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anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (TV).


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The King of Harts



Joined: 05 May 2009
Posts: 6712
Location: Mount Crawford, Virginia
PostPosted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 3:37 pm Reply with quote


anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (TV)

Genres: drama, romance, supernatural
Themes: ghosts, growing up, love triangle

Plot Summary: Five childhood friends grow apart after the death of Meiko Honma, close playmate of them all. Jinta Yadomi, leader of the group when they were kids, neglects high school and lives as a shut-in when he unexpectedly starts seeing the ghost of Meiko, who can only interact with him and no one else. She has returned to ask Jinta to fulfill the forgotten wish she made as a kid.
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Episode Discussion Index
Episode 01
Episode 02
Episode 03
Episode 04
Episode 05
Episode 06
Episode 07
Episode 08
Episode 09
Episode 10
Episode 11 (Finale)
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Episode 1

Caught the first episode not too long ago, and it's pretty depressing, but in a good way. I get very strong late-episodes-Kanon vibes from it, which isn't surprising since both involve a spoiler[dead girl], and it looks to be pretty heart-wrenching. It honestly got pretty hard to watch at times, especially as more background was being revealed. I mean, got a little choked up watching the OP, which is pretty good, probably the best I've seen this season. I look for many tears to be shed while watching this, which will be something I haven't done in a while.


Last edited by The King of Harts on Sat Jun 25, 2011 6:56 am; edited 14 times in total
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Megiddo



Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 8360
Location: IL
PostPosted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 3:43 pm Reply with quote
I was strongly reminded of a mix between 20th Century Boys (what with the frequent flash-backs, the secret base, and outlining the how separated the group has gotten) as well as Cross Game (showing in the first episode the main character's reaction when spoiler[he finds out that the girl he liked died].

It was pretty good. Menma is no Wakaba, but I guess I'll just have to accept that. I hope they continue the flashbacks throughout the story like how 20th Century Boys handled it.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 23669
PostPosted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 3:46 pm Reply with quote
I hear ya, TKoH - the episode got me when it was revealed that the main guy spoiler[never got a chance to apologize to Ghost Girl for saying, who would like somebody that ugly -"...that tomorrow never came." ] Instant waterworks from ole Blood-.

Somebody should try to come up with a word that means, "something that is uncomfortable to watch but you wouldn't miss it for the world" because that describes my reaction to this heart-breaking show.
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egoist



Joined: 20 Jun 2008
Posts: 7762
PostPosted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 3:48 pm Reply with quote
Much better than expected. To be fair, I had completely forgotten about this show until I saw the white haired girl.

Protagonist -
Visual = Eden of the East lead
Set-up = Rozen Maiden's lead
Personality = Eureka Seven's lead

Now with this and Gosick I can't resist but give Rozen Maiden its long deserved re-watch.

And to think my list of season's favorites have been forced into 10 instead of 5.
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Mister V



Joined: 15 Apr 2009
Posts: 1000
PostPosted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:21 pm Reply with quote
This kind of melodrama is really not my thing, as I don't buy this kind of childhood trauma and it doesn't do anything for me. They even managed to have the MC running and shouting, which is one of the most atrocious cliches out there. I'm thinking about dropping it, though the relationships with the grown up friends seem to be interesting... but I'm not looking forward to the tear-filled joyous reunion that inevitably awaits at the end.
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Westlo



Joined: 03 Oct 2002
Posts: 1684
PostPosted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 6:50 pm Reply with quote
This show is shaping up to be one of the best sellers of the season, has stayed @ #2 in Amazon Jpn pre rankings for a while now. Every other show that started airing that night can't even break into the Top 100, even Hanasaku can only manage low 90's every now and than...

Best seller of the season atm looks like a shootout between AnoHana, Steins;Gate and Tiger and Bunny.

Mister V wrote:
but I'm not looking forward to the tear-filled joyous reunion that inevitably awaits at the end.


Menma is not coming back to life. The series will more than likely end up with the MC getting together with Naruko (sorta Cross Game dynamics here, Jintan and Naruko have the same VAs as Kou and Aoba as well lol) and that other guy with that black haired chick. If those two are together already he'll get over his own hang up on Menma (which is probably why he was so harsh on Jintan) and be able to move on with her properly.

Not that simple, but you get the idea, for one it will be a lot more emotionally charged and bittersweet than how I put it.
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EmbraceMe



Joined: 17 Dec 2010
Posts: 2013
Location: Growing old and jaded.
PostPosted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:33 pm Reply with quote
I figured out what happened to Menma after about a quarter into the show.

I didn't shed tears but I did find things sad/depressing. I'm expecting to cry sometime later. I find it heartbreaking to see once close friends grow apart. Works like this usually make me cry at the end or feel bittersweet.

Certain parts of the dialogue were powerful too - "Time froze here on that day, but now it begins flowing again."

I'm liking all the characters so far except for that one douchey friend. He probably has his reasons but he still annoys me.
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Mister V



Joined: 15 Apr 2009
Posts: 1000
PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 4:43 am Reply with quote
Westlo wrote:
Menma is not coming back to life. [...]
Not that simple, but you get the idea, for one it will be a lot more emotionally charged and bittersweet than how I put it.

Oh I know, I was referring to the friends who will bond over spoiler[her death, etc.] It might be emotionally charged, but I'm just saying that it might not work for me at all.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 23669
PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 6:37 am Reply with quote
What is going to make this series so tough for me, is that while I expect a "good" ending (i.e. one where all the ex-friends reconnect and move on with their lives), the fact will remain that Memna died and main guy's childhood and adolescent were horribly scarred by her death. Even worse, he's going to have to say good-bye to her a second and final time.

I'm getting a "Truly, Madly, Deeply" vibe from the show - that was a movie about a woman who has not been able to get over the death of her husband. He basically comes back to haunt her so that she can move on. I'm assuming that Memna's wish was that they all remain friends forever, or something like that. Once they reconnect, her job is done.

Oh yeah, I'm gonna be a mess by the time this wraps up.
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garfield15



Joined: 06 Apr 2009
Posts: 1515
PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 12:57 pm Reply with quote
EmbraceMe wrote:
I figured out what happened to Menma after about a quarter into the show.

I'm pretty sure you were supposed to figure that out in the first three minutes when you see she has no reflection.
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Spotlesseden



Joined: 09 Sep 2004
Posts: 3514
Location: earth
PostPosted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:44 am Reply with quote
everything looks good other than the main character. So you want to give up life just because spoiler[your best friend died and no chance to apologize to her.]
He turns me off. not sure they want to make the main character like this.
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The King of Harts



Joined: 05 May 2009
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Location: Mount Crawford, Virginia
PostPosted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:14 am Reply with quote
Spotlesseden wrote:
everything looks good other than the main character. So you want to give up life just because spoiler[your best friend died and no chance to apologize to her.]

It seems like his entire life came crashing down after that, though. I mean, first off, the girl he curshed on dies after he says something so mean. He, apparently, didn't get into the school he wanted and his snotty friend did. And all of his friends just drifted away (and became dicks) from each other, leaving him alone to sulk and think about it.

Now, why can't he give up a normal life after all he's been through from such a young age? It's important to note that he doesn't live a normal life. He's just a shut in because he has nothing to do (no school and no friends), but he's not a hikkikomori and he's not suicidal. I actually think it's pretty amazing that's he's not in some kind of depression sink hole.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:20 am Reply with quote
Eh, I can understand somebody not grooving on the main character so far. I don't mind him - I sympathize with his plight, but that kind of bummed out personality is a bit hard to warm up to. By the way, TKoH, I like how you've aready got your discussion index revved up and ready to go!
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The King of Harts



Joined: 05 May 2009
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Location: Mount Crawford, Virginia
PostPosted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:34 am Reply with quote
But it's not like he's bummed because the girl he liked rejected him, or because life isn't interesting enough. The girl he liked died after he said something incredibly mean to her and he now has no friends after that occasion. I get not liking unjustified depression, but this is completely justified.

And yes, I am ready to run this thread. I like the way some people run threads where they link to the posts where next episode discussions begin. I just wish we could center on this board.
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Mister V



Joined: 15 Apr 2009
Posts: 1000
PostPosted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 6:18 am Reply with quote
The King of Harts wrote:
I get not liking unjustified depression, but this is completely justified.

It looked like he was what, five-six? People barely remember what happened in their life at that age. I don't see how he as a child could have made it into a lasting trauma while the others hadn't. If this happened when he was a teen or adult even, then it would be understandable (though I still wouldn't find it touching, but that's a matter of taste). Though, of course, I'm no expert in child psychology, and this assumption might be wrong.
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