I am touched yet I can't accept it.
First impression of the anime
In my opinion, the story of the anime started off really good. The storyboard and animation were the key factors that kept the rhythm at a light-hearted mood by showing the narration of Haruki and then the encounter between him and Sakura. The beginning is the moment when the viewers emotionally relate to and invest in the lovely interaction of the couple, between Haruki and Sakura. Also, I think the animation was eye-catching. Many scenes were brilliantly animated that feature a unique design for everything that appears in the anime, if you can get what I mean.
As for the main characters, what I can say is that I really love both of them. However, the more love I have towards them, the more I question the outcome later. This is mainly because the voice cast did such a great job in making a fictional character to be as lively as if they really existed or lived in some part of the real world we are living in as well. Once again, Haruki and Sakura are one of the most loved anime couples I have seen in a while. Their chemistry is merely perfect; contradictory yet complementary.
The beauty of the anime
"I want to eat your pancreas." This is a saying or secret that was shared between the two main characters. A secret led Haruki to meet the life-changing girl. As much as I remember, the only times this quote was mentioned were at the beginning and the ending of the movie. Both times were depicted with distinguished moods, where one was when Sakura was around and the other one was not any more. With that, the absolutely contrasting situation foreshadows the development of the story. Like I said earlier, the sweeter you feel at first, the more bitter you need to swallow later.
Furthermore, the character development is another highlight in this movie. Both characters developed into better people through their bonds and conflicts. But Haruki was the one who had gone through a rather huge change. From being a lonely guy with an inept personality, causing the dislike of his classmate but the notice from Sakura at least, to a determined guy who is willing to open up his heart and learn to accept others into his life. However, as for Sakura, I think she is an unfortunate character depicted by the author, a story of her life that was meant to be inspiring yet poignant at the same time.
The unanswered questions for all of us
To be honest, there are a lot of things at the end of the story that keep my eyebrows raised and asking why on earth that happened. Particularly, how Sakura passed away was absolutely one of the most unacceptable deaths of a character among all the anime. To be killed by an unknown serial killer and stabbed to death after discharging from the hospital? During that scene, I can't help but ponder what kind of movie I am watching that it suddenly turned into a dark story. Sakura was already unfortunate to suffer a lifelong pancreatic disease, and still ended up like that. It is something I do not think I would ever get over. The only reason I could think of for the author's decision to end Sakura's life in this way is to raise awareness of the murder issue in real life. Such a scenario might seem impossible to happen, but it does happen somewhere in the world we are living in. At least it did happen in the world of Haruki and Sakura.
To go even deeper in depth, Sakura's experience makes us acknowledge how fragile a human could be in front of death and uncertainty of the future. What we should learn is to live in the present and spend time with the precious one, just like Haruki and Sakura.
What does living mean to you?
The end credit of the movie showing Haruki and Kyoko visiting Sakura's grave was necessary, putting a complete conclusion to the movie. There are many messages the movie is trying to deliver to the viewer. Personally, I have had some special experiences watching this anime, especially at a club event, sitting together with a bunch of people who are also in love with the anime. It was because of watching I Want To Eat Your Pancreas that I am glad for my participation in the event, as I almost skipped it. It is not a negative experience at all. Instead, it was enjoyable to watch anime with others on occasion because you could sense the atmosphere through the ups and downs of the plot, the tension of the sound, and the reactions of those watching with you. After finishing the sentimental story of Haruki and Sakura, perhaps we should be involved in and embrace a relationship with people because that's what living means.
