Ano Hana 11 [END]
I found it quite hard to review the finale of Ano Hana. After witnessing how well the penultimate episode was done, it was a bit disappointing that parts of the final episode felt, for lack of a better word, forced. After defending the drama for so long, I was shocked at how indifferent I felt at the end of it all. There were certain parts that were emotionally overdone, yet others where the waterworks felt right and made sense. Obviously I’m having a lot of contradictory feelings about this episode, so I apologize beforehand if this post feels as disjointed as Anaru’s fake eyelash. Still, my indecision would probably be a fun read, so let’s see how this ends up shall we?
The group meeting is probably the biggest beef I have with this episode. It started off well enough and I actually loved the moments when everyone started to sound off with their own personal guilt. It was a very visceral moment and at that point it felt like there was finally development, not just for the characters personally, but for the group as a whole. I may not have personal experience on the matter, but there is a reason why shrinks encourage you to open up to someone. It just works. It’s at this point where it all falls apart though. When they finally let out that horrible “waaaaaaa” noise, I cracked a laugh. Probably not what the writers intended and clearly not the actor’s fault (cos they were superb), but there I was, laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. It was very out of place, severely overdramatic and badly written.
The sudden change in behavior not long after also felt like rushed development. Going from one extreme to the other in such a swift manner, as well as coming together to a concrete resolution is hard to believe, and I did not like how it was pulled off. How can you come to blows one moment, then get all chummy and calling old nicknames in the other, all due to a pretty weak catalyst like Anaru’s false eyelashes? I guess this shows their strong bond as children but if there is something we’ve learned so far in the series, it’s that the bond they shared was merely skin deep, weak at the joints, barely held together by Menma.
But enough about the overdrama, let’s touch on some of the new development revealed here. Tsuruko finally got her own character development, as did Poppo but at this point it seems like it was too little too late. These two clearly had some big issues to overcome, Poppo especially and it was a bit sad that it wasn’t explored more through the series. Poppo witnessing Menma’s death has to be the most traumatizing of the bunch but with so little focus on his plight, it seems like an afterthought due to the proceeding events. I really wished they expanded on this more, since it is a different aspect of death dealt in a more serious tone. It would have definitely been more interesting and possibly elevate the series to be more than just a story of friendship and faltering bonds.
As for the actual wish, I was pleased to know that I was right on target with my prediction. While the wish may seem a bit constricting in focus at first, in the greater scheme of things it makes perfect sense. Jintan has been stuck in this endless cycle of self-pity and depression ever since his mother fell ill and he consciously avoids all forms on contact from both his friends and his father. As a parent, this has to be very disheartening to see, especially on your deathbed. We first assumed that Menma returned in order to help the Peace Busters amend their friendships but in reality, everything thus far points towards Jintan’s inability to express himself.
By returning into Jintan’s life, she was able to help him slowly come out of that shell, and with the ambiguity of this “wish”, it invariably helped the group to both fulfill this “hidden” wish, as well as to clear them all of any lingering guilt they had concerning Menma’s death. In the end, this wish seemed so far removed from what the group hoped to achieve and yet the two are inevitably intertwined (lol alliteration win). I love that. I didn’t realize it at the time of watching, but as I procrastinated this post more and had time to think, it was a pretty neat way to kill two birds with one stone.
While there were moments in this episode where I would literally force myself to continue watching (mostly during the laughter and possibly a bit after I realized how fast things were moving), the ending was pretty worthwhile. Sure, it was an ending that many of us saw coming right from the beginning. The group would suddenly gain the ability to see Menma and there would be a megaton of crying, but after being with this willy bunch for 11 weeks, looking back it was a very emotional end. I could have done without the excessive amount of “waaaa” moments, but the set piece itself, as well as the idea behind it was fair play. It manages to bring the story back full circle to their childhood games, and Menma is able to say her final goodbye on her own terms, in her own unique way. The fact that I got goosebumps when this particular song ramped up shows how well done the final farewell was (though I still wasn’t anywhere close to being in tears. Sorry, it’s just not in me).
Still, as good as the ending was wrapped up, the forced and rushed moments will probably linger in the back of my mind long after I put this series behind me. For me, this was definitely a case of the story needing one more episode to receive a more natural flow, but I’m not going to complain about that too much anymore. As a whole, the series was good. It’s just that this particular episode didn’t live up to the previous few in terms of pacing.
“But Bass, how does this episode affect how you feel about the series as a whole?”
Well you’ll just have to wait a bit more (let’s say, another two weeks?) to find out.
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waaaaaah!!!
i cried bucket loads in this episode!!!! DX
Though, i thought all the yelling at the end kinda killed the moment. -_-
But i still loved this anime!!! I'll be listening to the music from this series for a long time coming!
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The music really is beautiful. I was typing this post up while listening to that song I linked in the post, and I think it might have actually influenced my thoughts on the episode lol. Probably would have ripped into the episode much more if I wasn't calmed down by the song haha.
But yea, as a whole it's still a great series. I've rewatched it multiple times now and I've never actually done that before Ano Hana. Definitely still one of top favs of the season.
My recent post Ano Hana 11 [END]
I've watched the ending of Ep. 10 where Jinta plans to stop the fireworks but is too late SOOOO many times, and each and every time, i've cried.
oh man, tearing up just thinking bout it.
and the ED song's timing is just PERFECT in that scene.
Definitely a true highlight of the spring season. =D
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I love the firework scene, mostly for the new BGM music they used for it.
I was hoping that they would have released the BGM soundtrack by now, but they still haven't. I really want that one song >_<
My recent post Ano Hana 11 [END]
hmm….maybe u can try gendou?
its a site especially for anime music.
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I think it's just not released yet. The only ones released so far are the OP/ED singles and the Insert song.
When they do release the soundtrack with the BGM, I'm sure Metanorn will have it covered ^_~
My recent post Ano Hana 11 [END]
oh yeh..
of course! haha!! :D
My recent post Happy Birthday Shouko!~
I thought the direction this episode was terrible. All the crying made me laugh, even the final moment when they were all shouting about finding Menma. It's not necessarily that the character's actions were ridiculous, but the direction was so overblown, it was hard to take them seriously.
I also wish Tsuruko and Poppo had gotten more screentime (especially Poppo who was the most likable of the bunch).
Still, I liked the series. Beautiful animation and music, good characters, and it was a fitting end for them, script-wise.
Yea, the hide and seek game at the end was yet another forced moment. I think the bgm softened the blow a bit but the crying was still a big issue there.
They just had to tone it down a little bit and it would have been much more relatable. It was crying for the sake of crying, and I'm really wary of scenes where they intentionally try to get the watchers to cry.
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Too much crying for my tastes but I still loved this show.
Tsuruko and Poppo didn't have much development but I was fine with that. Extensively delving into every character's psyche would have been tedious.
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I suppose they really wanted to nail down the themes of unrequited and overlooked love, so I can understand not delving too much into the others. It's just a shame since it could have been so much more with just one extra episode. It's like they tried to cram too much into the last ep, whereas the series prior to this had no pacing issues for me.
Still, a great series and this last episode isn't going to affect how I think about it much.
My recent post Nurarihyon no Mago 2/Nyanpire [First Impressions]
If they had toned down the crying just a little bit, it might have been a bit more believable, but it was just too over-the-top I think. I also agree that Poppo deserved more attention. As a little kid, to watch somebody die is really traumatic, and it would have been interesting if they explored how it effected him a bit more. But I guess that's asking too much from such a short series XD As far as finales go, I still enjoyed it.
My recent post Ano Hana 11 [END]
It was. There has been a ton of crying in previous eps, but to outright cry like little kids was a bit jarring to say the least. Toning it down just a tiny bit would have done wonders, since it's hard for people like me (who never cry) to relate.
I was probably asking too much off the writers on the Poppo aspect, since they had a clear direction from the beginning and they chose to focus on relationships. We already had the crazy trauma effects with Yukiatsu, and I'm happy with that. Poppo's was merely mental issues that didn't manifest outwardly, so I guess it's hard to write that into the series without having it being trumped by Yukiatsu's cross-dressing and wig sniffing.
Poor Poppo.
My recent post Nurarihyon no Mago 2/Nyanpire [First Impressions]
Bass you NEVER cry!?
Not to media no. Irl situations I am as susceptible to crying as any other person (concerning death) but I can't cry by watching or reading something.
I do get some mad goosebumps sometimes though, which is a cleaner substitution lol
My recent post Nurarihyon no Mago 2/Nyanpire [First Impressions]
Part of me wants to defend the crying because we are talking about a group of emotional teenagers dealing with an emotional subject that they've ignored for the past who-knows-how-many years, and to have all those thoughts and memories and suppressed guilt come out all at once… but I didn't enjoy the crying either so I won't bother.
I hadn't thought about the purpose of Menma's wish and how it all really ties back to what Jinta's mother wanted for him, so I'm glad you pointed that out because it does add a layer of depth to the story that I overlooked. I suppose Jinta's personal growth happened so well that I didn't even really notice!
The music for this show is fantastic. The timing, the tone, the scoring… I used to not pay attention to background music, but more recently I've come to appreciate it when it's done well – and grimace when it's terrible. There were quite a few piano pieces in AnoHana that I really liked.
Haha yea, I can't even begin to imagine being placed into their shoes so everything (melodrama) seems far too detached from my own emotions. It's not beyond belief but my own personal experience (which is somewhat similar to what they went through, but at a much more advanced age) skews my view on the whole crying thing. They just had to tone it down a bit and it would have been much better.
The piano pieces were amazing. They did get a bit overused by the end of the series but they were implemented in scenes that made sense, so it was a great job on their part. I can't wait for them to release that OST.
My recent post Nurarihyon no Mago 2/Nyanpire [First Impressions]
AnoHana is a great example of how good a completely original anime can be.
and yet we still dont know the name of that flower
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The flower was actually shown towards the end of the final episode.
It's a forget-me-not. Quite fitting I reckon.
http://metanorn.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/vl…
My recent post Nurarihyon no Mago 2/Nyanpire [First Impressions]