[houkoholic]

Originally Posted by iamandragon

Erm...for your reference, Kanon is about 'miracle' and Air is about 'hope'. If not, the other way round. Let me dig up my essays...

Ah, now I know why you don't see the family relationship theme in Clannad until many plays later.

If you look at each story, or even character in AIR, the common link is indeed a mother/child (not necesarily a blood-related) relationship, and dare I say much more apparent that the "hope" theme.

Spoiler for spoiler for AIR:

Kano's: her wish to see her mother via "magic", Hijiri's dual sister/mother role. As well as the feather which Kano found is also the memories of the love of the mother who wanted to save her child.
Minagi: her love for her mother made her "played" the role of Michiru. Her mother's love for Michiru causing her mental condition.
Mizusu/Haruko: their mother/daughter relationship and what it means to be that, even though they're not true mother/daughter.
Kanna: her journay to search for her mother is the entire point of the Summer Arc.

Even Yukito has a very special relationship with his mother, who passed on a seemingly impossible task to him, yet he persued it. It is because as he himself said, he loved it when he gets praised and greeted with the warm smile of his mother and wanted to satisfy her wish.

The mother/child theme in AIR is very very strong and is a common theme in all the stories and the characters.