Clannad

 Welcome, this anime is in my top ten anime of all time and here's why

Soundtrack

What makes this anime so sad is the soundtrack for Clannad. My favourite song on this is Dango Dango Daikazoku, if you haven’t seen this show then (I don’t why you are reading this) you don’t know how tragic this song is as from someone who hasn’t seen it. Dango family sounds like a very soothing and sweet song but after you finish this anime; listen to it again and then your perception of it will change. Like the show, the song starts very simple but when you get to around halfway it always brings tears to me and makes me cry as it's the same song used in Nagisa’s death. At the same time it is very beautiful and a masterpiece of a song. After the arson attack on Kyoto animation, I have to pay respects to Yoshiji Kigami, Futoshi Nishiya and others it couldn’t be possible without these people to make this beautiful piece of art, this is my tribute back to them. The Dango song gets changed so many times throughout the show, to convey certain emotions; and at the end of the anime “Chiisana Te No Hira” is a one of these that is a happier joyful version to show that everything is fine now. It shows how versatile this anime can be, as Clannad mastered everything in an anime you'd want; emotion, art, music, story and character investment.

Story

Clannad is one of the best romance drama anime out there, the first season is just to develop the attachment to Tomoya and Nagisa. It starts off very innocence with Tomoya and Nagisa start their life together, Nagisa gets pregnant so Tomoya has to provide for Nagisa and cope with her deteriorating health. Clannad is in the embodiment of the word tragedy. I would call this the Shakespeare of anime because this show is a rollercoaster of a show as it starts innocently then out of nowhere the feels like Randy Orton come out of the left field. Next thing you know you have chronic PTSD from the tragedy in this. As Nagisa has a poor immune system she is bedridden from carrying a baby, then when giving birth she, unfortunately, passes away, which adds to the first case PTSD. If I ever want to cry, I just watch Clannad; After Story as no matter how many times I rewatch this, it always makes me burst into tears. It makes you very invested in this anime then destroys it with this scene, it’s not as sad as the later ones because it just starts the ball of emotions but will get a few tears or a little cry out of you.

Tomoya is left depressed and skips to five years after the event, Tomoya learns what it is like to be a father starts with trying to rekindle the relationship between Tomoya and Ushio. Next comes the second level of “Clannad PTSD” in episode 18 when they are in the fields is for me the saddest moment in Clannad in my opinion. As in this scene, it hits you twice with Tomoya saying he will be a good papa the music bursts out emotion and when you just recovered from that it comes back again when Tomoya recollect the memories of Nagisa. When I first watched this episode I was crying for like half an hour straight but everyone is different and other scenes might affect you more than others. I heard a couple of people didn’t cry during this and if you didn’t, I’m sorry you’re not human and should seek immediate therapy help. This episode springs onto the next episode of Tomoya confronting his father after stepping in his shoes which is a good psychology view about families and teaches you good morals about supporting your elders.

We get one episode of a slice of life wholesome goodness on episode 20 before the next infamous episode. Ushio gets the same cold as Nagisa gets and here comes the final stage of Clannad PTSD, at this point you are probably too broken to cry or just at a level of sadness that hasn’t been scientifically recorded yet. Tomoya calls out to Nagisa then he collapses too, supposedly he dies from hypothermia and I believe that to so I’m going with that. Now what happens after this is very controversial in Kyoani fans; I think the anime should have ended here as next it brings back them to life and continues as nothing happened which made fans mad like I was as we went through CLANNAD PTSD for nothing. I was like this at first because they made us so invested in this show then breaks into tiny pieces and toys with your heart continually throughout the rest of the anime but after watching it a few times I finally understood what happened after episode 21.

What I’m about to tell you will make the show goes from a great or good anime to a cinematic masterpiece in every aspect of the word. Through both season there were scenes of the garbage doll that at first seems completely random, symbolic and makes no sense when watching it normally. When the whole anime comes together you may not even realise it until the end or like my dumb self not after the second watch which most people not going to watch twice so that’s why I’m going to tell everyone. The world the doll in is called the dream world and it is set after Nagisa passes away and herself depicted in this world shows more of her character, what she is hiding deep in her soul.

However, it could be Ushio grown up; we don’t know if it's either of them but the Nagisa one sounds more fitting to my narrative so I’ll go with that and since Tomoya called out for Nagisa in the dream world fits perfectly for the end. On the other hand, Tomoya and Ushio passed away together then might have been brought into the Dream World so that makes more sense, ah now I don’t know what to believe (you the audience can decide). The doll has to collect these orbs to create a miracle and bring them back to life and without the tragic events happening. The show is extremely genius as it develops this plot with the doll while progressing the story at a perfect tempo with each other and it being that genius just makes up for the ending as who doesn’t like a happy ending (At least they didn’t do a massive middle finger to the viewers). Shows that Kyoani cares for anime and the audience, god bless them.

Thanks for Reading!!