Shall we begin with
Overall 8
And Enjoyment 8?
because overall, my Enjoyment encroached upon every other category and shifted the balance from “7" to "8" (or even "9" had you asked me in a moment of weakness -- aka, sobbing into my hands while one of the lovely background themes repeated itself...)
Story 7
I cried. twice. or three -- don't remember the exact number but I do remember I wanted to cry -- no, I needed to cry because the dramatic circumstances of the characters demanded I do. The anime is divided into story arcs for the five girls/girl archetypes and Key was successful in writing at least two arcs that have length-lending substance and pathos. Those, for me, happened to be the first two arcs (but I did cry again, toward the climactic ending). As I marathoned Clannad, I would advise watching it by arcs so your reservoir of tears is not as easily depleted.
SPOILERS/”WARNING: unrepentant rantings”: Fuko' pop-up's beyond her arc were MOE to the point where I wanted to smack myself as it was such contrived comic-relief I wanted to cry
Art 7 “The value of art is the value of empathy.”
This artwork was sincerely nice, likely from a good sizable art budget. Pretty and soft-edged and vanilla and the characters all looked nice (as in the I’m-pretty- enough-to-make-you cry for me-“nice”). Here I’m going to shamelessly begin my recommendation for another romance genre anime similar to Clannad’s slice-of-life feel and heroine-rescues-hero play: Hyouka. Watch it. Because the artwork there is Exquisite.
Sound 8 “Music arouses emotion.”
The opening song is good, as can be expected; so were the background themes which were repeated enough to weave that nostalgic air.
I was also won over by “Dango Daikozoku”. When I heard Nagisa hum the first few measures it squeaked “cute”, but as the music sang on it became “bittersweetly evocative”; it became the ending theme any great drama anime deserves. In Clannad, despite the trials and tribulations of the characters, all was overcome, and we have been delivered fairy tale happiness – if that’s not the epitome of happiness on the screen, what is? We all want to cry a little more before we break ourselves free from Clannad: I’m giving Sound an 8 for the catharsis it brings.
Character 6 “Writers need characters to make theirstory complete. But where do those characters come from? You.”
I like Nagisa as a symbol. She is the perfect princess in the dark tower, the dark tower being her physical fragility and the insecurities it brings. But she was too “perfect” for me to relate to. She does not seem able to express anger or real frustration. Actually, none of the girls could. They were all perfectly compliant to fawn over Tomoya. They felt literally like they were MADE to deliver a feel-good show. I can’t help, as a more adult and therefore jaded viewer, to want more.
I was also disappointed by Tomoya’s male “sidekick” (in the truest literal sense); instead of laughing fondly at him I was wincing as the many kicks, punches, roundhouse kicks, whatever maxed out CG violence could be were rained down on him. Sadistic.
And last but never the least: Tomoya, Tomoya, Tomoya. The character development is all from Okazaki-kun. I guess it is to be expected from a dating sim game.
If only we could all find our happy endings by falling in love. *Profound sigh. Or, for me specifically, have an Okazaki-kun.
I’m going to wrap this review by recommending Hyouka, again, if you want the same timeless story delivered in a more realistic fashion: charming side characters; a male lead who begins as lackadaisical but whose life becomes more meaningful through every act of an eternally-curious and passionately alive female protagonist.
