Comments on: Clannad’s Kotomi arc: the science of fantasy

By: Blick Winkel

Blick Winkel — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:30:55 +0000

Was looking for dates as I’m compiling a “timeline” of sorts and came across this blog by accident.
Clannad takes place in the present. (When it was released).
Specifically, the scene where Kotomi gets the suitcase is Tuesday, May 13, 2003.
The crash was “more than 10 years ago.”
So the suitcase was being passed around in the 90’s and early 00’s.

By: Zing

Zing — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:38:26 +0000

“The real explanation will be coming later”? LOL

By: ChronoReverse

ChronoReverse — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:42:15 +0000

Cellphones do appear in Clannad (in the After Story) but it seems they’re not quite ubiquitous yet. Tomoya knew what they were but was unfamiliar with its operation.

I’d put this story to have begun in the late 90’s

By: ConcreteBadger

ConcreteBadger — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:28:22 +0000

@Prufrock: I can imagine the mockery the forum made of it but I actually thought the run-down of languages was the best part of the ’suitcase segment’ - the scriptwriters really seemed to have done a lot of research. Kudos to the subbing group too (I can’t remember off the top of my head which one I downloaded the ep from) for taking the time and effort to identify them all.

It’s interesting that you pointed out the lack of cellphones - the exact time that the series is set in didn’t really occur to me, but with that in mind I suppose we’re looking at a story set at least a decade ago (I recall digital cellphones being sold around ‘98 or ‘99 in the UK but I’ll wager Japan had them even earlier). Maybe we’ll have an epilogue arc set closer to the present…?

By: Prufrock

Prufrock — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:11:55 +0000

Actually, from what I’ve heard, the whole suitcase thing was based on a real life event, which means you really need to check this site out

Anyway, I don’t see why the event has to be implausible even without that knowledge. All people’d have to do would be to attempt to locate the ‘daughter’ in their own country, and when unsuccessful, take the suitcase with them when going abroad, or even entrust it in the hands of someone they know who’s going abroad, so that they can try their chances in another country.

The animesuki Clannad forum had a fieldday with how the suitcase seemed to bounce back and forth across continents based on the order of the various languages heard. Well, that makes the suitcase’s journey all the more realistic, doesn’t it? No one purposefully carried the suitcase along with them attempting to find Kotomi; the suitcase just traveled along with whoever happened to be traveling at the time, until someone finally recognized the initials and sent the suitcase to a nearby Japanese Embassy or something.

In this scenario, all the involved individuals would need would be an itty-bitty extra ‘love’ to guarantee that they don’t just throw away what is evidently a last gift to someone’s child, and maybe ask around about it a little. Very implausible. (Hmm..maybe it really is and that’s the sad part)

And the fact that the initials of Kotomi’s parents didn’t get recognized sooner isn’t such a marvel, either. The layman who can come up with the names of two contemporary theoretical physicians who AREN’T known for publishing the TOE is more of a marvel to me. Plus, Clannad is set some time in the past (evidence to this is a MINOR spoiler, but..well have you seen one cellphone in the entirety of the series up to now?) when the internet wouldn’t have been so widespread.

Well.. this’s how I accepted the story, and combined with Kotomi’s parents throwing away their life’s work for a teddy bear and birthday card for their daughter, spending the last minutes of their lives trying to ensure that it get to her, I’d say the whole suitcase thing worked well enough for me.

By: ConcreteBadger

ConcreteBadger — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 17:50:56 +0000

@Mike: that’s what I was getting at, really, and why it took so long to put into words.

@FF: I agree that Key seem to be really adept at that feelgood optimism thing, although I think Mike’s choice of ‘implausible’ is more accurate than my wording of ‘improbable’. Maybe it’s cynicism, or just being exposed to the same things over and over, I don’t know. Still, I’m looking forward to the next arc, hopefully in widescreen from now on!

By: FF

FF — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:22:47 +0000

It is kinda depressing that we are all so cynical to the point where it is a “fantasy” that there would be enough kind people in the world to carry a message from one end of the earth to the other. Not that I find it “probable” either, it’s just that I don’t find it “improbable” like the blogosphere seems to be saying.

I think we can assume that Key’s stories are tales that are ultimately quite optimistic at heart, where the best of human nature predominants. In Clannad especially, the “link” between people (represented by the symbolism of the hand)is strong.

No tears from me for ep 14, but a slightly warmed heart, which IMHO is even better.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 18:25:08 +0000

Exactly, Martin…a big problem in this arc is because it seemed like it couldn’t quite decide if it wanted to be a SF/fantasy or a “realistic” plot. With Fuko we got the “fantasy” element very early on, which sets us up for more fantastical things to come. (This is one of the cardinal rules of SF/fantasy writing, as I learned in my earlier days of wanting to be a SF writer.) WIth Kotomi we were teased, hinted at, and then given a non-magical and yet incredibly implausible plot device used in the usual tearjerking Key manner.