Chapter 131 - 129 (2 in 1)

At 8 PM, viewers across the country were holding their breath for the finale of a show that had quietly captured their hearts. No matter what critics or online forums had said over the weeks, anyone who stuck with it to this point was clearly watching out of love—for the story, for the characters, for her. They had fallen for Meiko. For the rest of the Super Peace Busters too. Poppo, brash on the outside but soft-hearted beneath; Tsuruko, with her quiet yearning for Yukiatsu; Naruko, secretly in love with Jinta. Each of them flawed, each of them fully human. Even Meiko—adorable, kind, bursting with life—was only one part of this deeply layered story. That was the magic of it. These weren't just characters. They felt real. You saw their weaknesses, and instead of turning away, you cared more. The final episode, "The Flower Blooming on That Summer", opened where the last had left off. The fireworks had gone off. Meiko's wish should have been fulfilled. And yet... she was still here. The five friends gathered that night, puzzled and tense. Had they misunderstood her wish? Their conversation grew heated, frustration and guilt spilling over. "No... It's not because her wish was wrong," Naruko said softly. "We... did we ever really ask what she wanted?" That line hit viewers hard. They all wanted her to pass on—but in truth, their reasons were tangled in selfishness. And in that mess of arguments, something began to break down—not their bonds, but the walls between them. They began to see each other. They began to heal. Finally, they made a decision. If Meiko's wish was truly her own, then they had to include her in it. No more deciding for her. Tsuruko turned to Jinta. "Please... Leader." Just one line, and it pulled at the hearts of everyone watching. Because this—this was friendship. Even after all these years, even with all the distance and pain, when it really mattered, they came together. Maybe that's why so many people are drawn to anime. Because emotions like this—friendship, forgiveness, love—they're so rare in real life. So fragile. So easy to lose. And anime, at its best, gives them back to us. The scene shifted. At home, Meiko was weakening. She finally remembered... her wish. It flashed back to a conversation years ago—Jinta's mother, gravely ill, had spoken to Meiko. Jinta had never cried. And so Meiko made a promise: "I'll make him cry for you." That was the wish. Not her own happiness, but his healing. That was why she returned. Now, lying in his arms, her strength fading, Meiko smiled. The soft music swelled. And those watching—felt it coming. No matter how many times Mizushiro had hinted at a happy ending, something about this... felt like goodbye. Jinta lifted Meiko and carried her toward the secret base. Everyone was already there, waiting. She had to say farewell. But when he arrived, Meiko slipped from his back. And just like that—Jinta could no longer see her. Wait—what? She's right behind you—turn around! Viewers across the country leaned forward, hearts pounding. Then Meiko's voice broke through, light and playful. "Let's play hide-and-seek!" Jinta couldn't see her, but he could still hear her. Panicked, the group scattered to search. Meanwhile, Meiko, somewhere in the distance, poured her remaining strength into her letters. "Jinta..." "Tsuruko..." "Where are you?" "You're not done yet!" She called out again and again, trying to reassure them. On a quiet hillside under a tree, they finally found her farewell notes—one for each of them. [TL:- play—"Secret Base ~Kimi ga Kureta Mono" if you want enhance emotional experience ] Tears came, inevitable and unrelenting. "To Tsuruko, I love your quiet kindness." "To Yukiatsu, I love how hard you try." "To Poppo, I love how funny you are." "To Naruko, I love how reliable you've always been." "To Jinta... I love you. I always wanted to be your bride." Simple words. And yet, with that song in the background, they hit like a wave. Meiko, the girl who had died too young, never once showed resentment. Not toward the friends whose inaction had, in part, led to her death. Not even now. Even as they came to say goodbye, she was still trying to comfort them. "That's it," someone whispered from the audience. "This time... they really said goodbye." Under that tree, she sat alone, watching the others not far away. Even if Jinta couldn't see her anymore... "What are you doing?" he choked out. "You're playing hide-and-seek, right?" "Then I can't stop until I find you." --- Don't do this. Kazanami, Mizushiro... fine, I give up! This is unbearable! How could you just let Meiko go like that? What's with the emotional bomb at the end? Some of the viewers watching at home tried to hold back. Others couldn't handle it anymore. But ask them to stop watching altogether? That was out of the question. "...Okay?" In the final episode of the anime, Jinta spoke alone at first. The audience immediately understood—he was calling out to Meiko. Was she ready to play hide-and-seek? Then, one by one, Naruko, Yukiatsu, Tsuruko, Poppo, and Meiko began climbing the hillside—toward their old hideout, toward that place that may or may not have existed, the place that had long since vanished... or maybe had only just come into being again. Each time, someone asked: "...Okay?" "...Okay?" "...Okay?" The repeated calls from the characters felt like they echoed straight into the hearts of the viewers. Somewhere inside, they were calling out too. Have you hidden well, Meiko? She had planned to leave quietly. Alone. But when she heard their voices calling out to her, she couldn't stay silent. "Found me!!" At that moment, even the last of the viewers who had been holding back lost it. Tears. All around. Jinta and the others finally found Meiko, who had been right there in front of them all along. And this time—unlike before—they saw her. All six of them were connected again, just like they were when they were children. "Meiko, "You suck at hide-and-seek!!" poppo said. Meiko smiled. "Hey, Jinta, say something!" "What are you talking about?" he asked. "If you say it... it'll really be over!" But everyone knew it already. In their hearts, they all understood. And one after another, they each expressed what they truly felt. They all said it—what they should have said long ago. "Thank you... for granting my wish." "I love you most, Meiko!" Finally, Jinta told her. And hearing that from the person she cared for most, Meiko broke down in tears. "I... I really wanted to stay with all of you!" "I wanted to play together again... that's why I want to be reborn." "So... everyone... goodbye." "One... two..." Jinta began counting. The others understood. As much as they didn't want to say goodbye, they couldn't keep her tied to this world. Not for their own sake. "Meiko... found you!" The five shouted together. And in the soft light of morning, Meiko, crying but smiling, answered them. "Found me!" Meiko vanished. The final scene faded out, with a few lingering images flashing across the screen—then nothing. [TL: Let the song finish, then continue reading.] It was over. The viewers were left in silence, their hearts hollow. "What? That's it?" "Is it really over?" "You've got to be kidding me!" ... In front of the computer, Naoya and Kenta had just finished watching the final episode. They were both stunned. The two had been yelling throughout the episode. Now, in silence, they slowly turned toward Haruki. Their glares were intense. "This... is this what you called a happy ending?" Kenta grabbed Haruki's right hand. Naoya seized the left. "Hey! Why are you two restraining me?!" Haruki struggled, but the grip from both sides was strong. "Just tell us—how does it end like this?" "I started the episode in such a good mood, and now I feel completely wrecked!" "What's wrong with it? That is the ending," Haruki sighed. "When did I ever say it was cheerful?" "Meiko finally found peace and was reborn. That is a happy ending. If you're expecting her to become a ghost girlfriend and date Renta forever, that's on you!" "You could at least give some closure!" Naoya said. "You ended it right there?!" "Aren't you worried fans might send you razor blades in the mail?" Haruki scoffed. "My fans are all smart, rational, emotionally mature individuals. That won't happen." The other two exchanged glances and snorted. "Where does that blind optimism come from?" "Tell you what—if you're brave enough to post your address, we'll be impressed." "You'll see, Haruki," Naoya said, shaking his head. "After this ending and the buzz from Rurouni kenshin's final arc, things are going to get intense for you." Haruki didn't respond. He pulled out his phone and casually opened Line. He even went so far as to post: "How did you like the final episode of Anohana? Wasn't it healing to see the purity of Meiko's bond with the others? ???? #AnohanaFinale" But soon, Haruki noticed something was off. Where were the waves of praise? Why were all the replies filled with... anger? ... Within thirty minutes of the final episode dropping, the anime community exploded. Discussion boards. Fan groups. Forums. All overtaken. Anohana trended instantly. On MangaStream, in the official anime discussion area, a few top comments stood out: "I knew Mizushiro would pull something like this. He did it with Rurouni kenshin: Remembrance too. And now Meiko? He actually made her disappear?!" "Technically, this isn't even a tragedy. But man, that ending wrecked me. When they shouted 'Found you!'—I lost it." "Don't even joke, I'm still broken. Why does Mizushiro always do this? Why can't the girls ever get a happy ending?" "There better be a second season. If Meiko's getting reincarnated, we need to see it. And it better not be as a worm or something." "I'm heading to his fend account. This needs a protest. I can't accept this ending!" "+1" "Count me in too." In a popular fan chat: Within minutes, people started spamming Meiko reaction images—crying, smiling, walking away... Everyone was grieving. "What happened? Why's everyone suddenly depressed?" someone new to the group asked. "Oh, don't mind them. They just watched the last episode of Anohana. They'll be fine after some tears," one person replied—and then posted another sad Meiko picture. Five minutes later, the mood had shifted. Now, the entire group was rallying to protest against Mizushiro and Kazanami. "No way. Mizushiro may have created the character, but Meiko belongs to all of us now. We can't just let her disappear like that." "I thought Kazuya was a decent producer, but he's clearly just as heartless. You're seriously telling me we spent all this time with Meiko, only for her to vanish? I paid for a premium subscription to be crushed?" "I don't care what it takes—Anohana Part 2 must happen. Meiko must come back!" ... That night, Anohana's finale shook the entire animation fandom. By morning, it hadn't died down—it had only gotten louder. The entire anime community online was either recommending it or rallying to protest the ending. Fan-made content, discussions, tributes, conspiracy theories about reincarnation... it was everywhere. Trending tags: #Meiko #SendBladesToMizushiro #AnohanaSeason2 All three broke into the top 30 trending topics on social media. On Haruki's Fend account, the comments were relentless: "Mizushiro-sensei, you've gone too far. Bringing Meiko back is the only path to redemption!" "Sensei, where do you live? I have... gifts I'd like to deliver personally." "As a Rurouni kenshin fan, I'm begging you—stop breaking us. Please give us hope for once!" "So this is your definition of a happy ending? I feel healed the same way a car crash heals you." Haruki read a few, then quietly closed the app. He was pretending not to see any of it. ... The next day at noon, the controversy hadn't cooled—it had only intensified. In Tokyo's anime industry circles, everyone was stunned. One show. One word. One name: Meiko. And overnight, it had swept the entire fan community into a frenzy. And it wasn't slowing down. New viewers continued to stream in—drawn by the buzz. [TL:-Hey guys! How was the chapter? Drop a comments to show how you feel! ????] Shout out to Raphael Schelp for joining my p-atreon! your support means everything to me. (TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 50+ advanced chapters)