May 6, 2016
Clannad : After Story is the direct continuation to Clannad, a visual novel developped by Key. After watching it all, I feel compelled to write my first anime review ever for what is considered by most as a must watch.
A bit of context on when I watched it : I had already watched Clannad first season a bit after its full release. However, I didn't like it at all : I still think the art, plot and characters are generic. Thus, I randomly decided 7 years later (and after being baited with spoilers) to watch its continuation and reach my own conclusion on a work
...
I couldn't understand the fascination for.
Clannad : After story can be divided in 3 arcs : first one is pretty much like Clannad first season. It's uninspired and generic, but it could be worse. It ends on episode 8.
C:AS really shines with its two last arcs which could be (and should have been) a season of their own. The main character faces realistic issues : he has to grow up and become a functional adult. And this is probably one of the few anime to show a character struggle with adult fears and problems. The culmination of the plot is reached in episode 19 where the show should have ended. Alas, for the sake of drama, the authors decided to asspull a bad ending and a deus ex machina on the plot which ruined the moral of the story.
Characters can be divided in three groups :
- The typical harem girls which are generic. Even the main girl Nagisa is a caricature of a woman
- The main character Tomoya who evolves a great deal. To elaborate, the protagonist has great development, flaws and quality. He's the first character in fiction I ever wanted to punch when he made mistakes.
- The main girl family, idealized but necessary for the plot to work
The character design ranges from uncanny (the girls eyes...) to generic (Tomoya).
Soundtrack is fair but each music goes well with the scene they play with.
To conclude, even if harem and slice of life animes aren't to your taste, you should watch Clannad : After story for the exceptional episodes 9 to 19 which carry the rest of the series and which will probably leave you thinking about how you live or will live you adult life.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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