[Akito Kinomoto]

My problem with Clannad After Story's ending wasn't how it worked but the function it performed. I knew how it worked; I didn't like what it did.

Spoiler for Clannad/After Story:

Undoing the series from After Story episode 16 and onward effectively means the fantastic development Tomoya went through never happened. He didn't learn how to cope with his loss, he didn't reconcile with Ushio, and he didn't make peace with his father. I didn't want Ushio to die either but the ending could have been something like Tomoya carrying Ushio to someplace like Akio did Nagisa and maybe marry Tomoyo or Kyou for a realistic ending; the only fantasy-like elements the show had prior to then were Fuko's ghost and Katsuki. Sure, the Illusory World would have become pointless without the ending but in hindsight with that thread foreshadowing how the ending could work it's almost like Clannad was setting itself up for negation. Mayperhaps thinks the Illusory World might not have been needed if the series weren't so concerned about happy sunshine endings. Ironically, Clannad is at its best when there's an exchange of something lost VS something gained; Fuko is actually a ghost but her intentions went through to her sister; Kotomi's parents are dead but that teddy bear finally made it to her; Akio and Sanae lost one dream and gained another; Tomoya lost his love but learned how to hold on to it.

If there's that much discrepancy between the anime's ending the VN's ending then maychance I'll play it for myself. But overcoming something I conceptually disagree with from a storytelling standpoint will be quite the tall order.