What a wonderful penultimate episode. Everything is just culminating to that final climax of this series. Once again, this episode was just full of emotions and it continued to push its characters forward.
It was clear that the fireworks arc was going to be an anti-climax: there was no way in which that really would be Menma’s wish, but damn: this episode nearly made me believe that ti was. The build-up to the eventual launch was really quite sad, especially with Jintan not wanting her to go away. Yet at the same time, his personality would never have made him actually stop the launch. Beyond that though, everyone was somehow deeply emotionally involved in the launch. The climax, now that Menma didn’t disappear, is looking out to be amazing.
Overall, I’m going to wait until next week before claiming whether or not this was my favourite show of the year. This season also has a lot of series that go past 13 episodes for once, so I also can’t say yet whether it’s going to be the best series of the season. But what I can say is that it has the best eleven episodes of the past season. It left no moment wasted, it always sought to give more depth to its characters and the characters always made sure for hard-hitting and confronting drama. It’s exactly the kind of story that belongs in Noitamina.
Rating: *** (Awesome)
Oh geez during the beginning of the episode I was thinking, oh, this isn’t that bad. But at the end I had a waterfall of tears coming out of my eyes!!
I agree, this episode was absolutly awesome. The previous episodes had me tearing up but this one had me almost bawling.
I think that Menma’s wish is really to do with her family rather than the six of them, and in particular her brother. I wonder if she was going to ask Jintan if her brother could come along to the hideout.
But please please PLEASE finish this off nicely. This has been such an awesome emotional series and it really does deserve a good end.
My only problem is that they didn’t focus enough on Tsuruko throughout the whole series.
Let’s see if the finale will finally succeed in making me cry.
I don’t think i’ve ever cried so much for an episode till this one. There were so many emotions, so many heart wrenthing scenes. Now I just pray the next episode will really end Ano Hana with a bang.
“It left no moment wasted”.
I couldn’t agree more. All those folks who say we need 24 episodes to tell a decent story, else we don’t get any character development, blah blah blah… They should just watch this show. This is how you do it.
Oh god, you have to feel bad for Tsuruko and Anjou since they’re two girls who won’t have their love returned any time soon. At least Tsuruko looks like she can handle it, Anjou was breaking down. :/
Anyways, what’s Menma’s wish then? It definitely has something to do with her calling everyone except Jinta to the base that one day in the past. And what’s the significance of that flower?
I think Menma called everyone except Jintan to the secret base that afternoon because she wanted to do something for him, regarding the loss of his mother. Jintan’s mother probably told Menma her last wish, so Menma was trying to fulfill it with the gang’s help. Unfortunately she died before succeeding, and maybe that’s why she couldn’t rest in peace.
Although I didn’t cry, it was a pretty good episode. The fireworks launch was a powerful moment. I can’t wait to watch the end of this.
I’ve never cried for an anime scene before, and this episode din’t change that. But I suspect that the next episode might finally change that record.
Also, vote Matsuyuki/Yukiatsu for Biggest Bastard of 2011! I swear, he is THE most effective anime villain I’ve seen in years. And he isn’t even a villain.
This episode was just plain breathtaking. Finally all the unexpressed emotions have finally been set loose, all thanks to Menma. Jinta was able to tell Menma he loves her and finaly professed to having his own selfish wishes- keeping Menma with him. Tsuruko moved out of the shadows and articulated her feelings of irritation, love, and grief (mostly incited by Yukiatsu) out in the open. Even Poppo, the constantly happy-go-lucky guy of the group,finally raised his voice, chanting the mantra “Say it”. While Yukiatsu and Anaru also developed significantly, it wasn’t as well-explored as the other three.
While I’ve always thought Ano Hana was a magnificent and well-paced show, I could not empathize with the show as well as those who kept crying after each episode. But this time around, I felt in my heart the pain they were going through.When Menma held up the page with the words “So please be my friends until the very end.”, I felt my eyes get clouded by tears just as Poppo’s did. It was the moment for them to let go, a time to set Menma free along with the thoughts and regrets they had long pent up within themselves. In this episode, the subject of reincarnation as brought up.Menma believed she would be reincarnated and no matter what form she assumed she’d eventually return. Perhaps that is the main theme of the show-rebirth/renewal,the steps to getting there, and the unbreakable bonds that exist despite change.After all, watching the characters constantly evolve and interact is what makes Ano Hana so lovely.
@Padre: I would still say Kyuubey is the biggest bastard of 2011 so far :p
I think this show would be absolutely perfect if Noitamina would’t stick to this 11-episode scheme. 13 episodes would fit perfectly, but 11 are always a bit too short.
Tsuruko’s awesome. She doesn’t need a lot of focus or screentime, she just steps in and turns events her own way with a sniper’s efficiency (just as she did in 4). Yukiatsu’s plans with Anaru? A warning shot within three minutes of the start to throw him off balance. Then a headshot when she interrupts his meetup with Anaru, laying all his motives bare. And then a spanner in any future plans by staking her claim on him to Anaru.
If that wasn’t enough she then endorses my preferred ending to Anaru, saying they both still have a chance once Menma’s been sent to heaven. Go Tsuruko! You’ve restored my faith that the show might end properly with so little time left after all (but damn, only 23 minutes left?).
The characters are so well written. The premise is ridiculous but what makes it so great is the internal consistency (characters acting the way they should).
Some shows *cough* Angel Beats *cough* would have done well to remember this.
@tomphile
PS: It’s obvious now that it is Jin that is keeping Menma here and preventing her from going to heaven.
Jin-tan: Best hallucinating necrophiliac pedophile EVER!
I have no idea how this story will be resolved. Actually, two of the best theories as to what could make Menma return to Heaven just got blown out of the water. A new bizarre theory just got suggested, which is closely linked to the title of the show but….eh? So what happens now? Is there really only one episode left?
Actually I do remember another touching love story about a guy who fell in love with the spirit of a cactus….>.>;
It really was a great episode.
I would think that maybe Menma wanted to find a flower that’s the reincarnation of Jintan’s mother, but if I remember right, she died after Menma did…so it doesn’t make sense for Menma to call everyone together to look for it.
You could be right. I don’t know. Alot of possibilities here. Do Jintan and Menma have some kind of future? Or should we prepare ourselves for a tearful parting after all?
That Yukiatsu is really getting scarier and scarier. How will his situation be resolved? I’m having a bit of trouble reading Poppo too. I think he’s got some suppressed feelings too. Is he really just trying to make what happened in the past right? And it looks like the other two girls have resolved to do something together. And Menma’s little brother may have realized something. Is Menma’s family, particularly her mom going to get involved too? Quite a big mess here to settle in one episode.
The characters have changed so little yet learned to became so honest with themselves during the series that I’m afraid we’ll have some really, really bitter-sweet ending. I’ll have my tissues ready.
This was a great episode even with Anohana’s ridiculously high standards.Now what’s left is to wrap this whole thing and everybody’s wondering ‘can this series pull it off?’ I mean, the whole goodbye setup/ fulfilling a wish eerily reminds me of Angel Beats which as we know was a very divisive series right down to its ending.
Still, that launch moment was powerful. Sure, the ED song playing at that moment sounded kind of cheesy but it was really well done and Yukiatsu fuming that the whole thing didn’t make Menma go away was very well done. I wonder how this will affect the rest of the gang though having expected everyone including Menma to move on after that.
Kyubey finally (if inadvertently) said what’s been bothering me with the subs and every other comment I’ve seen about Jinta’s nickname. It’s not Jintan; it’s Jin-tan. As in the cute way of saying Jin-chan that young girls often adopt. Anyway, that’s just been bugging me this whole time.
Fantastic show all around and I’m not even much of an anime fan, truth be told.
whoa it was great, wasnt a big fan of this type of show but i really enjoy it . also the soundtrack in this was wonderful done, pretty amazing in fact