I had read about Clannad on forums but unfortunately some memes gave away some spoilers so I considered delaying watching it a bit. However due to the incessant pushing of a fellow otaku (god bless him) I decided to give my time to the show and finally see what everyone is talking about.
Oh boy am I glad I did that. Reading the description given above one might think oh damn not another harem, romance anime. But I assure you Clannad is nothing like your average romance harem anime.
Clannad took character development to a whole new level. The show follows a pattern where each arc is about one character and how Tomoya (our protagonist), at times along with Nagisa the leading lady, helps that character out. This pattern has been used many times in animes but it has been implemented very differently in Clannad. Each arc may take up to 3- 4 episodes I think. The way each story is told and unfolded and then nice wrapped by the end of the arc is just brilliant. Each arc holds you in place and takes you through a mirage of emotions where you laugh like a crazy person or cry your heart out.
The artwork is really good and changes in background color are used as a technique to convey the feelings of characters or the general mood that the audience is meant to feel.
The characters are wonderful and make you wish you knew them in real life. Each character goes through a lot of growth throughout the show which is not an easy task but the writers and director have accomplished this beautifully.
I loved all the characters but my favorite has to be Tomoya. Usually anime makers follow certain rules when creating the protagonist of their story. They are usually meek, shy and then all of a sudden they meet a girl and make loads of friends and all the girls fall in love with them and ugh I cant go on but you get my drift. Anyway Tomoya is nothing like that. He may be one of the most realistic characters I have come across in my anime watching years. His character develops the most in the show and is a treat to watch.
The English dub is fantastic with a top notch script that leaves your stomach in knots or at times melts your heart. The music is very powerful and used in a brilliant way and gently pulls at your heartstrings. It adds just the right touch to the scenes and makes the audience feel exactly what the creators want at that moment.
After finishing the two seasons I realized that I might not be able to find such a complete anime series ever again and that makes me sad. Well I guess its time to re-watch the series!!
