only issues (if you consider them issues) that were visible are sometimes the weird artstyle or weak transitions and background sounds. Scenes would be more impactful if it were to be fixed or hit in a different way. I definitely recommend Anohana as more of a summer anime as it tends to be around that time in the anime. I wouldn’t however rewatch Anohana, there is nothing too significant for me to come back to it.

Extra Comments:

I mentioned previously that some scenes were very uncomfortable to watch due to the intensity of the situation or topic given. The anime tries to balance this line of childhood humor and becoming adults and facing reality thus those situations but still. They come without warning and could be taken in different lights. Some viewers might not be able to get past those scenes.

Well, this is the first of many great series this season to finish, and it definitely did not disappoint. Anyways, on to the review!

Story: 9.5/10

An extremely well constructed and well told story is the centerpiece of this series. Without spoiling, there isn't much to say except that it does a great job telling a well defined story. Sprinkled throughout are great moments of humor and tearjerking scenes.

Animation: 9/10

The series doesn't have the normal mode of animation, but is certainly good. It lacks any real action scenes to push it to the limit, but it is quite pretty. The OP and the ED are both extremely well animated and the character designs are well done.

Sounds: 9.5/10

Although most of the VAs are relatively unknown, they all do an extremely good job matching their characters. The OP and ED are both extremely catchy, and employed, along with the rest of the soundtrack, extremely well, often helping the mood set in even more.

Characters: 10/10

This series does a great job adding depth to every character, making characters you love to hate, hate to love, and just plain love. All of them are well thought out and stick to character throughout.

Overall: 9.5/10

This series does a great job of keeping you wanting more. The story is touching. The characters are well made and developed. The music is great. The ending is corny, but in a good way. All I can say is, if you have yet to see this series, you should immediately rectify that. Bring tissues.

First watch was meaningful. Second watch was just... annoying... I love this anime, don't get me wrong, but it genuinely peeves me off how annoying Menma is throughout the entire anime. Yes, I understand she has the personality of a young child, and I'm not saying she was horribly written, but I genuinely just dislike her as a character. Makes it hard to feel sorry for her when she disappears forever, but first watch was full of emotions.