At one point or another everyone has experienced the pain of losing someone but everyone responds to this pain differently. The experience of responding to that pain is something very unusual and it is the main focus of the anime series Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day by Mari Okada.
It’s been years since the nice and lively girl, Meiko “Menma” Honma died in an accident but suddenly her spirit appears in front of Jinta who used to be enigmatic leader of their friendship group “Super Peace Busters” when they were kids. The group has been broken now and Jinta is not as charismatic as he used to be. They both come to a conclusion that for her to pass on to heaven they need to fulfill a forgotten wish for her but for that purpose Jinta must reunite with his alienated friends, who have still not gotten over the pain of losing and trying to overcome it in their own way.
Anohana is an emotional rollercoaster ride. Those who have seen Okada’s other work like Maquia would be familiar with the intense emotional ride that can also be expected from this series. I must say that it’s not easy to write something in such way that could hit you so hard that you end up crying and this skill is pure art which we can see in Okada’s both series. Even if you watch those series many times, it will always make your eyes teary no matter how much you try not to cry. It’s not just about writing something tragic but it’s an art of letting those feelings develop slowly with the right pace and balanced emotions that takes it time for us to understand every deep and complicated character that we end up relating to them.
It may not be evident when these characters are introduced but deep down inside each one of them had grief of Menma’s death buried in their hearts. For instance Atsumu is introduced as a jerk and arrogant who cracks jokes and makes fun of Menma’s spirit. But as the story progresses and his weaknesses are touched upon, we realize that he is actually the most heart-breaking characters in the anime. He is a lonely person and it’s quite heart-wrenching to see such person too closely who is lively from on the surface but miserable on the inside.
Anohana is a praise-worthy anime not just because of the depiction of how the characters deal with the pain and grief but also due to its courageous acknowledgment of the fact that even the liveliest people can be heartbroken due to some extremely dreadful feelings. The series gets to its intensive emotional level when these feelings burst out with the tears of exceptional cast Haruka Tomatsu. The complicated story is not just the only strength of this series but watching them responding to the grief is what makes me wonder about my own loss. We all try to keep our deceased loved ones alive in our hearts and cry now and then after remembering them but after watching Menma reprimanding Jinta for going to her parents and remind them of her unnecessarily, led me to wonder if I am doing the right thing for my loved ones.
Although Anohana is focused on a group of friends. The central point of the series is the sad relationship of Jinta and Menma. They are great together, content when the other is around. Their wholesome interaction makes me smile but that smile is just a temporary thing as the reality is far more painful. Their relationship is both beautiful and tragic just like the series itself.
Although the writer of the series deserves to be praised for her beautiful work but the director Tatsuyuki Nagai has done an exceptionally brilliant job with the framing of such a heart wrenching series. The director has worked greatly with the perceptions of the characters. For instance, in some scenes we cannot see Menma when the perspective is changed from Jinta’s view, so we can see Jinta’s action which seems unusual to those who cannot see Menma. Character design and animation is the other aspect of this wonderful series that has contributed to its beauty. Although Menma seems older than her friends but she has retained her childish nature and innocence as she has been shown to be over excited for the “hunt for Menma” even though that’s herself. It’s sadder to see such a pure and adorable character, dead in the series.
Although there are some noticeable flaws in the animation of the characters despite of eye-catching visuals throughout the series. The characters usually show not as many details as they have in wide shots. The key fireworks scene is not as good as could have been.
All in all, it’s understandable, why Anohana is one of the great work of Mari Okada and is such an unforgettable series that Super Peace Busters took the idea for the name from this series. It’s flawlessly and carefully written story is so relatable that can make any person feel for its characters and end up crying but will leave you satisfied in the end. It’s now available in Blu-ray and even though it took so long to reach West, it the series that should not be missed.
