For a while, i've been pondering. What anime doesn't feel like plastic, but feels so human? I've been a gloomy guy all along, but after watching this anime.....
I feel more vibrant. My experience in Clannad After Story has never been as fulfilling as any other anime. Action animes, like Shaman King, Other Romance animes like Toradora, you name it. This 22 episode journey of the perspective of a delinquent, Tomoya Okazaki, and how his life moved on after meeting Nagisa. And the difficulties he faced, and how he stood back straight, to face the challenges of life.
Before i begin this review, i may reveal some
...
minor spoilers , i apologise if i involuntarily do!!!
Right, now unto the main course.
Story : 10/10
Art: 9/10
Sound: 9/10
Character: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Overall:10/10
Story:
The plot is just breathtaking. For starters, this is a show that only gets better and better. Its worst, the first few episodes of the show, are still great, although the true beauty of Clannad only reveals from its veil later. The pacing starts off slightly awkward, where the characters in Clannad felt more surreal, where Tomoya suddenly gets brave enough to against a powerful adversary... The cliches literally fade after the first arc, where all i can say is that im in awe. It flows really smoothly and naturally after that, until the ending, where all i can say is that im slightly unclear what happened. I had to rewind the last 14 minutes to get a clear idea of what happened. Even so, the story really deserves more than a 10, although this is the limit i could do with. It is really done well, telling the story of life, which in this case embraces very important aspects of it, such as sorrow, happiness, the importance of family, and getting back up on your feet. Although some parts are kind of exaggerated, it is really necessary to get what the story wants to say straight.
Art:
The scenery are simply picturesque. I loved the scenes where they show the Sakura trees, although it is slightly biased ( I actually wanna go to witness those trees! ) How they illustrate the illusionary world is also remarkable too, the atmosphere is all there! Unto the characters, sadly, there isn't really anything stunning about the characters, but as they say, don't judge a book by its cover!! ( Will be covered on character later )
Sound:
I will keep this pretty short. The instruments used in this anime are really suitable. The OSTs are not the most delectable, but there sure is a constant flow of them to provide the atmosphere Clannad has to. There wasn't a time where i felt awkward about any scene; the jigsaw puzzle of the balance between music , atmosphere and character has been well done here. Clannad's plot also hides deep meanings that you have to uncover.
Now i would really have to compliment its opening, Toki o Kizamu Uta , sung by Lia, Composed by Jun Maeda. It may be catchy, resonating with you, but when you read the lyrics, it really ties in with the inner meaning of the anime, which is plain good.
However, i have to critique about the blunder they made about Torch by Lia. I do not understand why an emotional and deep anime like this would have such an upbeat ending. It ended up being a knife aimed at oneself, and ended up as a blunder, ruining some of the pristine atmosphere of clannad.
Character:
Does anything have to be said? Clannad has the best character skeletons in the whole anime. Nuff' said. There's nothing from naruto like Hey NEVER GIVE UP! There's nothing from Fairy Tail emphasizing " Oh wow this character is really flashy and cool!!"
What hypocrisy it receives when it faces this anime one on one. The hero, Tomoya Okazaki, is not plastic at all. His dynamicism really shows itself when he starts bonding with Nagisa, and Clannad does not show any mercy on his pitfalls. This anime also emphasizes the importance of family. Akki and his wife supported tomoya wholeheartedly during his pitfalls, and i feel really warm after watching this bonded family, compared to my broken family( Please learn to cherish your family !!! ). You also see the Nagisa being cheerful and upbeat no matter what happens to herself and Tomoya ( During second season at least ). The character development in the protagonists is perfectly done. It really feels like they are learning from their experiences, and carrying it on to the future. There may be some cliches, but instead of making the anime dull, it can be translated as another human world by its own beauty.
Enjoyment:
Enjoyment is unique to the viewer, but i enjoyed it on a whole new league from the top animes, even SAO, because every single time i watch it, it seems i have a new thing to learn from the characters. The excitement and anticipation is always there. It never fades. It isn't some childish suspense of action shows, but the interest in what the characters in Clannad will do next.
Suggestions:
- Perhaps this is extremely hard even for the genius jun Maeda, but i would actually recommend some conflicts between Nagisa and Tomoya, not OUTSIDE them. If done well, it could actually spice up the whole anime and bring its already prominent realism to a whole new level.
-The pacing of the story is great, but i would recommend 50 episodes instead of 44. That headroom isn't much, and it's enough for the plot to flow smoothly. Certain parts were definitely rushed, and it definitely could be smooth flowing.
-PLEASE DITCH TORCH. NUFF' SAID.
Thoughts:
A surge of varying emotions ran through me as i empathized with tomoya in the after story. Anger because of his dad , albeit being deluded that his father treats him as if he is not his son. Sorrow and mourning, Inspiration for a new cause. Hope. Wishes. There are more feelings, but what is the raison d'etre of me stating this is that it really is about LIFE. What we are living right now. For countless times Clannad denied me of many of my rash assumptions i made. Who said we needed action packed shows to deliver the thrill? Who said we needed some kiddy romance to enjoy? NO. One of the successes of Clannad is to illustrate the cruelty of life, and that nothing good comes out on dawdling.
At times, Clannad was the only anime to provoke my philosophical side. Is life that unforgiving? What choice would you make? Do you sacrifice interaction with others just because you're hurt? I'm sure Clannad will pose different questions from you, but you can be sure the answer is really useful in the future.
This isn't anime for the light hearted. It will make even the hardiest and numbed of souls think. Somehow to me, although i'm slightly gloomy, Nagisa taught me to try to be as upbeat as possible. Other characters like Tomoya taught me other It is an absolute truth that other viewers of Clannad have come to learn other powerful morals, i cannot question what you learn. The character model of Tomoya is so familiar and real, i bet you do not learn just 3 morals from the delinquent, but more than that.
In a nutshell, i did not expect such an anime's influence to enter the real world. For some reason, my mind involuntarily just changed. Perhaps the power of this anime is really underestimated. This anime will really give you unique experiences once you watch it, and i bet it can give you potent temptations to watch again not twice, but more than thrice.
Clannad , a life changer. I promise you, you will NEVER ever regret these hours you spend with this anime. Intimate, personal, life-changing. I promise you.
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Jan 2, 2013
Clannad: After Story
(Anime)
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For a while, i've been pondering. What anime doesn't feel like plastic, but feels so human? I've been a gloomy guy all along, but after watching this anime.....
I feel more vibrant. My experience in Clannad After Story has never been as fulfilling as any other anime. Action animes, like Shaman King, Other Romance animes like Toradora, you name it. This 22 episode journey of the perspective of a delinquent, Tomoya Okazaki, and how his life moved on after meeting Nagisa. And the difficulties he faced, and how he stood back straight, to face the challenges of life. Before i begin this review, i may reveal some ... |
