somewhat sille, that's me!

I found this anime through an unexpected route. It started when I was again feeling pretty much despaired at the state the world is in now, i.e. having another weltschmerz episode (first world problem much? sigh).. So I was reading the wikipedia entry for that word, when it explains it as a "psychological pain caused by sadness... caused by the inappropriateness and cruelty of the world and (physical and social) circumstances". It continues to say that weltschmerz "can cause depression, resignation and escapism, and can become a mental problem (compare Hikikomori)". So I clicked on Hikikomori which is what they call "reclusive adolescents or adults who withdraw from social life, often seeking exceptional degrees of isolation and confinement." Now, I am a little of all that resigned depresso escapee thingy and often dream about taking off to some remote corner of the world but this sounded really extreme and depressing! Anyway, somewhere in the page was also a note to how it's portrayed in popular culture, and anime/manga in particular. There was a list of probably 5-7 titles, and I randomly clicked on one of them and ended up on this wiki page. I kinda liked the synopsis, but I wanted some assurance that this is worth it so I asked Dz if he'd watched the show before and what he thought of it. Turned out, he has, and he'd thought of recommending it to me, but because I'd told him earlier that I wasn't super keen on tear-jerkers, he didn't. Glad I still found my way to it - perhaps it's meant to be hehe!

Anyway.... Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない。 Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai, lit. "We Still Don't Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day.")(whaat a mouthful!!)(thankfully, it also goes by Anohana for short) is about "a group of six childhood friends who drifted apart after one of them, Meiko "Menma" Honma, dies in an accident. Ten years after the incident, the leader of the group, Jinta Yadomi, has withdrawn from society and lives as a recluse. One summer day, the ghost of an older looking Menma appears before him and asks to have a wish granted, reasoning that she cannot pass on into the afterlife until it is fulfilled. At first, he only tries to help her minimally because he thinks he is hallucinating. But since Menma does not remember what her wish is, Jinta gathers his estranged friends together once again, believing that they are the key to resolving this problem. All of friends join him, though most of them reluctantly. However, things grow increasingly complicated when his friends accuse him of not being able to get over the death of Menma, for Jinta is the only one who can see Menma's ghost and his friends think he is seeing things. But as things progress, it is realized that Jinta is not the only person in the group who is having trouble letting go of the past. It is revealed that a majority of the group members blame themselves for Menma's death and hidden feelings for other members of the group are rekindled. Along with feelings of bitterness from Menma's parents, the group struggles as they grow from trying to help Menma move on, to helping themselves move on, too." (Thanks, Wiki! =)

So, what was the verdict? :) I like it a lot, so much so that I think I love it! (Don't ask..) I'm still feeling the lingering sadness.. but it didn't make me cry... but then again, I'm a tough nut to crack in that department. I guess I'm just wired differently. Okay, I don't think my review will ever give this show justice, so I'm just going to copy+paste the best write-up on the show that I came across:

In terms of peripheries, the show delivers. The character designs are varied and pretty and the music is spot on for what is an emotional show. The animation has no readily noticeable flaws and the detail shown in the interactions between characters is one of the key qualities of the show's overall experience. The basic premise for the show is also a great starting point. The concept of close friends who have drifted apart is an affecting one and one I am sure most people can relate to without much difficulty. The breakdown of relationships, with all the regret and ill feeling that goes with it, is well portrayed and explored over such a short number of episodes. In terms of plotting, Anohana is a show that uses its runtime astonishingly well for the most part (exceptions will be discussed later) - the pacing is excellent and its emotional highs arrive without reservation or a hint of deviance. I never once got the sense that the show was wandering, the makers always seeming to have the plot and its steady progression well in hand.

In the end, with a show that centres on metaphorical burnt bridges, it was always going to be the characters and their relationships that would make or break this show. Jintan, the lead, is a character that it would be easy to hate; he is gloomy, static and prone to self-pitying sulks. The rest of the living friends aren't much better: Anaru is a weak-willed tsundere, Tsuruko is bitchy and snarky, Yukiatsu is hateful and creepy and Poppo tries so hard to be fun and carefree it is almost painful to watch (yet he is still the most likeable). But you said this show was good, I hear you say? It is, it is - that is the beauty of character development. Despite being quite negative characters, each one has at least something positive and emphatic that makes them worthwhile; the sheer volume of well-portrayed unrequited love amongst the cast and the individual ways that each character approaches those feelings and the feelings they have over Menma's death are varied, interesting and relatable. The frustrating aspects of each character never go far enough to be repulsive (not even Yukiatsu, though he certainly pushes it) and in the end I found myself backing each of them despite their more annoying aspects. Where the characterisation does go wrong is in the character of Menma. In a story populated by flawed but interesting characters, she stands out like a cardboard cut-out at a waxworks - coming across completely flat. It's understandable considering her position as a less developed (and less warped) character but even if she were to exist as little more than a plot device (she is more than that but her development over the series is definitely the most limited) then at least they could have made her a little less annoying. Just a little bit. She is certainly not a failure as a character, she is a core part of Jintan's growth, but I have met people who abandoned this series because of the volume of screen time she enjoys, especially at the beginning of the show.

Overall, though, this series achieves what it set out to do. The strong characterisation and solid story pacing allows for those big drama moments to hit hard and it rounds itself off as an enjoyable, beautiful spectacle throughout and especially at the end. If you are looking for a subtle, affecting show then this is not it but it is a well written, beautiful and often moving show and well worth a look for those looking for a little less 'animé' in their animé.

[full review here]

Haha, that was easy! Sorry I took all the shortcuts but I really just wanted to do a quick post about this show.. I thoroughly recommend this series! Stream it here.

One more thing: one of the best things about this show was the ending song. I usually skip the opening and ending songs when I watch anime (except for first episodes, just to check the songs out), but I made an exception for this show. This was the first time I'd listened through the entire opening and ending song every episode. Super love it!



Secret Base
Kayano Ai & Tomatsu Haruka & Hayami Saori
Ending song to the anime Anohana

君と夏の終わり　将来の夢　
Kimi to natsu no owari shourai no yume
大きな希望　忘れない
Ookina kibou wasurenai
10年後の8月
Juu nen go no hachigatsu
また出会えるのを　信じて
Mata deaeru no wo shinjite
最高の思い出を…
Saikou no omoide wo...
The end of the summer with you
Our dreams for the future, the big hopes, I won’t forget them
Believing that I’ll meet you again in August, ten years from now
The best memories…

出会いは　ふっとした　瞬間　帰り道の交差点で　
Deai wa futto shita shunkan kaerimichi no kousaten de
声をかけてくれたね　「一緒に帰ろう」
Koe wo kakete kureta ne "issho ni kaerou"
僕は　照れくさそうに　カバンで顔を隠しながら
Boku wa terekusa sou ni kaban de kao wo kakushi nagara
本当は　とても　とても　嬉しかったよ
Hontou wa totemo totemo ureshikatta yo
Our meeting was that one moment, on the way home at the intersection
You said to me, “Let’s walk home together”
I hid my face behind my bag, but really, I was very very happy

あぁ　花火が夜空　きれいに咲いて　ちょっとセツナク
Aa hanabi ga yozora kirei ni saite chotto setsunaku
あぁ　風が時間とともに　流れる
Aa kaze ga jikan to tomo ni nagareru
嬉しくって　楽しくって　冒険も　いろいろしたね
Ureshiku tte tanoshiku tte bouken mo iroiro shita ne
二人の　秘密の　基地の中
Futari no himitsu no kichi no naka
Ah, the fireworks bloom beautifully in the night sky, a little sad
Ah, the wind blows along with time, being happy, having fun
We went on many adventures too inside our secret base

君と夏の終わり　将来の夢　大きな希望　忘れない
Kimi to natsu no owari shourai no yume Ookina kibou wasurenai
10年後の8月　また出会えるのを　信じて
Juu nen go no hachigatsu mata deaeru no wo shinjite
君が最後まで　心から　「ありがとう」
Kimi ga saigo made kokoro kara "arigatou" Sakendeita koto
叫んでいたこと　知っていたよ
Shiteita yo
涙をこらえて　笑顔でさよなら　せつないよね
Namida wo koraete egao de sayonara setsunai yo ne
最高の思い出を…
Saikou no omoide wo...
The end of the summer with you
Our dreams for the future, the big hopes, I won’t forget them
Believing that I’ll meet you again in August, ten years from now
I know you shouted, “thank you” from your heart, till the end
Holding tears back, smiling a goodbye
It was sad, the best memories…

あぁ　夏休みも　あと少しで　終わっちゃうから
Aa natsuyasumi mo ato sukoshi de owacchau kara
あぁ　太陽と月　仲良くして
Aa taiyou to tsuki nakayoku shite
悲しくって　寂しくって　喧嘩も　いろいろしたね
Kanashiku tte sabishiku tte kenka mo iroiro shita ne
二人の　秘密の　基地の中
Futari no himitsu no kichi no naka
Ah, summer vacation is almost over
So I hope that the sun and moon get along
Being sad, and being lonely
We fought a lot inside our secret base


君が最後まで　心から　「ありがとう」叫んでいたこと　
Kimi ga saigo made kokoro kara "arigatou" sakendeita koto
知っていたよ
Shiteita yo
涙をこらえて　笑顔でさよなら　せつないよね
Namida wo koraete egao de sayonara setsunai yo ne
最高の思い出を…
Saikou no omoide wo...
I know you shouted, “thank you” from your heart, till the end
Holding tears back, smiling a goodbye, it was sad
The best memories…


突然の　転校で　どうしようもなく
Totsuzen no tenkou de dou shiyou mo naku
手紙　書くよ　電話もするよ　忘れないでね　僕のことを
Tegami kaku yo denwa mo suru yo Wasurenaide ne boku no koto wo
いつまでも　二人の　基地の中
itsumademo futari no kichi no naka
I can’t do anything about a sudden transferring to another school
I’ll write letters, I’ll call you, so don’t forget me
Inside our secret base

君と夏の終わり　ずっと話して　
Kimi to natsu no owari zutto hanashite
夕日を見てから星を眺め
Yuuhi wo mite kara hoshi wo nagame
君の頬を　流れた涙は　ずっと忘れない
Kimi no hoho wo nagareta namida wa zutto wasurenai
君が最後まで　大きく手を振ってくれたこと　
Kimi ga saigo made ookikute wo futtekureta koto
きっと忘れない
Kitto wasurenai
だから　こうして　夢の中で　ずっと永遠に…
Dakara kou shite yume no naka de zutto eien ni...
I talked to you at the end of summer
Looking at the sunset and watching the stars
I’ll never forget the tear that rolled down your cheek
I’ll never forget you, waving your hands till the end
So forever, like this, in our dreams…

君と夏の終わり　将来の夢　大きな希望　忘れない
Kimi to natsu no owari shourai no yume Ookina kibou wasurenai
10年後の8月　また出会えるのを　信じて
Juu nen go no hachigatsu mata deaeru no wo shinjite
君が最後まで　心から　「ありがとう」叫んでいたこと
Kimi ga saigo made kokoro kara "arigatou" sakendeita koto
知っていたよ
Shiteita yo
涙をこらえて　笑顔でさよなら　せつないよね
Namida wo koraete egao de sayonara setsunai yo ne
最高の思い出を…
Saikou no omoide wo...
The end of the summer with you
Our dreams for the future, the big hopes, I won’t forget them
Believing that I’ll meet you again in August, ten years from now
I know you shouted, “thank you” from your heart, till the end
Holding tears back, smiling a goodbye, it was sad
The best memories…

最高の思い出を…
Saikou no omoide wo...
The best memories…