Episode 19:
After the trip, Ushio moves into Tomoya’s apartment and they begin their new life together. On one of his days off, Tomoya and Ushio are “introduced” to Kouko’s sister, Fuko, who has recently been discharged from the hospital after a 9 year coma. Later Tomoya makes amends with his father and persuades him to move back to the countryside with Shino. After saying farewell to his father, Ushio notices an orb of light return to Tomoya.
Episode 20:
Tomoya finally meets Ushio’s teacher, only to find out that it’s everyone’s favorite violent switch-hitting tsundere, Kyou. Yoshino tells Tomoya that Fuko really like Ushio, and they arrange a play date for Fuko and Ushio. While playing cards, Tomoya starts to reminisce about Nagisa, thinking that these are the kinds of things they would be doing together if Nagisa was still alive.
The following day, Kyou tells Tomoya about the upcoming sports festival, and with some encouragement from Ushio and Akio, Tomoya elects to participate in the parent-teacher relay race. While on one of her strolls, Ushio meets Fuko, and they take a walk together. Meanwhile, Tomoya begins a training regimen in anticipation of sports day until Ushio suddenly falls ill with a fever.
Episode 21:
Sports day passes by, and Ushio’s fever still does not go down. Ushio asks to go on a trip again, but Tomoya tells her that they will go once she recovers and feels regret for not being able to fulfill her wish. After some time, Tomoya resigns from work to stay by her side, and Yoshino makes Tomoya promise to come back when he can. Akio offers money to help Tomoya, but he refuses stating that this is something he can take care of on his own. The fever persists into winter, and the fatigue from taking care of Ushio around the clock seems to be taking its toll on Tomoya as well.
Ushio asks again that she wishes to go on a trip, and Tomoya finally obliges the request. When the two leave, it begins to snow, reminding Tomoya of the day Nagisa died. As they walk together, Ushio’s condition worsens and she dies in his arms. Shortly afterwards, the grief ridden Tomoya collapses in the snow as well. In the illusionary world, the girl collapses on her journey as her own condition seems to be deteriorating as well. Tomoya once again doubts the results of his life after becoming involved with Nagisa.
Impressions:
Tomoya’s happiness has indeed been fleeting. His life with Nagisa was short lived, and then Ushio died shortly after entering his life again. In Air and Kanon, most of the tragedy was centered around the girls. Tomoya is the tragic figure for Clannad with the two most important people in his life dying in his arms. Though with Ushio, he did compound the illness by taking her outside. While Ushio’s death wasn’t quite as poignant as Nagisa’s, due mostly to not knowing her as long as Nagisa (39 eps vs. 5 eps), it still got me a bit choked up. Tomoya was still a bonehead for taking her outside though.
The theme of family has come around full circle. Previously it was Tomoya that was always helped others with their situations, but now he finally resolved his own longstanding issues and made peace with his father.
So anyway, it’s time for Clannad’s miracle to happen, or so we should be led to believe by the accumulation of all the orbs of light through both seasons. I’m not going to spoil the ending in any way, so it’s going to be a surprise for me no matter what happens. I’ll be under a rock until the finale airs to avoid the dreaded spoiler monster.
Random closing thoughts:
-Tomoya sure has been seeing the illusionary world a lot lately.
-The once and future Fuko returns! I guess I’m in the vocal minority that likes starfish girl and her crazy antics.
-After a nine year coma, Fuko should be going through some intense rehabilitation just to even be able to stand up. At least Kanon was more realistic when you-know-who was in a wheelchair after she woke from her coma. I’ll suspend my disbelief though because this is Key.
-If Kyou was a high school teacher, I think she’d be very inclined to throw dictionaries at her students.
-Botan got big in the past five years. She shall make a delicious boar stew.
-Are we going to get a Little Busters anime after Clannad is over? How about a Planetarian OVA? Or the longshot… A decent ONE adaptation? I’m fine with anything, just as long as we don’t get a Tomoyo After anime.
PS: Yes, I know there are way too many Ushio screenshots, but she’s just too adorable.
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Well, he did say ‘discharged’ from the hospital, so you could assume that she finally woke up, then went through rehabilitation, then was discharged. And I enjoy her antics most of the time too, but you have to admit they are borderline stupid sometimes :p
That’s an interesting comment about how the tragedy is mostly centered on Tomoya in Clannad, whereas in Kanon it was more focused on the girls (haven’t seen Air, so I can’t compared to that).
The one flashback thing we saw in episode 16 (I think) was really rather shocking to me. Us seeing the imaginary world doesn’t necessarily mean Tomoya is seeing it. However, that little flashback when he remembers the play Nagisa put on mixed with images that seem to be of the illusionary world is rather disturbing.
Nazarielles last blog post…Koukaku no Regios – 09
@Nazarielle: Yay, a fellow Fuko supporter. Point taken on Fuko having already gone through her rehab. The details were still pretty vague, but I suppose that could have happened. My thought was that she was released right after waking up… Then again Key doesn’t use real world logic very often. Key titles use Key logic.
I think it’s implied that Tomoya’s link to the illusionary world is getting stronger, hence why he’s seeing it more often. He zones out, catches a glimpse of the world, and then expresses shock. Judging from his reactions, I think he does realize he’s seeing another world. Though until the finale, this is all just conjecture.
I’ll end this comment with a dozo~
Haha, well, I wouldn’t put it past them to totally forget about that whole messy ordeal of actually having to go through rehab, but seeing as they did it properly with I’m sure you know who in Kanon, I’ll take it on faith that in the background somewhere, Fuko woke up and had to go through rehab.
I dunno about how much he realizes it. For a while he’s just thought that it was a play he saw as a kid, just like Nagisa did. Huh… I should rewatch the end of the first season, because… oh shit, I think I just hit on something here. Nagisa says she remembers how the play ended, but how did she figure out? I can’t remember if she said she just suddenly remembered it or if she found the play. This could have some huge implications~
Nazarielles last blog post…Koukaku no Regios – 09
@Nazarielle: It is curious how Nagisa even conceived that play in the first place… Maybe the “extra” episode after the finale will tie the play to the end of the series. Brilliant!