"Clannad" Review

Aah the first anime I've watched since FMA (I think?). I kept telling myself that I wouldn't start another anime until I finished my FMA/FMA:B comparison, but that didn't really happen... oh well. 

I am soooo glad that I watched "Clannad" (thanks to James over at J and J Productions!) It was a very fun show. It absolutely makes it into my "top 10" list of animated TV (as in, not just anime, but other shows as well. Like TCW and ATLA)! There is a very fun feel to it, and it kept me on the edge wondering "what happens next?"

Alright, onto the review!

sorry, i lost the source :(

Synopsis ( I can't find a good one, so I guess I have to write my own lol):
High school senior Tomoya Okazaki is bored with his life. His school has nothing to offer, he and his father have a distant relationship, and his one friend only adds to his trouble. In a chance meeting with a strange girl, Nagisa Furukawa, his life gets turned upside down. The show follows their journey to revive the drama club, help classmates, and unravel a strange mystery.

(how was that for my first time?)


Genre: 
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, School, Slice of Life, Supernatural

This is absolutely one of the best animes I've seen, and would recommend it to anyone who is already into anime. I don't think it would be the best thing to start out with, but if you can handle the moe style, then go for it! 

Warnings: Very little violence, other than some over-exaggerated cartoon violence.

Because no one would ever survive that

There is very little foul language (much less than you would find at a real high school, that's for sure). 
I feel that it might have been because I was watching the english dub, but there were quite a few references to a god that the characters pray to, but it does not listen/care. I personally just attribute that to the dub, and the fact that really, whichever god they're praying to is probably a deity of one of Japan's main religions, seeing as only 2% of the population is actually Christian. I really don't know what to make of it, honestly. It felt kind of out of place in the story. It's very minor- I just thought I would mention it.

Plot and Production:
The plot is well thought out, and each episode flowed smoothly into the next. I feel like there are two main parts to the show, the first half: a mystery, and the second half: achieving a goal. The underlying mysteries constantly has viewers questioning the direction of the plot, because there are so many possible outcomes! Though some aspects are predictable, it doesn't leave a feeling of "ugh, the writers should be more creative".

Obviously this show is heavily moe, but the animation is sharp and relatively smooth. It's more of a matter of if you can tolerate the huge eyes and crazy effects! I watched the English dub, and thought that the voice acting was awesome! The actors all did a great job, and they didn't pull out of the story at all (you know, like make me realize that they are recording in a booth, not being their characters... that feeling, yeah...)

Characters:
The word "clannad" comes from Gaelic roots, meaning "family". This is most defiantly a fitting name for the show, as it is about a group of friends that have a very family-like dynamic (Kyou and Tomoya are totally mom and dad). There are LOTS AND LOTS OF CHARACTERS, so I'm grouping families together!

Tomoya Okazaki

Tomoya Okazaki, our lovable, sarcastic delinquent, is the lead of the series. He is a quick thinker, and helps a number of friends through the series. He rarely looks for a fight, but will fight back when attacked first. Much of the story revolves around him learning about his friends, their past, and helping them. He's an interesting character, and David Matranga's acting is very good, and possibly better than the two other anime's I've seen him in. (he was also in Angel Beats and Hakuouki)

Nagisa Furukawa

This cutie here, Nagisa Furukawa, is the leading lady of the show. Though she might seem shy, her dream is to start the drama club back up. She cares deeply for other people, and is overall a very likable character. Her most obvious flaw is that she worries to much, and is very self conscious, which is a foil to Tomoyas confidence. It's hard not to like her, especially since she loves almost everyone she meets, always trying to see the good in people.

Akio and Sanae Furukawa

Nagisa's parents. My OTP of the series. They are adorable and make me do this:

Ryou and Kyou Fujibayashi

The twins are the last characters I'm going to mention, because there are SO many other great characters, and this post would take forever if I don't stop.
So yes. The twins.
Kyou (right) is very protective of Ryou (left), who is much more quiet than her older sister. They are both wonderful characters, but I feel that Kyou gets more character development, because she bonds with Tomoya more (like I said- the mom and dad of the group), and is much more... loud. Yeah. She's loud. I love her to pieces.
And Ryou is smart and adorable, so it's all good.

Availability:

Available on Hulu instant play, Netflix DVD, and AnimeFreak

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Alright, well, now I'm off to start the sequel- Clannad: After Story!