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[Anime Reviews]

Clannad 4-6: or how I learned to stop worrying and love escapism

Posted by Martin  [Tags: Clannad]

I don’t think that the majority of stuff that I’ve blogged recently can be genuinely classed as all-out escapism. I really value the concept in realism even when certain aspects of a show are a bit far-fetched and fantastical; sometimes though retreating from real life entirely makes for a refreshing change…even if it involves lightweight fluff.

As much as I’m enjoying Clannad, you have to admit that at this stage it’s lightweight fluff. I don’t doubt it will get serious later on but at the moment it’s merely an above-average high school comedy (assuming you’re into the genre to begin with) but is still pretty generic. Perhaps because it’s so lightweight and generic, I find it to be quite a pleasant experience - the sort of undemanding light entertainment that’s outside the bounds of my usual viewing. Clannad really isn’t bad at all - at times it’s pretty darned funny and like it or not, there’s no denying the cuteness - but it isn’t what I’d call great. Maybe that’s just me.

In terms of humour these episodes do really well though. The recurring incidence of Youhei trying to prove Tomoyo’s not a girl (invariably followed by Youhei taking a Keitaro-esque flight skyward) was funny at first; especially with the kick counter underneath. Of course, re-using a joke never works for long unless it’s the re-use itself that’s funny and this gag has proved to be no exception. Fortunately the increased appearance of über-moe Fuuko adds some humour - I’d like to draw particular attention to that priceless drinking straw x nose combo that Tomoya uses on her when she goes into those starry-eyed trances. So cruel yet so comical! I wonder if I’d find it as funny if Fuuko wasn’t slightly annoying…

Result!

The game adaptation issue (which I’ve covered at great length earlier on) throws up another twist - from what I’ve read already KyoAni have made a neat job of capturing the vibe of the visual novel and adding little details and references (the ‘vertical blind’ screen wipe effects on the scene cuts and so on). What I found really fun was when they add skits that parody the games themselves - almost as if the animators are putting their hands up and saying “yeah, it’s a visual novel adaptation. So what?” and having fun with it.

“What if this were an RPG?…?” lol@in-jokes

There’s much to laugh at in this show but inevitably I tried to read between the lines and pick out the deeper and darker side of things - there’s not much to be found at this stage but I’m getting the distinct impression that the writers are making an effort in adding some interesting details to the high school romcom mix. First off, Tomoya’s interest in Nagisa hints at something more than ‘laconic guy hangs out with cute girl out of boredom’…it’s the kind of situation we see in real life when two of your friends are drifting closer together while neither is (consciously) aware of it. It’s no surprise really that he tries so hard to shrug off Youhei’s ribbing…as in real life, he wouldn’t admit any romantic feelings towards her to anyone, not even himself. People are funny like that, eh?

Something tells me he’s not just after the bread…

In trying to dig deeper into the show’s messages I noticed cool little details - the background music in ep #5’s classroom scene that has an Irish folk vibe (Re: the show’s title), or the repeated allusions to the underlying themes surrounding the significance of family and friendship ties. Fuuko’s situation highlights one such troubled domestic situation as Tomoya’s did at the beginning of the series; it’ll be interesting to see if the quite saddening nature of each is explored in the episodes that follow. Other little moments are harder to spot and highlight how this show must have a fair sized wad of cash behind it (Tomoyo drumming his fingers on the table screams “High production values!” to me) and is trying to be more than just a Key romcom - check out this pic for instance, in which Akio makes a melodramatic show of devotion to his wife:

I don’t know why, but this cut really drew attention to his wedding ring, as if reinforcing the importance of the Furukawas’ togetherness. Am I imagining things? It’d be interesting to find out your thoughts. Similarly, Clannad takes the dependency aspect of the moe thing and uses it to hammer home the issue with the way in which Nagisa and Tomoya are basically babysitting Fuuko - I’m wondering whether this approach is a gimmick to make the series just a bit different, or whether, as I hope, it will have something more profound to say about that whole family theme.

Yeah, you have to keep that lass away from sharp objects. And drink cartons

Overall then I’m still following the show despite its generic fluffyness. I don’t know whether this is down to reading too much into things, or whether I’m just holding out for seeing some more dangos (which, although they’re really cute, can’t match the adorable oryzae). Perhaps the real motive for watching Clannad is the escapism. Things like Fuuko’s supernatural nature, the way in which Nagisa tries so hard to revive the theatre club or Fuuko trying to help her sister with her wedding in the only way she knows how, are all things that I can’t directly relate to.

It’s the polar opposite of slice of life, which is better explained by the SoL genre’s alternative title of realistic fiction. Clannad isn’t realistic: it features countless cute females with no boyfriends, girls who are projected from hospital rooms into school and are so dense that their classmates can shove drinking straws up their noses. It’s worlds apart from the likes of Beck, Lucky Star, Only Yesterday and the other quintissential examples of realistic fiction that give the “That’s happened to me too!” feeling. It’s a fantasy show despite the real life-esque school setting, which makes me continue watching despite the criticisms that a cynical old elitist such as myself can throw at it. AnimeWriter is right in pointing out that it makes magic entertaining because heaven knows that with all the stuff that’s going on in my life right now lightweight escapism is still important - the likes of Clannad offer just that.

[Filed under Anime Reviews]  [Tags: Clannad]

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