Summary

Release Year: 2004
Genres: Adventure, Visual Novel
Platforms: Legacy Mobile Device, PC (Microsoft Windows)
Developers: Key
Publishers: Visual Art’s Motto, Visual Arts

Clannad: A Heartwarming Tale of Love, Loss, and Family

Released in 2004, Clannad is a visual novel developed by Key and published by VisualArt’s. It is the second installment in the “Key” series, following Kanon (2002). The game follows the life of Tomoya Okazaki, a high school delinquent who meets many people in his last year at school, including five girls, and helps resolve their individual problems.

Clannad is a kinetic novel, meaning that the player has no choices to make and the story progresses linearly. The gameplay focuses on the appeal of the five female main characters by the player character. The game was ranked as the best-selling PC game sold in Japan for the time of its release, and charted in the national top 50 several more times afterwards.

Story

The story of Clannad is set in the fictional town of Hikarizaka, Japan. Tomoya Okazaki is a third-year high school student who has become withdrawn and cynical after the death of his mother four years prior. One day, he meets Nagisa Furukawa, a shy and sickly girl who is repeating her third year of high school due to illness. Tomoya begins to help Nagisa with her studies, and the two of them gradually become friends.

As Tomoya gets to know Nagisa, he learns about her dream of joining the school’s drama club. However, Nagisa’s illness makes it difficult for her to participate in club activities. Tomoya decides to help Nagisa achieve her dream, and he recruits four other girls to join the drama club: Kyou Fujibayashi, a popular and outgoing girl; Ryou Fujibayashi, Kyou’s shy and timid younger sister; Tomoyo Sakagami, a tomboyish and athletic girl; and Kotomi Ichinose, a quiet and intelligent girl.

Together, the five girls and Tomoya work hard to put on a successful drama performance. Along the way, they learn about themselves and each other, and they form strong bonds of friendship.

Characters

Tomoya Okazaki: A third-year high school student who is withdrawn and cynical after the death of his mother. He meets Nagisa Furukawa and begins to help her with her studies. As he gets to know Nagisa, he learns about her dream of joining the school’s drama club, and he decides to help her achieve her dream.
Nagisa Furukawa: A shy and sickly girl who is repeating her third year of high school due to illness. She dreams of joining the school’s drama club, but her illness makes it difficult for her to participate in club activities. Tomoya helps her achieve her dream by recruiting four other girls to join the drama club.
Kyou Fujibayashi: A popular and outgoing girl who is the president of the school’s drama club. She is initially hesitant to let Nagisa join the club, but she eventually comes to accept her.
Ryou Fujibayashi: Kyou’s shy and timid younger sister. She is a member of the school’s drama club, and she helps Nagisa with her studies.
Tomoyo Sakagami: A tomboyish and athletic girl who is a member of the school’s basketball team. She is initially hostile towards Tomoya, but she eventually comes to accept him.
Kotomi Ichinose: A quiet and intelligent girl who is a member of the school’s library club. She is initially aloof and distant, but she eventually comes to open up to Tomoya.

Themes

Clannad explores a number of themes, including love, loss, family, and friendship. The game shows how these themes are interconnected, and how they can shape our lives.

Love: Clannad is a story about love in all its forms. It shows the love between a mother and her son, the love between friends, and the love between romantic partners. The game explores the different ways that love can make us happy, sad, and everything in between.
Loss: Clannad also deals with the theme of loss. The game shows how loss can affect our lives, and how we can learn to cope with it. The game shows that loss is a natural part of life, and that it is possible to find happiness even after we have lost someone we love.
Family: Clannad is a story about family in the broadest sense of the word. The game shows how family can provide us with love, support, and guidance. The game shows that family is not just about blood relations, but also about the people who we choose to be our family.
Friendship: Clannad is a story about friendship. The game shows how friendship can make our lives richer and more meaningful. The game shows that friends are there for us through thick and thin, and that they can help us through even the most difficult times.

Gameplay

Clannad is a kinetic novel, meaning that the player has no choices to make and the story progresses linearly. The gameplay focuses on the appeal of the five female main characters by the player character. The player can interact with the characters in a number of ways, such as talking to them, giving them gifts, and going on dates with them. The player’s choices will affect the character’s好感度(好感度), which is a measure of how much the character likes the player.

The game is divided into two parts: the first part follows Tomoya’s life in his third year of high school, and the second part follows Tomoya’s life after he graduates from high school. The first part of the game is more lighthearted and comedic, while the second part of the game is more serious and dramatic.

Reception

Clannad was a critical and commercial success. The game was ranked as the best-selling PC game sold in Japan for the time of its release, and charted in the national top 50 several more times afterwards. The game has also been ported to a number of other platforms, including the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and Windows.

Clannad has been praised for its well-written story, its relatable characters, and its beautiful art. The game has also been criticized for its slow pacing and its lack of gameplay.

Legacy

Clannad has had a significant impact on the visual novel genre. The game’s success helped to popularize the genre in Japan, and it has inspired a number of other visual novels. Clannad has also been adapted into a number of other media, including an anime television series, a manga series, and a light novel series.

Clannad is a classic visual novel that is still enjoyed by many people today. The game’s heartwarming story, relatable characters, and beautiful art make it a must-play for fans of the genre.