Summary:

When Tomoya finally gets to meet Ushio’s kindergarten teacher, he finds out that it’s actually Kyou, and a grown-up Botan is the kindergarten’s pet. As the two catch up, Kyou reveals that their other friends were worried about him and had considered visiting him. Tomoya then asks about how Ushio has been, so Kyou notes that she’s a really good girl who’s probably more active than Nagisa was and has a tendency to run off. Later, at work, Tomoya finds out from Yuusuke that Fuuko wants to come play with Ushio, so they set up a play date. He does his normal routine of picking Ushio up from the kindergarten in the middle of the day before returning to work, but what he doesn’t realize is that Ushio leaves home late that afternoon to go for a walk on her own, and she goes all the way to the hospital. She’s back home by the time he returns, and he tells her about the play date with Fuuko. That night in bed, Ushio asks him to sing the her mother’s song to her, so he obliges with the dango song. It puts her to sleep, and it reminds him of Nagisa, causing him to dream of the three of them together and cry in his own sleep.

Fuuko comes over the next day, still wanting Ushio to be her little sister again, and she’s brought with her some star-shaped bread. She spends most of the day at the Okazaki place, playing not just with Ushio but with Tomoya as well, and she even suggests that she’s kind of like Nagisa. While they’re playing cards, Tomoya starts to think about what life would be like if Nagisa were still alive, and when Fuuko notices, she asks Ushio what kind of person Nagisa was. Having only heard about her mother from her father, Ushio notes that her mother was a crybaby who did her best to give birth to her and was someone that her father loved very much. The memories of Nagisa have a visible effect on Tomoya, and though he quickly gets himself back together again, Fuuko still offers to come over at any time and help with whatever she can.

Sometime later, as it starts getting colder, Kyou tells Tomoya about the upcoming field day at the kindergarten which includes participation for the parents. Sanae and Akio already know about it, and it turns out that Akio has signed up as part of the teachers’ relay race team. Akio, Sanae, and Ushio force Tomoya to be on the opposing parents’ team, so he starts training whenever he can in preparation. In the meantime, while her father is at work one day, Ushio leaves the house by herself again to walk to the hospital. She runs into Fuuko along the way, and when Fuuko asks her why she likes the hospital, Ushio isn’t able to give a specific reason. More days pass and Tomoya continues training until it’s finally the night before the field day. However, it is at this time that Ushio comes down with a fever.

Preview

Uh oh, Ushio’s sick…I have a bad feeling about this… I mean, it makes sense given how many episodes there are left that there’s at least one more big trial for Tomoya to go through before this is all over, but Ushio’s grown on me as a character and I’d hate to see Tomoya suffer through the illness/death/whatever of his only daughter. If Ushio is sick with anything like what Nagisa had, then he would be best advised to keep her supervised so that she doesn’t wander outside alone in the snow (i.e. how Nagisa almost died back when she was young). That’s especially important since Ushio apparently has a penchant for leaving home by herself to visit the place where the hospital was built (symbolic longing for her mother perhaps).

On a different note, I liked how this episode was able to go from the amusing and funny Fuuko stuff one moment – like the whole tights thing – to the poignant memories of Nagisa the next. The range of emotions evoked are a testament to how good this series and the original visual novel are. It was also good seeing Kyou again, and I swear it felt like she and Tomoya were flirting a bit, though maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part. At this point I’m wondering if Kyou or Fuuko will become more of a mother (or even big sister) figure to Ushio, and I think Fuuko might actually win. In any case, we’re getting closer to the end now, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a good happy ending.

97 Comments

  1. yay! thanks for posting it up =)
    the dango song was back … hehe…
    ushio is just soooo cute….and it’s so weird how she tends to go to the place where akio took nagisa when she was sick.
    botan looks HUUUUUGE! and so dark …he looks kinda burnt XD

    kfu
  2. Now it gets good 😛 😀 😛 Its also nice to see Kyou & Fuuko. Fuuko is just way too ditzy for words. Everything she says is either really stupid or just plain crazy. There’s no way for me to keep from laughing ‘at’ her.

    Megas
  3. I seriously need to get my hands on some Clannad (visual novel)…IF it’s still available somewhere.

    What a rollercoaster ride. First they dealt with the happy stuff. I assume Kyou was happy and perhaps relieved to see Tomoya at least having some semblance of who she knew, and Fuuko’s crazy imagination and actions. Then comes the foreshadowing with the wandering off and the fever. And I thought season 1 was good. This is awesome.

    Owaranai
  4. Ah..him..or was it him….(there are two blue haired guys with wives. Tomoya and the guy he works with, Yuusuke). Yuusuke’s wife can be seen briefly with Fuuko and Ushio while Tomoya is training (Ushio is wearing her baseball hat backwards…)

    As for Tomoya’s wife…She’s the one in the framed picture.

    ithekro
  5. @rai

    Awww, Thank you for telling me that. I’m starting to like this anime show now. 😀

    @Everyone

    I’m changing my name to Nitro Force.

    @waffo

    Are there any other shows on this website?

    New Here.
  6. “It was also good seeing Kyou again, and I swear it felt like she and Tomoya were flirting a bit, though maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part” Omni

    You’re not the only one, Omni, It’s also a wishful thinking on my part. I mean I could have sworn that the two were hitting it off quite well. I could even go so far as to think that Kyou is still in love with him, especially because of her teasing him and even questioning whether he forget about her. Also each time Tomoya picks up Ushio, the two is shown having a good time talking to each other, much more than when they were still in school. Also I still find Kyou as a perfect mother figure and perhaps the best candidate to be Tomoya’s wife if and only if he ever gets remarried.

    Though I completely disagree with your comment about Fuuko winning as a mother figure for Ushio, maybe a big sister, but a mother figure? You seriously think so? LoL, seeing this episode just made me laugh about how Fuuko is really childish, enough that she always gets on Tomoya’s nerve. I mean I can’t imagine Tomoya actually going dere dere to Fuuko, it would be just hilarious, it’s like one of those imaginations that Fuuko once had about Tomoya. A romantic relationship between the two is really unthinkable, despite having played Fuuko’s route on the VN I still can’t visualize the two in that kind of way. Though I admit that the relationship the two have is actually quite good despite the fact that these two only technically met recently (since both doesn’t remember meeting each other years ago).

    X
  7. At X:

    Yeah, I can’t see Fuko as a mother figure. But, she’s a great friend for Tomoya in that she’s a GREAT stress reliever and she shares the same mind-screw hobbies as Tomoya. I can see them becoming drinking buddies in the future. XD

    Five Boxes
  8. Nice review OMNI. I kinda expected Ushio to get sick (not that i wanted to) because she kinds of resemble Nagisa too much in some part. But it is kind of funny cause Ushio for some reason resembles a tomboy although has the cuteness of a girl.

    banzemanga
  9. This is one anime I cried several episodes in a row. This episode was awful to watch (in a good way) because of all the “What if you were here…thing would have been like this” :((( And now Ushio is sick. I am starting to think too that there is something that gives them a second of happiness fooling them into believing that is finally alright and then BAM they are hit by tragedy again. Well there is XDXD its the story line and the creators

    Lia
  10. Ushio’s voice is so cute, especially when she greets her dad and Akio. I really like how they make the hospital area a “symbol” of some-sort for Ushio. Ushio, coming down with Nagisa’s fever? I totally saw that coming. My real hope for the ending is that, if they need to incorporate magic, somehow Ushio will be saved and she and Tomoya will be able to truly live in peace and happiness. X)

    jo
  11. I have to wonder if it’s going to end with True-End. We haven’t seen the lights come into play… I don’t know which direction they are going to go.

    If they do go with True-End… I’m also worried people will be upset and say it’s a cop-out ending. It isn’t but… I could see that happening.

    Tarage
  12. Kyou, Fuuko to replace Nagisa, don’t make me laugh… stop wandering around in the parallel universes and get back to earth to where STORY ABOUT TOMOYAxNAGISA+USHIO is going on..geez

    blanka
  13. This is only episode 20, which means Ushio will be gone in the next episode. Then Tomoya will go uber-emo & get sucked into the imaginary world, where he’ll follow emo-girl around for the rest of the remaining 1-1.5 episodes. Then the orbs will kick in & we’ll get a good 0.5-1 episode of True End nonsense. That’s the route they chose a long time ago, & they’re sticking to it.

    Megas
  14. While the first season of Clannad was good, it didn’t strike me as an awesome anime, but After Story makes up for it! At the moment every episode just touches the heart, as you imagine yourself in Tomoya’s Shoes. I agree with everything X said. Am a Kyou fan so any ending with her would be aweomse xP, if not wishful thinking.

    PYROtechnic
  15. i’ve just finished the kyou-route in clannad, oh how i wished for a okazaki x kyou ending…god bless kyou, too bad she doesn’t wear any kneesocks anymore, i love ur thights! ^^

    heart breaking moments are comin in again xD

    kyou-lover
  16. Fu-chan had so much screen time. It warms my heart~

    …but I really, really, REALLY hope to DEATH that they don’t kill off Ushio. Christ, Tomoya, Akio and Sanae have been through enough. The AUDIENCE has been through enough. That would just be too cruel.

    Story
  17. hey guys..
    who knows what the insert songs that were playing during this episode were?

    there was one before the dango one, and i couldn’t find it on the clannad ost. Is it out on cd yet?

    boku yuna
  18. @ desho: People have their own preferences. Even if you can’t see the good points she has, doesn’t mean she doesn’t have any.

    @blanka: Chill. Can’t stop people from thinking what they want, can you? =D

    But judging from the episode title, I’m feeling really pessimistic about the next one. Clannad (or to be more specific, Key productions) tend to take us on rollercoaster rides. Won’t be surprised if the next one’s a cryfest, then gets us audience frustrated at how Tomoya starts to sink as well as the cruelty of things and later we get the part filled with hope and happiness (as well as laughs).

    Owaranai
  19. I can’t believe it, I mean, I enjoy all the feel-good episodes, they really want you to feel happy for him. But now Ushio suddenly got a fever, and I was “What…NO!? x(”

    Please, I swear, I need a happy ending. 😀

    Lidksajd
  20. You people & your tsundere shipping fetishes are sickening…when the tsundere is a loli yall hate the pairing & when the tsundere is a hot babe yall are all for it. Enough already. Play the game if yall want to know how its gonna end. Wiki left out too much…not to mention that its constantly being re-written every week to cover its ass.

    Megas
  21. Clannad is a sad Story.
    in Tomoyo Story Tomoya dies.
    Nagisa dies in her story.
    How i NOT Want to see Uisho die to sickness HOPOFULLY NOT. but theres so much forshadow To a Non happy ending.
    either way hope they pull a miracle like they did on Kanon. That would be good for of us viewers!

    Kanako
  22. @anonymous – Fuuko and Nagisa were best friends, and even lived together. I think she subconsciously wants to know what happened to her old friend.

    On another note, one of the emerging themes of After Story seems to be that having a family is a miraculous thing. Three episodes ago, this: https://randomc.net/image/CLANNAD/CLANNAD%20~AFTER%20STORY~%20-%2017%20-%20Large%2013.jpg was like an “OMG, it’s like a chibi Nagisa has been resurrected, it’s a miracle!” And this has got to remind you of Madonna and child: https://randomc.net/image/CLANNAD/CLANNAD%20~AFTER%20STORY~%20-%2020%20-%20Large%2014.jpg

    Takayuki
  23. The last couple of these episodes have been some of the most heartwarming and tear-jerking episodes of any anime this year. I admit it didnt start out the best way but Clannad really started to separate itself from every other anime out right now with these last episodes. I like my Toradora, Index, and any other decent show as much as the next person but as of right now they cant hold a candle next to how human Clannad makes you feel. I thought the scene where Tomoya started singing and showed him dreaming of Nagisa and Ushio was the best scene of the episode. Then when you saw him shed a tear just shows us how much he loves Nagisa. So I really hope they do hit the reset button and give Tomoya the life him and the rest of his family should of had from the start.

    infinite757
  24. Do you see the next episode yet?
    I don’t think tomoya should blame the town…
    The right to blame’s… Key’s
    It should be something like….
    Why Key’s Granting us happiness at a whim and then taken away so easily!!
    And why Key’s like to sacrifice the most belove character to shed out our tear!!!
    I know that Key’s the best creator that create the most best meaningful anime among the others.
    But i regret that Key’s like to annihilate the thing that they rise…
    how awful.. ;(

    Exlz
  25. I think Key’s recycling a bit…

    Fuuko = Ayu ghost girl
    Shima (cat) = Makoto (fox) human incarnate of an animal
    Yukine = Minagi/Sayuri take your pick
    Kouko = Akiko not just because its the same seiyuu, really
    Nagisa = Shiori *I just turned the entire Nagisa and Shiori fangroups against me* XP
    Botan = Potato both ‘pets’ do not seem to be from Earth

    …but the story quality and drama are still top notch.

    Julian
  26. Similar characters, but as long as it’s used well, it’s used well. XD

    Still have no idea why people are slamming others for voicing out their desire to see a different ending from the presumably canon one. One talks about Kyou, and suddenly they are ‘tsundere shipping’? What a riot. XD

    Owaranai
  27. Older Kyou is still hawt. Since no one else is around (Tomoyo!) she should’ve taken the first step and tried to get with Tomoya now! “Look Ushio, it’s your new mommy!” “Yay!”

    😛

    Of course we all know the cold hard truth of what will really happen. *sigh*

    GP
  28. Seeing as there is only two episodes left and Tomoya’s wording of “my daughter’s last wish”, I can see that the next episode is Ushio dying. Then, the finale would be Tomoya having to face his demons to the perfect ending.

    At least I hope so.

    Clear
  29. Ushio is soooo cute…to be honest I thought a lot of the first season was a load of bull (their method of solving problems via challenges was ridiculous), but I’m glad I stuck out for the after story. Even if it looks like even more drama is on the horizon..

    machan
  30. What could happen

    If all those lights gathered Ushio is saved.

    Tomoya will get Ryou to be his wife so someone could take care of Ushio.
    Ryou = new mother for Ushio
    Fuuko = Ushio’s playmate
    Kyou = Ushio’s teacher
    Tomoyo = Tomoya’s 2nd wife
    Kotomi = Tomoya’s 3rd wife

    Then Tomoya dies and join Nagisa in the heaven…

    After Ushio’s burial…

    Tomoya finally get together with one of the other girls.

    Tomoya become a priest/teacher and tell his stories.

    Tomoya get Nagisa’s mother to become his wife.

    arigatou
  31. Ok Dan-Dan here is not emotionally ready for what is to come which I know will come and I am not looking foreward to it.
    I only wonder…Show Spoiler ▼

    By the way, it seems someone went ahead and released the first 2 volumes as one set way back in february. I picked them up at katsucon

    Dan
  32. i really like this anime…
    but you know,
    in reality: LIFE SUKS.
    so, the most of the times there is no happy ending.

    the bad guys usually wins.
    the good people suffer bad things.

    so i’ll be not surprised if ushio dies, and that’s it. a life of misery for tomoya.
    life is like that.

    valthunder
  33. Well it’s confirmed that there are Show Spoiler ▼

    episodes left for the main story.
    Show Spoiler ▼

    Mikapon
  34. The next episodes like the title says(The End of the World), Ushio have the same disease like nagisa and died. From here I still wondering how they gonna end the anime because…(do not read if you really don’t like spoiler unless you’ve already played the game)Show Spoiler ▼

    K
  35. I actually wouldn’t mind seeing OVAs of Tomoya getting different chicks. The Tomoyo OVA was pure gold. The full color doujinshi with Tomoya getting everyone was just too excellent. As long as they make it interesting, I’ll watch it. I just don’t like tsundere discrimination. As long as they have a deredere side, they deserve a chance too. Kyou was way much more dere than tsun anyway. Tomoyo was way more tsun than dere…so why just Tomoyo

    Megas
  36. @K

    Have you watched Air TV? *Read this if and only if you’ve played Clannad visual novel or doesn’t want to be spoiled* Show Spoiler ▼

    Ryuuya
  37. In Japan, it’s quite normal for a kid to be left at home by themselves. Day care is becoming more common nowadays, but there are still a lot of kids who just stay at home by themselves. Those kids are called “Kagikko” – literally “child with a key” which is also used to refer to KEY(as in the Clannad developer) fanatics. 😉

    Mikapon
  38. it’s nice to be writing here again… the site kept timing out in my area, but who cares about that…

    @Owaranai: the visual novel is available for sale (i think) or you can just grab a torrent… but it’s in japanese however you can look for an english SEEN.txt file…

    Well… as most of the fans said, it’s nice to see Kyou again… she does look more like Misae (she got hotter actually…), and Ushio’s sudden illness is already spelling something that i don’t want to happen (note episode 16)…

    from what i see here, there’s another tear-jerker… and maybe this will continue all the way to the end.

    Hands up speculation: remember about Tomoya mentioning something about the beach? (back episode 10 i think) I’m just wondering about what happened there, because i can’t seem to fit in what happened there… and maybe, just maybe, there will be an OVA concerning that part… or maybe the OVA will be another extension of Tomoyo After… what do you guys think?

    Kakashi_Crusade
  39. There are 24 episodes altogether.

    I think Ushio will die in the next episode. This will result in more illusionary world.
    Then another two episodes on the illusionary world, the lights that he is supposed to collect,etc. Then the last episode will be them being together.

    (If he collects all the light, he can revive his family.)

    BushyTail
  40. Actually, since Ushio is down with the same sickness as her mother is, it’s more of normal for her to visit places her mother visits.
    (Nagisa was very sick when she was a baby, she was brought to the grass patch which was where the hospital was built and she healed.)

    BushyTail
  41. I think this the final test of how he will do. To overcome this problem of the daughters health. If he pass this test he maybe have the heart become a true father or grant him a mircle wish prehaps.

    I hope ths goes well and I really reaaly miss Nagisa right about now. After all, she the main key character of the episodes.

    Kim

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