Clannad ~After Story~ - Episode 19

If nothing else, this episode of Clannad - After Story did confirm one thing for me - Ushio really does share the voice of Chi from Chi's Sweet Home. It had been at the back of my mind for a while now, and I can finally put it to rest.

Anyhow, aside from that little personal pondering, this was very much a "clean-up" episode for Tomoya - Making his peace with Sanae and Akio for looking after his daughter, and taking her back to live with him (a move which also seemed to bring closure for them as Nagisa's parents in the process), getting to meet Fuko again, which at least brought some comic relief to the episode, and most importantly of all perhaps making peace with his father, telling him that he didn't need to worry about his son any more and leaving him free to move to the country with his mother and (with any luck) kick his boozing habits at the same time.


Although I know there would be hell to pay had they done, I found myself watching this episode almost wishing that episode eighteen had been the last - It was such a beautifully emotional reunion of father and daughter, and such a well-realised moment of clarity for Tomoya regarding both his dad and his own life that nothing was really likely to top it, in this episode at least, and so it proved to be the case. After that instalment of heightened emotion that left me crying my eyes out helplessly, this episode felt decidedly run of the mill, rather like the personal equivalent of spring cleaning. Still, I'm sure there is more to come before this series ends (although I'm still struggling to hold much interest in the whole alternate world and balls of light part of the show), so I suppose I shouldn't declare it over until a rotund woman starts singing the Big Dango Family theme tune.