Quite easily one of the best series this season.





Title: あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない。/ あの花 / We still don't know the name of the flower we saw that day. / AnoHana
Genre: Drama, Slice of Life,Tragedy
Animation Production: A1 Pictures


AnoHana is a treat to watch in everyway. It's got a great story and plot, thought out characters, not to mention the art and animation is gorgeous. Aside from Menma, the voice casting is great too. Menma took a bit of getting used too; that megamoe voice has such contrast from the rest of the characters.




The characters feel very human in this series. All too often you'll have characters, and it's not limited to manga and anime only, that don't feel human. They'll react or act in ways that simply don't feel natural. In AnoHana, all the characters feel painfully realistic. We can relate to almost each and everyone of them, maybe even with Menma. I'd give the credit to the script writer, Mari Okada. If you didn't read my preview, you can do so here. I mentioned in the preview that the team behind AnoHana is more or less the same team that brought us ToraDora, which I think is one of J.C. Staff's best series. 




I don't think I have any complaints about the series. The characters are developing nicely, and we learn more about how Jinta went from an outgoing and energetic boy to a moping recluse. Character development is important in series like these, and I feel that many series don't do it very well *coughJ.C.staff, DEENcough*.


Jinta's situation is painfully real. I'm sure we've all experienced it one way or another, maybe not to the same extent as he has, but you get the point. It can probably be best explained using the classic phrase, 'you never know what you've got until it's gone'. He's weighed down heavily by regret; regret from what he said about Menma on that day, and later, running away from his bedridden mother. In grade 11 english, I'd call this 'internal conflict'.


I really liked how we were able to see how all the characters acted in Jinta's flashback, before any of them showed up in the present time. We see how much they've changed, and how much Menma hasn't. Another thing I really like about the series is how we learn about the characters through various means. Some of it directly told (like in dialogue), some of it is gained through flashbacks, and some of it is inferred.


I think the mystery of Menma is more or less keeping everybody on their toes. The series does drop subtle hints about some of the mysteries in the episodes, but still none about Menma herself. I think we can more or less rule out the idea that she's the manifestation of Jinta's stress. Why? Because she can be away from Jinta and still touch physical objects. She's more of a poltergeist than an illusion.


Who else thinks that Anjou looks best with her hair down? I certainly do. I also think that this is the season of glorious one piece dresses. Toru (A Channel) wore one, Menma's always wearing one, Anjou's often seen in them outside of school, Erio (Denpa) had one in the latest episode. All hail the one piece dress!

I'd stare too.