Yadomi Family

Lore & Background

Meiko "Menma" Honma is the ghost of a cheerful Russian-Japanese girl who died as a child. Five years after the incident, she reappears wearing the same dress from her accident, always barefoot, visible only to her childhood friend Jinta. Though deceased, she interacts physically with the world—opening doors, cooking meals, and playing games. Others sense her presence through faint scents or sudden chills. The selfless spirit harbors no resentment about her death, instead wishing to be reincarnated to reunite with her friends. She holds special affection for Jinta, eventually revealing her childhood dream of becoming his bride. Later hints suggest her possible reincarnation, including a dream where she claims to have returned as potato liquor—a moment her friends accept as characteristic of her playful nature.

In Their Own Story

In Chichibu, Saitama, a group of six fifth-grade-age childhood friends drift apart after one of them, Meiko "Menma" Honma, dies in an accident. Five years after the incident, the leader of the group, Jinta Yadomi, has withdrawn from society, does not attend high school, and lives as a recluse. One summer day, the ghost of an older-looking Menma appears beside him and asks to have a wish granted, reasoning that she cannot pass on into the afterlife until it is fulfilled. At first, he only tries to help her minimally because he thinks he is hallucinating. But since Menma does not remember what her wish is, Jinta gathers his estranged friends together once again, believing that they are the key to solving this problem. All of the group joins him, though most of them do so reluctantly. However, things grow increasingly complicated when his friends accuse him of not being able to get over Menma's death, as they cannot see nor hear her and believe Jinta is hallucinating. Menma shows her presence to the group in order to prove that she is indeed real. All the group members eventually wish to shoulder the blame for Menma's death and long-hidden feelings among the group are rekindled. The group struggles as they grow from trying to help Menma move on and help each other move on as well.

Reader's Guide

Jinta Yadomi, the former leader of the childhood Super Peace Busters group, transforms from an outgoing boy into a reclusive hikikomori after the deaths of his friend Meiko and mother. His childhood crush on Meiko and refusal to admit it contributed to her accidental demise. Years later, when Meiko's ghost appears, he initially dismisses her as a hallucination. Her presence ultimately helps him reconnect with friends and overcome his isolation. As an adult, he co-founds a company with friend Tetsudo and develops a romantic relationship with Naruko.

Did You Know?

• Jinta Yadomi is voiced by Mutsumi Tamura as a child and Miyu Irino as a teen in Japanese, and by Tara Sands as a child and Griffin Burns as a teen in English.
• Jinta's childhood crush on Meiko and refusal to admit it contributed to her accidental demise.
• As an adult, Jinta co-founds a company with friend Tetsudo and develops a romantic relationship with Naruko.
• The anime series aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina block between April 14 and June 23, 2011, and consists of 11 episodes.
• A stage reading taking place ten years after the main story, written by Mari Okada, was performed by the original cast in Chichibu, Saitama on August 28, 2021.