Anohana explores the effects of grief on a group of friends following the death of their childhood friend, Menma. But how exactly did she die?
Kodoani.com – Anyone who watched Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day Everyone knows it’s a tear. What fans may not know is what happened to Menma. While the anime revolves around the effects her death has on her group of friends and how it continues to affect them into their late teens, the real cause of her death That’s alluded to in most of the 11-episode series.
The subtlety with which Menma’s cause of death is given helps amplify the inherent tragedy of what is ultimately just an accident. Jintan and the rest of Menma’s friends spend years grappling with her loss, feeling that if they weren’t wrapped in their own feelings for the day, they would somehow be able to. prevent her death. With the way Anohana Exploring the human need to find responsibility and blame in the face of tragedy, the mystery of Menma’s accident is filled through through examining people’s grief.
Together, Anohana weaves a story about the heartaches of five friends, revealing the cause of all the hurt with each step forward in the grieving process. As the series continued to develop, it was periodically suggested that Menma’s death was river related. Jintan was quick to stop Anaru from sliding into the water in Episode 4, and he became worried when Menma approached the river to see a carp in Episode 9, as if she were going to fall in. However, the end of the film reveals that Menma’s cause of death was because she slipped and fell into a fast-moving river – when there was no one around to pull her out.
By the final episode, everyone confesses their personal guilt, filling the void about what happened that day when they were kids. Menma ran off to find Jintan, who left the group out of embarrassment after Yukiatsu and Anaru tried to get him to confess his feelings to Menma. Yukiatsu took this opportunity to tell Menma his feelings for her, only making for an even more troublesome situation between the children. Menma knows that Jintan has feelings for her, having been told by Tsuruko earlier that day, so her choice to run along the river and find him was inevitable. Poppo admits to witnessing the incident happen and he feels completely helpless as he watches Menma float on top of the water.
Menma’s slip is purely by chance, but because of the events leading up to it, every one of her friends feels responsible in one way or another. A childhood death, and again accidental, is a deeply traumatic experience. As children, very few groups of friends were able to do that, but that did not lessen their sense of responsibility.
With the whirlwind of emotions in the moments leading up to Menma’s crash, people’s ability to handle such a dire thing is amazingly hindered, and their sadness and grief surface. inwardly. Anohana’s focus on death through the pain it brings – and the anime’s decision to depict Menma’s death almost entirely through the memories of her friends – deeply emphasizes the frustrations faced with unfortunate events beyond one’s control.
As important as Menma’s death is to Anohana’s entire story, the actual event is approached so delicately that it is overlooked by some. Through this approach, the story never emphasizes the horror of witnessing her death unfold, instead showing how an unseen tragedy can have lasting effects. .
Via: Kodoani.com
