Clannad: Complete Collection [2 Discs] [Blu-ray]

A masterpiece to watch. Previews alone can bring tears. It's relatable in ways that make you connect with the characters.

Clannad - "The place where wishes come true" (Part 1). Based on the visual novel (game) and manga, this TV show is considered "kawaii" (cute) anime. The setting is a high school in a small town in Japan. The story starts as the main character, Tomoya Okazaki (confident, direct, a bit of a meddler, with no particular goal in life), is walking towards school while reflecting about his mundane existence and how he has memories he would rather forget. As he gets closer to school, Tomoya notices Nagisa Furukawa (uncertain, shy, honest, very close to her family) at the foot of the hill, trying to convince herself to continue on her way to school despite changes in her life. And so, the story begins. I would describe Clannad as a drama, romantic fantasy with comedy and some outrageously silly moments. I became aware of this series when viewing a clip, on a "best of" compilation. While I do enjoy some anime, I am not a fan of this type of anime. But still, the clip I watched seemed very lighthearted and thus, decided to give it a try. Not disappointed. As a drama, I found it a little difficult to take seriously at first, because of the funny scenarios in which the characters were being introduced. In spite of this (after viewing a couple of episodes), some characters began to show some depth via their backstories, which I began to enjoy. Visually, Clannad is beautiful. The music, I love. My recommendation is to watch Clannad in its original Japanese audio with English subtitles. Not that the voice actors did not do a great job, but in my opinion, something is usually lost in translation (i.e. some emotional content is compromised). Just remember, at times, a vocal song will have subtitles, along with the dialogue subtitles. It makes it a little confusing to watch. I just ignore the song subtitles, it helps. Watching Clannad for the first time was great, but fell in love with the series after viewing the second (and final) series, Clannad After Story. This is where the importance of family really comes to fruition, which was great. If you are a fan of "kawaii" anime, I recommend the series. Casual anime viewers? Try it if you don't mind watching a show about the importance of family. Not into anime? Well then, it's up to you. Aspect ratio = 1:78:1 (16:9 1080 HD - Widescreen) Audio = English/Japanese Subtitles = English Rated PG Total of 24 episodes including an extra episode (Another world - Tomoyo Arc) Special features: Clean opening (beginning titles with no credits displayed) Clean closing (end titles with no credits displayed) Previews of other anime

Clannad is an excellent choice if you are looking for a story driven tale. Following the lives of Tomoya and Nagisa through High School and beyond, Clannad really makes you feel for the characters and all their trials and tribulations. You will cheer when they succeed and you will probably cry when things don't go so well for them. Overall, this anime is fantastic. The price is incredibly steep however.