Clannad ~After Story~ [ep 10]

by eternal on December 16, 2008

Tomoya and Nagisa continue their blissful lives, wavering unsteadily on the line between realism and escapism. I’m not even sure what to classify this show as any more, but it looks as if my dream has come true: there really is a borderline-shoujo Clannad anime about the main couple’s relationship, and like I predicted back during the first season, I’m enjoying it. A lot.


The story within the empty world continues to parallel the trials of the characters in real life, with the robot and the girl struggling to fly into the sky before winter strikes. Nagisa’s time is limited, and one could almost say that the conclusion is inevitable – but that doesn’t stop her and Tomoya from fighting against it.

You can’t tell from the screencap, but the music here was absolutely beautiful; I think it’s the first time the full length (or almost full length) of the song was used, whatever it’s called to begin with. It was a nice accompaniment to Tomoya’s new life in his new family.

It’s hard to imagine what he must have been thinking at a moment like that. After graduating with almost everyone he knew, he’s forced to leave poor Nagisa alone to walk up that hill once more. Neither of them are unhappy about it, we can see that much, but it makes you wonder nonetheless. I suppose that’s where the “blissfulness” ends and the reality begins.

I’d almost forgotten how much I love Nagisa’s voice. The whole moe element seems to have been buried this season – which isn’t a bad thing, really – but it’s moment like this that remind me of the reason why I fell in love with the show to begin with. …Although, it seems to be having more of an effect on FuyuMaiden than me.


Of course, Akio hasn’t changed. At all.

Another heartwarming moment between the couple, proving yet again how their relationship has developed. It seems strange seeing an anime couple acting this comfortably with one another, but then again, Clannad has been breaking cliches left right and center. It almost seems normal to me now.

I also noticed a little detail, possibly irrelevant, with the ants walking by Tomoya’s feet while they were talking. At first, one ant was struggling to carry the…thing…but right at the end of the scene, Tomoya looked down and saw that the other ant had caught up. They’re supporting one another and lifting said thing a lot easier than the one ant would have done it alone.

…Either that, or blogging ef has gotten me used to searching for symbolism where it probably doesn’t belong.


It was nice, though a little strange, to see the Fujibayashi twins again. Was Ryou always that tall?

An interesting point raised by Tomoya’s monologue. Nagisa’s the kind of person to worry about others easily, so telling her to have fun at school could end up having the reverse effect. Wouldn’t she be happier without having that pressure put on her? But then again, one can’t exactly fault Tomoya either.


This is the kind of GAR that I actually like: a man-to-man discussion, coupled with epic pitching and window shattering.


I can’t blame him for daydreaming…
…And wasn’t I just recently talking about anime relationships without conflict being boring? Oh, the fickleness of the otaku’s heart…


He’s not there yet, but he’s growing up fast, and he’s giving it his all to become a worthy adult. It’s a battle I can respect.

And lastly, one of those moments that you just can’t help but smile at: as Tomoya was driving in the car to his new job, he noticed something out the window, momentarily distracting him…and when the scene finished, the above picture passed by. It wouldn’t take a genious to guess at what he could have been thinking at the time.

If there’s one thing the main arc of After Story is about, it’s the characters. The stories are already told, the themes are already laid bare; all that remains is the characters, particularly Tomoya and Nagisa, and their development as both individuals and as a couple. Nagisa’s inner strength shines as brightly as always, allowing her to attend school nearly all by herself without giving up hope. Even with the unfortunate end of her club, she’s still living happily, giving it her all. I’m not sure what it is about that genki spirit of hers, but I love it, and it always fills me with a mixture of admiration and the desire to help her. And an overload of moe.

Having said that, however, I believe this episode was really about Tomoya and his newfound sense of duty. He’s always been a nice guy, but looks like his feelings for Nagisa are allowing him to grow up and act like an adult; and from what we’ve seen so far, it appears to be working. Better yet, he’s not even forcing himself to do it, and as more time passes, it looks as though the thought of devoting himself to Nagisa entirely isn’t so intimidating any more. After all, a person of his age thinking about living together and maybe even starting a family is something certainly worthy of applause.

But then again, with a girlfriend like Nagisa, we shouldn’t be surprised.

~ ETERNAL
つづく

{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

M12 December 17, 2008 at 6:04 am

Sorry, I know I should be responding to the post. But hm, I’m checking out your new banners. They’re very nice, but hey, how come Matsuri > Aono XD? Aono is cool, too :).

But yeah, Clannad is starting to feel like Clannad again. Thank God.

M12s last blog post..Awesomely sucky

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zenical December 17, 2008 at 11:10 pm

Despite knowing that there will be a family.. I can’t help but know what will happen at the end T_T.

btw, I have yet to reply your email. Haha. I will change the banner ! np =P.

zenicals last blog post..Social Networking On PS3?

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ETERNAL December 19, 2008 at 7:36 pm

@ M12: Thanks! I might write about it in more detail some time in the future, but for various reasons I liked Matsuri quite a bit more ^^;

@ zenical: Thanks! I actually kinda like the idea of a specific blogroll page, I might make my own some time.

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