Clannad was originally a Japanese visual novel that was developed by Key in 2004, which was later adapted into an anime series by Kyoto Animation in 2007, and it is one of the most heart-breaking yet beautiful animes I have ever seen. I don't think I have ever cried so much at an anime in all of my life.
Clannad is set in a high school and is based on the relationship between the classmates, the main characters being Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa, a shy girl who because of her medical problems is retaking her senior year. The story focuses on the life of Tomoya - who had lost his mother at a young age and has a troubled relationship with his father - and how his actions affect those around him. It took me a couple of episodes to get hooked in the show, especially as the plot can be quite confusing at times. There are scenes of a girl and a robot, who seemingly exist in a separate plane to the rest of the characters, and this is something that doesn't particularly get explained throughout the series, but you develop an understanding of what it means at it's relevance as the story progresses. This is something I really enjoyed about Clannad, as it had a a good mixture of humorous and gut-wrenching scenes that can really make you think about your own life, but it also has the opportunity for you to give it your own meaning and make it more personal to you.
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The plot has proved to be effective at delivering both humor and emotion, as you see the characters develop throughout their time at school and you are given the opportunity to learn about all of the main character's backgrounds, which ultimately gives the characters more appeal. There is such a diverse range of characters and backgrounds which allows for the show to be highly relate-able. The characters themselves have a typical anime style ("moe") and are drawn in a way that makes them seem very cute. Where as some people can be put off by this style as it is quite unnatural (big eyes for example), I, myself, am quite a fan and I think it worked well for this animation series, as it only helped to increase the appeal for the characters without retracting from the realistic drama.
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I also really like the art style of the settings. the backgrounds are often very detailed which definitely help at transporting you to another world, but the colours in which they have been drawn has also been very carefully considered. For the vast majority of the show it is produced in bright and vibrant colours which reflects the comedic nature and subtle romantic undertones, but there are also scenes that are very dull, (especially in Clannad: After Story) to help portray the mood and the hard times that are occurring.
All in all, this series - as well as the sequel - is a must watch. The story is beautifully written, and has a good mixture of comedic and heart-felt scenes with just the right amount of background stories. It has definitely made it onto my list of favourite shows, and just writing this has made me want to watch it again. I might have to...
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