NKDS

I hate that guy.

Clannad AS: Kyou’s Arc was not bad. Not as good as the best episodes from the main story, but not bad either. It will take some effort for watchers to switch from the usual Nagisa-centric storyline to something that resembles a harem, with twins no less. However, once the transition is done, it becomes a lot easier to digest the episode.

Spoilers ahead, so be warned. Though by now I think spoiling the story is like telling people that Darth Vader is Anakin Skywalker, but that’s beside the point.

I did not play the game, but I did spoil brief myself thoroughly on Kyou and Ryou’s stories in the original game. From there, we get a clear understanding of how Tomoya inadvertantly managed to get both twins to fall in love with him, and how he struggled to make a choice between Kyou and Ryou. Unfortunately, the limits of the episode length meant that much of the scenarios failed to make it into the animated version. Throughout this episode, I had the impression that it would have been a better story if it was spread out over two or even three chapters. No one can fault KyoAni for this shortcoming though, they did the best they could under the circumstances.

Tomoya’s thoughts: So if I treat you badly you will understand? Kinky.

That said, they did managed to pack in a number of emotional scenes, such as the one above. One get only guess at Kyou’s mental state by this point of time. Standing alone in the rain like that just smacks of desperation, and I was wondering if Kyou was going to turn yandere on Tomoya. It would have been epic if she did. Tomoya himself was still plagued by indecision then, and had little to none of the will that he demonstrated in the main story.

Then there’s this:

Tomoya’s thoughts: Why the heck would I want a substitute when the REAL THING is within my grasp???

Ryou was actually a lot stronger(malicious?) than her appearance suggests. At least she knew what she wanted and moved to get it, despite the fact that she knew she was being “unfair” to Kyou. Her offer to replace her sister in Tomoya’s heart was a last-ditch attempt to keep him for herself, but Tomoya obviously did not buy it. The lengths that Ryou would go to just to keep Tomoya by her side is interesting in itself, by this time she obviously had no concern for how Kyou might be suffering if she continued enjoying herself with Tomoya. That figures… it is always the demure one that turns out to be more psycho.

Tomoya’s thoughts: Being cozy is one thing, having a dead fish is another thing altogether.

Ok, that was a dirty thought from Tomoya. To wrap things up, Kyou’s Arc was good but felt rushed, touching but not tear-inducing. Based on their own merits, I still thought Tomoyo’s Arc was better, though if Kyou’s Arc was allowed to develop with more episodes it would have become something to behold. Of course, the same can be argued for Tomoyo’s Arc, but there’s something about a pair of beautiful twins that makes them irresistible. Oh yes, I almost forgot about Sunohara. That guy is great, refusing a kiss with Kyou because he knows who Kyou really likes. Not to mention he has the right idea all along… when in doubt, why not take BOTH???

Here’s a screenshot that I thought was wallpaper-worthy. I think I am going to try to make this into a wallpaper or a poster. The lighting, Kyou’s expression, her pose, everything feels just right.

And that’s it for now. This is Julius Firefocht, signing off.