Title - "Kanon"
Alternative title(s) - N/A
Genre(s) - Ren'ai and drama

Honestly, I have not seen much of this series, but I can say what I am about to say. Give "Kanon" a shot. If you like romance, this is a series you will like. That's what I need to say right from the start.

"Kanon" is based on a popular 1999 naughty (hint, hint) PC game by Key, which was later released again as an all-ages version for the Dreamcast a year after. The game won the PC Game of the Year in 1999. There's also a Play Station 2 port as well. I know there's another anime series called "Kanon" or manga for that matter, but I won't get into that one. "Kanon" later became a 13-episode Toei anime at the beginning of last year and there was an OVA released earlier this year.

Aizawa Yichi's parents have been all over Japan through the years because of their jobs. This time they have to go outside the country, and because of this, they decide to leave their son Yichi with his cousin, Minase Nayuki and her mother, Akiko. Yichi used to live in that city seven years ago, but he doesn't remember much about his youth. He has visions in his dreams, and with those visions in mind, he would meet people of the past. One day, he bumped into a girl named Tsukimiya Ayu. Somehow, Yichi knows who the girl is, but his memory is blurry. How does this girl know who he is?

Like To Heart, the main character was given a voice in the anime and not in the game. The main character is played by Kisaichi Atsushi-san. Anyway, let's break down the scores, shall we?

Oh yeah. To those who have seen the series already, but haven't played the game yet, you might want to check this site out. I know my stuff, eh?

Fun - 7

People who have never played the game before will probably like this series, once they give it a shot. People who have played the game before will be let down to a good extent. How so?

First off, let me start by giving a general view of the series. "Kanon" is decent to some degree. In terms of characters in a video game, they stand out, but compared to other anime characters, they don't stand out as much and I say this because of the fact that the game doesn't have much of a fanbase outside of Japan. I have no idea what I said there. The story starts off slow, but it does pick up later on.

Now, what about the people who have played the game before? How can I say this? People who have watched the anime after finishing the game will tell you that the anime feels flat compared to the game. Yeah, they'll tell you that it is okay, but it is not sad enough. If you ask a player of the game how much of the game did the anime cover, they will tell you that the anime covered a fifth of the game. You're looking at roughly 20% of the game or so as you watch the anime.

After hearing all of this, what can be learned from here? To some point, "Kanon" is decent, but Toei really needed to make this a 26-episode series. If not, a little more then.

Life - 7

A series to keep? I'd say so, but it's barely an approval from me.

Story - 7

If you have read what I said by now, you'd know why the story here seems okay.

Audio - 10

Like many transistions before this one, the seiy are straight from the game for the most part. Don't you just love Ayu's calls of "Uguu!" so much? The calls of "Uguu's" are the calls of "Hoeee!" or "-nyo!" or any other famous sound of "Kanon". I just love the "Uguu!" That one word sums up majority of my days in life! They're that tiring and there's a bad event waiting to happen each and every single day. If it helps, you should recognize some of the actors like Horie Yui-sama as Ayu and Minaguchi Yko-sama as Akiko. Music fits the environment, which helps.

Art - 10

I don't know why, but I actually like the art. I just do. I even like the "big eyes and small mouths" gig.

From the people's point of view, they say that the art is too weird and it doesn't fit the serious mood of the series. You know what? To an extent, they're right, but I didn't say "They're totally right."

On one side, the mood can be quite serious. Now, I haven't played "Kanon" before, but I have an idea of how the series is totally like. On the other side, I've seen more serious series than this. In a way, the series has some light of joy and spirit. Thus, this is why I think the art works.

In the end, the art depends on one's preference. Some people say that the art works. Others say that it doesn't. I am one of those people who thinks that the art works.

Overall - 8

Well, "Kanon" is pretty interesting, once you give it a shot. I should watch more of the series. That's for sure. Let's hope that there will be an "Air" anime soon and that it will be decent.

+

This is a very emotional anime.

-

The art is a matter of preference and compared to other anime makings from video games, this one is average at best.

Date of creation - 6/27/03

Last update - 8/10/04

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