[Ascaloth] CLANNAD ~After Story~, Episode 14 at Riuva : Research Institute for Unicultural Visual Arts

[Ascaloth] CLANNAD ~After Story~, Episode 14

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Popularity: 8% [?] Published by Ascaloth January 17th, 2009 in Ascaloth, Anime

Now that they have taken the vow which has engendered one of the greatest changes in their lives, the Okazaki couple are about to face even more changes, and it is these changes which, given enough time, will make the idyllic memories of their halcyon days just that; a memory. As the places where their memories reside undergo changes and become different from what they used to be, Tomoya and Nagisa will increasingly find that the many things they’ve treasured during their early days together will start to disappear, and the marks that they left on the city which has nurtured their love will too be overwritten by the marks of others one by one. But as uneasy as one might feel when adjusting to the changes to the place one thought one knew so well, it is not wholly something only worth lamenting; for it is only with the passing of old marks can new ones be introduced, and growth and development comes only after the past has been shed. So it is for places, so it is for people as well, and so it will be for the new Okazaki family unit as they adjust to their new situation, supporting each other hand in hand.

CLANNAD ~After Story~, Episode 14.

With the intimacy that the Okazakis share with each other being almost exclusively spiritual, as opposed to physical in nature, it’s not surprising at all that Tomoya has to grapple with the implications of the latter that came with his newly-minted wedding ring; still hilarious, though. In many respects, the Okazakis are one of the most old-fashioned couples I’ve ever seen in anime, and while I’ve not seen that much, I’m confident that most would agree with me on this. Just how many of us Gen Y-ers would defer physical intimacy like these two these days?

Bed talk. The most critical part in a marriage is communication between both spouses; for marriage is a negotiation of compromises between the hopes and dreams of two different individuals, and it is only through an ability to communicate well with each other can such a special relationship remain harmonious. It is most unfortunate that something so simple is so easily overlooked in the young couples of our time; frankly, there is no surprise that so many marriages don’t work out as well as one might have hoped. Of course, I’m hardly at the point where I can claim to speak from experience, but perhaps I’m not very far off the mark at all.

The thing about Key’s stories is how, despite being set in modern times, they tend to be characterized by the influence of the magical/spiritual realm on the story. For Kanon, the general theme of "miracle" permeates the overall storyline of the Kanonverse, while for AIR, it is an elaborately-constructed fictional legend that wouldn’t have been out of place amongst the real-life myths and legends of Japan that underpins the stories of Misuzu and Co. As for CLANNAD however, the only hint we have so far of the supernatural aspect of the CLANNADverse are the light balls that appear occasionally, and the frequent Illusory World scenes; none of which seems to give much hint as yet of the role they will eventually play in the story. At the same time, the CLANNAD canon seems to be one of Key’s most "naturalistic" efforts to date, with a couple of exceptions; it’s a refreshing experience seeing the cast, especially the newlywed Okazakis, work their way through life like everyone else, hardly affected by Key "magic" in comparison to their predecessors

Either Akio always had these shades in the VN, or the KyoAni guys have been lurking on 2ch again. Don’t believe in yourself! Believe in the me who believes in you!

Hell yeah, MC Akio was hilarious. You know, I was totally expecting Tomoya to pull a Kyon-ichi facepalm at this point.

Something that everyone has to go through, is the sense of loss that one feels when they realize that the things that they treasured in their youth won’t actually last forever like they’ve always assumed. Places are reconstructed, styles go out of fashion, and old lifestyles are phased out as new ones take their place. Singaporeans like me are probably desensitized to the feelings of loss that others are likely to feel in such a situation, no thanks to the constant, coldly efficient rebuilding that our island nation undergoes all the time. What is it like for folks who’s always been used to a seemingly-static environment that never felt like it would change one day?

Oh, I TOTALLY understand how they feel. ^_^"

Come to think of it…..although the "bowled over" gag is quite common in Chinese works if I recall correctly, but from what I remember it’s relatively rare in anime. Moreover, of all the anime characters I can think of, Tomoya seems to be the only one who resorts to the gag regularly. Is it as rare in anime as I thought, or are there other characters who gets "bowled over" all the time that I don’t know of?

Tomoya’s probably thinking to himself that he’s found the perfect place to take Mei-chan for lunch, the next time the Sunoharas come back into town.

And this is one reason why many of us guys are so uneasy about the womenfolk we treasure so much taking an outside job, even if there’s the perfectly good reason of supplementing the income. Don’t blame us for our paranoia, ladies, that’s just how we show we care, even if we lack the ability to put it in words. :p

I absolutely loved the expression on his face. Tomoya’s officially taken a level in AWESOME. ^_^

Most male characters in this situation, anime or otherwise, would probably be insisting that the girl quit the job about now. Tomoya pretty much bucks the trend (and the average maturity level of male characters while at it) with his act of attempting to keep their marriage a secret, in his attempt to save Nagisa’s job. And especially considering that he’s still doing this even after what he’s just seen? One of the many things that the Okazakis share in their relationship is true respect, yet another value that is increasingly uncommon.

Oh, so that‘s how involvement in theatrical productions prepare one for working life.

You’re far too modest for your own good, sugar. ^_^

Conflict resolution. Having a relationship with another person isn’t going to be all roses; there’s bound to be disagreements and quarrels sooner or later, for after all, the parties involved even in such a special relationship are two very different people after all, with two very different mindsets. Therefore, what’s important in a relationship is not how to avoid disagreements with each other, but how to properly resolve them when it happens. Although this example by the Okazakis here may be a little too ‘clean’ compared to real-life situations, it’s still a fine example of how two people in a relationship really should work out their problems together.

Come to think of it, it should have come as no wonder that Nagisa was handling the changes around her so much better than Tomoya was; having had to readjust twice over to starting all over again while everything around her changed from what it used to be, must have been a sobering enough experience that she has learned strategies for adjusting yet again to the latest changes in her life. No wonder the restaurant manager agreed with me about Nagisa being a strong, wise lass; she certainly had to earn such strength and wisdom the hard way, and there’s indeed much that Tomoya can learn from being with her.

And the bombshell everyone’s been talking about ever since the airing of the episode; that Tomoya and Nagisa’s life together is about to undergo yet another great change with the impending arrival of….a baby.　おめでとうございます、岡崎さん! And frankly, I have to echo Tomoya here….渚ってすげええええええええ～！Incredibly, the love story of the Okazakis have come to a point which few other romance anime series even come close to; the only other anime I can recall arriving at such a stage, even if I’ve never seen it myself, was Itazura na Kiss. Thus, with CLANNAD setting a precedent for Key stories by broaching the subject of pregnancy, how will it all play out?

Though many treasured things of the past may disappear with time, it is also with time that new things to be treasured are brought forth. With an established career, the love of his life bound to him in matrimony, and a baby on its way, Tomoya’s life seems set for many good things to come yet. A picture of bliss indeed…..but no question about it, having a new addition to the family is a lot harder than it sounds. How will our newlywed young couple handle the impending change to their lives, the greatest change to date?

Ascaloth, out.

Popularity: 8% [?]

4 Responses to “[Ascaloth] CLANNAD ~After Story~, Episode 14”

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1 welsper84 32 comments Jan 17th, 2009 at 9:30 am

Nagisa telling her parents that she did “ecchi stuff” with Tomoya is……. rather surprising. I doubt anyone has the guts to do that lol.

I wonder how many more episodes for the baby to arrive.
2 Yushi 1 comment Jan 17th, 2009 at 1:17 pm

I must say, I love your posts so much ^_^ They are so thoughtful, analytical and mature.
I really enjoy reading them, please keep it up!
3 fatalblue 1 comment Jan 17th, 2009 at 3:25 pm

I second Yushi’s comment (You actually pointed all the reasons why I like Tomoya’s and Nagisa relationship & believe it works so well.)

“Of course, I’m hardly at the point where I can claim to speak from experience, but perhaps I’m not very far off the mark at all.”

I don’t believe you are. I think simple but good observation can be almost as good (and sometimes just as good) as actual experiences. I don’t think one has to be married or even in a relationship to see why so many marriages and whatnot fall apart.

I think a big problem with a lot of relationships today is that the foundation tend to be based on more superficial feeling & things. Tomoya and Nagisa work well because their relationship is based on something more then just things like physical attraction and passion (not that they lack these things, after all we now have a preggy Nagisa…) Their foundation is made of something deeper & stronger…not that am gonna try to explain it right now because it’s late and am losing my train of though……lol

Bottom line, I liked your coverage of Clannad and insightful post that come w/ it
4 Kiseki 1 comment Jan 23rd, 2009 at 3:51 pm

…Wait. They don’t sleep under the same blanket and yet they have a baby (together)? o_o;

Do not use any < and > for your own sake. It will end the comment there and then. Also, there is an automatic IQ filter which weeds out comments made by those who accidentally got transported from the stone age.

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