Anohana Ending Explained! Meaning of the Flowers!
Just 10 years has passed since the air of Anohana!
I watched all the episodes again this time.
It still touched my heart.
We could see 2 types of flowers in the last scene.
What they were and what was the meaning?
With the summary, I introduce all about the ending scene of Anohana.
※ This article includes spoiler, so I’m glad you come back here again after watching the anime if you haven’t seen Anohana yet
- 1. Summary of Ending Episode
- 2. Reason Menma couldn’t enter into Nirvana
- 2.1. Anaru’s True Desire
- 2.2. Yukiatsu’s True Desire
- 2.2. Tsuruko’s True Desire
- 2.2. Poppo’s True Desire
- 2.2. Jintan’s True Wish
- 3. What was True Wish of Menma?
- 3.1. Make Jintan Cry
- 3.2. Members of Cho Heiwa Busters to Get along
- 4. Goodbyes aren’t a one-sided affair!
- 5. What was the Name of the Flower?
- 5.1. Forget-me-not
- 5.2. Philadelphia fleabane
- 6. My Review of Ending Scene of Anohana
Summary of Ending Episode
They thought they could let Menma enter into Nirvana by shooting skyrocket which they once tried but couldn’t when they were in elementary school..
Menma suggested at the time to attach a letter written wish of Jintan’s mother’s recovery from the disease to the skyrocket.
But Menma was still there even after shooting the skyrocket.
They found that it was not the wish Menma wanted.
At the night they came together again.
Tsuruko said that the skyrocket was not the wish Menma wanted, we missed it.
But Anaru said it was not like that.
She asked them if we really thought about Menma.
Anaru confesses that she also used wish of Menma for herself.
We didn’t think about Menma from the heart, that’s why Menma’s wish didn’t come true
It was not only her but also others.
Each of them confesses their real feelings.
They found that they needed to come together again, including Menma.
When Jintan came back home to get Menma back to them, she was dissapering.
He managed to bring back Menma to them but Jintan couldn’t see the figure of Menma anymore.
Just only voice of Menma Jintan could hear.
Jintan and other friends trying to find Menma in the mountain.
Reason Menma couldn’t enter into Nirvana
The only way Menma enters into Nirvana is fulfilling her wish.
Everyone tried their best for Menma but couldn’t make it.
Anaru says that’s because we didn’t do it from our heart just for Menma.
Anaru’s True Desire
Anaru confesses that she does not want to see Jintan who keeps thinking about Menma.
She loved Jintan but he kept thinking about Menma as long as Menma exsits (even as a ghost).
“I wanted to do it not for Menma but for myself”
Anaru confesses.
Without true desire, Menma can not enter into Nirvana, she says.
Yukiatsu’s True Desire
Yukiatsu confesses that he couldn’t stand the situation only Yadomi could see Menma.
He have always loved Menma even after her death.
But Yukiatsu couldn’t see Menma, only Yadomi could see her.
He couldn’t stand the situation of only Yadomi could meet with Menma, so he tried to fulfill her wish.
Tsuruko’s True Desire
Tsuruko murmured “suck” against Yukiatsu when she heard his real desire.
Then, Anaru shouted at Tsuruko saying “You are also same”.
Anaru tells you are also same as you get jealous of Menma who are being loved by Yukiatsu.
Tsuruko says that’s not true.
Because she never dream about things that she know won’t come true, not like Anaru.
She knew that even if Menma could enter into Nirvana, she could not be the alternative after all as there was always Anaru.
Anaru was very understanding of Yukiatsu.
In the end, she admits that she wanted Jintan and Anaru got togehter if Menma entered into Nirvana.
“Suck was me”, she tells.
Poppo’s True Desire
Poppo was the only one who saw the scene Menma passed away.
The scene branded in his memory.
He thought something will change if he go outside, go on a trip abroad.
But it was not.
To erase a sense of guilt, he wanted to fulfill Menma’s wish.
Jintan’s True Wish
Jintan had ambiguous feelings.
He wanted to let Menma go but part of this heart rejected to do so at the same time.
Because he wanted to stay with Menma even if she was a ghost.
So, he did all the things reluctantly.
He knew that means he thinks about only himself, not about Menma herself.
And now he notices that it was not only him but everyone.
Everyone was same as him.
What was True Wish of Menma?
Starting from getting Menma’s favorite Pokemon, they tried many things to fulfill Menma’s wish.
But nothing made it.
Even last hope of shooting skyrocket was to vail.
This is no wonder, since what they thought about was only to Menma’s advantage.
Menma’s true wish was not for herself but for others.
Make Jintan Cry
Her wish was to make Jintan cry.
That’s Jintan’s mother once told Menma.
His mother worried about him as he cried, smiled less.
She knew that he tried to be strong as she was ill in the hospital.
Listening to it, Menma made a promise of making Jintan cry.
Make Jintan cry, that became the wish of Menma.
Members of Cho Heiwa Busters Get along
Make Jintan cry was wish of Jintan’s mother originally.
Menma came to have her own wish, too.
That’s all the friends of Super Peace Busters get along.
She wanted Jintan, Anaru, Poppo, Atsuyuki, Tsuruko get along like before.
That’s why just shooting skyroket didn’t fulfill her wish.
That’s why Menma started to disappear right after they came together and had a heart‐to‐heart talk to each other.
Her wish was not for herself but for themselves.
Goodbyes aren’t a one-sided affair!
All of them started searching for Menma.
And they find letters Menma wrote for all of them.
Then, Jintan shouts
“We can’t say goodbye until we find you”.
They start to shout
“Are you ready?”
And Menma finally replies
“I’m ready”.
In front of them, was Menma.
Not only Jintan but all the others could see Menma this time.
Poppo says
“Goodbyes aren’t a one-sided affair!”.
Each of them tell Menma their own goodbye.
And shouts
“Found you, Menma!!”
Menma smiled and was finally able to enter into Nirvana.
What was the Name of the Flower?
Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai
(あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない).
This is the Japanese title of Anohana.
If translated into English it’ll be “We still haven’t known what is the flower’s name we saw at that day”.
What is the flower?
I can say there are two flowers.
They are Forget-me-not and Philadelphia fleabane.
Forget-me-not
The blue flower bloomed by the tree where Menma entered Nirvana.
That was Forget-me-not.
The flower language is “True love”, “True relationship”.
They were the things Menma wanted most for herself and for themselves.
Don’t forget me, the flower bloomed there like symbolizing existence of Menma.
Philadelphia fleabane
On the first episode, we could see dead flowers in a empty bottle of milk.
We could not find what the flowers were.
But in the last scene after Menma entered Nirvana, we could see beautiful white flowers in bloom in the bottle.
They were Philadelphia fleabane.
The flower language is “Love of reminisce”.
It was like the answer for the flower of Forget-me-not.
6 white flowers, which represents each members of Super Peace Busters now in full bloom.
My Review of Ending Scene of Anohana
Each of them keeps holding sense of guilt.
Superficially, it looked like they cooperated toward the same goal of letting Menma enter Nirvana.
But they finally tell each other their true feelings.
And accept each other in a real meaning.
That was the thing Menma wanted most.
Forget-me-not and Philadelphia fleabane, they represents them.
They don’t bloom not only for themselves but for others.
Keep realizing the wish of the flower, that was also their wish.
Anohana (The Flower We Saw That Day)
Official Website
https://www.anohana.jp/tv/
PV (YouTube)
https://youtu.be/Of36Qh7WLSQ
PS. I have my store selling rare, unique Japanese goods in eBay (Following is the link to my store)
https://ebay.us/uFJMri