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I went into this movie knowing all the praise that it gets for it's animation. Besides that fact, I didn't know very much about the story or the characters. So I essentially went in blind. I had also heard a lot about Makoto Shinkai. So it's safe to say I had a certain set of expectations before watching. And I'm glad to say that It did not disappoint.

Story:

The story follows a tale of a young boy named Takao as he interacts with a older woman named Yukari at a local park. They encounter each other many times on rainy days; both of them avoiding their ... daily routines of school and work. They grow closer through their conversations during this time. The story is incredibly simple and it doesn't really have anything too unconventional to offer. But there is one unique aspect that the romance does have: age. Takao is 15 and Yukari is 27. With this age difference there is a social barrier they face. They both know that their relationship is considered taboo and they try to work around that. This gives the romance a feature that not many others have.

But besides the unique aspect of the main characters romantic situation, the progression of the story is one of the movie's weakest elements. There is just not enough time to express the story fully. By the end of the film you'll be left wanting more, but sadly there isn't. The story is not terrible, but as a romance it falls flat at certain points.

Art:

The animation is easily the sealing point of this movie. I was recalling my time watching Redline; which I considered to be the best animation I've ever seen. But I can safely say that this movie rivals Redline for that 1# spot.

The realism of the movie made me think I was watching a live action film.
The scenery is bright with a vibrant color palette that makes each scene a pleasure to watch. The attention to detail of the backgrounds and especially the rain is nothing more than astonishing. It is commendable how much effort was put into this short film.

Sound:

The music is mostly comprised of pianos and ambient noises. I don't feel that most of the background songs are very memorable though. They serve their purpose for the scenes their placed in and not much else after that. The music is not overbearing and the sound effects take center stage to help immerse you in the atmosphere of the scenes. The best song overall was used in the ending scene before the credits. It helped make the scene more emotionally powerful.

The voice acting was suitable. They display emotion when needed and handle dialogue very well. They help make the characters relationship feel more realistic. It was also nice to see Kana Hanazawa playing a more mature rule. Even with more experience in younger characters, she is still able to voice Yukari nicely.

Characters:

This section is the weakest aspect of the film. Given the short length of the movie, there is not much development for the characters. Takao and Yukari's relationship seems spontaneous. Their feelings for each other aren't explored until the very end, with a out-of-the-blue confession. The romance could have been fleshed out more, if this were given a longer run time or even a full series. This could have been a better love story, but I felt like a lot of key development was left out. Leaving us with a slightly dull relationship.

The side characters are not shown enough to leave any real impact. They are there to serve the friend/family rules. They receive little to no development and are quite forgettable by the end of the movie. None of them are atrocious, but are not memorable on their own either.

Enjoyment/Overall:

I enjoyed the movie. The characters and story are weak, but I feel that the romance is serviceable enough, along with the amazing animation, to merit watching this film. The animation brings this movie up a few notches. The movie is not a masterpiece but is still worth watching if for nothing more than the eyecandy.

All of us have wanted to time travel at least once in our lives. To either change past wrong doings or experience the distant future. But many do not stop to realize the gravity of their decision to time travel. You can drastically change any time period. Here is a movie about the benefits of time traveling; but also the consequences that can come with it.

Story:

Our main heroine is Makoto. A generally outgoing and bombastic girl who enjoys playing baseball with her two friends, Chiaki and Kousuke. One day while dropping off notebooks in another classroom Makoto hears a sound coming from the Science room. ... She enters the room but no one is there. She tries to leave out the other door but it is locked. She notices something on the ground, goes to pick it up, but is startled by some sort of shadow. She falls done on the object. Later on while riding home on her bike, her breaks stop working and she is unable to slow done before the train stop. She is flipped over and hit by the train; only that's what should have happened. Instead she finds herself transported back a few moments before the accident.

She later finds out from her aunt that she can "leap through time." Makoto believes that time travel is not possible. But she tries to do it again, and is successful. She then uses the power to redo certain aspects of her past; to make her life easier by doing so. But she eventually finds out that her endeavors of self-happiness have caused others around her pain. Some of which she is not able rectify.

Art:

Being as the animation is done by Madhouse, you can expect high quality. Most of the backgrounds are detailed in appearance and portray a realistic environment well. The character designs are simplistic but do not look ugly. They aren't unique by any means, but they do fit.

Sound:

There is no background song I would say is amazing or is able to be played on it's own. But the music is suitable for the scenes and is not ear-numbingly annoying either. The ending song for the credits was quite enjoyable though. Probably the best song overall. The voice actors were able to display the emotions of the characters nicely. Despite not having many roles under their belts; I think they did an exceptional job.

Characters:

There is a diverse cast here. Most of the main characters receive a good amount of development. As the situation around them changes; so do the characters. While some of the side characters aren't very fleshed out, there is enough to them for you to understand the jest of their personality. Given the run time of the film; I wasn't expecting to see much development from the less important characters. But I feel that what we got is enough.

Enjoyment/Overall:

Having enjoyed Wolf Children so much; I expected to get as much enjoyment out of this film. While I feel that Wolf Children is slightly better, this film is still a great time travel flick. Is there better time travel stories? Yes. Is Steins;Gate better? Yes. But I still feel that this movie is very enjoyable. Mamoru Hosoda is a great director and I hope to see more from him in the future.

I don't know whether you would consider this an anime or not, but if so, then this is an abomination. Not only is the imagery appalling; the music is complete with incoherent lyrics, and obnoxious screaming. The video makes no sense I don't see how anyone can think otherwise. This isn't artistic or an imaginative piece of work. It is a deplorable music video that should not exist. But sadly, it does. And I wish I could un-see it completely. Unless you want to watch this out of curiosity or as just a challenge; avoid it like the plague.

First off I most comment that Clannad: After Story is my favorite anime and I may have some bias towards it.

Story: 10

This is an example of a romance done right. The story itself is nothing special. The first few episodes have their own in-closed story. Beyond that the story focuses around Tomoya and Nagisa's growing relationship. You follow along as they go through good times and rough times. The real enjoyment from the story is being able to connect with the characters on an emotional level (which Clannad does very well)

Art/Animation: 9

Similar to other KEY adaptations like Air and Kanon 2006, Clannad follows ... the same character design. Very moe-isc with KEY's signature style of big eyes. The animation is done by Kyoto Animation and is of quality. No derp-faces, weird movements, or blurred backgrounds. What you'd come to expect from Kyoani. As with there other and more recent anime, Clannad does not disappoint in this aspect.

Sound: 10

The OST is a beautiful array of music that fit the scenes very well. There's music for happy scenes, and sad scenes. The music adds a sense of depth to the scenes that they accompany and help to make those scenes seem more alive. The OP is a nice piano melody with a soft yet vocally powerful song. The ED is a complete contrast to the sad ending any given episode usually has. I personally don't like it but some of you might. Depending on whether or not you like the song and or are ok with the drastic tone shift.

Character: 10

The characters are likable and have a lot of development and back story. Some characters even get dedicated episodes to flesh them out a bit more. They also did this in the first season, for characters like Fuuko and Kotomi. This character development adds depth and realism to the characters. You grow attached to them and you feel for the struggles that they go through. You feel the emotion that these characters convey, whether it be on a subconscious or a personal level.

Enjoyment/Overall: 10

I enjoyed this anime through and through. I can watch it multiple times and it still leaves a lasting impression on me every time. We all have that one anime that we regard as perfect. For me, that anime is Clannad. If you dropped Clannad on the first season, give After Story a shot. It is truly a masterpiece of an anime and I highly recommend it.