Forum - View topicREVIEW: Clannad After Story Sub.DVD 2
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Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6872 Location: Kazune City |
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Maybe the ending of After Story would've made more sense if I'd played the game. I know there was some point about collecting light orbs from various people, and using those for some kind of magical/miraculous effect. Maybe. But Air and Kanon worked just fine for me without knowledge of the source material, so I have to view this confusion as a mark against Clannad. It felt more like KyoAni was being ultra-faithful to the game by doing a spoiler[Save/Load] sequence. Sadly, game mechanics don't work in narrative. |
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Megiddo
 Posts: 8360 Location: IL |
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I completely agree with this review. I absolutely loved the second half of After Story to death, except for the ending.
To me the ending would be perfect if spoiler[ after Ushio lays there dying in the snow, Tomoya hauls her off to the hospital/spot-where-Akio-took-dying-Nagisa and there the whole miracle of the white orbs happens, causing Ushio to live and for Tomoya to make a vow on how he'll care and love Ushio just as much as he would Nagisa if she were still alive. This would have provided a parallel between what happened with Akio and Nagisa 15 or so years prior and Tomoya and Ushio in the present. It wouldn't bring Nagisa back randomly from the dead and Tomoya would not lose any of the huge amount of growth he gained by going through what he did.] That is how I wanted it to end... but sadly, the game told it another way. I agree that the first 8 episodes are weak, and since I rather did not like the ending, I gave it an 8/10. But yes, that scene in the field is one of the most emotional I've ever seen in anime. Last edited by Megiddo on Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:07 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Splitter
 Posts: 1276 Location: Knockin' on Heaven's Door |
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I wouldn't go that far. Clannad as a whole is in my Top 50. It really is a fantastic series, clipped only by the last two episodes. Yes, I even liked the sidestories. boredandlazy, I have no doubt that there are people who genuinely love those series. I also have no doubt that there is a large amount of fanaticism around said series that promotes them as the best anime ever very loudly and very clearly, and that is why they sit atop Best Anime lists. |
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neocloud9
 Posts: 1178 Location: Atlanta, GA |
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Holy cow, you're right! I would've loved for the story to come full-circle like that. |
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dewlwieldthedarpachief
 Posts: 751 Location: Canada |
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I would. |
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J0hn_G4lt
 Posts: 2 |
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I can see why people might think the ending is a cop out but honestly how can one expect anything else? Clannad is a visual novel and no gamer wants to complete dozens of hours of gameplay only to get a sad ending. I am about to unlock After Story and I'm already looking forward to completing the route.
On the subject of the anime, anyone who watches Clannad and Clannad After Story shouldn't have a problem with the ending as it's ultimately the way in which the writing sets up the story that matters. The enjoyment (or sadness) one gets from the series as a whole will out weigh any potential disappointment one gets from the ending. By the way I love the After Story OVA centered on Kyou Fujibayashi. That was the first route in a visual novel I ever played and the character alone makes it my favorite (though I will admit the scenario isn't as interesting as that of other heroines). |
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boredandlazy
Posts: 189 |
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I was waiting for someone to say that. 
I've watched a hell of a lot of anime, but in all seriousness Clannad just really clicked with me. What other people think of that isn't really my concern. |
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boredandlazy
Posts: 189 |
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Well thankfully we're all not carbon copies of you hmm? |
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dewlwieldthedarpachief
Posts: 751 Location: Canada |
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I enjoyed Key stuff because it pandered to my inner clingy needy wuss that wants all the benefits of relationships without actually investing much in the way of effort. Clannad impressed me in that at the same time I was changing into a person that wanted to actually be socially dynamic the show before me was bits and pieces of things I could relate to and for that I think Clannad is a more solid entry. And yet the left hemisphere of my brain is in the way of me totally succumbing to Key animation. There's things about these shows that are so alarmingly retarded one may feel the need to step back and reflect. And that I do. The verdict? Clannad, you're the banana crepe I just ate; you go down softly but powerful and even have B vitamins. But you're still not real food. So in the interest of personal and public health, I implore we eat some [expletive] vegetables. [Mod Edit: Try to minimize the quotes a bit. There's no need to quote a chain of 5 or more posts, it just starts taking up far too much space. - Keonyn] |
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jenthehen
 Posts: 835 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio |
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This may be different for games, but I really like sad or bittersweet endings in anime. Shows like Nana, Honey and Clover, Welcome to the NHK, Rumbling Hearts, Air, etc. where everything doesn't always turn out all sunshine and roses really stick with me. Although, in Kanon spoiler[I felt that the miracle was well-placed and fit with the theme of "one selfless wish saving everyone" - the fact that Ayu and Yuichi were selfless about what they wanted most ended up "saving" all the characters - it felt right to me, since the story was already using supernatural elements, so it didn't come out of left field.][/spoiler] |
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Koji98
 Posts: 112 |
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Well, I'm alright with how they ended After Story and not exactly how they did it in the visual novel.
spoiler[You start After Story over, as in, you read the story again, or you could just fast forward and choose all the correct choices again until you got back to Nagisa giving birth. So KyoAni had to do either A: re animate the same episodes or maybe go back and show the other stories they cut out (hell, they already proved they would re animate the same episode multiple times), or B: Pretend they open a save state and go back directly to Nagisa giving birth.)] |
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boredandlazy
Posts: 189 |
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We each watch anime for different reasons, and we each take something different from the anime we do watch. You can articulate how you feel about Clannad using as many analogies as you like, but that's you. I don't ask that you feel the same way about it, I just ask for you to respect my personal opinion. |
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grooven
Posts: 1424 Location: Canada |
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No matter what anyone says it is not a cop out of any kind. From the game it is based on and how you play the game it is pretty damn obvious. Start from the opening scene. (Which would have been the best choice to start with in the anime) It is very well built around it.
It is only the fault of the anime that it could not portray it to non gamers as well. It is a shame because Illusionary World is pretty amazing and complex. It is IMO one of the best parts of Clannad. spoilers for explaining more of after story in detail...long post explaining it all spoiler[I find that a lot with Maeda's writing there is a lot more to think about and put together after, just like AIR. If you remember the story Yukine told about the orbs. Each person in the town that was helped had a an orb of their happiness. A certain amount was needed to have a wish in the game it is around 13 I believe, they even cut 2 stories out. Tomoya repeats over and over to get these orbs (well more evident in the game and seen with Tomoyo's arc) We see one repeat generally. So in reality he has to face this fate over and over. As seen in episode one where he starts off in the world of snow. When Nagisa was sick and near death. her life was exchanged for the town. This was when Akio asks for someone to save her. So as the town begins to decrease her life begins to lessen. And her link is specific to the place where the hospital is being built. Ushio inherits this . As the exchange is passed to her. Her body is too small to carry this burden. So Ushio dies. When she dies she is is re-born in the Illisionary world (the first time she died). This Ushio is different than the one we come to know. She creates a body/vessel for Tomoya, whom can sense this place. She does not know of her other self until the end. It is because of this link to the world that Tomoya can collect the orbs. So the plot is not a reset or coming from no where people just never paid attention/ wasn't shown as well as in game. No one seemed to listen to Yukine, took no notice to the illusionary world and so forth. Us game fans were happy with the conversion. But perhaps the ending is more satisfying in the end for all your hard work to collect all the orbs and spend 100 hours on the game. Many say if it ended with 18 that would have been good but it would have made the entire show pointless as no one would need a story or it would have been a failed attempt at the orbs. But Tomoyo after is more so related to what people want >.> . ] Last edited by grooven on Wed Dec 16, 2009 11:49 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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boredandlazy
Posts: 189 |
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It did need more explanation, I feel the recap episode tried but was still much too vague about it. |
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grooven
Posts: 1424 Location: Canada |
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I can understand where people may be in the dark with the anime. I added more of what I believe was missed in the anime. Last edited by grooven on Wed Dec 16, 2009 11:54 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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