I have, with quite good reason, always been skeptical of anime sequels. Too often I find myself watching and enjoying a series, only to be disappointed by a sequel whose only redeeming quality lies in its use of the franchise name. This most certainly was the case with Clannad, as the series ended both poignantly and with a certain level of closure. Try as I might, I could not envision a follow-up being anything more than filler-driven fluff, especially at a twenty-four episode length, and thus stalled it for as long as I could.
But then I actually sat down and watched After Story, and you can only imagine my surprise when it turned out to be not only on par with its predecessor, but better. Though still maintaining its triplex of comedy, drama, and romance, After Story places substantially more emphasis on the latter two categories, allowing for an emotional journey through the characters' ever-changing lives. As can be expected, it picks up where the first left off, and wastes no time in reacquainting the viewer with the original cast. Many of the classic antics resurface - such as those between Akio and Sanae - to usher in a fair bit of nostalgia, but are handled in such a way that feel different from their original context.
Indeed, they end up carrying an almost bittersweet sensation, as the events which they parallel possess a more solemn tone than before. As the nature of their problems change, Tomoya and Nagisa's romance begins to evolve in a more realistic fashion, and paves the way for a beautiful story between the two. Despite maintaining a large cast of side characters, their importance is minimized or discarded whenever needed, and not once do they intrude on the series' elegant pacing. In many ways the number of relevant characters shrinks so substantially that the harem tag could be lost altogether, and from the get-go it becomes quite apparent that After Story's sole focus is to tell their heartwarming tale. There exists no extraneous fluff, and the end result is an anime whose many charms are all handled with equal mastery.
Animation
Again, as I mentioned in my Clannad review, the quality of Kyoto Animation's work is simply stunning. The detail simply blew me away, as After Story captures all the necessary visual subtleties to convey a strong emotional impact. From gorgeous midnight snows to soft, melancholy smiles, I can't really think of one place where it goes astray. Lavish color palettes and vivid contrast round out the score, highlighting an absolutely superb level of direction. I am left near speechless; Kyoto Animation continues to impress by not only maintaining a high level of quality, but by building upon their previous works to make each better than the last.
Sound
Though After Story only flaunts a few new insert songs of its own, the size of the original soundtrack makes this an almost trivial point. Utilizing some sixty tracks along with a handful from a remix album, the choice of music never feels overused or stagnant. All its uses sound perfectly appropriate and match their scenes with as much finesse as the visuals, leaving me with little argument against the reuse as a negative. Combined with absolutely stellar voice acting, the audible score breathes emotion from every angle, and is nothing short of wonderful.
Characters
In terms of the individual characters, it's hard to spell out much without leading too much into the details of the story; simply put, the main focus is on Tomoya and Nagisa. As for the rest, all the designs from Clannad are kept true, allowing After Story to play on their already-developed personalities without the need for further background. Perhaps my only complaint lies in the small tinge of lip-service paid to some of the side characters at the very beginning, but in retrospect I think their inclusion made perfect sense. While After Story certainly is not flawless, it hits all the important nails squarely on the head, and segues into a very satisfying character sequence for which I have only praise.
Overall
What else can I say? Of all the romance anime I've crossed throughout the years, Clannad After Story easily ranks among the best. It manages to convey touching drama, beautiful romance, and hilarious-yet-fitting comedy all in one measure, building magnificently on its predecessor to end with a wonderful overture.
8/10
story
9/10
animation
9/10
sound
9/10
characters
9/10
overall
