Clannad

Usually I try to watch the entire series before I review it, but in this case I just couldn't. I only watched the first four episodes. I was too annoyed by every element of this show. The characters were annoying and the plot was extremely dumb (of course, that's only my personal opinion based on the episodes I watched). It might get better in later episodes, I don't know. it's probably just that this show is not for me.

School life/romance series in anime must number in the hundreds & mostly I just go YUK. For some reason this one is outstanding. There's a fantasy sideplot that's for anime lovers only, a silly club premise, lots of (over?)emotion but, but... this simply works overall. I think the 2 main characters have depth & the girl's parents are an absolute hoot. Required watching before watching the 2nd series, Clannad After Story, IMHO. This is good, the other outstanding. The Dango endtheme is a classic

The show tries to mask its idiotic plot and writing by using emotional manipulation. The characters are all obnoxious one dimensional archetypes and often times things happen in the plot purely for the purpose of making the viewer react to it emotionally. Not to mention everything just has an awful, unrealistic saccharine feel to it that's completely obnoxious when the story tries to take itself as seriously as it does.