CLANNAD - 21 March 13
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Summary:
With the school festival coming up, the drama club members are going through some vocal exercises that Koumura gave them, and Tomoya can’t help but smile at how determined Nagisa is with all this. For their production, she is writing the script and will be the actress, Ryou and Kotomi are handling sound, Kyou and Sunohara are handling lighting, and Tomoya is directing and handling stage management. For costuming, they are relying on Nagisa’s mother, and even her father helps out by borrowing a video of an actual theatrical production for Nagisa to watch. She’s moved to tears by what she sees and feels that her own play can’t compare, but Tomoya thinks that it’s fine because, as long as she’s serious about this, it’ll reach people’s hearts. Afterwards, Akio helps Tomoya go through the stuff in the shed outside to see if they can find the book that Nagisa supposedly based her play on. Tomoya now suspects that it could also have been a play that she had seen in the past, however Akio doesn’t think that this is likely because he would have known about it. Akio eventually locates a photo album consisting of pictures from his and his wife’s past, but they don’t find what they’re really looking for, and when Sanae yells for them to be quiet, they hastily throw the boxes back into the shed.
The following day, Nagisa proposes to Tomoya that they use a song at the play’s climax. His advice is for her to do what she wants because this is a stage that she created, and since Nagisa wants to sing, she decides to include the song. At school, they consult Nishina Rie and the girls of the choir club about background music, and since Rie understands that this is a sad story about being alone in the world, she suggests Ravel’s Ma Mère l’Oye. Tomoyo also shows up to check up on them, though the first thing that everyone notices is how she’s wearing glasses now. She admits to having bad eyesight, however she didn’t wear glasses before because she didn’t like how she looked with them. In any case, she surveys the drama club’s progress and vows with Nagisa to work their hardest on the upcoming festival. Patting Nagisa on the head for being a good girl, Tomoyo comments on how she’s glad that it was Nagisa, and this statement holds particular meaning to Kyou, Ryou, and Kotomi. Nagisa then decides to practice in front of everyone with the music playing, and as he watches her, Tomoya thinks about how she brought so many people into what was once an empty room and how they’re sharing the joy.
In the days that follow, the drama club members work just as hard as everyone else in the school to prepare for the festival, and Sanae finishes making a costume for Nagisa. The day right before the festival is devoted to rehearsal, and Nagisa spends almost all of her time studying her lines. She gets really nervous while waiting backstage for her turn, and when it’s finally time, the group puts their hands together for a cheer. Rehearsal ends up proceeding without a hitch, and Nagisa’s parents are happy to hear about it after she and Tomoya return home. When Tomoya comments on how doting Akio and Sanae are, Akio suggests that Tomoya would be the same way when he has his own daughter. Nagisa agrees with him, but her reasoning is that Tomoya resembles her father. Later that night, she visits Tomoya’s room because she’s too nervous to sleep, and when they start talking about how her parents will be attending the performance, Nagisa admits to realizing again how much she’s loved by them. However, she’s still caught up on the feeling that she did something bad to her parents during her childhood. Remembering how Akio had told him that Nagisa would think that they gave up their dreams for her, Tomoya tells her that she’s being too sensitive about this and with blaming herself. He suggests that she just concentrate on the play tomorrow, and Nagisa decides to take his advice.
Before going to bed, Nagisa prepares her bag for tomorrow and remembers that they need a flashlight for backstage. She finds one in the kitchen, but it’s batteries are dead, so she heads outside to the shed to look for another. In doing so, she accidentally knocks over the boxes that Akio had hastily stacked earlier, and all their contents spill out. A few hours later, Tomoya wakes up to use the bathroom and notices that the light in one of the rooms is still on. He finds Nagisa sitting over a bunch of photos, play scripts, diaries, and fliers featuring Akio, and she’s shocked because she didn’t know that her father used to be an actor. Just like Akio predicted, Nagisa blames herself for her parents giving up their dreams, so Tomoya tries his best to have her to not think about this and sends her off to get some sleep instead. After Nagisa slowly walks out, Tomoya notices an entry in Sanae’s old diary that talks about a riverside stroll with Nagisa, and Sanae had written that if she had continued to be a teacher, she didn’t think that she would have been able to feel such happiness. Right as Tomoya finishes reading this, Akio shows up in the doorway and, having realized what happened, he’s frustrated over how this is the worst timing.
Preview:
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As far as next-to-last episodes go, color me relatively unimpressed. Nagisa finally finds out about what her parents did for her, and while it’s a big shock for her, I was looking for something a little more emotional impact here. Part of that stems from how, even though I know it’s not entirely valid to do so given the different story structures, I can’t help but compare this to what the next-to-last Kanon episode was like. It just doesn’t feel like we’re headed for a particularly satisfying conclusion here. With only one episode left, short of any big surprises, I expect that Tomoya will help Nagisa get over her mental barrier, she’ll perform the play wonderfully, and that’ll be it. It’s entirely possible that it could still tug at our heartstrings, but for now, I’m just not feeling it. Several people have speculated to me that there’s no way Kyoto Animation isn’t going to animate more of this (the After Story) in the near future, and I really hope that they’re right.
Cage at 3:27 pm on March 13th, 2008
wonder where the last ep will go…
vT_Tv at 3:33 pm on March 13th, 2008
looks like the play is in motion? only a couple of eps left…. :\
aXeL at 3:35 pm on March 13th, 2008
there will be two new episodes released on DVD right? One extra and the other is the Last episode?, maybe the last episode involves the After Story….
Forum Police at 3:35 pm on March 13th, 2008
wow 22 is that last ep? I though it was 24 eps…oh well I hope the Anime series doesnt end up like the movie…
mangamaxx at 3:42 pm on March 13th, 2008
Ahhhhh~ Tomoyo with glasses~!!! Superb~~~~
game8910 at 3:42 pm on March 13th, 2008
I was never fond of Nagisa’s arc, so for me these last couple of eps have been somewhat uninteresting
Andy at 3:43 pm on March 13th, 2008
Tomoyo with glasses = hot!
Sensei-kun at 3:51 pm on March 13th, 2008
well, after I saw how the movie ended I don’t mind if the serie ends rather boring
Show Spoiler ▼
Radhabinod at 4:15 pm on March 13th, 2008
Well for Nagisa’s story, we are still at the middle of it. But yeah to see the real strength of her route you have to wait for her After Story.
setsuke at 4:22 pm on March 13th, 2008
This episode is very important, as it’ll effect Nagisa in her play. It would seem the next episode should be the conclusion of Nagisa’s arc, I’ll say episode 24 should be about the after story which maybe Usio will appear. That’ll be nice to see how good KyoAni will animate that.
Rift at 4:48 pm on March 13th, 2008
Everyone expecting the After Story to be crammed into one or two episodes…
…you do realize that After Story is the length of a full route, don’t you? It covers several years… Kyoani trying to cram it into one episode would be dreadful…
Victor at 4:50 pm on March 13th, 2008
Wow she finally finds out, It was only a matter of time. I wonder what the end will be. Just a few more episodes. Hope we get a happy end if not, After Story would be nice to see.
Mirrinus at 5:05 pm on March 13th, 2008
It looks like this season will only cover up through the school arc anyhow. I’d rather not speculate yet as to if the show will continue at another point.
WingZero zxt at 5:05 pm on March 13th, 2008
i have just seen the movie literally today… DAMN. congratulations for Clannad to be the first anime in all 8 years of me watching anime (since gundam wing and dragonball z were on tv in britain on Cartoon network) for being the first anime to ever make me cry (i am a guy… no really honest :p)
WingZero zxt at 5:07 pm on March 13th, 2008
oh wait my point was i really hope the same thing dont happen again a in the movie though it def wont have the same impact as everything in the series so far has sort of bounced of me to be honest
lol_matt at 5:33 pm on March 13th, 2008
˚∆˚! TOMOYO W/ GLASSES!!!
Amoirsp at 5:41 pm on March 13th, 2008
WingZero, I highly, highly doubt the things in the movie will occur in the anime. When the movie is criticized for trying to fit things (note that the timeframe it did emphasis couldn’t fit everything), it’s virtually (or rather is) impossible to do After Story in one episode.
Though yes, if it ends up open ended like Kanon, that seems entirely believeable. I think episode 22 would conclude the play, and “finish Nagisa’s route”, as in non-AS portions.
I would not be surprised if 22 had graduation (considering how I think the “extra” was “summer” which more or less could imply post graduation.)
And as blundering as some may think of the movie, some points here and there were actually true. Also, because the approach is in dire contrast to the anime, the chances of the anime establishing similar things that the movie did I think is unlikely.
Funny how the portion that makes the Tomoya x Nagisa relationship truly beautiful … probably won’t be animated given one episode left. Though for that same reason it makes it a little weird that it was established in that manner that it was (since it obviously the original way it was established). Well, Kyoani in previous key works did extract more or less everything (like AIR having 3 segments), so since after story exists, it’s entirely possible for them to animate it. Kyoani wouldn’t run a bad ending, but would they run *that*? Then again, if they didn’t, it would cheese out the success that contrasts *that*.
GP at 6:41 pm on March 13th, 2008
Everyone still lists this series as 24 episodes. And the episode title for 23 is out already.
The Events of Summer
Natsuyami no Dekigoto
夏休みの出来事
Summer Vacation Chapter
So no, this show doesn’t end with 22 episodes. I don’t know what Omni is smoking.
linkinstreet at 7:22 pm on March 13th, 2008
He already said that only 22 eps will be AIRED. The rest in on DVD
Aoi_sora9x at 7:47 pm on March 13th, 2008
Call me conservative/Kyoto-fanboy. After watching the series done by Kyoto, I cannot bear to watch the movie.
Believe me, I cannot even watch pass the part where Tomoya and Nagisa meet.
Still, Clannad is not a series that is all about dying and disease. Though it bears the same atmosphere as Kanon, Clannad is more light-hearted . And as you guys appreciate Kanon for its tragic storyline, I think Clannad should also be appreciated for its light-hearted manner.
Love both Kanon and Clannad, anyway :3