I think Clannad Afterstory was the very first anime that I watched where I suffered from "post-anime emptiness"- not actually because the show was sad (oh trust me, it's plenty sad all right), but mainly because I just finished a masterpiece that left a big void in my heart. It's hard to start another anime afterwards because you're not sure if it'll meet your newly set expectations. That's how good the later half of Clannad Afterstory is for me. I'm comfortable with saying outright that Clannad: After Story has had the greatest influence on my own personal life. It's a story about life: about despair, about forgiveness, about hope, about sorrow, about love.

I do want to point out that there are significant flaws that carry over from the first season- in fact, I would argue that the first half of this season is really a "continuation" of the first season- it feels exactly the same, same character arc style, same everything. Each arc is a bit shallow, melodramatic, and quite honestly I wasn't sure at the time in the first half why so many people hyped up the sequel season when it felt exactly the same as Clannad.

Everything changes after Tomoya graduates from high school, and he becomes a working adult. No longer is the show just a bunch of 2 episode "development arcs", but rather it's a story about a couple and how they grow together beyond the contrived school environment. They're concerned about things like getting a job, finding a place to live, and a bunch of other real concerns that real people have. If there is one word that describes the franchise, it'd be "family". Everything revolves around the importance of family- from Nagisa's relationship to her parents, Tomoya's relationship with his father, and eventually Nagisa + Tomoya's relationship as they create their own family.

There are some super depressing parts of the show- one particular episode contains a string of scenes that I would consider to be the hardest I've ever cried watching anything in my life. But there are sweet, precious moments too- ones that even though the art style is outdated, somehow I've never felt as strongly captured in any recent show to date.

Clannad Afterstory doesn't have a unique plot, it doesn't have anything super special at all in terms of story really- but the way it tells that story makes all the difference. I would recommend this show to literally anyone- if you have a beating heart, I would recommend this show. It's not the most approachable anime or beginner friendly, especially due to its unusual art style; however if you can get past it, I guarantee you won't see things in the same way.

__Story: 92/100
Art/Animation: 80/100
Music: 78/100
Characters/Development: 98/100
Enjoyment: 96/100
Personal impact/unforgettable quality: 100/100 __
Holistic overall: 95/100