*listens to the collective cries of Nayuki fanboys worldwide*
Wow, and here I thought we were in for one of those half episode tie ups and the start of some sort of Nayuki arc. However, the Shiori situation is still up in the air, so there was little closure given to that. And although the episode did start out Nayuki-centric, it pulled a quick 180 and we were hit with the above depicted scenario.
Episode Rating: 9.5/10
The episode starts off with some loli Ayu, whom we haven’t seen in a while. Kyon’ichi’s day of departure is drawing ever closer and Ayu is beginning to dread it. Kyon’ichi senses this and cheers Ayu up by telling her that the doll he gave her entitles her to three wishes which she can ask of him. She quickly thinks of her first wish, that Kyon’ichi will never forget her, even if it’s just a passing thought, that he will never forget about the weird girl he met that winter break. Kyon’ichi agrees and even throws in the promise of free taiyaki as a bonus.
Back in the present, it’s finally the day of the marathon that Nayuki’s been talking non-stop about (yeah…I didn’t remember about it either). Akiko, Ayu, Kitagawa and Kyon’ichi come to cheer her on (Kaori was supposed to come too, but she had some lame excuse about a dying relative) but surprisingly, Nayuki doesn’t seem nervous at all, even though her team is running around seventh.
When she gets hold of the baton sash it becomes clear why, she’s freaking fast! She speeds past three runners within 10 seconds of the leg, and after some helpful cheerleading from Kyon’ichi (and her bust size) she manages to claim first place.
After the award ceremony, some celebration is in order, so Kyon’ichi takes Nayuki out on a date of sorts. At a cafe, the two start talking about each other’s crushes. Kyon’ichi notices that Nayuki is pretty popular among the guys (and girls, lawl) and asks if she has anyone she likes. Apparently she had a crush back in grade school, but it was a one sided love as the guy had his eyes on another girl. The two collectively describe her crush, who begins to sound a lot like Kyon’ichi as the convo goes along, but of course he doesn’t notice. Oh the ironing.
Time for another loli Ayu flashback, wherein the infamous tree is introduced. I’ll say no more on that topic, as spoilage is certain and I fear Danny flying over here and beating me with a bat (or worse, countering with Death Note spoilers). After playing in the forest for a while, Kyon’ichi and Ayu return to the city and lament the fact he has to leave soon.
Back in the present, Kyon’ichi meets up with Ayu and once again helps her to find her missing item. After little success they return to the bench they used as a meeting place as kids and Ayu starts to break down, remembering the pain of losing her mother. This causes Kyon’ichi to recall the events of late and have a mini break down of his own. As the two look at each other through teary eyes, they realize how pitiful they must look, so they close their eyes, lean in and…
Thoughts
Wow, this episode was completely different from my expectations. I was under the impression that this week would be a lame half/half episode where we get a little bit of closure on the previous arc and a brief intro into the new one. Instead I got blindsided by a plot heavy and emotionally charged episode, awesome.
Although…this only furthers my opinion of Nayuki getting shafted in anime adaptations of Kanon. Thanks to commenters like Nightingale, Tim and Kanon_fan82 I’m aware that Nayuki and Ayu’s arcs are impossible to be depicted faithfully simultaneously, as key plot points conflict. But Nayuki is totally taking the backseat this time around, in Toei’s version she put up a weak fight, but this time it seems like she’s given up on Kyon’ichi before the battle even begins.
On that note, Kyon’ichi’s powers of deduction are weaksauce, I realize that some people are blind to self criticism, but that description was his rhetorical splitting image. However, this is compensated for his god given talent as a pimp.
Tree of doom!
WARNING: The following paragraphs will be spoilerrific in nature and will therefore be written in white, highlight to read.
So…KyoAni is really pushing those plot hints, ne? Although it may not be blaringly obvious, the ominous depiction of the tree through the use of angles and the bloody colours is sure to tip off a few viewers.
Then Ayu goes ahead and climbs the damn thing while Kyon’ichi has a fit about his fear of heights as Ayu tries to reassure him of her l33t tree climbing skills. If that’s not enough blatant foreshadowing for you, go read Hamlet. Again, I can’t speak objectively about this, since I’m in the camp who already knows what’s coming, but KyoAni is really setting their viewers up for the fall (lawl).
[EDIT]
Whoa I left out an entire section of the thoughts portion
As for Kyon’ichi and Ayu’s kiss, I think it was much earlier than many (including me) were expecting. The emotional impact of that scene definitely justified the act though, both of them were noticeably hurting from the pain that they have experienced in their short lives. However, the kiss was nothing more than to ease this pain, and although mutually beneficial, any relationship that were to form out of the basis of pity, grief and reliance is doomed to fail.
Many would disagree with this statement and assert that a relationship can be based on the sole idea of mutual benefit. However, as a rabid Ayu fanboy I know that she and Kyon’ichi share a much deeper bond than that, exemplified by the events of their past and believe it or not, the current Ayu’s very presence in Kyon’ichi’s life…
[/EDIT]
Well, I’m eager to see how KyoAni handles the remaining arc(s). I previously said that KyoAni might have shot themselves in the foot by making the past arcs so good because it would just make it harder to top it off with an amazing ending. However, if this episode is any indication, I have complete faith in their ability to make Ayu’s arc an amazing finisher. And although I’m still saddened by their treatment of Nayuki, if sacrifices must be made in order for moar Ayu, I’m willing to let it go. But hey, there’s still six episodes to work with, who knows, maybe KyoAni will find some sort of glorious balance that appeases both fans.
Obligatory Ayu glomp and sleepy Nayuki shots
19 Responses to “Kanon 19”
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I find it difficult to see Ayu’s story carrying on by itself for 6 episodes, and hence suspect that, with six episodes to go, KyoAni are going to insert Nayuki’s story in the middle of Ayu’s. Ayu’s disappearance provides them with the perfect opportunity, after all, to set out the isolated atmosphere that Nayuki’s story needs to happen. Changes would still need to be made, but at least Nayuki fans wouldn’t feel so left out, and I think an adequate conclusion would require Yuuichi to come to some sort of realisation of Nayuki’s feelings for him. Probably we’ll have another 1-2 Ayu episodes, then 3 Nayuki episodes before a two episode conclusion (Mai’s graduation, Shiori’s fate, then Ayu).
Wow!!!! just wow! Soooo many things were awesome about this episode……
“Yuiich-kun, have you ever lost an important person right in front of your eyes?”
That whole scene is nothing short of BRILLIANT :)……I still have goose-bumps now :P
On another blog I visited, some commenters expressed that the Ayu/Yuiichi kiss happened too soon……
maybe yes, maybe no…..not having seen the original it is impossible for me to tell…..
but it’s pretty clear that Ayu has always wanted to kiss him, and they were sharing a moment of grief together……it suited the moment perfectly IMO…….it will be interesting to see reactions to the kiss in next week’s installment :)
Lots of Nayuki goodness in this episode as well :)……Her cuteness meter is off the charts!
P.S. I think I have a pretty good idea of what Ayu is searching for now lol :)
Now, if you’ve seen the 13 episodes of the original Kanon, then you will realize that the story, even though much more lacking, is a general plot-line for the new Kanon. Not the mention the animation is much better with bloom effects and fluid movement. Now to my knowledge, (I haven’t been able to find all of the original episodes, especially the last ones)
*MASSIVE, PLOT & ENDING REVEALING, SPOILERS *
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……
………
The nice aunt gets in a car crash, Shiori lives, Mai graduates and lives with her friend, Nayuki ends up being rejected once again, and Ayu is still Yuiichi’s sweetheart. All thanks to the power of the last two wishes from the angel.
@ Tim: orly!? Only another 2 Ayu episodes? I think that’s a pretty modest estimate based on the amount of screentime Makoto and more notably Mai were given.
I hope KyoAni presents some new content for both Ayu and Nayuki. The coverage of all the other girls so far has extended well beyond Toei’s version, so there’s no reason for KyoAni not to do the same for at least Ayu.
@ Kanon_fan82: You reminded me that I completely forgot to talk about that scene, I had it written in my mind too XD I just added it in now.
In retrospect it turned out to be a rant on the true meaning of “love” rather than the actual scene…but I guess that works too ^^
@ David: zomg massive spoilers, I’m going to edit that comment and emphasize the spoiling of key plot elements lol.
I have seen the original Toei version, and yes, KyoAni’s version goes in much more depth. The animation is a bonus, but Kanon’s (as with most other romances/harems) is more about character than plot.
this episode made me a nayuki fan….then converted me back to an ayu fan at the end. dammit what the hell…. -_-
@Shirukii
Well, the last episode will probably be an Ayu episode, so that makes another 3. I based my estimate on several factors:
1. The events of Ayu’s story really have been essentially spread out over the rest of the anime; whilst the other girls have received a good 3-4 episodes dedicated solely to them, Ayu’s been getting little snippets here and there from episode 1 until the present day. Most of her story apart from the big conclusion has, in fact, already been told. There’s not much left before her disappearance, and after that, her reappearance.
2. As such, 6 episodes just for Ayu is too much. This suggests that something is going to be done with Nayuki, and anything less than 2-3 for her would leave her story to be rushed. A lot happens in Nayuki’s arc, and so far we’ve seen none of it. I can’t see Akiko’s accident and Yuuichi’s subsequent realisation of Nayuki’s feelings for him happening in anything less than 2-3 episodes, which leaves maybe 2 more for Ayu and 1-2 to tie everything up.
On a related matter:
“I hope KyoAni presents some new content for both Ayu and Nayuki. The coverage of all the other girls so far has extended well beyond Toei’s version, so there’s no reason for KyoAni not to do the same for at least Ayu.”
Actually, virtually none of the content for the other girls’ stories was really ‘new’ - it was just game material that Toei had cut out. KyoAni really have been spectacularly faithful to the game thus far - they’ve included just about everything they could (albeit, removing the romantic element from most of the girls’ stories), and included very very little that wasn’t in the game to begin with.
@David
Actually, there’s only one wish left in the angel. Ayu uses the second wish.
@ Shirukii:
Dude……I totally dodged a bullet there on David’s post……
somehow my eyes managed to stay away from reading the text……..phew!
I’m not sure which forum program you use for this site, but you MAY want to seriously consider adding code options (ie. for spoiler tags)
On a completely different topic from Kanon….If there are any Death Note fans on here, go watch episode 17……..It is truly outstanding! :)
Again people……..you’re killing me here lol :P……
crisis averted…..ending still unknowing…….
Pretty plz (with a cherry on top) clearly indicate spoiler warnings early in your posts! Thank you :)
All this stress kinda makes me think I should watch the original lol………but from the episodes I’ve seen c. 2002 the drama-level just isn’t the same…..harder to get into then the remake……
apologies for the bad grammar in the last post…….and for putting up 4 posts on the same blog…….I’m thinking it’s probably bad forum ettiqute
I’m such an attention whore lol ;) j/k
@ Danny: =O Ayu fandom will always reign supreme, but KyoAni’s such a tease for giving us that bit of Nayuki
@ Tim: Your point about Ayu’s story being spread throughout the anime is true, I guess I didn’t really factor that in.
As for the “new content” comment, I meant that to be relative to the Toei version, so more of the game storyline, my fault for not making that clearer.
@ Kanon_fan82: Haha, yea, I’ll definitely look into getting spoiler tags for the comments. As for Death Note, I’ve watched ep 17, and am in the process of slowly writing the post…but it’s been a long week and I’m really tired T_T
Also, having watched both versions of Kanon, I would advise against going back and watching the original since you’ve watched KyoAni’s version. It’s going to seem very inadequate in comparison =(
Dang!!! I’m late by 3 days!!! O____O
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@ Shirukii
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For some reason I kinda dont like the fact that Ayu’s story was spread out into bits… its like diluting her concentrated dose of character highlights into a large pool of water. But again as Tim already pointed out, I dont really think theres anything KA can do about it, so I guess I’m just gonna let it go…. as long as they make that one particular scene beyond my expectation (a bit of Ayu fandom here…. bleh watever.) No wait KA u BETTER NOT MESS UP AYU like u did back in ep15 with Mai or I’m so gonna write ur name down…… garrrh
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I actually feel bad for Nayuki who is barely getting anything from her arc…. its as if she is destined to be just an enhancement for others. I feel that in the game already, and I still can feel it in the anime. Even her name, Na-Yuki, yuki: snow, a beautiful existence yet hardly noticable. It gives its surroundings twice the elegance, and then fades away silently. It’s sad, but that’s what make her a likable, self-sacrificing personality that is no less than Ayu.
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A final word, I totally agree, that we shouldn’t watch Toei if we started with current Kanon. In fact, I realy found it unfair to compare the new series with the old one. Both of them are made based on the director’s interpretation of the original game, and of different time too. The idea and concept of anime story telling back then was a completely different era as now is. A bit of rant here too, I’m actually not quite happy about how most ppl are pre-occupied with the visions of Toei version while commenting on the remake. I have no problem with ppl comparing either anime to the game, but to each other? C’mon, its not fair for both versions, and it can easily lead to extra subjective views which is not a pleasant thing to have in critics.
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So to all those who were wondering what the old one is like, do not watch it unless u are certain that ur perspectives wont be clouded by either version. For even I would find it difficult to seperate the relation if i hadn’t played the game + read the scripts inside and out.
Yea, I don’t like the spread either. As much as I complain about the lack of fluidity between the arcs, Kanon seems to work best with the episodic arcs that focus on a single girl.
As an Ayu fan, I don’t really mind that Nayuki is getting the short end of the stick because it only gives Ayu more time. But even I will admit that she deserves better than this, and I have to put up with rabid Nayu fanboying from Soda T_T ^^
I think it’s hard not to compare the Toei version and the KyoAni version to each other, I myself have done this on many occasions. KyoAni’s is definitely superior, but Toei didn’t do that bad of a job either, and the amount of hype that was behind the Kanon remake serves as a testament that they didn’t completely screw up.
Thanks again for the comments everyone =D
@ Nightingale:
“KA u BETTER NOT MESS UP AYU like u did back in ep15 with Mai or I’m so gonna write ur name down…… garrrh”
Just curious…….what did you not like about episode 15????
Personally, I think it’s the best one so far…..with Ep. 9 coming in at a very close 2nd :)
@Kanon_fan82
Ep15 was good no doubt, but for me its missing something….. for first time viewers it wont be a problem, I’m only feeling it because I’ve known the story inside and out.
They missed the 1) shiritori when U1 + Mai are taking a break b4 “slaying” the 5th demon in the yard. This scene is important because it plays out a trace of Mai’s sealed, playful character, as well as serves as a break from the battle scenes. 2) the scene where lil-mai lies about the demon, we see the field being uprooted right afterwards, which i didn’t like that much, again the pacing, it gives many viewers the wrong impression that the demon she mentioned in the first place was the construction engines. 3) I’m suprised by the fact they replaced the scene where U1 stops Mai from striking the killing blow on the now visible(to U1) lil-mai form “demon”, with now just walking up to Mai, who is not really doing anything in that classroom. Felt a bit awkward. 4) The suicide felt a bit rushed, at least not very coherent to what was built up in the episode alone. Reason is valid enough but the scene simply isn’t ready for the surprise in a sense. 5) Final and fatal, they took out Mai’s “dying words”: I wish my memory will stay with Sayuri and Yuuchi, no matter Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…. b4 her power saves her. It’s probably the most important line that summarizes Mai’s feelings and relationship with U1 and Sayuri.
Enough said, I simply felt the pacing was messed up. If only they had an extra 5 minutes for that ep, which is not possible of course, all these pacing could’ve been fixed well.
@ Nightingale
Fair enough :)…. I can definitely see your points…….Usually after an arc is finished, I go back and watch the Toei version to see how it compares…..
Just to comment on some of your arguments…..for discussion’s sake of course :)
1) Yuiichi and Mai did play the “ryhming” game, but it was placed in an earlier episode while they were having lunch alone…
2) you do see her playful side during one of their training sessions together
Doggy-san…….. “woof”, Boar-san…… “moo” :)….one of my favourite scenes of the whole series :)….
Agreed though that ppl could easily confuse the coming of the demolition team as the “demons” instead of Mai’s actual powers…still it was an interesting spin…..
3) Didn’t really make much of a difference to me….I think the point was to show that she was confused…….
4) the suicide attempt…….hmmmm….. ya it was rushed……but then again, suicide attempts in the heat of the moment would be rushed, wouldn’t they????……
As a first time viewer I can say that the suicide attempt was totally unexpected+shocking :)……even for anime…… where suicides are not so outlandish……
5) Ya, the final words were left out, but KyoAni managed to avoid having Sayuri appear out of thin air like the 2002 version :)……so it was a good trade-off IMO :)
1) the shiritori part is suppose to appear more than once, in fact it actually appeared 4 times through out her part, but the one i found the most sweet/valued is the one i mentioned above =______+
otherwise the other ones that are left out i dont mind, actually i dont want the last one to appear at all (spoiler)
the last one comes as her last words when she dies for REAL during B.E.
2) ppl got confused… and they get the wrong interpretation…. thaz a no-no…. ._______.
3) nah, shes not supposed to be confused, she is well aware that the demon was in fact her power, and by killing the last one she will die. the only thing she doesn’t know is that U1 is the same boy 10 years ago. this is y i think showing her using her last strengh attempting to kill the power/herself will be more impactful in terms of expressing how much she hates herself.
5) i guess u can put it that way =)
meh, its probably just me feeling unsatisfied, afterall I’m a Mai as well as Ayu fanboy to the extreme. My opinions could get biased sometimes. (Runs b4 the fans of the other 3 girls start chucking rocks at me.)
Wow, spoilers run wild XD But that’s ok, the arc is over and done with and most people will never play the game anyways (barring some sort of miracle English patch).
Amazing how the comments exceed the lengths of most of my Kanon posts XD
O shoot i forgot to put spoiler tags….
Sry bout that O____o
No worries ^^;
Actually…I’m not even sure if we have spoiler tags XD
If not, I’ll try to get them working (and by I, I really mean Soda)