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This synopsis and analysis has minor spoilers but nothing that will flat out ruin the major moments in the show. I just finished watching both Clannad and "After Story" for the second or third time. And here is why I think it is a good or even a masterpiece story.

The opening episode is great. It contrasts the funny and lighthearted nature of Tomoya and how he interacts with his friends and Nagisa’s parents, with the hardship of growing up with an alcoholic dad. This first episode is a microcosm for the entire show. Clannad also does a fantastic job in the “slice of life” category, ... because many of the major plot points are relatable and not blown up or unnecessary because the writers can’t tie plot points together well. Clannad is like life in many ways, capturing the mundane, the goofy, and the depressing all in one story. It doesn’t need to add any unnecessary conflict because it is good on its own.

Characters
The characters are interesting and unique. It is less often nowadays where characters leave an impression on me. All the characters don't follow main stereotypes and in fact in a lot of ways they defy stereotypes. Tomoyo for example, is a badass and is regarded as the strongest character in the show. Having a female character being the strongest, and coming to the rescue of Tomoya and Nagissa later in the show is something that breaks social stereotypes and makes the show more interesting because it is something that we don’t get to see often.

Sunohara is horny, misogynistic, but not overbearingly so, and often gets made fun of because of how desperate he seems. This a breath of fresh air from a lot of anime where a side character is endlessly horny and added fan service just for the sake of fan service. He is also a redeemable character because of his loyalty to Tomoya.

The characters are also lovable. Every time I start the Fuko arc, I am annoyed with her character but every time I grow to love and appreciate her character. All of the characters are funny, engaging or interesting in their own way. Nagisa's parents are endless entertainment but also have a soft side and end up becoming Tomoya's parents in many ways.

All the characters have reasons for doing the things they do and the show stays true to the characters. Even if these reasons are goofy or childish, I think the author intends for some of the plot points this way because this is how high school students act. There are some strange story arcs that are hard to get through (like Fuko's story) but they all serve a purpose in the end.

Tomoya is by far the most fleshed out character and makes an amazing main character. He is funny and caring but also has flaws of being ambivalent to his own life path, avoids taking care of himself and can't forgive his father for the way he treated Tomoya in middle school/ high school.

Real
Clannad is mostly a free spirited story, with moments of hardship. These moments of hardship aren't exaggerated by the writers, or built up bigger for the sake of a show, but they stay true to how the characters would feel in that moment. Moreover, the light hearted and funny moments of the show juxtapose the hardships that the characters go through and make them more impactful in the end.

Nagisa

I have seen some comments online of people being annoyed with Nagisa as the “true heroine” (I was one of these people the first time I watched the show) but I think Nagisa is the best fit for Tomoya in many ways. One of Tomoya’s flaws is that he feels unworthy of love and has a negative self image. Nagisa feels the same way since she knows that she is the reason that her parents had to sacrifice much to help support Nagisa’s sickness. They are both extremely nice and selfless to help other people and in this way they are very similar. Although they are a lot alike, they also deal with their hardships differently. Tomoya stands up for himself and other people, sometimes to a fault, when he thinks that other people are being wronged. Nagisa does not, and prioritizes being polite to other people over striving for what she wants. The two of them cover for each other’s shortcomings really well, and they also provide the other with what they need. Lastly, Nagisa was able to provide Tomoya with something that he was missing, a family. They also immediately have some nice moments together in the start of the show that hints at their future relationship, and makes it more special when they finally get together.

I also think that it is admirable of the writers to pair up Nagisa and Tomoya together, because Nagisa is not the most “pretty” character. I think it is important for young men especially to understand that life is not all about who is the best looking and there are more important things in life than looks.


Great Art and Story Direction

There are few examples of steller story direction. The first being that in the first scene, the camera has muted colors until the two of them speak with each other at the bottom of the hill. The color that ignites signifies the spark of life that Nagisa gave Tomoya. Before this moment, Tomoya was wallowing in his hardship of not being good in school, not being able to play basketball anymore and not feeling accepted and happy at home with his dad. This is echoed by Tomoya’s first thought in the series of hating the town he grew up in and telling himself that nothing good has ever happened to him.

The story of the Robot and the girl is another great story device. It is not clear what it means until Kotomi’s arch where the existence of another world is mentioned. Little pieces of the picture are dropped throughout the story to make sense of something that seems to bear no meaning at first glance. When I was watching initially, the mystery of the Robot and the Girl drew me in to keep watching.

The way the show hints at future story developments is a prime example of master foreshadowing. In the first episode Tomoya hears students talking about the ghost that haunts the school that later blossoms into the Fuko arch. In the second or third episode a civilian tries to get Tomoya to be a witness against Yusuke Yoshino, who later becomes the person that offers Tomoya a job.

This is all to say that this show feels very purposeful, many things that happen do so to set up something that happens later in the show. Which makes the story engaging the first time, and enjoyable to watch a second and third time to pick up on other small details that augment the show.

In Clannad “After Story”, there is a scene around when Tomoya starts working where the clouds change and morph strangely. The animation is very strange and not seen anywhere else in the series. This change in the clouds symbolizes a shift in the story itself, and foreshadows a much harsher reality in the episodes to follow.

Overall, if you are thinking of starting this anime please do. It is an excellent show and is worthy of your time.

The last thing I want to say is that this story takes a certain level of maturity to enjoy. I first watched this in early high school or late middle school and I hated the ending. I wasn’t ready for Tomoya to forgive and apologize to his dad because I wasn’t ready to accept my own father’s way of treating me. I also hated the ending and thought it didn’t make sense. I totally missed all the hits dropped earlier in the show and didn’t accept the main hardship Tomoya faced in the after story.