Finished Clannad VN!

After a long delay of over a year, I finally finished the Clannad visual novel I started last June.

Clannad title screen

Clannad is a Visual Novel, developed by Key. Key also produced various other VNs, such as Kanon, Rewrite, etc.

Clannad's soundtrack was everything I could ask for. Really soothing at times, while upbeat and energising at others, the music helped set the mood for the various scenes. Most memorable for me were Kyou, Fuuko, and especially Tomoyo's routes. Just listening to the music, without having to read the words, could induce tears into my eyes, and a strong feeling welling up in my chest. The ending song provided a resounding conclusion to each story, and after all that, going back to the title screen, the calm, relaxing music entranced me. I still remember how, after playing Tomoyo's route, laughing at Sunohara getting bullied, Tomoya's flirting, etc, crying at their break-up, and after that, when they got together again. After finishing her route, I just stared at the title screen, for almost a 15 minutes, just listening to the music.

I guess it's pretty obvious that I'm a Tomoyo fan. 

Clannad introduces a large variety of backstories for each character, and develops them quite nicely. Just that, this being the kind of game it is, naturally, each of them has to get together with Tomoya(most at least).

Unfortunately, I just could not stand some of them, particularly Nagisa.

I would probably attribute this to personal bias, as various friends of mine really like Nagisa. Well, she's just this really useless main heroine (somehow, favoured heroines recently tend to be portrayed as weak and useless. *Think Orihime [Bleach], Lucy [Fairy Tail], Onodera [Nisekoi]). Nagisa is physically weak, and frail, getting sick easily. She has no confidence, and is pretty much oblivious and dull to what people say. She also has this stupid obsession of sorts with "The Big Dango Family", some show she watched as a kid. And with all the irritating helpless heroines so far, she is caring and self-sacrificing, always quick to sacrifice her own interests for others. Unfortunately she is the main heroine of the Visual Novel, and I spent half the time on her routes, holding down the control button, to skip the text.

At least, the visual novel offers different routes, and there are many routes that totally ignore Nagisa altogether. The worst part about the Clannad Anime was that they forced everyone's stories into the plot, as side-acts to Nagisa and Tomoyo's final romance. So irritating. 

I have opted not to delve into the after story, because it basically ends off with reviving Nagisa for a fairy tale like ending where everything is happily ever after. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that Nagisa should remain dead because I dislike her. In a bid to connect up everything in the story, and give it some purpose, they turned it into an unnatural means to revive Nagisa. The story would have been complete, as Tomoya tries to find a sense of normalcy in his life again.

Happy endings are nice, but the story became too unrealistic. Compare that with Kyou's story. Fujibayashi Kyou, and twin sister Fujibayashi Ryou are both romantically interested in Tomoya.

Ryou (Left) and Kyou (Right)

Aware of her sister's feelings for Tomoya, Kyou tries to hide her own feelings, and tries to bring Tomoya and her little sister together. After various twists and turns, Kyou also realises how hard it was for her to hide her own feelings, and all 3 of them are very conflicted on this issue. Near the end, Kyou dresses up as Ryou, and even cuts her hair short, to "test" Tomoya's feelings, leading to a very sad/happy(I can't decide. I like Kyou more, but feel bad for Ryou), touching end. 

Or Tomoyo. (FAVOURITEEEEEE ) hahaha fanboy mode on.

Tomoyo is a strong girl, with big dreams, and the determination and ability to pursue them. With a shady history as a famous delinquent, Tomoyo starts afresh at this school. Sunohara, however, being the idiot that he is, keeps challenging Tomoyo to fights, unaware of her past. As a bystander to the one-sided thrashing of Sunohara by Tomoyo, Tomoya catches Tomoyo's attention, and she gradually opens up to him.

Scene from Anime

Scenes from VN. 

Tomoyo had a dream to save the cherry blossom trees in the school area, and to do that, she had to become the student council president. Tomoya assists her in her campaign, and after much effort, she takes on the role. However, her relationship with Tomoya puts her under close watch by the teachers, Tomoya being a well-known, incorrigible delinquent in the school. Tomoyo was very unwilling to sacrifice her relationship with Tomoya, just because of pressure from teachers and other schoolmates. 

                                          

Just before they broke up.

However, Tomoya knew that if this continued, Tomoyo would not be able to fulfill her dream of saving the cherry blossom trees. So as to allow her to fulfill her dream, Tomoya decided to break up with her. 

This part really hit me. Tomoya had changed for the better during the time they were in a relationship, attending his classes on time, doing his work. He had gotten used to that lifestyle, and found energy in living, and working hard. After he left her, he struggled to find himself again, trying to get back into the destructive lifestyle he had before, to distance himself from her. Often, he would find himself waking up early, instead of sleeping in like he would have, and reminiscing the times when Tomoyo came over to wake him for school.

8 months passed. Tomoya had settled back into his original lifestyle. Tomoyo had succeeded in convincing whoever needed convincing of the importance of preserving the cherry blossom trees, and had since stepped down from her position as a student council president. Meanwhile, Tomoya had left school, taking a simple job, with a meager salary, working at a petrol kiosk.

Tomoyo approaches Tomoya

After some time, Tomoyo approached Tomoya. While she managed to fulfill her goal of saving the cherry blossom trees, she lost precious time with him. Once she achieved that however, she left everything behind her as she sought him out. Throwing away her future, with her perfect grades and reputation, she sought out the guy she once loved. 

Teary reunion

And that's all that is needed to be said. 

For me, Tomoyo's story felt more real, more powerful. I could somehow "relate" to the story, or at least, feel the intensity and emotions from Tomoyo and Tomoya. It really is my favourite part in all of Clannad.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to starting on the sequel, Tomoyo After: It's a Wonderful Life! soon.