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Hoeloe
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Clannad & Clannad: After Story.

Posted by Hoeloe - January 29th, 2010


Well. I just finished watching Clannad and After Story, and I have to say, wow. Key have done a really great job with this one. I enjoyed Air, but I felt that the ending was a little weak, it's what comes from trying to adapt a visual novel with many potential endings I suppose. Clannad did it much better.

The story revolves around Tomoya Okazaki, who is in his final year at school, and also hates his life, and his surroundings. On his way to school one morning, he sees a girl standing at the bottom of the hill, and is somewhat surprised when she says to herself: "Anpan". He then speaks to this girl, encouraging her, and this simple action leads to a huge chain of events.

The girl is Nagisa Furukawa, who is repeating her final year, after being too ill to attend much of school the previous year, and as such has no friends. Tomoya and Nagisa begin to become friends, and this leads to Nagisa having a great experience, including attempting to restart the Theatre Club with Tomoya and others, which is her life dream.

I won't say more than that on the main plot for spoilers, but I will talk about the sub plot. Every so often, usually at the start of an episode, the series will cut to The Girl Alone in a World that Ended. In series one, it describes how she is lonely, and builds herself a friend. The story seems to have very little relevance in the first series.

This secondary story is further developed in Clannad After Story, series 2, eventually tying everything together much neater than in Air. After Story is also interesting, as it goes on to view the life of the school students we watched in series one, and what happens to them after school finishes, taking several unexpected turns along the way.

What I enjoyed a lot about this anime is that it is entirely based around the characters. It is clear to see the characters growing and developing as we follow them through the series, and in series one, it very clearly follows the theme that "you can achieve anything if you try."

In series two however, it appears to digress from this theme as it approaches the end, taking on the more realistic approach of "life is horribly unfair." However, this is eventually turned around, and the viewer begins to understand why the series took this turn.

It also follows some interesting philosophy, more in After Story than in series one, talking about time and how any number of physical realities are possible. This is expanded on in the OVA's, when Key show the viewer some of the possibilities that were available in the original Visual Novel, which I find better kept separate from the main plot.

I don't think any anime has affected me mentally as much as this one did. It's truly an engrossing story, and a real emotional rollercoaster. If you have any free time at all, give it a chance.

With that said, I think I'm done.

Clannad & Clannad: After Story.


Comments

I totally agree with you.. This anime my number 1.
The Plot.. How it plays on, it's really saddening aswell..

Geesh, To be thinking i only prssed on your profile because Nagisa was on it!

Ps: I do not know if you've watched those but if you liked Clannad and After Story you should watch: Air and Kanon 2006 Same makers/Voice actors.. Both great!

Yeah, I saw Air a couple of years ago, and watch Kanon 06 straight after Clannad. Gotta love KyoAni's adaptations of Key's Visual Novels. Apparently, there's a new one set to release this year too.

So far, of all Key's Animes, Clannad is my favourite, although the Clannad movie was somewhat disappointing.

Oh! I forgot something, you should totally do a remix song of CLANNAD!

I've been thinking I might do a remix of Dango Daikazoku at some point.

y'know i've also taken a liking to an anime myself. called xxxholic. it's quite interesting