Clannad TV (first season) - Overall Series Impressions & Total Series Rating

[SSJiffy]

I loved and enjoyed Clannad. It's animation quality astonished and kept me immersed in their world. The voice acting was excellent the emotion whether comedic, dramatic, sad, or casual consistently made each episode have just that much more affect on the viewer. I enjoyed where the story led us through several character's scenarios albeit some of them felt like they ended too quickly (Tomoyo's) or weren't explored as much as I would of wanted them to (the Fujibayashi twins). But I still enjoyed what was presented by Kyoto Animation but it is on the script that I'll dock a point for the aforementioned things. Overall the anime is awesome and I'm sure to watch it many more times in coming years and still get the same level of enjoyment out of it.


Animation Quality: 10
Voice Actors: 10
Script: 9

Looking forward to the After Story !

[Bennyswan]

Ah I just watched the whole series and I loved it, really sad though.

Animation : 10
Script : 9
Voice Actor : 10

Overall for me its a 9/10

I want to play the game but i just can't find it =[

[Vegard Aune]

Originally Posted by Bennyswan

Ah I just watched the whole series and I loved it, really sad though.

...I can only assume that you've never seen Air. Clannad might be emotional at times, but it's not a SAD story, all the stories they told ended well.
...Well, one could argue wether Fuko's story had a happy ending or not, but as they showed a few times later on, it's not like she was dead or anything.

But yeah, it was awesome. And I'd like to play the game too, but in my case, I can't because the translation-patch isn't finished yet.

[Bennyswan]

Originally Posted by Vegard Aune

...I can only assume that you've never seen Air. Clannad might be emotional at times, but it's not a SAD story, all the stories they told ended well.

Nope lol never seen Air but I'll check it out.

[rogueblade]

WARNING: LOTS AND LOTS OF TEXT.

Spoiler for Text walllllllllllllllllll:

Well, I did start watching Clannad back when it originally aired, but then due to school and exam pressures, I decided to lay off following anime and get on with the hard graft. Only recently have I had time to sit down and catch up on it - of course, I started from the beginning and watched the series, only to break so I could get some sleep. Like some previous critics, I haven't had any prior exposure to the Clannad universe - all I know of Key is from KyoAni's adaptation of Kanon, which I deemed to be just a superb piece of drama. I haven't played the visual novel, so I had to take the anime as it's own entity, rather than compare it back to source material. What follows is part review, part reaction to some commonly claimed criticisms of the series.

The pretty stuff - all the lights and sounds

First, let's establish that the visuals are just faaaaaaantastic. I expected no less from Kyo Ani after the gobsmacking Kanon, really. There are times when some dips in the quality are noticable, but they're never sustained and are usually only done in places where you won't really be looking, unless you pause and actively look for 'em. The important thing is that the characters are really bought to life via their facial expressions and so-subtle-that-you-don't-notice-it actions.

Also, the robot and girl scenes are just breathtaking, really. So smooth, they should be wearing ice-skates.

Now, what about the sound? BGM and all that jazz. Well, it was generally very effective and used in the right places; although if I wanted to be harsh I would say that certain tracks were slightly overused, so that they felt a little cheesy nearing the end. Also, I don't know the name of the song, but there was this one sung in 'Engrish' which really didn't go down well with me. Something about clouds. But it's a small complaint, and doesn't hold much weight.

Finally, the voice actors. They did a damn fine job in complementing the exquisite facial animations and hence bringing these charcters to life. Flawless, really.

The story - arc by arc

I suppose the subtitle is a bit of a lie, really - this isn't about the story per se, but about the execution of it; the pace, the focus, the clarity.

I've seen a couple of critics complain that Clannad lacked in the 'drama' department, instead being much more a comedy (some commenting about how Kanon is much superior in the 'drama' aspect) - and while they are fully entitled to their opinion, I don't really see where they're coming from. Not to say that Clannad isn't funny - there are real gut busting moments, such as the store room incident. Drama is something that is central to Clannad, but it manifests itself in a different way to that of Kanon. Good thing, too! Nothing wrong with some variety.

No, where Clannad gathers it's drama jollies is really through the interactions between the characters, and how they develop as a group - sharing the burden of a hardship falling on one character (the Kotomi arc is the best example of this, I feel), or dealing with conflicts in the group. I don't really remember Kanon that well, but I recall it being more about Yuuichi + whatever girl was being taken through the ringer at the time. It relied more heavily on more intense personal stories because there wasn't the same level of background drama that's going on in Clannad.

------->Damn starfish. Fuuko!

A really fine starter to the series, and one that seemed like it was built to embrace Kanon fans. It was handled with great care and respect, I felt. Nothing was rushed, and the conclusion was tear-jerking stuff. Very powerful conclusion. However, I just think that maybe it ran for a little too long given the number of episodes in the series. Sure, it's important that the gradual Fuuko amnesia is shown at a careful pace, but the conclusion could have come an episode earlier, freeing up some time to expand on other arcs later on. Eh.

------> Kotomi. Kotomi. Kotomi. Ugh.

This was probably one of my favourite arcs of the entire series, and the reason is that everyone was involved somehow. We had Kotomi's personal tragedy, and then we had the group bonding together, making an impact on everyone involved. That, and Kotomi is one of my favourite characters in Clannad. Not really a lot to say on this arc - I think it was paced very well, considering that we had a running start into it.

------> The weird bit.

I couldn't really think of anything to give as a title for the bit between the end of Kotomi's arc and the real start of the conclusion of Nagisa's. It all seems very muddled, there lacks a critical focus to the proceedings; there's this romance sub plot going on, where Ryou's got the hots for Okazaki, as has Kotomi, as well as Tomoyo, and they all try and jump him despite the fact that it's painfully evident that Tomoyo wants Nagisa. It's slice of life, and it's done fairly well, I suppose - certainly got a chuckle out of the bento scene, but that was only really due to Fuuko's appearance.
Then you have a Tomoyo mini-arc thing going on, with the student council president election. I don't know, It's evident that Kyoto Animation were between a rock and a hard place here - they couldn't go with either a Kyou or a Tomoyo arc as it would take some serious liberties, so we seemed to get this messy slice of life compromise. It works, I guess, but it's not really very memorable.

------> Nagisa takes a bow.

So, we reach the conclusion of this half of the story. I, contrary to quite a few people, really thought this was a good arc. Well, it's not really right to sya that the arc starts here - it starts right at the beginning, that much is evident, and generally retains quite a bit of focus throughout. I thought it was done excellently, and provided a good rounding off of the series. I don't really see much fault with it, there are a couple of minor things, I suppose - the way her father, mother and Okazaki pep-talked her before she started the play was boardering on the upper limits of cheese, for example. However, it seemed like a great place to end the series on, considering there's a second series; if there had been no second series, then I would've said that it lacked closure on a couple of issue such as Fuuko.

Overall

I bloody well enjoyed it. I really think that's all that matters, at the end. Sure, it has it's faults, sure, Kanon was more powerful and direct, but Clannad is more believable and subtle in it's celebration of happiness. It's difficult to quantify it, but I'll go with a solid '9/10'. See you around for the after story.

[kingsky123]

Animation Quality: 11 - i really liked the robot thingy. All anime should be animated at that level X(
Voice Actors: 10
Script: 8

[CGraphics]

I absolutely loved this anime, one of my favorites.

[srb]

Originally Posted by CGraphics

I absolutely loved this anime, one of my favorites.

I came in expecting not much, came out very pleased with the experience overall.

Sunohara is superbly fabulous. All the girls were interesting and fun in their own way, except Ryou. Fuko is the best inept starfish astral projection ninja I have ever seen and her episodes touched me.

Tomoyo is superior, but Nagisa and Okazaki are very sweet.

The last episode bothered me because I didn't think Okazaki would be such a thoughless chump. Clock that shrimpy bastard and support her instead of buying that crap he sprouts! Argh, I guess even the mightiest of trolls fail at times.

[Kagami~n]

I just finished the series last night, and I loved it.

I'm not one for "harem" anime usually, and I've been shy of shows based on galge in the past. I checked this one out because a friend recommended it to me, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Spoiler for I talk too much.:

I liked how the overall feel of the story was sweet and heartwarming, with fair bits of comedy and tradgedy dotted here and there. One reason why I tend to hate harem style shows is for their demoralization of women and glorification of loser boys, their fixation on sex and fanservice, and their general lack of convincing emotion or given reasons for why one character is in love with another. When I started coming to the realization that family and friendship was the overlying theme of Clannad, putting romance in something of a backseat, I gained a new respect for it. The fact that Fuko's arc got me to tear up says a lot for it. I liked the story arcs and I appreciated the overall fairly distributed character focus, but I felt a little like the twins didn't get enough time. The ending confession seemed a little rushed to me, though still very sweet. I also wish that a little more had been drawn upon the girl in the world that had ended and her doll friend.

I never played the game, so I can't make a comparison.

The characters were great. Clannad's women were all great ladies in their own right, a couple of them very independent and empowered. Tomoya was a delinquent with a bleak future, but he certainly wasn't the sniveling nerd with all the personality and charm of a brick who inexplicably attracts hoardes of gorgeous women, as I've seen before. He was a good hearted, clever and funny guy, which are actual real reasons why a girl might have a crush on him (as opposed to appearing out of the blue and shamelessly throwing her breasts at him).

The art style and animation quality were pure love spread on toast. I <3 KyoAni forever and ever. The exceptional fluidity in the movements of the girl in the world that had ended were especially nice to watch, although her actions were kept rather simple. I wondered why she was animated with so many frames, if it held any symbolicism or if they were trying to give us an etheral feel, or something.

The character design was what I considered nice to look at. No one's appearance was too far out there, no one's mouth was too close to coming between their eyes, etc. The characters themselves were a delight. It's a good sign when I can't bring myself to dislike anyone in a cast. Among my favorites were definitely Kyou and Fuko.

I'm not a speaker of the Japanse language, so I don't consider myself all too credible when it comes to judging voice acting here...but I can say that the performances I heard were very satisfactory to me. Mai Nakahara is one of my favorites, and I really liked her emotional performance as Nagisa. Fuko's voice was beyond adorable. The rest of the cast were all seiyuu who I recognized and respected. It was a pleasure to hear them all act together.

I think that I could have enjoyed having the show be a little bit longer. I did feel that the twins didn't get enough focus when compared to the other characters. I would've loved to see a real conclusion for Fuko, but I think I have to wait for the After Story for that.

Overall, I don't think that "harem" is a good description of this show. It delivered what it promised - a heartwarming story that teaches you the importance of family and friends. The development of both male and female leads showed that very well, I think. Can't wait for the sequel now.

[anime ronin]

9/10... it was good and i liked it

[Harimo Haria]

I feel Clannad is easily the best of the 3 Key series. I absolutely love every single one of the characters, it's hilarious and it has that romantic touch that perfects it. 10/10.

[Eczema]

Gave it an 8. Kotomi's arc dragged it down for me, after a spectacular opening Fuko arc, and tear-jerker final Nagisa arc with Akio GARness. Splendid music, and generally cohesive and likable cast.

[Mega-Japan]

I rated it 6 (Average). I don't know, I think it's a good story and I kind of like the characters and it really gets hilarious at times but that's it. Very watchable but lacks excitement, for me at least.

I liked it, but I feel it gets far more credit than it deserves...

[Lirael]

* General impression of the series.
Well, at first I was a bit skeptical, having heard things about Tomoya that I won't repeat out of fear of spoiling the plot! But once I'd actually started watching it, I found I really enjoyed it. I'd seen the film beforehand so had some idea about where Nagisa's story was heading, but Fuko and Kotomi were totally different characters to me; I didn't know what to expect from them! (or any of the others) I actually found their stories to be the most heart-warming, probably 'cause I knew what to expect from Nagisa!

* Opinions on the overall story, writing & plot devices.
Well, I've said a lot about that above... I liked the fact there were different arcs and felt they were all handled very well, and in a perfect order. Fuko's arc was a good start, but I do wish they had used her a little more effectively for the rest of the anime! And I think it would have been better if Nagisa had remembered her too. >_< I liked the writing, and thought a lot of the lines were very poetic...Mm, it was all very good.

* Thoughts about the animation quality.
At first I didn't really think the animation was all that good...I had preferred the style of the animation in the movie and didn't really understand how people could claim that the movie was worse. However, this opinion quickly changed and I began to highly prefer the softer animtion style in the anime itself. It was simple most of the time, but there were moments when something beautifully artistic was added. That made it all the better.

* Will there be additional DVD only episodes and what will they contain.
Um...I don't know. :P

* How did the anime compare with the game?
I haven't played the game, but would like to...Does anyone know whether it's possible to get English on it?

* Characters/Character Design
I thought this was flawless...Ok, Tomoya's design was a bit cliche, but I still felt the designs were handled well. I was a bit confused between Tomoyo and the purple haired girl (whose name I can't remember; NOT Kotomi) for about a quarter of the series. :P

* What the show meant to you.
I found it all to be very inspiring actually, and it's become one of my favourites to date.

* What could the creators/animators/writers could have done better.
I didn't like the filler eps and felt they spent a little too much time dragging out Nagisa's arc.

[CuXe]

K.... just finished watching this series and gotta say... WOW.... it was definitively NOT what I was expecting, it was a lot better! There were lots of great characters and good comedy to break the tension during "emotionally heavy moments"

Things I liked:

-- I liked how they made of this series "NOT another harem" fan service anime... I mean .. don't get me wrong, I do enjoy fan service but the plot in Clannad was definitively refreshing...

-- I loved Nagisa's dad's personality... dam .. this guy was absolutely awesome every time he was given airtime ... and in ep 20 (I guess) I loved when he tells his wife "Did you fall in love with me all over again?" ... and her wife says yes .. or something along those lines and then he applies the same move on Nagisa after Okazaki connects a hit ... totally priceless There were many other cool moments with this guy but I would end up writing a whole narrative of the series here.. so I won't say anymore ..

-- Tomoyo and Kyou were very enjoyable characters.... I loved the fact that they were strong as hell AND were not stupid when it came to matters of love, I mean both immediately understood that Okazaki chose Nagisa after seeing his reaction during the tennis match when Nagisa got hurt...

-- -- -- I ALSO liked the cool odd moments and the music that was used during those moments.. for instance... I loved the time when Okasaki got locked up in the storage room with Kyou ... ahaha ... she totally thought that Okasaki was going to take her virginity there ... lol ... Another cool scene was the opening when Nagisa wanted to speak to Ryou and she thought Nagisa was going "Lesbian" on her... lol .... ... and another equally funny moment happened when Okasaki assumed that Sunohara's sister was in love with her brother ... big lol moments there

Things I disliked:

-- I didn't like the fact that during several eps they made Fuko an important character and all of the sudden everyone forgot about her to move to other arcs and she occasionally kept popping up...

-- I didn't like the fact that there was no kiss to close the deal between Nagisa and Okasaki.... I mean, after so much infatuation ... no kiss??

-- I didn't like that ep 24 (Tomoyo lil episode) ... I feel they shouldn't have made that "preview" or ep or whatever ... I mean it was truly painful. I know they probably offered this alternative ending to sorta show what Okazaki's future would have been like If he would have chosen Tomoyo but still that was too sad and I felt I didn't really need to see this sad alternative story... not after such nice ending with Nagisa on ep 23....

My Fave Characters:

-- Tomoyo/Kyou... supa strong and powerful machine gun-like kicks...Kyou was also cute and strong.. If I were Okazaki I'd be leaning towards these chicks....but hey! thats me...
-- Nagisa ... this chick is soo cute and came a long way from where she started
-- Okazaki Tomoya ... definitively NOT a goose ball like most males in harem animes act ... very cool guy
-- Akio.... OMG whut a cooool dad!!! this guy was awesome every single time... I am not going to add more cause I could write a freaking novel about how great he was.
-- Furukawa Sanae ... very cool mom .. not to say she was also a total hottie!

P.S.

Might update this post after I watch the movie...

[Proto]

I would recommend you not to watch the move until the entirety of the TV 2nd season is out, but whatever rocks your vote

[CuXe]

Originally Posted by Proto

I would recommend you not to watch the move until the entirety of the TV 2nd season is out, but whatever rocks your vote

... dude .. I absolutely wish I would have read your post 6 hours ago... please don't tell me they are going to do the second season based on...... noooooooo NOOOOOOOOOO ... dam those Clannad writers making me so misserable!!!!! .. this is exactly why I like meaningless series like Bleach and Naruto.... dammit... now that I am hooked on Clannad I feel like I should watch the second season regardless of how devastated I'll be ....

[MeoTwister5]

Originally Posted by CuXe

... dude .. I absolutely wish I would have read your post 6 hours ago... please don't tell me they are going to do the second season based on...... noooooooo NOOOOOOOOOO ... dam those Clannad writers making me so misserable!!!!! .. this is exactly why I like meaningless series like Bleach and Naruto.... dammit... now that I am hooked on Clannad I feel like I should watch the second season regardless of how devastated I'll be ....

Uh... Clannad After Story can end at least 2 different ways, both not necessarily tied to the way the movie ended... heck none of us who have played the game even know how they'll end it, so you shouldn't make such a conclusion just yet.

[Ottocycle]

Uh...we are teetering dangerously close to spoiler territory...

[CuXe]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Uh... Clannad After Story can end at least 2 different ways, both not necessarily tied to the way the movie ended... heck none of us who have played the game even know how they'll end it, so you shouldn't make such a conclusion just yet.

I gottcha... I haven't completely assumed things may go that way but... all arrow point towards something like that .... I guess I will be participating in the episode threads as the episodes come out... I'll think of these threads as "Group THERAPY" .... I'll leave it at that cause as Humbug has said... escalating this conversation might send us into spoiler territory....