Saturday, November 24, 2007

• CLANNAD Episode 8

  Easily the single best episode of CLANNAD yet.

  
  

  
  

  

  Extra points for catching the hidden meaning in the title!
  

  The fact that a single piece of work can get me feeling so emotional speaks volumes about how excellent it is. Not once since we started the Fuuko arc did I expect myself to feel this way. I've always had the impression that Fuuko's arc in CLANNAD fails when compared to Matoko’s arc in Kanon. But that was before I saw episode 8. 
  

   

  Fuuko’s no longer just a carbon copy of Tsukimiya Ayu. In my heart, she has become a being of worth, one that has depth and character [so unlike the 2D stick figures from all the Dan Brown books]. Her story is moving away from that of Ayu’s and is evolving into something equally beautiful in its own right, one that would certainly bring tears and wring the heartstrings of viewers. The way I see it, CLANNAD’s finally breaking free from the Kanon mould and is starting going strong on its own two feet.

  Sunohara, too. He’s also coming into his field. It is rare for someone playing the role of the jokester to get the amount of character development like Sunohara. It is even rarer when that jokester goes on to play an important (not to mention deeply emotional) role. That scene with Nagisa, Fuuko and Tomoya at the stairway really hurt. Sunohara, like Fuuko, is not just merely a comic character anymore. I would enjoy seeing how he grows from here.
  
  

  CLANNAD truly lives up to its name as being Key’s best work. While Kanon and AIR might be more well known, CLANNAD is Key’s official masterpiece. All the experiences that Key garnered while producing Kanon and AIR all came to fruition in CLANNAD. The social interactions of all the major characters and not just that of the male lead and the Promised Girl is what sets CLANNAD apart from the rest of its ilk. It really shows the writing prowess of Key.

  Next week episode appears to be the end of Fuuko’s arc. The preview itself was awesome. Will we be able to see Fuuko reach the end of her dream?

  

  PS: I especially loved how they used “The Place Where Wishes Come True” as the BGM in the preview. It just…felt right. 
     

  • 5:57 PM
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