Thought it taked more than one full month to see it all (has I too had another animes I wanted to watch and stuff to do), after watching Clannad I had to start ~AS~! So that is what I have done.
Many reviews have already said this, ~AS~ timeline spawns from the end of Clannad to 7 years later, and the story focus on Tomoya and what happens to him through those 7 years!
Though ~AS~ starts so slow and a bit boring at the beggining, it really starts picking up from 9-10 episodes. Dont get me wrong from 1-9, you will be enjoyed (you have some great sad emotional moments) but if you didnt think Clannad was that amazing, probably you wont enjoy that much the beggining of ~AS~, but don't quit, it isnt that bad of a pace, you just need time to start getting more attached to the characters (this was easy for me since I already had saw 24 anime episodes of their previous lives) and from that point on, even if it isnt amazing, you will enjoy seeing the characters you so much invested from Clannad season 1 up till now facing hardships of life and moving forward!!
As I said, this is up to 9-10 episode!! I will talk about some minor spoilers now, since I really want to give the best review possible on my part.
From 9-10 episode forwards things start to change more and more, alot I wont spoil, since it has to be firstly experienced by yourself, but lets just say that ~AS~ really starts picking up and getting more interesting since the point Tomoya goes into the world!!
He has to start to work, to adapt to the society rules, and it is not easy for him at first, but for Nagisa and they future happy life dreamt off, he has to do it!
The evolution of Tomoya from a teenager "punk" to a more mature person, a adult, that has to take care of those dear to him, across the harships he will have to go through in his life is so well done and realistic, I cried at some parts, I m to not a crying baby and I dont remenber crying more than once at Clannad season 1, lets just say I cried at least 3-4 times on ~AS~!!
People change with time and the same happens to the enviroment surrounding them (natural cycle of evolution of life.), and so with time Nagisa and Tomoya have a daughter called Ushio, and when you are seeing this all happening, it just feels so realistic and natural, the pace is AMAZINGLY DONE IMO!!
There will be lots of plot and character development throught ~AS~, Tomoya has to manage to take care of his daughter and his family, being the theme of parent-child very well done here.
Family and natural progression of life and the harships you have to surpass to live on, I call it a real After Story of Clannad, they say After Story and it really gives that feeling to you!!
I would love to see other favs of mine to get this After Story treament!! I dont think it will be very possible, sadly... so we reach here, what made me want to review it:
-Great well paced story (story-9);
-Outstading well done art, characters and scenario, not the best, but really great at it (art-9);
-Good music to pace emotional scenes, at first, but now that I have listened to the OST multiple times, it is really a great soundtrack, I just didnt felt that much for the END's and OP's (sound-9);
-One of the best and more realistics character development that I ever seen being done in only less than 24 episodes (character-10);
-Alot of great happy moments (yes it has some really good ones, forgot to mention it), and sad and emotional moments, that make you feel like you are watching yourself (like a spin off of what could had been your life), you put yourself in Tomoya "shoes", and you create a bond with his character (enjoyment-10);
-And overall it is a 9,4!! It maybe a anime, a story that didn't happen, but at the same time, it could be you there giving your best (or not, sometimes...), while Clannad was dramatic, it was kind of a highschool drama,~AS~ is diferent, it is more mature, and I dont want to call it a drama of adult life, because for me that is what life is!!
It isnt either black or white, it is what it is!!
You are born into this world, and through your life, you will influence changes in it! You will be happy and you will cry and eventually one day die, but even without you, this world will keep chaging!
And this cycle will continue on and on, forever.
But it is what you do and have done that matters, your good and bad moments, what you learn and at the cost of what, the bonds you forged, the lifes you saved, created, and made happier! Clannad After Story is a very powerfull masterpiece of Art, as a entertaining content!
It is something that I wont forget, and that when I think of it, will always remind me of the importance of life! The people we love and what we do to sustain what we like and love through our lives!!
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND seeing this anime, and it will be even better if you had previous watched his prequel.
Though it take me more than 3 weeks to see this, it is because I wanted to take my time with this show! As I could easily had marathoon it, more tissues would be needed...
I recommend it to you, take your time with ~AS~, and most probably, it will something for you to not EVER forget!
