Poll: Kanon, Da Capo, or Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien?

[Maceart]

Gather 'round everyone...Express y'all opinions on which of these is the best romance anime of 2003 (well kanon is techically 2002)

I have to say Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien. The emotional twists, the plot turns, the characters... all of those constituted to be a very deep, meaningful anime.

[xris]

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So please discuss the topic and try to give reasons for your selection of which of these series you prefer.

---

Myself, I would be interested to hear people's view on this since I've only watched the first few episodes of each. Out of the three I'm most tempted to finish off KgNE but since I haven't watched more than 4 epiosdes of any of them, I'm not in a good position to make a choice.

P.S. Moved thread into the General Anime forum.

[Mr_Paper]

I voted for Kimi ga Nozomu Eien.

While I did enjoy Da Capo and Kanon, I found the more mature and older characters in Kimi ga Nozomu Eien somewhat more appealing. The more adult themes of the anime certainly didn't hurt my decision either. I've been watching the genre for some time and I guess it was the approach of having the story start in the last days of high school but mainly take place several years later that really sold the series to me. Most series in this particular genre only take place during the school years so it was nice to see one that didn't.

[bluemist]

I voted for Kimi ga Nozomu Eien as well.

It raised the level of what I want to see in a good anime. It really is different from any other bishoujo game turned anime series. Initially it started with typical stuff but afterwards it's been surprise after surprise. Unlike the others, it immediately left the tired and true world of 'bishoujo high schools' and focuses on semi-mature themes. Not many series can do that, not even bishoujo games.

Da Capo and Kanon are two excellent animes as well. The thing is I didn't buy the 'magic' and stuff featured in the series. In my opinion, the 'magic' theme is better expressed in Da Capo, and it drives the emotional impact. In Kanon, it is primarily used as a 'key' plot device, and because of that I feel that the entire series is unrealistic...

Spoiler:

...in a sense that all this time the Ayu that they've been seeing is a ghostly image of the Ayu that is comatosed. It's so weird it didn't provide any emotional impact for me. Maybe the anime just didn't do it as well as the original game.

[7thMethuselah]

AAARGH

Talk about a though choice, you sure picked about the three best romance/drama anime's out there. But in the end my choice goes to Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien.
The reason is as follows :

Da Capo starts off light and only develops into a more dramatic anime later on, the second issue about it is the relationship between the two main characters isn't really worked out (once Nemu gets sick) which is something that kept bothering me.

Kanon is beautiful and is a close second for me but it centers around different characters so while I have alot of sympathies for all characters involved I'm forced to pick a favorite, storywise this anime is nearly perfect however

KGNE : I choose it because this anime is as real as life can get, this was drama that kept me on the edge of my seat for weeks, nothing in it is fake and the pain Mitsuki went through really got to me. The situations are very recognisable and some of the stuff that happened actually happened to me or friends of mine in real life. Also there is no need for a "magic" aspect present in the 2 other animes to resolve the issue.

Hard to choose but still
1. KGNE
2. Kanon (loses after a fotofinish)
3. Da Capo


PS

Originally Posted by xris

Myself, I would be interested to hear people's view on this since I've only watched the first few episodes of each. Out of the three I'm most tempted to finish off KgNE but since I haven't watched more than 4 epiosdes of any of them, I'm not in a good position to make a choice.

If you wanna compare between DC and Kanon there is a good discussion thread in the suggestions forum about it Kanon or Da Capo: which one to watch

[TronDD]

Kanon, hands down. As I've said many times, no other show has hit me as hard emotionally as Kanon. I had no idea what was in store for me when I started watching it. I don't think there will ever be another show that can come close to how Kanon effected me and I will forever be reminded of it when I see certain things.

KGNE is second. Started out very good. Every episode was a tearjerker for a while. Then the "real" characters started making the dumbest, most retarted, choices and that blew it for me. Everyone in that show was either a jerk or in a coma. It was still a touching ending, though, but I didn't feel for the characters as much as they would have wanted me to. PS: Except Ayu, she was the biggest jerk of them all on the outside but was also the sweetest and most caring undernieth.

Da Capo is good because it reminds me of Kanon. Very similar but has comedy for a while. It was entertaining and moving but not in a big way.

[boneyjellyfish]

What, no choice for Mizuiro? Aww....

From the choices you DID give, I'd probably give my pick to Kanon. My decision was riddled with little decisions, though. For instance, did I enjoy Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien, the anime soap opera with overacting? You know, it's the one that's way too melodromatic for its own good. Well, I certainly enjoyed it, but not as much as Da Capo and Kanon.

So that just left me with Da Capo and Kanon, two very good anime series that impressed me with their endings. Both of them had boring first halves followed by a very exciting, VERY emotional second half. Both of them had a dying girl. Both of them had a tree. However, it all came down to the one with taiyaki, and that's Kanon.

Kanon gets my final vote.

[Maceart]

Mizuiro couldn't make it into the poll... While it was a great watch, the movie-style presentation and the fact that it was only 2 episodes couldn't let it compete with the three I mentioned above.

Mizuiro would have made a great 13 episode series...too bad it was only an OAV.

Back to my choice of Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien, I'll say that I chose that because it was the first of the three I watched. Wow. Hooked me on the romance-drama-schoolkids genre. I think that the first impression makes a big impact on most people.

[ladholyman]

Kiminozo gets my vote. Although the main character is not very likeable, the show really concentrates on the romance and drama aspects. In Da Capo, there was all this magic and supernatural influences along with side episodes that made it not a pure romance/drama anime. Kanon does come in a close second, since Kawasumi Mai is a very touching character. Even though it does seem like a soap opera at times, I'd rather watch Kiminozo over any soap opera any day.

[Kyuven]

KGNE
never have i seen an anime where the contrast in personalities between the female leads and the male lead are so drastic:
Mitsuki: Awesome
Haruka: Awesome
Akane: Bitch, but still cool
Takayuki: i wanted to kill him. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he was a complete jerk to every female character on the show at one point or another:

Spoiler:

He slept with Mitsuki maaaany times even AFTER haruka woke up. He ditched Mitsuki several times to visit haruka or...well, do stuff. He was a general bully to Ayu and Mayu. About the only characters he didn't piss off were the nurses -_-

[SirCanealot]

Da Capo. A longer series, and I found both Kanon and KgNE lacking in certain areas.

And the Da Capo girls are just too damn cute

[ramune]

Finally someone else chose Da Capo also.

Kanon is very good, but the game is better. Or can I say I prefer the Nayuki or Shiori ending?

KGNE is second. I like the mature theme of this anime, but sometimes it gets too dramatic as the main character makes some really dumb choices. It's good to watch it as a soap opera though.

I like Da Capo because it has both comedies and dramas. Also the main character is one of the few male leads in romance anime who doesn't act like a jerk towards the girls. And of course Da Capo has the best female casts (especially Kotori) of all three series.

[Maceart]

I agree. Kotori was probably one of the best designed and best female anime character in general. (and she was voiced by Yui Hori!!!)

Poll started 12 hours ago:
Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien wins by a thread

[7thMethuselah]

Originally Posted by Maceart

Poll started 12 hours ago:
Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien wins by a thread

Well I wouldn't call it a win since many people stated (myself included) that was a close call between Kanon and KGNE, more something of a draw. I didn't expect Da Capo to do so bad however. It's in the details that KGNE got the upperhand for me, I liked a art a bit better but then Kanon's story is just perfect. And I loved the end ...

[relentlessflame]

I find it really hard to pick between the three myself - above all I would say that, if you like any one of these, you should watch the other two as well (and the Mizuiro 2003 OVA also, as was mentioned)! Sometimes knowing which one is "the best" is interesting, but why pick one, when you can pick them all!

For what it's worth, though, Kanon will always have a soft spot in my heart since it's the one I watched first. I'm not sure that it's my favorite of the three, though; they were each great and are in my top favorites. It's definitely my favorite genre.

[Lina Inverse]

I'll pick da Capo from the three! While the other three surely aren't bad, I liked Da Capo the best.
It has a good portion of comedy and drama, and the male lead is behaving nice towards the girls (which are just too cute for words...).

[boneyjellyfish]

Originally Posted by relentlessflame

I find it really hard to pick between the three myself - above all I would say that, if you like any one of these, you should watch the other two as well (and the Mizuiro 2003 OVA also, as was mentioned)! Sometimes knowing which one is "the best" is interesting, but why pick one, when you can pick them all!

Unfortunately, the way the Mizuiro 2003 OVA was set up made it extremely confusing if you hadn't played the game or watched Kanon before. I first watched the 2003 OVA before playing the game and I was actually rather impressed, but only because I had watched Kanon before and was able to piece together the ending. After playing the game, I watched it again and I was disappointed. Instead of concentrating on the Hiyori scenario from the game, they merged the Hiyori and Yuki scenarios into one story and then skipped over any details that foreshadowed the ending (which were present in the game).

I know I'm probably crazy for saying this, but I actually thought the ecchi OVA did a better job of portraying the individual scenarios than the 2003 OVA.

[Arwyn]

This was a tough one, for me it was a toss up between KGNE and Da Capo.

Kanon was good, but I though it suffered from being a little fractured and inconsistent in the storylines. It definately had its moments, but it kept breaking the pace of the show. I supposed if I had played the game, it might have worked a little better for me. Some of the characters were kind of like an afterthought, and others started out very interesting and then never really developed well. Still a good show, but it could have been great with a little more work. And I will admit, the art didnt do a whole lot for me either, so it sold me strictly on the storyline.

Da Capo was great, it had some good comedy, and then some serious drama as well. I did like the fact that it tried to wrap up the stories for all the girls, and all the characters were appealing in their own ways. DC did a really good job of giving all the characters distinct personalites and motivations, and then made sure they stayed true to them. As the storyline pick up pace along with the drama portion, it really does get emotionally engaging. I would have say its a really good show that blends a lot of elements and still manages to be a really strong dramatic series. If it has any weak points, I would have to say that the ending left me wanting a little more.

KGNE was a straight drama throughout, and the emotional impact hit me like a brick. I really felt for all the main characters (well most of the mains, Shinji was more of a plot device) and really got hooked on the fact that it wasnt another high school romance/drama. The subject matter was certainly much more mature and some of the really ugly painful emotional stuff was really well done. Parts of it were kind of like watching a train wreck happening, you knew it was going to be ugly, but you couldnt look away.

I think the thing that makes all three so good is that there arent any fairly tale "happily ever after" Disney crap endings. All of these series had a stong bittersweet emotional tale to tell. People had to make choices, and no matter what, it was going to impact and effect the people around them, and in some cases, hurt them. I guess you could call it "emotional realism" and it really sold me on all of them.

For me it really came down to KGNE as the one that had the most impact. This series had more emotional impact for me, and really did a hell of a job hooking me on the genre, which I really hadnt looked at before.

Da Capo would be in second place. I like the characters, and I agree that for a change the male lead wasnt someone you wanted to beat the hell out of for a change. The characters were strong and well done, it just didnt quite have as strong an emotional impact for me as KGNE did.

Kanon was third, and I think if they had expanded the storyline and fleshed some things out further, it would have been a much stronger story. It was good, but it left me going "but what about......" at the end.

[Maceart]

Originally Posted by boneyjellyfish

I know I'm probably crazy for saying this, but I actually thought the ecchi OVA did a better job of portraying the individual scenarios than the 2003 OVA.

For characterization? An h-anime had better characterization than a real OAV? O_o

Well I thought that mizuiro oav was very well done, considering it was only 2 episodes. The main character was also someone that wasn't a prick or a dweeb. I liked the plot twist that the Oav started out with.

yes, mizuiro is a lot like kanon

[boneyjellyfish]

Originally Posted by Maceart

For characterization? An h-anime had better characterization than a real OAV? O_o

Well I thought that mizuiro oav was very well done, considering it was only 2 episodes. The main character was also someone that wasn't a prick or a dweeb. I liked the plot twist that the Oav started out with.

yes, mizuiro is a lot like kanon

Now now now, I never said that and you know it. I said that it showed the individual SCENARIOS better than in the 2003 OVA. However, that doesn't mean it was any better. In fact, the ecchi OVA was much, much worse than the 2003 OVA. I agree that the plot in the 2003 OVA was very nicely done. The first episode was just so beautiful, but the second episode was just terrible. It was rushed beyond belief and didn't explain ANY part of the ending. The only way I was able to piece it together was because of the similarity it had to Kanon. If I hadn't seen Kanon before watching it... I probably would have been so confused.

I think the 2003 OVA would have been a lot better if they had just stuck to the Hiyori scenario which is, in my opinion, the best of all of them.