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At first glance Watashi no Annette might appear to be aimed at children since it’s based on the children’s book “Treasures of the Snow” published in 1950 and it’s a faithful adaptation of the book, however its plotline and themes are certainly mature, heavy and sometimes even dark. After the 14th episode, the series takes a dramatic turn, loses its cheerful and relaxing atmosphere and one by one tragic events occur in many forms.

The concept of forgiveness is a natural and inescapable part of being human. Is it possible for a person to live their whole life without making any mistakes or without hurting anyone? ... It’s not, since we are not some kind of machine. The necessity of forgiving and being forgiven is an essential requirement of human nature, and this anime contains many well-thought-out examples of this situation.

Various cases such as denial of wrongdoing, occurrence of untimely pride issues, failing to share someone’s pain due to the lack of empathy, seeking revenge rather than forgiveness, delayed apologies and the consequences, self-forgiveness and self-sacrifice are examined thoroughly.

As you can see it becomes indeed nerve-wracking to watch this anime from time to time. On the other hand, our lives are full of ups and downs, none of us can spend a perfect and uneventful life. Therefore I think it’s essential being patient even if it becomes occasionally unbearable to watch. Reaching maturity doesn’t happen suddenly out of the blue and you know, heart-wrenching angst is a must for children and teenagers to become emotionally mature. Otherwise it wouldn’t make sense and I can assure you that the ending is definitely worth waiting for.

About the animation, nothing special due to the technology of the date, I personally like classic art style of World Masterpiece Theater and must say each character is distinguishable. Facial and bodily expressions of short and long bursts of intense anger, sudden rush of nerves or other emotions like guilt, hatred, remorse, fear, resentment, anxiety, relief, pleasure, joy are reflected particularly well.

I’d like to end the review with a text from the author’s autobiography: "The world was settling down after the war, but as the atrocities came to light there was so much anger and hatred. I remembered the boys coming back from the war to wives who had proved unfaithful. I remembered the faces of those who had seen the first photographic exhibition of the horrors of Belsen and the state of the bombed cities of Europe; the resentment of those who could not forgive others, the remorse of those who could not forgive themselves, and I knew that this generation of children needed, above all things, to learn the meaning of forgiveness."

Not a couple, not friends, not mother and son, not siblings… We have Satoko, a 30 year-old office lady who suffers from loneliness and doesn’t feel satisfied with her life in any way. On the other hand we have Mashuu, a 12 year-old boy who feels ostracized in school and determined to practice and improve his soccer skills which is the only thing to hold onto in his life.

What makes this manga so unique is the way balances are created and maintained in the relationship between the main characters throughout the story. How many manga do you think exist out there that either doesn’t define ... or couldn’t define the relation between two people? It just sounds impossible, but it's in fact happens in this manga. When they become gradually involved with each other, I bet you’ll find yourself immersed in this odd and warm relationship, and feel like supporting their future. Even if the ending might kind of leave you disappointed since it doesn’t have a proper conclusion, the mangaka’s success about keeping the balances in the relationships must be greatly appreciated.

Individual thoughts, feelings, behaviors and so many details about human psychology are expressed astonishingly beautiful on just two-dimensional papers, and that’s the reason I’ve decided to write this review actually. Many psychological elements are amazingly presented in this manga, like portrayal of mental pain of past traumas and confrontation with them, development of high empathy, true forgiveness towards yourself and others, etc.

If you seek psychological depth in the manga you read, then you should really give it a try.