Kanon

It’s been 7 years since Yuuichi Aizawa visited his aunt Akiko, but now that his parents have gone to Africa to pursue their careers, he is finally back in the little northern town. Yuuichi is not really overjoyed with the prospect of living here though, because all of his memories of this place and the people living in it have mysteriously vanished. His cute cousin Nayuki seems like a stranger as well, even though he used to play with her all the time when they were younger.

On the day of moving into his new home, Yuuichi starts unpacking the boxes and stumbles upon a red headband that no one seems to recognize. This is one of the first clues that will make Yuuichi take a stroll through the snow-covered town and make him start recalling fragments of his past, broken promises and buried secrets. Yuuichi soon realizes that there is something supernatural going on, and all of his new female acquaintances seem to have links to his forgotten past.

Tsukimiya, Ayu Main

Horie, Yui Japanese

Kawasumi, Mai Main

Tamura, Yukari Japanese

Sawatari, Makoto Main

Iizuka, Mayumi Japanese

Aizawa, Yuuichi Main

Kisaichi, Atsushi Japanese

Minase, Nayuki Main

Kouda, Mariko Japanese

Misaka, Shiori Main

Sato, Akemi Japanese

Kurata, Sayuri Supporting

Kawakami, Tomoko Japanese

Minase, Akiko Supporting

Minaguchi, Yuko Japanese

Piro Supporting

Misaka, Kaori Supporting

Kawasumi, Ayako Japanese

Yokota, Mamoru Producer

Itou, Naoyuki Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Yamauchi, Shigeyasu Episode Director, Storyboard

Kosaka, Harume Episode Director, Storyboard

Reviews

Jan 1, 2008

anonimus91136

Recommended

Kanon 2002, the predecessor of our beloved Kanon 2006. Since Kyoto Animation released the remake of this highly acclaimed eroge by Key, the Toei Animation version has been overshadowed and underestimated. Is Kanon 2006 really that superior as many will want you to believe?

Well, in my personal opinion, Kanon 2006 definitely surpasses its predecessor in almost every category, due to reasons that I will keep to myself, as this is a review for Kanon 2002 and not a comparative essay. But believe me, those two are not that far away.

Kanon's 2002 story, although crammed in 13 episodes, is consistent and well developed, at least in ... a superficial way. You will realize at the end of the anime that many questions were left unanswered. Although they're not highly relevant, and would only serve as an aid to understand the story in a more in-depth manner. After you watch the first character arc you will realize what I'm trying to say.

The artwork is not that bad at all, judging from the year, but what really gets on my nerves would be the exaggerated big chins the characters have. Trust me when I say that it's going to take you time to get used to seeing those abnormal chins throughout 13 episodes of 24 minutes, if you manage to control the urge of dropping the anime due to this factor. It is one of the major reasons Kanon 2002 is discriminated, and not without reason. It's just weird.

The sound was average, nothing too flashy or too boring. They match well the mood of the anime, although the opening theme is kind of boring and monotonous if you ask me. Again, Kanon 2006 wins over 2002 because of this; it clear when you listen to 2006's opening theme.

Character development, in my criteria, was where Kanon 2002 gains an upper hand. The character development, in my opinion, was very realistic. They behave in a more humanly fashion, and their emotions are really strong and human-like. You'll be able to witness love, fear and resentment that will let you sympathize and identify yourself to the characters. Personally, it is this factor that kept me sitting down in front of the monitor for about three hours straight, watching the last half of Kanon.

Well, Kanon 2002 is a good watch, and probably is not going to disappoint you as many people will have you think. It's a very decent piece of work and deserves a good place amongst the innumerable drama anime we have out there. 7.5/10 I would have to say, but since decimals aren't available I'll round it up to 8.

And as a small piece of advice: watch this one before 2006, it's going to boost your experience.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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May 27, 2008

Quintessence

Recommended

Before reading any of my reviews, please keep in mind that I am a VERY harsh critic. I do not hand out 10's easily and anything I rate 7 or higher I consider recommendation worthy.

In my opinion it is necessary to watch BOTH Kanons in order to get a full appreciation of the series. So I will give my review for BOTH at the same time, comparing and contrasting what I believe to be the key advantages and disadvantages of each. I will be rating them separate however. Please keep in mind that one series is primarily drama while the other is primarily comedy. Because ... of this it is very difficult to accurately compare the two. Chances are that if you see people saying they liked one much more than the other, then they probably like that GENRE much more than the other.

Story 8/10
Despite popular opinion, it is actually the original story that has the better storyline. The stories of Nayuki (8/10 & 4/10) and Shiori (9/10 & 2/10) were not done very well at all in the remake. Neither was Makoto's (10/10 & 8/10) as they attempted to make her story ending seem light, happy and even cute which significantly lowered the impact of it. Ayu's story (8/10 & 9/10) was probably done a little bit better in the remake, though I liked the way they handled the story about the hair band in the original more. Mai's story (4/10 & 10/10) was obviously done better in the remake, and is the remakes biggest attraction. The main thing that the original story lacks is humor, which Kyoto Animation makes up for with interest in the remake, giving depth to an otherwise flat main male lead. The original series started slowly due to the lack of humor, unlike the remake. However, the ending was done better in the original because they did a better job with Nayuki as well as added more importance to the accidents, which the remake glossed over a bit. A nice touch in the remake is the incorporation of Pachelbel's Canon in D as a minor theme for the series.

As for the story in general, it wasn't really that original of an idea. Main male character returns to a town he lived in as a child, but he can't remember anything about his time there because of what appears to be a tramatic experience he had 7 years ago. He ends up spending part of the series trying to regain his lost memories of the time he spent there, and who he spent that time with. It's pretty much all been done before, but I strongly believe that something doesn't necessarily have to be completely original to be good. And Kanon was good, though you need to see both in order to better understand exactly what happened 7 years ago, and to understand why certain characters are the way they are. In other words Mai in 2006 and Nayuki and Shiori in the original, both Ayu and Makoto lack certain bits of important information in each series. Like it's predecessor, AIR, Kanon is at times very emotional. They don't call them "cry games" for nothing. There will be times when you will laugh (especially in 2006), there will also be times when you will cry (especially in 2002), and if you appreciate a good drama then you should find the series to be enjoyable from beginning to end. If I had to rate the overall story, then I'd probably have to rate it 8/10 for the original and 5/10 for the remake. Unfortunately the butchering of Nayuki and Shiori severely hurts my rating for 2006, otherwise it would have been 8/10. The original would have been 9/10 had Mai's story been done better. Also, Kanon had a more obvious haremish feel to it than AIR did, and had less flow between character arcs, though it didn't really affect my rating it may have if the review system worked with decimals.

Art 4/10
I don't think there can really be any debate here. The art for 2006 was much, much better than the original. The original had a very obvious h-game art style. The characters had very rough designs, though the detail was good. The backgrounds were dull and flat. Overall it seemed very early-90ish, which is a bit hard to handle considering it came out in 2002. Overall I'm being generous when I give it a 4/10. You would expect them to do a better job than they did. However, Kanon 2006 was extremely visually pleasing. The art is very reminiscent of AIR TV which is a very good thing. I love the way the background art was done. The scenery was spectacular, the skies were amazing. The attention to detail was stunning with an excellent choice of colors, color techniques and appropirately placed CG enhancement. As with AIR, the thing I liked most was the eyes. The way they combine CG effects with contemporary art to make the eyes shine like that is beautiful. Kyoto Animation gets full marks from me for art, 10/10.

Sound 8/10
The sound is pretty good for both shows, but 2006 definitely has the edge. The BGM were good for both, though I give 2006 the advantage in the theme song department. I loved Ayana's songs. Last regrets was powerful and beautiful and Kaze no Tadori Tsuku Basho was extremely catchy and uplifting. Flower and Floresence just didn't stir the same kind of emotions in me. The voice acting was good in both, the edge again going to 2006 mainly because of the one change they made from 2002 to 2006. The decision to change Yuuichi's seiyuu to Tomokazu Sugita was pure genius. His highly sarcastic tone was a perfect fit for a Key leading role. His interaction with Ayu's and Makoto's characters was pure magic. However, Makoto in episode 9 of the original was much better done than in the remake version. Overall I give the original a 8/10 and 2006 10/10 once again.

Character 8/10
The characters follow some of the typical Key stereotypes. Plenty of moé provided by Ayu (very similar character to Nagamori in ONE, only difference is Ayu's moéness) and Makoto (sort of a cross between Nanase from ONE and Michiru from AIR, similar hairstyles too, again with added moéness), the quiet and seemingly unpersonable Mai (nearly identical to Akane from ONE in personality and looks almost identical to Nanase from ONE also), the childhood friend (in this case a cousin) Nayuki (sort of like Misaki from ONE personality wise) and the seemingly cheerful girl with a dark secret Shiori (similar to Kano from AIR) and of course the highly sarcastic (in 2006 anyway) main male lead Yuuichi which seems to be a Key trademark. I made no comparisons with CLANNAD, because unlike ONE and AIR it came after Kanon and thus had no influence on the series whatsoever (even though Jun wears a CLANNAD t-shirt in episode 13 of the original series, other things to watch for are ONE's Nanase making several cameos in episode 17 and 18 of 2006 and a Moon poster seen in the theater in 2006). Stereotypes aside though, they were great. Some were done better in the original (Nayuki 9/10 & 2/10 and Shiori 7/10 & 3/10), other were better in 2006 (Mai 7/10 & 10/10, Makoto 8/10 & 9/10, Ayu 8/10 & 9/10, Yuuichi 2/10 & 10/10). Overall I rate both an 8/10. This is due to the fact that the highly humorous nature of Yuuichi, Ayu and Makoto (as well as Akiko at times) in 2006 made it easier to watch. However, the characters in the original (despite having the same seiyuu) seemed more dramtic to me and better portrayed the more serious elements of the series.

Entertainment 9/10
The entertainment value for both series are high. The original's main source of entertainment is the more dramatic elements of the story, while 2006's main source of entertainment is the more humorous elements of the story. Depending on which you prefer it will drastically affect your opinion on which series is better. Also, a lot of people tend to like 2006 more because of Mai. As I said earlier, 2006's main shortcomings arc-wise were Nayuki and Shiori, who aren't nearly as popular as Mai. It is these 2 factors, combined with the difference in art, more than anything else that I attribute to 2006's much higher rating than the original. Maybe it was because I saw the original first, but I found that the story in the original was much more engrossing than 2006. Possibly the light atmosphere in 2006 made it easier for me to take breaks while watching, but when I watched the original I couldn't put it down. For that reason, combined with the effectiveness of the drama in the original I have to rate it a 9/10 for entertainment. It would have been 10/10 had Mai's story been done better. If you like sappy, slow paced drama, then you will love this series thoroughly. Even though I really enjoyed 2006, I have to rate it a little lower at 8/10 due to the fact that certain elements that I felt were key were missing. They did a marvelous job with Mai, but Shiori's story was confusing and Nayuki was completely glossed over. So i'm docking 2 marks for ruining 2 stories.

Overall 7/10
Though I rate them 7/10 for the original & 8/10 for the 2006 version, it would actually be closer if I could use decimals. The original was more like a 7.5/10 for me. The remake was slightly better overall even though I split the category ratings 2 for each with one tied. The bottom line is; if you like drama more, then you'll probably like the original more, but if you like comedy more then you'll probably like the remake more. I tend to appreciate both roughly the same so I ended up liking both versions for completely different reasons and disliking elements of both versions for completely different reasons. In order to get a more complete story it is recommended that you watch both as the original did a poor job with Mai and the remake butchered Nayuki and Shiori. The main reason why most people like the remake more is because Mai is an extremely popular character, the art was much better and there was a lot more humor.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Sep 27, 2019

YuiHirasawa-

Mixed Feelings

SPOILERS BELOW – VN AND ANIME

Kanon 2002, a show associated more with internet memes about extremely long chins than with the content of the media itself – if you’ve seen it, you know what I mean. However, as with any anime, a proper watching of this show requires a context that supersedes the mockery of the artstyle. As usual, this review will include a discussion of the show’s music, art, characters and plot before concluding.

First, some context. Kanon was released in 1999 as the first visual novel by the now-esteemed Key studio, followed by Air in 2000 and Clannad in 2004. The studio itself found ... its origins in the core developers of the Tactics studio, who had previously worked on Moon (1997) and One (1998), and then split off into the Key/Visual Arts studio we know today. It’s also worth saying that Jun Maeda – the mastermind behind much of the incredible music that the studio is known for – also played a large role in developing the soundtrack and several of the routes in the original VN, the former of which are either directly taken or modified for their respective anime.

In terms of Kanon specifically, it was originally introduced as an adult visual novel consisting of five individual routes (plus one mini-route, which we’ll talk about earlier) that each focus on the main protagonist, Yuiichi, and one of the main heroines. Kanon, in typical VN style, follows a branching plotline of which only one ending route per playthrough can be achieved, and comprises different “bad ends” that do not reveal some of the art shown in the “good ends” to each route. It’s also worth saying that the original release of Kanon is true to its genre by being hentai in nature, however, most of the erotic content is reserved for specific “h-scenes” that were stripped in later “all-ages” releases. It’s worth saying that the developer’s earlier works – Moon and One – did not receive such releases due to their relative unpopularity compared to Key’s later works, and it’s arguable that the erotic content is completely irrelevant to the VN’s story, thankfully, as I skip such scenes in my own playthroughs. Furthermore, I have yet to see a compelling argument to the contrary – though I encourage you to try and convince me!

With all that out of the way, it’s time to move onto the anime itself. The show was produced by Toei animation and released in 2002, with a one-episode OVA (Kanon Kazahana) released the following year. This review will focus entirely on the anime rather than the OVA, and properly so, as I feel that the latter fails to capture both the anime interpretation or the purpose of the story as a whole. The plot picks up directly where the VN gameplay begins, and one of the major characteristics of Kanon ’02 is its unique conclusion of four routes in roughly one episode apiece. The show, notably, does strongly adopt the “one true ending” interpretation of the VN conclusion, which is left much more up to user adoption than its spiritual successor, Air.

First, let’s progress to the music. The mastermind behind the original VN soundtrack is Jun Maeda, who also wrote two of the routes in the original game (Makoto and Mai). In general, the atmosphere of the VN is driven by its soundtrack, with the excellent and distinctive “Last Regrets” setting the tone for the rest of the game. The anime, on the other hand, chooses to accommodate an entirely new OP and ED, which, although being decent pieces of work in their own right, fail to capture the sense and feel of the original OST. That being said, the rest of the soundtrack does a good job of serving as the anime BGM, always serving to augment rather than detract from the exposition and climax shown in the animation. And speaking of animation, that is where we will turn to next.

The animation is probably what you know this show for, and not for bad reasons – a simple google search of “Kanon chins” will reveal the famous 9-panel composite image featuring Yuichi with a grotesque extension of his lower face. This meme has perpetrated so far that it has been a matter of confusion to some casual viewers if these images are real or faked – and the former is most definetely untrue. Yes, Toei may have adopted a strange affinity towards its characters’ chins in Kanon ’02, but even five minutes of play through the original game (or any early Key work, for that matter) reveals that the studio is actually pretty close to the original character design. The art is, however, particularly off-putting when compared to the much-higher standard of the Kyoani-produced Kanon 2006. I won’t attempt to justify this artstyle (as I’m not a huge fan of it either) but it’s worth saying that 1999 was a different time for character design, and thankfully Kanon 2002 includes enough plot to keep you interested beyond the art memery. On related notes, none of the rest of the art in the show is particularly outstanding, though it is worth saying that the studio stays amazingly close to original character and scene design, even nailing things like the characters’ dress and setting. When looking holistically, however, I’d rate the art at sub-average overall.

Next, let’s move onto the characters. Strangely enough, Kanon ’02 generally does a very solid job accurately portraying most of the characterization shown in the VN, particularly difficult given the limited number of episodes. The MC, Yuichi, is definitely the worst of the bunch, in typical VN fashion. Absolutely nothing about him is remarkable, in a good or a bad way. He isn’t particularly intelligent, funny, cruel or ambivalent. He just exists, and serves as a neutral looking-glass through which the viewer can watch the stories unfold. It’s also worth saying that while I don’t hate his VA, he is the only member of the six leads who was re-cast in the 2006 remake (to Tomokazu Sugita, who IMO cannot be competed with). Really the only arc that he adopts a bit of a personality in is Ayu’s, who is the next logical figure to talk about next. I’m a Yui Horie fan and she almost singlehandedly turns this anime’s casting from lackluster to good. Ayu, the “true ending” of the VN and also of the anime itself, checks pretty much all the boxes for a typical Key heroine – mysterious, clumsy, having wings. Her character draws its spark more from her relationship with the other characters than anything else. And, interestingly, this actually does much better than you’d expect in Kanon. The show tempts you to view her as a childish airhead, and then traps you in an unexpected whirlwind of character development. My biggest criticism is how this seems to happen much closer to the end of the show (episodes 11, 12 and 13), but that’s somewhat unavoidable, as we’ll see below.

Next is the remaining four leads. First is Mai, whose arc is covered and completed across two episodes (7 and 8), in which the directors shift almost all focus onto wrapping up her story. Mai is the typical aloof, taciturn girl contrasted by her gregarious friend Sayuri, who befriends Yuichi. Mai’s story is one of demons and Yuichi’s role in accompanying her fight. Frustratingly, however, I feel that the VN accomplishes the nuance of her story far better than the anime, which concludes that her struggles are mainly psychological rather than supernatural, rather than leaving it up to the viewer’s interpretation. It is with Mai that Yuichi begins to regain his memory and interactions with her as a youth. Shiori’s story (episode 9), follows another Key trope of mysterious sickness, which again Yuichi finds himself involved. Shiori is perhaps the most shafted character in the entire show, as her VN ending is incompatible (arguably) with Ayu’s. Part of me wants to believe that Toei’s hands were tied (adopting a branching plotline to a linear one is hard!) but as the Shiori arc wrestles with some of the most “real” topics (such as family abandonment and self-harm) I can’t help but wish it got some better dealing. Shiori, unlike the remaining characters, also has the unique characteristic of not having any backstory with Yuichi, unlike Makoto, who we will discuss next. Makoto’s arc (episode 10) is the most supernatural of the bunch, describing her change from a mysterious, vengeful girl to a key part of the MC’s upbringing. If a bit short, I can say that the Makoto arc is brought perhaps to the most accurate ending in the anime (not the OVA sadly), and actually doesn’t disappoint. Finally we’ll move to Yuichi’s cousin Nayuki, who has the unique characteristic of having part of her arc completely stripped from the anime, in a bit of a strange way, as we will see in the next section. Overall, the characters of Kanon are good – generally true to their VN portrayals, suffering more from lack of screentime than anything else.

Now onto the meat – the plot! Rather than explaining line-by-line (and to save those of you who don’t want it completely spoiled), I’ll take a look at the methodology behind the plot progression as a whole. Like I mentioned, Toei attempts to portray a branching plotline in a linear fashion, an extremely difficult task. The first 6 episodes include simultaneous development of some of the earlier points in the VN’s plotline, with Yuichi interacting with several of the heroines per episode. The studio then uses the following episodes to develop and conclude each of the arcs, as mentioned above, concluding with Ayu’s arc as the “true” ending. Oddly enough, I find myself seriously appreciating the commitment to concluding each arc before moving onto the next (impossible, of course, in the original game, as each playthrough can only conclude one arc), rather than trying to awkwardly finish each simultaneously at the end. The inevitable weakness, however, lies in the limited time for each. For example, Mai’s story slowly and convincingly develops a sense of dread and mystery in the game, but includes mere quick exposition in the anime. This issue extends, moreover, to plot conclusions – the miracle in Shiori’s arc is downplayed or even downright ignored.

I think this issue of branching-vs-chronological-vs-simultaneous lies squarely on the question of Ayu’s story and her wish. In the game, it’s suggested (and again, left largely up to reader interpretation!) that Ayu sacrifices herself and uses Yuichi’s wish to save each of the other heroines: Mai’s demons, Shiori’s health, Makoto’s humanhood, and Nayuki’s family – in the anime, it’s very clear that her wish can only save one. And her choice is for Nayuki, saving her mother Akiko in exchange for her own existence. Perhaps there’s an easy explanation for this from the Toei standpoint: it’s the best way to make up for what Nayuki is missing in the anime adaptation. While the incestuous topic isn’t foreign to the genre, it’s painfully obvious throughout the entire adaptation that the Nayuki romance is intentionally disregarded. I can’t exactly explain why, as this omission is immediately prevalent to those who have played the game, but I really appreciate how it emphasizes the actual point of her route – family above self (an old Key favorite). It is worth saying that the OVA attempts to revisit this omission, but in a crude and unsatisfactory way.

This is a bit of a quandary that brings up a greater question about Kanon as a whole – in the VN, Yuichi only regains the memories of the girl on whose route he completes, and like I said earlier, there can only be one. Does this mean that the rest of those memories (specifically, for the three other heroines disregarding Shiori) are left permanently un-remembered? Or did they not exist in the first place, and those memories are being spontaneously generated in his own mind as his relationship deepens with his girl of choice? It’s not a question that the 2002 adaptation really grapples with, but it’s hard for me to fault Toei given the short time that they had. I can’t help but wish, however, that they had dug a little bit deeper into the tension between the wish of one heroine and the needs of another. Ayu’s story is heart-gripping, no lie, but I feel that it misses a bit of the Maeda-esque mystery present in his game.

So overall, Kanon 2002 exceeded my (admittedly low) expectations. The art wasn’t great but was bearable for someone who had completed the several hours necessary to finish each route in the VN. The soundtrack, while sadly not including the excellent theme, was decent but not remarkable. The characters, average but fairly representative of the source material. And the plot – not exactly the most complete way to resolve a branching plotline, but certainly not the worst. Overall, I appreciated Kanon ’02 and actually ended up giving it a much higher rating than I expected. I am, however, excited to finish the 2006 version and see how it compares.

Only regret is the lack of the Sayuri mini-route as she’s pretty much best girl.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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