[SJCrew]

Exactly.

It happens in movies so much that it's really not all that special any more.

Indeed, one could argue that Clannad very effectively conveying romance without having to use such a scene is part of its distinctive charm; it's something that helps to distinguish Clannad from the commonplace and the typical as far as modern entertainment in general tends to handle romances.

I hear this one all the time. First of all, "unique" is not a direct translation to "good" nor "appropriate". I've seen it happen at least three times where Tomoya and Nagisa would stare at each other like they're about to kiss, hug, or whatever, but don't do anything. If they're even going to take it so far as to suggest something is going to happen, they should actually make it happen. It doesn't make sense to just tease the audience, pull the hook, and have nothing to show for it.

Secondly, breaking conventions for the sake of breaking conventions is stupid. Kissing is indicative of sexual attraction, which every romantic couple has some degree of. It's not even really a convention, it's just natural. Moments where Tomoya and Nagisa probably should have shared a kiss is instead replaced with more staring and random scene changes. They have a bad habit of doing this all throughout the anime, actually.

But Clannad was never about "hot and heavy" romance. Like synaesthetic rightly points out, Clannad is a dramedy. Romance is a secondary feature; it's not the driving feature of Clannad.

There are action movies with sex and makeouts but the movie is still all about action. A couple of additional nuances is not enough to change the focal point of a storyline. Don't get me wrong, I'm not concerned with the romance or sexual tension in and of themselves, just the fact that they seem to fit very well in certain moments where they are instead ignored.

Sure, I can too. It doesn't mean we need visual confirmation of it.

Yeah, you really need to stop thinking in absolutes. Technically, none of what we're discussing is really necessary since Clannad managed to be a great anime even without it. But there's always room for improvement, even in the best of fictional works.

I saw nothing at all wrong with how Tomoya came across in the anime. He struck me as a good friend with a healthy sense of humor and a strong sense of self, and eventually a caring and supporting boyfriend and husband to Nagisa.

I respect how anime Tomoya maintains his composure when amongst attractive female friends; how he keeps his cool and actually treats Kotomi, Kyou, Ryou, and Tomoyo just as good friends.

Heck, I find it encouraging. Tomoya shows that a guy actually can be a good platonic friend with girls.

I like the way he handled himself around the girls too. In fact, that's what any normal person should do in a friendship. However, being a complete prude in a romantic relationship is a different story altogether. When Kyou gives him one little peck on the lips, he gets all nervous and starts blushing like "Oh snap, did anybody see that?" That's just ridiculous, especially for a guy like Tomoya, who's generally cool and composed.