The current anime scene in Tokyo was flooded with "cute-girl" slice-of-life shows, where a solid story didn't seem to matter anymore. As long as the series had well-drawn, charming girls, good production values, catchy music, and polished voice acting, it was guaranteed to grab attention.
In that environment, Anohana's understated start felt like a handicap.
Fans had stuck around through the first two episodes—mostly because of Meiko's gentle, endearing presence.
But by episodes three and four, the story still hadn't picked up pace. Most of the time was spent on the protagonist and his childhood friends searching for a mask near their old secret hideout.
There were hints of deeper emotions—especially with Yukiatsu's cross-dressing, which was portrayed subtly yet left a strong impression. Still, many viewers weren't fully convinced.
After episode four aired, Anohana slipped to eighth place in the seasonal rankings.
Even some of Haruki's longtime fans began to waver. The slow pacing was hard to ignore, and a few had dropped the show altogether, explaining the decline.
That's when Asami finally spoke up, no longer content to stay silent.
"Didn't Haruki say Anohana would leave My Three Sisters in the dust? Funny how that turned out..."
Asami held grudges against Haruki and wasted no time twisting the knife. Their fans quickly jumped in, flooding forums and message boards with sarcastic comments.
Haruki hadn't planned on replying. He'd been through enough pointless clashes and had no interest in stoking another one.
But with provocateurs like Asami, silence wasn't clarity—it was an opening.
"My stance hasn't changed," Haruki posted quietly
"Anohana will outpace a certain show soon enough. And as for a certain has-been author? Maybe it's time to stay out of the spotlight."
His confidence surprised many. The numbers so far made it sound like empty bravado. With eleven episodes in total and four already aired without major impact, it seemed unlikely the remaining seven could close the gap.
Yet Haruki wasn't the only one feeling the pressure.
Inside Kazanami Animation Studio, opinions were split.
The reception wasn't terrible, just underwhelming. But with so much time, effort, and money invested in Anohana, expectations were higher—especially among the project leads.
Unlike Kazuya, who had read the entire script and trusted the story's arc, most animators hadn't seen the full picture. Their faith in the direction was starting to waver.
Worst of all, Kazanami's executives were becoming the subject of ridicule from rival studios, especially Takami Animation.
Everyone knew Anohana was Kazanami's big bet to compete with Takami's Oathbound.
If things continued like this, it would look less like strategy and more like reckless spending.
Though Kazuya had assured the board that Anohana would hit its stride soon, doubts were creeping in.
He was under immense pressure.
To him, Anohana was a rare gem—its brilliance just hard to explain in numbers-driven meetings.
He believed the turning point would come around episode eight, when Meiko's presence was finally acknowledged by the entire group.
Everything before then was slow burn—laying emotional groundwork: strained friendships, unspoken grief, quiet guilt, and Meiko's family's own muted sorrow.
It was heavy stuff, sometimes somber—even with Meiko's cheerful spirit lightening the mood.
Many viewers simply checked out too early.
But starting with episode eight, the tone would shift. The characters would join forces to fulfill Meiko's final wish, slowly healing their fractured friendships.
From there, the story built toward a powerful finale—the moment when everyone finally sees Meiko, and their emotions come crashing to the surface.
Everything led to that moment.
For now, Kazuya could only wait—and hope the audience would stay with them long enough.
The fifth episode was scheduled to air the following week.
And in less than a month, the heart of Anohana would finally beat loud and clear.
After episode four, the series had slipped to eighth place.
Most expected it to fall further.
But after episode five aired, something unexpected happened.
The ranking climbed back to seventh.
It caught some attention.
That wasn't typical for a show many had already written off.
Haruki understood why.
Most shows that season, despite different themes and settings, followed a predictable formula:
Bright characters to hook viewers, fan service to keep attention, lighthearted comedy, and occasional wild parodies.
Those formulas worked for a few episodes. But by episode four or five, when the story failed to move forward, viewers lost interest and dropped out.
Anohana was different.
Though its early reputation was shaky, it was a plot-driven series. Once viewers got invested, they stayed.
Many who abandoned the formulaic shows started turning to Anohana.
This emerging secondary fanbase—those discovering the show late but sticking with it—kept its numbers stable, even nudging it upward.
Meanwhile, Haruki kept working quietly at home on his manga.
Anohana had been airing for over a month.
Most in the industry had moved on, no longer watching its weekly performance closely.
But something unusual was happening behind the scenes.
Despite low expectations, its numbers kept climbing.
This week, Anohana broke into sixth place overall.
To many, it still looked modest. A small success.
In industry circles, it was quietly called "a solid little series." Nothing earth-shattering.
But to a few—Haruki, Kazuya, and Haruka—it meant everything.
Because they knew what was coming.
Compared to the early weeks, the trajectory had changed dramatically.
By the time episode eight dropped, Oathbound had already racked up 45 million views across all streaming platforms.
Other titles, like Divine Sandbox, Winter, were pulling in away with 20 to 30 million.
Back at episode seven, Anohana had only reached 15 million—solid, was hardly a contender.
No one could have predicted this surge.
Now, episode eight was about to air.
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