We Still Don't Know the Name...

I've been tapping into my backlog of shows since there aren't any shows I plan on watching until the fall, and there are quite a few I've been meaning to watch or catch up on. As Netflix rotates it's shows, I need to catch up on those that will be out of the queue soon.

The accident Menma suffers is hinted at several times.

Among those I've been meaning to watch, is Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi was Mada Shiranai (We Still Don't Know the Name of the Flower We Saw That Day), or AnoHana. It came out around the same time as Madoka Magica, and as you might recall that was a pretty busy season for me. A lot of good shows came out around that time, and this was no exception. It remains popular enough that in the fall it will even be getting a PSP game release.

AnoHana is the story of a high school boy being haunted by the ghost of his childhood friend who seems to have grown up as well, despite her untimely death as a child. She requests that he help grant her wish so that she might ascend to heaven. The catch is that it's going to require him to reunite the old childhood gang, none of which can see her.It is up to them to trust him that she is there, and to learn to forgive each other for what was ultimately an accident.

The series is relatively short at eleven episodes, and I would have liked to see it extended into at least eighteen. The last few episodes feel rather rushed, and there isn't much time for each character to fully develop. For the amount of time it has, it does a good job of bringing in character flaws, and, to some point, resolving them. There is no ultimate good or bad end for any relationship, but simply a bittersweet end for all of them. Although the plot is rushed, the animation in the last few episodes is wonderfully smooth and fluid, and nothing like that seen in the earlier episodes, which makes me think that it may have had a budget increase later on or a switch with tween animators.

One of the things done rather slyly throughout the series, is the way in which Menma's death is handled. It is never directly said or shown, but is hinted at many times, and is up to the viewer to figure out.

Overall, I would recommend giving the series a watch. It delivers fairly well on the emotional level, especially in the last few episodes...might I recommend a box of tissues for the finale?

Even now, Menma tries to smile...

That flower we saw that day, seemed to bloom only once...
~AAO~