Last week we took a look at Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day—one of the saddest yet most uplifting anime series I have ever seen. This weekend, the Anohana movie was released in Japanese theaters. And while some parts of it work well, others neuter the emotional power of the series.

The thing I love about many new anime films is that they often serve to introduce me to excellent series I missed out on during the years when I didn't watch any anime. One of these is Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day—a beautiful, heartbreaking story about loss.