Clannad: After Story

I laughed...
I cried...
I experienced something that changed my life...

In a nutshell, Clannad ~After Story~ influenced the way I will live for the rest of my life and not just in some half-assed way like any other show would. It legitimately moved me to make certain decisions, for better or for worse. In that sense, no other anime can compare, as no other anime has provided an equivalent reaction on my part.

Before you continue, you should know that Clannad ~After Story~ is a continuation of the story from Clannad and an adaptation from the original Visual Novel by KEY. Although knowledge of the first season ... is not necessary, it is highly recommended if you want to get the most out of ~After Story~ as well as this review. That being said, this review is tailored to all readers, and can be understood without knowledge of the first season. Note that there may be very minor spoilers. Now then, on to the meat and potatoes.

I won't spend much time on the individual components of Clannad ~After Story~ (or Clannad ~AS~ as I will call it now) like I have with my other reviews. At first glance, there is nothing notably outstanding about it as a whole. For those who are interested in the individual components, here they are and the reasons behind them are available at the end of the review:

Story: 8.7/10
Art/Animation: 8.4/10
Sound: 7.8/10
Character: 9.7/10
Enjoyment (in this case influence): 10+/10
Overall: 9.8/10


| Main Review |
It is difficult to convey the emotions that went through my mind as I watched Clannad ~AS~. For those of you who watched the first season and dropped the show, I urge you to pick up ~AS~ and give it a chance. The first few episodes run almost identically to those of the first season, but the true After Story part branches off in a manner that is unique only to ~AS~. What Clannad ~AS~ gives the viewer is a story of life. A story of despair. A story of forgiveness. A story of hope. Through this story, Clannad ~AS~ can powerfully change the way you perceive the world around you. I am well aware that not everyone enjoys Clannad and ~AS~, especially since the magical light orbs are outlandish to some, but for me it was a bit of a godsend among anime.

The concept of Clannad ~AS~ is neither truly unique nor breathtakingly wonderful. What the viewer gets when watching it is the story of a man. Nothing less and nothing more. What Clannad ~AS~ really excels at, however, is the way it tells the story of that man. While it may be classified as a romance or even a harem anime by some (at least the first season could be), I really classify Clannad ~AS~ as a slice of life. A slice out of the life of a delinquent who can’t seem to do anything right and struggles to protect what really matters to him as the world comes crashing down.

However, “slice of life” can be a deceptive term. As I watched Clannad ~AS~, it was not as much a slice out of Tomoya’s life but a slice out of mine. You see, what Kyoani succeeds in is hitting on the points that make life truly what it is. The continuation of time. The reality of truth. The genuine meaning of “life goes on.” Additionally, by extending over many years, the true significance of every event begins to emerge. Clannad ~AS~ takes the tale of the first season and shapes it around a single person. It is a respectable reflection of life and delves into what many shows do not, and cannot, represent: the story after the story.

While many of the situations may be overblown and excessively dramatized (at least in the opinion of some people), it is ultimately true that every facet of Clannad ~AS~ gives the audience some insight into life. Does it matter that there are miracles and magic orbs of light flying around? For me, no. For others, this could be the case. That is to say, not all aspects of Clannad ~AS~ are perfect, but the impact was enough for me.

If you are looking for a cheerful anime, turn away now. Kyoto Animation does many things with Clannad ~AS~ including some very effective humor in many places, but Clannad ~AS~ will make you cry and smile, often both in the same episode. I won’t lie, I cried at least 5 times throughout the season. Even when rewatching episodes, I cried again. Don’t get me wrong, Clannad ~AS~ really has some happy moments as well, but Kyoani tends to depress many, many times. Each sad moment is profound and beautiful, but nevertheless it is sad. The ending song, Torch, which is played in every episode, serves to alleviate this, for better or worse. Torch is very upbeat, but many people consider it unnecessary and I agree. Torch can be a real mood breaker at times.

The power that Clannad ~AS~ exerts comes from its characters. While the first season portrayed many main characters and their stories, ~AS~ focuses on the life of Tomoya and lightly on the lives of those who surround him. Tomoya is a failure in a cruel world. In a sense, he is a fatal hero. While he may not know it, he is destined to face pain and suffering through his life. There is a bit of controversy over the ending of ~AS~, but those who wish to have a “truer” ending can consider the second to last episode as such (don’t hate me for suggesting it). When seen in that light, Clannad ~AS~ effectively played out a story that neither catered to an audience nor skewed reality (except for the orbs of light, of course). What it presented was something that many people can relate to. The loss of a loved one. The pain of recovery. The neglect of a father. Rediscovering love and friendship. Coping with suffering. *SPOILER* The feeling of holding a daughter in your arms for the first time. The pains and joys of being a father. */SPOLER* What it ended with was a realistic ending and a message for the future. Additionally, if seen that way, the last episode can be portrayed as Kyoani staying true to the visual novel and respecting the source material.

*Unfortunately, more talk of the plot would undeniably lead to spoilers, which I am trying to keep free from this review, so please bear with me. Heck, if I’ve convinced you at this point, what are you waiting for? Go see for yourself what all the hype is about. Otherwise, read on!*

Ultimately, Clannad ~AS~ molded characters that I thought I was familiar with into something close to human. Their stories produced emotion that made me reconsider the situations of the people that I see every day. Through social commentary and moral struggles, the viewer can genuinely begin to respect Tomoya. I know I wouldn’t be able to withstand half of what he did, but I truly began to respect the fact that he kept going, despite him being a fictional character. Through his struggles, I began to learn about myself. Through the struggles of those around him, I began to respect those whom I had once hated. This may seem extreme, and you may think that I am crazy, but what I write is nothing but the truth. Every episode gripped me, and many episodes evoked tearful reactions, which I am not very prone to. As I continued to watch, I could hardly bear waiting a week for each new episode to come out. At the same time, however, I knew that each episode held a bomb - a flood of emotions that could affect the rest of my day. Clannad ~AS~ went way beyond enjoyment – it went into the realm of what I could call an “epiphany.”

Can the story of one man influence the lives of others? Is it still possible if that man is a fictional character? For me, I did not think it was possible for anime to extend its influence at such a level. Clannad ~AS~ proved me wrong time and time again. Look past the first season and the first few episodes, and perhaps you can begin to understand what I mean.

For those interested or who can relate after watching the show, this is the ultimate and most powerful result of the show as it applies to me. The following is the reason why I can’t keep my mind off of Clannad ~AS~ and the reason why it will remain as my #1 favorite for what I know will be many, many seasons: *SPOILER* Through Clannad ~AS~, I have basically committed to wanting to have a baby. Ushio love. */SPOILER*


| Analysis of components |
Story:
Clannad ~AS~ is unique in its storytelling, but the story itself is nothing special. The earlier episodes present almost unrelated stories just as the first season did, but Clannad ~AS~ takes a turn for the better with a focus on a single character and his ordeal. At this point, Clannad ~AS~ does nothing but follow the life of a young adult, Tomoya. Sure there is drama (oh, is there drama) and there is romance, in a sense, but in reality, there is no real plot to speak of. What there is, however, is the tale of a life experience that can change the way you live. A real deterrent might come from some of the magic that inexplicably finds its way into Clannad (both seasons), but that never really bothered me. The ending is also less-than-stellar and can be a bit confusing, but as stated before, there’s always the second to last episode to fall back on.

Art/Animation:
There is nothing blatantly wrong with the animation quality. Kyoto Animation produced Clannad ~AS~, so fans will know that there is nothing to fear. The character design is the same as that of Clannad and other KEY adaptations. The KEY character design is quite distinguishable, with its giant eyes. Personally, I am a fan, but other viewers might dislike the artwork. Other than that, Kyoani did another solid job with the animation, and there are no jerky movements that detract from the gorgeous lessons that unfold.

Sound:
Kyoani had its ups and downs with the music for Clannad ~AS~. In many aspects, Clannad ~AS~ shoots beyond other KEY adaptations with its unique, unconventional plotline and incredibly well enacted scenes of what could very well be the life of an individual. In fact, many of the ordeals that Tomoya must face strike a particularly strong emotional chord among many people. Who knows, you might not be that certain type of person, but I definitely was. Anyways… back to the music. Clannad ~AS~’s opening sequence is a strong piano melody with deceptively deep lyrics. However, the ending sequence detracts from many of the spectacular moments, especially because Kyoani tends to end episodes on a sad note. As such, many would classify Torch (the ED) as an elaborate troll because it is too lively. Beyond the OP and ED, Clannad ~AS~ features tracks from the Visual Novel, which include very familiar tracks from the first season. Notable among these are the songs with lyrics, ie Ana. Certain parts of the OST mesh very well, and a powerful soundtrack can produce a powerful reaction. However, I don’t remember anything in particular clearly standing out to me, and as previously mentioned, Torch ruined quite a few strong moments.

Character:
While most of the other aspects of Clannad ~AS~ are very similar to their counterparts in the first season, character development in ~AS~ take a turn for the better. Kyoani successfully made me hate characters that I loved and love characters that I hated. Through a roller coaster complete with dips and turns, Clannad ~AS~ changed the way I perceive all type of people. From Tomoya’s seemingly disinterested, alcoholic father to Nagisa, a character who I actually deemed annoying in the first season, I came to understand what truly makes up a person. Every character really has a story behind their dejected or cheerful façade. Despite the usual “Clannad magic,” every character also turned out to be associable, adding to the personal level of the show. Even the more comical, secondary characters had their share of emotional moments, giving them real depth and giving the viewer a relatively accurate understanding of human nature. About half-way through the show, there is a certain character that changes many, many things. I won’t spoil it now, but her unique appearance is what truly brought Clannad ~AS~ to unmatchable levels.

Enjoyment/Overall:
Enjoyment is really up to the beholder. My view of enjoyment may be somewhat different from others’. Clannad is not for everybody, but for those who dropped the first season, ~AS~ is truly on a league of its own and worth another shot. Every person has that one anime that leaps up above the rest and leaves a lasting impression. For me, that anime was Clannad ~AS~. No other words can describe the effect it had on me, and I hope that this review has at least made you, the reader, consider picking up this diamond in the rough.


| Final Thoughts |
Thank you for your time (I know the review was long), and I sincerely wish that you give Clannad ~AS~ a chance. Who knows, it may change your life. As always, comments about how effectively this review worked are welcome. Also, a helpful rating is always appreciated.

Recently I had the absolute pleasure of watching Clannad: After Story. I had previously seen the original Clannad and liked it as a light-hearted slice of life anime, good but not amazing. I went into After Story expecting the same thing, but what I got was something fantastically different.

Story- 10/10

As I said before, I started After Story expecting it to have the same light-hearted high school drama feel as the first season and, unfortunately, the first eight episodes did nothing to prove me wrong. The first eight episodes are Clannad at its storytelling worst, more specifically the Sunohara arc. Thankfully, Clannad ... at its storytelling worst is simply "okay". The Sunohara arc makes Youhei's younger sister, Mei, seem like a nosy and irrational little girl in contrast to the mature-beyond-her-years character that the writers seemed to be trying to present her as. The Yukine arc was better, but it pushes the boundaries of Tomoya's "good Samaritan" personality a bit too far. The Misae arc is good by itself, but has very little to do with the story or the characters that we care about. If it weren't for each arc each containing details that are vital to the enjoyment of understanding of the later part of the anime, I would recommend skipping the first eight episodes altogether to get straight to the real good stuff.
Thankfully, the latter part of After Story more than makes up for its mediocre first act with the absolute greatest storytelling in anime. After Story quickly gets back on its feet and shows what truly makes it great as we ride the greatest emotional rollercoaster in recent memory. The ending has caused some controversy for being too ambiguous to fully understand without having played the video game, but I feel otherwise. Granted, I had to see the anime twice before I truly understood it, but I was nonetheless able to figure out exactly what happened without any outside help. It's a tough one, but it's very possible.

Art- 10/10

While the main setting has its moments of visual awe, the artistic aspect of the anime truly shines in the beautiful and surreal "hidden world". The impact differs greatly from the main world, boasting beautiful lighting, animation, and colors. In the main world, colors do a great job of changing from bright to dull based on the situation and animation is polished to a shine.

Sound- 9/10

I've always been a big fan of a musical score acting as a compliment to whats happening on screen rather than a mere accompaniment. Clannad: After Story masterfully pairs its score with each event to further the emotional impact of each scene. It is done so well, in fact, that one cannot hear the music on its own without feeling some kind of emotion attached to that song by a certain event from the anime. The OP is good and very versatile in setting the correct emotional tone for each episode. On the downside, the bouncy, poppy ED is often horribly inappropriate to the emotions that you are left with at the end of each episode and is almost guaranteed to ruin the mood if you aren't quick enough to stop it. I found myself sometimes ending the episode early when the scene seemed like an ending due to my fear of facing the buzzkill of an ED.
On the voice acting side, the English performances are top-notch. Each character is paired with a voice that fits their appearance and personality very well and that can easily be recognized among other voices. Luci Christian gives a flawless performance as both English Nagisa and Ushio, and Andrew Love does really great stuff with the situations he is put in as Akio.

Character- 10/10

The characters are without a doubt the strongest aspect of After Story. Each one is as incredibly human as they are likable, and their easiness to get attached to is one of the biggest reasons that the anime has such a great emotional impact. When the characters are suffering, it as if one of our friends is suffering, and when they are happy, we are happy for them. I have never felt such an attachment to a set of characters as I did in After Story. Each character plays so well off of each other, including Tomoya and Nagisa, who are without a doubt the greatest couple in anime. In most stories, be it in books, cinema, or television, the romance sub plot is almost always one of two things, the incredibly good-looking and nice alpha-male protagonist gets paired with the incredibly good-looking romantic interest, or the incredibly good-looking and nice but shy protagonist gets paired with the incredibly good-looking romantic interest. In both scenarios, the two characters are always blessed with the perfect personalities and that's why they go so well together. Tomoya and Nagisa are different. Neither of them have perfect personalities, but both of their personalities are able to compliment the other's. Tomoya's hot headedness is able to be cooled by Nagisa's quiet, strong demeanor. It's not perfect gets paired with perfect, it's human finds human.

Enjoyment- 10/10

After I finished Clannad: After Story for the first time, there was only one thing I wanted to do: watch the entire series again, so I did. I know that the word "experience" is overused in film and television, but that's exactly what After Story is. I don't cry during movies or anime. I've seen Elfen Lied, Old Yeller, My Dog Skip, Grave of the Fireflies, etc. You name it, I've seen it and didn't shed a tear. Clannad: After Story made me cry like a girl multiple times, and the reason it did is because it's different from anything else I've ever seen before in one way. It is able to appeal to the most human parts of you, whether it's Tomoya's responsibility as a man or Nagisa's inherent ability to remain positive for the sake of the people she loves, the one thing that makes this anime so emotionally powerful is the fact that you could see it happening to you.

Emotions are a powerful thing; they have the capability to override any modicum of rationality and force even the ficklest of beings to succumb to their emotional disposition. Due to this, often times, those of us who claim ourselves to be critics of various mediums fall short of our own expectations. “Clannad After Story”, a series described as “life-changing” by many is the perfect suspect; a production that captured the hearts of the majority that viewed it while instantly becoming a classic within its genre. Littered with subpar designed moe characters, irrelevant arcs, contradictory elements, forced plot devices, and a plethora of other obvious issues, ... it truly is baffling how effective an appeal to pathos can be. Although, the series has plenty of redeeming qualities, the title it has so profusely clenched--that of a masterpiece by a large consensus, must indeed be questioned.

--Story/Plot :5/10--

“After Story” takes place right after the first season of Clannad and chronicles the lives of certain characters from the first season, primarily focusing on Tomoya, his relationship with Nagisa and more importantly, himself. It attempts to bring a sense of realism to its viewer through the joys and hardships that Tomoya goes through and accomplishes that for a while. It also eliminates the harem aspect of season one and adopts a much more serious tone.

The series spans 24-episodes with the first 10-episodes composed of various arcs dealing with other characters and their corresponding dilemmas while the rest of the show focuses on the primary protagonists. This brings up the problem of structure and inconsistency. The initial problem with “After Story” is the characters that are focused on for the first 10 episodes. With the exception of the Misae arc as it LOOSELY connects to the magical component of the show, the other arcs have no direct relevance to the overarching story nor do they serve any function in moving the plot, but are just thrown in there, forcing unnecessary drama. This also causes a huge gap in consistency between the first part of the show and the rest, especially in regards to quality. However, the next few episodes are a pleasure to watch as they highlight Tomoya’s evolution as a character along with his relationship with Nagisa. Structurally, “After Story” fell short, consequently causing a gap in quality and consistency.

Substantially, “After Story” has its share of delightful moments, but those are restricted to a very limited amount of episodes. The story is unoriginal, but imbues concepts and themes that are very real and relatable such as: imploring responsibility and growing up, the innateness of hardships, the importance of relationships, moving on, and many others that are close to home. Yet, “After Story” manages to ruin the very thing it tries to achieve. The show spends a great deal of time trying to evoke “realism” through manifesting the aforementioned themes, but subsequently destroys that with its detachment from reality and deus ex machina resolve. For example, one of the arcs in the earlier part of the series shows how two supposedly bitter and rival gangs end up being bros4lyfe via some [extraneous] female side-character. I may not have a proper grasp on gang psychology, but I’m fairly certain that the odds of something like a dudefest and “understanding” blossoming between two rival gangs are astronomical. This notion of “bonds of friendships overcoming everything” is extremely over exaggerated deeming many of the earlier arcs unrealistic, effectively leaving me in a state of overwhelming ennui.

For a series that tries to emphasize real life, especially while trying to deal with issues such as loss, acceptance, etc., it negates all validity by embracing a faux idealism grounded in wish fulfillment. The realism juxtaposed with magical idealism/wish fulfillment really disintegrates the show by the end. However, that is probably one of the overarching reasons the show is as popular it is, because instead of staying true to its realistic core, it defaults into fantasy, idealism, and wish fulfillment. It’s successful but at the cost of complete contradiction therefore making After Story somewhat of a Pyrrhic victory. It should be noted that there is nothing wrong with having a plot based on supernatural/metaphysical notions, however, when the show is simultaneously trying to bring a strong sense of realism to the front, it becomes counter-productive and contradictory. I can’t even incorporate this under efficient “magical realism” because of how badly the two are handled when looked at as a pair.

Essentially, where “After Story” excels at is deception. It does an excellent job serenading its viewer into a false lull making it seem exponentially better than it actually is by manipulating sympathetic themes and completely over exaggerating them, however, when dissected the story offers nothing unique, let alone life altering. It’s a good effort, but that’s all it is, an effort, that has its comely yet ephemeral moments. Conclusively, "After Story" ends up stumbling within its own narrative and resolution.

--Character: 6/10--

“After Story” gets a ridiculous amount of praise for having “human-like” characters, however, the series lacks greatly in terms of balanced characterization. Tomoya is well developed and one can partly empathize with his struggles as he tries to shuffle through the various challenges he encounters. Tomoya’s progression is probably the most realistic part of the show and is fairly well-executed. While the show gives us a dynamic Tomoya, we are left face-palming in deep regret and resentment with the lack of attention given to Nagisa. There is nothing memorable about her; struck with some unknown illness, we often see her washing dishes for like three continuous episodes. I felt no sort of attachment, relation, or even empathy towards Nagisa, rather her lack of progression had the opposite effect. Her static, ingénue personality got unbearable. Oh and she can’t hold her liquor. That just heightened my insouciance even further. The futility of Nagisa truly is a burden on “After Story”.

The over-development of one protagonist and under-development of the other did not have a neutralizing effect, but a detrimental one. Their relationship is the foundation of “After Story” but it remains immature, mainly due to Nagisa’s incomplete characterization. Instead of spending the initial 10 episodes on completely useless characters, the series could have utilized the same time to construct Nagisa into a character with dimension, personality, and purpose. The show spent so much time trying to build this false delusion about how “friendship solves everything” that essential aspects got completely disregarded. Tomoya along with an unmentioned character carry the weight of “After Story”. In hopes of keeping this review spoiler free, only the two main protagonists (Tomoya x Nagisa) are discussed.

There are plenty of supporting/side characters in the show, some making cameos (from season one), others for reasons I have yet to understand. The only notable side characters are Nagisa’s parents who provide some comedic relief (which is the same recycled humor of the first season) but they still manage to maintain their likability.

--Art/Animation: 7/10--

Don’t hold your breath expecting anything aesthetically orgasmic. The girls are molded with “moe” in mind at all times: Unrealistic character designs for a “realistic” anime. In terms of the actual art, “After Story” does a fairly good job. Bright colors are often used to accompany the magical atmosphere and vibrancy of life that the show is grounded upon. There are instances of visually striking scenes scattered here and there, especially with some of the natural backgrounds. There is always light illuminating from somewhere, even in the darker scenes. The one place where the animation did shine is while depicting the “illusionary” world. The background, colors, and overall depiction of that world is nicely done as it provides a very surreal atmosphere to the viewer. However, don’t expect gorgeous animation akin to something like “5 centimeter”. It’s nice, but nothing exceptional.

--Sound: 6/10--

“After Story” has a viable soundtrack that fit its purposes. Composed of subtle, soft, and sometimes melancholic piano music, the OST is pleasant, but conventional. It wasn't something that compelled me to go download or re-listen to. The same applies to the OP/ED selections. They are very imminent and “of-the-moment” in the sense that they are enjoyable and appropriate at the time they played. However, I almost always forwarded the OP and rarely listened to ED. The voice actors are fitting in regards to their respective roles.

--Overall/Enjoyment: 6/10--

Undoubtedly, “After Story” is at the forefront its genre because of its inherent ability to capitalize on emotions and “feels” to the point where many “manly” tears are shed and lives are changed. However, I could not relate; as the anime defied all levels of logic with convenient plot devices, contradicted its own pursuit of realism, over-dramatized situations, wasted 11 episodes of my time with frankly fatuous arcs, and underestimated the importance of complete characterization--emotions no longer mattered. After all, feels and impact are evanescent, quality is what remains.

"After Story” therefore didn’t really leave a strong impact on me nor did I learn some particularly significant lesson about life nor did I put my feels on suicide watch. Nevertheless, the four or five episodes towards the middle/end are truly poignant and laudable—if “After Story” could have maintained that level of quality throughout and refrained from committing some of the aforementioned blunders, the series would have lived up to its hype. Alas, I cannot rate a 24-episode series any higher based on my enjoyment of five episodes. My “After Story” experience is a step away from the norm and that’s the reason I spewed all of this—to offer some solace to those who couldn’t cry those manly tears or indulge in wish fulfillment, while also providing another perspective to those who have yet to watch it that isn’t soaked in sheer “feels”.

*Yet another successful heart warming series produced by Kyoto Animation that surpasses its predecessor.*

“… an astounding series with a slightly less astounding conclusion.”

Due to the frequent references to Clannad (first season), from here on, the term “Clannad” will be used when referring to season 1 and “After Story” will be used for season 2 and the term “Clannad After Story” will be used when referring to the Clannad series as a whole. A few friendly reminders before we begin. After Story is a direct continuation of Clannad, thus it is not very “new audience-friendly”. Knowledge of certain key events and character relations are expected from ... viewers. Again, due to After Story being a direct continuation (in story) from Clannad, and the latter ended with a climax of sort, it is unreasonable for us to expect After Story to start off with the same level of intensity. In layman’s term, don’t expect the show to start with a bang.

What exactly is After Story? In short, it is an emotion evoking machine designed in such a way as to suck dry your tears. By combining music, dialogue, and animation (often from the facial expression), After Story has the ability to dominate even the mightiest cold blooded person on this planet. Crappy live drama should learn/adopt some of the plots/techniques used in the anime. They should be ashamed of themselves because some anime by the name of Clannad After Story can present a much better dramatic story as a whole. In addition, After Story can squeeze the deep down juicy emotions inside you that not much live drama (if there is any) can ever accomplish.

Those who are familiar with Clannad should have no difficulty identifying various strong points evident in After Story (such as high quality animation), but perhaps one may not be too familiar with the weaknesses of After Story. While some may claim the following “ugly” facts to be minor issues, it is only fair on my part to present both sides of an argument, so to speak.

Inappropriate ending theme. The MUSIC makes Clannad what it is (more into that later), but sadly there are occasions when the ending theme just ruins everything the episode worked so hard for. It is important to note that the ED song itself is not bad; it just does not fit in especially with the latter half of After Story.

“Clannad Magic”. The magic might work on some viewers, but for the rest of us who are looking for a more realistic story it was somewhat a let down to say the very least. I still recall people used to ask me the difference between Kanon and Clannad, and usually my reply will be the following, “… well Clannad is the more realistic version of Kanon as far as the main story between the protagonists is concerned … nothing too supernatural …” but the magical performance totally destroyed it.

As previously stated, the author of this review (ie. me) is simply presenting issues of what seem to be hindrances to After Story from achieving a perfect 10/10 masterpiece for some demanding viewers. In fact, After Story is a show overwhelmed with prettiness. Depending on your definition of prettiness it could mean any or all of the following but let me assure you that there is absolutely no exaggeration involved.

Lyrics, Music and BGM! Normally song lyrics are not a big factor in an anime, but After Story’s OP is just too fabulous to ignore. Slowly, I began to learn the meaning behind the song. If you read the lyrics in detail, it is clear that the song is a summary of the story of Clannad After Story. A particularly heart warming chunk of the song lyrics is provided below.

“The chilly days continue on, even though it’s already spring.
On the mornings I woke earlier than the alarm clock,
You, making breakfast for three,
Would be standing there.”

I would refrain myself from explaining the meanings behind the lyrics, but I hope you can have a rough picture of what kind of story Clannad is getting at just by that one simple verse. You can find the lyrics (in English and Japanese) from the link below.

As mentioned earlier, music is one of the key features making Clannad After Story a successful business. Music in Clannad After Story is not simply music. Likewise, BGM is not simply BGM either in the context of After Story. They blend in with the animation, characters, and story. They all compliment each other to bring out the maximum effect to each scene.

Animation! The animation quality is slightly better than previous Key adapations by Kyoto Animation. For those who are not familiar with the producer, Kyoto Animation (products include Kanon (2006), AIR, Full Metal Panic series, Lucky Star, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Kiddy Grade, et cetera.) has a pretty good reputation for its high level animation. Simply put, one will be find nothing but beautifully drawn girls, dynamic backgrounds, silky smooth scenes transition, and completely fluid movements in this touching anime. There is, however, not much difference (if at all) in the quality between Clannad and After Story.

Characters! One great thing about the characters in Clannad After Story is no matter if they are main or supporting casts, they all seem to be part of a jigsaw puzzle. The show would not be the same without any one of them. What makes After Story superior from its predecessor is its focus on the main protagonists (ie. Nagisa and Tomoya) for the most part of the show. This is evidently lacking in season one because other heroines’ story had to be covered, thus leading to an ambiguous character relationships development between Tomoya and various heroines. Although not a major Nagisa fan myself, one should realize the importance of her character and how it all connect to the story’s main theme.

Story! After Story is all about the story! It is by far the prettiest of all the pretty traits that one can think of about Clannad After Story. On the whole, the Clannad series is an astounding series with a slightly less astounding ending. Slightly less astounding partly due to the magic, but could also be due to another reason. Assuming some of us has been paying attention to what Kotomi has been explaining regarding the works of her parents, then perhaps we can take a more scientific analytical approach to the ending via something known as the Omega Point Theory. Due to the lack of spoiler tags, further analysis of the ending will not be possible for this review. However, the following blog will prove to be extremely valuable.

Let us just say that the story for Clannad After Story is deep and “pretty”, and leave it at that.

Simply put, Clannad is LIFE, period. It lets you experience a wide variety of emotions such as anger, jealousy, joy, love, sorrow, pain, hardship, friendship, and most importantly the care from your family. From the ridiculous comedies presented by Sunohara (or Fuko), to the naivety shown by Nagisa (or Fuko), one can always relate characters and/or events in Clannad to some direct/indirect personal experiences. Additionally, Clannad also teach you the meaning to LIFE. Next time when you are on the verge of starting an argument with your parents, just think about Tomoya and his dad. Think of all the hardships and difficulties your parents went through to feed you and raise you to make you become who you are. You will never know, maybe Clannad can really teach you a thing or two.

In an unrelated note, for those who enjoyed watching the Nagisa x Tomoya pairing and at the same time disliked the magical performances throughout the show (particularly the ending), then it is recommended that you give the Clannad movie a try.

The original series, the highly rated "Clannad", was one painful viewing experience for me - not because it's full of tragic tales, but because of how dire it is. Female characters sugary enough to induce diabetes in a lump of rock, combined with atrociously forced "drama" fast tracked it to a lofty position on my "Overrated Shite" list. And yet its ratings pales in comparison to that of its sequel, "Clannad: After Story".

Given my experiences with the first series, I hadn't originally intended to watch "Clannad: After Story", but people kept telling me how much better it was and how different it was compared to ... the first season. Intrigued, I decided to give it shot...

...and boy was I disappointed.

"Clannad: After Story" was supposedly a different kettle of fish from "Clannad", but it's obvious to me that it's the same kettle, with mostly the same fish inside - it's still very moe; the melodrama is still clumsily manipulative; it's still unmistakably "Clannad".

Unlike "Clannad" though, "Clannad: After Story" is somewhat inconsistent. But I mean that as a back hand compliment, in that "Clannad: After Story" had the some good moments amongst the crap, while "Clannad" was just consistently crap.

The first part of "Clannad: After Story" is almost indistinguishable from "Clannad". It continues from where the original series left off, taking on a similar format comprising mini-arcs of various happenings around the school. Since Tomoya and Brown Haired Girl are already an item at the start of this series, there is no longer a harem aspect. You would think this would improve things, but in the case of this anime, all it meant was that it concentrated on mass producing contrived melodrama instead.

The first arc, starring Sunohara, was one of the worst offenders. It started off as a comedy, and although some parts were a bit tasteless, it was at least tolerable. Half way through though, it tried to turn into a serious drama, and it was all downhill from there on. The problem is that, as with most stories involving Sunohara, the comedy is quite ridiculous, involving an absurd set up that you simply can't take seriously, but the drama directly extends from that set up, and the anime seems to think it's fine to try and deliver emotional punches off this same platform that was used to deliver goofy punchlines shortly before. There are also glaring problems in the plot and inconsistencies in the portrayal of Sunohara's character, but the real crux is this: these problems are not oversights - these are the consequences of the show's willingness to sacrifice everything in order to crank up drama to 11. Not surprising then, that I found it so unconvincing.

And so "Clannad: After Story" continues in typical "Clannad" fashion, spinning implausible, almost surreal sob stories about its bizarrely troubled characters ... until around episode 10. This is the point where Tomoya and his ex-harem members graduate and make their way into the big wide world. It marks the beginning of what made many consider "Clannad: After Story" to be one of the greatest anime ever made. So I approached the show renewed hope...

...only to be disappointed once more.

However much "Clannad: After Story" changes its settings, it still approaches drama with the subtle touch of a rapist. While I admit that the show does mature somewhat, its maturity is much like the way Brown Haired Girl matures during the show - she became more like a 15 year-old than a 10 year-old. An improvement it may be, but it's debatable whether this 50% increase in maturity is worthy of lavish praise when

1) the initial bar was set so stupidly low, and
2) she's supposed to be in her twenties by the end of the show.

But allow me to pause in the middle of my acid spewing in order to acknowledge that there are definitely merits found in this part of the story, and that's enough to make it by far the best part of the whole franchise.

As is always the case, these best parts centred around Tomoya himself and not some dipshit moe girl or some other retarded side character. One of the stories dealt with Tomoya trying to settle into a job and striving to overcome, amongst other difficulties, his physical handicap. This I liked, because above all, it was unembellished, believable drama - he actually had plausible real world problems to deal with, which isn't something to take for granted in the world of "Clannad", despite it often being labelled as a real life drama.

It's fair to say that the franchise would be a lot worse without Tomoya; he was almost carrying the show single handedly. But there was one other, newly introduced in "Clannad: After Story", who shared his burden of being a rare good character stuck in the cesspit of shit ones. It's not too surprising then, that the stretch of episodes focusing almost solely on the two of them are the best ones that "Clannad: After Story" has to offer. Its emotional apex, a gorgeous scene set in a field of golden flowers tinted red in the setting sun, is hands down the most touching moment in the combined two seasons of the show. Emotional but not forcefully so, it captured the central theme of family with a poignancy and sincerity that's most unusual for the show.

But that, I'm afraid, is the last remaining good thing I have to say about "Clannad: After Story".

In between the aforementioned high points, and even entwined with them, crappy arcs and sub-plots are found in abundance. Amongst them, there's the incident of an all important decision reached via baseball, and another one that dealt with matters between Tomoya and his dad. The former looks to be an instance of "Clannad: After Story" trying to be subtle by approaching the matter at hand in a round-a-bout manner, in the same way that an elephant might try to do ballet; the latter is another classic case of the show sacrificing its characters to the drama. Time and time again over the course of the two seasons I witnessed Human Plot Device, aka Tomoya's dad, demonstrate his immense capability by taking on whatever personality the plot required, and this unsurprisingly resulted in his character feeling like an unfathonable, contradicting mess.

To say the remaining episodes were unsatisfactory would be an understatement. To begin with there was the re-appearance of one of the most fucking annoying characters I've ever had misfortune of encountering, which invoked more sadness within me than all the sad stories in the whole series put together. And then there's the ending. I don't want to give spoilers, so I'll just say that not only was it confusing, but I would have felt cheated if I didn't have so little emotional investment in the show to be cheated out of.

That aside, there's also some weird business going on with the ending to the main story not being the last episode of the series. There are two more episodes after the main ending: the first one is an alternative reality side story; the other one, the final episode, is just a recap. It's as if the show was going for the most anti-climatic end to a series ever. The purpose of throwing in that side story eludes me, but the re-cap's summarising did help to make the ending clearer. It doesn't clear up everything though, and there are major plot elements that remain baffling to the end. I did come across an informative time line that made references to the visual novel, and in all honesty, I was quite impressed with the grand scheme of what I saw. Unfortunately, various aspects of the plot failed to translate during the adaptation. Most notably, the visual novel mechanics they tried to port across caused plenty of confusion. The irony is that by trying to be more faithful to the source material, the anime actually ended up being worse off.

That said, the ending is just a single nail in a rather large coffin; the show's problems run far deeper, right down to the conceptual level. Other than being filled with moe blobs that barely qualifies as characters, I get the impression that the franchise has been developed from a completely wrong approach. Instead of starting with some good ideas and letting them grow into good stories organically, it feels like the writers started with the intention of making the biggest fucking weepfest ever, then threw in whatever ludicrous ideas that came into their heads in order to achieve their goal. As a result, values like story and character integrity were continuously being compromised to make the show more tragic superficially. This might have been forgivable if it only happened on occasion, but when it's the bread and butter aspects of the story, the end product simply isn't a good drama.

It's just emotion pr0n.

"Do you like this school? I really, really love it. But nothing can stay unchanged. Fun things... Happy things... They can't all possibly stay unchanged. Even so, can you keep on loving this place?"

How does one cope in a world that is always changing? And are we ever truly alone?

The above questions are foundational to the series of Clannad After Story, a story of love, loss, redemption, happiness, sadness, togetherness, and change.

I will start by commending Key, the brains behind this show. Like other works of theirs, (Notably Kanon, Air, and the first season of Clannad), it is beautifully written and incredibly aesthetically ... detailed, with well designed environments and a soundtrack that fits the context to a tee. Added to the compelling characters, this anime is in my somewhat biased opinion a masterpiece. I'll start with the story.

As a story by Key, I went into the anime with some expectations. Not only was I not disappointed, I was sent from small fits of laughter to open sobs and bawling more quickly than I would have liked (very manly, testosterone-charged sobs and bawling, of course).

The anime starts right near the end of the first season of Clannad and picks up quickly. Nearly all of those "minor" characters from the first season are given more time, their stories are displayed in a very accessible manner, and there is a feeling of very little "filler". Almost all of the characters have you caring about them (and feeling happy or sad for their situations,) by the time the story ends.

These stories play out against the backdrop of Nagisa and Tomoya's relationship, their trials and happy times, as Tomoya becomes a man of society. A distinct shift of the angle and scope of the anime is witnessed, as Tomoya moves into the "real world". One of my favorite parts of the story came from the implementation of Nagisa's parents, Akio and Sanae. I will discuss this implementation later.

During most of the story, I felt as if I was actually living the lives of the characters I was watching. Realistic scripting, well chosen voice actors (Mostly the same from the first season), and strong writing right from the beginning gave me the impression that this could actually be a real story, happening somewhere on the planet (with some minor exceptions that are related to the story).

The themes of change and family are expressed continuously, from the changing city to the powerful interconnectedness of family, friends, or larger communities. The OP and ED become more powerful as the story continues on, and the connections made to the first season are near perfect.

There is more than one climax to this story, and it is barely short of amazing how there can be so much emotion packed into 24 episodes (though the 24 of the first season play a role here).

The ending was very pretty, I especially liked the ending of the 24th "recap" episode (which I would consider a part of the After Story experience as it provides some final closure).

Overall, the story is so beautifully done that aside from one potentially confusing part near the end, the plot is watertight and expressed in a way that is easy to connect with. Next I will discuss the art and sound.

If the entire After Story anime consisted of just the OP and ED, I would have awarded it somewhere around an 8.5. The combination of theme song (Toki wo Kizamu Uta by Lia,) and stunning visuals sent shivers down my spine many of the times I watched it. Both the OP and ED gain more as the story goes on, as more subtle details are revealed in the plot.

I have always been a big fan of the Key visual style, but the visual style of this anime is very impressive. The characters as can be expected are very well detailed, but what is stunning about this anime is the amount of detail in the environments. Every building and nearly every person, near or far, important or not, is well detailed. Seeing the wood grain in a power pole when the pole is barely hanging in the scene. Or the swaying of each individual plant in a field during sunset, as the orangeish hue nearly matches that of a sunset in the real world. This and more all combines to produce a very appealing look and serves to immerse the viewer in a world that is not their own (though one might wish it were, for how pretty it is).

The soundtrack is impressive. Many of the songs come from the first season, but some less well used songs in the original get used more often in this season. The choice of where the soundtrack is implemented is pivotal, and this anime is very good at knowing when to emphasize the emotion or when to provide a contrast that might nudge the viewer, "Time still goes forward; life still goes on!"

Lastly, I will talk about what I believe is the most important portion of any story, and especially so for this one: the characters.

After Story provides an amazing level of character depth. None of the first season of Clannad is forgotten, and various past issues and memories are brought back.

The development of the "minor" characters plays a very important role in this anime. Though Tomoya is the main character, one gets the sense that there are no arbitrary characters in the anime at all. Everyone has a past, a story, and a place where they can fit into the extended family of Tomoya.

Tomoya is one of the most realistically portrayed anime characters I have seen in some time. Viewers will remember him as the slightly hot-headed but caring figure from the first season. Tomoya undergoes a remarkable transformation in this series, and the contrast (which is well-emphasized in After Story) is very well done. Finally, I want to take a quick second to recognize something I liked that Key did with this anime: the implementation of Nagisa's parents.

Though they had relatively brief appearances in the first season, Akio and Sanae play incredibly powerful roles in After Story. They are characterized as deeply caring parents that will do anything for the happiness of their family. They stand as a beacon of love and support for both Nagisa and Tomoya, and can be as funny as they are compassionate.Though not always on the front lines, viewers can expect any issues encountered by the characters to be thoughtfully and thoroughly dealt with by these two.

In conclusion, this anime is borderline phenomenal. In between moments of laughing and crying, there is a plethora of amazing characters, portrayed with the right music, detailed in beautiful environments, and built into a fantastic story that is very pretty, both in concept and implementation. I would heavily recommend this anime to anyone who is into Key stuff, who has seen Clannad, or just someone who wants to use a whole box of tissues from all of the happy/sad crying one is bound to do.

In response to the first quote of this (longer than I had expected) review in the words of Tomoya,

"Just find them; just find new fun and happy things. C'mon, let's get going."

After watching many anime and reading many manga, I would recommend Clannad AS to most people just as strongly as when I first finished it. (I cry to it just as much too.) What sets After Story apart for me is the encompassing world it develops in addition to the main story. The completeness of the narrative is beautiful and rare, since many other media products of our time give up on telling a complete story for a variety of reasons. A plethora of stories are all told at once for the imaginative viewer who appreciates all of the series' nuances. Without spoilers, by the ... final episode many if not all side characters have matured and you feel this maturity authentically. This leads you to consider how you yourself, your friends, your family, and your community have matured. I think After Story appeals most to reflective viewers.

After Story is quintessentially Japanese with no compromises. It both frames the world with elements of traditional culture (slightly patriarchal approach to relationship with fragile female protagonist, refusing money from parents for the sake of honor, immediate respect for grandparent) and shows the world with elements of modern life (changing city, new construction, environmental preservation, long working hours). (Also, there aren't yet cell phones, which itself is fascinating to think about for sociological purposes.) This is both refreshing and realistic in the world of anime: After Story doesn't seem like it's using a medium with fantasy elements only to escape reality. It takes life as it is and, overlooking a few contrived missteps, shows how the characters change the existing reality for themselves while being inextricably tied to it. Tomoya even considers running away from his problems by leaving the city with Nagisa (metaphorically escaping almost everything about his reality), but she reasons with him about the family he has in the city.

That said, I found myself quite able to interpret the story in my own way. Outside of the humor and occasional filler, there are many important moments available for reflection. This appreciation for stillness and reflection (even occasionally outside of slice of life), I think, is the strongest argument for why anime is a medium and not a genre, and why it appeals to certain types of people more than others. One of my highlights in the first season was Tomoyo's conversation at sunset with Tomoya, where they theorized about 'family'. The essence of 'family' further explored by After Story is complex and multithreaded, and remains the defining question and legacy of the whole series. If you personally identify with the series, the questions raised by the series may remain a part of your everyday reality no matter what stage of life you are in. They may even cause you to think about everyone else in your life in new ways.

The music of the series was the strongest aspect for me, both in After Story and the first series. It opened my mind up through emotions to consider the realities and struggles of the different characters. Consider all of the scenarios presented in the first season. What must life be like for Kotomi, studying all alone in the library those long hours, living a life completely different from the high schoolers around her? In the real world with degree inflation in Asia where university has become a safe haven for students who can't get jobs yet are quite intelligent, what will become of students like her? Will all her domain-specific scientific knowledge become obsolete thanks to databases and her inexperience with cutting-edge electronic equipment? Think about Tomoyo. In a world of big data and near-total destruction of privacy, there may be less chance to change who society believes you are. Think about Kyou's future role as providing familial comfort and understanding to all the primary schoolchildren who don't have a family life as both parents work long hours. Think about Nagisa's parents, who would have a tough or impossible time paying for Nagisa's college with their modest-income jobs after sacrificing their dream careers. Are such parents realistic in families of the future? And the future Yusukes in developed countries may need to sacrifice even more family time to their jobs to sustain services in societies with many retired seniors. On a level closer to the canon, how will changes in Nagisa and Tomoya's life impact the people and the city around them over the years? More abstractly, to what degree do changes in the family of the city affect the family of friends and actual families? In After Story, just as in the first season, the music encourages thoughtful, probing questions for imaginative types and shows how much change time can bring. Perhaps the music can become a part of your life as you associate a song with a certain time period. For me, "To the Same Heights" contains a wonderful mixture of hope, uncertainty, and wonder in facing the future.

Some people will not enjoy this anime. The moe art style may seem unsuited to the depth of the storyline (although for me, it seems merely an extreme case of the wonderful juxtaposition of innocence and hope against harsh realities in a similar vein as Madoka vs Kyubey, Akane vs Makishima and Sibyl, or even Honoka, Umi, and Kotori in front of an empty theater). The story arc before episode 9 in After Story is not realistic. The drama may be too intense for them, and the everyday dialogue too melodramatic. Yet starting with episode 9, I think what follows is the finest piece of storytelling that will exist in anime for a very long time.

Take all the happy and sad things and roll them up. Dango dango daikazoku~

I understand. I do understand. Yet all I can ask is why, why is this anime praised by so many people. Why is this anime given such high ratings that it is ranked 8 on MAL's toplist and in the top 20 on almost all other anime fansite toplists. It's ok, you can click unhelpful now, I won't mind.

This anime is ranked higher than Spirited Away.

I said I understand two times, yet it is really a mystery to me. Still I understand why people like this sort of thing, there are many fanboys and fangirls out there who wish they found that special no-personality, clumsy, ... sweet, IQ=fishstick person that's just right for them, but when people who I share anime preferences with and I think of as respected watchers of anime give this thing 9's and 10's then something is wrong, something is up, probably with me. There must be something I don't see in this, something great, something wonderful, something fabulous... yea I said fabulous. I can't find it, I have tried, same thing with the first season which I found slightly better than the second season, yet I have tried finding what makes this, apparently, one of the best anime ever made.

This anime is ranked higher than NANA.

This is an average romance/drama sprinkled with some supernatural on top to me. I can not for my life understand how anyone, anyone at all can give this anime a higher rating, when it comes to characters, than let's say a 6... and that's stretching it. This is all I'm going to say as I'm sure everyone has seen this anime and can make up their own mind about how wonderfully awesome it is, the engrossing elaborate plot and storyboard, the wonderful screenplay that is oh so breathtaking and don't get me started on that main protagonist who is truly a masterpiece when it comes to personality, he really underwent some serious character development during this anime... yeah!

This anime is ranked higher than Welcome to the NHK!

**SPOILER FREE REVIEW**

Clannad: After Story is one of the highest rated and most beloved anime to ever be created; it's as simple as that. Rarely will you find a more passionate and dedicated group of fans who genuinely believe that an anime "changed their life". If that is the case, I am by no means trying to take that away from you; I would never tell someone that a show is meaningless if it legitimately meant something to them. However, I am going to be very harsh on this anime; I think I am very justified in giving it this rating. There are way, ... WAY too many perfect reviews for this series that refuse to acknowledge its flaws, so this review will focus primarily on the negatives of the series, even though there are many things that it does well. In other words: CLANNAD FANS, READ WITH CAUTION!

My main problem with the show is simply this: The first half of After Story is guilty of going down the worst possible road that a shoujo anime can go down: the dreaded road of "emotion porn", and some of it is absolutely unbearable. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, "emotion porn" refers any story/storyarc in a form of media that is incredibly shallow and uses gratuitous amounts of melodrama in order to get a cheap cry out of it's audience. "Emotion Porn" is directed at the emotionally immature and at those who are desperate for a cry, and unfortunately, After Story's first half is jam packed with it.

"How dare you!!!", cried the Clannad fans.
"There is nothing shallow about Clannad After Story!!! It's a masterpiece with tons of depth to it at ALL times!!!" they continued.
Well, stereotypical Clannad fanboy/girl, I beg to differ:

How about After Story's humiliatingly bad portrayal of gang violence? Is that "deep"? Or how about its unnecessary focus on characters that aren't even in the second half of the anime and had no reason to be in season two to begin with? Is that not shallow? Perhaps it's the lack on any real chemistry or development between the only two characters that actually matter until very late in the show?
I will eventually get to the good part of the anime (the last third), but for now, lets get through my negatives:

What do you think of when you hear the word "gang"? The Bloods? The Crips? The Pyros? Maybe the Mafia? What ever you think of, it should definitely involve brutal, merciless people. Basically, heartless thugs who settle their differences with guns and deal in shady businesses such drug dealing. Clannad After Story offers, well.... a "different" take on gang violence. Apparently, in Clannad-world, gangs are just a bunch of dudes who hang out together, sometimes beat each other up, and then run crying to a teenage girl to patch up their wounds. Oh, and the best part? If you deliver a nice, heart-felt speech to them, they all stop fighting and start being friends with each other! Isn't that nice?

Okay, honestly, who the hell could possibly take this arc seriously? Out of all the hilarious examples of Clannad, Kanon, and Air's horribly written, sappy melodrama, this one just might take the cake. THIS. IS. NOT. SAD. Only a complete sap who wants a mindless excuse to cry would be even slightly touched by this kind of emotion porn. Everything is exaggerated to be 10X more dramatic then it would be in real life, nothing about it is emotionally investing, and when you aren't laughing at how this crap is supposed to be sad, you will be bored out of your mind. Never have I seen such a laughable portrayal of something that is a real-life tragedy! Be prepared to deal with this for about 16 episodes before the show actually gets sad.

Contributing to the pointlessness and boredom of the first half of After Story: I give you the characters! There are only three characters that matter even slightly in the grand scheme of this anime: Tomoyo, Nagisa (oh god, we will get to her), and a someone I can't reveal due to spoilers (Nagisa's parents are plot devices more then they are characters). And guess what; NONE of them are focused on until about episode 12! The main characters are basically just bystanders or plot devices for story-arcs that revolve around pointless side characters that, as I mentioned before, aren't even in the second half of the anime! These side stories are pointless, forgotten by the plot right after they are completed, and do nothing but waste the time of the viewer. 

"Why the hell are the writers trying to develop characters only to write them out of the show?" You might ask. To answer, they weren't trying to develop characters; they were just giving the viewers some classic Clannad emotion porn. The plot doesn't matter, the characters don't matter, all that matters is making the viewer cry in as cheap a way as possible. Emotionally mature people will see right through this. And as a consequence of ignoring the main characters for so long, there is no development between them what so ever until very late in the anime! After watching Clannad, you could start After Story at about episode 12 and miss nothing relevant, and that is NOT okay!

Oh, and that's not even mentioning that one of the only three important characters is an absolute JOKE! I thought they couldn't possibly be serious with this shit, but they certainly were. Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce you to Nagisa Furukawa; the anime girl who has single handedly re-written the term "mary-sue". They should just go ahead and change the name of the term to "Furukawa", because this is some unbelievable stuff right here. She is a shameless, misogynistic idealization of women to the extent of which I've never seen. She is kind, obedient, never questions anyone or anything, has stereotypical ambitions (having a family), and has no discernable personality what so ever. The only thing I can say about this character is that, well, she f*cking exists. Nagisa Furukawa is the most one-dimensional character I've ever had the misfortune of watching; she's an embodiment of an unrealistic idealization of a "perfect wife" rather then a portrayal of a realistic human being, which works against the point of the entire anime. NAGISA FURUKAWA IS AN AWFUL CHARACTER. JUST INDESCRIBABLY AWFUL.

Okay, now that the negatives are out of the way, here are the positives: The last few episodes of Clannad After Story are unique, well written, and offer an unspeakably rare take on high-school romance animes; "what happens after high school?" If Clannad has established anything up to this point, it is that Tomoya and Nagisa are in love with each other. It is at this point that the writing of the show takes a direction it should have had from the start: realism. It abandons all the bullsh*t side stories, supernatural elements, and emotion porn (until it blows it all with a deus-ex machina ending, but I digress). It finally does what I was waiting 1 2/3 seasons for it to do; tell a legitimate tragedy with relatable, heart-wrenching, elements. To give you an idea of how sad and tragic the last few episodes of After Story are, consider that at this point, I saw no way this anime could save itself. I don't even know why I kept watching, I was just looking forward to it to being over. Then, suddenly, I was completely emotionally invested in the characters and the environment to the point that I came damn close to crying. When I say this anime gets sad, I mean it! It took way too long, but After Story eventually developed into a tragic story that simply captures how unfair life really is, and it really is beautiful. 

To recap:

Story: 6/10
The last and only significant arc is a masterpiece, but the first half of the show is not cohesive and is unbearably sappy/boring for the most part.

Art: 8/10
Beautiful animation. The settings all look fantastic, but the character designs really bother me. Like I mentioned with Kanon 2006, the female characters have heads that are like 50% eye! Anime characters all have big eyes, but this is ridiculous! It's kind of creepy…

Sound: 7/10
A decent opening and a good soundtrack, but it has the worst ending theme of any anime ever created. You will not understand why just by listening to it, but watch the show and you will see what I mean. The voice acting is pretty good in the sub, and it's pretty average in the dub.

Characters: 4/10
The only important ones are not focused on nearly as much as they should be. All the pointless side characters spend so much time on screen in the first half of the show, and then they just leave at around the halfway point. I simply don't understand why that is considered okay. I like Tomoyo, but he is a bit bland at times. And Nagisa is AWFUL, as previously mentioned.

Overall: 6/10
Overall, Clannad After Story does not get criticized the way is deserves to. People romanticize about this show as if it is the second coming of Jesus Christ, but the truth is that it's simply unworthy of such lofty praise. Is it still worth a watch? Probably, but certainly not with the expectations of it being one of the greatest anime masterpieces of all time, because it simply isn't in my opinion. I understand the appeal, but it simply wasn't for me.

To be frank, I despised the first season with a passion. For the life of me I couldn’t understand what was so great about it. Yet I still saw the fandom of Clannad everywhere; from the forums to it being favourited on every other profile. I promised to stay away from ~After Story~ after witnessing the fail or rather mediocrity of Clannad. However, seeing the rage of it rising faster and louder with it being currently ranked #1 on the site I caved. Like a kid being peer pressured into smoking I reluctantly watched it. And I’m glad I did.

This is a continuation of ... the previous series and opens up with the conclusion of Clannad: That Nagisa and Tomoya has finally started dating. But by no means does it stop here. Not many anime, or any stories even, tell a story where the couple are already together and go off from there. Most of the time it’s about how the two love interests get together and fall in love, which is all well and fine but what about after? Do they actually live happily ever after? Are their futures sure to be fine and dandy now that they are together?

I never thought highly of ‘slice of life’ anime. If I wanted to watch an anime about people’s lives I would just record myself, or better yet - watch Big Brother. Anime is all about the supernatural, fantasy, badass and beautiful characters, action, over the top romances and comedic situations -- the unreal!

Or so I thought.

Clannad ~After Story~ proves you don’t need any of these to make a great anime. There’s no world destruction, huge responsibility, convenient coincidences, twists of fate, gore, blood, lovey-dovey romance or any of the usual routine. It’s life. With heart-wrenching drama. With every day real life events that could happen to any of us. And with bittersweet moments.
It does have some supernatural elements though, but if anything, it adds a touch of realism rather than the opposite. Who’s to say these supernatural mysteries do not take place in real life after all?

The main cast remains the same, however unlike the first series, ~After Story~ concentrates more on Nagisa and Tomoya, especially in the second half of the series -- one of the many reasons why I enjoyed this. There are also many episodes which are dedicated to characters whom are important and dear to Tomoya and holds value in his life. I also found these a great joy and equally inspiring. The quality of content in these episodes are much higher than those in the prequel series and of faster pace. They don’t draw out one character’s story for five episodes, but instead packs one or two episodes with such inspiring stories that moves a person emotionally.
The series has a strong family theme, with Nagisa’s parents being central characters in the story. Tomoya’s father has a bigger part in this series, as we see a progression and revelation between Tomoya and his father. Rarely is there ever a family theme in anime. We hardly ever see parents being shown, never mind being main characters - they really do well in pulling off such a delicate theme.

What really made the anime for me was the animation and sound. The animation was so surreal, so vivid it simply made me stare in awe. Key’s animation really impressed me; at times they would they would do sweeping camera follow ups, follow the movement of a flying baseball in slow motion or even chase the movement of a little girl as she runs through a field. The sound was beautiful too. I usually never sit through every single episode’s opening however I could never resist ~After Story’s~ opening. It always sets the mood of the anime and prepares you for what’s to come. Even the opening could twinge your feelings a little. The other themes were wonderful as well. It could go from happy, joyful tunes to melancholic, depressing ones to uplifting and inspirational instrumentals. Nagisa’s Dango Song affected me the most as it would be soft and cute at first then go on to be so painfully uplifting with the use of percussions.

Another beautiful thing is Nagisa and Tomoya’s relationship. Not once in the entire show are they shown to kiss and even holding hands was a rare see. Yet, their relationship is truly on another level. What they have is a bond so strong and pure that those sort of actions do not need to be shown to tell us that they are undeniably close.

I disliked Clannad. This feeling I cannot change. But Clannad ~After Story~ is a whole other world in anime. It has the art of anime, but has the feel of an old time classic love story of happiness, tragedy and bittersweet revelations. I sought an anime that would make me cry. And sure enough it did. Even the most stone-hearted person would feel a heart aching twinge. Either that or bucket loads of tears. It’s simply beautiful.

If a work of fiction drags its audience into the depths of hell with tragedy, does it retain its artistic merit if the entire experience is nullified by the conclusion?

This is the principal question faced when attempting to reach a verdict on Clannad: After Story, a work of fiction which has a compelling power to manipulate the emotions of its audience: to make them laugh, to bring them to tears, and to leave their hearts warm with joy. Exploring themes such as redemption and heartbreak, it does many of these things wonderfully, but in desperation to end with a certain tone, it destroys everything it ... achieves in a single moment.

After Story is the continuation of the first series of Clannad, a harem anime which distinguished itself from its contemporaries by treating its subject tactfully and managing to be amusing along the way. This is largely because of the strength of the main protagonist Tomoya Okazaki. In a genre which is infamous for bland main characters with no purpose other than being a body the audience can insert themselves into, Okazaki is a breath of fresh air. He had a back-story, a personality, and a sharp wit. That he spent so much time around women was not surprising, because his character was charismatic and interesting. His relationship with best friend Sunohara was also like a comedy double act, and was genuinely funny to watch.


The female cast, while based on familiar archetypes and not as strong characters as Okazaki, also had more depth than their contemporaries in the genre. They had their own interesting stories and subplots, and most of these were entertaining to watch. It was pretty clear from the offset that Okazaki would end up with Nagisa, and yet these diversions from the main storyline did not feel like distractions. Those characters were important to the story as a whole and their subplots helped to develop them. Afterstory takes things to another level. While the myriad of female characters are still present, it progresses from a harem story to a pure romance. Those female characters from the previous series are retained but they become less like groupies and more like a community. Their relationships with Okazaki and Nagisa are not just on good terms, but they behave like real friends. There is no underlying sense of competition among them for Tomoya’s attention and they interact with the couple cordially.

Similarly, the presentation in Afterstory is up to the high standards of the first series, with excellent animation and a quality soundtrack. While the art style is primarily a question of taste (though I question the legitimacy of the ‘bug eye’ critique) there is no doubt that the animation is consistently smooth and polished. It’s not daring or experimental, but it is highly articulate. The soundtrack fits the series wonderfully too, tugging at your heart strings at the appropriate moment, and easing you into laughter when Okazaki and Sunohara are up to their antics. It never errs and even if the same melodies are used time and time again, they never feel repetitive, and they linger on in memory long after the series is over.

In short much of the original series’ qualities are retained; the most striking difference between the two is the storyline, which in After Story develops into something far grander than its predecessor. While the first series of Clannad works as a piece of entertainment, in Afterstory the saga evolves into a work of art that explores complex themes, principally the theme of redemption. It does not do so with religious imagery or symbolism, but by masterfully crafting a story around the principle itself. Okazaki, as is known from the first series, is dealt a fairly bad hand early in life. Despite these difficulties he strives to help others and eventually manages to take some control of his existence and improve his situation. After Story does this without coming across as moralising or feeling contrived, a difficult task for a story with such themes. The series also contains a fair amount of tragedy, and this executed masterfully. In one key scene, a blissful moment is thwarted suddenly, quickly spiralling downwards into sorrow. One cannot help but shed a tear for poor Tomoya, whom life had finally begun shining upon. The theme of redemption resurfaces later in the story, where it is played to even greater effect. After reaching a catastrophic low, Okazaki is eventually able to reconcile his relationship with a character he earlier abandoned, in a climactic and touching scene which frames the rest of the series beautifully. This scene is balanced perfectly with the tragic scene mentioned earlier, and the emotional swing between misery and bliss leaves the audience with a feeling bittersweet happiness that every work of fiction strives to instil in its audience accomplished with finesse. Then, in front of our eyes, the beauty of everything before us unravels into something unspeakably ugly.

In a decision which can only be described as madness, the story incorporates another tragedy into the storyline- one which serves no greater artistic purpose or develops Okazaki’s character further. It is merely a tragedy for tragedy’s sake. And at that point, After Story enters into the void of sentimentality and emotional exploitation. One cannot empathise any further with the characters or feel any sorrow. In fact, the most appropriate response is anger. Anger that creating something interesting or making any kind of statement was never the intention of the creators, only to toy with our emotions in the hope it would provide us with some kind of masochistic pleasure.


It is a plot development from which no story could recover; any meaning one had found in the story until that point is completely lost, and we find ourselves unable to care in the slightest what else might happen to Okazaki. It is perhaps only the desire to get the damned thing over with that compels us to continue with the rest of the series. But continuing the series is an even greater mistake, because the rest of the story serves no purpose other than to add insult to injury.

While the second tragedy is nothing more than emotional blackmail, we could say that at least it doesn’t betray the emotions we had felt prior to it. To end on another low point seems meaningless but one still has the beautiful journey reaching it to reflect upon and the opportunity to ponder over its significance. One could satisfy oneself with the fact that while the narrative was obliterated, that such unfortunate double tragedies do occur and that the story is at least ‘real’.

Yet even this is desecrated by the conclusion, in which everything preceding it is rendered moot. We are inexplicably transported to a world where all the terrible events of the story do not occur and Okazaki is able to experience the happy life he had always longed for. This is completely unforgivable.

If you read any book on writing fiction, there will invariably be a chapter on ‘bad endings’ and the most prominent of these is ‘it was all a dream’. The reason being that such endings mean any inconsistencies do not need to be explained, that no real development occurs, and that anything that did occur is now meaningless. Afterstory’s ending is more or less equivalent to this. As the story had been cohesive and logical until this point, it is unlikely they did so to cover up for any errors made previously or to escape any inconsistencies. Clannad’s underlying supernatural themes go some way into explaining how the series ends the way it does, but does nothing to justify why it should end that way.


Such an ending does have one use though, and that is making a happy ending possible despite the previous plot developments. But why do we necessarily need such a conclusion? There is an implicit point being made that the audience would be unable to cope with a sad ending, making it necessary to conjure a happy ending by any means, even at the expense of the rest of the story. This is nothing less than an insult to the intelligence of the viewer. It is disgraceful. To take the audience into their emotional depths under the pretence that there will be a message or something meaningful behind it, only to betray their sense of empathy by providing an escape no-one who faces such tragedies in the real world shall ever have. Such abuse of emotions in works of fiction can only cause harm. It only leads one to refrain from investing too much feeling into fictional characters, making them hesitant to do so in the future. Worse still, while the audience is able to take in the sadness of the situation the characters experience, the opportunity for contemplation of its wider significance is severed. The consequences mean nothing because the problem has ceased to be a problem.

In works of fiction, the conclusions you reach are not as important as the journey taken to reach them, since the journey itself is what should lead one to reach those conclusions. In the case of Clannad Afterstory this process has been, not even reversed, but completely ignored. There is no connection between the two events. The journey exists, and it is a wonderful experience. It exhibits a kaleidoscope of human emotions on a powerful level, and does so beautifully. But that journey has no bearing on the conclusions reached either by the plot, or in the mind of the audience.

Hence the dilemma posed in reaching a verdict on this series. Does one simply praise the series for what it does well, criticise its faults and attempt to find a balance between the two? This is the approach one would usually take, but when the conclusion is not only disconnected from the journey but contradicts it entirely, that is something which cannot simply be forgotten. It obliterates all meaning, it excavates all depth, it makes the whole damned thing sum up to nought. Take your wish fulfilment and intellectual depravity if you wish, but I would rather be left in the depths of hell.

~After Story~ is an anime that touches people's souls. I watched it, and was blown away. This was just less than a year ago.

I just spent the last 4 days re-watching Clannad and Clannad ~After Story~.

It made me recall that the first season was actually good. The first time I saw it, it just paled in comparison to the ending of After Story, giving me false memories of it being bad when I thought back to it.

After Story was still even better. The second time through made me admire the pacing the script writers had to go through to achieve this amount of emotional connection ... that other movies and shows can only dream of achieving.

It took multiple revisions of the same plot until they achieved this precipice. It went through a visual story video game, a manga, and a movie, which I'm sure all went through many revisions of the plot themselves, until they carefully produced this gem of a masterpiece. That's the only thing I can call it. I can't say it's any lower than that. All the extra episodes that aren't necessarily vital to the plot are all needed. It's pacing. You can't attach to characters at such an emotional level in a short amount of time.

I loved After Story. Even though re-watching something will never give me the same experience as the original time, it still was great. I look forward to 30 years in the future, when I probably have all forgotten part of the plot (though, no amount of time will ever make me forget the possibly life changing experience) that I re-watch it again.

I've never experienced anything that touched me like this anime has. People have told me of all kinds of animes that were sad, like Grave of the Fireflies, and such. None of them affected me. I just laughed, and assumed maybe I didn't have a heart since I didn't find anything sad. I mean everything too. Never a movie, book, nor show ever make me feel pity for their real or fictional characters. Everything until Clannad ~After Story~. To be able to create something that can do this deserves a Masterpiece title, because nothing I have encountered has ever done it before.

I also seriously doubt there will anything in a long time that will top After Story's presence. In fact, I doubt that it can ever even be rivaled as an equal in terms of character development.

The art is simply amazing. If you actually pay attention to some scenes, you'll notice the very high quality background scenery, along with very fluid character animations with great shadow detail.

The sound is also one of the strongest points of the anime. The music is amazing and creates the atmosphere in numerous scenes. The ONLY thing I don't like is the happy, cheerful ending song. It only fits a handful of episodes, and completely destroys all mood created in the other episodes. If anything, they should have brought back the Ending of the 1st season for certain episodes. They have songs for everything, for all occasions.

To say this anime isn't a 10 makes me question someone's soul. Though, I can possibly understand why they might give it a 8 or 9, since everyone is different. Though to give it anything less is probably a troll attempt, or they just didn't finish the series.

The story is fantastic. It's not a brain twisting mystery, nor a plot twist filled thrill ride. It instead shows the roots of human mentality. It shows how a person develops.

Clannad ~After Story~ is not an anime you should skip on. I watched the anime through a 2nd time with a friend, since he had not seen it before. Mistake. This is best viewed by yourself, or possibly a loved one. Not a buddy.

Clannad caught me off guard last year being incredibly different from its predecessors, Air and Kanon 2006. There wasn't so much focus on a story as there was just following the school life of main characters Nagisa and Tomoya, as well as all their friends. When Clannad ended, Clannad After Story was announced. After Story not only guarantees its like its predecessors, but does so in a way that almost makes it excessive and, in the end, shameful. Though this may be the case, After Story is still a superior follow-up to the first season, following a more structured storyline, deepening characters, and still portraying ... that fabulous art and music Key adaptations by KyoAni have become renowned for.

Like the first season, Clannad After Story still showcases the same brilliant art and music. Here we can see KyoAni has realy grasped a hold of their Key-style character designs, having come a long way from when they did Air back in 2005. The designs are aesthetically pleasing while still being a very enhanced degree of cute. The backgrounds, likewise, are very detailed though not meticulously enough that it would come off as gaudy. The town looks like an actual town, with construction sites and familiar pathways, which is excellent as the town itself is a key theme to the story.

Music provided from the game's original score continues to fit every scene perfectly, and vocal performance quality has skyrocketed with the growing characterization of Nagisa and Tomoya. Akio and Sanae are also well-cast and add to a good lot of scenes and episodes. Unfortunately, this second season has a penchant for insert songs, especially when they're not really called for. In addition, the ending theme "Torch" is wholly inappropriate for the gross amount of the episodes. Clannad After Story does top the previous season in making the opening theme even better, a very moving piece, "Toki wo Kizamu Uta" sung by Lia, who also sang the OP for Air TV. The accompanying graphics to the opening sequence only heighten the emotional value of the lyrics and the melody. It's easily one of After Story's more notable features.

With a more emotional opening though, comes a more emotional story. After Story begins by moving beyond the main characters to focus on arcs for smaller roles. These short arcs are actually just as moving as the longer arcs of the first season, providing a surprisingly hefty amount of character development from what were previously background characters and actually invoking a connection to them, which I really have to applaud this series for. Plus, these mini-arcs buffer well into the main part of the series.

The actual After Story itself, when it's finally reached, is quite possibly one of the most well-written and developed arcs of any anime I have ever seen. The story moves to a more linear format, focusing on Nagisa and Tomoya. For two characters who got the shaft for development in the first season, they get their development here and in spades. I dare say Tomoya may be the most multi-faceted harem male to ever grace anime.

Every episode flows smoothly into the next in a very consistent format, and every episode brings a new turn or twist, sad or happy, but always dramatic and leaving you wanting more... that is until the last two episodes of the storyline.

In this final stretch, After Story hits the wall. Following several episodes of dramatic, moving, top-tier material, the storyline, dialogue and characterization all take a major downturn in the form of an unresolved loose end that has followed the series from the start. It feels so incredibly forced when its resolved, and takes away everything gained from the previous episodes, that it feels like a sucker punch both when they tie it up and in how they do it. This is only emphasized by the fact that they had two whole episode spaces to explain the story, but instead decided to end it with a non-consequential side story and a recap.

As the old saying goes, its not about the destination but the journey. The destination has left a very sour taste in my mouth, leaving me to reflect on how some of Key/Visual Art's more signature elements have only hindered this otherwise phenomenal slice-of-life romance, but it should not discredit from the phenomenal work that the rest of this series was. Trust me, it's worth the ride to swallow the end.

Overall, Clannad After Story gets a 9 out of 10.

Clannad ~After Story~ Review

FIRST: Do NOT watch this show or read my review without first watching season one of Clannad. Although it isn't "necessary," watching season one and experiencing the character development throughout it greatly helps you understand the story and value the characters. Plus, it was a pretty damn good show.

Story-10:
Really, the first 8 episodes of After Story are pretty much exactly like what the original Clannad series was like: school life and character arcs while slowly building up Nagisa and Tomoya's relationship. Although these arcs were well written and I enjoyed them thouroughly, they weren't deserving of a 10 rating. However, once you ... get past the great, but not truly spectacular first 8 eps, the show starts to focus solely on Tomoya and Nagisa. This is where the magic happens and the show began to become my favorite of all time. I was impressed that Clannad managed to make me cry during Fuko's arc (last time I cried was when my grandfather died a few years ago, and that was only a couple tears). But then in the homestretch of Clannad ~After Story~ I found myself bawling my eyes out on numerous occasions. The best word to describe this series is an emotional rollercoaster. It will having you laughing your ass off one minute, and crying like a baby the next. The writing in this anime is unbelievable and it's like the writers developed the perfect bow to pull on your heart strings, timing each event perfectly. The ending is controversial, but I personally loved it.

Art-8:
The art in After Story is beautiful. The settings are all beautiful, characters look great, and colors are vibrant. However, it is not up to par with some other, more recent, anime I have seen. If I were to review this back when it first came out, the art would get probably a 9, but with anime becoming more visually impressive each year, I just can't say it's distinctively good. It certainly is great though, and besides the fact that many of the characters don't seem to age physically even thou they are old (look the the furikawa family...), there is nothing to complain about.

Sound-10:
I'm reviewing the dubbed version if anyone is wondering. I found the voice acting to be superb, and can't find any week links in the cast. But what really makes the sound of this anime spectacular is the soundtrack. My only complaint is with the Ed "Torch" although it isn't a bad song, it is very upbeat and poppy, thus can easily kill the mood of the more serious episodes if you don't pause the show before the song starts. Overall, most of the tracks used in Clannad are reused in After Story. All the music is perfectly placed with each scene, and i never found myself annoyed with the song choices. Each track helps establish the setting and mood of the scene. By now, everyone should be familiar with the dango song, and thus Nagisas theme. The melody to those songs was stuck in my head since season one. I found it to be a really cute and catchy song. But after watching After Story, I can't help but feel emotional whenever I hear it. The melody is rearranged multiple times to make different variations of the song that fit their specific scenes perfectly. Really, if the only songs in the ost were rearrangements of Nagisas theme, I would still probably give the soundtrack an 8. It really is quite like the series as a whole, sometimes listening to it will make you smile, but other times it may make you tear up a bit. Other highlights are Roaring Tides, The Place Where Wishes Come True, Toki o Kizamu Uta, and Fantasy.

Character-10:
THE reason why this show is so great. Each character is unique, and although their arcs can sometimes fall into a cliche, the writing still keeps you caring about them. The character development of Tomoya is really the most intriguing aspect. How he deals with all the joys and hardships of life really makes you think about yourself as a person. Where Tomoya was a funny delinquent in Clannad, in After Story you see him mature into an adult, albeit, an adult with a cursed life. I have never been a sucker for romance, but Tomoya and Nagisa's relationship is unlike any I've ever seen. The writers did a brilliant job of making you fall in love with the characters, and feel their emotions as they experience them. I know that what I just wrote isnt very convincing, but that's because I honestly can't explain how this show makes you feel for the lead characters because it is unlike anything I have ever experienced.

Enjoyment-10:
The show made me laugh until my stomach hurt on numerous occasions. It later would flip my stomach upside down and make me depressed as I cried my eyes out. The few plot twists this show has hit you hard (I was spoiled for one of the key events already, and it still left me shocked when it happened). Btw, for your own good: DO NOT GOOGLE ANYTHING ON CLANNAD WHILE WATCHING THIS SHOW. Seriously, just typing in a characters name and looking at the suggestions on google or youtube can spoil major plot events. So now you have been warned. Anyways, this anime is the first to make me actually think about myself as a person, and my future life. The emotional ride the show takes you on is one you will never forget.

Overall:
Watch this show. If you haven't already, watch Clannad before Clannad ~After Story~. In short, the emotions this show makes you feel are what set it apart from everything else. This show really can't be described in any other way than by watching it. If you don't think you can handle the emotions that come with this show, do not watch it. But if your someone who thinks anime is meant for action , and not something that can make you laugh, cry, and reflect on your own life, then watch this show, and see your perspective change completely. I have never seen anything like Clannad and After Story, and don't expect to ever again.

The Verdict:

An experience unlike anything I've ever seen. An emotional rollercoaster like no other.

Pros:
+ Toying with your emotions
+ Excellent character development
+ Beautiful story
+ Music is fantastic
+ So much crying...
+ Everything else

Cons:
- Torch can really kill the mood
- Not enough cons for me to write about

If you liked Clannad, watch...
Kanon/Air/Angel Beats:
Anything by Jun Maeda belongs here because they are so emotional and high in the drama department. Although none of these shows are as good as Clannad, they all do have similar feels and are all good in their own right.
ef-Tale of Memories:
Drama filled sadness.

10/10 - Masterpiece

“He loves her. She loves him. They accept each other. And so they lived happily ever after…”
“And so they lived happily ever after…”
“Ever after…”
“After…”

What really happened to them “after”? How long did they stay together? What happened to them when they were together?

No movie or show, let alone an anime, has ever answered these questions.
...
Until now.

Instead of presenting a brief five minute epilogue with a J-ballad playing in the background at the end of the first season, Kyoto Animation has given us a 24 episode masterpiece, which is not only a highly satisfactory epilogue, but also a heart wrenching story by itself.

Clannad: AS is a direct sequel to the first season, Clannad. Although Clannad: AS is extremely good just as a stand-alone, watching the prequel provides better understanding of their characters and their backgrounds. If you still want to go ahead and watch Clannad: AS directly (although I wouldn’t), then I suggest you give the MAL synopsis for Clannad a quick read before heading onto this one. You follow, Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa, two people who who have vowed to spend their lives together. What you get is the "after" of their relationship from Clannad.

Clannad: After Story is split into two parts - the side-characters part and the main-characters part. It starts off with three arcs (which make up the first part of the series), lasting a total of eight episodes, dedicated to three of the first season’s recurring characters – Sunohara, Misae and Yukine. Although these episodes seem to be fan service and lack depth compared to the rest of the series at first glance, they are not. They are there for a purpose and that is to provide us with the characters’ final days in school. Because in this anime, just like real life, their friends move on and the plot provides its absolute and undivided attention to probably my favorite on-screen couple of all time – Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa.

You get a visual running commentary of every single event of this seemingly perfect couple, as they struggle, hobble and claw at life to remain together. What you get is the complete journal of events that happen in this couple’s lives, told from Tomoya’s point of view.

You watch as he tries to overcome whatever life throws at him, in order to be happy, even for just a minute.
You watch as he bears the brunt of life upon his shoulders and as he shifts through the yin and yang of life.
You watch as his soul tries to escape the darkness that stalks him like his own shadow.
You watch as he tries to understand the complexities of the world we live in, during the defining moments of his life.
You watch, a boy becoming a man.

I will try to condense the analysis of the animation and audio department so as to maximize the space available for story and character analysis.

The animation is just as gorgeous as ever. Movements have been refined and are now much more fluid. The one thing that had improved majorly in this area was the art involved on the characters’ faces. Their emotions are brought out so subtly, but yet so significantly, that it makes you wonder how long they spent trying to get these tiny factors right. For example, when you see Okazaki being calmed down by Nagisa, you can actually watch how his reactions slowly transform from angry to annoyed to a calm state within a couple of seconds. Perfect.

As far as the soundtrack does, there have been no major additions except for the OP and the ED. The OP, Toki wo Kizamu Uta, is one of the best there is and has cemented its position in my favorite OPs of all time at number four. The ED,Torch, is, for the most of the series, a complete misfit. Just when you are about to burst into tears after a devastating episode, the sight of a girl doing high knees followed by the rest of the characters moonwalking across the screen totally ruins the mood.Hard to believe that this inappropriate ED comes from the same singer of the incredible OP, Lia.

Calling this anime an emotional rollercoaster might very well be the understatement of the year. Now, the best way to describe the story's impact is to describe my emotional reactions when I watched the anime. I am a 17 year old guy, with below average sensitivity. Never in my life have I ever shed a tear while watching a show or a move in the theater or on TV. But, this anime wiped the slate clean. I can say, without any regrets or feeling embarrassed that I cried while watching Clannad: AS. This anime tugs at your heartstrings so hard, that it’s almost inhumane not to tear up. Clannad: AS will rip your heart out and then mend it with sweet words of love and then rip it out again. During some scenes, I could almost feel my heart crumble inside my chest. That is not to say that this anime contains only sadness. Just when the show pushes you so hard into the well, it pulls you back up just as fast. This series is just raw emotion packed in the form of animated characters.

The story continues its tie-ins between the real world and the Illusionary World and the supernatural aspect of it plays a much bigger role in Clannad: AS. I won't be going too deep into this as it contains too many spoilers.

The characters are crafted to perfection. Thanks to the super job by the animation department, you are now able to completely feel all of the characters' thoughts and feelings, blurring the line between anime and reality. For almost the entire series, I felt exactly how Okazaki felt and thought how Okazaki thought. The innocent and simple way they think was also one of the reasons people love the characters so much. The characters, although grown up, were so gentle at heart. This content and caring way of living lays further emphasis on the purity of the two protagonists. I felt their pain, their sorrow, their despair, their happiness, their pleasures and their excitement. The characters made sure of that. One particular new character bowled me over with his/her charm. The introduction of this soulful, innocent and sincere character was one of the main reasons why I was so moved by this anime.The characters are what strengthened the anime and made a simple tale interesting to watch.

The voice acting is very well done. The casting was perfect and none were out of place. It was all so believable. The entire cast deserves a standing ovation for their power packed performance. The subbing by StaticSubs Eclipse was very neat.

When I write a review, I do my best to be unbiased. But sometimes, it's hard not to let your emotions flow when you see an anime that mixes the genres of slice of life, drama and romance so well, that I simply cannot emphasize enough on its ability to make full use of its potential and deliver a story that is sure to make fans of any genre fall in love with this anime.

Overall, Clannad: After Story is a piece of art and will go down in history as one of the best ever. Even with a near-perfect ending, you’ll be wishing for an After Story to this After Story as it’s really hard to let to let go of the characters that you’ve come to love so much. That’s how hard-hitting and beautiful this anime is. The MAL rating of 10 does not mean an anime is perfect, but it means that the anime is a masterpiece. And that, Clannad: After Story is.

[ THE WRAP-UP ]
Clannad: After Story is a an intricately carved insight into the life of characters whose stories “ended” last season. The trials and tribulations of the characters successfully bring your emotions to the surface. This emotional bond is further strengthened with a heartbreaking, yet uplifting story, which is guaranteed to drop to your knees and make you jump for joy at the same time. The anime infuses the key elements of its genres (romance, drama, slice of life) and serves a dish that is bound to please even the most stringent of otaku. The animation and soundtrack are exactly what you would expect from KyoAni - inch perfect. While the initial episodes might cause an eyebrow or to raise, rest assured, all suspicions are laid to rest once the series settles down about quarter of the series in. And from then on, the atmosphere of this anime is simply enchanting. This is just one of those rare anime out there that you don't want to miss out on, even if you're not a fan of the genre. Clannad: After Story is a magical journey that will leave you with a lot of memories which will leave you wondering on how YOUR After Story would be.

So it has finally come to this. As I'd watched this anime I felt compelled to review it, heck I've done it in my head many times over. Every time I had a new thought, realization that made it greater in my mind. The reason for doing this is most likely that Clannad succeeded in amplifying every single story arc, making it feel grand, perfect and complete. It was around halfway into After Story that I'd realized I am in way over my head. This does not deserve to be dissected and reviewed like some faulty piece of garbage. No sir.

Clannad has grown on me ... more than I ever thought possible when I played that first episode. Sakura trees, overdramatic (though fabulous) music, deep thoughts, cynical male protagonist right at the start of the anime? I knew it was really popular and loved, but back then I thought I knew just why and my presumptions weren't bright at all.
"I realize why some people might like this stuff but me? Nah...this is too corny for me...oh well, now that I've started, I'll give it a shot with a few more episodes."
But how the hell could I have known?

It's a 10, the biggest freakin' 10 I've ever given to anything in my entire life. This is what animes are basically all about. Granted, there are animes that are different, unusual and branch out pretty far from their origin. But essentially what makes them anime, not cartoons or tv shows, a medium that has attracted so many people lately is more or less the same. And Clannad is a conventional anime in that regard. Except it took all that emotion, tranquil slice-of-lifeness, seemingly naive but in fact deep story and made it feel REAL. Every character, every moment, everything that might have put me off at first - though it seemed bland at times - has converted into a great memory, a profound feeling of love. Clannad has stripped off the defense mechanisms I have implanted into my brain as I grew up, thinking I have toughened up, grown smarter, more experienced, when in reality all I did was block off those simple, yet beautiful things and emotions that make life. Because it was easier that way, it left me less vulnerable, rid of any great expectations, making it harder for me to get hurt.

Friendship, falling-in-love, the simple quirks and talents that make us special, the dreams of our childhood and adolescence, all that seems to be labeled as a stupid ideal or taboo today. Should we trivialize those things, take them for granted and treat those moments as such? (This is exactly what Ryou was talking about in Kyou's arc, Alernate World episode) No, instead we should hold them as precious memories, even though they might not be "Clannad" for everyone. I was a bit like Nagisa in those years and I regret what I have missed. When I think about it, those years will always hold a special place in my heart even though my childhood and adolescence was short of practically any happy moments. If I had a chance to redo things, I definitely would have acted more like Tomoya, I would've stayed true to some things even when I was ridiculed and insulted by others.

Clannad is all too simple. If I tried to describe it, I certainly wouldn't do it any justice. Every aspect of it is combined in a perfect way to create a masterpiece, making it all seem believable. I cried plenty of times, I smiled like I haven't since childhood (I mean those truly happy, altruistic, empathic smiles) because the characters felt completely real. No real way to describe it other than watch it; this is what makes animes great - to an outsider all this would seem pathetic but rather than using complex dialogues or situations to build up characters and explain their morality like in the real movies or TV shows, in animes it's done in a way that's almost magical. Not only that, this anime makes you rethink your life priorities and thus changes it. Yes, this anime is life-changing.

There, my impression of Clannad. It's the best thing I've watched in my life. Rewatching an anime seemed like a ridiculous thing to do when there are so many good ones around, but I am positive I will rewatch Clannad one day and rejoice as I have on my first watching.

Clannad : After Story is said to have changed the lives of so many people according to the reviews I have read on the site.
But after i watched it, what I felt was depression. Its a really good anime but there's nothing special about either Clannad or Clannad After Story. After reading some great reviews about Clannad After Story and seeing the ratings that it has, I expected an anime that would make me cry and completely blow me up.
No offense to Clannad fans, but for all the great reviews and rating that this series has, for me personally, wasn't that great. It is ... worth watching but I didn't get any special vibes from it that would make me feel like this is one of the best things I've watched.
But what I got was a bits and pieces anime. There were moments that played out really well but there were so many more moments that were completely irrelevant to the plot.

Story - 6.5/10
The story is good, but nothing like what I expected after the reviews I read for it. It starts off where it left in Clannad and the first 8-10 episodes before Tomoya and Nagisa's marriage are basically fillers. Yes, they are hardly relevant to the plot. After their marriage, the story gets a little better as the couple's normal life takes place, but even in those episodes, there are scenes that you might want to skip.
The thing that completely destroyed the story was the ending. They go through all that and then what happens, somehow due to the supernatural element, Nagisa is alive like nothing ever happened. Although I liked that it was a happy ending, it wrecked the whole father-daughter build up.

Characters - 6/10
Tomoya got quite a but of character development but other than that, the characters weren't all that amazing. The thing that put off the most was that they basically trashed all the characters aside from Tomoya and Nagisa's family. All other characters that you might have liked hardly appear after the first few episodes. So in the end, all the spotlight that those other girls and Sunuhara got amounted for nothing.

Art and Sound - 6.5/10
The art and soundtracks were really nothing that you wouldn't find in the other romance anime.

Enjoyment - 6/10
Well, if I am speaking of Clannad After Story, I did enjoy the anime but I would say that there are many other anime out there which gave me much more enjoyment.

All in all, Clannad After Story is worth watching and you might actually come to love it, but I didn't. I like it a lot but I didn't find it exceptional, like most other guys did.

Magical, one of a kind beauty, executed and told in the most emotional way. Extremely unique and fascinating character development lead through life with its ups and downs. Realistic and tragic tale of love, life and living. A story which has lot to say and even more to offer. Life goes on, people change, but some things always stay the same. Or.. do they?

When I first watched Clannad, I thought it was a dull harem which had nothing spectacular to say. When I watched Clannad After Story, I thought it would offer the same dull nothing which Clannad was all about. This actually happened, but ... only for a short period of time. Soon after the start, Clannad After Story made some tragic acts and took a different route, completely new and fresh route. This route started a story which would never be forgotten. A story which would burn into the minds of all the people who end up watching the series. The mark it would leave would be a very positive and warm which would be treasured by majority of its viewers. But, in the same time, there would be people who would absolutely hate it and bear a great hatred towards the series and people who made it.

During the run, Clannad After Story becomes very realistic. So realistic that it is closer to truth than anything, and the truth is something we can't handle, so we get to see something else instead. A conclusion where the world is something "better" and far more "good" than what people would expect from reality. A conclusion which makes Clannad After Story a series which gives absolutely no value to the dead nor those who have dealt with the death of someone close. The ending is the prefect way to ruin one of the most impactful series possible, and change ones views about the series completely. It's an immature wish fulfillment ending which is executed solely because of viewers preferences for happiness. This unneeded happy ending destroyes everything the series itself managed to accomplish, but only in terms of the fiction, and not in terms of already experienced emotions, which is why majority of people can keep calling Clannad After Story a masterpiece.

There is a lot of people saying that Clannad After Story is the most perfect anime out there. World changing and life changing series which determinates ones humanity and shows how good of a person they are. This is ridiculous. What I, and majority of people seem to get of Clannad After Story, is that there is definitely good people in the world. This is where I stop. After that becomes the conclusion that good stuff happen to good people. There are miracles in the world and these miracles happen and make people happy. What Clannad After Story really makes is not a miracle, it is a cop-out with a lot of foreseeing. One very popular topic about the ending is the use of deus ex machina, which frankly, doesn't even matter. The trope used there is irrelevant since tropes aren't defining quality. The ending is nothing but a second change given in a situation where you don't fucking need a second change. You are supposed to live like the rest of us, not to fucking miraculously get back the things that can't be gotten back.

Lastly, I loved Clannad After Story, and that's why I hate it.

Our life is like a cycle, sometimes we are above and sometimes we are under

Clannad ~After Story~ is a sequel from Clannad and an adaptation from the original Visual Novel created by KEY. The anime often heard in my ear as one of the best anime. I always ask myself, ''Why? Why Clannad very famous? Is it really that good?". But now, I know something special is exist in this story.

If you looked Clannad AS, there is not much to say about the plot. It told us a tale of a man that suffer the difficulties of living, and how he pass through it. ... In the early episode, the storytelling almost looks same like the first season described as not too essential. But after that, the story run into one focused and unique storytelling.One of the other major fruitfulness is the story managed to wrap all of the mixed feelings that are not rigid and suitable with the story. There are various moral lessons we can learn, one of them is "even though you've had a painful past, you can overcome it by looking into the future with the ones you love", and many moral lessons includes in this story, it is the most powerful aspect of the story. The pacing it's relatively slow but fit with this kind of settings. Next, the ending, the most widely criticized part of Clannad After Story is its deus ex machina ending, it still abstract to understandable if the viewers don't understand the mysteries that lurked, which can bring a little bit confusion to the viewers.

The animation is wonderful, set in a beautiful world, have a great background details and colorful art. Although I know there is many people disliked the character big eyes design, but it really needs praise for the breathtaking environment. The sound settings are well-matched with the feeling of the story, the OP theme song "Toki wo Kizamu Uta (時を刻む唄)" by Lia really represents the expression of the story. The seiyuu did a wonderful job in bringing such character to the screen.

I almost shocked and silent, It's just so perfect & unmatchable. The main character grows to more mature. Every character has their proper development & plays their roles well. There is a process and the results come. It is one of the deepest and detail character development I ever saw.

There goes Clannad After Story, a story that made almost all of its audience draw their tears in their eyes. If you looking an anime that succeeds both in their perfect character development and deep plot, Clannad After Story is the answer.

"So could these lights be shadows of something? If they are shadows, their bodies must exist somewhere else. Could things that exist somewhere else in some other world be creating these lights?"

Clannad After Story, sequel to another brilliant project of Key visual arts, brings you the magic of what a story can hold. It has the old high school romance, the friends, the drama, but it's not afraid and most certainly not attempting to hide it's supernatural aspect. You won't feel intact with the beauty of what Clannad has to offer if you don't realize the 'magic' behind it all. It brings life, and wonders ... to what life itself actually is.

Story: 10/10 - Proceeding from Clannad's last season, we have our beloved Nagisa and Tomoya, who are now thankfully a couple to die for. Once the first portion of the show is over, it enters into what we've been waiting for, the focus on the two MC's, and how they're now involved with each others futures, and the events, or drama that happens within it. Friends seem almost non-existent when you are in love, all your mind can think about are images of that person's face, the one you know you can't live without. Okazaki and Nagisa went one way, and all of their fellow classmates soon depart another. Whether you were a Nagisa fan from the beginning or not the story almost twists you into having a bit of sympathy in the least, and I feel if a writer is able to do something like that, then round up the applauses because damn am I impressed!

It's a vast universe, when you lock souls with that other, it almost seems like a miracle.

Art: 9/10 - From the unique visuals used for the toy robot and the Illusionary girl, to the mere fluidity in Tomoyo's 1,000 kick combo! I have never been less than impressed when it comes to a Key production. The opening songs are beautiful in both art and sound and I can't get enough of the foreshadowing. Kyoto's visual arts know when to emphasize a scene of significance; the baseball soaring through the air, it turns into a close-up, spinning ever so slowly, and then we return to the story of the Illusionary girl, and the field which constantly emits these orbs of light, floating, as if the world they're in, has it's own sort of weather. The atmosphere of Clannad is what pulls one into the anime, almost like you're experiencing it all as well.

Sound: 8/10 - Again, the opening songs for the prequel and Clannad AS itself were both very pleasing to the ears, but had a kind of melancholic tone, this only grows stronger as you progress through the series because you then are able to reflect on all the characters as you see the images pass by. The sound effects for everything else aren't much to write home about but the soundtrack is quite amazing! The synchronization of the bgm and the scene at hand could be the reason you find yourself bawling or tearing up on the side because of how heavy it all feels at once. I have no words for how sad one single soundtrack could make you feel.

Characters: 9/10 - The idiot, the genius, the tsundere, the tomboy, the shy girl, the airhead, the goofball. All of these generic characters in one show, but how do they manage to be so entertaining and get them spot-on? Because it's just done well, and isn't boring, or frustrating and repititive. The characters mingle with each other like how they're suppose to and nothing seems out of place, or unordinary. Aside from Fuko. Now that relationships have developed and it's almost time for graduation, the 'friends' almost seem like a family.

Dango Dai kazoku!

Enjoyment: 10/10 - Never will I forget such a series, and I will continue to recommend it as long as I keep interest in anime, and I don't plan on abandoning it anytime soon. Let's hope it sticks, but Clannad can and WILL teach you a few things about life, it isn't easy but miracles do happen, so don't let go of that strand of hope, and keep on pushing for what it is you seek. It'll all be worth it! Just like an alternate world, there are always alternative options, don't fret, keep your eyes on the prize! As they say.