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| Overall | Art | Animation | Character Design | Music | Series Story | Episode Story | Reviewer | |
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| Watch | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
 Dreamer
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[series:1853#2279] |
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I mildly enjoyed the series Clannad TV, but decided to try this one anyhow... since after all, I did sit through 23 episodes of it. What's one more right? Art, Animation & Character Designs Artwork, animation and character designs were no different from the series, thus there's no point in making any comments here. (See my review on Clannad TV) Music Nothing to note here as well. Series and Episode Story As mentioned above, although I mildly enjoyed the series (TV), I found this one interesting. This arc actually felt more realistic. The focus was on the love between Tomoya & Tomoyo and of course, it had to be a tearful experience (not that I was crying). At least here, we get to see Tomoyo's dream(s) come true regarding her desire to save the Sakura trees.... in the process of their relationship. Somehow, I found this much more enjoyable than the series. But then, that's probably because I got familiar with our characters and seeing them in a different situation made it a bit more interesting. Overall, fun OVA and worth it if you're a fan of this series. Last updated Friday, July 30 2010. Created Friday, July 30 2010. | ||||||||
| Watch |
 Xenoknight
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[series:1853#2967] | ||||||
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review coming after I rewatch the anime... Check out my award list to see some of the best anime titles in the world! Never forget Xenosaga. Last updated Monday, December 08 2008. Created Monday, December 08 2008. | ||||||||
| Watch | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 |
 AstroNerdBoy
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[series:1853#436] | |
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I loved Clannad (TV). I'm not opposed to having an alternate retelling of that story which has Tomoya pair up with Tomoyo. However, this is not the right way to do it as far as I'm concerned. The main problems with this OVA are that (1) it is created for fans of the visual novels and (2) there is no proper setup for the OVA's story. Instead, the writers either rely on you to know the visual novel story or the TV series. Well, I've seen the TV series but lets face it, the TV series pretty much sets up from the start that Tomoya will end up with Nagisa. I never doubted that. This OVA says (as was pointed out to me), "There were no other girls but Tomoyo." Sadly, that doesn't work for me. For starters, it is very difficult to divorce the emotional investment I have in the Tomoya and Nagisa love story. Even ignoring that aspect, the love story of Tomoyo and Tomoya feels forced and not real. So what would have worked? Well, a complete reboot would have fixed everything, but this would have required more episodes. Had the story been presented from scratch with no Nagisa or any of the other girls and just focused on how Tomoyo and Tomoya came to have feelings for each other, I think I would have really enjoyed this. That way, when the negative things come into their lives, that would have impact on the audience as would their resolution to these problems. Further, I would have believed in their romance and would not be thinking about Nagisa or the like. Also, there's just not a lot of fun in this episode. Sunohara is usually the comic foil, but the two instances where the writers attempt to use him for humor didn't make me laugh (though it is amusing to see Sunohara in black hair). There's just a lot of negative elements with the pressures of Japanese society on the couple. Unfortunately, that is not enough to hold a story for me without proper setup (though maybe the Japanese will better relate without the setup). Bottom line: I have nothing against a story pairing Tomoyo and Tomoya together but a lack of setup (to divorce this story from the original TV series) and a feeling of things just being forced made this only a "watch" for me.Last updated Wednesday, July 30 2008. Created Tuesday, July 29 2008. | ||||||||
| Rent | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 10 |
 Devil Doll
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[series:1853#752] |
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[Score: 78% = "Rent"; similar alternate game path extensions: Da Capo If, Kimi ga Nozomu Eien - Haruka Route]
Um... where do I begin? It's difficult to do this OVA justice. First of all, it is by no means a sequel to Clannad (TV), despite using the same OP and ED songs. If you expect a sequel you will be confused and disappointed. You need to focus on the story of the (very short) Tomoyo arc of the series (well, actually of the game where the whole process of these two getting close is handled in full detail) and imagine this had been the main arc. Second, the Characters aren't easy to accept with so little background. Then again, Tomoya is clearly acting in character with how he was at the beginning of the series (no Nagisa arc, remember?). And Tomoyo doesn't have a real choice because of this. The whole story provides exactly two decisions... which may not be enough to call that a real development. Finally, the resolution at the end of the OVA is a bit heavy in terms of monologues, referring to what these characters did in the meantime. Showing this as more of an incremental process would certainly have been more interesting. Despite all of this, I still rated this OVA as a "Rent", due to its marvellous Music during the second half (including the trailer at the end of the fansub), and for its heart-rending climax. With Art and Animation being the same high standard as in the series, I can't just give this OVA a lower rating as it actually made me shed a tear or two. Watch this show with the appropriate preparation in terms of story. But do watch it if you like highly emotional romance. Last updated Sunday, August 29 2010. Created Friday, July 18 2008. | ||||||||
| Watch | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 |
 Ggultra2764
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[series:1853#1552] | |
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The thought of seeing Tomoyo and Tomoya as a pairing in an alternate reality seemed like an interesting premise for the two Clannad characters. But, the plot setup for this OAV seemed mediocre at best. There wasn't much explanation of how the two eventually became a pairing which could have made for a better focus on this OAV. The situation setup to test their relationship felt like forced melodrama, especially since the council member who pressured Tomoya about his relationship was only there just to trigger that part of the plot. I felt more annoyed with this setup than intrigued by it. Even if you did enjoy watching Clannad, I'm sure most folks will only watch this OAV at least a few times since it's just an omake treat for fans of the series. Last updated Friday, July 18 2008. Created Friday, July 18 2008. | ||||||||
