1506: A Girl Who Lives in a World That Has Ended

Did I say that I finally finished watching Clannad all the way through? I’m not sure I did. Anyway, yeah; I finally finished watching Clannad all the way through. And what a fantastic series it was.

Its reputation as “the crying anime” is well-earned, particularly during the second “After Story” season. After Story is just made up of moving scene after moving scene, delivering frequent emotional gutpunches without a moment’s remorse, though the first season certainly wasn’t averse to all this.

I particularly enjoyed it because it didn’t feel the need to spell absolutely everything out. It was mostly realistic and down-to-earth, but there were occasional subtle suggestions that there was something peculiar or possibly supernatural going on. It never took over the story — and, in fact, it was never truly explained conclusively — but it was there. It gave the whole thing a very strange atmosphere throughout; as I’ve mentioned before, even during fairly happy, joyful scenes there was a strange undercurrent of melancholy about the whole thing.

It helps that the show is held up by a strong, interesting cast, each of whom have their own stories to tell. Stars of the show are, naturally, protagonist Tomoya and heroine Nagisa — Tomoya is relatable and empathetic without being bland, while Nagisa has a few moe appeal elements without taking things too far — but the supporting cast are worthwhile additions, too.

Tomoya’s friend Sunohara provides some often-needed comic relief while dealing with his own personal struggles. Twin sisters Kyou and Ryou make up the tsundere and “sweet, shy girl” part of the cast nicely, with the twist that both of them may or may not have their own interest in Tomoya. Tomoyo, who is disappointingly absent from the series after it moves on from the cast’s school life and into adulthood, is an ass-kicking student council president-type who doesn’t take any shit from anyone. Kotomi is a wonderfully flawed genius with an airheaded personality (and a total inability to play the violin) but a keen mind.

Even the characters who are seen even less frequently are well-defined and memorable. Particular highlights are Nagisa’s parents Akio and Sanae, who are polar opposites in almost every way, and Sunohara’s sister Mei, who is simply adorable, but who also cares for her brother without getting into the incestuous territory that many shows stray into.

In a way, the manner in which various characters drift in and out of the “main” cast of the show is reflective of real life. After all, how many people you knew at high school are you still in touch with? Relatively few, I’d guess, but you’d still have a good catch up with them if you happened to be in the same place, I imagine. The same is true of Clannad’s cast and unfolding story — it’s Tomoya and Nagisa’s tale primarily, but people come and go as their respective lives grow and change.

Interestingly, one of the most interesting things the series does is outside of the main story arc, and it betrays the show’s roots as a visual novel. At the end of both the first and second series, there’s a “bonus” episode in which we get to see a “what if?” scenario where Tomoya gets together with someone else — Tomoyo in the first series, and Kyou in the second. Kyou’s was a particularly good episode, and it actually made me want to see more of her; she was one of my favourite characters throughout the show, and should I ever get the opportunity to play the original visual novel in English — I’m not entirely sure if the fansub project was ever completed — I have a sneaking suspicion she’d be the route I went for first of all.

Anyway. It was a sometimes painful, emotional struggle to make it through the complete series, but it was excellent. Memorable characters, touching moments, beautiful artwork and a satisfying conclusion; it’s an anime well deserving of its “classic” status, and if you think you can deal with All the Feels, I’d recommend you check it out when you get a chance.