Search - Kanon, Volume 1 on DVD

If you liked Air, you will love Kanon

Hongster | Fort Lee, NJ USA | 01/10/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kanon is an anime series that is similar to Air, since the visual novel was made by the same developer and the animation is done by the same studio as well. However, do not think that Kanon is a direct knock off from Air (since Kanon was released chronologically before Air). Well unto the review!

The first disc contains episodes 1-4 and these episodes pretty much introduce all of the main characters of the series. The main characters: Yuichi, Nayuki, Ayu, Shiori, Makoto, and Mai. Of course you are also introduced to side characters as well. In this disc you get to know about Yuichi and a brief history about his past with Ayu. We get to see Yuichi interacting with people whom he has met before but doesn't remember as well as meeting with people for the very first time. Pretty much that describes the first volume, since the story is mostly revolving around Yuichi as he adjusts to the place where he used to live 7 years ago. This anime falls most likely in the school life, drama, slice of life and supernatural genre, though it can be considered "harem" as well. The animation is simply stunning and the music is beautifully composed. The voice acting is great for both Japanese dub and English dub (though I prefer Japanese dub).

I highly recommend this to anyone, particularly those who are fans of anime. Recommended for any age, though I would put it at 12+."

Mystery awaits

Jeff | St. Louis, MO | 01/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A freind of mine recomened this series claiming that I would enjoy it. I was a little concerned that it would turn out to be nothing more than a simple harem anime along the lines of Love Hina. However after watching the first volume I can tell you that this anime seems to be more of a mystery novel. Every character in the show deals with some sort of memory loss. Also as you watch the show you can tell that something odd is occuring in the town that they live in, but you as the viewer are not quite able to put your finger on what. The charcters are lively and fun and the comic/mystery atmosphere keeps the show from dragging. I am not willing to call the series as a whole a winner yet but this volume has conviced me to buy the rest of the volumes just to see how the mystery turns out."

A beautiful, lush animated drama series with characters that

Dennis A. Amith (kndy) | California | 08/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Kanon" referred by many fans of the series as "Kanon 2006, an anime based on a PC visual novel from KEY/VISUAL ARTS (and later released on the Sega Dreamcast, Sony PS2 and PSP) and was released once before in a 13 episode series back in 2002 gets a remake with a 24 episode run starting back in October 2006 through March 2007.

Without rehashing 2002, I'll just focus on the 2006 series and first four episodes in this review.

"Kanon" is an anime series that focuses on the main character Aizawa Yuichi, returning to a town that he visited quite often as a child.

The cold, snowy town tends to bring him flashes of memories and makes him wonder why has he forgotten a lot of his memories from seven years ago.

He stays with his aunt Akiko and his cousin Nayuki (who is very excited to have her cousin stay with the family).

Yuichi's character seems to be a nice but a bit blunt person. In other words, he's a nice guy most of the time but also, he has a side of him that can be a bit stand-offish.

In the first volume of "Kanon" (episodes 1-4), we are introduced to several characters. The first establishes the relationship between cousins Yuichi and Nayuki.

The second introduces us to a short girl named Ayu who runs into Yuichi because she somehow forgets to pay for her Taiyaki (a pastry made from something like pancake or waffle batter and is shaped and looks like a fish but it's filled with different types of cream like cheese or custard or bean paste). You learn that Ayu and Yuichi have met each other when they were younger seven years ago and if anything, the two are almost like siblings by the way the argue with each other but at the same time, both enjoy each other's company. Ayu appears to have lost something, doesn't remember what it is but she's trying to look for it. In the second episode, we are introduce to several girls briefly but I'm guessing who will become a big part of the storyline as the series continues.

The third episode features a girl named Makoto. A girl who has amnesia, doesn't remember anything but one thing and that is she knows is that Yuichi is a key and somehow his face angers her for a reason. She comes to live with Yuichi and Nayuki and upsets Yuichi because he thinks she is a freeloader. You also get to know a little more about the girl Shiori who seems to be at school and looking up a the window of the classroom that Yuichi is at.

The fourth episode features Yuichi interacting with Makoto, getting to know about his cousin and her involvement as Captain of the track team and then meeting up with Ayu who he brings home and introduces to Makoto. And also, you get to see more of the mysterious figure who appears at the high school with a sword late at night. Hmm...

Overall, volume 1 is more of an introduction to the new "Kanon" series, learning how Yuichi is and introducing us to many girls.

I'm not sure where the anime is going but I'm guessing that the series will be similar to other anime where that Yuichi may be a guy that all these girls start to fall in love with. But then again, I could be wrong because that would be too easy and to cliche right?

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the first volume of "Kanon" because of the lush visuals of Japan during the cold winter and that there are so many location scenes and indoor scenes that it seems you see something new and fresh in terms of the scenery.

Also, the characters have their individual quirks about them that you really start to like these characters and you sense that each person is looking for something. Yuichi for his memories, Ayu looking for something important that she lost, Makoto who has amnesia and trying to find out who she is, Shiori looking for that someone and the list continues.

The introduction of these characters and the relationship with Yuichi definitey pulls your interest and makes you wonder more about the characters and left me craving for more episodes.

So, I enjoyed the animation from it's colorful backgrounds, uses of a lot of scenery and overall, interesting characters with character designs that I prefer in this latest incarnation of the series.

As for the audio, the English dub is done very well and the Japanese is very good but in the Japanese version, Yuichi has a very low voice and sounds too manly while the English dubbed version, sounds like a teenage guy.

As for the special features, I'm so happy to see that there is a special feature included outside of the opening and closing animations and ADV Film previews. The "Kanon: A Close Look At An Anime Production House Part 1 is a featurette that spotlights how the anime is created by taking the viewer and giving them an inside look at Kyoto Animation. Also, interviews and getting to learn about the process of putting Kanon and trying to remain close to the original series in terms of the character designs.

And where it leaves off, seems to indicate that we will get more of an inside look on storyboards and production of the anime series in the next volume installment of "Kanon".

All in all, for a TV series that aired in Japan, I felt that there was a lot of care that went into the creation of this series. There was no holding back on animation because the animation is very colorful, well-planned and absolutely beautiful.

Although many who have seen the previous 2002 series may have a lot to say about the 2006 series, in a way it's like comparing apples to oranges so far in the series.

Volume 1 of "Kanon" is definitely a very cool, dramatic anime series and I'm not sure if it's more dramatic or if were going to see anything supernatural or sci-fi later in the series but for the first four episodes, we meet a lot of female characters and makes you wonder what direction the series will go, because truthfully, there have been a good number of anime featuring a guy and a harem of kawaii girls.

The only thing that I felt a bit strange is a taboo like feeling with Yuichi's first cousin Nayuki. I don't know but I feel that she may like her cousin. You really take an interest in her character because she's bubbly but you tend to wonder why she is so excited about Yuichi and why she is so alive with him now living with her. But that's the only potential red flag that I found so far with the series.

I also am guessing that the sound phrases by characters such as Ayu who tends to give a "Ugu!" sound when she's frustrated and also Makoto who gives a kawaii sounding noise will become popular among the hardcore fans of the series.

All in all, I really dig where "Kanon" is going to from what I've seen so far. A beautiful, lush animated drama series with characters that you actually care about. "Kanon" definitely kicks things into high gear for 2008. Check it out!"