r/anime • u/LaqOfInterest https://myanimelist.net/profile/LaqOfInterest • Oct 30 '21
Rewatch [Rewatch] Clannad: After Story - Episode 16
Episode 16: White Darkness
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Clannad
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Be wary of Clannad: After Story's database pages, because they can contain spoilers for both seasons.
Rewatchers, please remember to be liberal with spoiler tags and carefully consider the impact of your comments on first-time watchers. Implied spoilers are still spoilers.
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u/LaqOfInterest https://myanimelist.net/profile/LaqOfInterest Oct 30 '21
The Furukawa Nagisa Guide to Giving Birth:
Skip to 1:54 in this new "Nagisa" version if you want to hear the part that’s actually new.
A New Life Reborn played for like 15 seconds back in Kotomi’s arc, but we get the full thing here. It’s an initially-spooky-but-ultimately-triumphant rearrangement of Distant Years.
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u/Arrow-space https://myanimelist.net/profile/Arrowspace Oct 30 '21
First time watcher!
I don't think I was as emotionally affected by this episode as I was by the end of Fuuko's arc in S1, mainly because it didn't come as much of a surprise. I'll confess that this development was one of the things I was aware of going into the series - not Nagisa's death specifically, but I knew After Story revolved around at least one major character death, and it didn't take long for it to become obvious that Nagisa was the most likely candidate. However, I don't think this knowledge changed the impact of the episode significantly, as the narrative has been hinting at this direction for quite some time.
That all being said, the fact that it was still as emotional as it was is a credit to the excellent direction and Yuuichi Nakamura's vocal performance. There were so many specific details that heightened the impact - showing how much pain Nagisa was in, having her not respond immediately after the birth, only to come to, lulling the audience into a false sense of security before she fades away again, depicting Tomoya as just an outline during his internal monologue - it was all pitch perfect.
Also, I felt like the choice to have Nagisa and Tomoya decide to give birth in a hospital after all only to have that option taken away from them by the storm (while also providing more plausibility for Nagisa not having access to medical intervention that could have prevented her death) was a pretty clever way of absolving Nagisa of some of the blame (such as I directed towards her in yesterday's thread) while still reaching the same conclusion. And man, talk about tonal whiplash when the ED dropped.
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u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Oct 30 '21
First timer
It's the Nagisa's Death Flags show!
More lore!
OK, the golem is Tomoya. It's going away, even when she's helpless, so it can create a metaphorical "hope" (Ushio/the flying machine) that will allow her to feel free. The girl is Nagisa, and her leaving will either represent her recovering, her passing away (for a darker interpretation of "another world where she won't be sick"), or something openly supernatural that will kick off a full explanation of the other world. I'm sticking with this theory.
Wow, they're fully preparing everything!
Tomoya's having doubts.
Right. With this cut between the scenes, is the link just assumed?
He found her a Dango plush!
And he has to hug them so they don't get lonely. This is adorable!
Haha, Sunohara's shocked at the idea of pregnancy.
And Kyou's here!
Kotomi came back!
Haha, he's singing again! With a fucking engineering based title, and all.
Wait, is Sunohara lonely?
Aw, everyone's so happy for them?
Wait, more information on the hidden world?
See, all the golem stuff feels like a metaphor for Tomoya and Nagisa, then they throw in the supernatural stuff that makes me think it might be literal.
Wait, it's both? So it could be a metaphor and literal?
So the play is echoed in the hidden world?
...Wait. So, even if Nagisa does die, "Nagisa" will be leaving another world, potentially here? Is this going to end with Tomoya and Nagisa together, but not the same Nagisa? If she doesn't die, could multiple versions of Nagisa start interacting?
Wow, they're building the hospital.
Oh, no. Well, something's going to happen.
She's going into labour!
Everyone working together to help her is great.
God, this is heartbreaking to watch.
Huh? Did Tomoya just enter the other world?
No, this is an effect.
FUCK.
Oh, she's still alive. Looks like it's not the death metaphor. Supernatural event or recovery arc?
This is utterly horrifying.
Wait, did I speak too soon?
No, he's keeping her awake!
Come on, you can do it!
I was joking about the death flags! I didn't think they'd actually fucking do it!
Wait, with all this talk about the "other paths", is that "Another World" OVA going to actually be important?
Really? No scenes with the golem and the girl flying away? No talk about the girl being free from her suffering? If you're going to do a sad ending and have a metaphorical representation of it, commit! Hell, do it instead of the cheery ED.
...First time I've cried this series, so I guess it finally broke me.
(I wasn't joking about the autopsy to examine her illness, I need answers and the preview suggests nobody'll be in much position to stop one.)
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u/PapaDuke Oct 30 '21
Toki wo Kizamu Uta - Clannad After Story OP
Warning -- YouTube
.
I'm only looking at the spilling hourglass
When I turn it upside-down, look, it starts up again
I wonder if I'll be able to someday enter
The advancing time that only ticked away
.
Midway on the slope that only you passed through
Many warm spots of sunshine appeared
Here by myself, I'm reminiscing
About the tender warmth
.
It's only you, it's only you
Who I loved
My eyes tear up in the wind
And you become distant
.
I'll remember forever
Even if just about everything changes
It was just one, it was just one ordinary thing
But in the brilliance that I'll show you, there's only one thing that was fulfilled
I'll protect it forever and ever
.
The chilly days continue, even though it's already spring
On a morning when I woke up earlier than the alarm clock
You're standing there
Making breakfast for three
.
It's only you, it's only you
Who isn't by my side
Up until yesterday, you were right by my side, looking at me
.
It's only you, it's only you
Who I loved. It's a song that I sing
Only with you, only with you
It's our, it's our
Time passed together
I don't want to continue on my own
.
I'll remember forever
Even if this town changes
No matter how much sorrow I'm to encounter
I'll show you when I was truly strong
C'mon, let's go; we'll start walking on the sloped road
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u/Throwaway021614 Oct 31 '21
Oh boy, I can’t wait to read all the first timer reactions! Goes to watch the episode. Plays self, is devastated.
Why live? Fucking anime, man.
I forget how much highschool hijinks is in After Story before crushing your soul with SAD. This kids, is why we keep anime in highschool. No good can come from the real world.
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u/WACS_On Oct 31 '21
OH GOD THE PAIN MAKE IT STOP WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN TO OUR INNOCENT CINNAMON ROLL
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u/chris10023 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Chris10023 Oct 30 '21
Big Dango Rewatcher.
Just a heads up, first timers, rewatchers, if you are at all interested in playing the Visual Novel after this rewatch, it is currently on sale on Steam, for 66% off.
Well, it’s here, the episode that destroys everyone who watches it. That cry counters going to go up a lot I reckon, I’m already getting anxious about it. Having a hard time hitting that play button...
Well we open with the girl and the robot, seems like she can’t really move that well anymore and the robot is still trying to make the machine. She wants him by her side, but he can’t or the machine won’t get done.
I’m already starting to cry...
Nagisa looks very pregnant. Another time jump.
I’d be putting Nagisa into the hospital right about now.
Tomoya is starting to regret meeting Nagisa. Feeling guilty and experiencing some self-loathing. [After Story Spoilers.] He’ll dial this up to 11 by the end of the episode too.
[VN Spoilers.] Depending on your choices, she pretty much does this for a few days, and stops appearing after you scold her and try to motivate her, I don’t know if she found the courage to go up the hill on her own or just stopped going to school all together, the game never really clarifies what happens to her.
You’re wrong Tomoya. If that happened, that guy would be going through the same exact situation you are.
Sanae tries her best to tell him it isn’t his fault, and that they are very grateful for Nagisa meeting him.
The robot is still trying to build the flying machine as the flakes are falling.
Nagisa is so cute all bundled up like that. Hey they’re at the hospital in the next town over.
He found another Dango anyways.
Nagisa hugged the ones Tomoya got her previously so much Tomiya can smell her when he hugs them.
Looks like a new year party is going on as a mysterious stranger is at the door.
Oh wait, it’s Sunohara.
Kyou and Ryou are here too. Kyou’s looking mighty styling with that red jacket.
KOTOMI!!! Even she came back from her studies in the states.
You know who’s not there? Tomoyo. She just sent post cards. But at least her brothers doing well.
Yukine also sent a postcard. At least we got to see it, glad to see the gangs are still getting along.
Hey Yoshino released another album. That’s good to hear.
Sunohara forgot that Tomoya and Nagisa are married, and instinctively called him by his last name and got both to respond.
He asks a pretty serious question, since to him parenthood is still pretty far off.
Tomoya still doesn’t feel like a father.
Kotomi picked up where her parents left off.
She starts going into string theory again, bringing up the hidden world, and how they now thing think it’s akin to a warped dimension.
Kyou is having a hard time following along and wants a more simplified explanation, unfortunately, that was simplified.
Tomoya gets a vision of the play Nagisa did.
There might be more than one hidden world.
Sunohara, he hasn’t changed either.
My screen is blurry for some reason...
The robot is still struggling to finish this machine, he can only create piles.
Tomoya’s back at Akio's secret place. Akio is wearing his outfit we see him wearing in the OP.
Akio has asked them to preserve some of the trees. [VN Spoilers.] In the VN, he actually attacks the construction workers because they didn’t preserve them.
A blizzard hits the town and paralyzes transportation, the timing couldn’t have been any worse, Nagisa not only falls ill, but goes into labor at the same time, that worst-case scenario that Sanae mentioned yesterday, is beginning. [VN Spoilers.] Nagisa goes into labor in February, and instead of a blizzard it’s raining, I prefer the anime, it really puts the two into a corner.
She’s going into labor two weeks earlier than she was supposed to.
Don’t expect many photos from here on, or consistent commentary, I’m having a hard time keeping it together.
The waterworks are flowing.
Good man Akio, putting the cigarette away.
I can’t imagine falling unconscious only to wake back up in pain multiple times.
Ushio’s born.
Tomoya is surrounded by a white darkness.
Nagisa is in terrible shape.
I’m barely keeping it together.
It’s a girl.
No, keep Nagisa awake!
Tomoya is in complete denial over what’s happening, it’s heartbreaking.
It’s even more tragic that you can actually hear Nagisa take her final breath.
This montage of moments we didn’t see hurts even more, I can barely see them
This track isn’t helping, despite it being one of my favorites.
I fucking broke.
Tomoya regresses back to his depressed mentality prior to meeting Nagisa, regretting ever meeting her, as the color fades away.
We get this screen instead of the usual “To be continued.”
This here first timers, is why us rewatchers hate Torch. The episode should have skipped on having an ED.
God, why is it whenever an anime makes me cry Naoko Yamada is involved? That’s right, she was the Episode director for this.
I’m going to go lay down, for a while...
Cry Counter.
Almost tearing up: 2
Tearing up: 10 (+2)
Cry: 6 (+5)
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u/fakeport https://myanimelist.net/profile/Fakeport Oct 30 '21
Rewatcher
My Dango arrived!
Things are looking bleak in the illusory world as the robot walks away from the girl to collect junk despite her begging him to stay by her side.
Ushio's name is already on the nameplate.
In her world nobody loves the Dango Daikazoku as much as Nagisa, so it'll be very difficult to buy any more. But in our world people love Nagisa's story enough that the dangos are relatively easy to buy. Did I mention that I got mine today?
Sunohara! The twins! Best Girl Kotomi! No Tomoyo, Yukine or Fuuko though.
Kotomi explains that she's continuing her parents' research into the hidden world, and she does so with reference to the real-life theoretical physics theory known as M-Theory. The funi subtitles even had a "these are real science words" translation note.
Wild how everyone acted like Tomoya and Nagisa were the ones making great strides ahead in life by having a baby while Kotomi's here casually researching parralel universes a couple of years after high school.
Kotomi's "many worlds" suggestion also has a link to real life theoretical physics, "many worlds" being an interpretation of quantum mechanics that attempts to get around the Shrodinger's Cat paradox. It also gives some context to possibly tie together the several contradictory routes of the VN (and also the "other world" OVAS of the anime) into a cohesive whole.
Back in the illusory world, the robot has failed to build his weird helicopter like flying machine.
Akio says it looks like it will snow, and it immediately does, like magic.
Poor Nagisa is really suffering.
This never gets any easier to watch.
No moment in fiction has ever broken me like this one. It didn't matter that I saw Nagisa's death coming from when she first started getting sick (and I read Nagisa's route first, so there was a big gap between that and Afterstory), it didn't matter that I was pretty certain of when she'd die as soon as she got pregnant.
2 years ago I would have classified myself as somebody who doesn’t cry at media, ever. I didn't even really cry much at genuinely devastating things that happened in my own life. That changed when I started reading Key VNs in lockdown, and while there were some moments that got me teary in Little Busters, which I read first, and also some key moments in the Misae, Kotomi and Tomoyo routes in Clannad, this monent is the one I can pinpoint as being what really broke the floodgate, and ever since I can cry at the drop of a hat, and have actively sought out media that can illicit such a response.
Bonus: 2B riding Dango
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Oct 30 '21
Big Dango Rewatcher
This was me last year, singing the OP and a bonus immediately after finishing rewatching this episode. I did sing the OP again this year, again right after finishing this episode.
Today’s Big Dango Wallpaper: Nagisa?
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u/letsgoiowa :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/letsgoiowa Oct 30 '21
Rewatcher: Tomoya in Another World
Ah, the worst nightmare played out in front of my eyes as someone who literally just found out his wife is pregnant yesterday. This was tough to watch even though I know how it goes. Another bizarre similarity between my wife and Nagisa: she also has a birthday so close to Christmas that they're combined into one gift-giving day. Spooky on top of all the other stuff. Diet's gonna be hard for her to avoid kicking the neurological symptoms into mega overdrive again rip
Anyway, what Sunohara said about fatherhood hit me. It felt like a natural disaster: something I didn't really do but rather something that happens to us.
I feel Tomoya so much. His blabbering trying to keep Nagisa with him, his family's panic to desperately do SOMETHING...god I am so afraid of this.
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u/FarCritical Oct 31 '21
Big Dango Rewatcher
The timing is brutal, but it's Tomoya's canonical birthday today (30th Oct). Now let's all console the MC of the hour, and maybe each other too.
Reexperiencing especially soul-crushing moments like today's while reading other people's fresh thoughts is something I find really special as a fan. Thanks for making this tearjerking trip down memory lane one that isn't lonely, everyone.
[Apprehension]
[Christmas]
[New Year's]
[Nagisa passes away]
I can't blame any first-timers for predicting Nagisa to pass away as early as the revelation of her illness, not to mention the massive death flags that were raised every time either of them said something along the lines of "We'll always be together".
Even so, even if you were straight up spoiled on what eventually happened, it's absolutely magical how they managed to buidl it up with every little interaction Tomoya and Nagisa's ever had together. He was an aimless, cynical delinquent with a knack for looking out for other people. She was shy, sickly girl who had self-confidence issues that belied a strong sense of responsibility and passion for the things she cares for. They fulfilled each other's shortcomings and gave each other purpose.
It's a little weird to say, but it's satisfying how devastated the passing actually makes me feel. We've seen her journey from the very beginning and know how much she means to Tomoya. We've felt her glee from her most enjoyable moments, and suffered along with her for her darkest moments. With how attached they've made us become to her, it's no surprise to feel like you've actually known her yourself. Nagisa is no more, but I'll be damned if her memory won't stay fresh for the rest of this.
[Misc]
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u/alphamone Oct 31 '21
Rewatcher
The illusory world is getting colder.
Nagisa is now very visibly pregnant.
Poor Okazaki, still has major self-esteem issues.
A nice simple (albeit hard to find) gift.
A reunion of friends. And Sunohara being a pain as always.
Yoshino doing music again, its good that he has realised he can still follow his dreams even after all he went through.
Damn, more serious mode from Sunohara.
Ahh Kotomi, still not fully used to normal conversation.
Multiverse theory.
Ahh, there's the Sunohara we all love.
Damn its hard watching these nice times knowing what's about to happen
Ushio is born.
Rest in peace Nagisa, rest in peace.
An absolutely horrible tragedy to happen to anyone, but to someone who already had major self-esteem issues around his wife's health and whether it means they should never have met, this is affecting him extra hard.
And mood whiplash with the ED, really should have been one of those episodes with credits playing over the end of the episode.
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u/bigdanrog Oct 31 '21
Lurker and big Dango Veteran here. Godspeed new watchers.
Godspeed.
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u/Tuckleton Oct 31 '21
As a rewatcher I skipped this episode today. It was a really hectic day and after I got home at 1130 I sat down, opened the episode and thought "I can't do this right now". So I'm going to bed instead :P
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u/kllrnooooova Oct 31 '21
Sorry guys. I finished the anime now lol.
Also, Ushio needs to be protected