[Deconstructor]

What is the reason why over 95% of my watched anime get less than an overall rating of 9/10, yet over 80% of those very same shows get an overall rating 8/10 or higher? I can explain by pointing to my little handy spreadsheet log, which I update after each new episode. In my opinion, most anime is passable - as long as I harbor no active dislike for an episode, a passing grade is assured. By extension, most series are satisfactory. Yet when I start talking about the anime I enjoy... the curve gets very, extremely steep. For each strong episode there are likely 4 or 5 weaker, less enjoyable ones. Therefore, when the cumulative average is calculated, the ratings indicate mediocrity.

Now... why exactly did I write the above paragraph? This show makes the viewer sad, and tries doing so in every episode. You can't watch five of an episode without Menma leaking blue whale tears. For some viewers, the effect wears off over time. Just like a baby crying gets less annoying after the first 10 wails; one gets used to their ear bleeding. Likewise, most people cry after watching the first episodes, but then adapt and are no longer phased by overwhelming grief.

Luckily, I didn't have the above experience. I was unable to cry until the finale; after viewing said finale, I could have filled a swimming pool with only my tears. But, don't get me wrong. I could have broken down in any one of Anohana's dramatic episodes. I held back because I believed the next episode would build off and surpass the emotional weight of the one I was currently watching. Heh, going back to the baby example... I held my anger in until I couldn't take the wailing any more and yelled furiously. With Menma, I felt not anger, but a rush of deep sadness. With many of the show's scenes, that sadness was replaced by a deeper sadness. Naturally, as Anohana came to a close, the finale was an entire season's accumulation of grief, emotion, despair, and hope.

Definitely, there were a few episodes when the characters came up short in invoking deep emotions. Tsuruko never made me angry, despite the writer's intention to make her seem like a total bitch to Anaru. Of the contrary! I enjoyed Tsuruko being the only rational character who seemingly was unaffected by past circumstances. Of course, the ending is a clear exception, where Tsuruko is revealed to have love problems of her own - she's just like everyone else. In the same train, Poppo is riding. The fat dude never seems to be sad... in a show where everyone is supposed to be sad, he's quite strange (although the ending, once again, solves all problems). His pressing desire to see Menma again seems to be far less justified than anyone else in the group. I mean, I would understand why Poppo would be overjoyed to see Jinta - Poppo admired him as a leader. But, from what I gather and remember, Menma and Poppo were not really that close. An exclusion from the love-polygon, Poppo also has no visible romantic feelings for Menma. Everyone else either loves Menma or is jealous of her. So, I didn't like Poppo. Seems Poppo is an expendable character.

I used to believe I had to watch every anime episode to the fullest. Cry hard every episode, adrenaline rush full blast, unless I'm watching a fanservice anime (in which case, something else also rises full blast). Yet, before I started watching Anohana, I started to realize what makes an anime great. Not individual, singular episodes of greatness; it's one connected, continuous stream of stories. A lot of people (including myself) have the habit of breaking down something into smaller discrete pieces, because it helps one focus on each section. To enjoy Anohana, one should look at the entire season as one long episode. You might be asking: Why this show in particular? Each character starts out with little background about their past: With each episode, more of their thoughts and feelings become clear. And as one sees different points of view of the same depressing event, the show increases in emotional intensity. It's a good story-telling method, putting the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together. Yet, as noted above with Poppo and Tsuruko, some pieces come out of nowhere. Even a little more foreshadowing would have been appreciated; a lot more character depth would have been applauded.

Hey, this isn't a perfect show. I'll conclude by stating one statistic: No anime has received an A (9.3/10) from me. Seriously... no 12 episode anime has been able to survive my constantly shifting moods. If I feel bad one day, consider the anime doomed. But, those able to withstand my tripolar disorder are the ones I cherish for quite some time. Huh? Hold on just a second here. Doesn't this mean Menma crying on one of your bad days mean death by low ratings for Anohana? Normally, yes. The only reason Anohana survives is because I know what to expect next episode... as if the story flows naturally from every point. I know what I'm getting is undiluted tears, over and over again. All the show has to do is bring the same effect each episode, only more compelling and moving than previously seen. Has Anohana surpassed itself with each new iteration? No. However, every time an episode fell short, the writing simply picked itself back up and went back to the tradition of making me feel like a crying baby. No show can be completely consistent... however, some writers realize their faults and put forth an effort to redeem themselves with the next scene. This show just keeps trying to make me sad, and eventually I gave in. What can I say; part of me actually wanted to believe in the storyline.

It is with great pleasure (and a little sadness) for me to review Anohana as my favorite anime of Spring 2011, and as the one I will be forgetting last. I hope the ratings on ANN are indicative of the general opinion, because I certainly enjoyed this show. I hope this review has also helped others understand why the show has such popular acclaim. If not, then my final hope is someone else also tries to justify their feelings about the show. Sometimes, I just suck at putting things into words.

Cumulative Average Rating: 8.95/10