Clannad is masterful at using the minimum necessary stimulus to present a message. No character says “I like you” to another, or any analogue. Despite this, the audience knows without friction which characters are attracted to each other. And there are a lot of crushes in this story. Zen considers descriptions a poor substitute for direct experience. Clannad avoids insufficient labels. The audience participates in the event and perceives the exact reality. Tomoya puts his hand on Nagisa’s head. She asks him, “What’s this hand for?” and he replies, “Betsuni.” (“I don’t know"/ “It’s not important”) This is how real people talk and act. We learn a direct reality about Tomoya. It isn't, “Tomoya likes Nagisa.” It's, “Tomoya is a person who seeks out Nagisa, and when he discovers her in a state of disappointment, puts his hand on her head.” That’s who Tomoya *is*.
Ichinose Kotomi ignores Tomoya unless he calls her Kotomi-chan. “What is the relationship between you two?” Ibuki Fuko demands of him. He says, “It is exactly as you see it.” This is the only true response. Every relationship has an N of 1 (statistics terminology). “We are boyfriend-girlfriend” and “we are just friends” are shallow labels shared by millions. They are an approximation. Everything is as it is. Then mental frameworks, conceptions, and approximations build an idea in your head that is not the same as the original reality. Tomoya is right. “It is exactly as you see it.”
Less wasteful dialogue means more silence. Clannad pauses for contemplation better than any show I have watched. It’s an ideal opportunity to leverage its simple but evocative melodies. Clannad characterizes Tomoya with an early montage. He watches a street performer strum a guitar. He sits at a bench watching the sun as it goes from low in the sky to completely set. A sparse piano melody accompanies, no more than 3 notes at a time. It's a runtime of about 15 seconds during which we share an entire evening with Tomoya. We learn a lot, and no words are needed. Tomoya briefly passes a window where we hear laughing children and their mother. This is brilliant. Clannad has a razor-sharp focus on family. It infuses everything in the show. This short burst of laughter contrasts with Tomoya’s current state of being and is a bridge to a new world inside the current world. Tomoya is about to enter Nagisa’s home and meet her family.
The plot of Clannad is slow. Characters do not progress. They are shallow and have extreme characteristics. This creates sharp contrasts for memorable relationships and odd behavior for comedic effect. Clannad is at times slapstick and other times understated. The less obvious jokes suit my taste; I find Clannad’s dry humor hilarious. The exaggerated characters paint a portrait of the variety of humankind. Many acts in this anime are not to be taken literally, and not just because there are magical aspects of the story. This anime is about relationships. Behavior represents a canvas for the emotional and mental state of characters. It rarely advances a progression of activities.
Clannad exists to tell us that no man is an island. Tomoya is a preternaturally isolated individual who becomes acquainted with some of the most meaningful family relationships you will ever see. Fujibayashis Kyou and Ryou. Furukawas Akio and Sanae. Ibukis Fuko and Kouko. Sunoharas Youhei and Mei. Clannad is full of flawed and weak individuals. Clannad’s first season is not here to give you some fairy tale. It’s a highly inspirational story, because these characters, despite manifest weaknesses, strive fiercely to do the best they can for their loved ones. You see them ganbatte over and over through difficult circumstances. Clannad gives a vision of perfection: an image of how its creators think people should act through trying times. Everyone should emulate these characters.
Clannad is a true masterpiece.
