Why You Should Watch AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day
We have always heard of mangas getting converted into anime production. But we rarely come across, stories that were first released as animes and were later converted/adapted into manga. AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day is one such unconventional creation. This is an artist-collective anime television series written by popular screenwriter Mari Okada. It was produced by A-1 studio and it aired across the globe in the year 2011. The answer to why you should watch AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day lies in the consequent creations inspired by this story.
This underrated masterpiece anime has been made into a game, an anime film, an oddball manga adaptation, and even has a live-action television film based on it. It falls under the genre of Young Adult- drama. It is the dark tale of a group of 6th graders. The story chronicles an unusual friendship story that word for word represents bonds beyond life. The anime begins in media res with the introduction to Jinta and his reclusive life. He is visited by Menma a childhood friend who now hails from an unknown world.
Menma enters life which leads to the reconciliation of the group and has some shocking revelations. However, this intangible plot overview is an attempt to hold back as many spoilers as I can. The powerful story is dark in a total of 11 episodes. The lengthy title ‘AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day’ intrigues us about what the story might contain. This is the adventure of completing a story, a moment that had remained incomplete for years.
This slice of life anime has a unique blend of realism and an undertone figment of imagination elements. AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day is a must-watch anime and here are some reasons that would let you know why we recommend it.
Splendid storytelling and concept
AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day has a really deep concept for a young adult drama. The story surrounds the life events of six friends (Super Peace Busters) who go through unexpected turns within a span of 11 episodes. The subtle twists that decide the course of the characters’ life is an example of splendid storytelling. The serialized events and flashback sequences put few and far between days of life in sequence with a somber backdrop.
Strong quality of character development
The splendid story of this anime is spun around a group of strong characters who develop and grow with time. All the characters have dimension and depth. As a coming of the age story, it is full of changes. A true friendship transcending into a pretentious and scattered emotional drift is carved with perfection. Each of the characters might remind you of someone you know or are in real life. In totality, it is good animation with attention to character details.
Up to snuff art and design
In a visual and sound-driven entertainment medium like this everything can go bad with poor designs. AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day has aesthetically pleasing art and design that enhances the emotion within the story. The art leans more towards perfection of detail rather than depicting emotions. The raw, scenic beauty of the town is captured well in the frames. Aside from the popular character design, the characteristic design of the backdrops is also spectacular.
Diverse themes blended into fiction
The theme of the story delves closely into the conflicts of real life. It weaves the beauty of emotions like sorrow, envy, humor, nostalgia, and pain into one. The nostalgia uncovered with the flashback scenes gets on to discovering longing, loss, and hopelessness. Even if it’s hailed as a sad anime it imparts comfort with its grasp on realistic subject matters.
Excellent story pacing
AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day is a short series and therefore has an unconventional number of episodes. The story spans the development of the characters’ life over some years but not in a monotonous way. In contrast to the fixed time and being stuck in the past lives of characters, each episode moves by with fluidity without hampering the process of storytelling.
Great voice acting that complements embedded emotions
The viewing experience of the anime AnoHana is enhanced by the great voice acting. The traumatic loss of our voice beautifully through impactful voice artists. Even though the visuals were enough to convey the emotions of the characters yet point dialogue writing made it even better. The wise use of silence and loud voicing at regular intervals brings the depiction of emotion a step closer to reality.
Capturing soundtracks
The soundtracks are remarkable when it comes to capturing attention. AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day becomes a must-watch due to its music meets arts quality. The anime openings and endings are captivating enough to give you the feel of emotion. Unfortunately, the weak background tracks cannot be argued to be as good as openings and eds.
Animation matches the up to contemporary levels
AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day has animation excellence that matches up to the standards of contemporary anime. The turn of the story is visually represented through scenes and the time of the day. From dusk till dawn every nook justifies the dream-like series. The slow motion of frames is captured with the help of animation techniques. The combination of the music and the graphics hits with excellence.
You should watch AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day to experience and relive the problems of distorted teenage life. the relevant side plots and writers’ clear intent behind the story gives an unemotional roller coaster ride. Nothing can go wrong when watching AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day; because it is pure emotional satisfaction that brings a new way of viewing life to you.
The gravity of the themes is broken time and again with slight humor. The naturally flowing writing and circumstances lead to a jarring end. Super Peace Busters do not have peace in their life but the story has plenty of it for the viewers. If the cliché anime romances a tiring for you we recommend you to go through this short series that has a more indulgent introspection into real life and people.
Also, the anime series is highly appreciated since it was released on entertainment platforms worldwide in 2019. You can watch AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day on Netflix.
Recommendation- AnoHana: The Flower We Saw That Day also has a feature film that follows the story after the series. It adds a lot to the original story. With newer bits spread out in the AnoHana, the movie seems like a happy end to an unhappy story.
