June 19th, a midsummer night.
Shiga Taka deliberately stayed up until 12:45 AM to watch the final episode of Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day.
Since it aired on Thursdays, and he had to work the next day, he had recorded all the previous ten episodes except the first. He would either wake up early the next morning or watch them after returning home from work in the evening.
This time, being the final episode, it was different. Even though he had to work the next day, he wanted to watch it as soon as it aired.
While he didn't join the online discussions, he felt the anime's depressing and tear-jerking nature was manageable, not overly excessive.
The delicate emotional expression was a major highlight. After watching "rough" or "explosive" emotional displays, experiencing this refined approach was a refreshing change.
Of course, the main reason was that, as many people said, the anime truly evoked memories of the past and rekindled that childhood sense of wonder.
It was definitely worth watching.
On screen, the final episode picked up where the previous one left off.
"The fireworks were truly spectacular. Thank you for inviting me," the Main Character's younger brother bowed to the Male Lead and the others. "And thank you for working so hard for my sister."
The friends fell silent, only the Main Character softly murmuring, "Satoshi..."
Beep! Beep!
The car horn blared—it was the Main Character's parents.
Her younger brother glanced at the car parked nearby, bid the Male Lead and the others farewell, and trotted off toward the vehicle.
Watching her parents, who seemed to have emerged from the grief of losing their daughter years ago, the Main Character softly said, "Dad... Mom..."
Her eyes welled up with tears, but a smile of relief spread across her face.
After her family left, the friends also went their separate ways.
That evening, at the Male Lead's house.
"It's a shame... It seems it wasn't the wish we were hoping for," the Main Character said between bites.
The Male Lead outwardly agreed, but inwardly he thought, Menma didn't ascend because the wish was wrong... perhaps...
Perhaps it was his fault. Because he wanted to keep Menma with him, because he had his own selfish thoughts—that's what he believed.
Later, he took a shower and changed into fresh clothes.
When he emerged from the bathroom, the Main Character was asleep, her head resting on the table.
He approached her, intending to carry her upstairs to sleep, when Atsumu Matsuyuki suddenly called, summoning him out and warning him not to let Menma discover anything.
Everyone except the Main Character had gathered at the shrine where they had made the fireworks.
"Why do you think Menma hasn't been able to move on?" Atsumu Matsuyuki asked the Male Lead.
"That's because..." The Male Lead sat on the ground, avoiding everyone's gaze, looking guilty.
However, the others soon began to "confess" one by one, admitting their selfish motives for making the fireworks.
Atsumu, Anjou Naruko, and Tsurumi Chiriko were obvious cases, but Poppo was actually a witness to the Main Character's death. For years, he had been trying to escape, even leaving Neon for a trip to Southeast Asia. Yet his time remained stuck in the past, and he couldn't escape. In the end, he returned to the Secret Base, which is why he had been so desperate to help the Main Character move on.
In truth, he was doing it for his own sake, not out of genuine desire to help her move on.
One by one, they confessed their sins, weeping uncontrollably. But as they laid their secrets bare, their bond seemed to return to its former state, and they began using the childhood nicknames they hadn't used in years.
Finally, they reached a decision: they would talk to Menma properly and truly fulfill her wish.
After making their decision, the others headed to the Secret Base, while the Male Lead was tasked with going home to call Menma.
At home, the Main Character was already awake, but she lay on the floor, completely immobile.
The Male Lead, who had just returned, was startled by the sight. He hurried to help her up and asked what had happened.
"Menma's wish... it seems to have been granted," the Main Character replied.
"Huh?" The Male Lead was surprised.
"Menma remembered what she promised Jinta's mother," the Main Character added.
It turned out that her true wish hadn't been to make fireworks with everyone and set them off together, but to make the Male Lead cry. When she had visited his mother in the hospital back then, his mother had said, "Jinta never cries. I think he's been holding back all this time because of my condition. Even though I'm looking forward to being reborn, this is the one thing I can't let go of."
That year, she had gathered everyone at the Secret Base for this very purpose. But things hadn't gone as planned; the Male Lead hadn't cried and had run away instead. While chasing after him, she had accidentally fallen into a pond and lost her life.
In the eighth episode, the Male Lead had already cried once. At that time, the Main Character had a fleeting memory, but she likely hadn't truly remembered yet, or perhaps her obsession with watching the fireworks prevented her from immediately ascending to Buddhahood.
Now, she had remembered, her wish had been fulfilled, and she had watched the fireworks. It was time for her to ascend.
When the Male Lead understood the situation, he was startled at first, but soon couldn't hold back his tears.
The Main Character raised her hand and gently stroked his face. "Jinta," she murmured, "you're crying again. But you know, Menma still loves seeing you smile."
She slowly withdrew her hand and continued, "Is it time to say goodbye?"
"Wait! Not yet! Just a little longer! It's not enough to just talk to me!" The Male Lead grabbed her hand and quickly hoisted her onto his back.
"I wanted to see you so badly, always. I wanted to call your name, to apologize, to tell you I love you. But... everyone feels the same. Everyone loves you, everyone wants to see you, everyone is waiting for you—for us—in our special place."
Without even putting on shoes, he rushed out of the house with her on his back, heading straight for the Secret Base.
But as soon as they arrived, a gust of wind swept through, and he suddenly couldn't sense her presence anymore.
He shouted "Menma!" at the top of his lungs, desperately searching for her.
The Main Character had already climbed down from the Male Lead's back, caught off guard by this turn of events.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she covered them with her hands, her voice choked with sobs. "This... this is just a game of hide-and-seek."
Though the Male Lead could no longer sense her presence, he could still faintly hear her voice.
He stared in shock. "W-what do you mean, hide-and-seek?"
The Main Character didn't answer.
He searched the wooden hut again, but finding no trace of her, he immediately rushed outside to continue the search.
The other friends, unaware of what was happening, saw how frantic the Male Lead was and quickly followed him out, joining the calls and search.
Only the Main Character remained inside the hut.
"Not... not yet," she murmured softly. "I still need to say proper goodbyes to everyone."
Outside, the group searched frantically, shouting, "Menma~!"
Like a child playing hide-and-seek, the Main Character called back, "Not ready yet~!"
She took out her notebook and pen, scribbling down her farewells as she muttered, "Just wait a little longer... I'll be done soon."
Outside, the sky began to lighten.
Despite searching for so long, they still couldn't find the Main Character. Just as despair was about to set in, five folded sheets of paper suddenly appeared beneath a large tree—clearly torn from her diary.
Each sheet was labeled with a recipient's name.
The group picked them up one by one and unfolded them, revealing the Main Character's words:
"I really like Tsuruko, who is so kind to everyone."
"I really like Atsumu, who is so diligent."
"I really like Poppo, who is so fun and playful."
"I really like Anaru, who is so serious and reliable."
"I really like Jinta. My feelings for Jinta are the kind that make me want to marry you and become your bride."
The moment the last sheet was unfolded, the animation's theme song, "Secret Base ~What You Gave Me~," suddenly began to play:
"The end of summer with you, the dreams for the future
The great hopes I've never forgotten
August ten years from now
I believe we'll meet again
With the most beautiful memories..."
In front of the television, tears suddenly streamed down Shiga Taka's face, unstoppable.
He'd heard the song before, and the animation's plot wasn't particularly complex. Yet when the two combined, they unleashed a force that struck straight to the heart, instantly overwhelming his tear ducts.
He couldn't hold back.
So moving!
Everything had been fine until now. He never expected to be brought to tears at this moment.
Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, he continued watching.
On the screen, there was still a little more to see.
The Main Character leaned against a tree, gazing at the group, and thought to herself, This time, I'll say proper goodbyes to everyone... I've already...
But then the Male Lead's voice rang out: "What is this? What is this, Menma? We were playing hide-and-seek, weren't we? If I don't find you, it can't be over!"
"Jinta..." the Main Character murmured.
"Are you hidden? Are you hidden...?" the Male Lead shouted repeatedly.
Seeing this, the other friends joined in: "Are you hidden? Are you hidden...?"
Deeply moved, the Main Character quickly called out, "I'm hidden."
This time, not only the Male Lead but all the friends heard her.
They all turned toward the tree and saw the Main Character leaning against it.
"Menma! It's really Menma!"
Joy erupted among the group.
"You shouldn't be calling my name right now, should you?"
The Main Character wiped her tears and stood up. "Menma, you're not very good at hide-and-seek... Hey, Jinta, just say it. That should end this, right?"
A ray of light pierced through her chest, causing the Male Lead's gaze to waver.
Soon, Poppo led the way, and the others followed, all saying things like, "I really like you."
The Male Lead was the last to speak: "Thank you for granting my wish. I really like you, Menma."
Images of their memories flashed before their eyes, and only then did it feel like they had truly returned to their childhood.
The Main Character, tears streaming down her face, addressed the group: "Menma still wants to be with everyone, still wants to play with all of you. So, I'm going to be reborn as a new life, so I can be with you all again. That's why Jinta is crying, why we're all saying goodbye, so..."
The Male Lead gritted his teeth and shouted, "One, two..."
Then, everyone shouted together: "Menma, we found you!"
In the morning light, the Main Character, tears still flowing, smiled. "I've been found."
After a white screen, a flower blooming in a bottle appeared. Simultaneously, the original song "Blue Bookmark" began playing as the ending theme.
In the epilogue, simple scenes show the characters moving on after resolving their conflicts, accompanied by the Male Lead's reflective, summarizing monologue:
"We'll slowly grow up. Amidst the ever-flowing seasons, the flowers blooming by the roadside gradually change.
What was the name of the flower that bloomed that season? It swayed gently in the wind, pricked our fingers when we reached out to touch it, and when we leaned close, we could catch a faint, green, sun-kissed fragrance.
That fragrance gradually faded as we grew up, but that flower must still be blooming somewhere. That's right—no matter when, we'll always fulfill that flower's wish."
Inside the Secret Base's log cabin, beneath the carved "Super Peace Busters," a new phrase was added: "Forever Best Friends."
On the table lay a torn page from the Main Character's diary, bearing a single word: "Goodbye."
The screen went black, and the staff credits began to roll, one by one.
The final episode ended, marking the conclusion of the Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day animation.
Yet, most of the viewers in front of their televisions remained immersed in the emotional resonance of the last episode, with many still unable to hold back their tears.
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