Clannad ~ Tomoyo Edition
First of all, I encountered no pacing issues whatsoever. This means that there was not a single time in the OVA that I felt lost or confused, except in the very beginning because I needed to "adjust" to the situation. After all, I watched this episode without knowing anything about it or expected to like it. For those who say that this could be better as a 2-3 episodes OVA, I must disagree. I was completely absorbed into the story for the entirety of the episode; thus, I don't see how it could have been any better. Dragging out the story for the sake of wanting more just doesn't make any sense, since it will probably lesson the suspence and overall emotional impact it had on me. Simply put, with no previous expectations or desire to watch this OVA, I was completely taken back by how good and impressive it was.
Story: 10
Art: 9
Sound: 8
Character: 10
Enjoyment: 10
Value: 8
Emotional Impact: 10
Story-wise, it was excellent, and I repeat: I am
not a Tomoyo fanboy. The mood in the beginning was awkward at first because I just simply didn't expect what was happening, but the relationship that Tomoyo and Tomoya has until she was made president is very romantic without ever going over the top. The story then progresses to an internal struggle in both Tomoyo and Tomoya, the struggle betwen affection and ambition. As both strive for their similar goals, they realize how much of an influence they have on each other, even after they both said their good-byes. For some reason, I was very touched by this, and every scene portraying their internal struggle and external façade was completely believable. I felt as if I was one of the two, facing the exact same pain. This is to be a sign of excellent script and directing, and for that, the adaptatio nand story gets a ten from me. The epsiode suceeded at conveying the message of how love cannot be simply replaced by something else because it cannot be easily sacrificed and forgotten.
About several scenes that didn't make it into the episode, I'm sure that some might make the OVA a bit better, but this is after all an adaptation that requires the pacing of an animated work and not that of a game. I would have liked to see this famous kiss scene, but overall, the episode is already perfect without any other inclusions. If I were to rate this OVA completely from an enjoyment perspective, then it would undoubtedly get a ten. However, it correctly does not have any lasting thematic impact, so I will have to give it a nine. It is one of the only two anime that I have ever rate this highly due to enjoyment, and I am very glad to be able to watch this outstanding piece.
Final Rating: 9/10, "Outstanding"
Spoiler for My Rating Scale:
10: Masterpiece
9: Outstanding, memorable, and usually has some kind of personal impact
8: Excellent, meaningful, and often addictive. Ratings of 8 or higher are considered exceptionally good.
---
7: Very good. Most anime I enjoy goes here.
6: Good, enjoyable. Most anime I watch starts here.
5: Average, kept my interest somewhat, but nothing too memorable.
4: Below average, watching it feels like an obligation.
3: Very bad, but I only watched it due to obligation. (if finished)
2: Painful, why did I watch this at all? (if finished)
1: Nightmare beyond words. Thankfully I've never rated anything this low.
TV: 124, OVA: 32, Movies: 36, Specials: 7, Mean: 5.9, Difference: +3.1 from mean.