DOUBLE WARNING: SPOILERS WILL BE PREVALENT
Clannad
An orb of light.
A tragic story becomes both heartwarming & enlightening. To treasure family. To treasure yourself.
Well this is that story for me.
Nagisa Furukawa: Crybaby, lover of dango, timid & shy. Yet strong.
Tomoya Okazaki: Delinquent, good-for-nothing. Yet kind.
These two together are what make up my love. They're the centerpiece of a banquet, and even if some dishes might not be perfect- it's their purpose, their interactions, and their characters which have made my attachment so close.
Unlike previous reviews I've done, I feel that this is the perfect time for some recap on the foundations & highlights of the main duo which we spend so much time with.
Nagisa Furukawa is a sickly child. She was never physically capable to be anything athletic, let alone normal. Her grades suffered from absence of school. Thanks to the care of her wonderful parents Akio & Sanae- she was always able to recover eventually. This though wasn't without drawbacks. She'd been held back a year, at the top of the hierarchy for children before entering society. Senior year. It left Nagisa without friends, and with no shoulder to lean on, her eyes grew expressionless. This was before she encountered Tomoya.
Tomoya is not a sickly child. He is exactly as you'd imagine from a delinquent. A healthy boy (more or less) which holds a family grudge. Why might he hold a family grudge? Because this father who he despises is responsible for the shoulder of his right arm being unable to lift high above his head. Leading to an unfortunate realization. He'll be unable to play basketball professionally from that point forward. It's understandable why he holds such grudge, and even worse- his father resorts to large consumptions of alcohol for peace of mind. One of the very few saving graces in his life, Sunohara, allows him (sort of??? lmao) to crash at his dorm. Away from the stress of family. Away from the pain which his fathers face brings. They're the two who always stick together like brothers. You'd think they're meant to be, until Nagisa & Tomoya begin to meet each other on a frequent basis.
The two meet in a very particular way. At the foot of a hill heading towards school, with cherry blossoms in full bloom & raining down on those nearby, Nagisa eats her mouthful of 'bread' before gathering the courage to begin a recitement for a play she wants to perform one day. Tomoya doesn't know what the hell is going on, but ushers this strange woman to head to school. Not a very romantic meeting perhaps, but this is how they met & slowly began to grow closer. Tomoya might be a good-for-nothing delinquent, but he's kind. He see's Nagisa sitting by herself- and they formally get a talk session together. A lot happens, and they get to meet so many different people with so many different personalities. Stories are crafted. Bonds are made. Two of my favorites being of course Sanae & Akio. Who also play a considerably huge role in After Story.
With Nagisa & Tomoya becoming closer as he helps her form a drama club, we later realize that Akio had been an actor once himself. Somebody who wished to be on stage forever. To make his own dreams come true. This was lost once Nagisa became ill, and the lovers made a decision to put their kid before themselves. Obviously with Nagisa being who she is- once she found out it was technically her fault that her father had given up on something so special, it crushed her spirit. Not in the perfect time or place setting either. After so much effort, the drama club had been formed thanks to Tomoyo's successful student council election. They were about to put on a play which had a strange resemblance to scenes we'd been seeing all throughout the season. A girl, alone in an empty world. At all times to break- this was the worst possible situation. For Akio especially. As he'd made an attempt to keep his daughter from ever finding out about his dream for so long. Yet this lad of a man couldn't be brought down without a fight. He yelled at Nagisa in an encouraging manner. He yelled at Sanae to do the same. Tomoya himself even ran down from his stage booth to yell encouragement. Her dream became their dream. If she failed to put on something worthwhile, it wouldn't only be her own selfish dream which was shattered. It'd be the Furukawa's dream. Naturally, this allowed her to have the resolve to continue. Because papa Akio, and all of them, are a family with a bond stronger than a hundred dango.
After a more than successful play in front of the school, we get to have an adorable moment between Tomoya & Nagisa. He asks her out, and her face grows into a bashful yet happy emotion as tears fall. She accepts, and they become boyfriend + girlfriend.
As only moments had passed, After Story begins at the same place Clannad had ended previously. The two are now a couple.
Having taken months to write this review properly (as well as letting my thoughts of the series sit) I can't help to feel no different then after I'd first finished. This series means the world to me in how it portrays the bond of Tomoya/Nagisa growing together until they become a couple, get married, and have a family. That's the bread & butter of this show. Nothing else has put me on such an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end. Even with characters looking like aliens, inconsistent episodes & arcs, the strength of Tomoya & Nagisa together is what pushes me to give this series such a high score. I cried way too many times watching this series. From After Story to the OG portion, moments caught me as feeling genuine love. Why I choose to not go as in-depth with After Story as OG Clannad putting aside spoilers is because I can't help but feel that I wouldn't be able to put my proper words out onto the internet. It's just gonna be a bunch of 'oh shit I remember ___ scene, and being absolutely destroyed' several times. It's crazy & well-worth a watch regardless of how you felt about the OG Clannad. To end this I want to say KyoAni is amazing & aye Akio best dad in anime don't @ me otherwise. Him putting his heart out for his daughter, Tomoya, and his wife when emotions are at their highest or lowest made me feel such empathy. Y'know how anime mothers/fathers get either meme'd minimal screentime or don't show up in the show at all? Well this is the exact opposite case. You get your bonds formed & explored. No cucking here, pure entertainment. Love this anime. 10/10.
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