| Clannad | |
|---|---|
 Cover featuring heroine Nagisa Furukawa | |
| Developer(s) | Key |
| Publisher(s) |
|
| Director(s) | Jun Maeda |
| Artist(s) | Itaru Hinoue |
| Writer(s) |
|
| Composer(s) |
|
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows,PlayStation 2,Freedom of Mobile Multimedia Access,SoftBank 3G,PlayStation Portable,Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,Android,PlayStation Vita,PlayStation 4,Nintendo Switch |
| Release | Clannad April 28, 2004
|
| Genre(s) | Visual novel |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Clannad is a Japanesevisual novel developed byKey and released on April 28, 2004, forWindows. While both of Key's first two previous works,Kanon andAir, had been released first asadult games and then censored for the younger market,Clannad was specifically made for all ages. It was laterported to thePlayStation 2,PlayStation Portable,Xbox 360,PlayStation 3,PlayStation Vita,PlayStation 4 andNintendo Switch consoles. An English version for Windows was released onSteam bySekai Project in 2015.
The story follows the life of Tomoya Okazaki, from adolescence to adulthood. As an average high school student, he meets many people in his last year at school, including five girls, whose individual problems he helps resolve, and his life is further detailed after graduating from high school. Thegameplay ofClannad follows aplot that branches into different scenarios based on various courses of interaction by theplayer character. The game was ranked as the best-selling PC game sold in Japan for the time of its release, and charted in the national top 50 several more times afterwards. Key went on to produce an adultspin-off titledTomoyo After: It's a Wonderful Life in November 2005, which expanded on the scenario of Tomoyo Sakagami, one of the five heroines fromClannad.
Clannad has made several transitions to other media. There have been fourmanga adaptations published byASCII Media Works,Flex Comix,Fujimi Shobo andJive.Comic anthologies,light novels andart books have also been published, as haveaudio dramas and several albums of music. An animated film adaptation byToei Animation was released in September 2007, followed by twoanime television series including twooriginal video animation (OVA) episodes byKyoto Animation produced between 2007 and 2009. Both anime series and their accompanying OVAs are licensed bySentai Filmworks and were released in North America in 2009. The animated adaptations have received high sales figures in Japan as well as critical acclaim abroad.
Clannad is adrama andromancevisual novel in which the player assumes the role of Tomoya Okazaki. Much of itsgameplay is spent on reading the story'snarrative anddialogue.Clannad follows abranching plot line with multiple paths and endings.[1] There are six main plotlines that the player can experience, five which are initially available.[2] At various points during gameplay, the player is given a dialog choice that can influence the progression of the story.[1]
When first playing the game, the scenarios for all five heroines and additional smaller scenarios are available in what is called the School Lifestory arc. When the player completes a character's scenario, he or she receives anorb of light. When eight of these lights are obtained, the game's second story arc, called After Story, is made available. One of the lights disappears during School Life, but reappears in After Story.[2] To view the true ending ofClannad, all 13 lights must be obtained. Originally, the lights were meant to be items that players could use in the game, but since this increased the game's complexity, and detracted from the storyline, the function of the lights was simplified and made less intrusive.[3]
The first half of the story takes place primarily at Hikarizaka Private High School, a fictional school located in Japan. Outside of the school, frequented locations include the bakery run by Nagisa's parents, and the dormitory whereYouhei Sunohara lives. Throughout the story, glimpses into an Illusionary World are shown. This world is devoid of all life except for a young girl, though she later makes a body out of junk pieces through which the player can interact with her. The remaining half of the story takes place in the same city, after the conclusion of the first half.[2]
There are recurring themes that appear throughout the story. The main theme is the value of having a family, as the title of the series implies because the main scenario writerJun Maeda mistakenly thought the name of theIrish band Clannad meant "clan" or "family" inIrish, which is just "clann".[4] Of the six main characters, Tomoya, Nagisa, and Kotomi have no siblings, though their parents are major factors in their stories. Nagisa's story was written to incorporate what Maeda described as a "perfect family" with a focus on mental consciousness.[3] In Nagisa's story, there is a recurring appearance of "The BigDango Family" (だんご大家族,Dango Daikazoku) (a fictional groupmascot for children) that Nagisa is fond of.[2] Tomoya's and Nagisa's characters were written in a style to exemplify a "growth to adulthood" by the end of the story.[3] Fuko's and Kyou's stories have their sisters playing an integral part, and Tomoyo's story is influenced by her entire family.[2] A minor motif of Irish words continues with the opening theme of the game, "Mag Mell", which means roughly "plain of joy" and is connected with Irish mythology.[5] Thearrange album, a short music CD that contained remixed versions of songs in the game, that was bundled with the original game release was titledMabinogi,[6] which was a collection ofprose stories frommedievalWelshmanuscripts.[7]
The player assumes the role ofTomoya Okazaki, the protagonist ofClannad. Tomoya has been labeled adelinquent; at the beginning of the story, he even expresses hatred toward the city he has lived in all his life whereClannad is set. He is very straightforward in his comments to others and will not hesitate to speak his mind, even if he comes off as rude during such times. Despite this, Tomoya is loyal to his friends, and has been known to dedicate himself for those around him in need of help or support. He generally has a selfless personality and does not ask much from others in return for what he does for them.[2]
Tomoya meetsNagisa Furukawa, the main heroine ofClannad, at the onset of the story. Nagisa is a shy, lonely girl who has an illness which causes her to rely on those around her for support. Bullied by her schoolmates, she lacks the courage to make new friends. She has developed the strange habit of muttering the names of favorite foods that she plans to eat as a way to motivate herself, such asanpan.Kyou Fujibayashi, another ofClannad's heroines, is an aggressive girl well known as a good cook among her friends and family. When angered, she does not hesitate to throw a dictionary at people that she often carries around for such purposes. Despite this attitude, she also has a more subdued side, especially towards her youngerfraternal twin sisterRyou Fujibayashi.[2]
Tomoya meets agenius girl namedKotomi Ichinose, one day in the school library. She is ranked in the top 10 throughout the whole country in standardized exam results of every subject—she always goes to library to read extra materials, especially books in foreign languages. Kotomi is a tacit girl with poor social skills and it is quite difficult to communicate with her; Kotomi can even completely ignore someone when reading, even if they make loud disturbances around her.Clannad's fourth heroine is a second-year student namedTomoyo Sakagami who transfers into Tomoya's school. Tomoyo is known to be a strong fighter, preferring to use kicking over punching, and is athletic. Although Tomoya is older than her, Tomoyo does not show him respect as a senior student.[2] Tomoyo appears in Key's fifth game,Tomoyo After: It's a Wonderful Life, as the main heroine.[8]
The last heroine inClannad is a first-year student namedFuko Ibuki who is hyperactive and childish, before she met Tomoya, was generally seen alone by herself making wood carvings ofstarfish with a small knife to give to others as presents. Fuko is extremely enthralled by starfish, or things that are star-shaped, and will often go into shorteuphoric bouts where her awareness of her surroundings is completely overtaken.[2]
Clannad's story revolves around Tomoya Okazaki, a third year high school student who dislikes his life. Tomoya's mother (Atsuko) died when Tomoya was young, leaving his father (Naoyuki) to raise him. After the accident, Tomoya's father turned toalcohol andgambling, and had frequent fights with his son. One day, Naoyuki, while arguing with his son, slammed Tomoya against the window, dislocating Tomoya's shoulder. This injury prevents Tomoya from playing on the basketball team, and causes him to distance himself from others. Ever since then, his father has treated Tomoya nicely, but distantly, as if Tomoya and he were strangers rather than a family. This hurts Tomoya more than his previous relationship with his father, and the awkwardness of returning home leads Tomoya to constantly stay out all night. Thus his delinquent life begins. Tomoya's good friend Youhei Sunohara, who was thrown out of the soccer club over a dispute with his seniors, is also a delinquent and often hangs out in his dorm room with Tomoya doing nothing much.
The story opens on Monday April 14, 2003 at the beginning of the school year,[2] when Tomoya meets Nagisa Furukawa, a strange girl who is one year older than he is but is repeating her last year in high school due to being sick much of the previous year. Her goal is to join the drama club which she was unable to do due to her sickness, but they find that the drama club was disbanded after the few remaining members graduated. Since Tomoya has a lot of time to kill, he helps Nagisa in reforming the drama club. During this period, Tomoya meets and hangs out with several other girls whom he gets to know well and help with their individual problems.
In the second part of the story, which starts immediately after the end of the first part but extends into the next seven years, Tomoya and Nagisa start living together, and eventually get married. Tomoya has to endure several hardships that the family has been suffering from, especially Nagisa's illness. Just after Nagisa gives birth to their daughterUshio, shedies, which causes Tomoya to become severely depressed. He is barely able to function, let alone look after an infant. As a result, Nagisa's parents,Akio andSanae, take care of their granddaughter. Five years later, Tomoya meets withShino Okazaki, his paternal grandmother. Shino tells Tomoya of his father's traumatic past, which is eerily similar to Tomoya's current situation. Afterwards, Tomoya resolves to raise Ushio and acknowledges Naoyuki as his father. Shortly after Tomoya overcomes his depression, Ushio is stricken with the same disease that Nagisa had. Tomoya, Sanae and Akio struggle to save her—Tomoya even quits his job—but all of their efforts turn out to be in vain. In the coming winter, wanting to do anything for his daughter, Tomoya takes her on a trip, but she dies shortly after.
Tomoya's psychology is developed in his dreams of a bleak world, called the Illusionary World (幻想世界,Gensō Sekai), where small orbs of light float around. In the first few dreams, he sees a world devoid of all life, except for one girl. Each time he dreams, he finds out more about the world. Tomoya discovers that the girl has a special ability to fuse junk together to create new things, which she uses to create a body for him. Over time, Tomoya comes to the conclusion that only the two of them are "alive". To pass time, Tomoya and the girl try to build another doll with more junk they find, but as it has no soul, it fails to come to life. Remembering the distant world where he came from, Tomoya convinces the girl to build a ship so that the two can escape the approaching winter and continue to live a happy life. Eventually, winter sets in, and the girl becomes cold to the point where she cannot move any more. The girl tells Tomoya that he has another chance to go back and make things right. To do so, he must collect certain "lights" (symbols of happiness) similar to those floating around in the Illusionary World. If all the "lights" are collected throughout both story parts, a chance to save Nagisa from dying will become available, as well as the true ending, where she survives and lives with Tomoya and Ushio.
The executive producer forClannad was Takahiro Baba fromVisual Arts,[2] the publishing company which controls Key.Jun Maeda, who was one of three main scenario writers with Kai, andYūichi Suzumoto, led the planning forClannad and wrote the majority of the scenarios. Scenario assistance was provided by Tōya Okano.Itaru Hinoue headed the art direction, and also worked on the character design.[9] Miracle Mikipon, Mochisuke,Na-Ga, and Shinory supplemented thecomputer graphics. Torino provided the background art.[2] The game's music wascomposed by Maeda,Shinji Orito, andMagome Togoshi.[9]
For Key's second visual novelAir, Maeda admitted he felt he was able to write what he wanted to for the game's scenario, but he later discovered thatAir was difficult for players to receive and experience. Due to this, Maeda felt that for Key's next workClannad, he had a sense of duty to make the game easier to receive for as many users as possible. In any case, he wanted to make it an entertaining game, and started planning onClannad almost immediately afterAir's completion. From the start ofClannad's planning, Maeda did not want to write a story like inAir, but instead wanted to focus on writing a deep connection between the 'people and the town', and 'humanity'.[3] Maeda noted that he exceeded his writing ability when writing most of the scenarios inClannad, and equatesClannad's writing process as a "wall that I will never be able to get over again."[10] While at the beginning Maeda felt he was prepared, the entire game's story started to increase to a level Maeda never predicted, and Suzumoto noted that it approximately doubled in size from the original projected length. Suzumoto attributed the increase due to the lengthening structure of the game's base scenario which caused the 'branch' scenarios to increase as well.[3]
There were more concerns aboutClannad being similar toAir. When Nagisa's scenario was being written, there were some disputes concerning the length of her scenario, and thus putting too much focus on the main heroine. Some were concerned that having a single prominent character with a unique storyline would be too much like howAir was structured with the overall focus onMisuzu Kamio. Takahiro Baba, the company president of VisualArt's, is even noted as suggesting to minimize the differences between the other characters' scenarios, but this was ultimately ignored since Maeda thought the game's evaluation by players would not decrease on account of the scenarios being vastly different, and thought the result was a good one. Maeda was concerned that the After Story arc, mainly a continuation of Nagisa's scenario, would eclipse the entire game's scenario, much like what happened withAir according to Maeda. In order to prevent the same thing happening inClannad, Maeda focused on making the first half of the story, the School Life arc, just as enjoyable by making it long and heart-breaking.[3]Clannad is Key's second longest work, as reported byYūto Tonokawa where he stated thatClannad is about 4,000 words fewer than Key's 2008 gameLittle Busters! Ecstasy.[11]
Key announced in 2001 a release date of 2002[12] forClannad and, after several postponements,Clannad was released on April 28, 2004, as a limited edition version, playable on aWindowsPC as a DVD.[13][14] The limited edition came bundled with theremix albumMabinogi remixing background music tracks featured in the visual novel.[14] The regular edition was released on August 6, 2004;[13] WhileClannad originally had no voice acting, Key released a version for Windows titledClannad Full Voice on February 29, 2008, with full voice acting (except for Tomoya).[13]Clannad Full Voice contained one newCG,[13] and had updated support forWindows Vista PCs.[15]Clannad Full Voice was re-released by Key under the nameClannad on July 31, 2009, in a box set containing five other Key visual novels called Key 10th Memorial Box.[16] An updated version compatible forWindows 7 PCs titledClannad Memorial Edition was released on May 28, 2010.[13][17]
Clannad was released for Windows onSteam bySekai Project in English on November 23, 2015.[18][19] In November 2014, Sekai Project used thecrowdfunding websiteKickstarter to raise funds to produce the English translation ofClannad.[20] After less than 24 hours, the project reached its goal of US$140,000.[21] When the Kickstarter campaign reached its US$320,000 stretch goal, Sekai Project announced that they would also be translating and releasing theHikari Mimamoru Sakamichi de side stories for Windows.[22] Overall, the Kickstarter campaign raised US$541,161, exceeding all of its stretch goals.[23][24]Hikari Mimamoru Sakamichi de was released on Steam on June 2, 2016, titledClannad Side Stories.[25]
The first consumer consoleport of the game was released for thePlayStation 2 (PS2) on February 23, 2006, byInterchannel.[26][27] The PS2 version was re-released as a "Best" version on July 30, 2009.[28][29] The PS2 version was bundled in a "Key 3-Part Work Premium Box" package together with the PS2 versions ofKanon andAir released on July 30, 2009.[30] AnXbox 360 version was released on August 28, 2008, also by Prototype.[31] APlayStation 3 (PS3) version was released by Prototype on April 21, 2011.[32] A downloadable version of the PS3 release via thePlayStation Store was released by Prototype on February 14, 2013.[33]
A version produced by NTT DoCoMo playable onFOMAmobile phones was released byPrototype throughVisualArt's Motto on November 26, 2007.[34] Prototype later released a version playable onSoftBank 3G phones on January 16, 2008.[35][36] A version playable onAndroid devices was released on September 18, 2012.[37][38] APlayStation Portable (PSP) version of the game was released in Japan on May 29, 2008, by Prototype, which included the additions from the Windows full voice version.[39][40] The limited edition release of the PSP and Xbox 360 versions came bundled with a "digest" edition of the drama CD series released by Prototype containing five separate stories each; the CD bundled with the PSP release is different from the CD bundled with the Xbox 360 version.[31][39] Prototype also released a port of the game for thePlayStation Vita on August 14, 2014, to mark the 10-year anniversary of the game.[41][42] Prototype released aPlayStation 4 port on June 14, 2018, with text support for both Japanese and English.[43][44] Prototype released aNintendo Switch port on July 4, 2019, again with text support for both Japanese and English,[45] and a digital release of the game became available on theNintendo eShop on the same day.[46] A physical release of the Switch port will receive a limited physical release in a regular and collector's edition viaLimited Run Games for a six-week preorder period from April 14 to May 29, 2020.[47][48]
| Clannad | |
| Genre | Romance,[49]slice of life,[50]tragedy[51] |
|---|---|
| Print media | |
| |
| Anime television series | |
| Clannad(2007–2008) Clannad After Story(2008–2009) | |
| Directed by | Tatsuya Ishihara |
| Written by | Fumihiko Shimo |
| Music by | |
| Studio | Kyoto Animation |
| Licensed by | Crunchyroll[c] |
| Original network | JNN (TBS,MBS,CBC,BS-i) |
| English network | |
| Original run | October 4, 2007 – March 26, 2009 |
| Episodes | 47 + 2 OVA(List of episodes) |
| Film | |
 Anime and manga portal | |
A magazine-sized 39-page book calledpre-Clannad was published bySoftBank Creative on April 15, 2004.[4] The book contained images from the visual novel, and short explanations of the characters, along with production sketches and concept drawings.[4] A 160-page visual fan book was published byEnterbrain on October 12, 2004, which contained detailed story explanations,computer graphics,sheet music for the opening and ending themes, and interviews from the creators. Near the end of the book contains original illustrations ofClannad characters from various artists, three additional chapters of theOfficial Another Story, and production sketches.[3]
A set of 14 illustrated short stories which added toClannad's story were serialized between the September 2004 and October 2005 issues ofASCII Media Works'Dengeki G's Magazine.[52][53] TitledOfficial Another Story Clannad: Hikari Mimamoru Sakamichi de (Official Another Story Clannad 光見守る坂道で,Official Another Story Clannad: On the Hillside Path that Light Watches Over), there were 13 regular chapters and one extra bonus chapter. The installments were written by Key's scenario staff and each story was accompanied by illustrations by Japanese artistGotoP. Two more stories were included when they were collected into a 103-page bound volume released on November 25, 2005.[54]
Hikari Mimamoru Sakamichi de was later re-released viaSoftBank 3G andFOMAmobile phones produced byPrototype throughVisualArt's Motto starting in January 2008.[55] One chapter was released weekly with the SoftBank 3G releases three weeks behind the version for FOMA phones.[56] The collection was released asdownloadable content viaXbox Live for the Xbox 360 version ofClannad released on August 28, 2008.[31] Prototype again re-released the short story collection, this time on the PSP in two volumes, each containing eight chapters and including the original art by GotoP. The first volume was released on June 3, 2010, and the second followed on July 15, 2010;[57] the re-release is described by the developers as a "visualsound novel".[58] Prototype released the short story collection asdownloadable content on July 6, 2011, for the PS3 version ofClannad.[59]Hikari Mimamoru Sakamichi de was released in two volumes onAndroid devices: the first volume on November 30, 2011,[60][61] and volume two on April 11, 2012.[62] Prototype ported it to theNintendo Switch on May 20, 2021, with text support for both Japanese and English.[63]
TwoClannad anthology character novels were written by several authors and published byJive in September and December 2004.[64][65] The first volume of a short story anthology compilation series written by Hiro Akizuki and Mutsuki Misaki titledClannad. (くらなど。) was released in November 2008 published by Harvest;[66] the third volume was released in October 2009.[67] Three volumes of a short story compilation series by several authors titledClannad SSS were published by Harvest between June and August 2009. Harvest published a novel titledClannad Mystery File in August 2010 and another novel titledClannad: Magic Hour in December 2010.[68]
The firstmanga illustrated byJuri Misaki titledClannad Official Comic was serialized inJive'smanga magazineComic Rush between the May 2005 and April 2009 issues.[69][70] Jive published eighttankōbon volumes between November 7, 2005, and March 7, 2009.[71][72]The second manga, titledOfficial Another Story Clannad: Hikari Mimamoru Sakamichi de and illustrated byRino Fujii, was serialized between June 21, 2007, and August 21, 2008, inFlex Comix'sComi Digi + magazine,[73][74] and contained 11 chapters. The story for the second manga was adapted from theClannad short story collection of the same name. The first volume forOfficial Another Story Clannad was released byBroccoli on February 21, 2008, in a limited and regular edition, each with their own cover.[75] The limited edition comes bundled with a small black notebook with the school emblem of Tomoya's school on the cover.[75] In order to commemorate the sale, anautograph session with the manga's illustrator signing copies was held on March 2, 2008, at Gamers inNagoya, Japan.[76] The second and final volume, again in limited and regular editions, was released on December 20, 2008.[77]
A thirdClannad manga illustrated by Shaa began serialization in the August 2007 issue ofASCII Media Works'Dengeki G's Magazine, published on June 30, 2007.[78] The manga ended serialization inDengeki G's Magazine in the July 2009 issue, and was serialized inDengeki G's Festival! Comic between October 26, 2009, and April 28, 2014.[79][80][81] ASCII Media Works published five volumes for Shaa'sClannad manga under theirDengeki Comicsimprint between February 27, 2008, and July 26, 2014.[82][83]A fourth manga, titledClannad: Tomoyo Dearest and illustrated byYukiko Sumiyoshi, was serialized between February 20 and August 20, 2008, inFujimi Shobo'sDragon Age Pure magazine.[84][85] The story centers on Tomoyo's arc from theClannad visual novel.[86] A single volume forClannad: Tomoyo Dearest was released on October 9, 2008.[87]
There have also been four sets of mangaanthologies produced by different companies and drawn by a multitude of different artists. The first volume of the earliest anthology series, released by Ohzora under the titleClannad, was released in June 2004 under their Twin Heart Comics imprint.[88] Volumes for this series continued to be released until April 2005 with the fifth volume.[89] The second anthology was released in a single volume byJive on January 25, 2005, titledClannad Comic Anthology: Another Symphony.[90] The third anthology series was released in two volumes byIchijinsha on June 25, 2004, and July 24, 2004, under theirDNA Media Comics;[91][92] a third special volume was released much later on December 25, 2007.[93] The first volume of the last anthology series, a collection offour-panelcomic strips released byEnterbrain under the titleMagi-Cu 4-koma Clannad, was released on February 25, 2008, under their MC Comics imprint; the tenth volume in the series was released on August 26, 2009.[94] Each of the anthology series are written and drawn by an average of 20 people per volume.[94]
There are two separate sets ofdrama CDs based on theClannad series. The first set, produced byFrontier Works, contains five CDs each focusing on a different heroine inClannad's story ranging from Nagisa, to Kotomi, Fuko, Kyou, and Tomoyo. The first volume was released in Japan on April 25, 2007, as a limited edition with an extra track added. The second through fifth volumes followed in one month increments between May 25, 2007, and August 24, 2007.[95] The second set, produced byPrototype, contains four CDs; the first was released on July 25, 2007. Volumes two through four were released in one month intervals after that, with the last being released on October 24, 2007.[96] Each CD is based on the stories from theOfficial Another Story Clannad: Hikari Mimamoru Sakamichi de collection. The artistGotoP, who provided the illustrations for the short stories, also illustrates the drama CD covers.[96] The drama CDs, with text and visuals, are available asdownloadable content viaXbox Live and thePlayStation Store when playing the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions ofClannad, respectively.[31][32]
Toei Animation (the same team who worked on the originalKanon anime andAir film) announced at the Tokyo Anime Fair on March 23, 2006, that an animated film would be produced.[97] TheClannad film was released on September 15, 2007, directed by the same director of theAir film,Osamu Dezaki, and the screenplay was written byMakoto Nakamura.[98] The film is a reinterpretation of theClannad storyline which centers on thestory arc of the female leadNagisa Furukawa. The film was released on DVD in three editions: the Collector's Edition, the Special Edition, and the Regular Edition on March 7, 2008.[99] Sentai Filmworks released an English-subbed and dubbed version of the film in March 2011.[100]
On March 15, 2007, the Japanese television stationBS-i announced aClannad anime series via a short 30-second teaser trailer that was featured at the end of the final episode of the secondKanon anime series.Clannad is produced byKyoto Animation, directed byTatsuya Ishihara, and written byFumihiko Shimo, who also worked on other adaptations ofKey's visual novelsAir andKanon. The anime aired between October 4, 2007, and March 27, 2008, containing 23 aired episodes out of a planned 24;[101] the broadcast time was first announced on August 11, 2007, at theTBS festivalAnime Festa, which is also when the first episode was showcased. The anime series was released in a set of eightDVD compilations released between December 19, 2007, and July 16, 2008, byPony Canyon, with each compilation containing three episodes.[101] Of the 24 episodes, 23 were aired on television with the first 22 being regular episodes, followed by an additional extra episode. The last episode was released as anoriginal video animation (OVA) on the eighth DVD on July 16, 2008, and is set in analternate universe from the anime series where Tomoya and Tomoyo are dating, which is based on Tomoyo's scenario in the game.[101] The OVA episode was previewed on May 31, 2008, for an audience of four-hundred people picked via a mail-inpostcard campaign.[101] ABlu-ray box set ofClannad was released on April 30, 2010.[102][103]
After the ending of the 23rd episode of the firstClannad anime series, a 15-second teaser trailer aired promoting a second season titledClannad After Story. The anime is again animated by Kyoto Animation, and animates the After Story arc from the visual novel, which is a continuation of Nagisa's story, into 24 episodes. The same staff and cast from the first anime were used and the series broadcast in Japan between October 3, 2008, and March 26, 2009.[104][105] Of the 24 episodes, 22 are regular episodes, the 23rd is an extra episode, and the last episode is a summary episode showcasing highlights from the series. The episodes were released on eight DVD compilation volumes between December 3, 2008, and July 1, 2009.[106] The eighth DVD volume came with an additional OVA episode set in an alternate universe from the anime series where Tomoya and Kyou are dating. The OVA episode was previewed on May 24, 2009, to a limited number of people.[107] A BD box set ofClannad After Story was released on April 20, 2011, in Japan with English subtitles.[106][108]
In 2008,Section23 Films throughSentai Filmworks licensed theClannad anime series,[109] andADV Films localized and distributed the television series and the OVA starting with the first half season box set consisting of 12 episodes with English subtitles, Japanese audio, and no English language track, which was released on March 3, 2009.[110] The second half season box set containing the remaining episodes was released on May 5, 2009.[111] Sentai Filmworks licensed theClannad After Story anime series;[112]Section23 Films localized and distributed both the television series and OVA starting with the first half season box set with English subtitles released on October 20, 2009. The second half box set was released on December 8, 2009. Sentai Filmworks re-releasedClannad in a complete collection set on June 15, 2010, which featured an English dub, produced atSeraphim Digital.[113][114] The English dub premiered on March 25, 2010, on theAnime Network.[115] Sentai Filmworks re-releasedClannad After Story with an English dub on April 19, 2011,[116] and re-releasedClannad on BD in November 2011.[117] In the UK and Ireland,Clannad was released on DVD on August 5, 2013, andClannad After Story was released on September 9, 2013, byManga Entertainment.[118][119]Funimation releasedClannad andClannad After Story on Blu-ray in the UK and Ireland on April 26, 2021.[120]
For the first season, the opening theme is"'Mag Mell' (cuckool mix 2007)" byEufonius and the ending theme is "Dango Daikazoku" (だんご大家族,The Big Dango Family) byChata.[121][122] For the second season, the opening theme is "Toki o Kizamu Uta" (時を刻む唄,A Song to Pass the Time) and the ending theme is "Torch"; both songs are sung byLia.[123][124]
AnInternet radio show to promote theClannad anime series calledNagisa to Sanae no Omae ni Rainbow (渚と早苗のおまえにレインボー) was broadcast between October 5, 2007, and October 3, 2008, containing 52 episodes.[125] The show, produced by Onsen andAnimate TV, was hosted byMai Nakahara, who played Nagisa Furukawa in the anime, andKikuko Inoue, who played Sanae Furukawa, and was streamed online every Friday.[125] Severalvoice actors from the anime adaptation appeared on the show as guests who includedRyō Hirohashi (as Kyou),Atsuko Enomoto (as Yukine),Akemi Kanda (as Ryou),Yuichi Nakamura (as Tomoya), andDaisuke Sakaguchi (as Youhei).[125] A two-disc CD compilation containing the show's first 13 broadcasts was produced on June 18, 2008.[126] The second two-disc CD compilation containing the 14th through 26th broadcasts was released on October 15, 2008,[127] and a third CD volume followed on November 19, 2008.[128] A fourth and final volume was released on February 18, 2009, containing the rest of the broadcasts.[129]
A second Internet radio show to promote theClannad After Story anime series calledNagisa to Sanae to Akio no Omae ni Hyper Rainbow (渚と早苗と秋生のおまえにハイパーレインボー) was broadcast between October 10, 2008, and April 10, 2009, containing 26 episodes.[125] The show was also produced by Onsen and Animate TV, and was streamed online every Friday.[125] The show had three hosts including the previous two plusRyōtarō Okiayu who plays Akio Furukawa in the anime series.[125] Two two-disc CD compilations were released containing the second radio shows broadcasts, the first released on February 18, 2009,[130] followed by the second on May 29, 2009.[131]
TheClannad visual novel has four pieces oftheme music: one opening theme, two ending themes, and an insert song.[132] The opening theme is "Mag Mell" (メグメル,Megu Meru) byEufonius. The two ending themes are "-Kage Futatsu-" (-影二つ-,-Two Shadows-) and "Chiisana Tenohira" (小さなてのひら,Small Palms) sung byRiya of Eufonius; the latter is used as the ending theme in the After Story arc. The insert song "Ana" is sung byLia. Six of the characters havebackground musicleitmotifs—the five heroines, and Yukine Miyazawa. Nagisa's theme is the self-titled "Nagisa" (渚); Kyou's theme is "Sore wa Kaze no Yōni" (それは風のように,That's Like the Wind); Kotomi's theme is "Étude Pour les Petites Supercordes"; Tomoyo's theme is "Kanojo no Honki" (彼女の本気,Her Determination); Fuko's theme is "Hurry, Starfish" (は〜りぃすたーふぃしゅ,Ha~rī Sutāfisshu); lastly, Yukine's theme is "Shiryōshitsu no Ochakai" (資料室のお茶会,Tea Party in the Reference Room).[132]
Animage song album titledSorarado was released in December 2003 featuring songs sung by Riya.[133] Aremix album,Mabinogi, came bundled with the original release ofClannad in April 2004. Thegame's original soundtrack was released in August 2004 containing three discs containing 56 tracks.[133] A follow-up toSorarado was released in December 2004 calledSorarado Append; the songs were again sung by Riya.[133] A remix album titled-Memento- was also released in December 2004 and contained two discs.[133] A pianoarrangement album was released in December 2005 calledPiano no Mori, which contained five tracks fromClannad and five fromTomoyo After: It's a Wonderful Life.[133] Each of the albums released for the visual novel version were released on Key'srecord labelKey Sounds Label.[133]
Amaxi single by Eufonius was released in July 2007 for theClannad film called "Mag Mell (frequency⇒e Ver.)". The single contained a remix version of the game's opening theme, and instrumental track of that remix, and an original track. An image album titledYakusoku was released in August 2007 featuring a song sung by Lia, an instrumental version of that song, and two background music tracks used in the film. Thefilm's original soundtrack was released in November 2007.[134] The albums released for the film were produced byFrontier Works. A single was released in October 2007 for the first anime series called "Mag Mell / Dango Daikazoku" which contained the anime's opening and ending themes in original, short, and instrumental versions plus a remix version of "Shōjo no Gensō" (少女の幻想,The Girl's Fantasy), a track featured inSorarado sung by Riya.[133] A single for the second season anime series was released in November 2008 called "Toki o Kizamu Uta / Torch", and contains the anime's opening and ending themes sung by Lia.[133] A remix album containing piano arrangement versions of the second anime series' opening and ending themes was released in December 2008 called"Toki o Kizamu Uta / Torch" Piano Arrange Disc.[135] The anime series' two singles and one album are released on Key Sounds Label.[133]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC: 83/100[136] |
Across the national ranking ofbishōjo games in amount sold in Japan, theClannad limited edition Windows release premiered at number one twice since its release,[137] and the third ranking brought the Windows release down to 46 out of 50.[138] The first two weeks of June 2004 held the final ranking for the original release at 40 out of 50.[139] TheClannad regular edition Windows release premiered at number 26 in the rankings.[140] The next two rankings for the regular edition were at 37 and 41.[141] According to sales information taken from the JapaneseAmazon website, the original Windows version ofClannad sold 100,560 copies in 2004.[142]Clannad Full Voice ranked twice in terms of highest selling PC games nationally in Japan, achieving sales rankings of 7 and 20 in February and March 2008, respectively.[143][144] For the week of April 18, 2011, the PlayStation 3 port ofClannad sold 7,466 units.[145] The console versions ofClannad had sold over 113,000 copies by April 18, 2011,[146][147] and 122,393 copies as of 2019[update].[148] The two-volume PSP editions ofHikari Mimamoru Sakamichi de sold 28,984 copies by the end of 2010.[147] The English release of the Windows version debuted on the Steam charts at number three, aboveCall of Duty: Black Ops III andGrand Theft Auto V, and just belowFallout 4 andCounter-Strike: Global Offensive.[24][149]
In the October 2007 issue ofDengeki G's Magazine, poll results for the 50 bestbishōjo games were released. Out of 249 titles,Clannad ranked first at 114 votes; in comparison, the second place title,Fate/stay night, got 78 votes.[150] The PlayStation 2 release in 2006 was reviewed by the Japanese video game magazineFamitsu, which gave it an overall score of 26/40 (out of the four individual review scores of 7, 7, 6, and 6).[151] In 2008,Clannad was voted No. 2 in theDengeki poll of the most emotional games of all time.[152] In 2011,Clannad was voted No. 4 inFamitsu's poll of the most tear-inducing games of all time.[153] In 2014,Sony Computer Entertainment conducted a poll with over 10,000 Japanese fans, whereClannad was voted No. 18 on the "Most Moving Games Over Books and Movies" list.[154]
Multiplayer.it [it] reviewed the Windows version and scored it 9.2 out of 10. They referred to it as "one of the best visual novels ever made", praising the "rich" dialogues and storytelling, "deep" branching narrative, and "lifelike" characterization, referring to the cast as some of the best "characters ever seen" in video games.[155] RPGFan gave it an overall score of 83%, including 88% for story, 86% gameplay, 74% control, 72% graphics, and 82% sound. The review praised the large number of dialogue choices which "lets you feel involved in how the tale plays out", "many genuinely funny moments," and "emotionally touching" stories, particularly the After Story arc whereClannad "truly excels" with "heart-wrenching" and "emotionally-charged" storytelling, but criticized it for not having enough visuals and for having some "less interesting" side-story paths in the School Life arc which require completion to unlock the After Story arc.[1]
The two anime series and film DVDs have shown consistent high sales figures. The first anime limited edition DVD ranked third for the week of December 19 and December 25, 2007.[156] The second through fifth limited edition DVDs all ranked first during their first week of sales,[157][158][159][160] while the sixth limited edition DVD volume was ranked fourth for the week of May 21 and May 27, 2008.[161] The seventh and eighth limited edition DVD volumes both ranked first during their first week of sales.[162][163] The third limited edition DVD ranked sixth for the most anime DVDs sold between December 2007 and November 2008.[164] A Blu-ray box set ofClannad ranked third for the week of April 26 and May 2, 2010,[165] and ranked again at 13 the following week.[166] The special edition film DVD first ranked at number three during its first week of sales, and dropped down to number 10 the following week.[167][168]
The first limited edition DVD forClannad After Story ranked second during its first week of sales selling 17,521 units.[169] The second through fourth limited edition DVDs forClannad After Story ranked first during their first week of sales each selling over 16,000 units each.[170][171][172] The fifth through seventh limited edition DVDs forClannad After Story ranked first during their first week of sales selling over 14,000 units each.[173][174][175] The eighth limited edition DVD forClannad After Story ranked second during its first week of sales selling over 19,800 units.[176] The sixth limited edition DVD volume ranked again the week of May 11 and May 17, 2009, at number three for anime DVDs.[177] The seventh limited edition DVD volume ranked again the week of June 8 and June 14, 2009, at number six for anime DVDs.[178] The eighth limited edition DVD volume ranked again the week of July 6 and July 12, 2009, at number five for anime DVDs.[179]
For the anime television adaptation, the first season ofClannad received reviews ranging from positive to mixed, while the second seasonClannad After Story received wide critical acclaim. The THEM Anime Reviews website gave the entire series a score of 4 out of 5 stars, with reviewer Tim Jones describing the first season as "the most fleshed-out and real Key animated adaption to date,"[180] and reviewer Stig Høgset stating that the second seasonAfter Story "will play up the tragedies and the drama considerably, quite possibly tearing out your heart in the process. This is where time truly starts to fly by, lending the show some real weight in the emotional departments."[181]
Theron Martin ofAnime News Network gave the first season a 'B+' rating, criticizing its extensive use ofmoe elements, but considered it appealing entertainment for a "fan base who revels in this kind of thing."[182] His review for the second seasonAfter Story was much more positive, giving it an 'A−' rating. He praised the second half of the season as "the best-written quarter ofClannad," stating that it "effectively builds up and delivers its emotional appeal, reinforces the series' central theme (i.e. the importance of family), and peaks visually," and concluding that "only the most cynical of souls will avoid shedding at least a few tears at certain points."[183] On theDVD Talk website, the reviewer Todd Douglass Jr. gaveClannad After Story a "Highly Recommended" rating, stating that "the range of emotionsClannad takes you through is quite daunting. It's charming, cute, hilarious, mysterious, and tragic all at the same time. Few shows are as memorable, and few are this good for this long." He concludes that the storytelling is "heartfelt" and "memorable in so many ways," and that "few shows rise to the levels this one does."[184]
Gamania Entertainment hosted a collaboration event withClannad and their twomassively multiplayer online games (MMOGs)Hiten Online andHoly Beast Online.[185] Between March 26 and June 26, 2008, the two games offered costumes characters could wear which looked like the winter school uniforms fromClannad, along with offeringKyou's pet boarBotan for players to adopt.[186] Players of either game who had a character over level 20 could enter a lottery where 500 people were chosen to winClannad-related goods which included virtual and real-world items such asfile folders, "netcash" cards, sports towels,tapestries, and various items used during gameplay.[187]
ASCII Media Works and Vridge produced the PlayStation 2 visual novelNogizaka Haruka no Himitsu: Cosplay Hajimemashita (乃木坂春香の秘密 こすぷれ、はじめました♥, lit.Haruka Nogizaka's Secret: Cosplaying Has Begun) based on thelight novel seriesNogizaka Haruka no Himitsu. Released in September 2008, the game features the series' characterscosplaying in various costumes either depicting characters from five popular light novel series published by ASCII Media Works, or threeClannad heroines.Haruka Nogizaka can cosplay as Kotomi Ichinose,Mika Nogizaka can cosplay as Nagisa Furukawa (albeit with long hair), andShiina Amamiya can cosplay as Tomoyo Sakagami.[188] The player can also view exclusiveCGs in the game if one of the girls is taken out to various places while cosplaying as one of the aforementioned five light novel series characters, or as theClannad heroines. For example, if Mika is cosplaying as Nagisa, a CG of her eatingdango can become viewable.[188] When cosplaying as one of these tie-in characters, the voice of the girl cosplaying changes to thevoice actress of the character they are cosplaying; for example, if Shiina cosplays as Tomoyo, she is voiced by Tomoyo's voice actressHouko Kuwashima.[189]
A3Dvirtual world calledAi Sp@ce was developed by the video game developer Headlock where users can interact withbishōjo game heroines fromClannad,Shuffle!, andDa Capo II.[190][191] Released in October 2008, the world recreates each game franchise on its own virtual island which are linked with a centralAkihabara Island where users can interact, bridging the gap between the separate franchises. Users are able to create a customizableavatar to represent themselves in the game, along with choosing one game heroine to live with, which is referred to as a character doll, or chara-doll for short.[192] The user and chara-doll reside together on one of the three in-game "islands" depending on which franchise the heroine is from, which includes a house with furniture and clothes that can be purchased. The chara-dolls can also be customizable in that they can develop a unique personality for each user.[190]
Characters fromClannad also appear in the Key crossover seriesKaginado, which premiered in 2021.[193]
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