Search - Kanon Vol. 5 on DVD

Strong anime

DocTodd | Honolulu, HI | 09/03/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I watched all five of ADV's DVDs of Kanon, then due to the lack of volume 6, got the rest of the story through fansubs. This anime is really good. Everything about the production from a visual standpoint (art design, animation, direction) is first rate. It's not Makoto Shinkai quality but it's definitely above average. They did a great job with the "love story in snow" visual design. The music was fine, although nothing outstanding.

The story was also very good, moving in places, and worked well as a fairy tale. It was very melodramatic like Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien. Unfortunately it also relied heavily on tired, lame plot devices like terminal illness and car accidents. The comparison with Makoto Shinkai seems apt because part of the story reminded me of a narrative theme from The Place Promised in Our Early Days, the theme of lovers who are separated by some circumstance but who are connected through dreams. I also had a hard time accepting that so many girls would be into a guy like Yuichi. He is definitely a "playa," having had a history with or getting involved with five chicks. You could definitely tell this anime came from one of those "choose your babe" PC games like Kimi Ga Nozomu, or School Days.

Overall this is an enjoyable anime, not the best of its genre, but one of the better titles from the last few years. The DVD volumes all had some behind the scenes documentaries, which were informative and entertaining. They featured several interviews with the director explaining what went into each phase of the production."