It would be an insult if I keep writing Ano Hana in my well-spring commentary segment. For such a series praised for the wonderful heart-aching bittersweet moments, it deserves to have a week-by-week commentaries on this blog. Since, the editor-in-chief will not touch something that has a freshness of his personal bitter past. I’ll take the initiative to do it instead, or unless Kuro would like to do this.
Wonderful episode by the way, it keeps the ante of the drama a step above the last. This episode, brought a lot of development as well as further in-depth understanding on the psychological trauma Jinta has during the past ten years. Anaru, Tsuruki also got a move on with their relationship. Despite the cold encounter before, Tsuruki may had realised that Anaru may just be the Anaru she once knew before. Then we also have Poppo being adamant of brining everything together. Lastly, we have Yukiatsu for …
Anyway, I had watched this episode three times already. Each making me more emotional as I watch. From those, there are four scenes that I happen to see as the key point development to the overall story.
The first key point is the school scene, where Jinta makes way for the first time to school to grant Menma’s wish. Although almost a turning development on Jinta, it was quashed at the end with Anaru’s bitchy friend, for bitching about Jinta’s absence. Jinta and Anaru also had development, as Anaru sees Jinta’s trying to become his old self. Although it ended in an enviable failure, it was understandable all throughout. Anaru wasn’t that powerful enough to save Jinta for now. Even this wan Jinta’s initiative, he’s still half-convince on the idea. But the overall scenario prospered, with both characters moving to reconnecting each other. If you were in this scenario, you would had punch those bitches on the spot. We sure have the same thinking, huh.
The second key point is getting to know more on Jinta’s other personal regrets. One being having his mother passing. I’m not sure if this happened before Menma, or after Menma; but I think, Jinta didn’t also had a plesant farewell with her mother. As a Kid, loosing a parent is a nightmare come true. In-denial is simply the only thing that you’ll be thinking, as this seems too harsh or the gravity of the situation is too much to bare. I don’t think you would be the same if this happens to you. Much more if the only person that may ease the pain dies as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jinta is an atheist by this point.
Jinta on this flashback scene, asking his mother to bake them steamed bread, is simply the example of Jinta wanting to bring everything back the way it was. Denying the fact in front of him. It’s very heart crushing scene.
The last key point is the BBQ scene, where everybody gets together for the first time in ten years. A lot has happened here, a lot of character development takes place. Tsuruki and Anaru finally takes a turn for the better. Poppo is simply the best character, and perhaps the most wanting everybody to get together. When Poppo finally mentioned their peace busting gang. It touched Menma to the core, remembering the old times she and them used to have during her years being alive. This is the most touchy scene in this episode. I to felt her emotion well for that matter. I guess sentimental blokes do relate to this. The last scene involving Yukiatsu, revealing to Jinta for also seeing a manifestation of Menma is also a cliffhanger. It keep you excited and wish its Friday already.
I never really take part on guessing games. But I can’t help but to participate on this one. Although, I don’t belive in the rumors of Yukiatsu cross-dressing as Menma. It would totally go way beyond the series intentions, and perhaps overthrows the current cross-dressing series, Houro Musko. I think, Jinta and Yukiatsu strong feelings towards Menma, has manifested itself with each having their own versions. Jinta pretty much see Menma has she was before the accident. While Yukiatsu, want to see Menma on his terms, as he does hint affection to Menma, but reality doesn’t make it so.
Another thins I would like to point out is that, despite the series obvious presentation. People are still looking upon the questionable existence of Menma. Menma defies all the known rules of being a ghost. But that isn’t really the selling point here. Despite that everybody seem to revolve around her, the strong point in the series is the characters and their clash with one another. Menma’s questionable ability did bother me at first, but if you pay attention to the character, I don’t think you would be so engrossed on the fact. You should look to what the show is offering you, unless you find something else in the part of it that you find intesting that hooked you to it.
Lastly, I kinda like what this commentaor said about the characters and their uniqueness. The character’s flaw are what makes a perfect character, in a sense that they are relatable, and more human as compared to other series involving super heroes or magical stuffs.
None of the characters has grown up in the sense that they are complete people. They’re all dysfunctional in some way. The abuse they deliver upon each other at times is motivated by jealousies and insecurities, not really because they recognise that any of them haven’t grown up. There’s also a contrast between the personalities they had as children and their current selves that tends to vanish as they engage each other. The point of the series isn’t that Jinta is childish, which I’d say is a pernicious way of viewing his social phobia, but does focus on growing up. The characters will probably be saved from their respective bad ends through their friendship and resolving the issues of their childhood.
Atsumu is jealous of Jinta, who Menma favored. His obsession with Menma is why everyone thinks he’s dressing up as her (though she has a mother that looks like her, so it may be a red herring). Atsumu’s verbal abuse of Jinta in the first episode only occurs after Jinta mentioned Menma, and his closing comment at the end of this episode also betrays his jealousy. It’s also possible that he shops for her (or shops for props for cross-dressing, I suppose).
Naruko is lacking in self-confidence. This is the impetus for her imitation of others to obtain recognition. This leaves her visually uncomfortable in her own skin, and in this episode humorously culminates in her publicly humiliating the boy she’s had a crush on for most of her life. She also blames herself for Menma’s death and the resulting breakup of the group.
Poppo (I forget his name) is a dropout and a freeter who squats in the wilderness and lives a (possibly fantasy) life of aimless traveling on a subsistence income.
Chiriko has become an ice queen that indulges in some weapons-grade projection toward anyone that mentions Menma, who she probably harbors some lingering jealousy for due to Atsumu’s obsession.
Jinta of course suffers from social phobia, which leaves him skipping school and trying to disguise himself so that others won’t recognise him. This is in sharp contrast to his personality as a child, where we see that he was forceful and filled the role of leader for the group. Since he’s the protagonist a lot of the story seems to center around explaining this inversion of his behavior through the circumstances of the deaths of his mother and Menma. When he engages in the present with his former friends his self-consciousness fades and with it much of the aberrance of his behavior, which suggests that unlike Tatsuhiro (from Welcome to the NHK) that his anxiety disorder is still skin deep and there is room for him to escape it.
I’d also add that Jinta’s father and Menma’s parents also have issues. Jinta’s father is an enabler that takes on an unnaturally cheery disposition in the wake of his wife’s death that leaves Jinta to deal with his own problems, which he doesn’t do all that well. Menma’s family is cold and distant. The mother has difficulty letting go of Menma, which seems to frustrate the son.
This comment clearly explains everything what is presented to us so far. Here’s the link for the comment.
Overall, great episode. Now, let’s wait as we suffer the next 3 days waiting for the next episode. Let’s not hope Yukiatsu is crossdressing.
It was one of those anime that you watch and said to yourself, “I’ll cry in this series”. Finding a tear-jerker anime is something that is hard to find. Particularly if you left your heart at the freezer. AnoHana brought us the troubled gang of Jinta to the road to recovery. Every episode didn’t waste a single second to bring the characters to the forefront of their persona to their viewers. It wasn’t just an Anime that deals with brining a dead ghost into light. It also goes to see how “trauma” can such be a nuisance to think logically. But nevertheless, kids going over a loss of someone important to them, is something unimaginable. Reason why Cross Game has this soft spot in me.
