#domochi

I think the movie portrayed a lot of what the anime wanted to accomplish to its’ viewers, this time in a more realistic way of using live action as the medium to convey this story. I am not too familiar with the actors nor am I familiar with the action and filming style of Japanese and Eastern Filmography, but I hope to shed share my thoughts into the wonderful production of this movie. One of the ways that this movie stood out to me was the vast similarities that was shared from the anime. A hint of nostalgia hit my eyes and my nose has Jintan started to make his salty ramen while Menma hungrily asks for some while demanding he pop the yolk. Having watched the anime way back in 2011 (I think it was late summer, early fall),

I feel very pleased with the overall flow of the storyline and the progression of the fall and rise of the friendship of the Super Peace Busters. I wish there would’ve been more development of Menma’s family, especially when it came to her mother and her disillusionment to her daughter’s death. It’s not as if we, as the audience, didn’t get the her disillusionment, but I wanted to see more of how Menma’s death affected her family; though, Jintan describes it best when he realizes that he was not the only one who suffered at the death of Meiko. Each and every person that was there felt as if he or she was the sole cause for Menma’s death. Everyone shared the same blame, though it was a tragic accident that only fate could understand. The beauty of this story is that though tragedy has struck, those who were affected were able to be at peace with life and with death. Friendship between the peace busters, though broken, took the fragile pieces and wound them together, likes roots of a garden come together to strengthen each other and create a haven; a haven of what, you may ask? The answer is up to you. Though, I don’t think we’ll know the name of that flower…

Watching this story now that I’m older, and with the aid of live-action, I look to how life and death is portrayed and discussed in today’s society and at a personal level. Speaking for myself, I look at this show and find peace from the passing of Menma to beyond death and think of the future in a positive light. I think this story emphasizes friendship and its ability to strengthen those who share a bond with one another even if hard times may come. Friendship is precious. It’s fickle, a tad bit more fickle than falling in love at times. You can find a thousand reasons to fall in love, but there are times where one cannot find a reason to call someone friend. Friendship may come easily, but there is much to be done if one wishes to continue to bond with a friend. I think friends are those who accept your flaws, your anguish, your triumphs, and celebrates all with you. Though these words may be nothing more than an interpretation, I feel that AnoHana shows us that friendship is important in every aspect of life, from playing and hanging around, to dealing with the trials that life throws at us, to even death.