I'll be one of a jillion people to review this anime, so take with a grain of salt. Some people think this and it's successor are some of the greatest pieces of animation ever to leave Japan. It's good, but it has problems.
Story.
The story to Clannad really doesn't develop for awhile. Basically you have a lazy deadbeat, who is a pretty good guy, and he stumbles across a shy, but cute girl. They are friends, meet other cute girls, all of whom usually crush on someone for awhile, get sad, and then things go on.
There is something of an overarching story that has a ephemeral feel to it, which is the only reason I made it through the first slog.
Then Fuka happened. Holy crap, Fuka's story was really good. I feel like it should have been the final arc, not the first, and is the only reason I didn't rate this dating sim as a 5 or lower.
Art.
Every character is stemmed from some guys hentai art. They are all decent, but like, on purpose moe. A few standouts are there, but other than hair and eyecolor, they could all be blank slates.
Sound.
Three songs. One for feels, one for opening, one for closing. The voice acting isn't as good as it could be.
Characters.
Again, waaaay too much moe. Sunohara is an awesome character, so is his sister, even though she's only one or two porno lines away from a hentai. There are a few gems, but you can see the director/writer making the transition from having a universe where the women are cumdumpsters waiting for dicks and tentacles, and a universe where they are important and have thoughts and opinions. It improves a lot, but the beginning was rough.
Enjoyment.
I did like the series, just not as much as some. YMMV.
Overall.
7: This isn't a bad score or a bad anime, but if you want comedy and harem, many do it better. If you want feels, skip this one and move to the second series, "After Story." Seriously, the only thing you won't get is Fuka. Or watch Anohana, or Angel Beats, or a lot of other emotional rides. Watch this one two, but it's a stepping stone for the directing team.
