CLANNAD / First Impressions

Summary:

In the other world, the boy’s voice says that he was born here in search of the girl, sacrificing everything of living in a new world. The girl had created his body out of junk, and his memory was stagnant – he couldn’t remember anything if he didn’t make an effort. He isn’t sure where he was until now and where he’s trying to go, and he couldn’t talk to this girl. Her hugging him was the one warmth he was searching for, but he couldn’t feel it with his junk body. Back in the real world, Tomoya visits the Furukawa Bakery to check on Nagisa and learns from her father that she’s still sleeping. Her mother reveals that she has only a slight fever, but since Nagisa has a weak body, her doctor suggested having her stay in bed for today. As thanks to Tomoya for carrying her home, her father gives him a bag of bread, though this causes her mother to run out crying because she thinks her husband sees her bread as a burden to the bakery. After Nagisa’s father gives chase while declaring that he loves her bread, a female customer walks in, and Tomoya offers her the bag of bread he just got.

On his way back, Tomoya is thinking about Nagisa when he gets dragged off by a stranger who wants him to be a witness to a large dent in the hood of a car. The owner thinks that this is the fault of a nearby construction worker dropping a tool, but the worker denies it. He’s actually willing to pay the repair fee, but only so that the owner will think back on it and wonder if his words were true or not. The worker then launches into speech about how people’s daily lives are a repetition of hurting each other, so it’s no wonder that they suspect others. However, he feels that not trusting in anything is the same as not being able to feel another person’s love, and he questions if the owner of the car has felt pain while alone, has lived submissively, or has laughed honestly. Tomoya eventually notices that there are cat paw prints beside the dent, and he brings up the possibility of a falling cat causing the damage. As if on cue, a fat cat ambles out from under the car and seems to verify the theory. With things now cleared up, the worker thanks Tomoya and gives him a business card.

When Tomoya shows the card to Sunohara later that night, Sunohara recognizes the name on it – Yoshino Yuusuke – as that of a legendary MC and retired musician. Tomoya zones out when Sunohara starts playing a tape of Yoshino’s music that he got from his little sister, and by the time he becomes aware of his surroundings again, Sunohara is talking about how he thinks Tomoyo is a guy. Sunohara is intent on proving this, and his plan the next day turns out to be trying to trick her into admitting that she has a razor. This doesn’t work though, and Tomoyo only adds to her kick combo on him. Afterwards, Tomoya notices Nagisa eating bread by herself outside, and she waves to him when she sees him in the window. When he sits down with her, she admits that she was afraid he wouldn’t forgive her because she hurt him, so she’s glad she found the courage to wave. Nagisa then starts crying and calls herself an idiot, so Tomoya takes a piece of her bread and says that he thinks it’s okay for her to be an idiot because he is one too. He feels that he’s far away from the people who know how to get ahead, and if she’s going to cry alone, she should call him. Tomoya claims that it’s only because being with her keeps him from being bored, but Nagisa happily promises to do so if she’s going to cry.

Tomoya then feels hands touching his clothes and finds the carving girl from before searching for her knife. She wants it back, but Tomoya is more concerned about if her hand has healed yet, and he quickly confirms that it hasn’t. However, after teasing her a bit more, he decides to give back the knife. When the bell rings to signal that it’s time for them to go, the girl gives Tomoya the wood star she was carving and runs off. Later that afternoon, Tomoya wakes up a sleeping Sunohara and makes him think he slept for 100 years after being kicked by Tomoyo. Eventually revealing that he was kidding, Tomoya then notices a small boar outside in the bushes, and he heads down to investigate. The boar takes a liking to Tomoya, but he doesn’t like it when Sunohara picks him up. Fortunately for the boar, Kyou suddenly throws a book at Sunohara’s face and follows it up with a kick. As he struggles back up, Sunohara claims to have seen something light blue in color when she was kicking him, and this gets Kyou embarrassed enough to kick him again. As for the boar, he’s Kyou’s pet and is named Botan.

Tomoya then goes to see Nagisa in the reference room and suggests that she practice for the open house. The two are interrupted when a girl named Miyazawa Yukine who is in charge of the room arrives and serves them coffee. After talking with her about the reference room, Tomoya comments on how there are a lot of unique people at this school and in this city. He and Nagisa then return to the drama club room so that she can practice her speech. She does it so poorly at it that he questions if she has any acting experience, and she admits that she’s a complete amateur. Tomoya almost leaves when he finds out that Nagisa doesn’t even know what kinds of plays they could do, but she is at least able to say that the play that she wants to perform is somewhere between a comedy and a tear jerker. When Tomoya pretends to be a student asking her about the picture she drew on their fliers, Nagisa immediately starts talking in length about the big Dango family, and he has to stop her. She finally starts speaking more naturally after Tomoya asks her why she wants to act.

Nagisa explains that she likes acting because she thinks that it’d be fun to do it with everyone. She hadn’t been able to do it when she was young because she was absent from being sick, and she had really wanted to join the club when she got to high school. Nagisa still wasn’t able to come to school much in high school, but she wants to do it even if she might not be very good. Working with everyone on one thing would be wonderful for her because she simply loves things like that. Hearing all this, Tomoya advises that she say exactly what she just said at the open house, and he asks her to believe in her own words. As the two are leaving for home, they notice that one of their fliers isn’t on a bulletin board anymore. Yukine, who happens to be nearby, informs them that she saw a student council member take it down and suggests that it might be because they didn’t get permission to put it up. It is at this moment that someone comes on over the intercom system and calls Nagisa to the student council room.

Preview:

This episode was more comedy than anything else, from Tomoya talking to the cat like he’s narrating Sunohara’s path to becoming a pervert to the whole hundred years joke. They’re even adding to the hit counter started last week, and it’ll probably continue through the entire series unless Sunohara somehow manages to land a hit to break it. The episode also introduced two more characters to the already large cast – three if you count Kyou’s pet Botan. Actually, I believe the girl Tomoya gave bread to is another supporting character, so make that four. I’m generally in favor of large casts though, as long as everyone has an important part to play (which I’m pretty sure they all do).

Once again though, it’s the other world sequence that raises the most questions, particularly with how it relates to the real world. If that voice is Tomoya’s, does the robot body represent how he’s lost all feeling or his human body? Is he dead? Is the girl supposed to be Nagisa? My questions will likely only continue to grow as we see more and more of this world each episode. As for next week, the preview shows almost entirely Sunohara, but the title of the episode (Let’s Find Friends) makes me think that it’ll also be about how Nagisa recruits more people for the drama club.

47 Comments

  15. From the next episode previews, there does seem to be a reason for Sunohara getting his ass kicked by Tomoyo over and over…

    But wait, uh guys, are you making comments about the episode without actually watching the episode?

    Rembr
    Reply

  17. @Rembr: Well, you know how it is… once a site gets popular, people like to go for early comment post spots based on what’s available. ^^” But the raws are out already, so it’s possible (albeit unlikely) for them to have already watch it.

    But yes, this one definitely looks like it’ll be a good laugh. I could use that. Can’t wait. 😀

    (dango daikazoku~)

    cbhl
    Reply

  29. My my, they really are jumping into Nagisa’s storyline. Makes me wonder if they can spread the attention around like what they did in Kanon… CLANNAD’s story is supposed to be uncharacteristically large for each of the girls.

    Myssa Rei
    Reply

  37. They did it again. Not one boring second until now. Dunno why, but every episode excites me again and again, this one was just cute. But like always, there is this feeling that things aren’t going to end well with Nagisa. However, I can’t wait for the Kyou storyline. One of the bestest characters in a harem show ever, even and especially ’cause she’s “bi”.

    Neara
    Reply

  38. “My my, they really are jumping into Nagisa’s storyline. Makes me wonder if they can spread the attention around like what they did in Kanon… ” and “However, I can’t wait for the Kyou storyline”

    Even though they decided to use Ayu as the “main” girl, the Kanon girls have independent stories, all 5 can be used without them clashing. Clannad does not have that luxury because they all are deeply connected to each other though it won’t be blatantly apparent in some cases. Nagisa is the main girl, as already mentioned in the past, in a much grander sense that Ayu was to Kanon- Clannad has no reason to hide this or restrain it.

    Assuming they intend to be as true to the game story as possible, unless they go through the literal happenings of the true story Show Spoiler ▼

    , the more romantically involved characters like Kyou will have to have much of their storylines altered. Characters like Fuko can escape without too many revisions. Of course, it’s perfectly possible they are aiming for the bad ending.

    “From the next episode previews, there does seem to be a reason for Sunohara getting his ass kicked by Tomoyo over and over…”

    It’ll come together soon enough, even as it is now, it relates rather well with his delinquent character. Show Spoiler ▼

    That Guy
    Reply

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