The word 'anime' (アニメ) is a Japanese shortening of the English word 'animation', a gairaigo, or foreign loanword.
The word 'anime' (アニメ) is a Japanese shortening of the English word 'animation', a gairaigo, or foreign loanword.


Just before Saho Hanawa was about to matriculate into Seiran Middle School (her mother's alma mater), she meets a ghost girl, Chie, who's wearing the Seiran school uniform and standing in the rain. Saho assents when Chie asks to go to Saho's house, and they spend time talking and arguing with each other. Saho parents hear her talking to Chie and assume she must be talking on a cell phone—until they catch her talking to empty space in her room. Saho is forced to confess that she can see a ghost girl named Chie, which shocks her parents. They then reveal that Chie is the name of the stillborn baby that they had before Saho—Saho's dead older sister.
These open a search for this title on each store. They’re affiliate links: AnimeSphere may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and Bookshop.org supports local independent bookstores.
AnimeSphere only links to legitimately licensed sources. Some titles may not yet be available outside Japan — the search links above will tell you for sure.
Opens our Bookshop.org storefront (supports local independent bookstores) — search the title to pick a volume. As a Bookshop affiliate, AnimeSphere may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.