Clannad 08

クラナド Episode 08

SPOILER Summary: Nagisa and Okazaki continue to help Fuko-chan with her starfish carvings, but proof that Sunohara's statement that people were forgetting Fuko-chan is abundant, starting with Tomoyo, who's troubled that she forgot. Others walk right past Fuko-chan, unable to see her or hear her as she attempts to hand out more starfish. This failure begins to depress Fuko-chan. At lunch, they try to cheer her up and when Fuko-chan zones out, she immediately recovers before Okazaki can pull a practical joke on her. After a humorous verbal sparing between Okazaki and Fuko-chan, they see Mitsui and call her over. However, she acts like it is the first time she's met Okazaki and Nagisa and feels they are pulling a practical joke on her since she can no longer see Fuko-chan.

Fuko-chan is upset and runs off, leaving Nagisa and Okazaki to discuss what might be happening with her. When they walk home after school, they try to cheer Fuko-chan up. At Nagisa's home, work on the starfish continue, but Nagisa is finding it hard to contain her emotions, knowing what's happening with Fuko-chan. When a late-arriving customer arrives, Akio-san does not want to leave the residence section to head into the shop, but ends up stabbing himself in the foot, thus leaving Nagisa and Okazaki to deal with it. When the customer leaves, Nagisa breaks down briefly, leading Okazaki to state they need to be there for Fuko-chan until the end of her dream.

Okazaki heads to Sunohara's place, where he's nearly run over by guys fleeing the wrath of Misae-san. Okazaki hands her one of the starfish and invites her to Ibuki-sensei's wedding. Heading up to Sunohara's room, he learns that Sunohara has been doing some investigating and has discovered the fantastic truth about Fuko-chan. As such, Sunohara has decided to pay Fuko-chan a visit in the hospital since that's where she really is. Okazaki is concerned that if Sunohara goes, he will forget about Fuko-chan like so many other have.

The next day, Fuko-chan is having no success at handing out the starfish. When Sunohara arrives at lunch time, he tells them that for some odd reason, he found himself leaving a hospital but he didn't know why he'd gone. When Fuko attempts to offer him a starfish, he apparently cannot see her, nor can he remember her. Kyou and Ryou arrive to confront Sunohara since he was late for school. However, they too apparently cannot see Fuko-chan either and while the carved starfish seems familiar to Kyou, she cannot remember why it does and as such is frustrated.

Later in the day, Okazaki, Nagisa, and Fuko-chan are sitting depressed when Sunohara arrives as his normal, cheerful, idiot self. He invites Okazaki and Nagisa to lunch but Okazaki turns him down. When he starts to flirt with Nagisa, Okazaki gets made, prompting Sunohara to ask Fuko-chan for support. However, he immediately finds the mentioning of this name as something strange and becomes somber. Despite the please from Okazaki and Nagisa, Sunohara finds he can remember nothing but has the feeling this "Fuko-chan" was someone he didn't dislike.

Because things have become so depressing, Nagisa and Okazaki decide to cheer up Fuko-chan and head into town to buy her a gift. Eventually, she sees a birthday party set and goes all spacey for it. So it is settled that this is what they will buy her, which pleases her greatly, enough so that she's moved Okazaki up on her ranking list. The trio then head to a nearby park where after some talking, Nagisa and Okazaki observe the fountain within the park's pond while Fuko-chan observes from a distance approvingly.

Returning to Nagisa's home, Akio-san briefly thinks he sees a person with Nagisa and Okazaki, but then thinks better of it as he heads off. Sanae-san arrives on the shop floor to greet them, including Fuko-chan. She suggest the trio take a bath together, then confesses that she can no longer see Fuko-chan though she does still remember her. Like Sunohara, she too figured out Fuko-chan's true identity and went to the hospital to see for herself. After she returned, she discovered her husband had forgotten Fuko-chan and she couldn't see Fuko-chan. The trio retreat into the night where sitting on a park bench (Fuko-chan clutching a starfish and her present), they decide to head to the school to pass the night.

Thoughts: Well, its getting sadder and sadder as Fuko-chan's story comes to a close. Fuko-chan still had a couple of humor moments, but its sad seeing how so few people can even see her any more, much less remember her. I've got the strongest feeling that somehow even Okazaki and Nagisa will forget in episode 9, but whether we'll get a deux ex machina moment or not, I don't know. Well, maybe Fuko-chan will somehow get better.

The interesting item was Sunohara's continued showing of depth. He cut class just to learn more about Fuko-chan, then even went to pay her a visit in the hospital, only to forget why he'd gone to the hospital at all, much less Fuko-chan. And yet even when he couldn't see her "spirit" form with Okazaki and Nagisa, somehow, the name still came to his mind and it troubled him that the memories he was trying to access were just out of reach.

I guess it doesn't matter, but that's pretty jacked up that seeing the actual, physical body of Fuko-chan in the hospital makes you forget all about her or at worst, makes it so you can't see her spirit form. Weird and as I said, jacked up.

Clannad 10

クラナド Episode 10

SPOILER Summary: The piece-mill robot (or whatever it is) is in a field with thousands and thousands of tiny firefly-like lights along with the mysterious girl in the white dress as they stand under a blue sky. The girl asks about the world and while the robot can't communicate verbally with her, he does let her know that not everything is right. The robot lets the audience know, via its thoughts, that it (the soul?) was on another world at some point, but doesn't remember much beyond the fact that it was there.

Nagisa waits for Okazaki and the two walk to school together. Kyou knocks down Okazaki on her scooter as she races onto the scene. Nagisa is worried about him, and he quickly recovers when Kyou decides to leave the scene. He then checks on Nagisa's condition, calling her "Nagisa" which Kyou immediately takes note of. She asks if they are dating now since he's addressing her so informally and they are hanging out a lot recently. They both deny it and site Nagisa's attempts to start the Theater Club as the reason. After Kyou leaves, Okazaki wonders when he started addressing Nagisa by her given name and as she tries to remember, both have a thought flash about Fuko-chan, though they can't remember her name, only the positive feelings Fuko left them with.

At school, Sunohara begins talking about his love for Nagisa, and so Okazaki decides to tell him about Kotomi. However, when Sunohara goes to visit her in the library (at Okazaki's insistence), he can't her to acknowledge his presence, even after he trashes the place. Okazaki enters and Kotomi is completely absorbed in her book and as usual, won't respond to anything by "Kotomi-chan." She sees the mess and assumes he did it. As they clean up, Okazaki convinces her to come to the Theater Club room. She does but she's afraid of being bullied by Nagisa, who promises not to bully her. The two share a moment with both liking Nagisa's Dango images. As they make their odd introductions introductions, they banter back and forth until Okazaki brings it to a stop for making no sense.

The three of them walk home and Okazaki has Nagisa go on while he escorts Kotomi home. Kotomi admits to having been afraid of meeting Nagisa, which is how she always is when meeting people. Kotomi gets Okazaki to stop at a bookstore where she gets so absorbed into a book that she starts to cut a passage from it until she's stopped by him. They walk out of the store with Kotomi now carrying a bag full of books and Okazaki telling her she can't do things like cut out pages of books in the library or bookstore.

The following day at school, Okazaki has Kotomi meet with Kyou, but she's afraid of Kyou. Kyou's forceful nature makes Kotomi more afraid, especially when Kotomi's attempt to reuse her same introduction she used with Nagisa is apparently rebuffed. Kotomi wonders if Kyou is a bully. Kyou is puzzled by Okazaki's actions in this matter. When he states he wants Kotomi to make friends, Kyou responds that friendship is earned, not given. Kyou wonders where Nagisa is and after telling Kyou that he's still helping Nagisa, he also states he's learned he's good at taking care of others, hence is working with Kotomi. Kyou, looking out for her younger twin Ryou, sees Kotomi as a new rival (along with Nagisa) to Ryou for Okazaki's affections. But in the end, she introduces herself to Kotomi.

Later Kotomi and Okazaki discuss things in the library where he tells her she needs more social skills and to learn about joking. She has to book knowledge of comedy, such as comedy from the Osaka region. With that, they head out for another attempt, this time with Ryou. Ryou offers to read Kotomi's fortune with her cards, but sadly the fortune says she can't make friends. This is devastating to Kotomi, but Ryou quickly adds that fortunes can be wrong or changed. However, she agrees to be Kotomi's friend. So back to the library where Okazaki writes an introduction script for Kotomi. Outside, they meet a teddy bear (presumably Tomoyo in costume) where Kotomi says her introductions and when Kotomi reaches the part about being friends, the bear accepts and Kotomi is happy. However, when Sunohara sees the teddy bear, he decides to challenge it and gets beat.

At the place where they sell the bread products, Kotomi introduces herself to the lady selling the food-stuff with Okazaki supervising. The lady knows Kotomi through her parents, who are also apparently very gifted. Okazaki inquires about them but Kotomi doesn't say much. Further attempts at information are stopped when Kyou arrives and begins to hug Kotomi. Kotomi looks uncomfortable but Kyou and Ryou having talked the matter over want to do something with Kotomi and Kyou wants Okazaki to take them all somewhere. So he does -- the Theater Club room.

At the room, Kyou is not happy about this setting, expecting karaoke or the like, but Ryou doesn't mind. Kyou tells Ryou that she staged this for her benefit (to get closer to Okazaki). The introductions go around and when its Ryou's turn, Okazaki interjects that Ryou's hobby is bullying the weak, leading him to get his keester (or face) kicked. This makes Kotomi very scared that she'll be bullied by Kyou while Ryou and Nagisa feel that Okazaki's "performance" is good. After Kotomi calms down, Kyou decides she and Ryou aren't going to be in the Theater Club. However, seeing Ryou, Kotomi, and Nagisa engaged and Ryou seeming happy, Kyou is fine.

The sounds of a violin being practiced draws Kotomi's attention and the entire group follows her to where a girl is practicing the violin with two others observing. The girl offers Kotomi a chance to play, but when she does, it is a massive noise that is so bad, glass actually breaks. However Kotomi is the only one who didn't notice how bad it was and seemed strangely pleased by her efforts.

Thoughts: Well the mystery girl and her mystery robot return. How this will tie into the main story is something I wouldn't even try to guess. But the lights have been seen before, howbeit only one rather than a ton.

As to the episode, I honestly didn't think that Kotomi-chan could be as funny as Fuko-chan was, but boy was I ever wrong. Man am I glad to have seen Azumanga Daioh so often because Kotomi-chan's joke about the Osaka (region) comedy routine made me laugh (something that was a topic in Azumanga Daioh). She just provided a lot of laughs and made this episode a delight.

Speaking of Fuko-chan, I absolutely loved the reference to her at the begining of the episode. Okazaki addressing Nagisa as "Nagisa" was something Fuko-chan wanted him to do. Then when both Okazaki and Nagisa have a joint memory flash of Fuko-chan, I loved it (even though they couldn't really remember her).

I'm not sure if it is because this story is new to me or what, but at the moment, I do like it more than I like Kanon and I didn't think that possible.

Clannad 11

クラナド Episode 11

SPOILER Summary: Okazaki is dreaming of the firefly-like lights when Kotomi-chan's screeching violin brings him to reality in the classroom. The others in the class are not amused by this and the racket brings Kyou, Ryou, and Nagisa running to see what's the matter. Kyou prevents her from doing another piece. Later in the Theater Club Room, Kyou has Kotomi working on her comedy stuff, but Kotomi can't quite get the timing right. However, this is the only way that Kyou can keep Kotomi from the violin. When Nagisa and Ryou arrive, they go through a box of props where a "mahou baton" (magic wand) is. Kitomi tries an incantation from De Vermis Mysteriis but it fails as Okazaki imagines Kyou as a mahou shoujo to her irritation.

Since Kotomi is really rather keen on playing the violin, Ryou gets Kyou to do something and that something is to have a recital where Kotomi will play but will be never be allowed to play again (plus, she has to return the violin anyway). Kotomi, Ryou, and Nagisa head off to have Kotomi practice while Kyou prevents Okazaki from going, saying that Okazaki needs some time away from Kotomi for her own good. Kyou and Okazaki end up at a bus stop where Kyou tries to get a feel for how Okazaki feels about intelligent girls (Ryou) and relationships.

On Sunday, Okazaki gets up early and finds his father passed out from drinking in front of the TV. He leaves the place but because it is still early, he decides to pass on visiting Nagisa as she's likely still asleep. He decides to head to Sunohara's place but as he passes the school, he hears the unmistakable strains of Kotomi's screeching the violin. He races into the school and finds her practicing in the library. She has a key because she was always borrowing it to read books on Sundays. Because Kotomi thought that Okazaki might show up, she made an apple pie. It is her first attempt as is her proper making of tea (rather than instant I suppose) , which surprises him since he finds it all very good to her delight. She opens a window and as the wind blows in, flower (sakura?) petals flow in.

Kotomi has a request for Okazaki and that is to read a book with him. He vetoes that idea, but suggests she read to him. She starts to read and he falls asleep, having a weird dream involving some of the girls he knows. He wakes up later and she wonders if he had a nightmare or not. When they walk home, she tells him that she was really happy he came, even though all he did was sleep.

The following day at school, Nagisa has created a poster with the Dango's on it at Kyou's request, advertising Kotomi's recital. Nagisa is a bit concerned about the poster since her attempts to post recruitment posters for the Theater Club were foiled by the Student Council. Kyou assures Nagisa she'll take care of it and goes off to invite people to the recital. Using her power as a classroom representative/leader, she "invites" a lot of people to come who wouldn't normally do so. Not only that, but she made money off of selling earplugs to the crowd, though she warns them not to use them so quickly. Sunohara arrives all happy that a girl apparently invited him, so Okazaki decides to let him "dream" for awhile.

Misae-san arrives, having been invited by the rugby team. Tomoyo arrives and because Misae-san had been the president of the Student Council, Tomoyo introduces herself and asks if she can stop by for advice (since Tomoyo is trying to become president herself), which Misae-san agrees to. Okazaki is surprised to see Nagisa's parents also in attendance. He asks Nagisa if this is OK considering the terrible way Kotomi plays, but Nagisa informs him that Kotomi's playing has much improved. However, when Kotomi starts playing, there is no improvement and many casualties. When Sunohara tries to take advantage of the situation with Tomoyo, he takes further damage when she gives him a beating.

Nagisa and Kotomi walk home together with Kyou, Ryou, and Okazaki following behind. Nagisa remarks on how Kotomi played the last song really well, so much so that even her dad said as much. Okazaki wonders why they are working so hard for Kotomi, which Kyou answers by saying she has this kid side to her that causes the rest of them to have their maternal instinct kick in. They look ahead to where Nagisa and Kotomi are to find Nagisa blocking the path of a strange man as Kotomi tries to flee. The rest come to protect Kotomi, so the man decides to leave. As he does, Kotomi, shaking with fear, describes him as the bad man.

Thoughts: Kotomi-chan isn't quite as funny as Fuko-chan was, but there are still laughs to be had. I thought the writers might fool us with Kotomi playing the violin well on the recital day, but well I suppose one more time at the bad playing well was in order.

OK, so Okazaki dreaming sees the lights. Interesting. However, does this tie in with Kotomi? And what the smeg could have happened to Kotomi at the hands of that man? Part of me thinks that he'll end up being an innocent player in all this but we'll see.

I've mentioned this before, but I'll say it again -- I like how it isn't just Okazaki doing all the hero stuff to save the girls in this one. Nagisa is Okazaki's "right hand woman" if you will and though she has a reduced role in the Kotomi story, she along with Ryou and Kyou are very instrumental in resolving the Kotomi story, and that is something I greatly like.

Clannad 12

クラナド Episode 12

SPOILER Summary: Kotomi-chan returns the violin to the girl she borrowed it from. While the violin is old and worn, it is Kotomi-chan's wish that it not be destroyed by the school. The girl also wishes the same thing. As such, Kotomi-chan makes her standard introduction statement to include a desire to be friends and the girl agrees. Okazaki, who'd been there all along, is glad for Kotomi-chan that she has yet another friend. The following day when Okazaki and Nagisa walk to school, she reports that Kotomi-chan is no longer spending her day in the library, but is now in actual classes. Sure enough when they take a peek in on her classroom, she's with a group of girls helping them with their math lesson.

Later in the Theater Club Room, Kyou is giving some harsh comedy lessons to Kotomi-chan, so harsh that Nagisa and Ryou are a tad frightened. Okazaki walks into this this as Kyou pronounces that no matter how hard she tries, it will be impossible for Kotomi-chan to master comedy. Nagisa and Ryou come to her defense, but Kyou rejects it. Kotomi-chan decides to try something new she say on TV. While both things she tries has her laughing pretty hard, it has Kyou and Okazaki wondering what the heck Kotomi-chan is saying. The group has lunch together, made by Kotomi-chan and Kyou asks what Kotomi-chan does when she's not at school. She reads, Okazaki hangs out with Sunohara, and Nagisa just stays at home. Kyou finds this all boring and a waste of their youth, but confesses she does not do anything either. As such, she announces that on their day off, they will have a day on the town -- a group date.

The five of them meet up and Okazaki comments on being the only guy. He would have invited Sunohara, who would have jumped on the chance to be out with some girls, but Kyou rejects that idea saying one idiot in the group is enough. When Okazaki asks if the idiot is her, she laughs and says that it is him. He counters by saying that she has to be a close second if he's the group idiot. They do a lot of window shopping and talking before having a bento outside a burger place. Since Kotomi-chan's birthday is coming up, it is decided that they'll get her a heart-felt present.

So its off to the game center where Kyou is trying to score the giant anteater stuffed animal from the Catch Machine game. However, she is unsuccessful in doing so and calls the "oniisan" working the place to complain about it being stuck. He fiddles with the animals inside before closing the machine back up. Kyou is going for her 34th attempt on the machine, but Okazaki is out of money. Nagisa doesn't feel she can score that stuffed animal nor does Ryou. However, out of the blue, Fuko-chan appears (still wearing the birthday hat) and announces she can help as she's a master of this game. Nagisa tries to remember where she's seen Fuko before from, but Fuko tells her not to worry about it as they'll meet again one day. Fuko's various statements provokes a response from Okazaki, who then seems to remember having a similar conversation before. He tells Fuko to go for the big animal and Fuko plays, but instead scores the star plushie. She apologizes, saying that the shape of it made her hands move unconsciously, leading Okazaki to tell her it isn't a starfish. She leaves, saying she wants to help again someday and Okazaki wonders why he told her that wasn't a starfish.

That evening, Nagisa, Kyou, and Ryou part company with Kotomi and Okazaki and go home. As Kotomi and Okazaki walk home, she thanks him saying that she doesn't think she would have ever had this much fun if she hadn't met him. He says he hasn't done anything special and that they all like her. She decides to give him a gift of a book, which she's already memorized. She tells him he doesn't have to read it but she does want him to have it. They are interrupted when the older man she calls the "bad guy" appears. They flee and hide until the man leaves.

Okazaki has a dream about a rabbit, a deer, a boy, a girl, what appears to be the "bad guy," and what appears to be a house fire. He wakes up from this dream and on his way to school, reflects on how weird his dreams have gotten of late. A girl comes up from behind him, covers his eyes, presses her chest into his back, and says "Guess who?" She has a pun about this and when he "guesses" who this is, she backs off, flushed and saying her heart is pounding. He asks her who put her up to do this embarrassing joke. Kyou steps up and acknowledges being the one who did it. He asks Kyou to stop teaching Kotomi strange things.

They are interrupted by an upset Nagisa who's asking about Ryou and the bus she normally rides. Apparently there was a bad accident on the city bus that she would normally take to school. This news sends Kyou, Nagisa, and Okazaki running to the scene while it causes Kotomi to enter into a state of shock. At the scene, the accident is indeed very bad, but they find Ryou unharmed, having been forced to take a later bus due to being behind schedule. Kotomi is there and seeing the accident sends her over the edge, where she collapses to the ground crying and saying she'll be a good girl. They decide to get her to the school nurse right away.

Later when they go to check on her, they find she's gone home for the day because she's not feeling well. However, they are unable to get any information due to privacy issues. Kotomi-chan's homeroom sensei does agree to give them her home address but advises them to to press Kotomi on things. They go to her house and as a butterfly hovers around, Okazaki gets a strange feeling. No one answers the door, so they decide to leave. However, Okazaki can't shake the feeling about the house and so tells Kyou, Ryou, and Nagisa to go on without him as he returns to Kotomi-chan's home.

Outside, he finds the "bad guy" and confronts him. He learns that the "bad guy" worked with Kotomi-chan's scientist parents and has known her since she was a kid. When Okazaki asks about her parents, the man realizes that he doesn't know things and for privacy reasons, says he can't say anything more about that. However, he does tell Okazaki that her parents were gifted and found another world they called the "Hidden World" in their research. Learning that Okazaki is Kotomi's friend, the man asks if Kotomi has mention him at all. Okazaki says she calls him the "bad guy," and he states that from her perspective, that must be the case. However, he has a message for Kotomi, saying that he doesn't expect for her to forgive them, but that they still regret what happened that day.

Okazaki returns to Kotomi-chan's house but doesn't ring the doorbell, suddenly thinking that he never used to enter the home through the front door. He goes around to the rear of the home (following that same butterfly from before) and has flashes of the unkempt yard and garden being in a pristine state. The sliding glass door is unlocked, allowing him entry. He makes his way up the stairs and instinctively goes to a room and opens the door. There, he finds Kotomi-chan seated on the floor, with tons of clippings covering the walls and floor of the room. One article announces the death of Ichinose family members, which is Kotomi's family name. Okazaki has a flash of a girl crying and a fire and realizes that he had known Kotomi-chan as a child.

Thoughts: Fuko-chan gets a lengthy, humorous cameo? Whoa. I liked seeing her again and I guess this means that she'll get a good end after all. Still, it was weird to have her return out of the blue like that even if I did like it.

And now we start to come to the heart of Kotomi-chan's tragedy. This is where the story took a more Kanon turn with Okazaki forgetting that he knew Kotomi-chan as a kid and apparently they played together. That's not a problem thus far and we'll see where it goes. Actually now that I think about it, the anteater stuffed animal in the game center also seems a nod to Kanon.

Finally, there's the dreaming of Okazaki and this mention of the "Other World." I'm going to guess that he's somehow tied with the girl and the strange robot we've seen from time-to-time and that they are in this Other World.