Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

A complete 11 ep review:
So I have been hearing a lot of hype about this show the past few months and because of that I put it into my watchlist. That was a few months ago and its been in my backlog since then. A few weeks ago, CR got the show and premiered all 11 eps and I thought that this would be a good time to watch it. Its been on my backburner for days later until 7/27 when I just wanted to watch a new show. So I finally picked this one up. I've just finished the entire show in 2 days after a semi-marathon and all I have to say is..."WOW".

Storyline/Character: Anohana's basic summary is that in the past, 6 best of friends experience a tragic event that tears the group apart. Shifting to the present, these friends have all gone their separate ways until one summer, when something unexpected happens and brings them all back together to confront the past.
Anohana revolves around 6 main characters, the male lead being Jinta Yadomi and the female lead being Meiko "Menma" Honma. It is not to say that the other 4 characters are not as important (they all are), but I only use the terms "lead" to describe these 2 because they are the first ones introduced to us and who we see interact the most. The other 4 characters of the group of friends (who once called themselves the "Super Peace Busters") are Naruko Anjou, Tetsudo Hisakawa, Atsumu Matsuyuki, and Chiriko Tsurumi. I won't describe them, just as I won't describe Jinta or Menma, because their personalities are an integral part of the story.
Just know that these characters are believable and perhaps even relatable to some people. You will experience the same emotions that they went through if you allow yourself to try to understand their thinking, motivations, desires, etc. It makes the experience that much deeper.
Important themes this anime delves into are how the guilt of past events can shape the present, forgiveness, the trials of friendship, learning when to let something go, know that the past cannot change but to not let that control your present. These are just a few that I saw in the show, there is perhaps much more than that but at the moment, these are the ones that stand out for me.

Animation: Was done by A-1 pictures, and like always, they have shown that they are professionals in their field of work. The motions are smooth and the character designs are really well done and believable. Facial expressions for the emotional scenes are also quite nice and the background is also highly detailed.

Music: The OP song was ok (not the best I've heard but it fits with the show). The ending song however is just plain amazing, it blew me away when I first heard it and still does even now. It is just a perfect match for the show when you look at the lyrics and listen the music itself. In the show, the background music is also really good, lending itself to the high point scenes just right, knowing just how to get the biggest response/feeling out of the viewer.

This anime is such a wonderful story. This is the first time I'm crying much tears because of an anime. Must watch anime! Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day. The last part of the the last episode really brought me to tears, especially when they read the letter and the time they said "We found you Menma."
Before watching this be sure to have a tissue beside you. I was a sad and beatuful story. It touched the bottom of my heart and made me cry with lots and lots of tears.

Anohana is a graceful story about Menma and Jintan. Jintan dreams about his fun life as a child, where he and Menma had a secret club called, "Super Peace Busters". This is a great flashback story! The first episode is excellent!

Animation wise this is comparable to modern Anime. What set's Anohana apart is that Naruko and Chiriko were both drawn really cool and that the backgrounds were enchanting and colorful. Jintan was actually drawn better than a lot of lead male characters I've seen recently.

Unfortunately I won't be watching more of this for three reasons;
1. Moe. Just not a fan. Sorry.
2. Ecchi, it's not for me. There was a boob ref, porno mags, lots of touchy, crawly parts (with those of young ages), and many hidden sexual innuendos. This is just wrong. I have debated this many times and feel strongly about this.
3. I believe this show needed abundantly beautiful art work to contrast the nicely paced, yet slow storyline. This would have strengthen the impact. This way viewers would want to come back for more!! For example, add some flowers in it with cgi, like in the Anohana still artwork (right hand side).

For me, when I read the title I foresaw something sad happened/going to happen. Sure enough i was correct.
Series revolves around six childhood friends one being a ghost that only Jinta Yadomi (the protagonist) can see. The Ghost being the mature version of Menma, the friend that died long ago causing the remaining friends to drift apart.
The anime has good art, good voice acting, and above all good characters.
For it may not seem like the anime for you due to its genre, but i think regardless it's a good anime that pulls you in.

Wow.... What can I say, I write this review teary eyed after watching the conclusion to this wonderful anime. Everything from the modern anime style and animation, to the wonderful and memorable (albeit relatively small, which is good) cast of characters is done so well that you will remember this anime for quite a long time. Each character is given so much personality and life (many thanks to great voice actors) that you can't help but feel for all the characters and the situation they are in after a childhood tragedy tore them apart. It made me many times reminisce on my own childhood and the adventures I'd get in with my small group of friends.

Admittedly there are a few moe and ecchi moments in this anime. However, compared to some of the other anime that are springing up it is mild and never becomes "too much".
Also, the drama is delivered exceptionally well, yet occasionally it becomes excessive with some characters reminding the viewer a little too often why they are so upset, yet by no means should this keep you from watching it.

To sum this up shortly it is worth your time especially if animes like kanon, clannad and EF ATOM are your cup of tea. Or if you just like anime that makes you challenge yourself not to cry, either way you will NOT be disappointed.

I wasn't sure about watching this anime, and was bored one night so decided to give a try. As i watched more and more episodes I realized how amazing this story was and how much I didn't want it to end. The last episode i knew was going to make me cry, but Wow was i moved! I recommend this to anyone who loves a good story, a tearjerker lol, and just plain good anime. Its a beautiful story.
Again, wow!