Clannad: After Story (Blu-ray)

July 24, 2012 4 Min Read

Disc Scores

VIDEO 4.5 / 5
AUDIO 4.0 / 5
EXTRAS 2.0 / 5
OVERALL 4.5 / 5

Review by: Fusion3600

Plot: What’s it about?

Tomoya hasn’t been living life to the fullest, to say the least. But his outlook on life changed once he met Nagisa, a beautiful girl who quickly captured his heart. While school has ended and Tomoya has graduated, Nagisa is forced to repeat her final year once again, due to an illness. As he watches their friends begin to take the next steps in their lives, it makes Tomoya realize how precious time is. He decides to get a job on his own and a place of his own, with plans in his mind about a future with Nagisa. Although his situation isn’t a reliable one, he wants to start a life together with Nagisa, so he proposes. She agrees and soon, Tomoya’s life is rich and full, even without a lot of money. Soon enough, Nagisa becomes pregnant and now Tomoya has to adjust his life to become a father. While this is great news, Nagisa’s health concerns pose a threat to the safety of both her and the child. Will Tomoya and Nagisa’s happiness be shattered, or will this lead to their greatest moment?

The stories of Clannad is one of the most popular anime series and in After Story, it comes to a conclusion. The series is dramatic and serious, but also has moments of humor. I found the entire Clannad series to be excellent, as it tells a story that draws you in with interesting characters that develop over the series’ duration. Tomoya and Nagisa are characters that are well crafted and as time passes, you really start to connect with and relate to. The writing is great as well, with a nice blend of romance, drama, humor, and tragedy that reels you in. Clannad: After Story also creates some genuine emotion, which only serves to prove how excellent the writing can be at times. The animation looks great, with good designs and a lot of attention to detail, especially when the visuals are used to reinforce the atmosphere. I found Clannad: After Story to be a fine conclusion to this terrific anime series, so for fans, this is an obvious title to add to your collection.

Video: How does it look?

The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 widescreen. The series looks excellent in this treatment. The visuals are clean, bright, and showcase all of the animation detail. The designs are able to have their full depth and detail on display, which of course enhances the experience. The colors are natural and accurate, with beautiful hues in many scenes. The series has some stunning visuals and they look better than ever in this presentation.

Audio: How does it sound?

The original Japanese soundtrack is here via a DTS HD 5.1 soundtrack. The series isn’t an audio power machine, but this mix is able to create effective atmosphere, which helps. The small details you might not even notice, but add to the depth to the scenes, are very well done. So not an in your face kind of presence, but a subtle, environmental type of audio. The music is wonderful and is able to add even more depth to the soundtrack. The dialogue sounds crystal clear as well, so across the board this is a top tier audio presentation.

Supplements: What are the extras?

This release includes audio comments from members of the English language version of the series, clean open & close animations, and trailers for other Sentai Filmworks releases.