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Does anyone else feel that there is a enormous Menma shaped hole in this anime's plot?

I mean, we have evidence plenty of evidence that Menma can interact with her surroundings (bumping into the table at her house, making the muffins).

I like the show, but every episode I watch, I keep on wishing Menma would just show she exists. There's really no explanation as to why Menma hasn't revealed herself.

It is interesting to watch Jinta struggle as he tries to bring his friends together without proof, but it's drives me crazy. Anyone else feel this way?

Maybe part of her is scared to? I mean, I'm willing to bet that after being gone so long she would be a little insecure and she probably doesn't want to freak them out. I think it's actually more realistic that she doesn't just pop up and make herself known.

Either way, it's an awesome series thus far.

Maybe she's dead but isn't dead? ;)

It could be that she really is Jinta's imagination and the things we see her do is actually him doing it without realizing. Like making the muffins and other things. Although that wouldn't explain how the other characters can feel something when she interacts with them. But then again, you think they would be able to tell that there is more to it than a random feeling. Like last episode Popo just felt shivers and thought he had to go to the bathroom when Menma jumped on him. So I think it's a combination of things.

When Menma interacts with someone other than Jinta, it's more like you just feel her presence without knowing what it is. She isn't really physical enough to effect anything. And when it's only her and Jinta in the room, Jinta is only imagining her doing all the things we see her doing. When in reality he could be doing these things and also talking to himself. That's my theory anyway.

Of course, it's more likely that it's either a giant plot hole or Jinta and Menma aren't smart enough to realize everything can be solved by getting her to prove she is there. But either way, it's not affecting my enjoyment of the show.

While I do find it a little silly I think part of it is that she's afraid of doing so. She broke down in tears just recognizing that they can't see her and she doesn't know why. Plus, didn't Jinta tell her not to do anything too crazy waaaay back in the first episode. We still don't even know if people would actually see, for example, the Pocky stick float on midair as she eats it or if it would simply disappear as well as soon as she picks it up. I mean, she HAS interacted before and people never saw the things move per-se, just the after-effect (like noticing the door was now open instead of seeing it opening).

There's also the possibility of her really being Jinta's illusion, but I'd say the scene where she visits her house (a place Jinta would be reluctant to go to) pretty much denies that. The only reason I think he keeps pointing out the hallucination possibility is because he has no way of proving she even visited her house. No one else can see her after all. But we saw animals that apparently saw her too (the dog kept staring, there's the belief that animals can see more than humans can).

It may be a "hole in the anime's plot", and I certainly also have times whn I feel like havin Menma show herself to the group too, but have you thought about what happens then?

What would happen if you see a floating cup? Well, if it were me, I would either be freaked out or think that it was some sort of a magic trick. Either way, not very emotional. There's no point in proving Menma exists; it doesn't further the plot and it only brings confusion to the group.

I think that the initial conditions for the show might not be as great as it can be, and that such a plot is set out to be like this. But with the beginning conditions for the plot, I think this is as good as it gets.

And I think it's better if Menma slowly shows herself like how she did with Yukiastu in the most recent episode; by revealing something only she knows. And like this, not only will the group come to terms with the fact that Menma exists, they will also come to terms with Menma's death. Eventually.

While this makes some pretty good sense to me in text I wonder if it would be a bit to hard to run with it in the show.

I really think they've just bitten off a bit too much in regards to what Menma can do as a "ghost" - if they had stuck to things like her telling Jintan about Yukiatsu's hair pin, instead of showing her obviously moving things around and affecting the environment. You could make an argument either way (that Jintan is crazy or that she's an actual ghost) without the obvious idea of telling Menma to pick up a pen and start writing to her friends.

This is my show of the season but even I am starting to get a bit agitated over the massive plot hole, especially because Poppo pointed it out right at the end of that last episode. We've already been shown she can eat all sorts of stuff so they better have some good reason as to why she's not doing these things in front of everyone else. She obviously wants to communicate with them too.

Yeah it's been really bugging me as well, I mean if she can make them ball things and they can all eat them, why doesn't she just stand in front of everyone and write something on a piece of paper to show she's there or something.

Since I tend to look at what I see in the OP as symbolic towards an anime I would have to say that they'll probably come to see her eventually, somehow, by the end of the show.

Btw i remember an episode where Menma was walking around town and a dog saw her.. :O so i don't think that it's Jintan's imagination.. why would an imagination walk around town while the one who is imaginating things is at home or somewhere else?

and yeah.. i guess she's afraid to do something in front of them but daang i want her to do something!!

oh and i want jintan to get a haircut. :) *random*

I, too, think it is all in Jinta's imagination... the fact that some characters reacted when Menma touched them might be coincidental

Some of us have already pointed out the fact that episode 1 flat out rejects that idea. She goes home to her family and she was seen by animals while wandering around town. Again, only reason Jinta can't shake off the idea that it might be his hallucination is because no one else sees her. And even then, he already decided not to think of her as a hallucination or a ghost so that makes the point moot.

indeed its a plot hole. But Menma is real, its not a part of imagination game by Jintan, for sure.
When Menma grabbed Poppo and Anaru, they felt "heavy". Its plain stupidity that she doesn't lift things or moves things while she is with them and only when she is with Jintan. That way they´ll never have a proof that way ....

It hasn't proven itself to be a plot hole yet, although it could prove to be in the future if the creators slip.

For one, we see very little interaction physically between Menma and the other characters besides Jintan. And the ones we do see, are all questionable and confusing as to what was really occurring. Did Menma actually hug Anaru when she came to Jintan's house? Was she actually on Poppo's back when he went to the bathroom? These are all questionable and arguable as to what was really happening. In addition, we never see others seeing Jintan interact with Menma other than talking. When she's eating, playing games, or other activities, they're always alone, leaving me guessing if it all is in Jintan's head. These all point to the conclusion that Menma is indeed Jintan's hallucination.

However, when we see Menma interacting with objects and places without Jintan, the confusion rises and the questions increase. How is that possible of she's Jintan's hallucination? He isn't there, so it's impossible that Menma would be simply his insanity. Additionally, animals also seem to be able to sense her. In this regard, she seems to be an actual ghost, who is only visible to Jintan.

At this point, we can only speculate, because of how careful the anime is about Menma and her actual existence. So far, I believe that this has a quality of Clannad-ish fantasy ... that will however, be much more sadder, due to the almost 100% fact that Menma is actually dead and gone. I am on the edge of my seat for the next episode!

Yep, it's really whether or not you trust the creators to not turn it into a plot hole, because at the moment it's only bordering on one, but getting close

I'm gonna trust these guys to know what they're doing, the entire show has been AAA so far