Clannad - Episode 14 Discussion / Poll

[Proto]

Remember that Japanese kanji's don't have a unique pronunciation, and apart from the typical Onyomi and Kunyomi, there are a myriad of name-surname specific pronunciations that they can take after. Likewise, I wouldn't be surprised if the Japanese Kanji's for 5 and 1 had those. (and latter they simplified it to simple Hiragana characters. Otherwise a certain Higurashi character would go after them for plagiarism.)

And it wouldn't be rare for all of them to be truth and their parents just be a hidden meanings and Kaballah nutters.

Ironically, it is even more accurate in the anime than in the game.

Whoops, I guess this is when my memory starts getting fuzzy and I can no longer distinguish what was in the game and what was presented in the series.

For me, the cut scene that I missed the most was when they play aloud that little section of the Dandelion girl. Really, that scene was just gorgeous to read in the game However, that doesn't mean that I don't recognize the animation studio for being able to deliver this much in a mere 20 minutes. Kudos to them.

[Matt Soulblade]

...Beautiful. The specially liked the bear part, with the suitcase getting passed from place to place, because of the words that were written there. Awesome, IMO.

Episode 15... was that a rugby team member? Misae's route? Highly unlikely... maybe a filler??!!! (second season where?).

[dgreater1]

I was reading a blog when I came about a question like this "Why didn't they write their address instead?"

Theory #1: They could have written the poem and the teddy bear message as a greeting card for the present. When the plane was about to crash, they just took out the contents of their suitcase and stuffed the bear and the letter inside. They probably wouldn't be able to write a poem in just a nick of time. In the game, it was explained how their signature was cut-off with "K&M Ichi" and the explanation was they were probably in a hurry writing it, I bet they planned to write the address but suddenly came to a conclusion that they should put it inside the suitcase ASAP. The one written outside the envelope was what they wrote when they found out the plane might crash. The letter inside is the birthday greeting together with the teddy bear they plan to send to Kotomi after they land on the airport. And the part where her mother wrote they didn't have time to send it via the airport means they didn't have time to send it to Japan airport so they boarded the plane and planned on doing so after landing on America. There's a problem with this theory though and the problem would be with the game.

Spoiler for Game Spoiler:

In the game Tomoya speculates that they probably could have written the letter when the plane was in chaos. And her father's poem kinda looked like a last will. "The world is beautiful so even if it's filled with tears and sadness, open your eyes." is kind of implying that Kotomi will suffer tears and sadness, but don't turn her eyes away which is also implying that she'll be sad because they will leave her early in her life.

Theory #2: The same theory as #1 but a little bit twisted... not actually twisted... but cut-off... just like how their signature was cut-off in the game. And like my explanation from above, they were probably planning on writing the address as well but didn't have enough time to gamble so they stuffed it inside the suitcase ASAP, but in here, they wrote the letter first before putting it inside the envelope and writing their final message into it.

Theory #3: If so, then why didn't they stuffed anything that will identify about the suitcase? Actually, I'm more surprised that they managed to stay calm and write a poem and a message for their lovely Kotomi. People would normally be disoriented and not know what to do. Must be the power of love? So anyway, the only theory I have is, they took out everything in confusion and calmly wrote the letter for their daughter then stuffed the teddy bear inside the suitcase but forgot to put in some other information in the suitcase due to panick.

The only thing they didn't make clear is how did it travel in the world. But this part will actually base on people's speculation. Anyway, it was explained in the game that the "first one" who found the suitcase could had claimed it as his own but he probably thought it must be something really important so he didn't and instead acted the role of being a good samaritan...

Spoiler for My take on the suitcase:

Since it didn't have any complete info on it besides the "K&M Ich" signature, he passed it to another person (probably a friend or a family member going abroad or going back abroad) and told that person to somehow, try to identify the owner of the suitcase. And so, the suitcase was passed down from people to people (from friends to friends, family to family going abroad) until someone finally recognized the signature and sent it to Japan. Anyway, I wouldn't normally entrust something I think is important to someone I don't know of.

Oh wait... they could have opened the envelope and identify that it came from Japan. So another theory would be, each time the suitcase is passed on to another person, they opened the envelope and found an unknown writing. Some people probably recognize the writing but not every close person to you is going to Japan, right? So they just give it to someone close to them who are going abroad, hoping they'll have someone close to them who eventually lives in Japan.

Originally Posted by Matt Soulblade

...Beautiful. The specially liked the bear part, with the suitcase getting passed from place to place, because of the words that were written there. Awesome, IMO.

Oh sh*t... I misread the message... I thought you were implying that the message "If you found this suitcase, please take it to our daughter." was written in various languages XD but anyway...

My prev. reply: I don't know if they're actually written *in various languages*, but I think is more of, "If you found this suitcase, please take it to our daughter." said in different languages as it gets passed down from people to people.

[arkxkra]

GREAT EPISODE!, very touching, tears almost flow out. The suitcase is pass through so many people and country and finally reach the destination with full of love. It very BEAUTIFUL~

Kotomi arc end here i think. Next arc is who? Nagisa?I think not fast to reach Nagisa arc...

[PNGO]

ehh I gave it a 7, not so touching like many people claim

[FateAnomaly]

It is quite improbable to write the will while the plane is crashing. The suitcase has to be in the luggage compartment in the first place. For them to decide that the plane is doomed, the situation must be pretty bad. Therefore, they should be strapped on with the seatbelts and opening the compartment at that time will endanger other people as well. (maybe they don't really care) Unless they took a private plane.

The plot is too deliberate to really make me feel anything.

[Proto]

You can have your suitcase located below your seat if it is small enough to fit you enough, which was most probably the case Still it's not like all this elements are contradictory with the reality parameters established by the show itself so I'm still left wondering where all the supposed forced storytelling and misplaced real life comparisons are coming from

[Ikonomi]

Well... The suitcase was obviously a carry-on, which makes sense as it originally held the important scientific paper. I'm assuming they took a passenger jet, as the parents were apparently in a hurry at the airport, which they probably wouldn't have been if they had taken a private jet. I felt that the story flowed quite beautifully, but I'm a sucker for this kind of thing. Knowing that Kotomi's parents, in their last moments, scribbled out a note for her in place of their ground-breaking dissertation...

Anyway, this episode really touched me. I knew what was coming when he brought the suitcase in, and the waterworks didn't stop until . The round-the-world passage of the case was really, really amazing, but what got me most was the bear itself. I guess it hit very close to home to see all of the emotion and meaning that can be bundled up inside a precious, little package. To lose the most important people to you and have them embodied in something like that little bear is very, very heavy stuff.

Straight-up tear-jerker. This series is great at that.

[Zenemis]

I would've liked to seen a slightly longer Tomoya self-doubt scene, but the ep. was good; solidly done.

[suzukisayuri]

I have cried when I play this part of clannad game,what mostly moved me is not the suitcame which symbolizes the love of people all over the world.I was just affected by kotomi`s parents who leave a perfect letter to their daughter in the last time of their life.What a great love!

[Owaranai Destiny]

Nothing much to be said, especially since the things I would have wanted to were probably taken mentioned already. All in all, quite a satisfying conclusion to Kotomi's arc, though I suspect that a few of the rather emotional parts might have been taken out as the arc wasn't meant to lead to a girl's ending, but to the continuation of the other arcs.

Still, I love the BGM played in the background as it brought out the mood, and though I didn't quite open the waterworks as I expected to, the scene with the letter and the various ones with the suitcase being passed around got me to shed several tears at least, as if the suitcase and the letter have some kind of a mysterious power for people to keep passing it on until it reached Kotomi. Unrealistic as it may seem (Assuming some of us would lace reality into something that's unreal, of course), it was a very touching part IMO.

Of course, it comes to a "alls well that ends well" conclusion. Kotomi didn't burn the thesis (so she was berating herself for the past, what, 10 years?) and we come to understand that Kotomi isn't exactly the "spoilt brat" a certain few made her out to be...Unless you're telling me it's the norm for kids NOT to want anything nowadays. Most of all, we could still feel the love that transcended death from her parents. Most touching indeed.

If I could, it would be a 9.5/10 for this, but as it stands, there is something that just left me not fully satisfied. Don't know what it is. Anyway, it's been one of the best episodes so far. Here's to the continuation of the next arc!

[Cheezy]

Very heartbreaking and beatiful episode.
The suitcase travelling scene was really emotional.

I hope Kotomi gets some screentime from here on as well. I want to see her playing the violin (except better)!
Kotomi is so cute when she's happy.

[Reckoner]

Ok, I didn't read all of the posts up till now so if I repeat what others said, sorry.

This arc is truly depressing to me. I am so sad while watching this that I even had to get up and pause the episode a few times. Before I continue, it is depressing because of how TERRIBLE this became.

• There is just something weird about this show that I couldn't put my finger on exactly till this episode. I would say that 65% of the character emotions are completely forced. Tomoya's sudden crying made me cringe.
  
• The attitudes of certain characters are just mind numbing. Every time Nagisa or Ryou wants to help I feel like banging my head on the table.
  
• Kotomi had zero emotional impact on me this episode. It was the same old crap already introduced from the last episode that was just added to a little more. OMG your parents really loved you, but from what I could tell in her flashbacks, they did and it was NO MYSTERY.
  
• The sheer ridiculousness of the suitcase traveling around the world is laughable. Hey this is Japanese writing, lets send it to FRANCE!!! I don't know if this show is supposed to be about miracles like Kanon 2006, but there is a limit to ridiculousness.

This arc was better overall than the last one, but these last two episodes sent it completely downhill. I'm tired of these over dramatized scenes. If it were not for myself being so far in this anime and that I am more curious about the other two girls, I would throw this show on my dropped list.

EDIT: I rated this episode a 3/10.

[Tyabann]

Originally Posted by Reckoner

Ok, I didn't read all of the posts up till now so if I repeat what others said, sorry.

This arc is truly depressing to me. I am so sad while watching this that I even had to get up and pause the episode a few times. Before I continue, it is depressing because of how TERRIBLE this became.

• There is just something weird about this show that I couldn't put my finger on exactly till this episode. I would say that 65% of the character emotions are completely forced. Tomoya's sudden crying made me cringe.
  
• The attitudes of certain characters are just mind numbing. Every time Nagisa or Ryou wants to help I feel like banging my head on the table.
  
• Kotomi had zero emotional impact on me this episode. It was the same old crap already introduced from the last episode that was just added to a little more. OMG your parents really loved you, but from what I could tell in her flashbacks, they did and it was NO MYSTERY.
  
• The sheer ridiculousness of the suitcase traveling around the world is laughable. Hey this is Japanese writing, lets send it to FRANCE!!! I don't know if this show is supposed to be about miracles like Kanon 2006, but there is a limit to ridiculousness.

This arc was better overall than the last one, but these last two episodes sent it completely downhill. I'm tired of these over dramatized scenes. If it were not for myself being so far in this anime and that I am more curious about the other two girls, I would throw this show on my dropped list.

EDIT: I rated this episode a 3/10.

The letter was written in English, if I recall correctly.

But yeah, I agree that the emotions seem forced sometimes. Would you say that this episode left you in despair?

[CrowKenobi]

Originally Posted by Kaisos Erranon

But yeah, I agree that the emotions seem forced sometimes. Would you say that this episode left you in despair?

And on that thought cue:

[Tyabann]

Originally Posted by CrowKenobi

And on that thought cue:

Okay if I use that as my avatar?

[CrowKenobi]

Originally Posted by Kaisos Erranon

Okay if I use that as my avatar?

PM Hakuryu since he made it originally.

On Topic: In the Favorite Character Poll, I said that for whatever reason, Kotomi didn't "click" for me... however after this episode, I have changed my mind.



Gave it a "9"

[Reckoner]

Originally Posted by Kaisos Erranon

The letter was written in English, if I recall correctly.

But yeah, I agree that the emotions seem forced sometimes. Would you say that this episode left you in despair?

Ok, yes it was written in English, but that doesn't change anything.

Left in despair? Not that drastic .

[Owaranai Destiny]

Don't know if anyone might have mentioned this, but considering that English is a so-called universal language, it would make more sense for Kotomi's parents to write it as such so that there would be at least a few people who could understand what they wrote on the letter.

Try not to force reality most of the time into a show like Clannad, else you would probably have dropped it when it came to the point where everyone was speculating about Fuuko being an astral projection.

Frankly, I don't see anything wrong with Tomoya's crying. You should have noticed he isn't exactly the type to withhold his emotions all the time, and sometimes there will be times where tears can flow uncontrollably from a person, especially if he/she felt emotions (i.e. happiness, being deeply moved) so powerful that caused the tear glands to react.

[TougeSil80]

I don't know why everyone is comparing this to reality. Come on, this anime is not about realism. I don't have any problem with the suitcase traveling around the world part, it's fine in the context of this anime. Fuuko is ghost/spirit, yet we accepted it fine. The conclusion to the arc is fine, but I still liked the Fuuko arc a little bit more. 8/10 for this ep.