The moving and tearful story of CLANNAD: reviews and recommendations

"CLANNAD" - A moving story and its appeal

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

game

■ Release date

September 15, 2007

■Distribution company

Toei

■Frequencies

93 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Visual Arts, Key

■ Director

Osamu Dezaki

■ Production

Animation Production: Toei Animation, Frontier Works Production: Toei Animation, Frontier Works

■Works

©VisualArt's/Key/Toei Animation/Frontier Works

■ Story

Tomoya Okazaki, a third-year high school student who has problems with his father, meets a girl at the bottom of the cherry blossom-lined slope leading to his school.
The girl's name is Furukawa Nagisa. Nagisa tells Tomoya, "I just can't climb this hill." "So can you help me climb this hill?" Tomoya suggests that if she can't climb the hill, she should be able to if she finds something fun to do at school. Inspired by her words, Nagisa begins to struggle to rebuild the disbanded drama club. Before long, Tomoya also starts to work with Nagisa, and he is drawn to her hard work...

■Explanation

Have you ever lost someone important to you?
Key's adventure game "CLANNAD" was a huge hit that moved many users when it was released in 2004. This masterpiece will now be adapted for the cinema for the first time. The director is Osamu Dezaki, a master of Japanese animation known for "Gamba no Bouken" and "Aim for the Ace!", as well as the film version of "AIR", also a Key production. The screenplay is by Makoto Nakamura, who also worked with the director on the film version of "AIR", and the character design is by Emi Kadonozono, who has attracted attention for her work on "Uta∽Kata" and "Kiddy Grade". The film is staffed with talented staff. We hope you will experience this deeply moving story that cannot be contained within the framework of animation.

■Cast

Tomoya Okazaki/Kenji Nojima/Nagisa Furukawa/Mai Nakahara/Tomoyo Sakagami/Houko Kuwashima/An Fujishiro/Ryo Hirohashi/Yohei Sunohara/Daisuke Sakaguchi/Akio Furukawa/Ryotaro Okiayu/Sanae Furukawa/Kikuko Inoue/Kimiko Ibuki/Yuko Minaguchi/Yusuke Yoshino/Hikaru Midorikawa

■ Main staff

Original work and supervision: Visual Arts, Key
・Director / Osamu Dezaki・Screenplay / Makoto Nakamura・Original character concept / Itaru Hinoue・Character design / Emi Kadonosono・Assistant costume designer / Yumi Horie・Animation director / Yoichi Onishi・CG director / Toru Yoshiyasu・Art design / Jiro Kono・Art director / Shoichiro Shigeura・Color setting / Kunio Tsujita・Original song / Shinji Orito, Magome Togoshi, Jun Maeda・Music / Yoshichika Inomata・Music director / Seiji Suzuki・Sound director / Tomoaki Yamada・Digital photography director / Takeshi Fukuda of Sanko Productions, Tomokazu Shiratori・Editor / Masahiro Goto・Production manager / Ryuichi Sugimoto・Animation production / Toei Animation, Frontier Works・Production / Toei Animation, Frontier Works

■ Main Characters

Tomoya Okazaki is a third-year high school student. He was once a promising basketball player, but something happened that caused him to stop playing basketball. Since then, he has been living a carefree life, but after meeting Nagisa, he slowly starts to change.
・Furukawa Nagisa He is in the same third year of high school as Tomoya, but he is one year older than the others because he took a year off due to illness. He works hard to revive the disbanded drama club. He loves the song "Dango Daikazoku" that was popular in the past.
・Tomoyo Sakagami A second-year high school student who is a junior to Tomoya and the others. Although she is younger than Tomoya and the others, she talks as if she is a senior. She has leadership skills and is aiming to become the student council president.
・Former classmate of Fujishiro Antomoya. Although he has a rough and rude personality, he is very caring. He volunteers to support his junior Tomoyo in her bid to become student council president.
・Sunohara Yohei Tomoya's bad friend. He was originally a promising new member of the soccer club, but he got into a fight with a student from another school during a game and was forced to quit the club. Perhaps because they were in similar situations, he hit it off with Tomoya and they often hang out together.
・Furukawa Akimi Nagisa's father and owner of "Furukawa Bread". He looks and acts scary, but he is a kind person at heart, and his hobby is to play baseball with the neighborhood kids.
Sanae Furukawa, Nagisa's mother. She is perfect at her job and housework, but when it comes to baking bread, she seems to have a catastrophic talent.
A teacher at Tomoya's school. She was formerly the advisor for the drama club, and helps Nagisa and the others in their quest to revive the club. She is actually a master of martial arts.
A former professional musician and a senior at Sunohara's part-time job, Tomoya later works under Yoshino. He is in a relationship with Kimiko Ibuki.

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Megmel ・Lyrics by riya
・Composer: eufonius
・Arrangement: Kiku
・Mix/Masa Okubo ・Song/riya

・ED1
・Small palm eufonius Ver.
Lyrics: Jun Maeda Composition: Jun Maeda Arrangement: Hajime Kikuchi Vocals: eufonius

・ED2
・Quince Fildychrom
Lyrics: riya
・Composition: Hajime Kikuchi ・Arrangement: Hajime Kikuchi ・Singer: eufonius

・ED3
・Dango Dango Dango ・Lyrics by Osamu Dezaki ・Music by Yoshiaki Inomata ・Arrangement by Yoshiaki Inomata ・Singer by a student of the attached Hikarisaka High School

・IN1
・Dango Dango Dango ・Lyrics by Osamu Dezaki ・Music by Yoshiaki Inomata ・Arrangement by Yoshiaki Inomata ・Singer by a student of the attached Hikarisaka High School

・IM1
・Promise・Lyrics: Naomi Kosaka・Music: Toshiyuki Omori・Arrangement: Hajime Kikuchi・Singer: Lia

The appeal and reputation of "CLANNAD"

"CLANNAD" is a moving story based on an adventure game developed by Key, and its deep storyline and character development have attracted many fans. The movie version released in 2007 condenses the essence of the original work while depicting the story from a new perspective. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and evaluation of the work.

Depth of story

The story of CLANNAD begins with the encounter between Okazaki Tomoya and Furukawa Nagisa. Tomoya was troubled by his relationship with his father and lived a carefree life, but meeting Nagisa changed his life. Inspired by Nagisa's efforts to rebuild the disbanded drama club, Tomoya gradually begins to reexamine his own life. The story delves deeply into the bonds of human relationships, the love of family, and the meaning of life.

What is particularly moving is the careful depiction of each character's background, such as Nagisa's illness and family problems, and Tomoya's past trauma. As the story progresses while these elements intertwine, viewers can empathize with the characters' growth and suffering, and are deeply moved. Also, while there are multiple routes in the original game, the movie cleverly combines these elements to maximize emotion within the limited time.

Character Appeal

Each character in CLANNAD is unique and charming. The main character, Tomoya Okazaki, has a carefree attitude at first, but he is depicted growing as he meets Nagisa. Kenji Nojima's voice acting is also excellent, and he realistically expresses the changes in Tomoya's inner self.

Nagisa Furukawa is inspiring as she lives a positive life despite her illness. Mai Nakahara's voice acting is also excellent, conveying Nagisa's purity and strength. Nagisa's family members Akio Furukawa and Sanae Furukawa are also important characters, and their presence adds depth to the story. Akio's strictness and kindness, Sanae's passion for baking bread, and other details are carefully portrayed.

Many other unique characters also appear, such as Sakagami Tomoyo, Fujishiro An, and Sunohara Youhei. Each character, such as Tomoyo's leadership, An's caring nature, and Youhei's friendship, enrich the story. The human drama woven by these characters is one of the charms of "CLANNAD."

The power of music

The music of "CLANNAD" is also a major attraction. The opening theme "Megumeru" features riya's beautiful voice and eufonius' gentle melody, adding to the atmosphere of the story. The ending themes "Chiisana Te no Hira" and "Kinmelo" also play an important role in enhancing the emotional impact of the story. "Dango Dango Dango" in particular has a symbolic presence in the story and will surely be deeply engraved in the hearts of viewers.

A team of talented staff members, including music director Seiji Suzuki and composer Yoshiaki Inomata, have come together to provide music that perfectly matches the story. This music stirs the emotions of the viewer and doubles the impact of the story.

Visual beauty and direction

The visual beauty of CLANNAD is also not to be missed. Director Osamu Dezaki is known as a master of Japanese animation, and his direction brings out the emotion of the story to the fullest. In particular, the beautiful backgrounds and careful drawing are impressive, such as the hill covered in blooming cherry blossoms and the scene where the disbanded drama club is rebuilt. Character designer Emi Kadono also firmly expresses the individuality of the characters, enhancing the visual appeal.

Experts from various fields, such as CG director Toru Yoshiyasu and art director Shoichiro Shigeura, have come together to create beautiful images. These visual beauty enhances the emotional impact of the story.

Evaluation and acceptance

"CLANNAD" has been highly praised not only by fans of the original game, but also by viewers experiencing it for the first time. In particular, the moving story, character growth, and beautiful music and visuals have captured the hearts of many people. Furthermore, the movie version condenses the essence of the original work, but also depicts the story from a new perspective, providing fans of the original with a fresh and moving experience.

The movie version of "CLANNAD" also deeply touched many viewers by depicting the meaning of life and family ties through a moving story. These elements were appreciated and the work received high praise. In particular, the touching scenes and character growth left a deep impression on viewers, making it a work beloved by many people.

Recommendations for "CLANNAD" and related works

"CLANNAD" is a wonderful work that combines a moving story, charming characters, and beautiful music and visuals. In particular, the story that depicts the meaning of life and family ties deeply moves many viewers. It is a work that can be recommended to both those who are experiencing this work for the first time and fans of the original game.

Related Titles

The original "CLANNAD" is an adventure game developed by Key. This game has multiple routes, and the story changes depending on the actions the player chooses. By playing the original game, you can learn about the backgrounds and episodes of the characters that are not depicted in the movie version. The music in the original game is also excellent, which has the effect of further deepening the emotion of the story.

Other works by Key are also recommended. In particular, the movie version of "AIR," also directed by Osamu Dezaki, is a work that has a touching story and beautiful images. "AIR" is a story that depicts family ties and the meaning of life, and has themes in common with "CLANNAD." Other works by Key, such as "Kanon" and "Little Busters!", are also works that have touching stories and attractive characters. These works are also recommended to fans of "CLANNAD."

Recommended points

The recommended points for "CLANNAD" are as follows:

• Inspiring Stories: Deep stories that explore the meaning of life and family ties will touch the hearts of your audience.
• Charming Characters: Unique characters such as Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa enrich the story.
• Beautiful music: Beautiful music such as the opening theme "Megumer" and the ending theme "Chiisana Tenohira" enhances the emotional impact of the story.
• Visual Beauty and Direction: Osamu Dezaki's direction and Emi Kadonozono's character designs create a beautiful visual.
• Link with the original game: By playing the original game, you can learn about episodes that were not depicted in the movie.

As mentioned above, "CLANNAD" is a wonderful work that combines a moving story, attractive characters, beautiful music and visuals. It is a work that can be recommended to those who are experiencing this work for the first time and fans of the original game, so please give it a watch.