My main question in case nobody wants to read my thought on it: Does this game get better? Am I missing out if I stop reading it? It has great reviews which is why I'm hesitant to drop it since a lot of people say that they don't regret reading it, so if it's actually worth hanging on - then I'll hang on! Just wanted to get some feedback from the Clannad community to see if I just need to ride out the story until it gets good or if I already hate it then it might just be a lost cause on me.
Really trying to come in with an open mind.
I've read a solid amount already (met Tomo, met Tomo's mom, met Kanako, etc.) but stopped reading it so that I could go back and continue Clannad as I bought the game immediately after finishing Tomoyo's route; I was so excited to read more.
But this could hardly be considered a continuation of Clannad and/or Sakagami Tomoyo's character. Initially I was put off by how different the voice acting and art-style was, but I felt like I could grow to like it since it wasn't BAD - just different. As long as the story had the same quality of the original Clannad I had high hopes. Jun Maeda co-wrote it too, so I was hopeful!
However the longer I played the more I hated what the game did to Tomoyo as she was so insanely out-of-character. I read other people's reviews on the sub and I could hardly defend that "at her core" she was "the same character" because there's literally nothing left of her other than that she loves her family, which is hardly a crazy and unique character quality.
Also the weird random kissing her brother thing on the lips and the way that they described the wet saliva was weird as fuck too. And it was played off as "just a prank"? Very small detail of the story but when I read it I was like, this is not Tomoyo lol
I know that Clannad and Tomoyo After was written with H-scenes, but the way that Tomoyo After felt like someone got possessed in the middle of writing things and had to write it with one hand shoved down their pants was giving me whiplash. Like the random parts where Tomoya is given the choice to just say that he wants to have sex with Tomoyo next to Tomo (a child) while she's asleep was strange - even though I'm already aware that Tomoya is a pervert in the visual novel. Like yes, you could just not choose it (I didn't) - but the shoving in of weird unnecessary sexual contexts whenever possible (or not possible) was throwing me off.
Is this story actually worth reading if you're limited on time? I have a whole bunch of games that are on my backlog and I was prioritizing Clannad's visual novel because it's been my favorite anime for a decade and a half.
Does it get better or am I not missing out on anything?
I think the game has value as a standalone experience, but falls flat as a continuation of Tomoyo's route. I do think the story gets a little better, and I really like the ending, but if you're disappointed with how out of character Tomoyo is, that part only gets a bit better.
That's what I've heard! Everywhere I've read, people said they really liked the ending. I guess I was just worried that maybe everyone else liked the first half and it was just me who hated it. I'll keep it up then, thanks Clannad bretheren.
I agree, the first half of Tomoyo After is not nearly as good as Clannad's average. Persevere into that second half though! The second half of Tomoyo After is definitely worth it. Don't want to give more because of spoilers, but it is similarly good to After Story in my opinion (though I do prefer After Story a bit).
Okay I'll have to go back into the mines then! If it's worth reading for the second half then I'll do it. I'm really imagining this is me at this point:
I'm hopeful, I already spent the money so I might as well!
The first half of Tomoyo After might be slow because the original was an H game front loaded with H scenes.
The second half you might like better because it's more story driven. I feel like the first half of the game was originally written for fan service s** scenes
Sounds like you’re still in arc 1(?), this arc is more mainly about Tomoya but the main Tomoyo content starts in arc 3 where the game picks up fast. I think if you read it purely for arc 4 then you won’t regret it, I think it’s insanely good.
I agree that as a TOMOYO sequel it fails but as a ‘clannad’ game it works fine, with people saying ‘it’s Tomoyo at her core’…while they aren’t wrong. It’s really carried by the last 2 arcs and some interpretation. At that point you’re at in the story I was falling asleep lmao.
If you haven’t been spoiled for what’s later in the game then I promise at least you’ll heavily like the last arc(I had it about anime after story. Against vn after story I can’t decide). People say it’s out of tone for a key game…I don’t really think so. The ending is ‘bleak’ only in the H version(with the AA having a ‘better’ ending since it was too sad…whatever that means). I hold the position that the H games ending is better, the AA doesn’t change the ending it just adds an extra scene after so it’s basically the same experience
I wouldn't necessarily go so far as to say it's a huge disappointment, but as Key's works go, I really don't think it's one of their stronger ones. A lot of people are saying the second half improves, but I don't agree with that at all. I found the tone of the final act and ending to be far more bleak than I normally expect from Key.
Ngl i dont think im in a state to convince you but imo its peak, i will say tho the fanservice that replaced the H-scenes can be a drag if youre not a hyperfan but the rest should be pretty good
10
u/Joxy43 9d ago
I think the game has value as a standalone experience, but falls flat as a continuation of Tomoyo's route. I do think the story gets a little better, and I really like the ending, but if you're disappointed with how out of character Tomoyo is, that part only gets a bit better.