TOP

JOIN SIMKL

	412
Total reads

The "Bridge To Terabithia" of anime, so be warned

/anime/39685/ano-hi-mita-hana-no-namae-o-bokutachi-wa-mada-shiranai

Review of Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai.

by Rivka

Posted on June 17th, 2019

Overall Rating

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

IN BRIEF: Years ago, a group of six friends used to play in the woods together and hang out in their "secret base"... a shack in the forest that became the place where a showdown caused by jealousy cost them more than they could ever have predicted. The five survivors grow up, grow apart, and grow badly in need of therapy. Arguably the worst one off, the former leader of this groups of friends, who's now a hikikomori dropout from high school, wakes up one day to find the ghost of his childhood crush in his room; she wants him to grant her wish, but she can't remember what she wanted. She just knows that she wants everyone together again.

***SPOILERS BELOW***

THOUGHTS: If "Bridge to Terabithia" had been a group of friends, and had started right after the child's death, the similarities would be even more pronounced. (Granted, that required-reading classic doesn't have ghosts, but the main character is haunted all the same.) The fact that one of the six friends in Ano Hana is Dead To Begin With is no spoiler; the OP and the first episode make it inescapably clear, although there's some initial ambiguity as to whether her ghost is real or just a hallucination by a lonely teen.

I liked that the focus of the story was on how tragedy can break people, and that it's an arduous process to work through one's grief. Each character responds in a different way - usually unhealthy, but kudos to the younger brother for not being scarred for life - and their reactions help to round out their characterizations so that the viewer feels the strength of their emotions and has empathy for their loss. Even when the reactions are extreme... one boy takes up cross-dressing to role-play as his lost friend/crush, while another travels the world in an effort to stop seeing her corpse in his mind's eye. The grown-ups aren't necessarily better and recovering from grief, as the bereaved mother demonstrates.

Some viewers may find it a case of Idiot Plot that neither the ghost nor the one friend who can see her think to have her pick up an object in plain view of witnesses. This does seem like a plot hole, but a few blink-and-you'll-miss-them mutterings from the ghost support the idea that her tangibility is erratic and that she usually can't move things when other people are watching (like a very cursed electron). Plus, there are many indications that the two were subconsciously reluctant to reveal her existence, as that would mean moving towards granting her wish and causing her to leave for the afterlife. Incidentally, I loved that the wish wasn't really the ghost's wish after all. It was tremendously in character for a self-sacrificing girl to come back to help support someone *else's* wish.

However, something I would change, if I could, would be the emphasis on romantic jealousy; the two girls were envious of how the two boys they liked were pining for their dead friend, which has horrendous implications for female friendship being merely a constant competition for male attention. Only one of the six characters was free from the love polyhedron.

Rivka

My reviewing system for films and shows that are NOT anime:
1-5: I hated it. I also don't think it has redeeming qualities, so you shouldn't watch it either.
6: I didn't like it. It's not my thing, I didn't like the execution, I don't want to see it again. However, I don't think it is a BAD film or show - it has qualities that will recommend it to those who like that kind of thing.
7: It was fine. I didn't love it, and I don't need to see it again. I won't be sad if I never see it again.
8: I liked it. I didn't love it, and while I'd like to see it again, I wouldn't want to see it often.
9: I loved it. I would be sad if I never saw it again. I might want to see it every few years.
10: I loved it beyond description. I wouldn't mind re-watching it every year.

*********************************
Clarifying my Anime rating system:
My number key below is an attempt to parse the small differences between 5 and 6, 7 and 8, & 9 and 10. When I rate, I consider my own enjoyment, the characterization and the plot, the appearance of the animation, and occasionally the soundtrack - in roughly that order. An anime will lose at least 1 point for presence of deal-breaker tropes (for example, comedic pedophilia), and more if the trope(s) ruined my enjoyment. On the other hand, it will gain at least 1 point for artistry in animation or sound. I don't expect to rate anything 1-4, as I would probably never finish watching something in this range of rating.

Cautious Recommending:
5: In this case, it started out with a higher score and slipped over time... because I normally don't watch anything that I would score below 6, except for movies (small time commitment).
6: I may or may not have watched the whole show, but I recognize deal-breaker issues in it, and I'm unlikely to rewatch. It just wasn't enjoyable enough for me to forgive its flaws. There would be huge caveats to any recommendation.

Likely to Recommend:
7: There's two types of 7s (ideally I could rank the second one 7.5). For the first, I didn't like it enough to think I would rewatch it, but also didn't see huge problems in the plot, characterizations, etc. and thought it was worth finishing. I might suggest it to someone if I know they like the specific sub-genre or other work by the studio. For the second, I recognize shows/movies that have high quality but just aren't my cup of tea. Not my thing, but usually I at least respect the work.
8: I had a good time watching it, but it didn't move me the way a 9 or a 10 does; it's possible that over time I would upgrade it if I liked it more on reflection. I would be willing to rewatch it if a friend wanted to watch it with me. I may or may not buy the DVDs (I'm more likely if there's something unique about it). I'd recommend it with the occasional caveat.

Highly Recommend:
9: I enjoyed it very much. It may have had one or two issues, but not enough to diminish enjoyment. It's possible that over time I would downgrade it to an 8 (changing tastes) or upgrade to a 10 (realize it's never left my mind). I'm likely to rewatch, and likely to buy the DVDs. I'd recommend it to most audiences.
10: Virtually flawless. I'd definitely rewatch, and definitely want to buy DVDs. I would shill this to anyone.

EDIT: for years when I'm participating in the MAL Anime Challenge, any anime in the Completed section with a * in the note was watched for the challenge. Similarly, if I'm participating in the MDL Drama Challenge, any drama with a * in the notes was watched for the challenge. Previous years' challenges will have their * removed.

Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

Add Comments

Newest Oldest Top Replies Top comments Top Memos Most Helpful Most Likes

Add Comment

Topic

Photo, Meme or GIF

Video

Drop image files here or click to upload

max 10MB photo or 2MB GIF

Add photo or GIF from web

How to add photo or GIF from web:

You can paste URL of the image inside your comment and it will be automatically converted into the image when reading the comment.

Find a GIF

Create a Meme

How to add a video:

To add a video paste video url directly into your comment. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7L2PVdrb_8.
Do not post links to copyrighted video content (TV Episodes, Movies). Share them privately if needed.

English only please. Home rules.

Contains spoiler

POST COMMENT

Share this page with your friends and followers: