Story: 9
The story would be an absolute 10 if not for some of the first arcs in the show. Though they were a bit more realistic than those in the first season of Clannad, I found myself not enjoying them quite as much if only because the themes are not my favorite things to watch in an anime. However, when the story really gets going, it grabs and pulls you along. I find it especially potent because of how we get to watch the characters grow and mature while the story occurs.
Art: 10
The art is absolutely beautiful. I love how the sun shines through the trees and especially the scenes from "The World That Has Ended".
Sound: 9
The opening is one of my favorite anime songs of all time, and the soundtrack through the episodes is nostalgic and contributes greatly to the events in the story. However, the ending wasn't great--there were a few episodes that ended on a distressing note, and the happy, upbeat ending just didn't fit well with the tone of the story at those times.
Character: 10
The characters were already introduced in Clannad, but now we get to watch them mature and become adults. Since I'm reaching that stage in my life around now, the character development is even more fascinating. I feel like the characters in the second season were more realistic, in some ways, than they were in the first season.
Enjoyment: 10
Full marks all the way. I no longer cry at the sad bits, but I did during at least my first two re-watches, and I always laugh at the funny parts (because they're priceless). This is a series that will never get old for me.
Overall: 10
I would absolutely recommend this to anyone, especially those in high school/college. Indeed, I have made many of my friends watch it (whether they REALLY wanted to or not), and they enjoyed it greatly as well. Through love, anger, sadness, grief, and hilarity, the meaning of "family" always shines through.
