Alright guys , real talk – I need to tell you about Clannad and After Story because holy crap, this show did me dirty in ways I wasn’t prepared for. Like, you know when you start watching something thinking “Oh cool, cute high school romance” and then it ends up emotionally destroying you? Yeah, that’s this show in a nutshell.
So it starts off pretty standard – we’ve got this guy Tomoya who’s basically done with life and school, and he meets this super sweet girl Nagisa who talks about these little dumplings called dango (trust me, that song will live in your head rent-free). At first, you’re like “Cool, cool, another high school romance, I know how these go.” OH BOY, WERE WE WRONG.
Look, the first season is genuinely fun and sweet. You’ve got these amazing characters like Sunohara (literally the best worst friend ever) getting absolutely wrecked by Kyou throwing dictionaries at his face. And don’t even get me started on Nagisa’s parents because they are EVERYTHING. Her dad Akio is like if chaotic good energy became a person, and her mom Sanae… let’s just say never diss her bread unless you want to see a grown man sprint down the street yelling about how delicious it is.
In Comes The PAIN.
But then After Story hits and… guys. GUYS. This show doesn’t just break your heart – it carefully takes your heart out, shows it to you, puts it back, and then repeats the process about five more times. The wild part? It’s not even being cruel about it. It’s just showing life. Real, messy, beautiful, painful life.
Can we talk about how rare it is to see anime actually follow characters into proper adulthood? Not just like “oh they graduated” but actual adulting with jobs and bills and responsibility? Watching Tomoya deal with real-world problems hit way too close to home. There’s this one scene with him at his job that just… man. If you know, you know.
I’m not gonna spoil anything major, but there’s this part about halfway through After Story where I had to literally pause the show and take a walk. Just straight up got up, went outside, stared at the sky and questioned all my life choices that led me to voluntarily put myself through this emotional massacre. Then I came back and watched more because apparently I hate myself.
A Little Philosophy
But here’s the thing – it’s not just sad to be sad. Everything this show does means something. Even that weird supernatural stuff with the girl in the world that ends makes sense eventually (and when it does… oof). It’s like the show is giving you these puzzle pieces, and you’re too busy ugly crying to realize you’re putting together this beautiful picture.
And we need to discuss the dango. THE DANGO. I dare you – I double dare you – to hear that dango song and not feel things. I literally can’t eat dumplings anymore without getting emotional. This show really said “Hey, you know those cute little Japanese dumplings? What if we made them an emotional support weapon?”
Soooo… In Conclusion
Real talk though? Watch it. Yes, it’s going to hurt. Yes, you’re probably going to cry. Yes, you might need to take breaks to emotionally recover. But it’s worth it. It’s so worth it. Just… maybe don’t watch it when you’re going through any major life changes. Or do – I’m not your mom. Maybe emotional devastation is exactly what you need right now.
Also, pro tip: Buy tissues. Like, a lot of tissues. Costco amount of tissues. And maybe some ice cream. And don’t watch the last few episodes of After Story in public unless you’re cool with strangers seeing you ugly cry over anime.
Dango, dango, dango, dango… sorry, not sorry for getting that stuck in your head.
Rating: 100/10-AND NOTHING CAN CHANGE IT !
Image Credit: The Boba Culture