Kanon

Original Title: カノン
Romanized: Kanon
Literal:

Plot Synopsis

When his parents go to work overseas, Yuichi Aizawa goes to stay with his cousin Nayuki Minase and her gentle mother Akiko. Returning to a town which he hadn't visited in seven years, Yuichi finds his childhood memories strangely clouded. As he settles in, he meets a number of girls--the lively, if dizzy Ayu Tsukimiya, the shy and frail Shiori Misaka, the childlike, mischievous Makoto Sawatori, and the silent upperclassman Mai Kawasumi. As Yuichi's memories slowly begin to return, he finds that there is something he can do for each of these girls, some special way he can help them. But there is something else lurking in his memories--something from seven years ago which he tried to forget...

Quick Review

Rating: 4.5 / 5
Reviewer: Arcane
Review Date: 2003-11-18

Kanon, based on the popular game, is a one of a kind romance which will make you feel really wonderful. Although a series revolving around one guy and his dealings with 5 different pretty girls, it has nothing in common with the more basic and predictable "harem" anime and pushes the genre to its limits. With lovable and well-written characters, engaging plots and solid (if unspectacular) production values, Kanon is series well worth your time. Although not without its flaws, Kanon's virtues outweigh them considerably, and you should go out of your way to watch it all. HIGHLY recommended.

US DVD Review

Not currently available on English DVD.

Content Guide

Quite harmless, but some stories might confuse pre-teens.

Violence: 1 - Only in Mai's episodes, where it's light on.

Nudity: 1 - The girls ALL wear short skirts and there are some nice shots of Mai's legs, but otherwise...

Sex/Mature Themes: 1 - Wonderful romance, nothing more.

Language: 0 - Nothing.

Notes and Trivia

WARNING This section contains spoilers which could not be included in the main review. I STRONGLY advise that you do not read this section if you have not seen the whole series.

1. Mai's story was just a headscratcher. Okay, was she creating those monsters? What did this have to do with her childhood self? Why did cuts appear on her when she got angry? Why did she want to kill herself? (To be bloody frank, why didn't Yuichi fall in love with her instead?) Maybe I'm just thick, but even on repeated viewings I still don't get it. When this happens, it's usually a sign of either bad writing or REALLY bad translation, and the translation was fine. Don't get me wrong, Mai's story was possibly my favourite (Mai was probably my favourite girl) but it was a bit of a mess. (back up)

2. Ayu's story was a bit confusing as well. It made sense up until the very end when we find out she isn't actually dead after all. This was actually a bit weak, but the alternatives weren't too pretty. Either a) Yuichi gets over Ayu and hooks up with Nayuki (good for Nayuki, but a little lame considering that it WAS Ayu he actually fell in love with), b) Yuichi leaves, carrying Ayu in his heart forever (realistic, but leaves an ashen taste in the mouth) or c) Ayu miraculously returns from the dead (HORRIFICALLY cheesy). But as a result of the angel scene, the ending we got leaves us wondering "who the hell WAS that girl?" Was the Ayu who appeared throughout the series a wandering soul disconnected from the comatose body? A psychic projection? A person created out of Yuichi's subconscious memory, aged 7 years? As with Mai's story, there are a lot of questions unanswered. (back up)

Availability

Not currently available in English except for fansubs.

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