Clannad: Mou Hitotsu no Sekai, Tomoyo-hen

This one episode Clannad OVA is to me one that is filled with emotions. Aside from that, it manages to do three things to the Clannad series: One, it provides the romance that was mostly minimal in Clannad. Two, it provides the drama that gradually fell from the plot after Fuko and and Kotomi's arc. And three, it allows satisfaction to Tomoyo supporters, since not everyone was a Nagisa fan. Many people expected Clannad to be a series with significant romantic struggles and a high level of drama, but it instead turned into a slice-of-life comedy after the first one or two arcs. But with ... this OVA, many will finally find what they have been searching for.*

Story: 10/10

It should be first clarified that this is an alternative world to the Clannad series; it's not a continuation of Clannad. Although it is only one episode, it manages to drive the plot very well without pacing issues. Except for the first few minutes where I needed to "adjust" to the situation, I was never lost or confused. Some wanted this to be two or three episodes, but I must admit that I rather like the one episode presentation, mostly because I cannot see how this OVA could improve. The suspense was always there, just right, and dragging out the story might lessen the impact that the OVA had on me, and possibly for many others as well.

Story-wise, it was excellent, and I repeat: I am not a Tomoyo fanboy. The mood in the beginning was awkward at first because I just simply didn't expect what was happening, but the relationship that Tomoyo and Tomoya have until she was made president is very romantic without ever going over the top. The story then progresses to an internal struggle in both Tomoyo and Tomoya - the struggle betwen affection and ambition. As both strive for their similar goals, they realize how much of an influence they have on each other, even after they both said their good-byes. For some reason, I was very touched by this, and every scene portraying their internal struggle and external façade was completely believable. I felt as if I was one of the two, facing the exact same pain. This is to me a sign of excellent scripting and directing, and for that, the adaptation and story gets a ten from me. The episode succeeded brilliantly at conveying the message of how love cannot be simply replaced by something else because love cannot be easily sacrificed and forgotten.

Art: 9/10

I must admit that there were several noticeable inconsistencies about animation, which makes me think that Kyoto Animation did not try very hard animating this OVA. However, that's comparing the OVA to Kyoto Animation standards. To the casual viewer, this episode would be beautiful from Tomoyo's expressions, which is very unlike her usual "tough" expressions, to the scenery of the snow falling in the background. I don't want to over-criticize an episode served mostly as a promotion to remind us of Clannad for After Story, so I will give this category a solid nine.

Sound: 8/10

Well I wasn't really impressed by the score of this episode, but then again, I'm never really satisfied. An eight means that I most did not notice the background music due to it being not exceptionally engaging but also not bad enough to be annoying. But then, there's "Ana," the Engrish song at the end of the series which was very hard to listen to. To be honest, the melody of the song was perfect for the scene, but since English is my main language, I tried to comprehend the words of the song, which did not work very well. However, I will still give this category an eight because I will give this OVA the benefit of the doubt that a Japanese viewer would not be distracted by this song. It was really hard watching a serious scene while trying not to laugh at how bad the lyrics are.

Character: 10/10

As I mentioned before, not only was I absorbed into the episode, I felt the emotions of the characters. Tomoya and Tomoyo seemed to real, and everything was clicking into place - the background, the scenes, the dialogs. What I love best was how Youhei was handled. Even in such a serious episode as this, he still gave the viewers a few laughs like he did in the Clannad series, but not enough to distract from the mood. I think that the strongest aspect of the series is how the characters were portrayed.

Enjoyment: 10/10

If enjoyment means sitting through the episode feeling as if you have never even taken one breath, then yes, it was very enjoyable. Analysis aside, this is one of the few series that gave me a "wow" feeling after watching it without doing any extra thinking. In short, it was just a good experience sitting through the episode, and at the end, I started thinking that I was definitely glad to be able to see this OVA.

Overall: 9/10

Because this is still a typical romance/drama, a nine is the highest I can give it. However, I will say that it did impact me quite a lot. I see Tomoya and Tomoyo as two people I should look up to, two people I should strive to be. They have their ambitions, and even though their obstacles were each other, they managed to overcome that obstacle to achieve their goal. What I learned from this series is that I have to also strive for what I believe in, because who knows? Maybe what I left behind will return to me later on.

*Just for clarification, I do not dislike the Clannad series.

Set in an alternate Clannad universe, Another World presents viewers with a love story between Okazaki Tomoya and Sakagami Tomoyo. Though it suffers from a number of problems, Another World nevertheless still achieves the emotional drama viewers would expect from an extension of the Clannad series.

With the run time of an ordinary episode, Another World inevitably suffers from a shortage of story development. The usual buffer time for viewers to get attached to the characters is heavily truncated -- the process of Tomoyo and Tomoya falling in love is not included in the episode, for obvious reasons concerning time. However, the fact that it detracts ... from the potential emotional impact from the climax of the story cannot be ignored.

That aside, the story that is present in the OVA is solid. Unlike other Key stories, Another World is low on moe fetishism and comedy, but rather it offers a more feasible romance story without over-the-top characters (though Sunohara's antics are still present, which is a good thing). The challenge faced by the lovers in the story strongly highlights Okazaki's strength of character, making him very admirable in the viewer's eyes. The increased focus on Tomoyo in the OVA also makes her charm all the more pronounced. The dramatic moments also bring out fragments of Tomoyo's personality that were not revealed in the TV series.

The story itself is laced with thick but effective melodrama, as expected from Key's works. The ending will not surprise anyone, as it is quite cliche. However, despite the lack of creativity, Another World continues to do what the TV story does best: tug at your heartstrings. Even though the background story is not present, the climax of Another Story should at least give viewers a lump in the throat, while some may get watery-eyed and perhaps even cry. It begs the question of how much more potent the impact might have been if extra episodes were allocated to narrate the entire story -- it's almost a scary thought.

The presentation value remains mostly consistent with the TV series -- the colors are vibrant, the character designs are clean, the background art is above average, the animation is good, the voice acting is superb, and the soundtrack continues to add to the mood and drama, etc, etc. However, there are two notable faults in the sound department, the first being an absolutely HORRID segment of engrish. Not only is the accent thick enough to deflect cannonballs, the actual content is so laughably ridiculous that one cannot help be to be distracted by it, which completely derails the mood of the scene. You'd think Kyoto Animation would have the funds to pay a starving exchange student somewhere for a few lines of coherent English script, jeez. The second fault also pertains to the problem of bad English, this time in the song played during the climax of the OVA. While the tune is good and the pronunciation is somewhat passable, the lyrics are only a little better than an attempt at throwing absolutely arbitrary phrases in a blender, which once again results in distracting noise. Therefore, unfortunately for English-speaking viewers, they'll have to make an effort to drown it out. However, don't be discouraged from the criticisms in the sound department, as the overall quality of Another World's presentation is still very commendable.

If you're a Clannad fan, then you shouldn't need my persuasion to watch Another World -- it's good, VERY good, especially considering its limited length. It may not have the same amount of emotional buildup as the other stories in the TV series, but the delicious melodrama will still hit you like a brick in the end. If you haven't watched Clannad, know that Another Story is yet one more reason to check out the great series, since it relies on some background information provided in the original.

Despite being a just a short, half 25 minute OVA, "Clannad: Another World, Tomoyo Chapter" managed to capture most of the essence of the original series - just like the original series, it's guilty of being over manipulative, of having contrived scenarios that strives to squeeze a tear or two out of the audience by whatever means necessary. In other words, it's guilty of being complete bullsh*t... just like the original series.

In this alternative playthrough... er, I mean, alternative universe, Tomoya is dating Grey Haired Girl instead of Brown Haired Girl, and Grey Haired Girl gets elected as the Student Council President. The gist of ... the episode is that her role as President does not mix well with her role as Tomoya's girlfriend, as

a) she is has so many duties to perform as President that she can't find enough time to be with Tomoya;
b) Tomoya has a bad reputation as a good-for-nothing-deliquent, so people disapprove of the match up, and
c) there's also the sense that Tomoya, being a good-for-nothing-non-delinquent, is holding Grey Haired girl back from Greater Things.

So far so good - this isn't actually a bad set up at all... except "Clannad", being "Clannad", has to go and over do it by laboriously shoving the point down the viewer's throat. Take for example, one of the mini stories in the episode, where Tomoya is waiting for Grey Haired Girl after school so they can go home together. Grey Haired Girl is busy with student council stuff, so she proceeds to use the PA system to announce to Tomoya - and the rest of the school - that she's too busy to walk home with him that day. My eyes boggled in disbelief as the proceeding blame for this fell almost entirely on Tomoya, who is guilty of... what? Waiting?? Now, I don't know about you, but if the Student Council President uses the school's PA system for her personal matters, it would probably occur to me that she's irresponsible and is prone to abuse her powers; it might occur to me that she's probably unsuited to being president... but "ZOMG IT MUST BE HER BOYFRIEND'S FAULT!!" isn't likely to be the conclusion that jumps out at me. And this pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the show. Doesn't matter what happens, everything always gets blamed on Tomoya, even when it made absolutely no sense to do so. Meanwhile, Grey Haired Girl is treated like some potential future president of the country with everyone droning on about how she's being held back by Tomoya from doing Greater Things, and no one pauses to consider that, even if assuming everything is Tomoya's fault (which it isn't), the very fact that Grey Haired Girl is so easily led astray should speak volumes about her suitability for the Student Council President role. But no, none of these sensibilites appear to cross anyone's mind, and I ended up feeling as though I was watching a comedy show called "Tomoya the Scapegoat".

The anime is quite neatly summed up by a song which is played at the emotional apex of the show at the end. It's a really nice sounding song which at first seems to be trying to communicate across some extremely emotional message. It's a song that seemed suitable to be played at the most emotional part of the show... until you read the English lyrics... or to be more accurate the Engrish lyrics. It's clear that the lyricist had very little understanding of the English language, and just threw together a bunch of words that seemed nice. The result is something that so laughably bad that it dispelled most of the atmosphere the anime is trying to create at that point. Here are some of the choicest lines from the song for your enjoyment(and no, there's no translational issues here - these are the actual lyrics of the song, since it's sung in English, or rather some twisted form of the language):

"People's hand does not reach, so merely has the worship."

"The place is a lofty lord, can't meet nobody put on."

"Like the head of the shade, figure will be thrown away."

And why do I say this sums up the anime quite neatly? Because just like this song, the anime might give the impression of being an emotional one, only to collapse completely under the lightest scrutiny because it's not backed up by solid substance.

Do I have anything good to say about this OVA? Well, I guess it's not filled with sickening amounts of moe like the original series is at least, since Grey Haired Girl is one of the less moe characters in the dating si- err... I mean the anime's cast. Ehhh... that's about it.

I was watching the anime and playing the VN simultaneously. When I proceeded into Tomoyo arc in VN, I wanted to smash my computer because of Tomoya's action. But quickly I found consolation in the anime. I was deeply touched by it (probably because of my similar experience) and I rewatched multiple times. Well, the feeling has faded now (unlike the After Story) but I still think it a good story.
Tomoyo chapter is the first time when our main character firmly encounter the harshness in reality. The whole story is like a drama, and a well-made one, including its story development, building on conflicts, ... and the final warming scene. Indeed, that scene is extremely beautiful and heartwarming.
Some people complain that one episode is not enough. Well, I want to say that there are other (rather subtle) development of this character in season 1 and 2, although very unnoticeable. Fujibayashi sisters are the same.
The music does a good job in setting the atmosphere. The art is also great, at least to me. I really like the last minutes.
For conclusion, this OVA is like a standard drama. With the outstanding produce quality, it provides as much as one episode can.

I like Tomoyo as a character a lot but not with Tomoya. I feel that his character needs to be the person to support someone which gives him strength and reason to do better. Tomoyo is already a very strong character which in turn would make him feel more vulnerable. The chemistry between them wasn't there as it was with Nagisa. It was just awkward to watch. Eventhough Nagisa can become dependent and annoying at times, her gentle and innocent side compliments Tomoya.

A nice alternate story of Clannad. Definitely a MUST WATCH for people who watched the series.

The provided explanation for Tomoya and Tomoyo's love history is unsatisfactory (could have been better with visual narration). Still, the story runs well and it ends really great. Good drama as expected. Great thoughts and ideas can be learned from this edition.

The backgrounds are excellent. All the characters look good as always but they don't seem to be animated at their best. The drawings for the background people were decided to be just decent enough. Art is not at its best, but it still looks great.

The sounds are great. Kind ... of unsatisfactory though because it has very few soundtracks. A special OP or ED song could have been great.

Only three characters are presented (Tomoya, Sunohara, Tomoyo). They're great as always but some of Tomoya's aggressive behavior in the show is questionable or kind of inappropriate for his cool and calm character.

It's short, it's not that great but this edition is worthwhile and is enjoyable.

Ok, those of us who have watched Clannad and feel as strongly as I do can safely say, it's one of the greatest animes of all time. I'm sure it's changed some of our lives, and for those of you who haven't seen the OVA, you'll be feeling exactly that if you're a true fan of the series. Even if you gave the series like a 7 or 8, I'm sure you'll find this OVA more then satisfying. In all reality, this was probably in my top 3 episodes from Season 1.

The story was really good. At first, when I started watching, I was all ... like, "Wait, Tomoyo and Tomoya are dating? Where's Nagisa?!", but then I read the title of the episode and it was like "Another World: Tomoyo Chapter" and I understood, "Oh, so this is an alternate universe...". So as I watched, I realized that so much could have happened if Nagisa hadn't been around. I'm not saying that I prefer that Nagisa was never in the show, I'm saying that they put up a really good point that so many things would have been different if Season 1 hadn't gone the way it had. Anyways, story goes that Tomoyo and Tomoya are dating, but people aren't really fond of that idea, so the episode is just how they start handling the fact people don't approve of the idea of the two of them. May sound dull for some, but the way Key made the episode, it really puts a lot of emotions into play.

Artwork was as fantastic as ever. My favorite scene was in the snow near the end of the episode. Artwork was, in a word, remarkable. Just like Key to have some of the best artwork and animations in their shows.

All the character's voice actors/actresses remain the same. They do just as good of a job bringing their characters to life as in Season 1.

Characters were as lovable as ever, Sunohara especially. Gotta love him.

I give this episode a solid 10. I found myself crying about the same amount I had in every emotional scene in Clannad. For those of you reading this, if you haven't seen this episode, you haven't completely seen Clannad. DON'T SKIP. Hope this review helped you.

The “Clannad ~ Another World, Tomoyo Chapter” OVA brings us an alternate reality story focused entirely on Tomoyo and Tomoya. While I enjoyed the “Clannad” series, I was a bit disappointed that some of the female characters such as Kyou and Tomoyo did not get as much screen time or story arcs that span multiple episodes. This OVA resolves this largely for Tomoyo's case as it deals only with her and Tomoya's relationship, none of the other “Clannad” characters save for Sunohara appear.

Even with the single episode time constraint, this chapter nonetheless brings its story well paced and shows us Tomoyo and Tomoya's relationship over ... the span of several months, how they are pressured to part ways and how their love eventually overcomes those hardships and separation.
Maybe the limited time format wasn't such a bad thing, although it could have spanned multiple episodes, here it's brought very concisely and as such every scene feels well thought out, telling us exactly what's necessary about both Tomoyo and Tomoya, the world they live in and how it impacts their lives and relationship. We are only shown what matters and the pacing is precise enough to both convey the romantic aspect as well as the realistic nature of their relationship.

There is no comedy scenes present like in the full length “Clannad” series, it is purely a serious romantic story.

A bit of a negative note might be that we are never shown how and why Tomoyo and Tomoya become a couple. We're presented with their relationship and mutual affection as an established fact, however that isn't detrimental to the remainder of the story.


Even though originally a delinquent due to her rebellious phase, Tomoyo now focuses on her goal to save the cherry trees along the school's road from being cut down, she finds support in Tomoya to achieve that. However her potential as an excellent student brings her into a world where someone like Tomoya is shunned, and they are pressured into ending their relationship. Concerned about her future, Tomoya gives up on Tomoyo, hoping she will be able to forget him and realize her full potential.

Even though apart from her, Tomoya proves he can a serious and responsible person, he becomes a regular student that attends class and dutifully studies. Spawned not only from a desire to prove and reassure Tomoyo that he is all right, Tomoya works hard to not let her down even though they are no longer together.

Soon after Tomoya leaves school and starts working, he and Tomoyo are reunited, for she had never forgotten or given up on him. Showing us that even though she has such potential and can achieve much, if there is no happiness in that path, she desires not to take it. She prefers holding onto love and reaches out for Tomoya, wanting to be with him and they are once again reunited.


The Tomoyo alternate story chapter delivers a heart warming romantic story in a nice bite-sized format. Especially Tomoyo and Tomoya's sufficiently three dimensional and likeable characters, the realistic nature of their relationship, how the surrounding world impacts it make this story fit together perfectly and enjoyable to watch.

Like all of Kyoto Animation's work, the animation is outstanding, from the detailed characters, facial traits and animations, to the luscious backgrounds and excellent use of lighting. It's hard to fault the animation anywhere.

The background music was very good and accentuated the different scenes perfectly. The opening sequence is the default one used in the series so it does not fit this chapter extremely well but it does not conflict with it too much either. The closing song was not that terrific alas, the lyrics are a bit distracting but the tune is nonetheless fitting enough.

If you're a “Clannad” fan or a fan of nice romantic stories, I definitely recommend this OVA.

Ok this may be a little bias because personally Tomoyo is my favorite character inside the Clannad series. In this alternate universe, Tomoyo is dating Tomoya. And the whole episode just teaches us that there will always be difficulties in any kind of relationship. But if both really care for each other they will find a way through. This little alternate universe was just mind blowing in my opinion because like I stated before I just love Tomoyo! :D Anyways this another must watch episode of Clannad. It really is a sweet and somewhat sad, but happy story. Now go and watch it! Hope you ... will like it as I did!

Well...considering this is an OVA i could say is one of the ebst OVA's I saw.
The story take's place ina different place where Okazaki Tomoya a deliqvent is together with Tomoyo...But the school don't see with good eyes their relationship and starts to tear apart their relationship...Tomoya decides to breake with his girlfriend Tomoyo hoping that way he won't stop Tomoyo achieving new places and dreams to go...time passes and both of them are making their way in life but those 2 they still love each other...both of them are still watching after them...and when finally Tomoyo manages to do what she wanted she meets ... Tomoya and say she still love's him and that she allways watched over him...after a emotional scene they decide that they should be together no matter what hardships await for them...

In conclusion...I must say that I enjoyed this OVA almost like I enjoyed ~After Story~...actually...I enjoyed even more than both seasons this OVA...why? Because I think Tomoyo is a better match for Tomoya than the other girls [yeahh....I'm an Tomoya x Tomoyo fanboy -]...no offence to the Nagisa,Kotomi,Kyou lovers...is just that it seems for me that the best match for Tomoya is Tomoyo.

Great soundtracks and beautifull landscapes,art and graphics...

I enjoyed the most...why? well...is because is about Tomoyo and Tomoya...obvious now...

Overall it get's a big 10...it deseves this couple a 10.Yay for Tomoya x Tomoyo

I recomand this OVA for all Tomoyo x Tomoya lovers [just like me hehehe -]

This episode of Clannad takes place in an alternate world. I was very confused when I was watching this because I thought Tomoya was with Nagisa and now he's with Tomoyo?? So remember: this is in the alternate world!

The story is absolutely fantastic. In fact, if this was an actual episode (meaning that it is part of the Nagisa universe), it would have been the best one. The story focuses on the internal struggle that Tomoya has: he wants to be at Tomoyo's side but due to his track record, he would tarnish her reputation. Although the ending is predictable, the process by which the ... story gets there will bring tears to your eyes. In fact, I watched this episode multiple times and each time, I could not hold in my tears. It shows how a well-crafted story can endure the test of time.

The character development was outstanding. We definitely see much more of the soft side to Tomoyo, which makes her much more appealing. For the fans of Tomoyo who really wanted to see what would happen if Tomoyo and Tomoya got together, they get their wish in the most romantic way.

Oddly enough, this episode is the last one for Clannad and perhaps is the most emotional one. It is almost as if the writers wanted to warm us up for the events of After Story.

All I feel like I need to say is that this was a far greater love story between Tomoyo and Okazaki than in the series between Nagisa and Okazaki. This special gives watchers of Clannad what the series lacked in romance.

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--------

What the? How exactly did they get my eyes watery in one episode?!

This was a crazy amazing episode and I have to admit, I like the Tomoyo arc more than the Nagisa, even though Nagisa is crazy adorable. It seems like Tomoyo and Tomoya have something deeper than NagisaXTomoya.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

They both sacrificed so much for each other! When Tomoya broke up with her because he wanted her to have a better life. He said he was being selfish, but that is one of the most unselfish acts anyone could perform. When Tomoyo didn't care what people thought about ... her and still loved him after all that time apart, and she could have had any guy she wanted, she chose love over any worldly posession or achievement. I probably sound really sappy here because I just finished watching it, forgive me ha ha.

The sad part of this episode made me almost jump off of my building, and the happy part had me tearing up. When that one guy kept tearing Tomoya down, I wanted to beat the crap out of him. When an episode can suck that much emotion out of me, I have to give it 10/10. Also, I love happy endings.

If theres one thing Key can bring to you, its not only an amazing series but also amazing ova's and alternate arcs. I honestly think that OVAs are supposed to be like this in every way possible. In one single episode separate from the original series, Tomoyo's chapter brings to you a whole new plot and in this short OVA satisfies its viewers fully.

This OVA was able to refrain from rushing the development of the episode and in turn was like watching a mini series in itself and at the same time was extremely easy to enjoy. Because Tomoyo and Tomoya has already ... had character developments from the original series, the episode quickly jumps into the plot and doing so was able to smoothly continue the story without sudden rushes and thus making it an extremely enjoyable.

Although short, the story was extremely touching and the character development was done extremely well. With many mini climaxes in the OVA this will surely keep you on your seat even if your house was on fire because it was really that enjoyable and for that reason, this is a MUST watch if you finish Clannad.

"We were close with someone really amazing, weren´t we?"



We´re here to celebrate Sakagami Tomoyo.



After Clannad 1st season ended, the team decided that people should see more of what the game offered. This time around, Nagisa is pratically non-existant and Tomoya ends up having a relashionship with Tomoyo. This, is the Tomoyo route.

...


Per usual, Clannad shows its best aspects here. Despite being one episode, it shows everything people love about this show: the "feels"/drama. However, its not perfect. Some scenes don´t make sense*(SPOILERS, you have been aware.) and i belive this OVA needed a follow up; it wasn´t really that developed in my opinion. Nonetheless, its melancholic, specially the ending where the episode shines the most. Expect a few tears on your eyes because the sakura trees are here to stay.

Just like Tomoyo, to make us cry.
















*Tomoya being the blame of everything. Really, the guy does nothing in the entire episode and gets the blame by everyone, SPECIALLY the student council which makes him belive he´s the problem. Wtf? This doesn´t make sense at all, they´re just trying to make him feel guilty for even existing. Just because you´re known as a delinquent in the past, it doesnt mean you will still be in the future which portrays a bad image of what the anime is telling us.

This is based on the Tomoyo route and the beginning of the game, Tomoyo After, which in my opinion, is a good game. The Tomoyo OVA provides the main insights in her route and fleshes out who Tomoyo really is, since in the main-story anime, you don't see much of her. The sound and characters are near perfect in my honest opinion. It's to short in my opinion, as they bunched everything in 1 OVA, but if you have read the Tomoyo After manga or played the game you'll enjoy it. To all other Tomoyo fans out there, this is a must watch for you.

Overall, ... I would score the OVA 9/10, since there were some parts missed and it seemed a bit rushed.

First of all i want to say that i save this OVA for the last(save the best for the last is what they say after all :D ) I watch it the last because tomoyo is my favorite heroine in the franchise/series. Secondly i want to say that this review might contain some spoiler but i'll make it less as much as possible and rephrase it.

Story: A question love or dreams? you might find yourself asking this question before but what will it be? upon watching this OVA it shows the importance of sacrifice in a relationship sometimes you need to go far away from ... the person you love the most in order for them reach their dreams, sometimes you need to hurt that very person you hold dear just because you want that person to reach higher bars and fulfill their dreams to the point you end hurting yourself, but without realizing that both of you grows as a person and knowing nothing that the same person you hold dear that you choose to let go is watching you all these times and waiting for the right time come back to you.

Art: The art is beautiful and because tomoyo is the center of the story it adds up for me hahahaha.

Sound: i really think that the opening they used in after story should be the one used here as the lyrics of that song fits perfectly with this OVA regardless the OP was still great.

Character: I love the character development of both tomoya and tomoyo it's really amazing. i have no words for it.

Enjoyment: yep i enjoyed this episode a lot that i literally watched this a lot of times and i still do it from time to time that's just how much i enjoyed this episode.

Overall: This Episode push me to the point that i'm waiting for Clannad visual novels to get discounted on steam and buy all of it's franchise.And lastly Tomoyo is really a waifu material <3

I assume anyone planning to watch this has seen Clannad so I won't bother describing the characters, art, sound, things you wouldn't already know about.

The story is set in an alternate universe where Tomoya is dating Tomoyo. If you liked Clannad you will probably like this. Basically the point is just another perspective of what could have happened if Tomoya dated Tomoyo. I won't bother describing the plot...

If you watched Clannad and are looking for more Clannad then go ahead and watch it, I thought it was well done.

TL;DR Review:

Story - 8: Story based on sacrifices due to pressures of society. Well executed which made for an intriguing story.
Art - 8: Pretty good animations for its time. It was somewhat fluid and pleasing to look at. I expected less, but it was surprisingly well done.
Sound - 10: This may be biased. But I have always enjoyed Clannad's OSTs. Always placed well and sounds amazing. Also memorable for the subsequent times.
Character - 8: Solid characters, there wasn't the greatest amount of development which would make sense for a special of this length.
Enjoyment - 8: Very good watch.
Overall - 8.4 (8)


... Full Review (Spoilers):
I have watched this a while ago, but since I have rewatched this earlier, I felt I should do a review on this.

People sacrifice things. Sometimes on a personal scale, sometimes household scale, such as parents telling you to study which therefore makes for less free time of your own to do whatever the hell you enjoy doing. But there is also society's pressures that can influence an individual on what to sacrifice. This is the case with Tomoya and his story around what choices he makes during his relationship with Tomoyo.

Story - 8:
Tomoya Okazaki, who is known to be a delinquent around his school, is dating the exceptional student Tomoyo Sakagami, who is predicted to aim for high places for the future. This match up causes discord between students and teachers alike. Despite this Tomoyo, disregards those opinions and continues to spend time with Tomoya. However, this happy relationship leads to a depressing end, as Tomoya calls for a breakup, in concerns for Tomoyo's future. The story shows that in society standards overlap with absolutely everything in everyone's lives, whether it be simple interests or presidential power. Society will dictate everything, as it calls for the best of us to stand at the top, and the lower downs to stand at the everyday spaces, the unfortunate truth happened to not favour Tomoya since he was the anomaly of society. Tomoya's sacrifice shows that you don't always get what you want, no matter what age or place you are in, especially if you aren't working well enough for others to recognise your efforts, sometimes the methods around, are the most unsightly of ways.

Art - 8:
I expected average animation, but there was a surprisingly good animation. Quite pleasing to look at, there was a nice flow to it and it felt somewhat fluid to look at. You could tell that the animators put effort worthy of praise.

Sound - 10:
Clannad's audio has always been amazing for me. The OSTs used in this special felt as if a story was being told via music, also, the ending song "Ana" by Lia had amazing vocals and use of string instruments. Audio never fails to satisfy me.

Characters - 8:
The characters are pretty well made. Tomoya has uncertainty in his life, he doesn't know where he is heading, but with Tomoyo, it feels as if this uncertainty disappears. The same can be said the other way around, Tomoyo's love for Tomoya keeps her at where she currently stands in her life. The chemistry between the two shows interdependence for one another in a way that doesn't seem as if it was forced for convenience. Another good character that needs to be mentioned is Yuji Suehara, he is the face of logic and truth. He is the driving force of getting Tomoya to realise the truth of where he stands, although it may seem like he is just a random plot deceive for the sake of convenience. He is a reminder that there will always be someone to say the words you don't want to hear. I'm pretty sure he just randomly appears half the time just to tell Tomoya that he must cut relations with Tomoyo. He is the embodiment of truth and the fact that you cannot hide from the truth.

Enjoyment - 8:
A very good watch, I enjoyed most of my time spent watching this.

Overall - 8.4 (8)
Would recommend for when you have finished watching Clannad or the After Story, it doesn't particularly matter since this is one of the another world's story which has no relation to the focused world of Clannad. Nevertheless, would watch this if you have the time to do so, it's pretty well made for a story of its length.