Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Boku-tachi wa Mada Shiranai (generic thread)

[SaintessHeart]

This show is brilliant, but I am tired of watching tragedies and nostalgia because life really sucks for me right now.

Maybe I'll accumulate and watch all in one shot, but nonetheless, this is definitely going to have a great storyline.

[Ravenblitz]

definitely one of the best shows this season :P Menma sold me plus some egg ramen

[Kanon]

Fantastic first episode. It looks like this series will be a major tear-jerker. Bring it on, I say! I don't mind depressing series one bit.

My favorites scenes were the one at Menma's house, and the flashback showing what happened before Menma died. It's interesting that Menma can physically interact with the world of the living. Even though nobody besides Jinta can see her, she can still communicate with them. Oh, and it also means she really did rub her butt on Jinta's crotch... that opens up some prospects.

I'm not going to compare it with Hanasaku Iroha, as those two shows are too different. I shall enjoy them both for what they have to offer.

Originally Posted by stuopidget

The only part I found distracting was the whole Anaru (anal) thing ..., which made that whole series of scenes after really obscenely hilarious.

Damn, I was so into the show I didn't even notice that
Menma really needs to change her nickname.

[mikoo]

Wasn't expecting much by the summary I had read but easily best first episode this season for me.

Menma...

[Westlo]

AnoHana just jumped to #2 on Amazon pre rankings... I don't think Madoka even hit top 5 until the 3rd episode.. This is no guarentee its going to do something like 40k or whatever (stays top 20 for a few months and maybe it will...) but shooting straight up to the top after it aired shows the reception has been great.

http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/bestsellers/dvd/ref=sv_d_3

Spring 2011 anime in the Top 100

#2 AnoHana Vol 1
#8 Tiger & Bunny Vol 1
#32 Steins;Gate Vol 1
#44 Tiger & Bunny Vol 2
#66 Steins;Gate Vol 2
#76 Steins;Gate Vol 3
#77 Steins;Gate Vol 5
#78 Steins;Gate Vol 4
#80 Steins;Gate Vol 9
#82 Steins;Gate Vol 6
#84 Steins;Gate Vol 7
#87 Steins;Gate Vol 8

[applejuice]

Originally Posted by Westlo

AnoHana just jumped to #2 on Amazon pre rankings... I don't think Madoka even hit top 5 until the 3rd episode.. This is no guarentee its going to do something like 40k or whatever (stays top 20 for a few months and maybe it will...) but shooting straight up to the top after it aired shows the reception has been great.

The problem is it has to 'stay' there, as you said. Madoka Magica's greatest strength was the fact that every episode after 3rd episode had something incredible. Ana hona isn't type of animation that can do that easily, as it is slice-of-life drama centered.

Regardless, Ano Hana is getting deserving attention. I just saw contents for the first DVD volume for Ano Hana, and it is just incredible. So many special contents for average volume.

[Westlo]

Originally Posted by applejuice

The problem is it has to 'stay' there, as you said.

I know, but its still had an amazing start. I mean look at the other shows that aired that night and they can't even break the top 100. Denpa which was low 90's at times before it aired can't even stay in the Top 100 after airing. Hanasaku which was easily the most discussed show of the first week on 2ch (21 threads aka 21,000 posts compared to 11 for Steins;gate and KyoAni's show) couldn't even break Top 100 for quite a long time.. and has barely been in the Top 100 period

I hope that KyoAni show gets listed soon so we can see the general shape of the season when it comes to sales... I thought Denpa Onna could be a sleeper hit but looks like I was wrong on that... never thought AnoHana could be in the mix....same with Tiger & Bunny...

[felix]

Originally Posted by acejem

It's almost more unbelievable that both are anime originals which have their script/story/screenplay written by Mari Okada, who is of True Tears, Toradora and Wandering Son fame.

I see the similarities, but the shows are different in principle, in my opinion.

Great first episode.

[Pocari_Sweat]

Originally Posted by felix

I see the similarities, but the shows are different in principle, in my opinion.

Great first episode.

I was more referring to the sheer quality of both series - and how one person is able to simultaneously write the story/script/screenplay for it in the same season.

But you're right, both series are slightly different. AnoHana seems to go for more of a slice of life/drama/tragedy route whilst HanaIro seems to be going for more of a slice of life/coming of age route.

[Saturn Beaver]

Originally Posted by Forsaken_Infinity

Continuing with the comparisons with Cross Game, as far as pure emotional punch goes, NOTHING will surpass Cross Game's episode 1 (it was just that good and the manga chapter is just as if not more emotionally involving). But you know, as good as Cross Game was, episode 1 was the best episode of the show and it was quite a few levels above the rest of the show. On the other hand, I seriously expect things to get better (from a viewer's point of view) from here on for this show.

Spoiler for reply:

Yeah, I haven't watched a lot of anime, but I still would rank it among one of the best first episode of all time. In just 20+ minutes, they managed to pull a punch to the gut and a heart wrenching story, while at the same time establishing the future plot of the series (Koshien) and the tone that the series will take. Some argues taht the manga approach of having us know her in a volume is better, but personally I liked this one too because it made a great impact in just one episode. Often other shows' first episode is not enough and you need to wait and see for more, hence the three episode taste test, but this is better.

Also, the reason the impact from Cross Game hits harder is possibly because the death is sudden and surprising. Here, pretty much the moment we know other people can see Menma we can already deduce she's a ghost, so the impact is lessened a bit.

Well, the others have already said it more eloquently than I can, but yeah, this show is amazing. When the ending song starts playing, my heartstrings are tugged like they've never been tugged before. And yeah, the song is quite catchy, this is one of the few times I'm glad I can't speak Japanese, because if I understand the lyrics as I'm humming it right now, I'll probably bawl like a baby again.

I'm usually not a fan of this serious, tear-jerking kind of anime, but hey, sometimes you need a good cry once in a while, and that won't be the only thing this show will bring excellently, so bring it.

[cyth]

Originally Posted by stuopidget

The only part I found distracting was the whole Anaru (anal) thing ..., which made that whole series of scenes after really obscenely hilarious.

Kind of hilarious, but also fairly distracting because she kind of looks like a high-school slut.

[Haak]

I can't help wonder: If Menma is capable of moving stuff then why doesn't she just pour a whole bag of flour over her head and start wiriting stuff on a piece of paper to communicate...

[Cnidocyte]

I've found it fairly amusing having heard people discussing this and Hana saku Iroha being in competition since it almost feels like they’re taking completely different approaches.

Hana saku Iroha has very good characters which it spends a good amount of time introducing and some great writing. However, the actual plot and premise seems fairly standard and a bit bland.

On the other hand AnoHana has a great premise but dedicated the first episode to showing off this premise and as a result had less focus on the characters.

Although regardless there both turning out as great shows and if nothing else it should be interesting to see how the two of them do.

[RedWing]

Would've been better if she was actually a figment of his imagination. Was good nonetheless. Not really much you can say for this episode the premise is OK, really depends on how things go from here. Still a bit too much Otaku pandering for me though, the whole naive flat chested girl who's stuck to your side and doesn't realise how she's turning you on didn't need to be in here. Whaddya ganna do eh?

[Mangz]

Originally Posted by acejem

Unfortunately, I was never hooked into Cross Game so I can't really share the positive reception, but nonetheless, this was a fantastic pilot episode. In all seriousness, I think Anohana has one-upped Hanasaku Iroha in the emotional drama department, but Hanasaku Iroha is probably still better in the coming of age department and in animation quality. But Anohana was still very pretty and well animated.

What I am most impressed by is the script writing. This is how you write an emotional drama without falling into the "cheap" category. Although it did have a few lighthearted moments to "lighten to load", it did not resort to slapstick comedy and it also transitioned very well from its lighthearted moments to its dramatic moments. It's subtle, not hammy, but still provides that emotional punch. An example is the scene where Menma's mother was praying for her dead daughter and where Menma's brother was telling her mother to forget about her resulting in Menma crying that she knows she dead was particularly touching, but not hammy.

I also applaud at how Menma's moeness actually significantly adds to the drama. Instead of invoking a "Omg Kawaii" reaction, it instead invokes a "Omg how tragic such a cute girl has to face such a fate", thus giving it an emotional attachment in conjunction with visual pleasure. The last time this happened to me was with Ushio in Clannad AS.

Talking about Clannad AS:

Spoiler for Possible Spoiler regarding Clannad AS:

If this series ends like it did with Clannad AS, I am seriously going to punch my monitor in disgust because that is the cheapest ending to a drama series you can get alongside the "everybody dies" ending.

Anyways, Mari Okada has activated god-mode this season with this and Hanasaku Iroha. I am optimistic that both series will continue with the level of quality it has taken off with.

I'd have to disagree with this.

Spoiler for Clannad After Story ending:

While Clannad's ending wasn't perfect, I'd say it was just fine and properly foreshadowed. I also don't think its lack of perfection was due to the fact that it ended with Tomoya, Nagisa, and Ushio all alive and happy, but simply because the events leading up to the time reversal for Tomoya not being set up quite as well as they could been for such an ending. It had its problems, but I was overall pleased with the ending.

I don't really feel like debating all the little issues of Clannad After Story's ending since that's not my point, I just wanted to point out that I don't think the type of ending itself is good or bad, but how its built up and executed is what's important.

I believe that Ano Hana could have a great ending with Menma alive in some form at the end, as long as it's built up to and executed well. At the same time, though, I would also agree that as things are going right now, it doesn't seem to be leading to this, and if such an ending were pulled out of nowhere for the sake of a "happy" ending it would certainly be bad writing. On the other hand, I'm perfectly fine with a "bittersweet" ending, again, if the show builds up to it and executes it properly.

I'll personally be waiting to see how the story unfolds before I think about what sort of ending would best suit the show. I think it would be best for everybody's enjoyment if they keep an open mind as well.

[ahelo]

Well with preorders suddenly shooting high for this one, I can't wait for the TV ratings. I'm scared though that it might be even lower than Winter season.

[wandering-dreamer]

Finally got around to watching the first episode and dang, I wasn't actually expecting to like the show that much (yes I know I even made the thread here ) and then it just goes and yanks on my heartstrings the entire time. Better make sure I also watch something fluffy this season, first Wandering Son and then this, why do you toy with my heart noitaminA?

[Pocari_Sweat]

Originally Posted by Mangz

I'd have to disagree with this.

Spoiler for Clannad After Story ending:

While Clannad's ending wasn't perfect, I'd say it was just fine and properly foreshadowed. I also don't think its lack of perfection was due to the fact that it ended with Tomoya, Nagisa, and Ushio all alive and happy, but simply because the events leading up to the time reversal for Tomoya not being set up quite as well as they could been for such an ending. It had its problems, but I was overall pleased with the ending.

I don't really feel like debating all the little issues of Clannad After Story's ending since that's not my point, I just wanted to point out that I don't think the type of ending itself is good or bad, but how its built up and executed is what's important.

I believe that Ano Hana could have a great ending with Menma alive in some form at the end, as long as it's built up to and executed well. At the same time, though, I would also agree that as things are going right now, it doesn't seem to be leading to this, and if such an ending were pulled out of nowhere for the sake of a "happy" ending it would certainly be bad writing. On the other hand, I'm perfectly fine with a "bittersweet" ending, again, if the show builds up to it and executes it properly.

I'll personally be waiting to see how the story unfolds before I think about what sort of ending would best suit the show. I think it would be best for everybody's enjoyment if they keep an open mind as well.

I'm not going to argue that much about Clannad AS ending either since it's off-topic, but will point out that the majority of people found the ending to be cheap and weak, and I just happen to be in that majority. The journey to the ending however, was very well done which is why Clannad AS is being praised as it is.

As for how a series ends, you are right it should depend on how it's built up. However, genres tend to have preferred endings. For example, in a romantic comedy, 95% of the time it is appropriate for a happy ending, because romcoms are generally light-hearted. On the other hand, it would be pretty unfitting and retarded for an psychological thriller anime like Madoka to have an happy ending given its circumstance and atmosphere. Also, the best dramas around the world often end with a bittersweet ending, as this is the type that is the least likely to appear not transitional, cheap or cheesy.

In addition, there are some cheap story telling methods that are often criticized. One is the "everybody dies" ending. Another is the "Deus Ex Machina/Alternative Universe or Timeline" approach. Another is if a main character comes back alive after he/she died previously during an important and influential scene. Although it can be pulled off most of the time it's going to come out cheap and cheesy.

Hence, although I agree that endings are dependent on how a story unfolds, I'm pointing out that there are still common "ideal" forms to conclude a story dependent on genre and endings that are universally agreed upon as just bad in the large majority of cases.

[Mangz]

Originally Posted by acejem

I'm not going to argue that much about Clannad AS ending either since it's off-topic, but will point out that the majority of people found the ending to be cheap and weak, and I just happen to be in that majority. The journey to the ending however, was very well done which is why Clannad AS is being praised as it is.

As for how a series ends, you are right it should depend on how it's built up. However, genres tend to have preferred endings. For example, in a romantic comedy, 95% of the time it is appropriate for a happy ending, because romcoms are generally light-hearted. On the other hand, it would be pretty unfitting and retarded for an psychological thriller anime like Madoka to have an happy ending given its circumstance and atmosphere. Also, the best dramas around the world often end with a bittersweet ending, as this is the type that is the least likely to appear not transitional, cheap or cheesy.

In addition, there are some cheap story telling methods that are often criticized. One is the "everybody dies" ending. Another is the "Deus Ex Machina/Alternative Universe or Timeline" approach. Another is if a main character comes back alive after he/she died previously during an important and influential scene. Although it can be pulled off most of the time it's going to come out cheap and cheesy.

Hence, although I agree that endings are dependent on how a story unfolds, I'm pointing out that there are still common "ideal" forms to conclude a story dependent on genre and endings that are universally agreed upon as just bad in the large majority of cases.

That's certainly a fair point. It would be hard to disagree that in a majority of cases, certain molds fit genres best (as in, they are easier to execute well). I agree with your general thinking on all of this, mostly I just wanted to point out that thinking about what will happen next is likely better for enjoyment than thinking about how we want it all to end when it's still this early in the show.

Of course, I also realize that you don't seem to be in a narrow mindset of "IT MUST BE DONE THIS WAY OR IT FAILS", and that you're just hoping for a reasonably well-written ending rather than a cop-out. I hope I didn't come off as thinking otherwise.

[lordshadowisle]

I had some expectations for this, but from what I see so far it's not quite there yet, though of course there's a lot of promise.

One of the more interesting points were the characters; though little time was spent on each character, from what was shown they are complex characters, with overt and hidden aspects. It makes me want to know more about what happened those few years, and how they each came to change.

Unfortunately Menma was a bit too annoying for me; I hope that she's not going to spend a few minutes making a fuss in each episode. I think it'll get better though, there's room for character development there.

Generally for the pilot it does feel a bit mopey and angsty, but given the ending (as well as the premise of the promise) I think the tone of the show will get more optimistic as it goes on.

Lastly, really like the ED music. Beautiful and especially suits the show.