One of the best things about harem anime is watching the fanboys tear each other apart arguing for the sake of their preferred girl in the series. Kanon is no exception with a cast that is very different in terms of personality and character design. And not that I want to add fuel to the fire but I feel the need to share my personal rankings and thoughts, or maybe I’m just suffering from Kanon withdrawal…In either case, here’s the list of how the Kanon girls stack up to each other in my books.

I’m going to be dividing this into two sections, main characters and sub-characters. The main characters are those who have dedicated arcs (the ones Yuuichi gets to bag in the erogame) and the sub-characters are those who did not have a dedicated path in the game nor a dedicated arc in the anime.

Main Characters

1. Tsukimiya Ayu

Uguu~

There shouldn’t have been a shred of doubt that Ayu would grace the top of this list, my fanboyism for her knows no bounds.

One of the many girls that Yuuichi met during his visits to the town over seven years ago, Ayu met Yuuichi soon after the death of her mother and instantly found comfort in his presence. Unfortunately their time together was short lived as Yuuichi had to return home and an unfortunate fall out of a tree landed Ayu in a coma. Upon returning seven years later, Yuuichi is reunited with Ayu, or more accurately her spirit, who has projected herself into the physical world.

The lovable taiyaki thief boasts loli appeal, an idiosyncratic manner of speech (boku) and one of the greatest moe catchphrases known to man (Uguu~). My love for Ayu is not a result of any one aspect of her, but rather how her entire personality and demeanor comes together to make her almost unbearably cute.

Many criticize Ayu because they feel that she is not suitable for Yuuichi, and thus opt to become Nayuki fanboys instead. I wholeheartedly disagree with this, Yuuichi and Ayu’s relationship is well founded both in their interactions with each other and more notably their past.

The dynamic between the two is very laid back and almost childlike, what others mistake for an almost sibling relationship I interpret as the two being comfortable and natural with each other. As for the basis of their relationship, Yuuichi was the one to help Ayu out of her depression after losing her mother, and soon after it was apparent that the two were in love (a remarkable feat for children ~age 10)

Oh, and being voiced by Horie Yui doesn’t hurt either. Ayu-chan ftw!

2. Sawatari Makoto

Auu~

During one of Yuuichi’s yearly visits, he found an injured fox on Monomi Hill and tended it back to health. He spent his days talking to his new pet, often about a crush on an older girl named Sawatari Makoto. However, the day came when Yuuichi had to return home and he was forced to release the fox back into the wild.

When he returns to the town, he is soon greeted by a spunky red head who claims to have amnesia and an inexplicable grudge against Yuuichi. We soon learn that this girl is the incarnation of the fox who Yuuichi played with in his childhood, assuming the name and form of Yuuichi’s crush, Sawatari Makoto.

Makoto is a character based on what I call the Asuka Langley (NGE) template, ie. the energetic tsundere red head. KyoAni did a great job flushing out her character, one that is initially spiteful and selfish but soon, almost unwillingly, becomes tender and pitiable.

When Makoto is first introduced she comes off as a selfish little brat who thinks of no one else but herself. But as her arc continues and her affection towards Yuuichi grows, her dere dere side shines, and I’m a sucker for tsundere. And finally comes her regression into an infantile state, making her a truly pitiable character and making viewers feel almost guilty that they ever thought of her as a spoiled brat. Makoto’s regression was also the only time in Kanon where I almost shed tears, that scene where she asked Yuuichi to marry her almost got me T_T.

And of course let’s not forget the REAL Sawatari Makoto, affectionately called an Asahina Mikuru lookalike. I loved the parallels between her and kitsune-Makoto, pork buns and fox stationery. Kudos to Makoto’s seiyuu for having such a versatile voice.

If anything, ranking Makoto over Nayuki is what is going to get me killed with this list, but my weakness to tsundere and Makoto’s overall awesomeness left me with no choice XD.

3. Kawasumi Mai

*forehead chop*

Rounding out the top three is Kawasumi Mai, yet another friend from Yuuichi’s past. At a young age Mai found out she had miraculous healing powers, as a result people began to fear her and she ended up isolated from society. Enter Yuuichi, who befriends Mai without a second thought to her powers. But as the trend goes, Yuuichi is forced to leave her to return home. But Mai isn’t ready to let go of her only friend and fabricates a story about demons which she needs Yuuichi’s help to fend off. When Yuuichi returns to the town he finds that Mai’s powers have given life to these demons and so he helps Mai realize the truth and come to terms with her abandonment issues.

Mai is the archetypal katana wielding bishoujo, which is reason enough for her to be in the top three of this list. But to add to that, she has a unique personality, one which is sincere and open, yet only to those who put the effort in to get to know and understand her. This often results in her sincerity being misunderstood and taken as hostility or arrogance. On the surface Mai appears to be a withdrawn ice queen, but in reality she’s a candid person who has difficulty openly expressing her emotion.

And let’s not forget that waltz, the scene that gave Live Alive a run for its money in terms of popularity and quality.

Biased from Toei’s version, I wasn’t expecting to take a liking to Mai and her taciturn personality. But KyoAni surprised me and did a great job of showing her metamorphosis from the girl who isolated herself in fear of hurting others to one who is strong willed yet understands that it’s not wrong to depend on others in times of need.

Yuki channeling in episode 24 was what tipped the scale and ranked her marginally over…

4. Minase Nayuki

Fight-o! Da yo~

Coming in just under Mai is Minase Nayuki; of course, another girl from Yuuichi’s seemingly traumatic past. Nayuki is Yuuichi’s blood related cousin, every aforementioned visit Yuuichi spent living with Nayuki and her mother Akiko. After spending so much time together, Nayuki developed a crush for her cousin Yuuichi, and picked quite possibly the worst time to confess to him, the day after Ayu’s accident. This resulted in her being coldly rejected and ignored for the following seven years.

First of all let me say that it’s not that I don’t like Nayuki, I just don’t have the same level of love for her that others do. I suppose the main reason that I don’t identify with Nayuki is because I don’t really pity her, sure it was sad to see her get rejected by Yuuichi, but compared to the hardships of the other girls, that’s really not that bad. Nayuki makes it clear time and time again that she doesn’t want to interfere with the Ayu and Yuuichi’s relationship, but at the same time periodically drops hints to Yuuichi that she’s still in love with him. It’s this indecision that places her below Ayu and the others, there’s nothing wrong for fighting for the one you love and it’s admirable to sacrifice your feelings for the sake of another, but wavering in between is just plain hypocritical.

But enough about Nayuki’s faults, I still think she’s a great character, her generally cheerful outlook on life and cooking and cleaning skills that far surpass Ayu’s make her a seemingly perfect fit for Yuuichi. Not to mention her sleepy moe mode, that has the uncanny ability to make me let out a small laugh no matter how many times I see it.

Despite being a lovable character, Nayuki is the unfortunate victim of circumstance. Her happy arc and Ayu’s happy arc are unable to coincide, and since the latter was chosen, Nayuki got shafted. With the most fragmented screentime of all the Kanon girls, Nayuki lacked the fluid development and diversity that is taken for granted with the other girls. It’s a shame to see a character with such potential to go to waste, but it was a necessary sacrifice to fully flesh out the Ayu arc, and so the viewers are left with a mere shadow of Nayuki’s awesomeness. And that, unfortunately, led to her relatively low placing on this list.

5. Misaka Shiori

Sono koto iu hito kirai desu…

Wrapping up the rankings for the main girls is Misaka Shiori, -THE- sad girl in the snow.

Shiori is the only main Kanon girl who did not have the honour a life scarring childhood experience with Yuuichi. She is terminally ill with a sickness that apparently leaves her well enough to walk around in sub zero temperatures wearing a mini skirt and a shawl, yet severe enough that she has less than up to her next birthday to live.

Her imminent death results in her isolation from her friends and family, as she doesn’t want people getting unnecessarily attached to her only to be put through the pain of losing a loved one. However, with Yuuichi’s help she realizes that she doesn’t want to die and certainly doesn’t want to be alone, with this new mindset and the help of a miracle, she manages to fend off the illness and return to everyday life…which is pretty much the same deal as before, but with school o.O

I actually really liked Shiori’s story and wish that I could have ranked her higher, but that would mean pushing Nayuki even further down, something I wasn’t prepared to accept the consequences for. Shiori’s story is the most earthly of all the Kanon arcs, this meant that it was slightly easier to relate to her situation, as it isn’t impossible for something like it to show up in real life. Despite the fact that it’s a lot like a cheesy Korean drama, it was touching to see Shiori try her best to keep an optimistic outlook on life, while really wanting to cry out for help. Also, her “It’s called a miracle because it won’t happen” line choked me up T_T even though I knew she was going to make it through.

It was a tough choice to put her last, especially after awesome scenes like the spicy curry and whack’a'mole, but unfortunately not all the girls can be #1 =(.

Secondary Characters

1. Kurata Sayuri

Ahahaha~

I’ll have to admit, I initially hated Sayuri with a passion, but after a while she began to grow on me. But whether it was Soda’s constant nagging about how awesome she was broke my will to resist, or whether her laugh bore a hole into my ability to judge is still unknown.

A sincere and emotionally open character, Sayuri serves as the perfect compliment to Mai. The two share a unique dependence on each other, Mai is dependent on Sayuri as one of the few people who took the time to try and understand and befriend her. And Sayuri sees Mai as an opportunity to reconcile her harsh treatment of her brother, who died without knowing how much she truly loved him. Although I don’t think Sayuri is using Mai as a means to escape her guilt, Mai does represent a second chance for Sayuri, one which she tries hard to honor and be thankful for everyday.

2. Minase Akiko

“That [jam] was something other than “food”

I’ll be completely honest here and say that this ranking is based purely on the amount of hilarity that resulted from Akiko’s special jam. Other than that, she played little role in the actual story until she got hit by a car and sent Nayuki into severe depression, which wasn’t even emphasized in much detail due to the abrupt turnaround in episode 24.

Also, I’m almost 100% positive that Akiko lived in Canada at some point in her life, where else could she have learned those l33t shoveling skills @_@

3. Misaka Kaori

I don’t have a little sister!

Despite her redemption at the end, I never really like Kaori. To run away from her family problems by denying the existence of her sister is just plain mean. Then after ignoring her problems for so long, for her to comfort Nayuki and assure her that she understands the pain she’s going through was just too sudden of a change for me to accept.

That hair flip was pure winnage though, I’ll give her that.

4. Mishio Amano

You’re in the midst of a miracle

Obligatory mention more than anything, my feelings towards her are neutral. Started off as a Yuki clone but ruined her image by flirting with Yuuichi at the end, then never showing up until a brief cameo in the finale.

Character Expose: Aizawa Yuuichi

And finally, here’s my take on the central character of Kanon, the cause and cure of all the depression and happiness packed into Kanon: Aizawa Yuuichi.

Yuuichi is, for lack of a better word, a player. Even as a child he went from girl to girl, leaving them with the impression that he was a sincere and caring guy, then leaving them with serious abandonment issues because he had to return home after winter break. I’m making this sound more dramatic than it really is, but the fragmented nature of the story and Yuuichi’s personality really does make him seem like a womanizer.

Voiced by the same seiyuu as Kyon from SHnY (Sugita Tomokazu) and porting over the same sarcastic demeanor, I nicknamed Yuuichi Kyon’ichi in light of their similarities. However, I really should have dropped the nickname around the halfway point when shit hit the fan and Yuuichi’s world comes crumbling down around him.

Yuuichi proclaims that one of his few virtues is strength in the face of adversity and his ability to remain composed even in the most depressing of times. However, everyone has a breaking point, and the loss of Ayu following his isolation from all the other girls he held dear was the final straw. Yuuichi broke down into a ball of angst, claiming that it’s all his fault for not having the strength to help anyone.

I find Yuuichi to be a truly admirable character, despite jumping from girl to girl without flinching, he really pours his heart into caring for them. Playful, yet at the same time brutally honest, he does his best to cheer up the girls who are in otherwise unfortunate circumstances. While you can argue that it’s Yuuichi’s duty to do so, being the original cause of their problems, he doesn’t have an air of obligation about him because he simply doesn’t remember what happened all those years ago.

It was painful to see Yuuichi try so hard to help those he loved and be rewarded with more pain and anguish, but as Makoto (the real one) said to him: “The more trouble and pain [a person] goes through, the stronger and kinder they get”. And while this isn’t necessarily true, because the same situation often causes people to become bitter, it was nice to see Yuuichi take the high road and come out of it a better person.

Also, I’ve mentioned it before, but I really like the idea that Yuuichi’s good deeds came back in the end. The effort that he spent trying to meet the wishes of all the Kanon girls is rewarded in the end as they all manage to pull through their respective hardships. In the finale Shiori attributes the unlikely recoveries to a single unified miracle that originates from Ayu, but I prefer to think that the miracle is instead a result of Yuuichi’s dedication and love for each and every one of them, any other explanation, in my opinion, cheapens the ordeal.

* * * * *

And so there you have it, my rankings and thoughts on all the major and secondary characters of Kanon (- Jun, I was too lazy to cover him). If I were to lump all the girls into a single category, the ranking would have looked something like this:

1. Ayu
2. Makoto
3. Mai
4. Nayuki
5. Sayuri
6. Shiori
7. Akiko
8. Kaori
9. Amano

Not much of a difference, only a switching around of Sayuri and Shiori.

This was another one of those posts written at 2 in the morning, so if there are any glaring inconsistencies in my thoughts or writing, let me know and I’ll fix them when I get a chance. Flaming, fanboying and opinions are welcome, just make sure to keep things civil ^^

Click to enlarge

And so one of the greatest anime series of late finally comes to a close. While I can’t say my expectations concerning the ending were met, it was by no means a horrible one. Given the source material they had, KyoAni had little choice but to get creative with the ending, and while they didn’t do a horrible job of it, it was far from perfection. With that said, I still enjoyed the episode and, of course, the series as a whole, and am sad to see it end.

Admittedly, the summary was kind of rushed this time, skip ahead to the Thoughts section for coherent and much less boring read.

Episode Rating: 9/10
Series Average: 9.2/10
Uguu~ Count: 113

Changing gears from the angst filled episodes that preceded it, the final starts off in happier times. Months have passed since Akiko’s accident and life has returned to normal. Kyon’ichi wakes up to Nayuki’s usual voice recording and with the help of 20 or so alarms, gets Nayuki up too. The two head downstairs and are greeted by Akiko and a warm breakfast, after which they make a mad dash for school, late as usual.

More good news awaits Kyon’ichi at school, Kaori knows a certain someone who’s well enough to attend classes…yup, Shiori is back and healthy as ever. Kyon’ichi meets her at their usual spot and after some cheerful reminiscing, Shiori breaks down and tells Kyon’ichi that she never really wanted to die and was so scared of being alone, he comforts her and tells her that it’s alright to cry, since she’s been holding it in so long.

Even more good news! Mai and Sayuri have been released from the hospital and are back at school, but since they missed college entrance exams, they’ll have to repeat a year, despite being able to graduate.

Not everything is back to normal though, Ayu is still nowhere to be found. A coincidental meeting with Akiko-san gets her and Kyon’ichi on the subject, Kyon’ichi tells Akiko that he remembers everything about the accident and how no matter how hard he wishes for it, Ayu is no longer in this world. But Akiko-san knows otherwise, she tells Kyon’ichi that she didn’t die, instead she fell into a coma and has been hospitalized for over seven years.

Saddened and relieved at the same time, Kyon’ichi starts to spend a lot of time with Ayu at the hospital, occasionally asking for his harem’s help taking care of her. Months pass by and there’s still no change in Ayu’s condition, until one day Mai comes by and tells Kyon’ichi to go find Ayu, just like he found her. Kyon’ichi rushes to Monomi Hill where he finds Ayu’s headband, still wrapped in the original paper from that fateful day over seven years in the past.

Fast forwarding a few months, Ayu (the real one) is waiting at the very same bench from the past, waiting for the person most dear to her, who happens to have a problem with being on time. Kyon’ichi eventually shows up and laughs at Ayu, who made the mistake of going to a barber for a haircut, and ended up looking even more like a boy. The two head off to a taiyaki party with the rest of the cast as they talk about the happiness that’s surely waiting for them in their future.

Thoughts

Before I get to series impressions and whatnot, I’ll first talk about a couple of the more serious scenes in the finale, those which I thought a simple summary wouldn’t be enough to cover their significance.

First was Shiori’s speech about the recurring theme of the miracle. She proposes a hypothetical situation where Kyon’ichi is a presence in someone else’s dream, that this person has been waiting for a long time and has been rewarded with the power of granting any one wish. Saving a terminally ill person, helping someone involved in a bad accident, healing two injured friends, all the result of this one person’s wish for the one she holds dearest to be happy.

Of course Shiori is unconsciously referring to Ayu, although I’m not sure whether I am willing to accept that explanation. It’s too convenient to defer all the good things that Kyon’ichi has experienced to one single miracle, sure it makes Ayu’s significance in his life that much more predominant, but it weakens the image of Kyon’ichi that has been built up over these 24 episodes. I much prefer the idea that everything was the result of Kyon’ichi’s perseverance and will, he cared for each individual girl and tried his best to make them happy in otherwise unfortunate circumstances. The reward for such kindness was an unreasonable amount of pain and anguish, but he fought through it the best he could and eventually saw his kindness return to him as sicknesses and injuries healed and happiness returned to his life. To accredit all this to a single miracle, in my opinion, kind of cheapens the effect, but since the miracle was the focal point of Kanon, I guess this explanation will have to do.

Another scene that was particularly touching was Kyon’ichi’s final recollection of the past and reunion with Ayu. Cued by Mai, Kyon’ichi finds the hair band he was supposed to give Ayu at Monomi Hill, still intact even after all these years. His realization that he had been living a lie was one of the best moments of the finale, in my opinion. It takes a lot for a person to admit their wrongs and overcome their greatest fears.

Kyon’ichi was like…10 years old when he was faced with the life altering event of losing someone dear to him right in front of his eyes. It’s perfectly understandable that he fought reality and suppressed the memory and everything associated with it. Seeing Kyon’ichi put the final piece of his memories back into place and symbolically give Ayu the present that she had been waiting for for seven years was the finale’s emotional catharsis, where everything is reconciled and set back to the way it’s supposed to be. A truly awesome scene.

Other than those two, I thought Ayu’s final dream monologue sequence was also well done. Her recollection of the passing of the seasons as they paralleled with the outside world, only to be returned to the stagnant hospital room, waiting as the years pass by, this scene really emphasized how long Ayu has been waiting.

But as I mentioned before, the ending was far from perfect. First of all, I’m kind of disappointed at how abruptly the tone of the series changed, the past two or three episodes were filled with drama that would give KGNE a run for its money. So to all of a sudden change to a lighthearted montage of scenes where all the girls are in perfect health and giving thanks to a unified miracle caught me off guard. Although it didn’t really undermine the effect of the preceding drama or the happiness meant to be conveyed by the finale, it was just too sudden a transition, forcing viewers to adjust their mindsets unnecessarily.

Another thing that I’m not entirely satisfied with is KyoAni’s interpretation of the ending. Having Akiko of all people tell Kyon’ichi that Ayu was in the hospital, and the fact that she actually knew all along, wasn’t exactly the greatest way to break the news. Also, the montage of all the girls helping Kyon’ichi take care of Ayu was a little out of place. I’m sure that Kyon’ichi may have mentioned Ayu to the rest of the cast, but having them help with her recovery was odd.

I think it would have been better if the screentime had instead been used to show Kyon’ichi’s reaction to having finally found Ayu, but in a state of comatose. I think it would have been interesting to see his reaction to being pulled out of the depression of thinking that Ayu was dead, only to be thrown into a situation where he is at a loss as to how to help her. One final plunge into sadness before emerging into the much deserved bliss, as it were.

As a comparison, Toei’s ending had Nayuki being the one who told Yuuichi that Ayu was in the hospital, sacrificing any chance she had at his heart. In Toei’s version Yuuichi had the headband throughout the entire series, but did not remember its significance. In the dying moments of the last episode he finally remembers and returns it to the real Ayu, apologizing for being late.

It may be bias speaking, but I would have much preferred something like that, rather than dragging the ordeal out for another year before Kyon’ichi is told by Mai to go end it.

But in all fairness, both versions were far superior to the original game ending, where Ayu kind of just recovers on her own and appears to Yuuichi randomly. That’s how I remember it anyways, it was a pretty anti-climactic ending.

Speaking of Ayu’s headband, after the fuss of making it the key item to Ayu’s recovery, why wasn’t she wearing it in the final scene when Kyon’ichi came to pick her up?! Sure she may have just gotten a short haircut and didn’t really need it, but it’s a sentimental item more than anything, to leave it out was a pretty bad oversight =\

On a random note, I must commend KyoAni for using music terms for all the 24 episodes of Kanon. I even heard that each term is relative to the nature and events of the episodes, I hope someone with a lot of time and musical knowledge confirms and backs this up, it would make my KyoAni fanboyism increase tenfold.

Finally…wth? This short shot really confused me. I have the feeling that KyoAni tossed this in as a final visual comment on the theme of recurrence in the series. The “kanon” theme is one that suggests renewal and recursion…but when I saw that sapling I couldn’t help but thinking “Oh God, it’s going to grow and screw up another poor child’s life” XD Bonus points for kitsune-Makoto in the background though, that’s awesome.

Well, that’s pretty much all I left to say. It’s been a great ride. Like many others, I was initially annoyed because I heard the Kanon remake was the reason SHnY got cut to a mere 14 episodes, whether or not that was true no longer matters. Kanon was much better than I had ever expected out of a remake, even if it was KyoAni at the helm. Although I’m sad it’s over, nothing more could have been done, and I for one hope they don’t try another remake three years down the road.

Thanks to all the commentators out there for sharing your thoughts and feelings right along with me. I hope you guys keep reading even in the absence of Kanon gracing the Friday night blogging slot =P I’ll be doing one more Kanon post soon, the “Kanon Bishoujo Ranking” post that I’ve mentioned a few times in my previous entries/comments, I expect to be flamed for my ordering, but we’ll see how it goes.

Onwards to Clannad! ^^

I bet KyoAni’s producers were sitting around thinking:
“How can we make this episode even better?”
“I know! Moar Haruhi references!”
Yuki channeling ftw.

Obligatory “Fight-o!” screenie

~ Shirukii ~

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 ~

Rejoice Akiko fans, your goddess is not yet dead. Can’t say the same for Nayuki fans though, whose subject of affection is so far into depression that it’d be hard to tell it apart from death. As for Ayu…spoilers in the Thoughts section, should you dare.

Episode Rating: 10/10

The episode starts off with Kyon’ichi and Nayuki being driven to the hospital after being told about Akiko’s accident. Rather inconveniently, they happen to pass by the scene of the accident, leaving them shocked speechless in its aftermath.

At the hospital the doctors tell the two that while they will do their best to save her, in her current condition, Akiko’s life is in danger. Kyon’ichi and Nayuki sit around for a while, waiting for any news and receiving the condolences of the hospital staff and their principal. Eventually the two are told that Akiko’s condition is likely not to change for a while so they should go home for now and stay somewhere where they can be immediately contacted.

At home, Kyon’ichi tries to lighten up the mood, reassuring Nayuki and himself that everything will be fine. However, Nayuki begins to blame herself for her mother’s accident, reasoning that if she hadn’t asked Akiko to buy cake, she never would have gotten hurt. Nayuki passes on dinner and locks herself in her room.

The next few days Kyon’ichi tries his best to keep things going. He goes to school to explain the situation to their teacher and pick up their bags and goes to the hospital to check for any changes in Akiko’s condition. All the while Nayuki stays shut inside her room, refusing to eat or to talk to Kyon’ichi.

A few days later Kyon’ichi comes home to see that Nayuki has eaten a bit and her door is now unlocked. He heads inside to check on Nayuki, whom he finds curled up in a corner in the dark. Having barely said her name, Nayuki coldly tells Kyon’ichi to get out.

With Kyon’ichi refusing to leave her alone, Nayuki begins to explain how Akiko is her only means of avoiding loneliness in life, having never known her father’s face. Kyon’ichi tells her that she’s wrong, that she has her friends at school, she has him. Nayuki dismisses his comfort, Kyon’ichi being the one who has forgotten her for the past seven years, unable to remember the memories they shared, and never returning her letters.

Kyon’ichi apologizes for having lost touch and for the snow bunny, telling her that he remembered what happened seven years ago on his last day of winter break. But it’s too late now, Nayuki starts to cry and screams at Kyon’ichi to get out.

In his room, Kyon’ichi begins to think about all the memories he’s recalled in his short time back in this town. However, as he falls into a deep sleep he’s unable to shake the feeling that there’s still something important that he’s yet to remember.

The following dream sequence is Kyon’ichi’s second last day of winter break, he spends it with Ayu at their newly founded “school” eating taiyaki and talking about the future. As the evening draws to a close Ayu assumes her position atop the first tree branch as Kyon’ichi pesters her to come down and open his gift. Suddenly a gust of wind picks up and causes Ayu to fall off the tree. As she fades from consciousness, lying amidst the crimson stained snow with Kyon’ichi’s voice in the background, the two make one last yubikiri (pinky promise) to one day meet again and play together.

Kyon’ichi wakes up in a panic, grabs Ayu’s stuff and runs out of the house. He bumps into Kitagawa on the way out, Kyon’ichi tells him to take care of Nayuki while he’s out. He spends the rest of the night running around in the mountains in a desperate attempt to find Ayu while a blizzard rages. Reaching the limit of his stamina, Kyon’ichi collapses. Thinking that he might be able to reunite with Ayu like this, he stays down as the snow piles up. Suddenly Makoto appears and huddles up with Kyon’ichi as a bright light wakes him and encompasses the two, leading to a scene where Kyon’ichi gives Ayu his present: the red hair band her spirit had been wearing all along.

Thoughts

Wow, what an amazing episode, truly deserving of the rare 10/10. The dramatic feel of the episode was perfectly conveyed. There were literally no comedic elements in this installment of Kanon, absolutely none. There were a few times where Kyon’ichi tried to use his normal sarcastic demeanor to lighten up the mood, but the way Nayuki coldly rejected him served as a reminder that this is no joking matter. The contrast of the relatively happy episode that preceded it and the lack of comedic relief combined to make this episode a heavy hitter in terms of angst.

While this scene didn’t pack the amount of punch that Akemi’s confession did, it was certainly one of the most heartbreaking scenes I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. I got a little misty eyed as Ayu tried to keep her normal cheerful attitude while fighting for consciousness and her final promise with Kyon’ichi T_T

As for the fall itself, this time KyoAni went full out with the dramatic slow motion sequence and black out screen, which suited the scene much better than any “in your face” reality portrayal could. In particular I really liked the change of lighting from the lively orange/yellow sunset glow to the ominous crimson red glare. KyoAni must have been cleverly hoarding animation budget with the odd still shot here and there, and episodes like this are the fruits of their labor.

There was also a lot of development in this episode, character wise. First off we have Kitagawa, who has traditionally been passed off as a typical side character. In this episode and the last it’s been shown how close and reliable a friend to Kyon’ichi he really is. Exemplified by his voluntary participation in the search for Ayu’s missing item and his concern for the Minase family, Kitagawa is as dependable as they come.

On the opposite side of the friendly spectrum lies Nayuki, who was incredibly harsh this episode, but with good reason. Her normally friendly “fight-o!” attitude was completely crushed by Akiko’s accident and we’re shown that beneath her cheery exterior lies a girl who depends on her mom for so much. Having never known her father, Nayuki must have certainly felt abandonment issues, but was always able to survive as long as she had Akiko to support her. To make things worse, Nayuki was coldly rejected by her first love, and then all but forgotten for the following seven years. It’s no surprise that her world comes crashing down around her when the all important pillar of support, Akiko, is lost. Poor girl =(

I feel equal sympathy for Kyon’ichi, who is certainly on stranger to loss. Even if you disregard all the friendships he had to break off in his childhood, the amount of important friends he’s had to watch drift away from him in such a short time would be enough to crush anyone’s spirit. Makoto, Mai, Shiori, and now Akiko and Nayuki, I’m amazed this guy hasn’t made a move for the boxcutters. I find his will to live on admirable and couldn’t help but feel bad for him when he was bluntly reminded that his uplifting sarcastic tone isn’t the magical cure for depression.

Spoiler paragraphs, highlight to read: And so now everything is set up for the grand finale. Kyon’ichi has been isolated from every single person that he has cared for, on the brink of fatal depression. The next episode will mark the beginning of the much alluded to miracle, Akiko will pull through and Kyon’ichi will be reunited with Ayu. From here on there will most likely be a couple OVA type episodes where the rest of the arcs are tied up. Shiori will live, Mai and Sayuri will graduate and Kyon’ichi’s true life with Ayu will begin.

Oh, and sorry Nayu-chan fanboys, however distant the hope of a Nayuki ending was in the past. Her fate is completely sealed with Kyon’ichi abandoning her for Ayu and her passing up the one last shot she had at Kyon’ichi’s heart.

Despite the 26 episode count, by the looks of it next week is the finale to the main story events. Though I would have preferred if KyoAni had cut into the remaining episodes to further flush out the main plot line, any more pure drama episodes would potentially ruin the effect and kill the ending.

*waits anxiously for next Friday*

Gotta love KyoAni’s attention to detail, frostbite ftl D=

Auuuuu~

I hereby revoke all previously made Nayuki complaints @_@

No more complaining here, my inner Nayuki fanboy (though small compared to its Ayu counterpart) has been pleased. Nayuki finally gets a dedicated episode, with Kyon’ichi’s harem disappearing before his very eyes, she’s the only one left to turn to. However, what pleases even more is that it wasn’t a Nayuki episode just for the sake of a Nayuki episode, it was an excellent episode regardless.

*holds up flame shield* But can we get back to Ayu now? kthx ^^

Episode Rating: 9.5/10

Just to scare the Nayu-chan fanboys a little, the episode starts off with a typical Ayu flashback. This reveals Ayu’s second wish on the angel, that just for that day, she wants to go to school with Kyon’ichi. Being winter break and all, they decide to make the clearing their “school”, a school without rules or seifuku, without homework and tests, a school where taiyaki is served everyday and you can come and go as you please. This explains present day Ayu’s description of her school, and the supposed school in the forest from last episode.

Back to the present, Kyon’ichi is feeling depressed due to Ayu’s disappearance, and with no one else to cheer him up, Nayuki steps to the stage…finally. After school Nayuki follows him to the bench where he and Ayu used to meet up and brings him to the cafe to try and cheer him up.

Despite Nayuki’s best efforts, Kyon’ichi ends up worrying about Ayu some more, trying to piece together exactly what happened. Lightening up the mood, Nayuki orders them two strawberry sundaes and hit Kyon’ichi with her trademark “Fight-o! Da yo?”.

Back at home, Kyon’ichi tries to get some more angsting done, but is once again interrupted by Nayuki, who suggests doing their homework together. Even though Nayuki falls asleep halfway through, the plan works like a charm, leaving Kyon’ichi feeling much better (with completed homework as a bonus =O).

Taking a break from all the Nayuki goodness, we’re hit with another Ayu flashback. After spending the day together at their “school”, Ayu finds an empty bottle on their way back and suggests making a time capsule. She drops the angel in, saying that her two wishes have made her happy enough for now and that she’ll leave the last one either for the future, or for someone else who happens to find it and needs a wish. Then the two head back to the shopping district where they part after promising to meet up one last time before Kyon’ichi has to go back home.

The next day, on their way to school, Nayuki notices a broken yuki usagi and stops to fix it. After patching it up, she uses the marble that Kyon’ichi bought her the other day as a replacement for a missing eye. Nayuki then asks Kyon’ichi if snow bunnies remind him of anything from the past, having remembered recently, he tells her about Mai making a field of them because her mom couldn’t make it to the zoo…not exactly the answer Nayuki was looking for.

After school that day, Kyon’ichi recruits Nayuki and Kitagawa to go searching for Ayu’s lost item. Many holes and a broken bucket later, Kitagawa finds it, the time capsule with the Ayu’s angel doll in it. Kyon’ichi gets Nayuki to sew it back together that night, rewarding her with a talk on the balcony where he remembers that her hair used to be in pigtails when they were kids.

The next day is the stage for some of the most shocking events in Kyon’ichi and Nayuki’s lives. It starts off with Nayuki’s alarm clock recording, but done in person! Nayuki actually manages to get up before Kyon’ichi and wake him up with osananajimi moe mode cranked up to max @_@.

Next, while sitting in class, Kyon’ichi suddenly remembers what Nayuki was trying to get out of him the day before. He has a flashback to his last day of winter break, sitting on the bench where he usually meets Ayu, crying. Suddenly Nayuki approaches, holding a yuki usagi that she made, and confesses that she’s always loved Kyon’ichi. Finally noticing that he’s crying, Nayuki approaches him, only to have Kyon’ichi snap and whack the snow bunny out of her hands and break on the ground.

Just as Kyon’ichi snaps out of his flashback, he’s called out along with Nayuki by the teacher and told that Akiko has been involved in a car accident and is being rushed to the hospital.

Thoughts

Whoa. Was the accident in Toei’s version done so bluntly? I was expecting KyoAni to animate it very dramatically, in a slow motion first person view sort of style. But instead they did the whole thing from a third person view in real time. Though I think that they made the right choice, the scene bluntly conveyed a sense of harsh reality. I actually let out an audible “OSHI-” when Akiko got hit.

Spoiler paragraphs, highlight to read: So with this, we’re set up for the grand finale. Ayu has disappeared, Akiko is going to be in a coma for pretty much the rest of the series, and Nayuki will be by her side. This leaves Kyon’ichi completely isolated.

In theory, KyoAni is on track to animate either Nayuki or Ayu’s ending at this point. If I recall correctly, Nayuki’s ending is a result of Kyon’ichi being separated from all the girls and therefore starts to take notice of Nayuki. It’s nudged along by the fact that Akiko isn’t around much and the two have all the alone time they could ever ask for. But realistically, I don’t see this happening, the series has been set up for an Ayu ending ever since the beginning. Also, I don’t think Kyon’ichi manages to find Ayu’s missing item if you take Nayuki’s path, now that he has, I’m pretty convinced that it’ll be an Ayu ending as expected.

And on a less serious note, we can all finally stop whining about Nayuki, myself included. It was really sad to see Nayuki drop so many hints about her love for Kyon’ichi and not be noticed a single time. Kyon’ichi seems really blind to the possibility that Nayuki could ever have romantic feelings for him, or the other way around. Although he does remember her confession at the very end of the episode, it’s a realization that comes too late. With Akiko in the hospital, angsty Nayuki is all we’re going to be seeing for a while. She does eventually manage to pull it together, gathering the courage to stay by her mom, but by then it will be too late.

What I wouldn’t give to be woken up like this

But regardless of the ending, I’m pleased with how Nayuki was handled. This episode shed some light on her true feelings, and the tragedies thereof. Not to mention giving us enough sleepy Nayuki moe mode to last us (or at least me) until the end of the series.

As for Ayu, we’re nearing her conclusion as well. With her missing item found and her past almost fully revealed, all that remains is the finale. It seems like KyoAni will stick to the game ending, unlike Toei, who took some artistic liberties on how everything was resolved. It’s been a while since I’ve watched the old version of Kanon and even longer since I played the game, but I do remember that I liked Toei’s ending more than the game’s ending. Mostly because it was much more dramatic and offered much more closure for Nayuki, but I don’t really remember either in much detail so the remaining episodes will be almost like new material to me =D

And so Nayu-chan fanboys…go away and give me my Ayu back T_T

~ Shirukii ~

Kanon takes a page out of kyousora’s book…minus the melon pan

Yet another drama filled episode, the pacing is going a little fast for my liking, but that’s probably my Ayu fanboy talking more than anything. (Apparently we broke 100 Uguu~s this week) This ep covers the rapid development of Kyon’ichi and Ayu’s relationship and her equally abrupt disappearance.

Episode Rating: 9.5/10

Picking up right where we left off from last week, Kyon’ichi and Ayu stand in a state of mild shock as they have just shared their first kiss. The two are a little flustered and noticeably embarrassed, but Kyon’ichi manages to hold it together long enough for a confession, which Ayu reciprocates, promising to love Kyon’ichi as long as he feels the same way. The two then promise to meet again tomorrow at the bench from their past as they walk home together.

Back at the Minase residence, Akiko and Nayuki notice that something happened between the two. Noticing the disappointment on Nayuki’s face, Akiko cheers her up by inviting her to cook together.

The next morning Kyon’ichi receives the shock of his life as he sees Nayuki dressed and ready BEFORE him, and not a hint of sleepiness either. Then the universe collapses, the end…

Ok, I lied. Nayuki runs off to school, and Ayu leaves for school early as well, reminding Kyon’ichi of their date that evening. *insert brief Nayuki angst* Kyon’ichi arrives to the date a little late because of cleaning duty, but makes up for it by offering to hold hands with Ayu. Most of the date is spent looking for Ayu’s lost item and Kyon’ichi making fun of her as usual.

That night Nayuki dresses Ayu up in her seifuku, which despite being a bit too large, increases Ayu’s moe factor exponentially. On the topic of school, Kyon’ichi is curious about Ayu’s so called school in the forest, so Ayu promises to take him there the next day after school time.

So the next day after school, the two meet at the usual spot, they share another emotional moment together, talking about their past crushes and the future of their relationship and then set off to Ayu’s school, apparently a half hour walk from the station.

Upon arriving at the forest, they realize that something isn’t right, it’s a horribly inconvenient place to trek through, let alone be the site for a school. But Ayu persists and leads on, suddenly a clearing emerges, but instead of being the site of a school, it’s the site of…

…the tree of doom! Ayu goes Higurashi level berserk, insisting that this is where her school is, that she attended it this very day. She frantically grabs her bag and searches through it, but becomes only further frightened when it’s completely empty, and runs off. Kyon’ichi follows while desperately trying to piece together what’s happening, he eventually finds Ayu digging through the ground trying to find her missing item. Seeing her determination, he gives in and helps her, many holes later the two are tired, dirty and still unable to find Ayu’s missing item.

Ayu suddenly begins to apologize to Kyon’ichi, that even though they have finally been reunited after 7 years, that she’s sorry she won’t be able to see him again. Then, in an instant, she disappears, leaving only the coat Kyon’ichi used to warm her up.

Thoughts

Another great episode, though I thought it was a little bit rushed. No sooner had they began dating, Kyon’ichi and Ayu are forced apart. I remember the rushed pacing in Toei’s version as well, but KyoAni has double the episode count, surely they could have extended this part a bit…dare I say at the expense of Nayuki? =P

Nevertheless, the short time that Ayu and Kyon’ichi did spend together in a relationship was enjoyable. Sure it kind of came out of nowhere, but that doesn’t make it any less touching. One of the major things that I like about this episode is that the dynamic between Kyon’ichi and Ayu remained unchanged for the most part. Kyon’ichi continued to make fun of Ayu and Ayu continued to be…uh, Ayu. The only difference is that they are in complete acceptance of their feelings now.

Ayu in a seifuku is love

My only gripe with this episode, as you may have guessed, is how much they packed into it. KyoAni went from showing Kyon’ichi and Ayu prancing around as a happy new couple, to tearing them apart, all within the span of 20 minutes. As for Ayu’s disappearance, if I hadn’t watched the Toei version, I would be in a state of WTF!? right about now. Everything from her non-existent school to her Higurashi-esque freak out to her seemingly random digging for her missing item, Kanon virgins must be confused as hell right about now.

On that note, KyoAni is still tossing subtle plot hints left and right. As I said in my Kanon 19 post, these plot hints are mostly directed to the people who have already watched the series. Which confuses me, why would KyoAni even bother? All it accomplishes is reminding me of what’s to come, I watched the Toei version a long time ago, enough that I had forgotten most of the key plot events. But with KyoAni throwing the reminders in my face, it’s all coming back, and that’s not necessarily a good thing, I would have preferred to enjoy Kanon almost as if it were my first time through.

The only explanation I can think of is that KyoAni once again wants to remind the viewers that they know their viewer demographic. A lot of people who are watching the new Kanon have either watched the old version or played the game, KyoAni is most likely stressing that they know this is the case. Either that or they are looking to make the new viewers go back when all is said and done and go “Oh damn, I saw this coming back in ep __” Or they’re just bored and I’m looking way too much into it, orz.

Oh the ironing

Seems like we’ll be going into Nayuki’s “arc” next, if you can even call it that. I hope she puts up some sort of fight though, so far she’s played dead and accepted that she’s lost to Ayu. While this is excellent news to Ayu fans, anime is meant to entertain, an angsting Nayuki, though pitiable, is about as interesting as watching snow melt.

Nayuki fans, Soda included, please don’t hurt me for bashing your object of affection T_T I don’t hate her, I swear, she’s just really easy to sympathize with, consequently making it easy to pick on her. *equips flame shield* *fkees*

Oh, and if the quality of writing in this post seemed, for the lack of a better word, crappy…that’s not your imagination. Being the start of Chinese New Year festivities, and also the start of a one week break from school, I’m running low on sleep and am further impeded by the wonders of alcohol. If you find any grammar errors, syntax errors, or things that make absolutely no sense, feel free to point them out and I’ll do my best to fix them ^^.

What a waste =( Someone buy me some taiyaki!

~ Shirukii ~

*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

lol @ SS-Eclipse’s subs

The continuation (and conclusion?) of Shiori’s arc, which has been the most entertaining thus far. Not that Shiori is my favourite character (close race between Makoto and Ayu), but the down to earth, “slice of life”-ish feel that her arc gives off is a welcome change from the otherwise supernatural occurrences of the other Kanon girls. Being the most moé of the bunch doesn’t hurt either (Opinionated! Please don’t hurt me T_T).

Episode Rating: 9.5/10

Continuing where we left off last week, Kyon’ichi is doing his best to keep his composure around Shiori and make sure her last days are memorable and fun filled. While this may seem easy, it’s apparent that deep down he’s anxiously dreading the day they are ripped apart.

Nevertheless, Kyon’ichi tries his best to keep his promise to treat Shiori like a normal girl. The two eat lunch, (if you can call Shiori’s personal bentou “eating”) and walk home from school together, much like a couple.

Quoted for truth *nods*

At lunch Kyon’ichi tells Shiori that he’s planning to throw a small party for her, just him and a few of his friends. She’s a little disappointed when he doesn’t explicitly mention Kaori’s name on the guest list, but other than that seems excited. But of course Kyon’ichi knows better than that, and tracks down Kaori to invite her. In typical tsundere fashion, she coldly declines.

Flash forward to the party, the invite list turns out to be Ayu, Nayuki, girl with the crappy hairstyle, and Kitagawa. After the cake cutting and kampai session, the tsunderekko Kaori herself shows up fashionably late. Awkwardness ensues as she’s introduced to the group, and her own sister. Kyon’ichi and Kitagawa liven up the mood via impromptu, which despite their best efforts, everyone ends up laughing uncontrollably at.

After the party, Kaori FINALLY acknowledges Shiori as her sister, promises to have a catch up chat with her later and escorts the rest of the group off, leaving Shiori in Kyon’ichi’s care. With some time to kill (well…relatively) the two go on another date, complete with obligatory ice cream parlor visit and a new Whack-a-Mole high score ^^.

Amazing concentration o.o

Later that night, they return to the fountain to run down the clock to midnight. Shiori tells Kyon’ichi more about her past, most notably how she used to cut herself until she met him (and Hinano breathes a sigh of relief). However, after meeting him and making some happy memories, she could no longer bring herself to end her own life. Despite having no will to live before, she now realizes that there are still many things that she wants to do. And whatever regret she had about becoming attached to people, only to cause them pain when the inevitable (orly!?) happens, is dispelled by Kyon’ichi, who says he’s happy he met her.

Kisu desu, watashi no ouji…oh wait, I used that one already

The clock strikes 12:00, Kyon’ichi gives Shiori her present (a sketchbook) and Shiori gives her onii-chan a kiss! She then runs off to buy them drinks. Fifteen minutes pass and no sign of Shiori, Kyon’ichi finally realizes that she took her stuff and runs to the vending machine only to find a note: “Thank you, and goodbye”. I’m guessing she used “sayounara” which would suggest a final goodbye.

Thoughts

Woot, another Shiori-centric episode. Despite being the most plain looking in terms of character design and having the most generic personality, I really like Shiori. Her playful behavior, down to earth attitude, cute expressions and generally optimistic (well…after meeting Kyon’ichi) outlook on life make her very likable. Such a shame that this episode will probably be her last major appearance, save a half episode wrap up next week.

Switching topics…where did Key throw in the H-scene for these two, my guess is somewhere amidst the fountain scene? Which confuses me, that scene was emotionally uplifting, wouldn’t throwing a secks scene in there would totally ruin that feeling? NOT TO MENTION THAT THERE’S FREAKING SNOW EVERYWHERE! On that note, some sister Kaori is, basically giving Kyon’ichi the go ahead to deflower her imouto XD

*insert secks*?

On a more serious note, is KyoAni ending Shiori’s arc with the death path? The goodbye note at the end of the episode seems to suggest that she and Kyon’ichi won’t meet again…This would surprise me, I thought we’d get the happy ending =( Anyone care to remind me which was used in the Toei version? My memory is a little fuzzy.

Anyways, as much as I hate to see it happen, looks like we’re pretty much done with Shiori’s arc. Judging from the preview, next week is going to be half episode closure, then onto the Nayuki/Ayu arc. Which I’m happy to get to (Ayu ftw!) but still sad to see Shiori go, especially only after 2 dedicated episodes, whereas Makoto and Mai got like…4/5 each D=.

Nuuuuuuu~!

KyoAni’s done a great job with Kanon so far, with so many scenes that we didn’t get to see in Toei’s version, not to mention the greatly improved animation, this remake was completely justified. I hope they can hold it together at the end. Knowing KyoAni, I’m optimistic, but I’ve seen far too many anime ruined by their ending to be able to rest assured *cough*Mai HiME*cough*.

^- Crappy hair girl, to those who it wasn’t obvious to

~ Shirukii ~

*melts*

After a really slow start, the Shiori arc is fully underway, and as if the above screencap isn’t evidence enough, it’s excellent. The pacing for this arc seems to be going really quickly though, we might see the end of it next episode, followed by the typical half episode clean up after that. Failing that, I give Shiori’s arc another 2 full eps at the very most. Which means Nayuki and Ayu fans will soon have their patience rewarded, especially Nayu fanboys.

Episode Rating: 9/10

With Shiori’s death looming in the future, Kyon’ichi starts spending a lot more time with her. A late night meeting at the fountain gets a sort of onii-chanXimouto relationship between the two. Shiori confides in Kyon’ichi and asks him to treat her as a normal girl despite her terminal illness, which Shiori has forgotten the name of, lawl.

Well guess who shows up the next day at school! Kaori makes a break for the exit with Kitagawa (who’s jealousy of Kyon’ichi’s harem management skills is escalating) and Nayuki in tow. Conveniently being lunch time, and having conveniently just lost Mai and Sayuri as lunch mates, Kyon’ichi takes Shiori to the cafeteria.

After ordering the curry rice, Shiori reveals that she’s terrible with spicy food and struggles to eat a spoonful. Citing her only reason for ordering curry as wanting to eat the same thing as Kyon’ichi, Shiori says she’s full enough, the two walk home together and part ways, but not before Shiori promises to make a love filled bentou for her onii-chan ^^.

Enter the eternally PMSing Kaori, who ignores her sister’s greeting and heads straight for her room (hopefully putting those box cutters Shiori bought to some good use).

The next day Shiori makes good on her promise and makes Kyon’ichi not one, but two bentous, filled to the brim. Not one to back out on his promise, Kyon’ichi braces himself and digs in, while Shiori works on her relatively minuscule excuse for a bentou.

After school, the two spend some time together. Kyon’ichi takes treats Shiori to some ice cream, then two go visit the plushie shop that he and Sayuri bought Mai’s anteater at. While window shopping, Kyon’ichi spots Kaori, chases her down and confronts her, begging her to spend the coming Sunday, Shiori’s birthday, together with them. She denies knowledge of anyone by the name Shiori and walks off -_-

Midoriba would be proud

Later that night, Kyon’ichi tries to think of a birthday present for Shiori with the help of Ayu. After some pretty useless suggestions (I personally wouldn’t mind getting taiyaki >_>) Ayu has a stroke of genious and suggests, instead of a present, doing something to make Shiori happy. Which of course means he has some negotiating to do with Kaori.

Thoughts

EDIT: Credits go to Nightingale for this one, I never would have spotted it myself. In the breakfast scene from around 11:20, Ayu is holding her chopsticks with her right hand. This runs contrary to the repeated assertion that Ayu-chan is left handed. KyoAni, you may have dodged my ribbon rant, but you got caught this time!

Chopsticks of lies!

Anywho, I digress, what an awesome ep! I was expecting some overboard angsting by Kaori and a lot of sad girl in the snow depression from Shiori. But instead the episode focused more on Kyon’ichi and his attempt at making Shiori’s last days happy and memorable. And despite the appeal of the “sad girls in the snow” moe mode, happy Shiori is vastly superior to sad Shiori *nods*

A seifuku Shiori is fine too.

Though I have a feeling this won’t last and that angsting Kaori will be unleashed upon us next week.

Regarding Shiori’s character, I find her the most likable out of the whole cast. And not only because she’s attained pseudo-imouto status =D. Her situation is the closest to being realistic that this series has, no demons, no lolikitsune transformations, and no blunt force head trauma and subsequent ghostbusting (oshi-, was that a spoiler?).

This means that as a viewer I can genuinely identify and sympathize with Shiori. I don’t have any siblings, but I can at least fathom the pain that Shiori’s going through, not only with her death looming over her, but also her sister ignoring her very existence out of selfish protectionism. Whereas I am sadly unable to picture what it would feel like to be a baby fox abandoned by your savior, nor a miracle worker who fabricates demons in a delusional attempt to defer emotional pain.

She also has some of the cutest expressions and gestures ^^! *fanboys* Which explains why there are so many screencaps in this post, I couldn’t decide T_T.

Aside from Shiori, the Ayu camp was appeased with some much needed Ayu screentime. Things are slowly developing as she starts to show some affection and concern for Taiyaki Kyon’ichi, waiting for him to return at night, offering advice…etc. It’s a good move by KyoAni to shift some focus onto Ayu so that assuming the story ends the same way as Toei’s version, it doesn’t blindside the viewers.

Taiyaki? =3

On that note, Nayuki continues to get shafted in terms of screentime and character development. I don’t remember her being neglected this much in Toei’s version, I’m not exactly a fan of hers, but I’ll admit she deserves better than a constant cold shoulder from Kyon’ichi. *shrugs* maybe the script writer had a bad experience with a cousin?

As for the technical aspects of this episode, I thought they were above average this time around. I may have been biased by that awesome river scenery shot at the beginning of the ep, but it seemed like the animation was exceptionally done this time around. The music was also great, the piano score that played when Shiori welcomes Kaori back home was powerful. While it overwhelmed the dialog, I think it was well placed as a build of tension and really drove the drama of the scene deeply.

Doesn’t change the fact that Kaori is a heartless bitch though D=

Obligatory sleepy Nayuki screenie (damn scrolling marquee)

And we finish off with some Jun

~ Shirukii ~

Goodbye Mai, you will be missed =(

And so concludes Mai’s arc, meaning she’ll be pretty much non existent from now on, barring a graduation scene of some sort. Such is my only gripe with Kanon, characters get a massive surge of screentime only to be stuck with cameos for the rest of the series. I guess KyoAni is really trying to stick to the anime’s ero-game roots *shrugs*

Episode Rating: 8/10

This episode serves mostly as transition between arcs (Mai -> Shiori) so it was somewhat uneventful.

Kyon’ichi and Ayu pay a visit to Mai and Sayuri, who are recovering from the recent events. While at the hospital they bump into the walking pharmacy Shiori, no doubt picking up some more prescription drugs to add to her arsenal.

Ayu and Shiori are going through the formalities of introduction when Shiori’s doctor passes by. She gives Ayu an intrigued “don’t I know you from somewhere” glance but shrugs it off when asked, then excuses herself and leaves with Shiori.

Cut to the next day, Nayuki has gone to practice and Akiko seems to have slept in, leaving Ayu to attend to the breakfast meal. As Kyon’ichi hungrily walks to school, Ayu chases him down in a panic, screaming something about Akiko being sick. A short check up later reveals that it’s just a common cold, so Kyon’ichi leaves Akiko to Ayu and heads to school.

House of Lies!

The next day Akiko is all better so Kyon’ichi decides to go on a date with Shiori, it is here that we learn that her sickness is not just a common cold. Apparently she’s had a weak body since birth and hasn’t been able to attend school normally as a result.

BOOM! Headshot.

Later that night Kyon’ichi gets a phone call from Kaori, who has something important to talk about. The topic of conversation is Shiori, of course, Kaori admits that she is indeed her imouto. However, due to her being terminally ill, Kaori chooses to ignore her existence, not seeing the point in becoming attached to someone who has death in their near future.

Thoughts

Somewhat of a “meh” episode, while not exactly filler, it was full of information that most people have already figured out.

The “dramatic” revelation of Shiori’s sickness being much worse than it seemed and Kaori being her sister should come to no surprise, Kanon veteran or not. Kaori’s seiyuu wasn’t very convincing in the final scene either, so the impact was just that much less.

I thought the date sequence was pretty well done. The music set an especially happy mood, starting from the upbeat tune during the snowball fight and easing into a remixed version of the OP. It should set up a nice contrast for the drama to follow, what with Kaori giving Shiori less than a week to live. Angst ++.

By no means a bad episode, but I can’t help but compare it to the awesomeness of the Mai arc conclusion, which it had little chance to compete with. Here’s hoping for some A-grade drama/angst in the upcoming episodes, and that Kaori’s seiyuu learns how to cry.

Do I sense plot hints? KyoAni you sly devils

Whatever happened to my uguu~ count =\

Aside: Whoever keeps vote bombing DVD on the poll, please stop T_T

~ Shirukii ~