A few days ago, I visited the UTW fansub blogsite to check if they already had the last two episodes of Hidan no Aria. It was by chance that I noticed another blog entry for a different anime series. All members of the staff involved in the fansubbing were extolling how great it was and how they would miss working on it.
I know that fansubbing was done because the people who work on them love anime and love sharing them with others. But it usually takes time and effort, so most of the time, a group finishes an anime series with relief, and not much more. So it was interesting to read their comments on this particular project that just ended.
I downloaded and proceeded to watch all 11 episodes straight through. I cried. A lot. And not just at the end. But I don't feel bad at all.
It was called Ano Hi Mata Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai or AnoHana for short. The story centers on six childhood friends who form the Super Peace Busters, making the nearby mountain their playground and base. One day, tragedy strikes when a member falls to her death. The remaining members of the group drift apart, each struggling with the emotions related to the tragedy.
Years after the incident, Jinta, leader of the Super Peace Busters, had become a recluse, and refuse to go to his school. His life became a routine of eating, sleeping and playing video games day in and day out, until a girl suddenly appeared one afternoon. The girl was Menma, his childhood friend who died years back, but looked as if she was the same age as he. He also found out that he was the only one who can see her. Unable to explain where she came from and how she appeared, she told him that she would like for him to grant her wish. Though she doesn't know what that wish actually was.
Jinta ventured out of his home, trying to figure out how to fulfill Menma's wish. He eventually encountered the other members of the Super Peace Busters, though it was apparent that things were not the same as they used to be. Anaru went to the same high school as Jinta, but was no longer close to him. Yukiatsu, along with Tsuruko, went to the high school Jinta failed to get in to, and ridiculed him for his reclusive life. Poppo was the only one who seemed to still have the same disposition as he did when they were children, staying in the old base of the Super Peace Busters when he is not traveling in other countries.
Jinta faced difficulties in his quest to help Menma. With the exception of Poppo, the members of the Super Peace Busters didn't believe that Menma was real, with Yukiatsu calling him a liar and delusional. Yet, the group found themselves drawn to help find out the true nature of Menma's wish and eventually fulfill it.
Slice of life anime series can only be successful with the strength of the characters created. And the characters created for AnoHana are done beautifully. Menma, of course, is at the center of everything. She was created to be endearing and was successfully done so, highlighting the reason why Jinta and Yukiatsu would be attracted to her, and why Anuru would admire her and be jealous of her at the same time. It was perfectly believable why, even in death, she can still help bind the group together again.
The core of the story was how the five remaining characters dealt with the death of Menma, and how they were changed by Menma's return, regardless of whether they believed it or not. Of course, we know that the change does not happen overnight, as evidenced by my desire to shout at Yukiatsu in several episodes. None of them are perfect (Yukiatsu), and they have to deal with guilt, jealousy, sadness, anger, selfishness and a feeling of helplessness through most of the series. I can guarantee that at one point or the other, you will feel these negative emotions in sympathy or directed towards one of the characters (again... Yukiatsu). But, I can also guarantee that wading through those negative emotions would be worth it. Jinta, Anaru, Yukiatsu, Tsuruko and Poppo's redemption through understanding in the end was very satisfying.
The title Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai translates to "We Still Don't Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day". I do have to tell you that none of the characters ever talked about the flower, and that I never got to find out what the name of that flower was. At the end of the series, I found that I didn't care.
All that mattered was that I got to know Jinta, Anaru, Yukiatsu, Tsuruko, Poppo, and of course, Menma.
I watched the series a second time with Marvin. And I found that with the second viewing, knowing the ending did not lessen how the series resonated with me.
And I still don't know the name of the flower.
But that's just fine by me. :)Labels: Anime, AnoHana, Drama, Must-Watch, Slice of Life, TV
