Ranked #65

Clannad

In our world, human relationships are the keys to happiness , but there are times when not everyone can open their door. We often fall into despair and isolate ourselves from the reality of thel world when our key is nowhere to be found. It is at these times when we need the support of others to guide us through our hardships and reassure us of our place within society. In society, our families are integral in providing us with the proper support that we need when our lives take a turn for the worst. Unfortunately, not everyone is blessed with the miraculous support of their families. Individuals living in a dysfunctional family often fall into a state of frustration and anger; unable to maintain proper stability in their lives. While family members are irreplaceable, their roles are not. Sometimes we need our friends to fill the roles of a family in order to provide us with the necessary support.

By now you’re probably wondering where I’m going with all of this. Before I begin my review I thought it was best to explain the role of a family in society and why they are so central to our everyday lives; whether we realize it or not. Clannad is the most recent installment of Kyoto Animation’s adaptation of Key’s visual novels. The central theme this time around is families and how they are needed in an individual’s everyday life. As an interesting bit of info, Clannad is the Irish word for "family" or "clan" which fits the theme of the show quite nicely.

Okay that’s a long enough introduction; I better start this review before the word count gets to be over… two thousand (no I wasn’t going to say what you were probably thinking about).

Story – 8/10
Similar to Key’s other works, Air and Kanon, Clannad attempts to throw the Republican punch; it plays with your emotions without giving a reason for doing so. Thankfully Clannad does a much better job than the pathetic campaign that the Republicans are currently running (and no, I’m not going to begin comparing Tomoyo to Sarah Palin if anyone was wondering).

Clannad’s story is about Tomoya Okazaki, a young delinquient in his last year of high school. When Tomoya was young his mother died in an accident. This event led Tomoya and his father into a downward spiral where they both became distant from one another. One night, Tomoya and his father got into an argument which eventually turned into a fight between father and son. As a result Tomoya seriously injured his shoulder and was unable to continue playing on the high-school basketball team. It was at this point where Tomoya began avoiding his father and roaming around the streets at night. He then began coming to school late and skipping classes together with his best friend Youhei Sunohara. Due to his actions, people began labeling Tomoya as a delinquient. Now in his last year of high school, Tomoya continues to half-ass his way through his life. Tomoya no longer cares about his future or others… until one day when he meets Nagisa Furukawa, a typically shy and gentle girl. It turns out that Nagisa was actually held back a year due to the fact that she was sick in the previous year and missed most of her classes. Since most of her friends graduated and left town, Nagisa is left with no friends. Tomoya, who feels that Nagisa is in a similar situation to his, approaches her. It is then that Nagisa tells Tomoya of her dream to join the drama club; because she always wanted to act in a play. Together, the two of them muster enough effort to go to the drama room after school only to find that the club shut down. Disappointed with the outcome, Nagisa leaves. After some thinking Tomoya, who feels that he has nothing better to do with his life, attempts to help Nagisa reorganize the drama club. Along the way, Tomoya meets many other (beautiful) girls, who all happen to have their fair share of problems. With nothing else to do, Tomoya eventually helps to solve each of their problems while at the same time coming to the realization that he himself has one.

Clannad’s story is told in a number of arcs. Each arc focuses on a specific character and their family central problems. Within each arc, Tomoya and Nagisa help that character identify the problem and find ways to solve it. In doing so, Tomoya learns more about the importance of having a family while Nagisa develops some personal courage. For this genre of anime, Clannad does a good job in steering clear from the pit of flaws and clichés that many other animes constantly fall into. In general, the story arcs in Clannad are well executed and told very nicely with some light supernatural elements thrown in. The backgrounds of each arc character are fleshed out and presented to the viewers in a way in which we can easily make connections and relate to each character. While the stories of each character are neither deep nor profound they are often sad; usually involving a tragic death or a tale of misfortune. Unfortunately, the episode length of the story arcs is quite unbalanced. Two of the main character’s arcs are cut extremely short due to some arcs being far too long and to a point, overly fleshed out.

Often times, Kyoto Animation (now KyoAni for simplicity) seems to be the Hollywood of anime; spawning shallow pop culture shows with over the top production values. Some of the animes produced by KyoAni such as The Melancholy of Suzimiya Haruhi and Lucky Star rely heavily on otaku-central humor. The humor sported by the above series often gets repetitive and dull since it is only targeted at one specific group. Thankfully, the overall experience of Clannad is not bogged down by unnecessary otaku humor. Oddly enough, the humor is actually used in parts of Clannad’s story to provide comic relief (usually involving the misfortune of Youhei Sunohara) to prevent the show from feeling too depressing. Additionally, the comedic scenes in Clannad are not just otaku-specific and are more quirky, witty and slapstick oriented. Unlike Zero no Tsukaima, which doesn’t t know when to draw the fine line between cruel and funny, Clannad seems to understand its reputation and swiftly draws that line. Overall, I enjoyed the humor in Clannad and felt that it added to the show rather than detracting from viewing experience. It’s nice to see that KyoAni has finally learned that there are anime fans out there that do not enjoy excessive amounts of otaku humor; Clannad being a key example of their progress.

Surprisingly there is very little romantic development in Clannad (which the opening would hint otherwise since it quite clearly showcases the five main girls in typical harem format). The main focus of Clannad is families and not so much romance, although all families eventually begin with some romance. There is some romantic tension between Tomoya and the other girls (mainly Nagisa) but it never gets to the point where a harem is formed. More than anything the romance of the show just fleshes out the main characters and makes them memorable in the end.

Animation – 9/10
KyoAni is known far and wide for having extremely high production values. Some fans even consider the studio to be the gods of anime and for good reasons too. The animation in Clannad does not disappoint, all characters are fluidly animated. There is not a single dull facial expression or a stiff body figure on screen at any time (although at one point Tomoya does get rather stiff, but this is not due to a drop in animation). The lighting effects in Clannad are also superb, as they are usually used in conjunction with character’s feelings to convey the mood. Overall I have very few complaints (if not any) about the animation in Clannad except that I know KyoAni’s has even greater potential in terms of animation as seen in their previous masterpiece Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid.

Sound – 8/10
Another strong point of this anime is its sound and voice acting. The opening song "Megumeru ~cuckool mix 2007” by eufonius is a direct remix of the Clannad game opening. It fits the tone of the show nicely and is enjoyable to listen too along with the opening animation. The ending them “Dango Daikazoku” (The Big Dango Family) by Chata is a metaphorical song of the show’s main theme and the animation that goes along with it is quite cute and charming. Most of the BGM in Clannad was either reused or remixed directly from the Clannad visual novel. People who have played the game before will recognize many similar tracks, which may lead to mixed feelings. It would have been nice if KyoAni had taken the time to create new tracks, although in doing so they may have destroyed the overall feel and mood of Clannad. The voice acting is handled quite well by the voice actors. Most of them were able to breathe life into each of their respective characters and with great passion too. Overall, sound is pretty solid in Clannad earning a respective value of 8.

Characters – 8/10
Most of the characters in Clannad are taken from a bottomless pool of anime archetypes including the quiet bookworm, the gentle girl and your typical tsundere. Thankfully, some of the characters in Clannad end up being more than dry bologna. I’m glad that I finally get to have a few slices of black forest salami.

My goodness, if the delinquents at my school offered to solve my personal problems and spoke without swearing every other sentence, I would declare world peace everywhere. It’s strange that Tomoya seems to be the nicest and most decent delinquient that I have ever seen. In some respects his character almost seems unnatural, although I guess Tomoya only developed in this fashion due to living with a dysfunctional father. Complaints aside, Tomoya is a painfully honest young man who is frantically dealing with his own personal problems. Tomoya is a truly admirable character as he draws upon the failures in his life to make sure those around him do not end up that way. Through helping others, Tomoya eventually comes to the realization of his own problems and changes with the help of others.

At first glance, Nagisa doesn’t really seem to fit the role of a heroine as her character is a combination of the shy, gentle girl archetype. Nagisa is initially afraid of speaking in front of others but nevertheless wants to join the drama club. Most of Clannad’s story revolves around Nagisa and her fight to overcome her shyness. With Tomoya’s help, she eventually matures into a strong-willed person with a mind of her own. In turn, Nagisa is the one who helps Tomoya get over his distrust of everyone and his negative view on life. Oddly enough, Nagisa seems to be one of the few characters in Clannad who doesn’t have an immediate family issue. Nagisa’s family happens to be very close with each other, a rarity in modernized societies today. Watching Nagisa’s family members interact with one another gave me a heartwarming feeling and made me realize how similar my family is to hers. Even Tomoya is welcomed into the family at one point, showing just how generous they are. I understand that not everyone is blessed with a warm, loving family, but I hope that this example illustrates that almost anyone can find a family in this world, even if they are not related by blood.

The four other main girls in Clannad aren’t quite as developed as Nagisa (in terms of character, not figure) but they still have more than ample screen time. First of all there’s Kyou Fujibayashi (your typical tsundere), Kotomi Ichinose (the shy, intelligent bookworm), Tomoyo Sakagami (the combo master) and Fuko Ibuki (the starfish obsessed bozo). All of the main girls have their own respective arcs in which their personal stories are told. Each girl is equally likeable due to their individual personalities and complex personal lives, although some such as Kotomi and Kyou seriously run the risk of falling within the bottomless pool of anime archetypes. One last notable mention is Youhei Sunohara, who is the main source of comic relief in Clannad. Sunohara is probably the most humorous character due to his wacky antics and idiotic behavior which often results in him being bullet-kicked by Tomoyo. While every character in Clannad belongs to an anime archetype, KyoAni does an excellent job in differentiating most of them from other common fodder. These characters are part of what makes Clannad such an enjoyable and at times humorous show to watch.

Enjoyment – 9/10
While it’s not a groundbreaking story, Clannad doesn’t try to play up to anything more than it is. Clannad is simply a heartwarming story about the importance of a family. While some character’s arcs did not receive as much screen time as others, the main story is not greatly affected. Clannad’s story isn’t without flaws, but it still stands strong and will be remembered if not for its heartwarming story, then for its wacky, original sense of humor. People who enjoy a blend of drama, humor and slice of life will more than enjoy Clannad. Those who prefer a more serious tone to their animes (such as myself) will still find reasons to enjoy Clannad as its story is not purely positive.

Phew, this was another review that ended up being well over two-thousand words. I probably mispelled Tomoya as Tomoyo somewhere. Again, if you found a way to get through this lengthy review, I congratulate you and hope you learned something from reading it. read more

"Poignant. Compelling. Heartbreaking. Clannad is one of the most cherished anime of all times."

The first time I watched Clannad was back in 2008, and I just finished re-watching it for the 3rd time this past few days. Now I realize that will take years before I watch something that does the same impact on me like this anime did. I was moved by it the first time I watched, and the third as well, but surprisingly in a different way. Throughout all anime history this is one of the most notorious series in the romance/drama genre, not only for the emotional load it carries but also for the effects and different reactions it causes on the people who watched it.
The quote at the beginning of the review is from the description of the blu-ray edition. Of course they wouldn't bad-mouth their own release on the disc cover, but it's so honest and true that I couldn’t find a better way to introduce this review (I just removed the "and now it's available in HD!" part, obviously.)

I'd like to start this review, if I may, going straight to the point; the main reason why some people avoid Clannad.
"It's too cute."
Yes man, it is. I agree with you. There were times I thought to myself "this would never happen in the real world" but what is the problem? Appreciating these beautiful moments won't bruise you. "You'll cry" is also a sentence often read in reviews. I admit, I wrote it on my After Story review, but it's not mandatory! Nobody is obligated to cry or feel sad, it's just that the anime is so strong that it makes a lot of people cry. Even if you're not really into drama or romances, give it a try. If you dislike then drop the 2nd season, but complete this one! It's one in a lifetime experience, I dare to say you'll enjoy at least half of the show.
The Clannad collection is undoubtedly a well known anime. Even though, the After Story receive much more attention than the first season. Mostly because it's more "touching" than its predecessor, but it wouldn't be the same and wouldn't even exist without this prequel. It's the entire set that makes Clannad the masterpiece it is.
Some people end up watching After Story before the first series. The storyline is set in a way it's not necessary watch the first season to understand what is going on, the characters are introduced again and it's a different theme. However, I cannot guarantee that you will enjoy the show as much as someone who watched the 1st season before.

Clannad is something I would recommend even to a friend who have never watched any kind of anime. There is no need to have a "anime background" in order to enjoy it, it's something everyone, without exceptions, can watch. Despite the genre, age, tastes... There is no gore, violence, profanity, battles... it's just the classical slice-of-life humor mixed with a lovely romance, that proves how strong some stories can be by themselves without any kind of "attractive" or fan-service.
Do you know anyone who's a little depressed and is now reading some kind of self-help book trying to see the "beauty of life"? Recommend to him/her this anime.

If I were to define this series with one word, I'd say it's "charming". It's an anime to be enjoyed, appreciated. All the aspects of it, including art, soundtrack, characters but specially story.
When we were little, we used to find everything amazing, even the most stupid and simple thing was something amusing. We had a hell of a time with friends, laughing for no reason... But, suddenly it's all gone.
All those great mementos are now just vague memories and you're stuck in a boring and endless routine. This are the thoughts of our male protagonist, Tomoya Okazaki. And this little fragment from the first scene gives you already an idea of how the story will progress. However these are also thoughts we all have inside of us, and that's why Clannad's story becomes so realistic at some point, because it's close to reality, a reality some people have experienced themselves.
Don't worry, this sadness isn't the main focus of the story. Clannad is a heartwarming tale. Our protagonist will make many friends along the way, and with them new situations will appear, turning his lonely days into something much more enjoyable, happy, and also mysterious.
Jun Maeda and the screenwriters from Key did a marvelous job with the development of some points from the story, keeping some surprises hidden until the very end.

Clannad is a character-driven anime. Since it's based in a Visual Novel by Key, KyoAni decided to maintain the same setting, that's why it is divided into "arcs", each one focusing in a specific character.
When you say on a review that one series has these arcs, a lot of people usually interprets it with a prejudgment that it's bad because they think it will completely focus in one character during some episodes and leave the rest like if they were in "standby". This is not how it works with this series. Clannad was divided into arcs because that's how the Visual Novel was done, it was already like this, KyoAni just decided to follow the order. Even though, these arcs are all tight together and some 'themes' are continuously being developed, sometimes on the background but also taking the main stage at some episodes.
While talking about characters, I must praise those who imagined and designed them. From my standpoint, they're original, unique.
Nagisa, for example, has a strong personality but is easily turned down, she's caring but also very naive. It must seems incoherent but this is where things gets interesting. These characters' personalities aren't "fixed", and just like us, they change as the time passes by. Watching a character that's plain and you can predict its next action is boring. Stereotypes like the "tsundere friend" will always be present because in a way or another they're trademarks of slice-of-life. Even though, the way they're interpreted and the actions these characters take is what makes the difference between the average and the outstanding.

Kyoto Animation has always impressed me with the visuals and the details you can get from their animes. As expected from a high budget company they have in their hands the most recent software. That said, the artwork was also a joy. It's common to see wallpapers of Clannad around the internet, just another proof of it.
The placement and setting for the story was really well done, all the buildings and alleys seemed like a small countryside city. Same goes for the characters, they all have a clean and careful outline with that "moe" style KyoAni has. Like said before, KyoAni did an adaptation of the original story, so it means they had almost everything of the storyline done, this way they could focus on improving and include minor "spoilers" and visual jokes from the later chapters into the very first episodes which is great because when you finally get to those episodes, you have that déjà vu kind of feeling and remember they did hint you about that.

The soundtrack chosen and created for this series is something to give praise. I was astonished with the OST. They included some really emotional piano pieces for the strong scenes but also relaxing songs for the happy moments.
Although, they did a huge mistake with the ED. Not that it was the wrong song, Dango Daikazoku is addictive and a cute melody, however, there were lots of emotional endings throughout the anime, but after that heartbreaking scene, they throw the usual ending theme. Ok, Dango is a great melody but it isn't perfect for every moment. You can't have a happy and a sad ending with the same song! In some scenes, it ruined the entire emotional atmosphere that was built up. This would be one of the few reasons for me to remove some points from Clannad score.

I once read this marvelous quote in /a/:
-"Oh, now I understand why there are few doujinshi of this anime"
and the caption said: "otaku after watching the complete Clannad series."
It's true! The story is perfect the way it is, nobody wants to mess with it.
It's a complicated thing to say "that series is the best anime of all times", this is something too relative. Even rankings like the one here on MAL aren't trustful. I'm not saying that it's wrong! It's just that these things are extremely relative since each website of anime has it own community and, as well, some differences in the rankings. Even though, there's one thing you can take as "absolute". If an anime is acclaimed by the majority of the critic during years it must mean it's good. I hope I was able to make a point, and at least convince some of you to watch it.

[...] adfghkjgfdssSorry, just sweeping my tears of the keyboard. read more

Here's the central problem with Clannad: it wants to tug your heartstrings, so it doesn't think about anything else. Unfortunately for this show, this means that it ends up being utterly contrived, unrealistic, and outright stupid.

This show expects us to believe that teenage girls act like five-year-olds. It expects us to care about these infantile, one-dimensional characters. It expects us to have genuine emotional reactions to the 'blossoming relationships' between our bland protagonist and these excuses for characters.

Is this too harsh? Let's look at the individual components that MAL expects us to rate anime by.

STORY: To be fair, the anime didn't have much to work with, given that it was based on the original VN plot. Still, the outlandish (one word: Fuuko) and emotionally manipulative plot elements (most of the backstories that were explored) weakened what might otherwise have been a sweet, unpretentious slice-of-life drama/romance.

I mean: a story about a girl who is shy and has trouble making friends? Yeah, cool, you can watch Kimi no Todoke or something. A story about a girl with Mysterious Anime Disease who has the intellectual capacity of a child? Sorry, it's not working for me. [4/10]

ART: High budget, great production values and art direction. Squishy moe character designs may not be everyone's cup of tea (Sanae looks barely older than Nagisa), but again, that comes with the territory. If anything, this aspect of Clannad makes me despair, because I can think of a lot of better anime series that deserve to have this sort of budget. [8/10]

SOUND: Evocative without being overdramatic, for the most part. Unfortunately, all the female characters sound like babies. [6/10]

CHARACTER: This is probably the greatest problem I have with Clannad, and again, it's thanks to the source material. Few of the characters get much development. All of them (the female ones, anyway) exhibit some degree of fanboy-pandering. Kyou's tsundere-ness, Fuuko's quirkiness, Nagisa's unending sweetness, etc. - not to mention the fact that Fuuko, Kotomi and Nagisa, at least, sound at least half their age. Their childish and insecure natures (especially early in the series) make for unrealistic characters - and therefore compromise this show's unrelenting attempts at making us care about them.

It's also hard to understand Tomoya's motivations at the start of the series, i.e. why he even bothered with/cared about Nagisa et al. We get no insight into his motivations at all. Why would a so-called delinquent suddenly take up this project of helping a random girl he's never met before? Why does he find her interesting? What is the point? [3/10]

ENJOYMENT: Obviously higher if you're a moe fan, but those who derive little enjoyment from watching cute girls doing cute things might find this series rather trying.

Those who watch anime with their brain switched on will find this series trying.

Those who think that female characters should actually resemble, you know, real people... yeah, don't watch this show, it'll make you rage. [5/10]

If Clannad weren't so obviously manipulative, it might be a better series. Which is not to say that the series is obviously cynical - on the contrary, I think it exhibits a genuine warmth that lesser harem-type series lack. Yet the series ultimately feels contrived and heavy-handed, and its unrealistic characters undermine its would-be heart-warming nature. read more

"Key's 1st non-adult visual novel proved to be a success."

Unlike its two predecessors (Air and Kanon) that started out as H-Visual Novels, Clannad was released for all-ages and does not contain any fan service (although the selling point is still harem). Being Key's second longest work, Clannad is not a simple story that can be summarized in a mere 23 episodes TV series. As a result, Kyoto Animation released an additional 24 episodes in the sequel Clannad ~After Story~. As the third anime adaptations of Key visual novels, Clannad certainly is a must watch for all Air and Kanon fans.

The Clannad visual novel was split into two segments, "School Life" and "After Story". Clannad features the "School Life" segment, while the "After Story" segment is in Clannad ~After Story~. Each segment is further subdivided into arcs about each heroine. Similar to Kanon, each heroines' arc describe something unique relating the heroine to the main male protagonist. The transition from arc to arc are often very smooth and does not leave the viewers with any confusion.

The animation quality is slightly better than previous Key adapations by Kyoto Animation. For those who are not familiar with the producer, Kyoto Animation (products include
Kanon (2006), Air, Full Metal Panic series, Lucky Star, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Kiddy Grade, etc.) has a pretty good reputation for its high level animation. Simply put, one will be find nothing but beautifully drawn girls, dynamic backgrounds, and completely fluid movements in this touching anime.

The OP, Megumeru ~cuckool mix 2007~, is sang by Riya of the Eufonius band. To those who have played the visual novel, it should be familiar as the song is actually a remix of the original game OP. While the ED, Dango Daikazoku, is sung by Chata.

As with many major titles, Clannad also come with a great deal of seiyu talents. Some of these big names include: Mai Nakahara as CV of Nagisa Furukawa, the main female heroine. Mai is famous for her role as Mai, the female lead in Mai HiME, and Norah in Spice and Wolf. Mamiko Noto as CV for Kotomi Ichinose. Mamiko is famous for voicing as Hecate in Shakugan no Shana, Kouta in Kanokon, and Yuka in Elfen Lied. Houko Kuwashima as CV for Tomoyo Sakagami. Some of the more well known roles by Houko includes Clare in Claymore, Flay, Natarle, and Stella in Mobile Suit Gundam Seed / Destiny (yes THREE major roles, yet one can hardly tell they are voiced by the same person), and Quon in RahXephon. Yuichi Nakamura as CV for Tomoya Okazaki, the main male lead of the anime. His past roles include Alto in Macross Frontier, and Graham in Gundam 00.

The characters are highly likable with a large variety of "flavours" to choose from. There is the tsundere type, strong-willed type, gentle type, bookworm type ... basically you name it, they have it! Since only 2 of the girls' arc are really covered in detail in Clannad, one might get the feeling that certain girls seem more "developed" than others. It should also be noted that there are quite a few unresolved character relations at the end which might make certain viewers feel unsatisfied with the ending. But please keep in mind that this is only half the story, thus one should expect plenty more character developments in the latter half along with more complete, resolved relations.

Personally, Clannad was more enjoyable than Kanon (2006) largely due to the more obvious humours (ones where you will laugh when you see/hear it, rather than those that require thinking and laugh in the aftermath). Tomoya's encounter with the girls are also MUCH more natural (and believable) than Yuuichi's ... in Yuuichi's case, it is almost always "oo.. must be a girl he left behind in his childhood" and yet most girls remember him and he only forgets them all.

However, that is not to say there is nothing to complain about regarding Clannad. What really nags me is the occasional intrusion by Fuko into the scenes in later episodes. It really disturbs me and I find it absolutely unnecessary. Was it like that in the game too?

Lastly, I want to point out that there is an episode 24 (DVD only) named Clannad: Another World, Tomoyo Chapter where the focus is on Tomoya and Tomoyo (what a nice pair of names). Evidently as the name implies, it takes place in "another world" thus it does not directly relate to the TV series of Clannad nor Clannad ~After Story~. But Tomoya x Tomoyo supporters would not want to miss this rare opportunity to see them embracing each other! read more

I was randomly looking around for a new anime too watch, but at the time I were watching alot of action animes and never considered to watch any romance/drama animes. I joined a chat on an anime site and asked for a recommendation. Someone mentioned Clannad and alot of people supported the suggestion. In any case: I started too watch Clannad.

Art

The first thing I noticed about Clannad was the art, it is probably one of the best elements in Clannad. I would often pause the anime for a minute just to watch the surroundings. I concluded that the sunsets were the most beautiful. Why? Because the orange glow it emitted was just stunning. Never before had I seen anything similar in an anime. Well, we do got other animes from Kyoto Animation, like Air or Haruhi Suzumyia. But I still found Clannad's art more charming than any other anime. The character art is also brilliant, and can resemble Haruhi Suzumiya, Kanon and even Lucky Star. A huge element which Kyoto Animation used was tears, you could for example often see Sunohara cry out of pleasure, pain or by being fooled by Okazaki. I can't find anything bad about the art in Clannad and therefore:
Rating: 10

Sound

Another good thing about Clannad is the sound. From excellent voice actors like Yuichi Nakamura, Mai Nakahara, Ryō Hirohashi and Daisuke Sakaguchi too amazing situational music. Clannad soundtrack covers everything in a perfect manner: from spirited and happy moments too melancholy and sad moments. Jun Maeda, Magome Togoshi, and Shinji Orito who are the geniuses behind the music also made soundtracks for Air.
There are also soundtracks which fits each character. For example you have Sunohara which have uplifting and spirited music which fits too his personality. Nor in the sound can i find any flaws, and therefore:
Rating: 10

Character:

One thing i simply loved about Clannad were the characters. How they were presented, their development and everything else about them. Each character had their past and views about things throughly explained throughout the anime, which was a first for me. And while watching Clannad, i felt like i were bonding with each character. Which made After Story a heart breaker, but lets save that for later.
Rating: 10

Story:

Clannad's story is separated into several arcs. You have the very beginning of the anime were the main characters and some secondary characters are presented and also some relationships start to spin off. Then you have the Fuko Ibuki arc, the Kotomi Ichinose arc and after that Clannad keeps building the relationship between the characters. You often get a harem feel in Clannad, although it is not presented on a "ecchi" basis which we often witness in comedy/romance animes. Well, you have Sunohara of course, but the protagonist, Okazaki, isn't really the ecchi type. Of course, there are a few moments, but it is not the main basis of Clannad's humor. Which I think affected the story in an excellent way.
Rating: 10

Enjoyment:

Clannad's humor is just flawless. It's not too ecchi and you never seem to get tired of Sunoharas stupidity or Okazakis pranks. You also have Kyou's anger and Tomoyo's grown up personality and her desire to be a student council president. These are of course just examples. But there are also sad parts in Clannad which I think were done really well. And it were all supported by excellent music.
Rating: 10

Overall:

What can I say? I loved everything about Clannad, and it is by far my favorite anime. I can recommend this anime to everyone, it is really worth taking a look at. Even if you don't like romance/drama/humor as much!
Rating: 10 read more

I have to thank "Clannad", for increasing my Japanese vocabulary and introducing me to a new word. While watching "Clannad" at my local anime soc, I could feel a certain something radiating from it. I'd encountered similar feelings before from other anime, but never quite so strongly. By the end of it, I picked up a new word to go with that feeling.

That word is "moe". I'd never come across the word before "Clannad", and but I sure as hell knew it's meaning afterwards. It describes a feeling that originates from the sweetness of the female characters. But it's not a charming kind of sweetness that you get from, say, "Aria". It's an extreme kind of sweetness, the kind you get from gorging yourself on the icing from a cake, the kind of sweetness that makes your tooth ache and your stomach churn. I can't stand this kind of sweetness because it's artificial, arising from a cynical, calculated attempt on the makers part to portray the girls as cutely as possible. Taken to this kind of extremes, it has no real substance and serves only as an obstacle to good characterisation.

You can tell pretty quickly that "Clannad" is blatently based on a harem VN or a dating sim. The main protagonist doesn't waste much time hooking up with about 12 different girls. What's more, the character designs, with their various hair colour extracted from almost all major parts of the visible spectrum, are exactly what you'd expect from the source material. There's the Brown Haired Girl, the Blue Haired Girl (they don't even need names, and to be honest they don't deserve names), the Grey Haired Girl etc, and even a pair of Purple Haired Twins. In fact I'm surprised to see the roster is missing a Pink Haired Girl. Of course, a generically distinct personality is assigned to each girl. Now, "generically distinct" may sound like an oxymoron, but I assure you it is not. The girls' personalities are all distinct from one another, however they all conform to their own generic archetype that can be readily identified within about 20 seconds of their introduction. There's the Adorably-Childish Girl (aka Green Haired Girl), the Shy Girl (aka one half of the Purple Haired Twins), the Feisty Girl (aka the other half of the Purple Haired Twins) etc etc. Again, I'm surprised to see the roster missing a Ditzy Girl - maybe they deliberately missed one out in order to prevent the whole thing from becoming even more painfully transparent than it already is. It also soon becomes obvious that, though all the girls shows interest in the main character, for the purpose of the "Clannad" playthrough, er, I mean, storyline, the main character's "target" is Generically Sweet Girl (aka Brown Haired Girl).

Though I guess "Clannad" is technically not quite a harem, since there's another guy in the cast besides the main character, it may as well be one, because the other guy in question qualifies as a man only by technicalities. Practically, he's more like some sub-human creature, perhaps on about the same level as a worm, and is suitably treated as one too. Most of the girls treat him with distain and none of them are interested in him in the slightest. To be fair, the main character himself isn't quite your average harem lead, and for this reason, I've given him some more respect than the others characters by actually looking up his name for the purpose of this review (I'm bad with Japanese names and can never remember them): he's called Okazaki Tomoya. For some reason I keep thinking he's called Kyon... I think it's because like Kyon from "Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu", he sticks out as the lone, sarcastic voice of relative reason amongst a sea of irrational madness. Anyway, I digress... as I was saying, what make Tomoya different from a typical harem lead is that although he is a bit of a good for nothing person, he's at least more charismatic and confident than that typical loser-but-nice stereotype that's recycled through most harems, and so you can at least kind of see why he's able to get on quite well with his, er, harem.

Other than the insane amount of moe, another thing that stood out about "Clannad" (in a bad way) is the insane amount of heavy handed emotional manipulation injected into the show. This show has more of it than "Saikano", and THAT is saying something. I bristle at the sight of the slice-of-life tag attached to this title, because this show completely sacrifices any sort of realism associated with that genre in favour of trying to artificially invoke more emotions from the viewer with unbelivable and outrageously melodramatic storylines. The "tragic" backstories for the various characters pasts are so contrived that at times it feels like a competition between them to see which one can be more ridiculous and unrealistic. It's a competition that is eventually won by Blue Haired Girl's (aka Nerd Girl) backstory involving a teddy bear. It's a story that is so "moving" that it had everyone in the room bursting into tears. Tears of laughter that is. Moreover, most of the girls - Blue Haired girl being a prime example - simply disappears into the background once their part of the story is over, and the shift in focus from one girl to the next is so swift and ruthless I found it kind of off putting. What's the point of spending an arc fleshing out these characters if they simply get swept under the carpet again once their part of the story is over? Brown Haired Girl is probably the only person who's presence can be felt throughout the series, and that's only because she's obviously the girl who's gonna hook up with Tomoya's eventually (but don't worry, if you don't like this ending, Kyoto Animation has rather helpfully made several "Clannad" OVA's that are basically alternative playthroughs where Tomoya picks someone else).

Only one of the supposedly tragic situations did not come off as overly melodramatic, and that's the one involving Tomoya's family situation with his dad. However, it's side story that's really jarringly integrated into the show. It comes into the show's focus randomly with little apparent purpose. It also feels out of place when placed against the cheesily cheerful parts, and what's more did not really come to any conclusion. It's almost as though when given this piece of material with genuine potential, the makers of "Clannad" didn't quite know what to do with it. As a result it feels like a bit of a tag on without much purpose.

I'm really glad that I watched this with my local anime society, because with my stubborness of finishing what I start, watching this whole thing through by myself probably would have killed me. I remember trying to catch up with the episodes on the weeks where I couldn't make it to the society showings, and I literally had to split each episode into two or three chunks to be able to complete it - I just couldn't stomach watching more than a few minutes of it at a time. And no wonder - with its sickeningly strong stench of moe, ludicrously contrived stories and array of cardboard template cut-outs masquerading as female characters, just what is there to like for someone who's not into moe or extremely sappy melodrama? read more

A nice mix of romcom and slice of life with pretty animation – 8/10

PLOT: Based on a Key visual novel the plot is pretty standard stuff. Main lead with comedy sidekick is surrounded by pretty girls who all seem to fall in love with him. But Clannad manages to avoid most of the pitfalls of the harem genre and proves its self to be really entertaining! It doesn’t make the mistake of trying to cover every girls arc from the visual novel, instead Nagisa is quite obviously the main girl from the start – Tomoya only really has eyes for her and the other girls quickly realise that and so there are no irritating love triangles. Instead Clannad plays up the comedy and slice of life side of the story – and its really well done. I enjoyed most of the episodes (apart from the pointless Fuuko retarded-moe moments!) and found the characters likeable. In particular I found Tomoya to be a decent lead – he’s got a bit of depth and his own backstory, plus I found him to be well scripted and acted. Of course his comedy sidekick Sunohara often stole the show with his antics – but he too wasn't a complete paperbag character and also was given a bit of depth. Kyou was my favourite girl, but she didn't get much screen time unfortunately – I wasn't fussed on Nagisa and hated Fuuko with a passion, but the others were tolerable.
Since Clannad has a sequel (Clannad: After Story - which I hate) it doesn’t end solidly at all, its completely open ended so you sort of have to watch AS if you want the whole story of Tomoya X Nagisa. There is also a special for Tomoyo’s arc and another for Kyou’s arc.

ANIMATION: Well its KyoAni so the animation is excellent and the characters are typical moe-blobs. It’s very pretty to watch, lots of cherry blossoms as this is Key’s Spring visual novel (Air being Summer and Kanon being Winter). There can be no complaints about the animation quality – KyoAni are in their comfort zone with this type of series.

MUSIC & VOICE ACTING: The music is wonderful – the OP is really catchy and the ED is just insanely cute (Dango, Dango, Dango, Dango, Dango Daikazoku~). The background music is also pretty nicely put together. The voice acting is also wonderful – a very good cast worked on Clannad.

Overall Clannad is a very entertaining show – its not going to win awards for being the most original or groundbreaking show ever as its KyoAni/Key playing to their strengths. But it has a nicely written script and likeable characters – recommended to anyone looking for a nice easy to watch romcom read more

CLANNAD is the most fabulous harem anime I have ever seen, mostly because it doesn't play out entirely like a harem anime.

The story is totally unique. An outcast, troubled boy tries to help a sickly, shy girl in forming a drama club. Why does he help her? Why does she want to do it? All sorts of great questions are asked, and the beauty of it is that some are not answered. Things just happen in life, don't they? Sometimes there's never an explanation. The story follows day-t-day school activity and home life. If you're into slice of life with romantic appeal, then you'd like the story for CLANNAD.

The art was colourful and pretty, though it may be too moe for some people. There was some good use of bright colours, and it doesn't ever look dull or tired.

The sound was AMAZING. It created a wonderful mood and the ED makes me want to get teary.

Characters were all unique and awesome. They were bittersweet and touching, each and every one of them. And I must say, Nagisa and Tomoya make some excellent leads, and Sunohara wins hands-down as best supporting character ever.

I loved CLANNAD. It was beautiful. There were one or two unfabulous things, like when it got traditionally harem-like (boobs pressing against guy's back, a ton of girls who want him, misconstrued sexual situations) but the brilliance of it otherwise overshadowed that.

It is moving, emotional, and lovely. read more

Clannad revolves around a high schooler, Tomoya, who after befriending a young girl named Nagisa, makes new friends. Tomoya quickly discovers that there's more to these young girls than meets the eye and tries to help them with their problems while dealing with his own.

Story: What more is there to say about the story other than it's great? The word clannad means family. There are five girls, each with their own story to tell that somehow involves family. Although there are many comparsions to Kanon, they remain different because Kanon's overall story was about miracles, while Clannad is about the bond of family.

Art: As expected of Kyoto Animation, the animation quality is superb. I don't think there's a single negative comment I can make about it. The character designs are great. The way the characters look and act line up perfectly with each other. The background isn't lacking of detail either.

Sound: The opening and ending songs fit well with the story. The opening shows the dramatic side and the ending shows the light-hearted side. Nagisa's voice is portayed very well. Her insecurities an naviety are very evident. Tomoya's funny antics shine brightly through his voice. The music played during comedic scenes and the music played for emotional scenes fit perfectly.

Character: Each character is very unique and different from each other. There's the strong-willed loud mouths and the insecure shy types and not to mention the two delinquents that provide the much needed comedic relief. They all have separate yet equally srong stories to tell.

Enjoyment: I definitely enjoyed this series. It has every aspect an interesting story needs: drama, comedy, and romance. The comedy scenes sit well with the series because they keep the story from being too emotional. The romance is also nice. Nagisa and Tomoya have such a cute relationship. It's interesting to watch their two different characters interact.

Overall I think this is a series that should not be missed. Regardless of what intrigues you, you're sure to find something you enjoy about this series. read more

Clannad. Made as a visual novel by Key, made into an anime by Kyoto Animation. This combination has been seen twice before, in the series Air and Kanon. Both are well-known among anime fans, and mostly positively received. And anyone who has watched either or both of the two previously mentioned will definitely have their expetations of what Clannad will offer. These expectiations will probably, in a way, be fulfilled; yet Clannad is certain to sweep you along and astound it with its gripping tale.

The story itself is set to a small Japanese town, and a select few inhabitants of that town. The first person to note is Okazaki Tomoya, a high school senior notorious at school for being a tardy delinquent; always late for classes, if he shows up at all, and he surely doesn't care for anything. And while that is true, he isn't the kind of person who goes looking for fights and has a foul mouth. The reason for his current life situation is a complex one, but can be summarized as such: He's simply bored. Of going to school. Classes. The town he lives in. His home and drunkard father.

That however, changes drastically one day, when walking to school. he hears a girl mutter the word 'anpan' to herself. This draws on his curiosity, and before long, the two of them are talking to each other. The girl, Nagisa Furukawa, evidently mutters names of foods she likes, to give her the confidence to get through the day. She is currently repeating her senior year due to illness, and she has one thing she absolutely must do: Re-establish the school's drama club.

To do this she needs members. And before long herself and Tomoya are looking around the school for new members. And here the somewhat-standard harem cast is built up. The soon-to-be drama club members are for the most part girls, each with their distinct personality and quirks which probably aren't unknown to someone slightly experienced with this kind of anime.

The route it takes from here is, at its bones and skeleton, a standard visual novel approach. There are several story arcs covering various amounts of episodes; each arc focusing on a specific girl. Of course, this means that the girls have their problems and issues which they have to deal with. And our main characters do just that, by valiant effort to help their newfound friends. And a little bit of Dr. Phil mixed in. One of my pet peeves with this anime.

But from what we now know, it sounds like any other anime of this type. So what is it that sets Clannad apart from the rest, and elevates it above them?

The first answer would be the characters. Yes, they start out a bit cliché, in some ways, but that's not really a bad thing. Making totally original characters personality-wise nowadays isn't that easy after all. What Clannad does with the characters after their introduction, however, is amazing. Not only are their struggles portrayed excellently and grippingly, they develop into strong induvidials who are there for their friends, who can face the world and its hardships more openly.

The second answer lies in its themes. Here it completely blows everything else out of the water, because what the producers want to tell us through Clannad is realistic and believable what concerns both actual plot execution and message. What the characters do, I can belive. What they learn from their struggles, I can learn and take with me to real life. That's how strong Clannad's message is.

Mostly it's about family. What is a family? Who can be family? How important are bonds? What if you don't have proper family at home; only jerks with no right to call themselves your family? Clannad tells us that a family can be found anywhere; not only in our own home. The main characters of the show may just find their own little family together, as they work with the drama club.

A character which I think deserves extra mention is Sunohara. He is in many ways the comedic relief person; when you see him around you expect something funny to happen. Or well, at least that's what you're supposed to do. But Sunohara isn't just a blond, shallow klutz. At times he really shines through with his deep character, proving that he, too, can be a capable supporter among his friends.

As most would expect of Kyoto Animation, the animation budget is all but slim. One of the things which makes Clannad so lifelike is the animation itself, through sheer quality. Lucid, vivid and soft colours makes sure the eye is pleased through gentle contrasts and lifelike static and non-static objects on-screen, be that walls, characters, cityscapes or other such things. The detail level is exceptionally high, which again contributes to that feeling of the series being alive. Clothing, furniture, decorations, it's all there and looking truly neat. But what contributes most to this feeling of being alive lies in the character motions. Not only are they fluid and pleasant to watch, they're abundant. You've most likely watched a series only to find that the characters walk stiffly, and when they talk they remain static during the whole conversation, save for maybe one or two motions. In Clannad, they swing their arms to be dramatic and to prove their points. They aren't static when jsut standing upright speaking. They do things during conversations which ensures that they seem more like real humans standing there than 2d anime characters.

And what would a show be without its music? Just as the animation contributes to the series coming alive, the music does an outstanding job at amplifying the emotions portrayed. Many of the themes are dramatic, sad; this to reflect the overall sadness of Clannad. Yet there are other themes too which fit right in. The standard new day at school theme, some comedy-like themes, they are all there. And they are composed beautifully, making sure every mood swing and feeling sweeps your heart away, gripping at your innermost feelings of empathy and compasion for the characters. The opening theme, remixed from the game's counterpart, is a lovely upbeat theme mixing strings, a neat bass and percussion all mixed into an allegro which has interesting lyrics as the topping. The end theme is basically a metaphor for what goes on; the dango family representing Nagisa and the caring people around her. It is a very bittersweet tune, offering cuteness and melancholy all the same.

And parallelling all that happens is the story of a girl in a world that has ended. A strange, mysterious world, where she is alone. All alone, savefor a doll she built from scrap metal. What this symbolizes and means, you can watch for yourself. Though, this side-story's relevance to the main plot is not revealed properly before the second season.

All in all Clannad offered a very pleasant surprise to me; offering both enticing themes, a fresh plot and interesting, deep characters. Once during the season I also had to experience a tear making its way down my cheek. That's the kind of anime this is. If you haven't watched it, you should definitely give it a try. read more

From what I've heard from many of my friends and reviews, generally Clannad is a heartwarming tearjerker with the very adorable characters. But based on viewing it, I say that people who do not prefer "moe" like me will have a different opinion.

What is "moe?"It is a terminology that takes on many forms in anime; I have no right to define it but for me the closest meaning to it is "cuteness"

Story (7/10)

Clannad's story is a slice of school life where the main characters encounter different people and situations alike. Each has their own conflict as a student, as a family member or as an individual. In my opinion, the story is simple.

Personally, I find its arcs or stories not surprisingly new. Problems about self confidence, crushes and parental relationships are already common though the way the protagonists address those problems are certainly interesting to see. Some things will make you smile,some has surprising twists and some may break your heart. But in another prospective, Clannad may be truly intended to those that relate to it.

The pacing is slow; it does not jump right into the situation but rather introduces its featured characters and shows their personalities and comical sides; though some may find those tidbits insignificant. And also, I find each arc unique on its own. Though slow, development is gradual and very in-character.

The main problem is that many things are predictable or expected, or that some viewers might get irked with all the unnecessary crying.

But Clannad has some little elements as well that I can say...out of this world. It's interpretation differs from one to another and is a good connection to the individuality and emotions of a person.

Art (8/10)

Art is also very familiar to the eyes for many animes featured Clannad's style but it is certainly refreshing. The environment and its colors are pleasing to the eyes with their mild tones. Probably the greatest asset of its animation is the characters. Different"unique" hair colors and styles has successfully distinguished one character from the other...and the eyes are gorgeous!

Sound (7/10)

Dango Dango Dango Dango Dango Dango Daikazoku...

The memorable thing about Clannad's music are its melodies and the ending song certainly makes it so. So my praise comes to "Dango Daikazoku" because it fits the series in a very cute and adorable; but the song somehow touches a different area and tells another meaning.

The opening song is appropriate though not entirely exceptional. And though I say Clannad's melodies are good, the background music every episode are almost the same, making it repetitive and predictable. They could have used different character themes.

Character (7/10)

Loving the series lies within loving its characters; and generally, all the protagonists are classic school characters:

a delinquent, yet helpful boy
a boy who's the punching bag of female characters
a girl with little self-confidence
a cute yet mysterious girl
a pair of contrasting sisters
a shy and intelligent girl
a tough and responsible girl

Though many don't find them new (they're classic!), they somehow shine with some unique characteristics and actions that leaves a smile at one's face. Their interaction greatly plays a role in the drama of the genre. Many of them has hidden pasts and secrets that are revealed differently along the way. However, they are arguably generic and lacks development. Cuteness for the sake of it being cute may irk some viewers.

Sadly, the central plot mover, Nagisa Furukawa is weak. The story is made predictable through her and what is accomplished in the whole series can be compressed in a few episodes or such. Everybody acts in an idealized fashion around her while her struggle simply lacks impact and nothing new.

Notably, every one of them is kind-hearted. And they settle everything through teamwork and will-power. Don't expect intense humanism nor psychology. Expec

Enjoyment (8/10)

Enjoyment is rather personal and its not the best basis in rating the series. However, I was not entertained by the countless "I'm sorry!" then "It's okay!" dialogues and the lack of faults in the characters.

If you're looking for an anime with dark themes, societal issues, intense drama, cool action and superb coolness Clannad is not for you. But if you want a relaxing anime with adorable characters that will make you reflect about your school life and the feelings of people then check this series out.

OVERALL: 6
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Clannad, Kyoto Animation's latest anime release, exhibits the meticulous and revered production quality of all the studio's previous releases. Based on a visual novel by Key, Clannad takes the viewer into a seemingly simple story of life at school, but the series soon develops mysteries and tales of wonder.

Each girl in Clannad (main and supporting cast) has her own personality quirk, one of which is bound to attract a fan. That kind of variety works to attract many viewers. But Clannad is not necessarily a "harem" by its general definition. While Tomoya's daily life is indeed surrounded by beautiful girls, he is not interested in dating any of them. Instead, he becomes involved (accidentally or not) in their hopes and concerns, and the storytelling of the series becomes apparent through the dramatic character development.

In most episodes, the flow of the story involves each girl a little bit at a time, which I prefer since the drama feels more realistic. Character development occurs in parallel, and more drama can be drawn from the intertwining relationships among the characters. Some episodes do define their focus on a particular girl, but the overall immersive feel of the series is not lost.

The fact that Kyoto Animation produces this series has been a recent guarantee that the artwork is superb. Characters and backgrounds are brilliantly drawn. Motion of all kinds are captured smoothly -- not only characters walking but also the wind blowing on their clothes. Body language is also visible, which speaks louder than words most times.

All the music is taken from the original game, which many fans praise, although it does not allow for too much creativity. Regardless, the original music is full of variety and is easy on the ears. Plus it was composed to fit the story for a reason; why not reuse it? The ED thing (at least the lyrics) is new, though, I believe.

While the storytelling is excellent, most of the enjoyment lies in the humor, which is mostly cute and/or slapstick stuff. Only in rare occasions does the humor detract from the story and drama, but it is mostly timed well and presented as a fun change of pace after a very emotional sequence (or before the next one). Speaking of emotional sequences, I found myself crying on more than one occasion. Clannad pulls at the heartstrings very effectively when the time is right.

Overall, the defining points of Clannad are the supernatural elements (gotta break the laws of physics a tiny bit to tell a unique story), the moe factor (cute girls are cute, but not totally unrealistic), and the emotionally gripping story (everyone is connected to the overall theme of the series -- family).

I regret that the series is about to end, but I have loved it every step of the way. Kyoto Animation has such amazing respect right now that I'll give all of its future Key adaptations a 10/10, before having seen any of the episodes or knowing anything about the series. They know how not to disappoint.

(Originally written 11/22/07 after episode 7. Last updated 02/09/08 after episode 17.) read more

If anime as a whole were to hold an Olympic-type gathering of all the genres that make up "anime", I would want "Clannad" to be the representative for the romance genre.
"Clannad" is probably the most highly-touted love series in anime today. Its sequel, "After Story", holds the number one slot on this site in terms of overall rating (Avg. overall score of nine). The prequel, in my opinion, isn't, and should not be far behind whatsoever. "Clannad" is a solid, fantastic piece of romance, that has lived up to my high expectations, and surpassed them. It's a series that has something for everybody: love, fantasy, slice-of-life, school, cuteness, harem, etc.

Albeit, with that glowing introduction, I had a really tough time enjoying "Clannad" when it first began. This stint of boredom lasted for about the first five episodes, then quickly disappeared and was made non-existent. Encompassing those first five episodes or so was the "Fuko-arc". This being a love anime that has many important (girl) characters that pertain to the pacing and depth of the plot, you're going to get a side-story on each important one. I guess it's just my bad luck that they started out with, in my opinion, a boring, shallow, and redundant plot to portray a character that rarely, and I mean RARELY, shows up in the future episodes (mainly as comedic relief).

But, like I said, from then on, the show got great. Really great.
Now, I thought this show, from looking at the introduction to this story, that it was going to be a weeper. How mistkan, and thankfully so, I was. This series had me laughing more than the over-glorified-as-a-comedy "Seto no Hanayome". However, for all the serious types out there, don't worry, you've got your themes that act as allegories for the characters that are being showcased; some very sad moments; and morally-questioning and pull-at-your-heat-strings-moments aplenty. Unlike most romance animes, this one really seems to have a consistent arc of the theater that underscores each encounter and drives the story forward at a pace that's just right.
9/10 - If only they had taken those first five episodes out....

The art is really the highlight here. The "dreamscapes" are nothing short of breathtaking and the "everyday animation" is definitely above average. What denotes such a high score is 110% attributed to the alternate reality that's fully-saturated with themes, symbols, and motifs. Even though the animation outside of the dreamscapes are alright, you cannot overlook the amount of attention to detail, workmanship, and care went into producing those scenes.

My only gripe about the art is that the characters initially (especially Sanae and Nagisa) resembled aliens. Their hair and eyes kind of threw me for a loop, but it eventually becomes irrelevant and, like Fuko, you forget you even had the thought in the first place.
10/10 - The dreamscape animation was better than some feature-length anime films.

I thoroughly enjoyed the sound here. The script was well put together, the funny bits were surprisingly funny, the story was well-written, and each voice actor or actress was voiced very well. I really have no complaints.
10/10 - You'll find a surprising amount of clever, comedic lines hidden throughout "Clannad".

I could write a 10-page paper on the characters in "Clannad" without mentioning everything. With that being said, I'll keep this brief.

Each character is represented as a viable "candidate" for Tomoya's partner, and you're left satisfied and intrigued at each character's side-story as to how they became the way they are. It can come across as a harem-like, which I would say to you: "Yes. Yes it is." This is a harem anime in disguise. Poorly hidden, maybe, but fun for everyone, and never acts as a deterrent to the enjoyment of the anime. I, personally, gravitated more to another girl than the one he ultimately ended up choosing, but I really don't care. Too many times have I come across romance animes where it's left wide-open for you to interpret. Here, they give each girl valuable time and opportunity, and end up with a clear victor. The girls that are left unchosen even audibly concede defeat, discretely so, to the girl who has one Tomoya's heart. It's surprising at the blatancy and audacity of the creators, but its uniqueness comes across in a pleasantly blunt manner that doesn't dissuade the viewer who hadn't picked the girl that Tomoya had chosen to lose complete interest.
10/10 - I'm usually not a fan of giving each character a mini-arc or side-story, but "Clannad" definitely threw me a curveball that I thoroughly enjoyed.

This series is really the lovechild of (almost) every sub-genre of romance anime out there. And who knew it wouldn't make such a mundane color like brown, but instead, (my favorite color) green.
"Clannad" is definitely a series that's a strong contender for my favorite romance anime that I've seen so far. Knowing that there's a movie and true sequel, I can't wait for it to compete.
Enjoyment: 10/10 - I wish I had stumbled across it sooner!
Overall: 10/10 - Deep when need be; funny when it was appropriate; but always spectacular. read more

Story: Main male character, surrounded by girls. Tries to help them as each one is introduced, dullness ensues. Series starts off great but then just gets worse and worse (see Sound and Character). Story isn't too impressive, just your typical slice of life/harem anime with some supernatural elements thrown in.

Art: Probably the only good thing about this show is the artwork and its attention to detail, great shading/coloring, and minor use of CG.

Sound: The OP/ED have great songs but there is just one problem with the sound in this show and that is Fuko. After about three episodes worth of hearing her say nothing but "Dozo" you'll probably start to really dislike her character. Word on the street is they fill Ai Nonaka's mouth full of cotton balls before she does the voice acting for Fuko to give her that "just got a root canal done and still under the affects of novacaine" sound.

Character: Nothing really impressive as far as character development goes, which is pretty much all a harem anime has going for it. The show starts off strong showing the first couple girls but starts to fall off with what feel like filler episodes because of the failure at emo/sad episodes, leaving not enough time for the remaining girl's arcs.

Enjoyment: The show had a nice balance of comedy with story progression but once the comedy aspect of the show was gone part way through and they made a sad attempt at tear jerker episodes, the show really had nothing going for it.

Overall, this anime could have turned out great but they just didn't make a good balance between the comedy and the truly ineffective attempt at sad episodes. I think people are just hyping this show up because of their expectations from prior Key releases or enjoyment from the first few episodes. Good luck next time Kyoto Animation/Key! read more

Clannad is the 3rd in the line of Harem, Romance anime based of Key’s Visual Novel (dating sim) and with the bar set pretty high, this anime is able to reach the expectations of its fans.

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The series begins as a usual high school anime, with no defined plot or storyline but just introduces the male protagonist and the girls that the series revolves around. From the first couple of episodes it is easy to pin point the obvious similarities it has with its predecessor (Kanon) but the major difference is the level of comedy. The comedy of Clannad is on a completely different level, as it manages to turn anything to do with games (RPGs) or romance anime into a hilarious joke. However during the girl's various stories the comedy is somewhat replaced with some heartfelt drama, which adds depth to the series but it lacks a bit of substance. It doesn’t seem to matter much though, as this once again proves to be a winning combination.

The characters are an important aspect of this “winning combination”, as you will grow to care about some of the characters so much that you may even shed a tear. The girls are the major part of the story and even though their personalities are a little clichéd, they each get their own moment to shine. However the length of the series did negatively affect the girls during the 2nd half of the series. The male protagonist (Tomoya) is surprisingly well developed, as he intermingles between the girls various stories and of course, brings most of the comedy.

The quality of the animation is nothing short of wonderful, with beautifully drawn girls, dynamic backgrounds completely fluid movements that would put many shows to shame. I’ve probably said this same thing to a lot of other anime series but if you know anything about “Kyoto Animation” then you’ll know the sort of standard you are going to get, from watching this masterpiece.

Unlike the music in a lot of other KyoAni shows, the music plays an important role in Clannad and I’m not only talking about the catchy OP and ED theme (dango). Each of the main characters gets their own theme tunes that go well with their personalities, adding a sort of personal touch to the main girls. Nonetheless it does get a bit repetitive, listening to the same tunes over and over.

Overall Clannad has proven to be one of the best Harem, Romance anime of our time. It is really hard to find a flaw in this amazing series, because it has superb visuals, a great story and some of the best characters. Even with a lot of parallels with its predecessors, Clannad still manages to break free and become a show of its own. Of course it is riddled with clichés and cheesy moments but you wouldn’t mind, due to the many hilarious and touching moments.

You don’t need to be a harem anime fan to enjoy Clannad, you just need a heart.
^_^ read more

Clannad was surprising on my first watch, before I had seen it I expected a typical Harem, Visual Novel adaptation. What I got in the end was something very different.

==STORY==
The story plays out how you would expect a VN adaptation to. We basically follow Tomoya Okazaki as he interacts with the female cast through different story arcs, helping them with their problems. Some arcs are far better than others, and vary in length but do well to keep the focus on to 1 girl at a time. Throughout these Clannad offers a host of different things for different types of viewers. A fair amount of humour, quite a lot of fanservice, some is just blatant, but mostly subtle (some attire choices and close up shots I noticed were indeed intentionally there to appeal to the audience watching Clannad for its Harem elements), and contains a lot of fantasy related themes. Clannad is also very heavy on drama which carries it at most points, and even the occasional action scenes.

==CHARACTERS==
Clannad offers a healthy variety of likeable characters, they consist of many different personalities, but some characters being far more interesting than others. One of the problems I had was with the main character Tomoya, the self-proclaimed 'deliquent.' There is the problem already, Tomoya is no deliquent, actually he is probably one of the friendliest protagonists you'll see, often helping out people for no particular reason, despite having a troubled past, and a horrible relationship with his father, overall I found his character often monotonous. But it is his interactions with the girls which remain key throughout the series. I feel Tomoya's friend Youhei at times offers more intriguing moments and at some points kept me watching.

==ART & ANIMATION==
It's hard to put into words how spectacular the art is in Clannad but then again I'd expect no less from KyoAni. The female characters never fail to be moé, Nagisa in particular as her character has a naivity that accompanies her design. If you do notice the backgrounds (which you most likely wont considering the characters often stand out) they provide mostly the colours of greys, beiges and browns which are often known for being particularly dull, however in this case, they manage to give those colours a shine that brightens up the background as a whole. The addition of fallen Cherry Blossoms near Cherry Blossom Trees and on roads in outside settings is a nice touch. Animation is less to be talked about, since most episodes are the characters, sitting, standing or walking not much about animations needs mention, when animations occasionally become more complex (referring to Tomoyo's 200 hit combo, among others) it delivers flawlessly.

==SOUND==
The OP in Clannad is nice and very fantasy-like. The ED IS catchy, at first it'll seem like a Japanese nursery rhyme, but hear it enough times and you'll be singing along to it. Background music is often a solo piano score to fit romantic or sad moments which is pulled off well, but other than that, background songs aren't anything noteworthy. And seiyu's do well to sound as cute, youthful and as energetic as their character may be, but I can't judge the voice acting properly since I don't speak Japanese.

==CONCLUSION==
I've given Clannad a fair amount of praise so you are probably wondering why didn't it get a higher score? And here it is, not enough happens in Clannad, it will often be a series of tiring conversation and boring/mindless activity, one after the other. And it is this activity such as, handing out stars, playing random sports, designing posters that left me often dissatisfied. More so when the story as a whole tends to drag on through some parts. At times I wanted to get the episode over and done with. I did intend to give Clannad a lower score but when noticing the overall quality of Clannad I could never give this a true low score. I just feel Clannad is not enjoyable enough, everything is done OK, from story to character development but satisfaction is not usually present. Despite this Clannad can appeal to a wide audience and is one of the most universal animes you'll probably see. read more

There are many types of anime, though you can generalise them in being either fulfilling your expectations, or not. However, every so often, there is an exception of a unique anime which is by far superior though you never expected it to be. The latter defineately describes clannad.
I started with no expectations from clannad, but it turned out to be one of the best anime I have ever seen, if not the best.

Story: 10/10
On the outside it seems to be the ordinary slice of life drama - ordinary boy meets many girls, helps them, and in the end benefits too (not to forget the touch of harem). But clannad is different in that it pulls on your heartstrings, making you go through every emotion: you cry, you laugh. You smile with pride, frown with dismay. The best aspect of it was the comedy, which was perfectly executed and the humour was intelligent and witty.
Every story arc you can easily understand and relate to, and each one is unique and spectacular. The main storyline is also just as good, with some mysterious aspects (there is a parallel little story about a little girl all alone in the world with a robot).
I liked the fact that the story wasn't all centred around the main character, but it portrays many different storylines in which our main protagonists just happens to be there to help.

Art: 9.5/10
I found the art very soothing and beautiful to watch, it used soft colours and textures which portray the scenes and emotions well. The designs of the characters were also unique to each individual, and you enjoy watching them.

Sound: 9/10
The opening of the series I never grew to like, though the ending song 'dango' was extremely cute. The other music used throughout the series however, was exceptional. It flowed with the mood of the scenes perfectly and even to listen to it by itself is enjoyable.

Character: 9.5/10
The characters in clannad were very well developed, you are able to gradually build a detailed picture for each one and understand their personalities; almost at a personal level. Every character has a warm feel, and you have a wonderful time in their company.
I especially liked the main protagonist, Tomoya, he has a very direct and witty personality which anyone would instantly love, and is the centre of conducting all the comedy scenes. As the story progresses, you learn more about him and start to understand and relate to him more.

Enjoyment: 10/10
I enjoyed every second of this anime - it was done perfectly in every aspect, but I especially enjoyed the comedy aspects to it which were hilarious. It had the correct balance of everything you would want in a slice of life drama.
I can guarentee whoever you are, and whatever anime you may like, you will at least enjoy parts of this anime.

I'm sorry if this review is rubbish, it's hard to describe something which is so good that its indescribable. To understand it, you can really only experience it for yourself. I strongely recommend clannad, you will not regret it. read more

Note: When I say Clannad, I’m referring to the whole series, including season 1 and season 2 ‘After Story’ and the extras and OVAs as well. (This is why I've attached this review to each Clannad anime, as this is a review on the whole series. So don't be confused if you see this same review multiple times).


Clannad Review – By Riley D (RIED14):

A dramatically life changing and perception shifting 'slice of life' philosophical masterpiece of love, family, connection, gratitude and simplicity (WITHOUT the ingenuine and uncalled for 'cheesiness').

Clannad was not just a 'good show'. It was an unforgettable experience that drastically rekindled the light in my eyes and opened up my mind a lot more. Haven't cried like that since I was 5 years old. This has changed me forever.

(Note: If you don't understand it after finishing it, read up on or play the original Visual Novel game which the anime was the adaptation of. That should clear things up for you).

If you think 'what's the point of living if we die?', Clannad shows you that the anime’s point is ‘what’ you put in-between life and death.
It shows you the anime's ideal thing to put in that ‘in-between slot’, and the character's (and your) journey of realization towards it. Quite an epiphanic anime indeed.

The art and music were astonishing as both were incredibly capturing and moving at the perfect places in the most natural way possible.
There is nothing in Clannad that is unnaturally rubbed in the viewer's face. Everything just happens by itself, nothing is desperately forced upon the viewer. Some may beg to differ, but that all comes down to how you view people in real life, weather it depends on the people you’re raised around, the area/country you live in or simply your own way of looking at it etc etc. (Speaking of desperate, there is absolutely NO fan service whatsoever, not even in the extras and OVAs, which is brilliant). Even the humour (to keep the viewer sane) is genuine and reflects off situations that would ACTUALLY HAPPEN in every-day life (my opinion). This is by far the most realistic, touching and insightful anime I've ever experienced.

WARNING: Could be left with a bit of bittersweet ‘post Clannad depression’ for a few days after finishing the anime, but that shouldn't last long because then you’ll feel the happiest you’ve felt in a long while (well I did anyway).

Recommended to: Anyone.
My Score: 10 out of 10.

(Believe me this is for anyone. I'm a big fan of 'Higurashi no Naku Koro ni' (which has a lot of gore and horror which Clannad most definitely does not) and I LOVED Clannad, which in the way it's set out, is actually quite similar to Higurashi...[the review ends here, but if you want - read the last few bracketed, unimportant, vague words of the sentence; it's a big Clannad spoiler, so don't if you haven't finished the series]...



------------!CLANNAD SPOILER!---------
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(Both having the arcs and the alternate realities etc)



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-------CLANNAD SPOILER OVER-------- read more

The world, as many of us know, has been polluted with anime called harems. Five plus girls. One oblivious tool of a man. There can be only one. Yeah, that can get old. You can count on at least two every season, with nothing to be worthwhile. That is until I caught sight of Clannad, an anime adaption of my favorite visual novel created by Key. At first I was skeptical, ESPECIALLY after the horrible movie adaption, so I went into it with low expectations. Fortunately, Clannad didn't let me down.

Unlike other harems, the main male, Tomoya, is less fortunate the other leads. His mother died at a young age leaving him with his father, who became an alcoholic and a gambler out of depression. Hating the town he lives in, he continues on living with no motivation until one day he meets Nagisa, a fragile girl who stands nervously at the bottom of the hill on the way to school, scared. After encouraging her to be strong and make new memories in her new year, he finds himself motivated to helping her with her dilemas including joining the schools drama club. Among other characters are Sunahora, the comedic dope who is Tomoya's closest friend, Ryou and Kyou, who are twins who hang out with the two, Kotomi, a quite genious who's socially awkward, and Tomoyo, a strong woman who is running for student council president. The series basically goes through their school life as many harems do, but the comedy is some of the best in anime, as well as the drama being very heavy.

The art is very sharp. Within the first 5 minutes, I knew I'd be in for a treat for sure. Not only is the art good, it combines crisp CGI animation as well, which completely impressed me.

I was on the fence about the soundtrack honestly,, mainly because I played the game. The soundtrack is the same, with the exception of the ED, which is one of the tracks with words put to it (Dango Daikazokou), which isn't the problem, because the games soundtrack is nothing short of a master work. The problems lies in where those tracks are placed. The songs didn't really go with what was happening some of the time, and was a little confusing. This was the only thing that made me think it might end up like other harems, but thankfully, this wasn't that big of a deal. In fact, there were some moments where it does work, and very nicely.

The characters would be Clannad's strongest suit. Each character has such personality, it can be overwhelming. Not only the main characters are this way, but supporting as well, notably Nagisa's parents, Akio and Sanae.

Each episode was ball to watch, and it was easy to keep watching. I never had a moment where I wanted to drop. However, I didn't have a moment where I needed to see the next episode either. Clannad is easily the best harem out there, but it needed to be more than that. NOTE: I am specifically reviewing the FIRST SEASON. If you believe I am being harsh, wait until I write my Clannad AS review. In short, I would highly recommend it to viewers because they would then be able to watch the second season. As far as the first season is concerned, it will still be a great watch full of laughs and watery eyes, and in itself, I would recommend it as well. read more

I think my review will be very unusual from the all of Clannad reviews. Actually I don't remember it good but... You know I haven't enjoyed the story at all. It was so silly, uninteresting, and so stereotyped that once I even have fallen asleep. Honestly, I was just so bored with the storyline and so annoyed with some of the main characters that I just wanted to drop it sometimes.


Ok, then lets start with the story:
The cute looking boy meets just awfully ugly girl with the strange things in her head. Then she starts saying some senseless things. In the school he sees that she's very lonely and he feels pity for her so they become friends. In this moments she can say that he's her first and most precious friend. Ok. Then she starts fall for him and he for her, but they are too shy and there's many other girls around him so she can't say that she likes him. Then it's showing that none of them can't suit him more than the main girl and in the end they confess to each other and end up dating. Such a silly, stereotyped drama and harem. I give the story 4/10

Characters:
Omg, I HATED the main girl Furukawa, Nagisa. You just can't imagine how annoying she was. Like an eyesore.
Other girls was ok. Especially Kyou. She was very cute and cool.
Tomoya is the best. I very liked his personality and you know he was the one of the reasons why I watched the anime untill the end. [fangirl] He looks so cute read more