When the Promotional ads for Shinhannin Flag came out, it looked SO MUCH like the promos for “Anata No Ban Desu” that I wondered if it was some kind of sequel or associated storyline.
But after watching a few episodes, it was clear that this story of a man who is blamed for his family’s disappearance had nothing to do with it, and it was actually a relief too, because unlike Anata No Ban Desu, which was a carefully crafted and nicely paced mystery, Shinhannin Flag was, in MY opinion, a poor imitation of the former, a mess of a show which frequently left me aggravated at the ridiculous situations and harebrained actions the heroes chose and not worthy to follow Anaban!!
Shinhannin Flag: A Mess of a Show
So imagine my SURPRISE when, in episodes 7 and 8, it is revealed that Shinhannin Flag is INDEED part of the Anata No Ban Desu universe, with both Jin Katagiri and Miwako Kakei (as Doctor Fujii and Nurse Ruri) making appearances…
…as well as MAIN characters Nana and Shota Tezuka (Kei Tanaka and Tomoyo Harada) meeting up with Sagara (Hidetoshi Nishijima) to give him some encouraging words!!! WHAAA!
Are these supposed to be legit part of the story or are these just fun easter eggs for the Anata No Ban Desu fans? I dunno, feels like at this stage in the game they only put in these cameos by the Anaban cast to boost viewer ratings and give Shinhannin Flag some much needed clout. Truthfully my reaction was “NOOOO, Don’t tell me Shinhannin Flag is connected to ANABAN!!!!” Though I initially had a hunch they might be associated together, at this point, I'd rather they keep the two separate!!!
Guiltily, I have to admit it was still nice to see those old Anaban characters again, ESPECIALLY Miwako Kakei and Jin Katagiri as the eccentric Doc and Nurse team, whom were among my fave characters in the original….
We've got a few more episodes to go til Shinhannin Flag wraps, we'll see if they can conclude it in a way that wows me! Hmmm, wonder if anyone else is gonna make an appearance?
