Summary:

In the illusionary world, the girl and the robot start walking towards what the girl describes as a warm and fun place. In the real world, Tomoya and Ushio are on the train, and he’s not sure how to play with her. He scares her when he yells at the kid sitting across the aisle for being too noisy, and that leads to Ushio running off to the bathroom. When she comes out, he realizes that she was crying, but she denies it and explains how Sanae told her not to cry except in certain places, one of them being the bathroom. Tomoya feels that it’s better for her to cry now, especially because when she grows up, there’ll be times when she can’t cry even if she wants to. Later, during a stopover, Tomoya offers to buy Ushio a toy and picks out a robot for her. She claims to love it despite it not being a very girly toy and plays with it for the rest of the train ride. At the inn later, Ushio gets up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, so Tomoya accompanies her. On the way back, the two see fireflies outside, and afterward, Ushio gets the courage to ask Tomoya about her mother. He doesn’t want to talk about it though and refers her to Sanae.

The two arrive at their destination the next day, and after a bit of walking, they come to a field of flowers. Tomoya lifts Ushio up to give her a better look, and he then lets her run free. Sometime later, she comes back to tell him that she lost the robot toy in the field. The two search but they can’t find it, and although Tomoya offers to buy her another one, Ushio wants the one she lost. As he watches Ushio, Tomoya suddenly remembers being here a long time ago with his own father, and these memories prompt him to tell Ushio stay put while he goes to check things out. At the top of a hill, he finds an old woman waiting for him, and she knows exactly who he is. This woman turns out to be his grandmother Okazaki Shino, and Sanae had let her know that he was coming. The last time she had seen him, he was still a young boy and his mother Atsuko had just died. Telling him about his parents, Tomoya’s grandmother reveals that the two got married when they were students, and his father had been happy protecting the person he loved. After Tomoya was born though, his mother had died in an accident. His father had been devastated, but he couldn’t fall into despair because he knew he had a son to raise.

Tomoya’s father worked the hardest he’s ever to raise Tomoya, and though money was tight, he bought his son toys and treats. Tomoya’s grandmother knows that his father sacrificed his own luck and chances for success, and though he could be strict and violent, it was all for the sake of raising his son. For his father, this was a very hard life, and he started drinking. When Tomoya got to the age where he decided on his own path in life, his father essentially lost everything. Tomoya’s grandmother knows that Tomoya is currently in a similar situation as his father was, and that’s why she wanted him to hear all this. Remembering everything his father did for him, Tomoya acknowledges that his father wasn’t bad, and he feels that he’s a worse person than his father. His grandmother sees the similarities between father and son, and she comments on how, though his father was not good as a person, he was fine as a father. After Tomoya agrees with her, his grandmother suggests that his father has worked too hard and needs to rest. She thus wants him to tell his father to come home, and she’ll be waiting.

After this conversation, the two go back to the field, and Ushio is still there looking for her robot toy. In the same way that his father had once talked to him, Tomoya tells his own daughter that they might not be able to find that robot but that they can go buy another. Ushio, however, feels the one she had was special because it was the first thing that Tomoya ever bought for her, and in saying this, she refers to him as “papa.” As this sinks in, Tomoya asks Ushio if she was lonely and if she had fun traveling with him. The answer to both is yes, so Tomoya admits to being a bad father and vows to do his best for her from now on, and he wants to be by her side. Ushio reciprocates his feelings, but for today, she admits to feeling sad because she lost something important to her. She thus asks him if it’s okay for her not to hold it in any more, and she reveals that the other place Sanae told her that it was okay to cry was to him. Letting Ushio cry in his arms, Tomoya apologizes to her and starts tearing up himself.

Later, on the train ride back, Tomoya decides to finally tell his daughter about her mother. He describes Nagisa as someone who cried often and lacked confidence, and he remembers her habit of saying out loud what she wanted to eat in order to gain courage. Remembering Nagisa causes Tomoya to start crying, and that in turn causes Ushio to want to cry as well. After gathering himself back up, Tomoya continues telling Ushio about her mother, and as he does so, he internally tells Nagisa that he’s found something irreplaceable that he only he can protect.

Preview

Well I didn’t think that this series could be quite this sad or tear-inducing, so much more than the Nagisa episode. Apparently I was wrong. The end of this episode was incredible in the sense that it evoked so much emotion, and I want to cry every time I watch it. There’s just something about that combination of Ushio calling Tomoya “Papa,” plus the realization that the other place that Sanae told Ushio it was okay to cry was in her father’s arms, plus the soundtrack which shines so much in these moments. That middle part, incidentally, really emphasizes how lonely Ushio was, and it made me see Sanae as quite prescient – if you think about it, all of this was thanks to her. Anyway, the memories of Nagisa at the end were also a nice way to tie things up, and even that got me a little teary-eyed. It finally (even though it’s only been two episodes) feels like Tomoya has come to terms with Nagisa’s death and has fully accepted his daughter.

I’m going to assume now that the fact that the toy was a robot was not just a coincidence, especially since its head resembles the robot of the illusionary world. I’m not sure what this connection means (is the girl thus a representation of Ushio…?) or what the illusionary world stuff is leading to, but given that there are still plenty of episodes remaining, I’m sure we’ll find out. Next week looks to have Tomoya finally reconciling with his father, plus more Ushio cuteness.

107 Comments

  1. this was such a tear/sad/need to cry episode. tomoya finally reconciles with his daughter and is able to move forward now..the music and everything was perfect! not to mention ushio being, once again, SOO cute =P
    does anyone know how many more episodes are left?

    kfu
  2. So… I was wrong about Tomoya leaving Ushio, partialy! I dodn’t hope for tomoya to except Ushio as a daughter so fast! And the soundtrack of most totching parts was awesome!!!
    interesting what will happen in next episodes!!?

    Edgars
  3. Ok, Ushio’s voice made me a complete wreck at the very instant “papa” was said. Awesome Satomi Koorogi steals the moment! I haven’t cried like this in a while, not even Nagisa’s death make me cry this much. Finally, Tomoya do what his father wasn’t able to in their time, and I’m glad to have the old Tomoya back in the game.

    SeedStriker
  4. “There are 8 left I believe, it cuts off at 26.”
    – Zange

    Actually, for sure there won’t be more than 24, but it remains to be seen if even all those air on TV. First season, if you’ll recall, ended at 22, had a bonus for 23, and another bonus on DVD as 24. They could do something similar here, perhaps, or may not. We’ll see. But definitely the max is 24.

    relentlessflame
  5. Now this episode has potential. It actually makes you feel warm & fuzzy as hell. As for those who are bawling, I think finally I know how you feel. Still no waterwerk for me but I can’t help wanting the curl to whole production staff in a group hug. They must have been holding back the water all through this episode.

    Megas
  6. I so wasn’t expecting this to be such an emotional episode, I was watching this in the morning and eating cereal. And I shed tears into my cereal, then my roommate walked out and said “What happened? Is the milk expired?”.

    So this morning for me consisted of crying, choking, and laughing

    Zeta
  7. Bah, the rest of the episodes were just run-down boring compared to this one. The impact isn’t as great because they didn’t show most of Tomoya’s fecking up during those 5 years but the feeling is still there. Too bad it only gets worst after Tomoya climbs the hill. Enlightenment doesn’t come cheap at all.

    Megas
  8. Many people were complaining how they just skipped over the aftermath of Nagisa’s death in the last ep… but it was done on purpose. It was to make “The Reminiscing Scene” that much more powerful. By not directly portraying Nagisa’s death, it makes Tomoya coming to terms with it that much more closer to home. It’s almost as if the viewer comes to terms with Nagisa’s death along with Tomoya.

    I can’t believe they crammed the whole trip into one episode though… but they did do a good job with the alotted time. Makes me want to go play the game again though ;-P

    Mikapon
  9. Heh.
    This episode makes for a good way to start out katsucon for me.
    Anywho. I am wondering something Show Spoiler ▼

    Even though I have read all this on the visual novel way back when (and still occasionally revisit when I am not working on tomoyo after) It still gets me almost as much as Kana Imouto. I suspect they will follow the V/N closely and be a bit more…powerful if nothing else.

    Also, I heard word that ADV is doing clannad right and releasing it UNDUBBED!

    Naturally I am quite happy with this.

    Dan
  10. This is such a wonderful surprise, not having to skulk through episodes and episodes of Tomoya slooowly recovering emotionally. I thought a scene with him and Ushio like that, accepting each-other and what happened, wouldn’t come until the end. Makes me wonder what the remaining episodes’ll be spent on…

    Story
  11. It feels like I’m crying to every episode of Clannad I see.
    The opening song makes me cry too cuz I usually don’t listen
    to anime openings unless it’s the first episode or something special
    had happend so when Nagisa died I listened to the song and now
    I cry whenever I hear the opening.

    ConfusedGirl29
  12. On one level, I was not happy at all that they compressed the whole journey into one episode. The train part was much, much longer in the VN, and it was in fact damn good (Sanae made a reservation on a fast train, but since they left one day later they had to take a slow one which was crammed with families, as quickly shown in the beginning of the episode). At least they played the awesome trip theme right at the beginning of the episode…

    On a second level, by compressing the trip in this way Kyoani created pretty much the perfect episode. I have seen better dramatic climaxes in the past (Honey and Clover and Please Save my Earth comes to mind), but none delivered so perfectly in a single 20 minutes episode.

    At this point I suppose the show will end at ep 22. Two funny episodes of daily life, then the end of the Ushio arc, and finally the overall wham ending. I hope it continues to be amazing.

    Steelman
  13. @OMNI
    Yes, this episode was way more tearful than Nagisa episode (i didn’t cry on Nagisa’s death cause i wasn’t concentrating when i was watching plus i knew that was going to happen).
    Well, i really wanted to punch Tomoya in the previous episode but i guess it is alright now. Although i doesn’t quite happen in real life, Ushio is quite mature.

    banzemanga
  14. I cried! Man, this episode just reminded me of exactly why I absolutely LOVE this show! I so wish Nagisa would mysteriously come back too, but I am so happy with the progress Tomoya has made with his daughter!!! and isn’t Ushio the cutest daughter ever?!? She’s so clever and wise for a 5yr-old and Sanae has got to be the DREAM mother-in-law for anyone wishing to get married. All in all, Tomoya is lucky to have met such nice people in his life and I think that’s what this whole show is about: aside from romance, it’s about making the people you meet your family as you journey through life…
    *sigh of happiness*
    Thank you, CLANNAD AFTER STORY, for a part of an evening well-spent

    Kethy-chan
  15. @Omni: It’s true that it’s only been two episodes, but I prefer it like this than they prolong Ushio being apart from Tomoya and Tomoya staying depressed. Also plotwise it has already been 5 years since Nagisa’s death. That’s quite a long time for him to stay depressed and ignored his responsibility as a father.

    X
  16. The most epic episode of this series! I nearly broke down when Ushio said the most touching thing I’ve ever heard. After that it doesn’t stop being amazing, it just got a whole lot better! Truly memorable out of all the episodes!

    Kudos to KyoAni for the outstanding execution! And Bravo to Key for making this awesome scenario!

    megalith
  17. I could not stop crying, i watched the final scene over and over again and couldn’t stop the tears XD
    ahaha my mother who passed by though i was being too emotional for a “cartoon” story. ahh, it just ruined my moment -.-

    silverwolf1492
  18. Wow Finally! Didn’t cry when Nagisa died but the father/daughter interaction and reconcile made me shed tears. The first one to nearly make me shed tears was Akio’s speech about being a parent during Nagisa’s drama. Wow thats touching!

    TK
  19. might there be a possible route to tomoya x tomoyo?
    Sry i didn’t play the game so i’m just guessing.
    Seeing how Tomoyo really like kids i don’t think she would mind looking after Ushio in Nagisa’s place maybe… ?

    jeffng9
  20. lol, wonder why ppl are still pushing for Tomoyo? No. He chose Nagisa, and he will still love nagisa, just as his dad would always still love his mother. Remember, during the Christmas party Tomoyo was nowhere to be seen, as only Kyou, Ryou, Kotomi went to meet them. Heck, even Sunohara was there. And if anything, Kyou is the teacher at Ushio’s kindergarten. Would have suit the family better, but that would be out of Tomoya’s character.

  21. Oh my gosh…. this episode is by far.. the most touching episode throughout the whole Clannad series… I really couldn’t hold my tears back. This is the first anime that I’ve actually can feel the tears rolling down my cheeks. It’s just way too touching. Loved this episode.. Don’t think I hate Tomoya anymore.

    This is a MUST WATCH episode. Don’t miss out guys!

    Ryuuya
  22. I am starting to really want to watch Ushio grow up now. I wish they would do what Da Capo did and have a Clannad 2. Also this is all really, really good stuff but I still would kind of like to see some scenes with Nagisa raising Ushio alongside Tomoya.

    HammerElf
  23. so what’s the best tear inducer? fuuko’s farewell or this? ushio’s calling okazaki “papa”?… for me, i think both… no matter how i tried to be manly, i cried like a shy girl… damn kyoani, destroying my manliness lol hahahahaha! nice episode!

    Animeniac
  24. Speaking of Fuuko, she’ll be showing up within the next few episodes won’t she? I noticed her in the opening a while back, sui.

    Anyway, I hope they do what they did last season and save the last episode for an alternate ending between Tomoyo and Tomoya. But if they base it on the Tomoyo After Dear Shining Memories manga, it might not be such a great way to end the series.

    Julian
  25. @
    Kaioshin Sama
    I guess I really am the only person that neither cried nor felt that this was the most amazing episode of anything ever…..but it was very good.

    You are “tsundere” for Clannad just accept it xD.

    Very good episode indeed .

    Can’t wait for the next one…

    Antics
  26. the ending was bittersweet although i didn’t really cry or jerk any tears but I gave out the “Awww …” reaction … after story is becoming more and more a masterpiece every time i watch it

    pixy
  27. what a great episode this one was it was sad and happy at the same time this episode probably brought all viewers to tears cus i know that happened to me what a great episode but what im wondering is that if ushio dies because she has the same sickness as nagisa her monther and it says she dies but i dont get it because in the movie it showed tomoya going to the train station and hugging her….lol im confused…. :/

    CRealism
  28. @CRealism

    Apparently the movie is a rushed version so there are a lot of missing scenes. The movie is definitely not as good as the anime. And I think Ushio will probably die. But before she dies, I think Fuko recovers first. Not sure about this but I’m looking forward to the following episodes.

    Clannad is really a masterpiece to me. I loved how Kyoani makes many of the scenes so emotional… They are great!

    Ryuuya
  29. Damn, I can’t believed all this build-up that came to this, in many words, or short words, this was incredible. Having to see Okazaki’s mother, the fathers circumstances and that they finally made a good-term relationship with okazaki and ushio, is awesome.

    Yahho.

    Touching
  30. for the first time. i actually cried in this anime, i was holding it in all episode. in eppy 16, when nagisa died i was sooo sad but didnt cry, but this one i just actually couldn’t hold it in, it was such a beautiful episode though, and i loved it, i need to get my friend to get off her ass and watch this anime

    applecherrychan
  31. ;_; *Cries manly tears of happiness*

    Was so nice to see Tomoya and Ushio become a proper family. If my only my girlfriend’s mother were like Sanae as well…

    Also Tomoya snapping on the train, isn’t it possible its because the boy was calling his mum constantly which would remind Tomoya of Nagisa making him angry and Ushio was right there so it would upset her, as she has no mother. Would also fit in with her crying after that incident.

    Azza
  32. I couldn’t stop myself from crying. It was so touching watching Tomoya explain about Nagisa to Ushio. The tears just kept coming, and long after the episode was finished. But it’s still so sad that Nagisa had to die. It had been so fun watching those three be a real family and seeing their everyday life togehter. I really miss Nagisa. But Ushio help’s to fill the void of Nagisa beeing gone.

    Pera

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