kotomi story was way better then this. At least i felt sorry for her and also fuko story and fuko didnt appear so it went all down the drain, no great sunoharo jokes.
oh my parents stopped/switched jobs ---> doomsday scenario i must go emo and kill myself *shrugs* >.>.
Well, Fuuko's and Kotomi's stories are supposed to concentrate most of the drama in CLANNAD school arc. If you feel the drama was lacking in Nagisa's story, then it did its job well because drama is one thing you shouldn't been feeling (at least not primarily) when watching what was shown of Nagisa's story. The message they are trying to convey is different, yet the same.
ehh kinda bad for a "final" episode. Idk i was just expecting too much from this ever since they announced clannad after kanon 2006. yes i know they're different kinds of animes but still. kanon just had a bigger impact on me, im not saying clannad was bad its just different. It still feels that the last episode is lacking...maybe the extra episodes will throw in some more laughs.
sono... nande iu ka? .... all things aside it didn't feel like a final episode to me.. I dont know... although it makes perfect since when you compare it to the other two Key peices they've done so far...
Air
Spoiler for DANGER: MAJOR SPOILER FOR AIR:
Spoiler for REALLY, TURN BACK NOW:
I didn't know anything of Key when I first watched Air... so the anime series was the first thought of it ... but it left me completely helpless after it's short 12 episodes ...
Misuzu faking feeling good to make Haruko happy, although you dont quite know it at the time...
"I want you to go on ahead a little way... your my goal, im going to walk all the way to you and Sora."
Then, it happens... Misuzu breaks and you realize she is at the end... "is it alright? I've done my best, haven't i? is it okay to cross the finish line already? No mom, the goal I've been trying to reach all of this time... I can finally rest now" ... *enter the lovliest version of Aozora* .... Haruko's reflections and pep talk to Sora ... Sora takes flight ... Sora's mothers wisdom ... flash back to the next step ... "for us it's just the beginning"
Man I've broken down again just going to review the last episode to make sure I wasn't crazy... and thats the I dont know HOW many times I've watched it... it still kills me.. every time...
So it was very fitting for the Mother-daughter theme ... comes together in the end quite well.
Kanon
Spoiler for DANGER: MAJOR SPOILER FOR KANON:
Spoiler for REALLY, TURN BACK NOW:
When I learned of Kanon 2006, I watched Toei's Kanon ...
The pain we see Nayuki in ... a cute little party she puts together ... Nayuki starts to avoid Yuichi... she leaves the message on the alarm clock ... Nayuki sees the name plate.. she rushes to tell him... her stold kiss giving up on him ... beautiful Last Regrets ("arigatou.....", opening to kanon 2006) ... Ayu recalls the seasons .. but her time has stopped .. there is no season at all... Yuichi rescues her from it.. and of course the erally funny "you absolutely wont laugh" ... I guess it erally did end with a confession...
So yes that was my basis walking into Kanon 2006 ...
Of course the pain started in the 23rd episode .. "I haven't changed at all. " "I couldn't do anything..." and Makoto's touching response.. Yuichi goes to the tree ... another beautiful Last Regrets ... mysterious reflections and her appearence ... "at our school, you can come and go whenevre you want" .. "Then it's time for my final wish... please forget about me, pretend I enver existed... from the start." "i can't possibly forget about you." ... "is my body still warm?" "of course it is" ... "I'm dreaming..." ... the apology to Nayuki ... and the end of Ayu's dream.
Thankfully that didnt hit me near as hard as Air just did ... but still hurts
Both do a pretty good job about the relationship / promises themes
Clannad
Spoiler for This episode just for continutity:
I tell no lies.. I started watching Clannad with no knowledge ... but after falling for Kotomi-chan I did a lot of reading, and infact helped (kinda) in the translation fo the after story... so I do know how powerful this story can be... anyhow..
Nagisa explains how shes such a bad child .... she sees just how dedicated her father was at acting, and she even further concludes ... her memories with her parents ...
Then Ossan becomes the best dad ever... "Realize your dream, Nagisa!" "Are you stupid?!?!" "That's what family is" "Nagisa, Ganbatte!!!"
So we have the realization of the family (both blood and friends) realized ...
it was very moving and great.. and true to form ... kedo...
Spoiler for Why it didn't feel like the end:
instead of providng releif from the stress, or showign the happiness in the sadness.... they delve into the other world... which is good .... and maybe it is enough? I dont know... but it jsut brings more questions than answers to some degree...
But then they don't resolve the father problem at all with Tomoya... infact bringing him back in at this point reminds you that Tomoya still is having serious issues with him...
But even though it doesnt feel closed.. it was pretty good.... and Kyoani has done an amazing job telling the story.. so far... but I just can't give it a 10.. :-/
I wonder if maybe the hype had something to do with some of the negative reactions this series is getting now. That's why I usually go into things with a neutral attitude.
Hmm... just as a little comment in TWH subs. When Nagisa comments
"You're also the same, Okazaki-san. In order to achieve your own dream, you're using up everyone else's time"
wasn't it more like
"I'm also being ungrateful to you, Okazaki-san. In order to achieve my own dream, I'm using everyone else's time"
Anyway, after a rewatch and a change of mindset this episode started to shine on its own. As a stand alone episode, and as a continuation of Nagisa's story its quite a nice conclusion to the current set of problems, and a door for a baggage of possibilities. While I disagree with KyoAni's choice for a cut point, I'm quite content with the rest of the episode content. Presentation, scenario design, timming, song direction. I couldn't have expressed myself it better.
I wonder if maybe the hype had something to do with some of the negative reactions this series is getting now. That's why I usually go into things with a neutral attitude.
It's quite possible this is the case. Kyoto had some really big shoes to fill because Clannad, the game, was VERY well done...second best Key production imho (sorry, TomoAfter takes the #1 spot for me by a long shot). Reviews on amazon.co.jp, blog entries, etc rank Clannad very high.
That said, you have people like myself who've played through the entire game critiquing (sp?) the game with certain expectations. You have people who've heard from a friend (of a friend of a friend's uncle's daughter's boyfriend...you get the idea) that Clannad will be a stellar production with certain expectations. And you also have people who know nothing about the series. Considering the nature of the series, it's going to generate a lot more chatter than say something like...H2O or what not. More chatter, the more (in absolute values) negative posts you'll ultimate see...also the concept of a vocal minority lol.
Well yea after looking back on Clannad theres a lot of bad things they did with the story, the biggest problem was give the most pointless character the most screentime. that damn starfish girl had the longest arc and personally i think her story and character were very lame. If they really went into Ryou and Kyou's arc there would have been some drama which this anime did not have much of. This was my favorite anime this winter until i started watching spice and wolf. I guess i'm still waiting for the next kanon 2006. Clannad is Clannad and it has its own unique formula even though I may not like how they did things its still a very good anime.
I'm wondering about this 'It sucks' Syndrome. I get it that lots of comments are based off the point that "It sucks, because I'm disappointed it didn't end like it should/the male protagonist didn't end up with the girl I wanted him to" or just plain "It sucks. Period."
Everyone's entitled to their own opinions, but it is very possible that the hype can do something to influence how potential viewers can come to form opinions on the series itself. It's a double-edged sword that can bring in more viewers and also damage the opinions of the viewers if it doesn't deliver, be it in terms of quality and personal references.
I've got a few friends on other forums who, having never heard of Clannad at all (but have surprisingly watched and played Air or Kanon) diving straight into it because "Hey, it's KyoAni, it's Key." Expectations tend to get a little too high for some people, with some expecting KyoAni to do a "marvellous" job in their eyes, or at least give them what they want to see (This was probably mentioned earlier about shows not being able to cater to everyone's preferences). Considering how Clannad is themed after 'Family' while Air and Kanon are both more drama-filled in a sense, I guess comparisons and expectations of the same formula being used are inevitable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Codine
Well yea after looking back on Clannad theres a lot of bad things they did with the story, the biggest problem was give the most pointless character the most screentime. that damn starfish girl had the longest arc and personally i think her story and character were very lame. If they really went into Ryou and Kyou's arc there would have been some drama which this anime did not have much of.
I don't know much about how Fuuko's arc in the game turned out, but she wasn't exactly pointless. Just wondering if you've played the game, and can consider the Fujibayashis' stories to be more emotional and dramatic than Fuuko's or anyone else's, for that matter. More importantly is whether it fits into the 'family' theme for Clannad. Anyway, you can't please everyone, and that's why I think they placed more focus on Nagisa and Tomoya than other characters (I was a little disappointed that there couldn't be more backstory on Kyou or Tomoyo, but it passed).
I haven't personally played but i've read about it and what happens. I thought their arc was pretty depressing. Also I wanted to see those characters more in the show. They kind of went halfway with their arc and just ended it very quickly. Also I really haven't seen any1 saying that Clannad "sucks". Only real complaints I've seen from people are with the arcs and how the second half of the show sort of feels rushed.
I think most of the discontent here is stemming from the fact that this season of CLANNAD has not followed the traditional formula of a romance/drama series. As I (and others) have previously mentioned, it's unusual to have a less dramatic arc like Nagisa's filling the closing act. Besides that, viewers have been waiting 21 episodes for Tomoya to step up to the plate with Nagisa, while other characters they like (Tomoyo, Kyou, Ryou) get systematically rejected. The confession is a pivotal moment, (I loved it) but for some it simply isn't enough.
Silly analogy: It would be similar to someone bringing out an ice cream sundae you ordered after waiting a couple hours. They set it down in front of you and give you a small taste, only to quickly take the sundae back into the kitchen out of sight.
Maybe this would be more acceptable if other plot points were further developed, yet clearly important issues like Tomoya's relationship with his father remain almost untouched. Meanwhile the 'mystical world', important enough to share the opening with the CLANNAD girls, is reduced to a metaphor that Nagisa wraps up in a short summary (17:36) ending with: "They sang a song". There may be more to the story, but considering how little information we received about the 'mystical world' before 22, her little explanation is akin to being force fed.
Again, this would all be more or less irrelevant if they announce a second season, but without that foresight, and given the current status of the series, It's natural for people to display discontent on the forums.
The ending brought a VERY broad smile to my face as I was watching it RAW, which is more than I can say for many other series (...). The series gets a very good from me at the very least. I'm not getting too too crazy about it or difficult, but I think considering the sheer volume of the story, the tying up was pretty good.
If you're going to disagree and bash the anime, go ahead and do it, but for the love of God make a better justification than "it's my opinion."
It's like saying opining that Dubya is an alien from outer space, which is an opinion in and of itself, but not a valid one at that, and yet saying it is true because "it's my opinion." There is no essentially "right" opinion, but there are some completely "wrong" opinion when the facts behind such an opinion are unsubstantiated or completely invalid.
If you're going to bash the series, go ahead it's your right, but at least attempt justify why you think so with a valid argument. People here who like the anime (like me) have at least justified our opinions with valid points, and only few of the naysayers have validated theirs.
The "it's my opinion" statements doesn't justify your opinion, it just shows you don't have the knowledge or information to even make a valid opinion.
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On a side, I think one of the reasons why many of us who liked the ending of this season is because we've played, or at least read the story of, the After Story. As such, we base some of our opinions around it and are not making opinions in a vacuum. We can relate the ending to the existence of an After Story we are familiar with and thus make a presumptive linking of this ending with the knowledge that it doesn't end there.
Granted for me as an absolute ending it's too much of an open ended one, but the knowledge that there is SUPPOSED to be more and the possibility that Kyoani will animate it makes me like the ending more than I should.
Honestly someone should tell the entire damn world that the story doesn't end here yet, so I'd have to read less misinformed opinions on a story that has yet to be concluded on this medium of animation.
I don't know much about how Fuuko's arc in the game turned out, but she wasn't exactly pointless. Just wondering if you've played the game, and can consider the Fujibayashis' stories to be more emotional and dramatic than Fuuko's or anyone else's, for that matter. More importantly is whether it fits into the 'family' theme for Clannad.
Ryou/Kyou/Kappei don't fit into the family theme in the same way Nagisa's route does. However, Ryou/Kyou are family and in the game, it really is a sibling conflict...not sure sibling conflict is different from family conflict (child/parent). Tomoya reminded me of Makoto from School Days towards the end of their story and honestly it was really annoying.
The storyline itself wasn't as "deep" per se as Kotomi or Fuuko, but it felt more like a real scenario instead of the other 2 arcs which had fantasy aspects involved so it was much more enjoyable from a personal standpoint.
Akio's speech left me speechless, and teary-eyed. Man, that was powerful.
I thought nothing would top the end of Fuuko's arc in terms of emotional impact, but wow... this matches it if not exceeds it.
Seeing the school arc drawing to its conclusion, my questions about the illusionary world are still up in the air. In the end, Tomoya seemed to really wanted to know about what happened to the girl and the robot (only to be reminded of Nagisa singing 'Dango Daikazoku'.... I so wanted to see that! ) Also when he heard about the story for the first time, he mentioned something about how he knows this story from somewhere. Hmmm.....
The episode did have a sense of closure, but it didn't feel like an 'absolute' closure of the whole story (like Kanon for example). If they do stop here, I will definitely feel terribly disappointed. Of course, I have faith that KyoAni will do the After Story, in some way. From everything I hear from the people that played the game, there's no way the story of CLANNAD can be properly told and concluded without it.
Finally, nice going Tomoya! Have a little more confidence man, did you really think Nagisa wouldn't love you the same way?
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Here's my final report for the school arc. I plan on doing to do the 2 bonus episodes, but I look forward to continue this even more in the future. Here's hoping for the animation of the After Story!
* Tomoya and Nagisa are the lead characters by a far, far, amount... not like anyone didn't expect it or anything
* Kotomi nabbed the #2 girl spot. (Though she really was just a supporting character after her arc) :x
* While the other main girls had a fairly even amount of screentime, poor Tomoyo doesn't even have a full hour. The Furukawa couple might even match her eventually
* I wish they had time to develop Misae, Yukine, and Mei more...
-Clannad Afterstory will be announced in 2 weeks and it will air in June.
-Bluray version of Kanon is coming Q1 2009. Clannad is being considered.
With this, Moon Phase's initial prediction on Clannad being sawed into two and Haruhi in the middle seems to be correct...
and what that means is that it is likely that Haruhi will air in April- June.
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It would be enough for the depressing things in life to only exist in reality.
It is because that I think the birth of a story... is from people dreaming of a happy ending. ~Misaka Shiori
) Also when he heard about the story for the first time, he mentioned something about how he knows this story from somewhere. Hmmm.....
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