Clannad and Clannad After Story

[theanimeguy]

So what is all the fuss about these shows? I hear Clannad is pretty good and that After Story is amazing, is this true? What is it like? Any mature stuff? (I am most interested in Clannad After Story) Thanks guys.

[blkmage]

Clannad is actually very safe and non-objectionable, some would argue to an excessive degree. It'd probably help to understand where it falls in relation to other products. It's usually grouped together with Air and Kanon as the visual novels by Key and their anime adaptations by Kyoto Animation are the same way. And even though Air and Kanon (but not Clannad) have eroge origins, their anime adaptations have zero objectionable content.

Also keeping this in mind is the fact that Clannad is the third anime adaptation. Comparisons to Air and Kanon will be natural and it'll help to understand what and when they made. Air comes before Haruhi and is really the first thing that they produced as the production studio. Kanon comes in between Haruhi and Lucky Star. Clannad comes after Lucky Star.

So why is Clannad amazing? Clannad's central theme is family. It's a good idea to keep in mind as the anime takes you through its various arcs, but it becomes very obvious when the After Story arcs start (which actually start about halfway through Clannad After Story). Clannad is essentially Tomoya's journey to really understand what it means to have a family.

Clannad has been praised for both it's comedy and tragedy. Even among the visual novels, Clannad is considered Key's greatest work. It should be pretty clear that the tragedy is the main way the plot moves, but the more lighthearted stuff before the inevitable storms is also pretty good. For me, it's the pinnacle of drama in anime.

[theanimeguy]

Sounds pretty good, I'll probably check more into it. It seems to have some great animation. Do you recommend watching the series before After Story?

[blkmage]

Yes, absolutely. Clannad and After Story should be considered one giant 50-ish episode series. After Story builds on the first season.

EDIT: \/\/\/\/
Assuming you were talking about that, then no, watching Kanon and Air is unnecessary for Clannad.

[TriezGamer]

Not sure I'm following 100%, but if the question is if you should watch Kanon and Air before watching Clannad, they're not actually related. Personally, I think Air and Kanon are both good, but I would have no problem recommending someone to just watch Clannad.

[theanimeguy]

oppps. no just Clannad.

[wildpurplechild]

Meh. I watched 1-5 episodes and didn't really like it. I think there was one or two things I found questionable in it, though I did like some of the characters and liked the artwork. The plot was kind of all over the place to me, but that could just be me.
I really liked the ending song a lot

[Yamamaya]

As for objectionable material, there's a few jokes of a sexual nature but the show has very little fanservice.

I've watched Clannad but I haven't watched After Story yet. The only problem with Clannad is that it dragged a bit.

[blkmage]

Meh. I watched 1-5 episodes and didn't really like it. I think there was one or two things I found questionable in it, though I did like some of the characters and liked the artwork. The plot was kind of all over the place to me, but that could just be me.
I really liked the ending song a lot

I'm wondering how you managed to judge the coherence of the plot of a visual novel adaptation (multiple paths!) based on watching only the first few episodes.

As for objectionable material, there's a few jokes of a sexual nature but the show has very little fanservice.

I've watched Clannad but I haven't watched After Story yet. The only problem with Clannad is that it dragged a bit.

I think your opinion will change once you get through After Story.

And for those of you who have only watched Clannad, go and watch After Story. Really, go do it now. It really bugs me when people do this for series that are split in half like this, like Gundam 00, Code Geass, or Higurashi. It's like reading a book or watching a movie and then stopping exactly halfway, thinking it's done. Congratulations, you've watched half of a complete story.

Don't do this.

[Roz]

Clannad is much awesomeness. Made me cry several times.

[KeybladeWarrior]

I have been wondering about Clannad as well, but it seems that this is one anime worth watching.

[wildpurplechild]

I'm wondering how you managed to judge the coherence of the plot of a visual novel adaptation (multiple paths!) based on watching only the first few episodes.


I think your opinion will change once you get through After Story.

Well for the plot I mean [SPOILER] It starts that they are going to revive the drama club, but then para normal stuff happens and they don't go back to what they started. think there was something else going on too, but I can't rember. I did only see 5 episodes though, so it might have gotten better. [/SPOILER]

[TriezGamer]

The first season concludes with the resolution to that plotline. It does take two fairly large detours to get there -- there really aren't any unresolved plots in Clannad. Just watch and enjoy.

For what it's worth, I feel the arc focusing on Fuko is the worst arc in the series. That's the arc you're currently moving into at that point.

[Yamamaya]

I'm wondering how you managed to judge the coherence of the plot of a visual novel adaptation (multiple paths!) based on watching only the first few episodes.


I think your opinion will change once you get through After Story.

And for those of you who have only watched Clannad, go and watch After Story. Really, go do it now. It really bugs me when people do this for series that are split in half like this, like Gundam 00, Code Geass, or Higurashi. It's like reading a book or watching a movie and then stopping exactly halfway, thinking it's done. Congratulations, you've watched half of a complete story.

Don't do this.

I was planning to watch After Story but I got distracted with other animes like Neon Genesis Evangelion and the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I'll go back and watch After Story eventually. It just didn't garner enough of my interest to require me to "WATCH NOW!"

[blkmage]

So guys, let's talk about what After Story really is in the Clannad story.

As you know, Clannad is a visual novel. There are multiple paths and they lead to different ends. But, the game is split into two parts: School Life and After Story. School Life is the part that most of you are familiar with: Tomoya goes around helping random people with their problems and becomes friends with them. This part of the story isn't anything too different if you've seen stuff like Kanon and Air. It goes all the way to almost halfway through Clannad After Story (the anime).

The After Story arcs (which are the second half of the After Story anime) are considered Clannad's true story. This part takes place immediately after the end of the first section and spans over the following ten years. This is the arc where all of the tragedy happens. Everything else was just a setup for this arc. And this is where everything in the story comes together.

After Story is the part of the story that elevates Clannad from another one of Key's sadface visual novels to their greatest masterpiece.

And after finishing Clannad After Story, Dango Daikazoku will be a lot more than just a cute little song.

[JapanAni]

I recommend this series highly. First watch in the order of Clannad and then Clannad after story. The key anime series such as Air, Kanon, and Clannad they intertwine a lot of themes like slice of life, family themes, supernatural, and a whole lot of other things. it's one of my favorite series. I never found a more touching and loving series that I cared about.

[steenajack]

I'm interested in seeing this series, but can someone give me a more precise description of the objectional content in it. Not a graphic description, but I'd like to know where or when I would have to fast forward any scenes or mute anything. Did someone say there was minor fanservice in it? How minor exactly? And if there are suggestive jokes, does it stay at a PG level at least?

[Yamamaya]

There's just a few comments made here and there. One time, a female character named Tomoyo picks up a magazine and says, "What's this?"

Sunohara grabs it back and says, "It's mine!" To which she responds, "Oh it's porn. Don't be embarrased it's natural."

[steenajack]

Thank you very much for the info. I keep hearing alot of good things about this anime. It's sounds really good. Is it released in the U.S on DVD or is the an internet site where I can watch the episodes for free (legally.)

[TriezGamer]

I'm currently rewatching the series, so I'm just gonna throw a few more out there as I remember to. As to specific scenes:

There is a joke about a character possibly being bisexual in the second episode. The scene is short, and isn't likely to offend many people, but I'll throw that out there. The character is question is not actually bisexual.

What is more likely to bother some people is episode 4 when two characters intentonally set up a misunderstanding so that one girl thinks another girl is asking her to date. This may further bother some because she ultimately says yes.

Episode 17 contains a 'locked in the sports equipment room' sequence where one character is convinced that she is about to have sex with the other.

Episode 23 of the first season is likely to offend more people than the rest of the series combined, due to some fantasy scenarios a character dreams up. The entire episode can be skipped, as it is completely irrelevant to the entire story.

In After Story, while the episode number eludes me at the moment, a father character takes a camera to the cafe where his daughter works with the intentions of taking photos of her in the uniform. It's unclear if he's really that perverse or just literally clueless as to the implications.

That's about it as to scenarios as far as I can remember.


As to themes, like Air and Kanon, Clannad contains supernatural elements. They are of a generic nature (no gods or deities), but this may bother some people.

It should be noted that throughout there is virtually no fanservice of a visual nature. Some of the characters are well-endowed, but panty shots are either non-existent or extremely rare (I can't recall any off the top of my head).



The series is available on DVD (the last set for After Story comes out early in December), and the first episode can be watched online, for free, at The Anime Network. The first episode requires registration, remaining episodes require a subscription.

[blkmage]

For those of you who have enjoyed Clannad, here's a fantastic Jazz/VOCALOID mix of Clannad songs, which includes Dango Daikazoku, Megumeru, and Toki o Kizamu Uta.

[TriezGamer]

That ... is awesome.

[steenajack]

Clannad sounds quite interesting. I may just watch a few episodes and decide from there whether or not i should watch it.