An odd, yet overall very enjoyable, episode. My memory is a little fuzzy as to how much of this actually happened in Toei’s version of Kanon, or the original ero game, but I am enjoying KyoAni’s handling of the ending thus far.
Episode Rating: 10/10
The episode starts off with Kyon’ichi collapsed on the side of the road, having set out in a blizzard to find Ayu at the end of episode 22. By some wild chance, a car happens to pass by and stops to help Kyon’ichi, when he looks up he sees the faint image of Makoto, and calls out her name just before passing out.
Upon waking up, Kyon’ichi finds himself in an unfamiliar apartment, presumably that of his savior. In a strange turn of events, it ends up being Sawatari Makoto, the REAL Sawatari Makoto. After giving him some warm milk the two get to talking and reminiscing about the past. However, remembering his current situation, Kyon’ichi quickly breaks down while Makoto does her best to comfort him.
Meanwhile, Nayuki’s situation remains largely unchanged. Kitagawa has called Kaori over to help cheer Nayuki up, but doesn’t have much luck either. The two get a call from Kyon’ichi, asking them to take care of things a little while longer, Kaori has the support of her sister, so she obliges.
The next day, Kyon’ichi makes another trip to his and Ayu’s “school”, this time in considerably better weather and state of mind. He ends up dozing off and having a nostalgic dream of the Minase residence in its happier days (minus Makoto, mind you, this is blasphemy).
When he wakes up he is greeted by Ayu (spirit form) who has come to say goodbye. She thanks Kyon’ichi for going through the trouble to find her missing item, but knows that her time is up and she can’t stay by him any longer. Kyon’ichi has a hard time accepting this but is able to keep it together and asks her for her final wish. After some quick thought, Ayu, desperately fighting back tears, asks Kyon’ichi to forget about her, like she had never existed in the first place.
Kyon’ichi walks up and hugs her, he refuses to acknowledge her wish. He can’t accept her, with her small body and childish mind, bearing such despair on her shoulders. Kyon’ichi knows that there’s no way he could ever forget about her, he can’t grant that wish.
Thinking it over, Ayu thinks of another wish, but just as she says it, a gust of wind rushes by and prevents Kyon’ichi from hearing it. Then, as suddenly as they were reunited, Ayu disappears and the two are once again torn apart.
That night, Kyon’ichi goes to sit on the bench where he used to meet Ayu, but is instead greeted by Nayuki. The two cry together, over their recent hardships, but promise to get stronger together (fight-o da yo~). Nayuki apologizes for the harsh things she said to Kyon’ichi, hugs him, and they head back home.
Thoughts
What a great episode, I was kind of on the fence as to whether or not it deserved a 10, the lethal combination of Ayu, Nayu and Makoto convinced me to do so. Although it was a little out of place to have such an uplifting episode following last week’s angst-fest, it worked out for the better as the relative optimistic feel was emphasized by the contrast.
Even knowing the outcome of the series, this scene really got to me. On one hand it was a joyous occasion as Ayu and Kyon’ichi managed to reunite, but knowing that it is only a short while before Ayu disappears gave the scene a bittersweet feel. It was painful to see Ayu struggling to hold back tears, thanking Kyon’ichi for the all the wonderful memories they shared together. And it was even more painful to see her trying to let go for Kyon’ichi’s benefit, asking him to forget her.
I’ve always liked Kyon’ichi, but he scored some extra points for his whole speech on how she shouldn’t try to shoulder the weight of the world on her own, that it’s not wrong to depend on others. Sure it was cliche, but that doesn’t detract from the meaning in the slightest.
Speaking of Kyon’ichi, it’s interesting to see how his character has developed to this point. The range of emotion that he’s been through is baffling, in less than a year he’s experienced some of the happiest moments of his life, quickly followed by some of the saddest. Considering his initial personality, it’s evident how much suffering this poor guy has been through, to be uncharacteristically reduced to tears so many times. I’m planning on elaborating more on character in the finale post, so I’ll leave it here for now.
Another interesting character this episode was Kaori, despite her brief appearance. Compared to how she was previously, Kaori’s demeanor and personality has changed. Her compassion from her friends has been significantly increased, not only due to the debt that she owes them for reuniting her with Shiori…but also because of her newfound realization of the importance of love and friendship, made all the more important BECAUSE of how fragile these bonds often are. Kaori bitch status: revoked.
[EDIT] Ahh, I forgot about Makoto, there is a complete lack of words to describe how awesome she is. Many are saying that she looks a lot like adult Mikuru from SHnY, I don’t think the resemblance is as strong as people are suggesting, but I definitely see where they’re coming from. I have to conserve some material for the Kanon Girl Rankings, so I’ll cut it here for now. Auuuuu~[/EDIT]
Spoilers ahead!
I’m interested to see how the finale goes, Toei chose to give the all important role of Ayu’s recovery to Nayuki. In their version Nayuki was the one who realized that Ayu was in a coma, hospitalized in the same ward as Akiko. With Yuuichi about to leave town, she makes the ultimate sacrifice and tells him about Ayu, basically giving up any hope of being a romantic prospect, but stealing a kiss at the same time.
In KyoAni’s version Nayuki only gets a hug, and doesn’t seem to carry the responsibility of guiding Kyon’ichi to the comatose Ayu. However, Nayuki has all but given up being the winner of Kyon’ichi’s harem anyways, so I guess this isn’t much of a surprise. I bet Nayu-chan fanboys are about ready to charge KyoAni’s HQ XD
Nayuki aside, Toei’s version had Yuuichi being the one who found Ayu, and her recovery was a direct result of this. However, based on Ayu’s dream monologues and the sequence of events, there’s nothing to suggest that Kyon’ichi will find her and help her out of the coma. Instead things seem to be set up for the game ending, which -IF- I recall correctly, big -IF- there, is Ayu finding Kyon’ichi sitting on the bench in front of the station.
Fight-o!
In either case, I have few qualms about KyoAni’s handling of the Kanon remake, they really did a great job. By following the source material pretty accurately, we were given a lot more information and background compared to Toei’s version. However they decide to animate the ending is fine by me, although it was nice to see Toei take some artistic freedom, the setup to the remake’s ending has been so great that it’s pretty much impossible to screw it up.
As excited as I am, I’m saddened to see such a great anime come to an end. It’s rare that something this good come along and I expect that withdrawal will follow the finale, until a series of equal or greater entertainment rolls by, and thus is the cyclic nature of anime.
Makoto ftw! Was anyone else expecting her to squeeze in an Auu~?
~ Shirukii ~
18 Responses to “Kanon 23”
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Yuuichi indeed has changed quite a lot throughout the series. In the last recent eps we don’t see him being the witty and sarcastic person that he is but a more matured and more caring person.
Although Kaori has changed as well, I didn’t like the part of her being the one who helped Nayuki get over her emo stage. But either way I enjoyed the Nayuki scenes very much.
That’s it… this episode deserves a:
10 + 5 (Ayu’s monologue with Asakage remix ver.) = 15/10!!!!!
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I dunno what to say right now… its like a sudden lost of anxiety…. still cant believe the ride is coming to an end already….. i need to calm down b4 i can clear my mind for thoughts T__T
Thank you as well – I really enjoy your blog and I think it’s fantastic!
Cheers for the future!
I didn’t get to watch this ep. until today (Sat.)
Wow!….my brain is still trying to process what I just saw……..
so many good scenes…..so many poignant moments……
and yet, KyoAni still managed to leave me with a question or two in anticipation of next week :P
I’ll be back with more coherent thoughts after I get some food and do a re-watch……..
P.S. @ Shirukii:
Thanx for blogging this Kanon ep., considering it’s on the back-burner b/c of school :)…’Ppreciate it :)
I’m probbaly the only person on earth who has not started to watch Kanon – hope to start watching it this month ^^;
@ Adun: I kind of miss sarcastic Yuuichi though, the reason for me referring to him as Kyon’ichi in the first place =(
Kaori was pretty awesome this episode, especially that hair flick XD
@ Nightingale: Deep breaths =P I expect no less than a 2000 word essay on how awesome this episode was ^^
@ gomibako: Thanks! Good luck with expanding your anime section as well, fight-o!
@ Kanon_fan82: Haha, I look forward to said coherent thoughts. The more I think about it, the more I think I’ll be able to maintain my 3/4 posts per week pace I’m running, it’s not so bad.
@ Danny Choo: zomg, your blog was one of the first I ever read and inspiration to start my own, it also makes me pine for a figure collection of my own. Blogroll’d.
On topic: I strongly recommend you set aside some time to watch this series, it’s one of the best of the past year or so.
OK so I got some food, worked on a dumbass paper for a while and then *elated sigh* got to do my re-watch of “the red finale” :)…
I think I may rival Nightingale in terms of posting length this week lol :P…….
This ep. was a perfect 10!!!!!… no doubt :)
1) I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again……While this anime has many superb attributes, the seiyuu performances/voice-acting is what puts Kanon above the rest this season :)……..
The dialouges were brilliant! I have to admit that (although it wasn’t a full-out cry), my eyes misted over at several points during this episode :P…….and it takes ALOT to get to me lol……
2) After watching this episode, I can fully appreciate why fanboy-ism is so widespread for Ayu :)…..
The montage/solo version of the OP definitely ranks as one of the highlights of the entire series for me…..the top three being:
a) The waltz with Mai
b) The scene proceeding the Yuiichi/Ayu kiss (”Have you ever lost an important person right in front of you?”)
c) The Ayu montage/OP solo
Anyway……I digress……
3) Nayuki is still as vulnerable, cute, and resilient as ever!……..Her whole story just breaks my heart T_T….
Even though she’s gotten the short end of the stick
when it comes to Yuiichi, and her mom being so close to death the hospital, Nayu-chan still manages to come out on top with her trademark “Fight-o dayo?” :)……..
Of course, she did so with Kaori’s help ;)….but it was still very touching :)
4) Kaori’s subtle change=awesome :)…..totally agree with the hair-flip thing Shirukii…the animation looked so natural :)….
Can’t wait to find out what that third wish is next week! :)……I have a guess, but I’ll just keep it to myself for now ;)……..
Add you to my comrades section on top page ;-)
@ Kanon_fan82:
1) XD I know how you feel, it takes quite a bit to get me to shed tears as well.
2) All hail Ayu, I’m with you on the Mai waltz as one of the best scenes in the series, that was epic.
3) I’m satisfied with the amount of attention Nayuki got, and although her concluding moments weren’t as influential as they were in Toei’s version, seeing her manage to squeeze out a “Fight-o” in the midst of all those tears was touching.
4) I don’t really like how Kaori had to intervene with Nayuki to get her out of depression. It’s not that I disapprove of her change for the better, because I don’t, I just would have preferred for Nayuki to get over it herself. Oh well, Kaori needed some love, she was quite the minor character. Hair flip ftw!
@ Danny Choo: Thanks! Let me know what you think of Kanon once you get through it ^^
A very, very nice episode, AHH ONLY ONE MORE!!
Definitely worthy of 10/10. Real Makoto’s appearance was a very cool addition (did she appear in the game?)
Nayuki looks beautiful in that bench scene. I hope she gets some screen time in the next..erm last episode. Though it’s likely………Shi……ori………..will be there. I like the inclusion of Jun and Kaori at the house. It’s just nice.
Hi guys, sry im soooooo late… mostly due to work… OTZ
After rewatching the episode for the N th time, where N > 20, im finally able to stop drinking water (to sooth my sour nose) and concentrate on my impression. Being the second anime episode that manage to put me in such mess (the first was AIR btw), i have no regrets in giving this episode an honorable S+++, it was well deserved. Call me biased for those opposers if they shall, but my determination is set.
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Here by begins my endless trashtalk…
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Part I, Initial, & Comedic Impressions
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1) So it wasn’t a supernatural light afterall XD Zanrendesu, but just as i thought U1 got ’scavenged’ by someone else~
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2) When i first saw the screenshots on 2ch, i was actually trying to guess who picked up U1 basing on the layout of the room. I first thought it was Shiori’s family, but then it didn’t look right because the entire room was white. Then comes Makoto!!!? WTFBBQ O___O For a brief second i thought U1 must be either dreaming or Makoto brought him to her current spiritual dwelling home… but then i notice the make up on Makoto’s face and i understood (surprised myself too because i realized who it was so soon). The real Sawatari Makoto, heh, a trick that works.
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3) I like the interior design of Makoto-san’s apartment =P
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4) Unlike last episode, I really have nothing to say about Nayu-chan in this scene… no offense to Nayu fans but i really dont find much besides the fact that Nayuki is suffering from depression and shut herself off from everyone else just as U1 did 7 years ago, as if fate decided to swap them into each other’s place. Aside from those, this is not exactly my favorite scene/highlight of her arc (perhaps also the reason why i cant appreciate her arc as much as Mai and Ayu’s, even Shiori and Makoto’s, but it can also be due to my lack of affection for that type of drama. Forever/Dream are the elements that gets to me most.) It be nice if any passionate Nayu-chan fans can point out the spotlights i missed.
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5) Kaori comes to the rescue!!! Eheheh… bleh. Watever, its nice to have her back from cameo~ XD However i found it notable of what Kaori had said to Nayuki:
Dont get Yuuichi worried.
Ironic to what she said to U1 all the way bak in Ep04:
あんまり名雪を困らせたりしたら、ダメよ。
Dont let Nayuki worried about you okay?
See the irony? XD
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6) Quoting Skane @ animesuki forum,
Kaori: “My little sister… Shiori, that is… I told you she’s in the hospital now, right? She’ll die soon.”
Translation: “You think you’re the only one with problems?! Snap out of it already!”
Again no offence to Nayu fans but my thoughts EXACT XD
But if anyone wanna argue that its the same case for U1 (7 years ago) too, well i tell u its different, cuz Ayu(someone important, just as Akiko-san was for Nayu-chan) literally died right in front of his eyes. That kind of shock is far beyond anything in Nayuki’s case… for a kid at least.
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7) Yay~ She’s ALIVE – !!!!! No i dont mean Franken-Shiori… ORZ But wait she’s ALIVE!!!!! *gets dragged away…*
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8) I’m impressed by Makoto’s seiyuu, really, even witht the same voice she managed to express a completely different personality for each Makoto. This real Sawatari Makoto’s gives an impression of energetic youth yet radiates a good sense of maturity. Kudos to all~ =P
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9) Theres no way im gonna believe that Makoto the fox spirit was not involved in this encountering…. i mean c’mon… bell on the key, “the fox and the grape” on the notepad, niguuman!!!!! (and misuzu’s pulpy peach juice XD)
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10) I’ll leave the comments for the climax scenes of Ayu, Nayuki as well as the monologue to the second part…
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11) U no, im really starting get annoyed (in a good way) with KA’s cliff hangers, what is this… the 4th(?) cliffhanger in a row since Ep20!!!!! Anyone wanna make a good guess of what Ayu’s last wish is? I’m pretty sure U1 heard the wish, because the way he asked: What did u say Ayu? It was more of a surprised look than question, then the camera zoomed back on Ayu, smiling. After that, as if realizing something U1 quickly hugs her. I have reason to believe this is because something in Ayu’s wish made him glad and relieve. I’m betting, her wish hints towards that she’s still alive and U1 understood it, but what wish could it be? Gaaarrrgh KA i HATE U!!!!
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12) Poor Jun is exhausted. Gotta give him credit for supporting Nayu and U1 for so long as a friend.
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13) Mai and Sayuri-san made a cameo appearance… *glares at KA with an unfriendly gesture*
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14) The preview deserves yet another “Best Preview Award” for this show. Award winner list: Ep18, Ep23 and of course, Ep24, previews.
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15) A minor complain of the use of camera, right where U1 turns around and see Ayu, i think it be better if, instead of just an ordinary shot of Ayu standing there, they should have the camera either pans from behind U1’s head and reveals Ayu as U1’s head shift towards the side, or have it the other way around, behind Ayu’s head, then a close up on her face. The reason is because, in that scene, U1 didn’t want to turn back and face Ayu at the beginning because he fear he’d cry out (its all written on his face and voice.) And as he did, he was determined to accept reality, that this is going to be the last time they’d ever see each other. My proposal is not only to present the audience the scene in the view of U1, but also reflects that particular decision of U1 U no wat i mean right?
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Part II, Deeper Thoughts, Development and Climax
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1) The Blessings from Makoto and Shiori
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To be really honest, even as a Kanon veteran, I got caught completely offguard. KA actually managed to grab hold of some rather insignificant details from the earlier arc and refined it into a spotlight. Is it really that smart of a job? I’m not gonna dwell on it, but it definitely provided a decent layout of how they gonna deal with the remaining events.
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Continuing from last time, U1 apparently suffers from intense depression and guilt, and in a state of unstable mind where he even chose death as a way out. Under this condition, theres absolutely no way he can continue with the upcoming events in the game, where it requires his realization. It’s like being a lost ship in the sea: he needs a guide, where he gets advice from the maturity. For those who thinks U1 was already super human, think again… even with strong personality like U1, he’s still only a teenager in high school, what more could we expect? I think he deserves a break.
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Being said, who could fulfill that task? The only mature guide U1 had b4, Akiko-san, was in no condition to do so… Therefore, KA looked into U1’s profile and hired Sawatari Makoto-san.
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As i already mentioned, i have reasons to believe strongly that spirit Makoto is at work in here. I think ive said it last time, that Makoto’s appearance in Ep22 signifies her last will to save U1, with her last bit of miracle she can create, so as to return the favor for all those time and care U1 spent with her. And i think, Makoto-san’s appearance is the miracle. I think its symbolic too, that Makoto lives on. In a way, she lives one as a new person, a new form of herself. Does anyone remember Michiru from Minagi’s arc in AIR? It’s quite similar, if not the same. KA is trying to tell us that Makoto is reborn, in a rather spiritual concept that is.
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Next, Kaori. Now that U1 is out of place, Koari, being Nayuki’s close if not best friend would be the only few person who can communicate with her (not to mention, psychologically, peer to peer + girl to girl communication are far more effective than other combinations.) So, even tho not quite satisfying considering the drama, i think it makes logical sense.
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Even tho Shiori was not physically there, we can actually get a sense that she was also supporting the Minase’s like Kaori. Come to think of it, Kaori did mentioned Shiori asked her to come. Wouldn’t that give us an idea of the meaning behind all this? Yep, its a blessing of gratitude towards all U1 had done for them.
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Putting those together, its kinda nice touch to see that, U1’s care and effort had earned himself a favor. This whole idea counters U1’s blaming himself that, he couldn’t do anything to help them. I mean look at him, he’d done everything he can for those girls. He spent all his time with Makoto, granted her wish of having a family, then he spent time to make Shiori’s last days happy, and reunited her with Kaori. He’s NOT “completely helpless of doing anything”. He did all he can, with all his heart. And now it’s U1’s turn to be in vein, and both Makoto and Shiori, in their own ways, returns their true, hearty gratitude. U1’s forgetting everything from the past seems unforgivable, to himself at least, but thaz not really up to anyone but the girls to decide. And the answer is quite obvious.
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During the monologue sequence, KA insert a shot of real Makoto-san as well as Kaori in the Minase household, signaling their individual blessings/message from Makoto and Shiori:
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You’re not alone, U1.
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2) The Promised Land
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- a] Yubikiri
Did i mention how much i love Last Regrets – acoustic version back in Ep18? Except this time it gives another even unique feel, the full version. Both the full version and karaoke version give us different touch of the melody. Back in Ep18, this song gives u a strong impression of a sweet, colorful nightfall romance amongst the urban grounds. But this time, combining with the specially treated lightings of the flashbacks, expresses a soothing warm hearted slideshow of the happy memories between Ayu and U1, and at the very end of the flashback, they bring out the yubikiri, the fateful/faithful promise. It fully projects U1’s current feelings, actually i should rephrase that, love for Ayu, and his strong wish to see her again, to fulfill that promise. I must say usually i dont approve of using flashbacks like that, but this time, KA did a great enough job for me to gladly accept their hard work.
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- b] Reunion
And there they meet again. Is it a reunion? Not really, as they both know this is temporary. Yet both Ayu and U1 decided to keep up with their normal self, painfully suppressing their true, broken heart feelings. I must say the voice acting is beyond brilliant, but why? Their voice isn’t that special there, its as if nothing’s going on. But wait. That is EXACTLY why i say its brilliant. Touching moments doesn’t have to go crying and grieving all the time to express the pain. The way U1 and Ayu’s conversation was played out, it was gentle, quiet, as if nothing happened… “as if nothing happened,” even tho what they are talking about is completely heartbreaking, yet they try to suppress that emotion. That is exactly how it felt from their voice.
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- c] The Last Wish
ボクのこと、忘れてください・・・
“Please forget about me…”
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What kind of strengh would it take for Ayu to ask for such cruel fate? This wish consists of all love and sacrifice from Ayu. By nullifying her first wish, U1 will no longer bear the guilt of breaking the promise, nor will he need to burden his entire life of losing Ayu. Anything she is willing to sacrifice, so there will be no pain for U1.
>>SPOILER>>
She even sacrificed her last wish in Nayuki/Shiori arc to save Akiko-san/Shiori, her very last chance to wake up. All she really wish for, is U1’s happiness.
>>SPOILER ENDS>>
There’s no question this is gonna be an automatic-NO from U1.
“You are not alone, Ayu.”
Recalling the flashback, it revolves through the memories around Ayu and U1, where they went through many things, interacted with many others from each individual arc. Comparing to the original visual novel, Ayu is indeed not alone, in fact, there are more ppl that cared about her. There’s no need for her to bear the burden alone.
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- d] Farewell
Bgm Yakusoku, piano version.
At first i was expecting something more dramatic than that soundtrack, but then i soon understood and embraced this use of the song, even loved it.The song itself is a slow, quiet piano piece… it suits the theme perfectly. Can anyone feel how gentle the scene was? I mean, despite such departure, as well as Ayu’s tragic fate right in front of them, U1 gives his best effort to comfort Ayu, to embrace her. That’s why, under the warmth and embrace of U1, Ayu made her last wish, smiled and moved on… Everything was so quiet, so small comparing to those drama scenes out there, nothing special, it ended just like that. Yet with the accompany of this song, it fills u up with pure sweetness, with a few strokes of bitterness. Up till that point, im dissolved in the warmth of that scene, but wasn’t any where near tears. But as soon as the camera zooms out from U1 and Asakage remix playing, i swear i had to wipe my eyes, a very feeling i missed for a long time.
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Sayonara, Ayu…
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3) Healing of Scars
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This too, I dont have much to say about, but as opposed to wat i said in the beginning, this is the scene i appealed to most in Nayuki’s arc. It’s really nice to see them hugging each other, comfortaing each other, as well as forgiving each other. They together had gone thru many grieves and tragedy, broken heart and promises. The moment Nayuki resists her tears and forced out her famous line: Faito, dayo! I felt the scene. From that point on, they are establishing a new bond, a new oath. Not a romantic relationship but rather, warm family love. The past is no longer, wat’s important is the new promise between both Nayuki and U1. Approaching each other, they shall stay true to this promise:
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Yuuichi, ファイトだよ！!
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Part III, Final Notes: The End of Dreams
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Once again, I was deeply moved by the music. Asakage –remix version is my favorite Kanon soundtrack among all. Simply because I luv the way the piano slowly strikes at the beginning, and gradually reaches the climax. It reminds me of the end of climax scenes of each girl’s arc in Kanon, most especially Ayu. That’s also y I felt it fitted the whole ending sequence so well. The dream sequence,
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夢・・・ 夢を見ている・・・
また同じ毎日繰り返し、終わりのない朝を望んで、
そして、同じ夢の中に帰て来る・・・
赤くて、白くて、冷たくて、暖かくて、悲しくて、
そして、また同じ毎日の繰り返し・・・
ずっと前から、何年の前から気付けだ、終わらない夢を漂いながら、
来るはずのない、夜明けを望みながら・・・・
僕は、ずっと同じ場所にいる、声の消えないの雑踏、顔の無い人が目の前を行き交う。
誰も、ただ一人でベンチに座て居るの子供の姿が何か、気にも止めない。
人を待っている、来ないと分かているの人、もう会いない分かているの人・・・
何年も・・・ 何年も・・・ 僕はずっと待っていた。
繰り返されるの夢の中で、来るはずのない・・・ 夜明け・・・ だけと・・・
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Many times did Ayu mentioned the saying that she awaits the morning sun. Everyday, again and again, she goes thru an endless dream, waiting, for someone she’d know that will never return. It feels exactly the same upon listening to the song, where I visualizes the rising sun, and the awakening dream. Speaking of which, I think it recalls to each story in Kanon. The lost dream, awakening, the light of hope. There’s more I’d like to describe, but I simply ran out of normal adjectives…… anyway, as the song reaches its peak, Nayuki’s new promise scene cut in, signifying the final turning point of U1’s realization in Kanon. And finally:
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夢・・・ 夢が終わるの日・・・
雪が春の陽だまりの中で、解けて無くなるように、
お描けが人の成長と共に、掛けを潜むのように、
想いでが永遠の時の中で、かすんで消えるように、
今、長かった夢が・・・ 終わりを連れる・・・
最後に一つだけの願いを叶えて、ただ一つの・・・ 願い・・・
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It’s time to wake up, the end of dreams and a new beginning, and to fulfill the last wish. Upon this point, i have nothing to say but to savor the moment of this wonderful ride, Kanon.
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Next and Last episode, what should i say, I [insert emote]ly await…
Now for my replies:
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@ Shirukii
>> Deep breaths =P I expect no less than a 2000 word essay on how awesome this episode was ^^
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Then i guess i didn’t fail ur expectation XD
Word count 3210…
Minus the japanese characters its still close to 3K worth of words XD
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>> Even knowing the outcome of the series, this scene really got to me. On one hand it was a joyous occasion as Ayu and Kyon’ichi managed to reunite, but knowing that it is only a short while before Ayu disappears gave the scene a bittersweet feel.
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It certainly is, but not without hope. The way U1 reacted after Ayu’s true last wish, i think he was relieved and glad despite the sorrow of the departure…
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>> All hail Ayu
I dunno… i feel “All hail” is not enough, must have something more… did i mention how cute and sweet she was during the dream? O SHOOT i forgot to write about the dream… OTZ
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>> I’m satisfied with the amount of attention Nayuki got, and although her concluding moments weren’t as influential as they were in Toei’s version, seeing her manage to squeeze out a “Fight-o” in the midst of all those tears was touching.
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I’d much prefer this version over a cheesy love triangle and stolen kiss… that’s just not Nayu-nayu style…. *unfriendly glares at Toei*
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>> It was painful to see Ayu struggling to hold back tears, thanking Kyon’ichi for the all the wonderful memories they shared together. And it was even more painful to see her trying to let go for Kyon’ichi’s benefit, asking him to forget her.
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Strongly agrees. And a major rant:
I cant believe a certain blog actually call this a selfish act…
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Her second wish was to not forget about her. Her last wish is to forget about her. Sigh. Typical female mood swings.
(Though as Yuuichi correctly points out, Ayu is trying to place all the burden on herself and doing what she thinks is right without considering the feelings of others. It’s one of those moments where she thinks she’s being selfless in trying to absorb the hurt, but she’s actually being very selfish in that she’s just trying to cover up the pain with more eventual pain.
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THAT IS F——BULLSH—!!!
I’ve nvr gotten so mad at a comment b4. WTF Has that guy EVER consider the whole situation from the perspective of someone fully aware of the fact that one’s possibly already dead!?? Does he honestly think any person/spirit like that have a choice!? If ur dead and ur a spirit, and ur love one grieves over u and suffers in pain, do u think theres any other way to convinced the living side to let go and move on for his/her happiness sake!!? Maybe not such a perfect solution, but what Ayu chooses is VERY REASONABLE AND LOGICAL. I doubt she’s even thinking about if this is the right thing to do or not, at that moment her decision is all bound for U1’s happiness sake for she believes theres no way for a spirit like her to stay. Call that selfish? WTF!? And besides, he even got the wish order WRONG!!! !#@$!!$&#%%@%$
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rant ends here… gosh ive nvr ever gotten so mad b4……
ah well, hontoni gomenasai for all my misbehavior…
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@ Kanon_fan82
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>> I think I may rival Nightingale in terms of posting length this week lol :P…….
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Oooooo, is that a challenge? =P
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>> After watching this episode, I can fully appreciate why fanboy-ism is so widespread for Ayu :)…
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U got it, this is exactly the spotlight that caught me into Ayu fandom, which is now going out of control in my Kanon fanboy ratio chart XD
Ayu Banzai~! Banzai~! Banzai~!
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>>The montage/solo version of the OP definitely ranks as one of the highlights of the entire series for me…..the top three being:
a) The waltz with Mai
b) The scene proceeding the Yuiichi/Ayu kiss (”Have you ever lost an important person right in front of you?”)
c) The Ayu montage/OP solo
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+1 to the acoustic version of Last Regrets,
as for other wonders, for me they are:
1) Ep10 Makoto’s ‘wedding’
2) Ep15 “Time flies by” during the flashbacks of Mai, where u see the sky revolving around Mai.
3) Ep17 “Miracles don’t happen, that’s why they are called miracles.” by Shiori
4) Ep18 The Last Date, also under the company of Last Regrets – acoustic + karaoke version.
5) Ep19 AyuxYuuichi – Fateful Kiss
6) Ep22 Blizzard Grief
7) Ep23 both scenes of Ayu and Nayu are epic
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Wow thaz a lot… heheh.
@ Nightingale:
Now that I finally understand what this emoticon means I can use it……. OTZ………lol…….
Dude, where do you find the time to write these in depth analyses of Kanon?
I mean, don’t get me wrong…they are very entertaing and insightful…….but how do u do it????
I agree with all of your points except this one:
” Quoting Skane @ animesuki forum,
Kaori: “My little sister… Shiori, that is… I told you she’s in the hospital now, right? She’ll die soon.”
Translation: You think you’re the only one with problems?! Snap out of it already!
Again no offence to Nayu fans but my thoughts EXACT XD
But if anyone wanna argue that its the same case for U1 (7 years ago) too, well i tell u its different, cuz Ayu(someone important, just as Akiko-san was for Nayu-chan) literally died right in front of his eyes. That kind of shock is far beyond anything in Nayuki’s case… for a kid at least.”
———> My response to that is as follows :)……….
I don’t think thats what Kaori meant…….I think she was trying to tell Nayuki that she knows the pain caused by death or terminal illnesses within the family……….
As far as tragedy levels go……..yes, it would possibly be more traumatic in Yuichii’s case, since he witnessed it as a child……..
but still, Nayuki is in danger of losing her MOTHER!!!! Not only is the biological/gender connection there, but Akikko is Nayu-chan’s only life-line……
While I’m not a “mama’s boy” by any stretch of the imagination, I would be totally devastated if either one of my parents died……epsecially if I felt that I was to blame :(……
My point is that both events are “earth-shattering” for the respective characters……..and both are equally gut-wrenching :(…….
@ Kanon_fan82
Oh dont take that “translation” too seriously its supposed to be a joke i quoted from someone else XD
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And my time? Well, i dun really have much time XD
I just wrote a bit each day, save it, write again until im satisfied (or not…) XD
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Annnd, thaz also a lil advantage about watching one show at a time =)
@ Nightingale: O_O Wow, although the essay comment was more of a joke based on your usual in depth comments, you really outdid yourself this time.
While I would love to respond to each point individually, it would probably take an entire post to do so XD So I’ll pick out some key ones.
Part 1:
3) A truly awesome room indeed.
6) Although I don’t think it was an intentional stab at Nayuki, but judging from Kaori’s behavior and tone, I can see where you’re coming from on that one.
8) I actually had to stop and think whether that was really kitsune-Makoto’s seiyuu, great vocal range and versatility there.
9) =O I didn’t notice Misuzu’s peach drink! Nice catch.
13) What’s wrong with Sayuri/Mai =(?
15) Mixed feelings on this one, although the way you described it would have been a really nice effect. I liked the way KyoAni used the off center shot of the two talking to each other, I’m not exactly sure why, it was just a nice touch.
Part 2:
1) I strongly agree with your point about Kyon’ichi’s efforts coming back. It’s nice to see that the amount of effort and care he put into each individual girl was actually not futile and that things that only he had the power to do.
3) The Nayuki/Kyon’ichi scene was wonderfully depicted, their resolution to leave the past behind and start anew was a perfect way to reconcile their feelings. Although I did like Toei’s interpretation of Nayuki’s ending, KyoAni’s looks to marginally beat it (may just be my inner KyoAni fanboy speaking though =\)
On Ayu’s “third wish”:
Although I doubt any of us will ever be in Ayu’s position, I’m definitely on the side who thinks her wish is completely selfless. Causing pain to another person is something no one wants to do, and asking them to let go of the pain and move on is exactly what any caring person would do. It’s not like Ayu’s guilt will disappear if Kyon’ichi’s sadness stops, it was a gesture of love, not selfishness.
Although, I read that post, and I don’t fault anyone for having an opinion. The thing that makes the anime blogging community so great is the diversity of thoughts and opinions floating around ^^
I don’t know how you’re going to outdo yourself in terms of commenting, you obviously put a lot of effort into organizing your thoughts into those 3k+ words @_@
@ Kanon_fan82: OTZ/ORZ indeed, the comment was longer than my post XD
That’s more along the train of thought I had, Nayuki was shutting herself off from the outside world because she believed that her pain was far too intense for anyone to comprehend. Kaori looked like she just wanted to let Nayuki know that she is able to relate and therefore help her through her situation, her tone of voice was what probably threw most people off.
Two more days! *counts the seconds*
@ Shirukii
Well.. its just something i do besides all the programming / reading / studying hell, like i said, i wrote it bit by bit until im satisfied. And believe me in this, it feels like an accomplishment when ur able to express ur thoughts in full. And… on a side note, i didn’t realize it was 3K words until i finished = =;
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6) it wasn’t originally my idea…. OTZ its suppose to be a cold joke -__-
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8) it is the same seiyuu, they showed her name on the credit roll. speaking of credit roll why is Ayu on the second page of the cast list!!? O__o
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13) Mai/Sayuri-san…. they *cough*…. got….. shafted….. *cough* both physically and symbolically OTZ
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15) perhaps i made it too complicated, what i mean was only that one frame that first revealed Ayu’s full stance right after U1 stood up and turned around. It felt kinda out of place for me, or not wat i expected. Maybe its just me.
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As for that blog comment, well, im not against negative comments. But i just simply blew off, the thing that got me is that a lot of ppl apparently arn’t taking some characters (not limited to Ayu, i had the same feeling on some other comments about Mai and Nayu) seriously. U no wat i mean right? When it comes to analysis, i’m highly against impulsive opinions. Of course it maybe just me. And that comment i quoted, is very well apparent that its not a joke, yet it really lacks the support of any valid details. Thaz wat ticks me off.
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And finally, count down 24 hours for me (for the RAW) XD
me gusto mucho esa serie igual que air que es buenisima
Hey. Just passing by. Btw. Heres another anime you should watch. Tengen toppa gurren lagann. Great show. You should watch it.