Clannad

Tomoya Okazaki is a delinquent who finds life dull and believes he'll never amount to anything. Along with his friend Youhei Sunohara, he skips school and plans to waste his high school days away.

One day while walking to school, Tomoya passes a young girl muttering quietly to herself. Without warning she exclaims "Anpan!" (a popular Japanese food) which catches Tomoya's attention. He soon discovers the girl's name is Nagisa Furukawa and that she exclaims things she likes in order to motivate herself. Nagisa claims they are now friends, but Tomoya walks away passing the encounter off as nothing.

However, Tomoya finds he is noticing Nagisa more and more around school. Eventually he concedes and befriends her. Tomoya learns Nagisa has been held back a year due to a severe illness and that her dream is to revive the school's drama club. Claiming he has nothing better to do, he decides to help her achieve this goal along with the help of four other girls.

As Tomoya spends more time with the girls, he learns more about them and their problems. As he attempts to help each girl overcome her respective obstacle, he begins to realize life isn't as dull as he once thought.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Okazaki, Tomoya Main

Nakamura, Yuuichi Japanese

Furukawa, Nagisa Main

Nakahara, Mai Japanese

Sakagami, Tomoyo Main

Kuwashima, Houko Japanese

Fujibayashi, Kyou Main

Hirohashi, Ryou Japanese

Ibuki, Fuuko Main

Nonaka, Ai Japanese

Ichinose, Kotomi Main

Noto, Mamiko Japanese

Sunohara, Youhei Main

Sakaguchi, Daisuke Japanese

Fujibayashi, Ryou Main

Kanda, Akemi Japanese

Furukawa, Akio Supporting

Okiayu, Ryoutarou Japanese

Furukawa, Sanae Supporting

Inoue, Kikuko Japanese

Hatta, Youko Producer

Nakamura, Shinichi Producer

Tafu, Naohiro Producer

Matsunaga, Yuuichi Assistant Producer

Reviews

Dec 31, 2024

Lecus01

Recommended

"Clannad" is a well-regarded anime that takes viewers on an emotional journey filled with heartfelt moments and a slice-of-life charm. Adapted from the visual novel by Key/Visual Arts, it successfully balances humor, romance, and drama, leaving a lasting impression on many fans. However, it’s not without its flaws.

The story revolves around Tomoya Okazaki, a delinquent high schooler who befriends a shy girl named Nagisa Furukawa. As Tomoya gets involved with her and other classmates, the narrative delves into themes of family, friendship, and personal growth. The characters’ backstories are compelling, and the anime shines in its ability to explore emotional depth, particularly in the arcs ... of Fuko, Kotomi, and Nagisa. These moments often tug at the heartstrings and are accompanied by a beautifully melancholic soundtrack.

Visually, "Clannad" boasts vibrant and expressive animation, with character designs by Kyoto Animation that bring a distinct charm. The use of lighting and scenery is noteworthy, enhancing the emotional tone of many scenes.

However, "Clannad" struggles with pacing, especially in its first season. While the individual character arcs are touching, the episodic structure can feel disjointed, and some storylines lack the impact they aim for. Additionally, not every character gets equal depth or development, leaving certain arcs feeling underwhelming.

The comedy can also be hit or miss. While some lighthearted moments provide relief from the drama, others rely too heavily on repetitive gags or exaggerated character quirks.

In summary, "Clannad" is a memorable anime that excels in emotional storytelling and resonates with themes of human connection. While its pacing and comedic elements may detract from the overall experience, it remains a worthwhile watch for fans of drama and romance.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Oct 16, 2024

MrSlamboni

Mixed Feelings

The only reason I would recommend to watch Clannad is for the purpose of understanding the sequel: Clannad After Story. Clannad, on its own, is not really that impressive. Sure, it is better than a lot of rom-com anime out there. However, there isn't anything to make your interest stick. It just has good moments scattered here and there while most of the story is pretty average and uninteresting. That's why I will say it now, I only recommend Clannad as an introduction to the sequel. Without the sequel, Clannad isn't worth it.

To give Clannad some credit though, it does have its good parts. The ... struggles of the protagonist, Tomoya, and how they are portrayed are interesting. The show doesn't try to drive through these sad moments with the typical crying and yelling scene. However, it portrays them in a more human way. For example, by showing discomfort and trying to shut down the conversation. I also find it realistic how these struggles are not expressed specifically such as "The combination of my familial relationship and my personal issues add up to my overall discomfort." Instead, Tomoya's internal dialogue will be something like "I hate this town. My school life is boring. I wish I was somewhere else." This is probably a more realistic thought process of someone who is struggling.

The jokes generally don't land, but they will land once in a while. The few jokes that land come as a result of the main character and his best friend pulling a prank, or their interactions with each other. There are gags that repeat every other episode which is the unfunniest thing ever. The setting is pretty bland. It's a high school setting where the important characters form a club. It's unimaginative. The female cast is also uninteresting and boring. The plot doesn't break new ground or tell anything interesting. However, I did like the supernatural elements of the show and how they were hinted at.

TLDR: On it's own Clannad is average. It's only good as an introduction to its sequel, which has everything interesting.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Apr 7, 2023

lastnameEver

Not Recommended

Funny

Clannad is a visual novel created by Jun Maeda and adapted by the only anime studio in Japan to respect the human right to a salary for a day’s work. Clannad is astonishingly trite. It would take an unbelievable amount of naivety to take on its clearly manipulative storytelling tactics in good faith and glean any sense of enjoyment out of it. It’s considered a classic by people who have no idea what they’re on about. They must’ve been off a perc, off a xan, too much henny, baby-battered out of their mind to consider Clannad a classic. Clannad is not a classic. A classic ... implies it has stood the test of time. Clannad can’t stand any test. It is chronically paraplegic. The story is paced so slowly that it feels as if centuries pass before an episode finishes. You can marry, have kids, buy a rabbit, buy a dog, watch the dog eat the rabbit, watch every season of Friends on Netflix twice, adopt a cat, sell its kittens online, shoot the dog, sell your kidney to a Nigerian politician for his daughter, brush your daughter’s teeth, become the head executive of five oil companies, lose it all, write detective fiction, understand an anime directed by Ikuhara, decipher the entirety of Ulysses, grow old, and die, and the same episode will still be playing. That’s what it feels like watching Clannad. That is exactly how it feels watching Clannad. The minutes stretch on like hours. Each frame of animation lasts a lifetime. Any enjoyment cultivated will wither up and die before the narrative reaches any sort of conclusion. You will wither up and die watching Clannad.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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