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WARNING: THIS REVIEW IS NOT FRIENDLY. IT'S LONG, DETAILED AND NOT FOR AVERAGE VIEWERS OR BEGINNER ENTHUSIASTS.

But don't worry, no bashing and all my critiques are not biased.

Reason why I give Clannad AS a 9.

It deserves it and I'm magnanimous to all the series that impresses me. I may even be horribly biased against shoujo and school animes generally due to their lack of creativity but I must admit that Clannad AS has broken those genre's ingrained weaknesses and made me utter a big “finally!”

The line that summarizes everything: It gets better.

Clannad AS is a major leap not just from its prequel but drastic ... improvement is evident in the story's progression. “Finally,” it has:

1.Achieved a decent amount of realism.
2.Fixed all its weaknesses.
3.Portrayed an unconventional story in optimum aesthetics

Firstly, when I remember the first season of Clannad I am reminded of the repetitive plots and endless cycles of crying and encouragement. It was pretty weak and it significantly lowered my expectation for its sequel. However, watching After Story made me swallow skepticism and squeezed a few drops of tears from me.

The start of the series is pretty much the same as the composition its prequel. Nothing can be said much except that scenes are dealt with more cinematic effects and the history of many characters are finally tackled. There is enough depth overall, but its distributed unevenly among those little arcs. Satisfying, bittersweet at some points, the start can be described as an “improved first season,” no notable changes nor twists or thoughts to be pondered over.

However, halfway the series, it's gets really better. The change of direction in the story is very inviting for fresh possibilities. Besides delivering the potentials the plot shift has given, it actually brought out the potentials that wasn't touched by the first season and the earlier parts. Clannad AS finally stepped out its shell and show that it can impact people despite its simple story: It touched family, narrated life in a very artistic way and impacted viewers with thoughts and concepts our world, or other worlds may have.

In tapping its potential, Clannad AS used improved everything it can work on. First is its art and music. Art has been consistent all throughout the series and the best quality a series of this time can have, I can say that it has the best facial expressions I have seen in anime so far. It's way of showing how eyes water, lips pout or how character say what they feel is detailed, down to earth enough to be appropriate for the overall mood of the series, but powerful and provoking visually.

The same couldn't be said about music, the earlier part is full of the recycled music that is predictable with certain scenes that come, but the later part give better background music that we've never heard before in the series. And did I already mention that the opening song is one of the best I have seen? It's a shame to dismiss such a wonderful song. The ending is good as well, jolly and befitting the immediate mood of the story, though it may be a bit inappropriate for some story parts later on.

Aside from wonderful presentation, the theme of family, barely tackled well initially, is expanded and handled very well by Tomoya's character developent. It's surprising to see the central character learn, mature and change from the way things started. School life is over, the city is changing, everybody's changing and things cannot be always what they are. Life can be both fantastic harsh. Tomoyo's development is remarkable and a bit unconventional considering that a main character with his kind of role has barely or has never been tackled before.

His relationship with Nagisa, in which the series focuses after a long start, turns out to be one of the best handled in anime. No over the top lines, natural conversations and not focused on romantic or sexual themes. It was refreshing to see a form of love that friendly and at the same time appealing to general viewers yet retains a decent amount of depth. Simple gestures, from holding hands to smiles express enough message to be understood and felt. It's unconventional indeed from the usual stories of suffering together, staying together or breaking up, but not far away, understandable and fitting to a tale of life's dramas.

Also, probably one of the best assets of Clannad AS, unseen in the majority of animes where they are badly needed is the absence of unnecessary objectification; In layman's term, fanservice. The total lack of fanservice solidifies its family theme and makes the viewers see love as genuine as ever. It preserves the very captivating and emotionally stirring visuals, also, breaking the perceived image of moe animation as full of loli fanservice.

I think what make Clannad AS powerful is that it has shown the usual themes of life, family and maturity in a very down to earth way yet dealt with some unusual metaphors and concepts. I am given a lighthearted way of viewing the Clannad universe with fantasy and philosophical understones. Beautiful and evoking, simple but with impact. Excellent, excellent work of its genre, probably one of the best animes of its kind.

Reason why it doesn't deserve a perfect score:

Or why it may even receive drastically lower ratings from critics and biased reviewers- Nagisa Furukawa's character, predictability of overreaction and the amount of realism it has. I'll elaborate Clannad AS' weaknesses from the major to the minor.

In fiction jargon Nagisa is a borderline Mary Sue, a little more and she'll fall off the cliff as a flat character. Good thing she didn't for she wasn't dragging everyone down with her like that of the first season and the series was relatively excellent to save her. Her development, necessary for her role, is significantly mediocre compared to Tomoya's. She clearly successful of being adorable, but sick girl archetypes need more backbone; she gets all the good treatment from her family and friends so it's hard to sympathize with her. There isn't much strength in her because all she does is do things in a right way, in a manner that's more favorable to her aesthetics than to the overall drama of the series itself. To shorten the long story; she doesn't receive any improvement at all. Sure, she's as “cute” as ever, but she doesn't get better.

The second reason, probably differs greatly from each's standard, is overreaction. It's pretty plain predictable when the character would break down in tears and cry; that's not really bad and very natural especially if it's in its real tearjerker situations. The problem is when you're irked to its context that every character cries the same way in pretty minor grievances. Clannad is a mild drama*, and the predictable overreaction diminishes the dramatic effect some of its scenes badly need. But again, as the review's tagline says; It gets better, very much.

Lastly, though very very minor, Clannad universe remains unchanged. Clannad universe is a world where the majority of characters act either cute or cool in shoujo standard, very idealized and arguably generic. It doesn't mean that the characters are flat and poor, it's just that it's the Clannad universe- a setting which many loves.


Final Words:

Though it has a share of flaws, Clannad After Story is an anime to be recommended to all viewers, from shounen fans to fellow critics. It deserves acknowledgment and appreciation in a fair perspective. ** I say it is a beautiful story, a good experience and a wonderful piece of work worth watching.

Thoughts to ponder about:
Is Clannad AS remarkable on its own or just because it is a big leap from its prequel?

Notes:

*In the review's personal spectrum, mild drama is anything that involves everyday life while heavy drama involves things like war, politics, murder or saving the world. And also, note being a dramatic series is not the same as being a drama series. Mild drama doesn't mean it's less deep than heavy drama. Dragon Ball and TTGL pretty dramatic, but hell not of drama series. Clannad AS is not dramatic, but instead, melodramatic in mood yet a drama series.

** A true critic should know the eyes of all kinds of viewers, not just that of oneself that prioritized one's own standard by favoring certain elements and dismissing what he/she doesn't like personally. A true critic(for me) knows that there are more good anime than bad ones, but can strongly defend the possibility that excellent ones are rarer than what the normal audience think.

Anime version of The Count of Monte Cristo with an additional title "Gankutsuou?" Interesting. the opinions of this review come from a person who never read the book nor the novel adaptation but has researched enough.But this is a review written without a comparison to other pieces of work.I watched the anime thrice. But a phrase to summarize this review; simply the most artistic anime I have seen in my life.

My rating for this anime is so high that I can't believe it.

Story: 9

It's a creative adaptation of the original novel with a lot of changes, but the core is recognizable nonetheless. Gankutsuou's story itself ... can be wrapped up to this; soap opera. That somehow correct, its about lives of Parisian high status families entangled in a series of deception, thirst for power and money, revenge and of course, love. The plot can already be very familiar to most viewers, but this plot itself brought life to a very memorable and engaging story.

In a surrealistic world of unexplored galaxies and lunar habitations, the rich merry themselves under their large spaceships while some poor criminals are condemned to the guillotine. However, with this backdrop, the circumstances that makes the story flow comes from the peripheral of the main character Albert. He's young, naive, compassionate and trusting, but when he meets a mysterious man, the Count of Monte Cristo, everything changes.

Little by little, greed, lust and treachery are exposed from each one's family, hidden away like the past. Those sinful desires and acts of the adults are now reaping what they sow; those people involved cannot escape his revenge. And sadly, the blameless younger generation is suffering as well.

The revenge itself inspires sadism, with its intelligent words and substance, intrigue is played out very well. From the polite and formal speech of the characters to the concerts, balls and invitations as a guest the story does not fall short of pure mystery, foreshadowing and the rising of impending darkness whereas the true forms of people are known.

But with all the darkness in this story- shattering of innocence, and things falling apart, the story is also about maturity and friendship. It's amazing how they effectively portray the feelings of the youths in the story, their reactions and reflections of what is happening in their supposedly peaceful and merry lives as nobles. Purity, especially in the simple sense of love, shines out to show the true faces hidden within the facade of naivety.

The pacing is perfect and no episode is inferior to the rest.

Art and Sound: 10

Those two are inseparable in Gankutsuou.

Simply the most artistic anime I have watched in my whole life. Pure surrealism of the Renaissance period setting with a touch of futuristic aspects of space travel, seemingly magical places and supercomputers. It is beautiful, enthralling and captivating in a sense that everything, from doors and curtains to the cobblestone streets and night sky, is intricately designed. It doesn't mean that each object looks weird or distorted; its is the colors and patterns.

In every part of the picture, there is a particular design of a pattern that does not move and stays there. With those patterns, made they be floral, abstract or European in nature, textures are also plentiful to be appropriate complements. The way they blended those elements together, offers a contrasting or striking set of colors. And certainly, also because of noticeably good cinematography, the art certainly makes every scene dramatic, going well with the dark themes of the anime.

Notably, the plain designs of the characters, compared to the background, gives balance to the art. And because they are plain, ironically, they are easily noticeable. Also, it gives the feeling of how little and insignificant an individual is in a vast, complex and populated world.

Drama. So much there is that many little encounters, lines and actions are either epic or beautiful. The music is themed like the setting- both being an adaptation to the Renaissance period and a surreal future- actually, it features several famous classical pieces. The heavy strings in an orchestra give a wave of emotions. Its amazing how it helps in foreshadowing; dramatic music is put on a scene of significance, no matter what that is.

But it is also noteworthy how they are able to put variation and juxtaposition. An example is the plain mix of piano and vocals in a relatively simple song as the opening of Gankutsuou, the visuals is as plain as it- sketches in a coffee colored paper of people and peaceful scenes. But when you hear the lyrics, its full of anger and remorse sung in a mellow melody. Then the ending features heavy rock and full of flashes of distorted or grotesque images that are difficult to describe- also, they are dark and seemingly show a nightmare.

But probably the style and musically that raise my rating up is the is simple melody of piano in certain heavy and intense scenes. It is the alternate version of the opening and there is a another one which is very repetitive and enhanced by some effects. Yet with its simplicity it has effectively stirred the hearts of the viewers for its not distracting or heavy like the scene, but light and pure, like the young characters involved. Another brilliant balance in different elements.

Character: 9

The heart of Gankutsuou is its theme of human emotion. And that theme is portrayed differently through a "web entaglement concept." (My own invented term to describe it.)

Seemingly, the only character that's exceptional and unique on his own is the Count of Monte Cristo. He's an obvious allusion to evil itself from the beginning of the series. However, he's disguised under a mask of mystery, power and character. He's the web, and the characters are trapped in him. Interestingly though, the other main protagonist, Albert, is intentionally pursuing him. This boy Albert, innocently fascinated in this Count, dragged everyone else with him. Or did he?

The cast of characters is a roster of families, a set of young people and a set of adults. Their personalities is what you would typically expect from high status, educated and individuals with personal problems. None of them show extraordinary skills or a high level of intelligence or empathy but rather they are just entangled in a series of events that are destroying their lives. There is also a generation gap that runs deep between the parents and their children...

From the naive Albert and his "perfect" yet secretive parents, the caring best friend Franz, the devoted and loving Haydee to the lonely fiance Eugenie, political corruption, betrayal, adultery, incest, and even a hint of homosexuality is fleshed out. With these, anger, sadness, guilt, fear and hatred coexist with young love, optimism, forgiveness and faithfulness. Other opposing pairs include emotional manipulation and adoration,and honesty and deception. This anime is so rich with internal aspects in contrast to the colorful, yet untackled society and setting.

Again, juxtaposition- everything is focused on the deepest thoughts and emotions of the characters amid the vast, unexplored, surrealistic, fantasy universe. And the development and maturity of the young characters, embracing the future is a good contrast to the folly of the adults who are running away from the past or burying it.

Enjoyment: 10

Again, enjoyment is based on preference and I'm a huge sucker for humanistic dramas. This one is definitely a treat for me who is a music appreciator. It's definitely not a jovial piece of work; it's full of drama and all sorts of emotions. If you're seeking for fun don't watch this show. Also, about the issue of its art being "painful" to watch, I don't find it like that. Actually, I fell in love with the art from the start.

Also, this is a mature anime. I don't recommend this teenagers who are new to anime or have just watched a handful shonen/shojo animes in their lives.

To sum it up: Gankutsuou is exceptionally aesthetic anime with its mastery in combining the juxtaposed elements of music, art, and different themes of humanism. There is an excellent balance between its emotional and dramatic aspects, further beautified by its appropriate complements.

OVERALL: 10

This review is written by someone who never played the game, so I rated this based on being an anime itself rather than fanservice. And gee, this is probably the lowest score I have given in my whole life.

Story: 2

The simplest way to describe it is that it is a collage of cutscenes. But first, here are the good points of the story:





...

Animation...?







And now we proceed to the bad points: Everything else. Elaborate: Cutscenes that makes no sense because they're barely connected with each other. Dialogues that does not let us know what they're really talking about. Character dramas that makes no sense. Individually, the characters, the music, the plot devices at least have substance but they just don't work out together. It's a big pile of mess, like the the play food children cook by mixing garden leaves, soil and stolen kitchen ingredients.

An anime version of Romeo and Juliet? Interesting.

But its a loose adaptation. Very loose. Don't expect Romeo X Juliet to be like the original Shakespeare play. This review, is written by a person who never read the play but has researched enough about it. Arguably, all the characters in this anime are made differently, unintentionally or not, from their counterparts. And from these traits we get an awfully plentiful disagreeing opinions.

Now for a detailed review...

Story: 6

The discussion of this part is going to be longer than the others because its the core of the anime, being an "adaptation." Let us begin with the basics; ... the original Romeo and Juliet is a very romantic tragedy with intense passion and drama of two very young lovers from enemy clans. And undeniably, it could be the most famous love story written, romanticizing love at a very high level. Also, the play has many social and societal issues that are heavy for younger people.

But, Romeo X Juliet defied the themes of the original by setting a different, lighter mood through a fantasy world. It was not made to adapt the original at all. The given conflict of the Capulet and the Montagues' dispute is briefly introduced to give way to additional plot lines such as oppression of the masses, heroism and coming of age. In context, this anime does not fall short of creativity in interpretation and twists in respect to the Shakespeare's play.

And of course, the heart of the story is the love between Romeo and Juliet- romance. And I can say that made a good job in creating interesting sweet and innocent love story between the two characters through memorable cinematic scenes. It was further made good by many emotional lines and dialogues, both original and quoted from the play itself, that are appropriately romantic.Those wonderful aesthetic qualities combined with the challenges the two must face warms up the interesting and the well-paced story.

However, though it has many notable rare qualities, its full of inconsistencies and wasted potential. I repeat, a lot of wasted potential; foreshadowing and the plot itself. Somehow, this anime introduces a lot of unconventional and promising conflicts, especially at the beginning, that disappointingly, unexplored further or left hanging. The Capulet and the Montagues' dispute was rather shallow and offers cliched character involvement which will be elaborated later in the review. Other notable examples could be the new characters, duty and a possible forbidden love.

The anime has a bad habit of introducing something big and exciting, and suddenly replacing it with in-character yet obvious internal conflicts, and gets resolved in a manner that's nothing brilliant. In par with this, many sub-plots have thin links with the main focus of the show. And most probably, the greatest weakness of the anime was the short climax build-up that lacks intensity. And the "climax" itself, a poor attempt to adapt the ending of the original, is totally unrelated to the path leading to it. Lastly, there are some important plot devices that makes very little sense at all.

But one thing makes all of these work: Romeo and Juliet. Their fairy-tale like romance is just so addictive because of its innocent nature. Ideally, they're in love, but in a mature perspective, its an obvious infatuation and a very compatible friendship. Its not intense, passionate and dark but rather the opposite. And of course, if they're together, they make it look that everything will work out. Well, the series did work out because of them, the anticipation of a different ending is a driving force to finish the series.

Pure romance is excellent, everything else that complements it are mediocre.

Art: 8

Artistically, this anime has done very well in dramatizing the themes with an excellent opening. Not only that, as I mentioned, cinematography and the bright mood of lovely scenes made its romance element noteworthy. However, the setting, the clothes, the building designs, appropriate they be, are nothing exceptional or new for they are based of from real life designs, except the pegasus perhaps. Romeo and Juliet's color schemes work well andare memorable.

Animation is another downer. It was inconsistent at most.

Sound: 9

The opening song itself "Inori (You raise me up)" by Lena Park raised the score of this anime. It was beautiful, intense and well performed and placed in appropriate scenes in different themes. Disappointingly, the endings songs are pale in comparison with it.

Background music is as inconsistent with the story. It is very touching, light, mellow with Romeo and Juliet scenes and anything concerning romance. It adds up to the feeling of love in many scenes and makes them more memorable. So; the light romantic element itself is again portrayed exceptionally, everything else seems so bland and lacking.

Character: 7

A Code Geass Review has this line but I guess it will be very appropriate to put it here too:

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts..." - Shakespeare

William itself is in the anime, a nice caricature. Though he has minimal involvement he his comments are a nice homage and perspective to what what happening.

The characters in the anime are different and can be considered "twisted" versions of the original. Let us begin with the main protagonists; Romeo and Juliet:

Juliet is probably the true heroine of the story and she is very tradition defying one. She's considerably lacks maturity, evident from her views, actions and emotional responses. Yet, her strength and capabilities in leadership and combat pushes a fairly well development on her side. And being torn between her duty and her feelings for Romeo, the way she overcomes the hurdles of of these internal struggles is something that only few female characters achieved. The used metaphor for actions, also for her love and determination she shared with Romeo, the "wind" suits her role in stirring a revolution and going against the odds. She's apparently more level-headed than the original Juliet.

Romeo too, is a very unique prince, because his role of a child of an influencial/evil person, a kindhearted noble who advocates reform, well mannered, naive and innocent nature are the usual stereotypes for lead heroines: That's right, mainly princesses. But he fitted his role well and it's in tandem with his idealism and pure, young love for Juliet. And amazingly,none of these traits badly affect his male protagonist image, but rather it makes him more lovable and adorable. On the other hand, the real Romeo is impulsive, violent and too passionate according to some sources.

Romance worked out very well between the two, but again, mostly everything else is utterly mediocre. One big flaw is the lack of intense reaction from the other characters regarding RXJ love. It should be outrageous, scandalous, disappointing, shocking- all kinds of emotions to further juxtapose love. But all the characters are lacking in that area so the challenges RxJ face aren't romantic in nature themselves but rather situational or societal. Personal issues are always defeated by love. And like what I explained earlier, those conflicts have wasted big potentials.

The best example of poor character involvement is the repetitive "Montagues are evil" and "The Capulets must be destroyed." And the reason for that? Cliches...

Through all those negative attributes, the side characters are not that bad at all. There is the presence of nice best friends like Benvolio and Cordelia. Loyal protector with interesting little secrets and personalities like Curio and Francisco are very likable. The cast from the original play is certainly "animated" here, as alternate persons. Although the background people are decent enough, some of them made no contribution to the overall drama; just creating additional insignificant situations.

Enjoyment: 8

This is very opinionated and based on my preference; I had high hopes for this series but I was very disappointed. But I can say that I did enjoy it, especially the lovely scenes between RxJ. It succeeds in making the audience experience the kind of love that is shared between the two. I makes people "fall in love."

Overall: 7

This series is sure to have received a very high expectation from the viewers, and that includes me. The first season left a huge mass of mysteries and many possibilities for the conclusion of the story. With just some little improvements from the first season, this sequel will be close to perfection; but it becomes utterly disappointing in almost every aspect.

Story (6/10)

The conflict the new direction of the story is intriguing and interesting in the start. Now we see the outcome of the protagonists', the Celestial Beings or the Gundam Meisters, idealistic military interventions. Even with all their efforts, the world is at a bad, ... or even worse state as before.

With this backdrop, secrets are finally revealed one by one. But though the revelations are in tandem with excellent gundam battles, the character involvement makes it very bland. The tactics, teamwork and science involve are as excellent (but later on, replaced with godlike gundams) as before but character "developments" are too rushed, unrealistic and insignificant in general. Gone are the deep connection to the root of mankind's actions, the radical characters that show it, and the tackling of current societal issue such as religion, energy crisis, ethnic differences, terrorism and others.

They were replaced by the repetitive portrayal "the antagonists have a logical and probably good intention for the world but in reality they're evil." What happens is that each episode or arc we see the same themes over and over again.

Art (10/10)

The best in the series: high definition animation. And the gundams are in the peak of our current mecha designs. Each part of the frame are detailed: hair, eyes, clothing and especially, the mechanical parts. the colors are beautiful and bright and the light of the GN Drive is very memorable.

The endings of the anime must be praised for their symbolism and artistry.

Sound (8/10)

I must say that the music in this series features the same genre as the first season: modern pop ballads and alternative rock. Because the setting is Anno Domini, I think the moods they give is appropriate.

The background music has improved and they are not repetitive. However, though they are appropriate, they don't give a lasting impression.

Character (5/10)

I say the character of the series and the characters themselves have become mediocre.

The main characters were developed greatly in the first season but the second season is supposed to be the room for their interaction: And we get a very big mess.

Setsuna and Marina's bond is unique and in a way beautiful but their interaction in the second season are insignificant and offers no substance. The potential result of their differences of beliefs are sublimated. Setsuna is still a almost emotionless badass, but his interaction with the many mediocre characters dimmed his remaining good quality

Allelujah/Hallelujah is one of the most interesting characters because of his psychology but in the second season he screams "Marie!" 50% or more of the time and the other dialogues he's involve in does not add to the overall drama. Soma screams "Colonel!" And it's the same as Saji, who also screams "Louise!" most of the time, and Louise, who psychotically screams "Celestial Being!" Marina says "Setsuna..." all the time. In short, these characters, and others too, long for another in different ways yet their internal conflicts are cliche or lacks screen time.

We expect something different from the new Lockon Stratos with his connections but we get little. His role, aside from being a Meister,is to add drama which slapped on and poorly developed. Tieria involvement and development is the only notable thing in this section, are crucial, but somehow he offers blatant fanservice .

The new characters with spotlights in the series does not leave impacts at all, and I find them insignificant in general. Beside from adding angst, evil or action, their purpose is to pilot the new gundam models that is of course, advertisement. The main antagonist is well...bland. He lacks badassery.

The character is the greatest weakness of the show. Also an interesting note, this show has abused binary pairs the most- too many characters has pairs, look-alikes, clones, alter egos that are explored little.

Enjoyment:

I enjoyed it because of the action and suspense. But the story makes me cry in disappointment. The characters have great potential in them but 25 episodes as too short for them. If they were only explored more and interacted in a slower, more cinematic manner with lots of meaningful dialogues this series will have definitely improved.

OVERALL: 6

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

I basically feel that this anime has enough reviews so I give a different one: The review your are about to see is mostly about the comparison of Anno Domini to the Cosmic Era. Why? It is the successor of the mega-hit Gundam Seed and GS Destiny. Fangirls/ boys may still demand cute lovey-dovey characters or enthusiasts might want a deeper and more unique plot. So I hope that this review may help people who watched GSD that included Gundam 00 in their "to watch" list and those who evaluating it.

STORY:

Cosmic Era ...
Drama: more intense and plentiful
Action: repetitive but good,relies on Gundam's power
Romance: plenty & unexpected


Anno Domini:
Drama:more natural and untypical
Action: very excellent and intelligent with strategy and teamwork
Romance:close to none


When the Cosmic Era heavily focuses on the internal drama of the main characters AD portrays a different kind of heroism. When they both condemn war yet clarifies that fighting is necessary to live, CE roots this to human emotion and desire. Two sides fighting for noble or distorted reasons alike are both victims in a tragic war. Meanwhile, AD tackles this issue in a more realistic way by directly relating it to our current world- oil crisis, terrorism, economic turmoils. Furthurmore, those are challenged by a small group of people -the Celestial Beings- with four powerful mobile suits.

Gundams vs the world? Sounds ridiculous? It works. But it is amazing that the story is woven pretty well for that idea to be utterly plausible and workable. In addition to this, even with the limited character interaction due to huge distances, each's action affect the overall picture- in a way, everyone is related to one another. Moreover, while the presence of "evil" leaders are prevalent in Gundam series, AD is a bit different: it shows that humanity as a whole conflicts within itself.

AD is pretty original, but compare to CE, its execution is a bit slower. Though containing a number of unnecessary flashbacks, CE seems to be a bit faster than AD even with 50 episodes .Also, for many times, AD put together subplots with thin links with each other; lastly, its worst trait is that it has no climax or weak climax.

Winner: None

ART:

Cosmic Era
Consistency: A bit bad
Art style: Familiar but eye candy cute
Quality: High quality traditional
Mechs: So many cool designs

Anno Domini
Consistency:Superb!
Art style: Serious tone
Quality: HIGH DEFINITION
Mechs: More detailed, vivid, innovative and memorable

AD is obviously superior in the category of quality and "hi-tech" factor but the character designs' appeal to the fanbase (especially the fangirls) is a bit inferior due to its less cuter style.

Winner: AD

SOUND:

Cosmic Era:
Dramatic techno-pop with traditional space mood music mixed with dramatic and romantic ballads

Anno Domini:
Alternative rock, pop and rock ballads coupled with "epic" sounds and contemporary sounds tracks

AD lost to this one, CE's music is very successful in bringing out emotions, mixing drama, romance, action and suspense.The openings and endings are a bit radical by defying the Gundam tradition of techno, and it was satisfying. However, AD is a bit disappointing: the tracks are not memorable and some are repetitive, they are a bit typical since one can hear them on most shonen shows.

Winner: CE

CHARACTER:

Cosmic Era
Cast: Typical teenagers and
some adults
Dialogues: Excellent and thought
provoking

Anno Domini:
Cast: Mix of different lives
Dialogues: Natural, lacks intensity due to indirect confrontations and and the lack of clarity on why certain characters are taking screen time.

CE is much more focused on duty, death, love, hate and understanding- the aspects of humanity. The conflict is seen in the feelings and choices of individual people developing as they interact with others. Heart wrenching indeed, but one can also say that they designed their characters based on basic stereotypes.

This is where AD takes its radicalism; the characters are already very much developed and the focus is in the overall conflict involving their lives, both past and present. Different people, same effects. Same actions, different effects. It's theme is living in a supposedly sick world. Beautifully, the symbolism of necessary sacrifice and undeserved pain is reflected. Sadly, the dialogue fails to amplify these elements. Though sadly, though the concept is pretty, many characters are generic.

Winner: CE
ENJOYMENT AND OVERALL:


I enjoyed CE more than AD because of my preference, but it doesn't mean that it is better. Still, both of them are shows that deserves praise.

CE offers more intensity and impact, however it has flaws like unnecessary fanservice, inconsistencies, bad flasbacks and irrational coincidences.

AD has better character as a whole, free of "impurities" of fanservice and "advertising" of profitable models. It may be close to zero in flaws but it definitely "lacks."

Finally, the Code Geass saga has come into an end. All hail Code Geass!You are one of the most successful anime this decade (both in fanbase and business)

Let me introduce first why Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 certainly leaves us heated debates: The magnificent season 1 ended with an excruciating cliffhanger but had confirmed itself a sequel. Why was this sequel made?

1. To feed the gluttonous fanbase
2. To earn more cash

Moreover, the director, story writer and the production staff was pressured to make Code Geass R2...

1. "A lot better than season 1"
... 2. Satisfy enthusiasts by bringing a nice end
3. Still must have romance, comedy and fanservice wrapped up together no matter how dramatic the show has become
4. Have action figures for money
5. Appeal to new viewers curious about its popularity.

Story:

Given the backdrop, and many expectations, I say CGR2 succeeded in making a satisfying story to most of the fanbases. Why? Given all the demands, almost as good as Code Geass wrapping up multiple genres together, R2 is definitely good in the things it offers. CGR2 retained CG's level of suspense and intelligence, precisely formulating mind-blowing action coupled with intense drama, psychological warfare and some comedic scenes. Probably few or none can match the amount and impact of major plot twists plentiful in this series. Totally intense and enjoyable.

Those are the good points we should and can observe. But R2 suffers from unavoidable sequel failures and potentials wasted or mediocre parts. To satisfy new viewers, it has sacrificed the beautiful climatic cliffhanger made by its prequel, restarting the advanced plot into a almost new setting. They broke the line. The primary focus on the storyline and main characters shifted into new subplots and plenty new characters(and mecha too): One may miss the classic fights of opposing pairs as R2 makes less of these. Consistency is also an issue, most of the episodes are well formulated but some are too fast paced with significant parts not emphasized.

Generally, R2 cannot meet many of our expectations, and will and can not answer many of the mysteries that was left. Lots of its prevalent themes are dissolved and replaced by new ones:

1. The fight for independence of Japan changed into a worldwide scale
2. The shadowy Order of Black Knights is already openly exposed
3. The humanism of the first season is reduced and existentialism is added

Yet it ended the saga very well based in the majority of fans' and enthusiast's opinions. Yet with all its flaws, it has substance: with all the mecha, it sums up the concept of war, love, hate, desire, freedom, life into the simple existence of the Geass.

Art

Hurray for R2's animation! The quality is obviously higher! Costume designs (made by CLAMP) are very impressive and creative (though some may be too much). Coupled with new mecha designs, CGR2 became much more "colorful" than the last season. The endings are artistically drawn as they give us some symbolic hints of what may happen soon.

The only problem is, about two or three episodes destroyed the consistent high quality animation! The panels there are even worse than season 1's!

Sound:

Music score is identical to the first season: epic. It is also consistent with the alternate universe they set; the mix of classical music with the touch of modern action tracks. The background music fits the scenes perfectly. The issue is the OP's , ED's Overall their lyrics reflect the themes very well but some will not appeal to some fans. Expect two Orange Range's, a Flow and an Ali Project.

The Hitomi insert songs are definitely more plentiful here and they give us heart warming or soul searching feelings. Well used and beautiful, they amplify the goodness of certain scenes. Yet because they are plentiful, they get little play time, some of them are not very memorable.

Character:

The ending of season one left a number of possibilities.

Given the "restarting" of the setting and "rewinding" of the advanced plot I say that character development started where it was left, continuing the conflict. But the progress would not be made possible without our main protagonist Lelouch Lamperouge's bravado. Bravo! Lelouch is still Lelouch! The depiction of his endeavors are well portrayed symbolically by his development with four women:

Kallen with the Black Knights, with the concept of his "mask"
Shirley with Ashford Academy, with the concept of "victim" of power
Nunally with his royal bloodline, with the concept of "wishes"
CC with the Geass, with the concept of "tomorrow"

His conflict with his enemy Suzaku remains intense and inspires both sadism and pity. The clash of ideal and reality is still emphasized though distributed into many people. R2 also gives chance for the underdeveloped characters to shine their dramas, necessary or not.The shifting of focus is a little bit hazier compared to the first season.

The character of interactions and personalities is outstanding, its the show's itself that may be a bit disappointing. As for the integrity of R2, plentiful unnecessary fanservice ruined it somehow, by distracting the viewers. Also, some philosophical dialogues, though trivial, are not excellent; failing to provoke thoughts. The failed attempts to deepen things that are originally not, disappoints viewers.

Enjoyment and Overall

Satisfaction is a personal opinion, so for me I can say that I really enjoyed CGR2-though some episodes are not very magnificent or annoying. The six months of anticipation is worth it and it was a nice experience.

I really believe that CGR2 ended very well. And I should say that everyone has the right to rate this anime based on either its achievements or failures. Based on watching this series, I am sure that it could have been much better but definitely not a trainwreck.

The first that one will notice about Claymore is that it is a heavily thematic anime: women with swords and armor, humans versus monsters/demons and the internal battles of strong, sacrificial yet feared and misunderstood warriors.


I'll begin with what I believe to be the aspects of Claymore that are both its best asset and weakness; this anime offers an awesome blend of beautifully crafted women that possesses awesome fighting qualities. "Claymores" is what they are called, and they represent a mysterious organization that fight demons or human devouring "Youma."

The story is revealed by a certain "Claymore" named Clare and her meeting with ... an ill-fated boy, Raki. Their endeavors will reveal little by little the mysteries surrounding these female warriors or what people call "silver eyed witches." Those women each have special abilities, personal conflicts and pasts- especially Clare, who has a certain resolve to achieve her goal: vengeance.

This backdrop offers us plenty of exciting and suspenseful action (with a certain degree of violence); Claymore offers one of the best. The interaction of those characters, and the clashes of their persona deserves praise, and also many criticisms:

To my dismay, the themes of Claymore are differently emphasized, emotion and desire are the ones that are prevalent in the story. The plot progresses with vengeance, hatred , curiosity, strength and of course, love. However, because Claymore's story is like a rope with many threads (its characters affecting the series overall), the story is weakened very much by few necessary significant, yet mediocre characters.

Also, the presence of obviously evil, inhumane antagonists offers a one sided war. And if ever they have the reason or motivation for their actions, it is explained/emphasized in an unimpressive way-with many of the characters. Too many deaths of certain beloved people for dramatic effect already became cliches. The set of characters are is also limited to those who share the same fates or point of views, so the clashes of varieties of individuals are hardly seen.

Also note the overuse of lines such as "I want to be with you no matter what!" or "She is a human, even though..." which are based plainly on emotional reasons, yet they advance the story.

Yet I can also say that Claymore is enjoyable and its art is worth to be appreciated. Its animation is very beautifully realistic and appropriate, setting a perfect mood for the series. The medieval inspired setting, is well designed and the characters can be individually identified though they share certain characteristics. The Claymores are certainly memorable and its hard not to love them.

The music is very dramatic and epic. The opening and ending music are very well-suited to the themes. But in my opinion, they could have been better, for they failed to stir emotions at certain scenes; some music are also used inappropriately- like a heroic music at a haunting scene.

Though I believe that Claymore wasted a lot of its potential (such as female psychology and the issue of humanity), I really had fun watching it. The suspense is awesome that you'll be glued in your seat or bed.

First to say: I decided to write a review for one of my favorite animes even though there are more than enough reviews. My anime addiction is indebted to this series because this was the one that invited me to the otaku world...

Story (7/10)

Naruto's story revolved around a obnoxious kid named Naruto, if you don't like him, then it's not very likely that you'll love the series.

The plot is a bit shallow and a bit of a cliche; a stupid main character who wants to attempt the impossible and has a hidden power behind his sadness having stereotypical nakamas to protect. Simply to ... say it is the journey of Naruto to become the best; however, he has to face conflicts within himself, with others and with the world as well.

Don't expect psychology, deep philosophy, and thought provoking issues here because Naruto was made for the general audience and tackles drama within the character's personal lives as teenage ninjas, there are almost no societal issue here and war and politics are not a prominent figure. The story is about lives. The life of a ninja here is portrayed in a comedic and adventurous way in the eyes of mostly innocent youths who in time, will be able to learn about its darkness.

But what made Naruto so lovable? It is the universe it created. The villages, the clans and the people's lifestyle are so fun to learn about, they are so fun to be in. Plot twists are plentiful and the characters' interactions are very exciting.

But the heart of Naruto fandom is the ACTION; loved characters fighting with their well loved skills. Each of them has unique attributes coming from their bloodline or they developed personally. Most of the time, they think while they fight resulting into exciting clashes of logic and tactics. Their powers also have 'scientific explanations' from the make-up science in this show giving room for countless forums and fan speculations where their strengths and weaknesses are discussed; example is "who will win if..."

However, I was displeased with the development of the series; it started out really good but after episode 140 or so the anime was filled with useless fillers, totally useless and unenjoyable.They really ruined the show; It was a real disappointment to fans that the transition to Naruto Shippudden was a total disgrace.

Overall the story is very addictive and will keep you glued to the screen until the fillers came.


Art (7/10)

The character designs are very simple yet memorable, no character looked alike and each other and each has trademark outfits, which were not very detailed. Eyes, noses, mouths and hair are nothing special making Naruto characters one of the easiest to draw.I also loved the use of symbols, such as the Konoha leaf and Naruto's spiral, they leave a considerable amount of impression to viewers.

The houses, shops, fashion, and art in general in Naruto are both landlord era and modern anime style inspired.

Yet the animation was very inconsistent; there are times when faces are so ugly and the action scenes, which are excellent, are poorly drawn (especially at the fillers).

Sound (8/10)

What I can say about the music of Naruto is that it is appropriate. The music was heavily Japanese themed and gives you a "ninja" feel. Though not exceptional it is not disappointing; if the scene is sad, the music will make you even sadder, and when there is action, the music will pump up your adrenalin. The opening and ending themes are quite enjoyable and addictive, making them highly anticipated.

But the length of the series made the music overly used and lacking in variation.

Character(7/10)

This part is very debatable...It is also the part that made Naruto hated by many, the main characters and also some secondary characters) are cliches:

A boy who has a hidden power triggered if his nakama is in danger and wins over strong opponents by willpower

A rival who is smart with looks better than the main character, fan-girled too much and has some dark undertone.

A girl obsessed with the 'rival' who is liked by the unliked main character whom she constantly bullies

Mostly the characters are a bit shallow but they are worthy to be loved. Some of them are inspiring, some irritating, some cute, some has psychotic attributes and some are cool depending on a person's preference: a very good formula for a shonen anime. They are not mediocre and their role in the story is noteworthy as many of them develops significantly as the series progresses, whereas each has his or own internal or external conflict.

Naruto promotes many important values such as friendship, family, hardwork and maturity with its characters.I find it inspirational and heartwarming. I also loved its concept of having a "home"and to belong to and having a "dream" to work hard for. Overall the atmosphere is positive here.

HOWEVER, the fillers made room for too many cheap, sissy dramas and trying-hard-to-be-deep- characters who are very unnecessary. The plentiful unnecessary flashbacks also ruin some climatic parts and made the drama bland.

But Naruto isn't very shallow at all. One can see it's unforced efforts to bring symbolism; a character living in bloodshed was associated to the pureness of snow, the blooming of flower as a metaphor for growth, and the leaves of the village compared to the next generation or the progression of time.

Angst and sadness is plentiful here but they are viewed from the eyes of pre-teens and pre-teens are mostly shallow no matter how deep they think they are. But it doesn't mean that the drama is shallow, it was just portrayed naturally from the characters' point of view.

Naruto, though he is a typical shonen hero, has a different effect on people and has an amazing power to impact both the characters of the show and audiences alike. His development is superb: from a naughty, proud and idiotic outcast kid he strove hard to be recognized by following his way of a ninja to become an inspiration to everybody.

Enjoyment (9/10)

I loved it so much...I've been addicted to it for three years. Even though I watch new series, Naruto still remain in my top list. My experience in watching this is very different from other shonens, and conversing with fans alike will make you feel very welcomed in loving this series.I can extract endless fun information from the series and fansites. It is just that the fillers really ruined the mood...

Naruto is not exceptional in every aspect(except action and comedy perhaps) if you compare it to very artistically done animes but it may be the best in one thing: earning people with unconditonal fandom despite its weaknesses. Isn't it a very rare attribute?

"It's just popular but not really good." Then why is it popular in the first place? It is because the majority loved it and don't care about its flaws. Naruto is very age-friendly and gender friendly, and a very well composed shonen.

So heed my final words: exposure to this material may cause long term addiction

OVERALL: 7/10