Kanon Anime Review

Quick Review

• Reviewer: Arcane
• Review Date: 2003-11-18 (updated 2011-07-10)
• 4.5 stars out of 5 (?)

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.

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Full Review

• Reviewer: Arcane
• Review Date: 2003-11-18 (updated 2011-07-10)
• 4.5 stars out of 5 (?)

Every so often, an anime comes along which can just touch you somewhere special. Not a thrilling or jaw-dropping anime, but one which just defies description simply because it feels special. For me at least, Kanon was just such an anime. A wonderful romance story, Kanon takes the outward appearance of a generic romance comedy drama, but accomplishes so much more than I ever imagined it would, stretching the genre to its limits. This was an anime which made me smile, made me laugh, made me cry, and made me feel just wonderful inside by the time I'd finished all 13 episodes.

Although the only proper way to classify Kanon is as a romance drama (with a bit of comedy to liven things up) it does not follow any of the archetypes found in other romance comedies. Although Yuichi interacts in a major way with no less than 5 girls throughout the series, there is no resemblance to the "harem" genre whatsoever. Despite a number of tearful plot twists in the series, there is not even a trace of shoujo angst. And despite being based on a H-game (albeit a light one) there's barely a speck of fan service throughout the entire series.

Although not totally devoid of action, Kanon is a series based totally around its characters. There are six main characters--Yuichi, Nayuki, Ayu, Shiori, Makoto and Mai--and a few supporting characters such as Akiko, Kaori and Sayuri. Although the girls are, without exception, unbelievably cute/pretty/beautiful they also each have their own unique personality traits and personal habits, as well as each having their own private story in the Kanon narrative. This is only to be expected in an anime based on a dating game, but as a result characterization suffers for a lot of the other characters. Sayuri is undeniably an important character in the context of Mai's story, but we actually know nothing about her except that she makes great bento lunch boxes and is Mai's best friend. Kitagawa gets the shaft almost completely--although he's one of only three male characters in the entire series (including Yuichi) he only appears in a small number of scenes in a few episodes, has minimal characterization, no background and no significance. Even Yuichi himself is not immune to this. Although he has a well-developed personality we don't know anything else about him--all we know about his parents is that they aren't here (they're overseas somewhere) and his only hobby appears to be sticking his nose into the business of cute girls. However, the five main girls are wonderful and even without a background, Yuichi makes for one of the best protagonists I've ever seen in a romance anime. He's hardly displays all the typical qualities of male leads in romance stories--he can be somewhat abrasive, loves to tease the girls, and although he has the traditional qualities of kindness and sincerity (although in his case, only when necessary) he's anything but another "nice-guy loser." Best of all, he's ordinary (apart from a touch of selective amnesia)--just your everyday high school boy. Other romance comedies may have normal main characters, but Yuichi was not just normal but realistic--somebody you could actually imagine knowing in real life.

Characters aside, the multiple story of Kanon is told in a series of overlapping narrative threads revolving around each of the primary girls. The series had to juggle the 5 plots from the original game almost simultaneously and did so admirably; however there were a few shortcuts taken. For example, Mai's entire story was handled in a single sequence of episodes--her story was the last to begin and the first to finish. Although Shiori appeared in several episodes, she was only really relevant to the plot of one--the one which was dedicated to her. Makoto was handled in a similar fashion, but got a somewhat better share of episodes. The series also had one overriding plot which tied together Ayu and Nayuki's stories with Yuichi's to provide the series with its climax and conclusion. All of the plots maintained a tight continuity (regrettably by dishing out most of their material in large doses) and told stories which captivated me, from Makoto's search for identity and a place to belong, to Mai's supernatural trials. However it was Mai's story which, while one of the most engaging in the entire series, was also clearly the weakest. This was largely due to the distinct edge of fantasy which added an extra layer of complexity to the plot and sadly managed to make things far too confusing.¹ However, the problem was more than just that--most of the "what the %#@* was that all about?" in this section was due to simple weak storytelling, with things happening in a manner which left things as clear as mud. However, on pure emotion, the story was just as good as the rest. Each of the stories made me feel deeply for the characters involved, and one or two even brought tears to my eyes in places (something which has only been done by about 4 other anime). The series' ending and conclusion of the central storyline especially did an excellent job of bringing together all the bits and pieces of plot which had been offered during the series into a fantastic and well-structured whole. There were still a few bits that make you go "Huh?!"² but it was still a wonderful story. Make sure you don't miss the bonus episode, "Kanon: Kazahana" which fits in between the climax and the final scene--you won't be fully satisfied unless you do!

Technically, Kanon scores well. Although it is very simple and not particularly high-budget, the animation is clean, colorful and very attractive, especially the character designs. Some people may admittedly be turned off a bit by the designs of the girls (most of whom have eyes the size of dinner plates) but they are all undeniably attractive, from Mai's striking classical beauty to Shiori's gentle fragility and Ayu's hyper-genki cuteness--definitely some of anime's prettiest girls ever. Even secondary female characters such as Akiko, Kaori and Sayuri have a lot of effort put into their designs. The male characters (all three of them) are fairly standard by comparison, and have the distinction of wearing possibly the worst school uniforms I've ever seen (those trousers are just terrible). Still, they aren't unattractive designs, and convey plenty of character. Backgrounds are basic but do a good job of portraying the small, cold Hokkaido town where the story takes place, with all the shops, parks and the like which make it look like the kind of place which would come from childhood memories. The music is simple and not outstanding in the Yoko Kanno/Kenji Kawai manner, but romance music rarely is, and the music in Kanon is very nice, gentle stuff--piano, strings, harp, guitar, some soft snare/cymbal, a little keyboard and some outright beautiful vocal work, especially the opening ("Fluorescence") and ending ("Flower").

The voice acting was somewhat varied. A lot of the performances--Yuichi, Mai, Kaori and Makoto especially--were quite exceptional, especially Yuichi's kind-yet-vaguely-cheeky voice. Most of the other characters were perfectly satisfactory--Ayu, Sayuri, Mishio, Akiko--but a few of them were slightly weaker than the rest--notably Nayuki and Shiori. Still, the voice acting is generally excellent and maintains the standards of the rest of the series. Since this series has not been acquired for western release there is currently no dub, and there probably never will be, which is probably a good thing since I'd be willing to bet anything that a dub would come out sounding awful.

Kanon really is a unique series in the romance genre and also probably one of the best I've ever seen. Despite minor flaws, this is one series which is worth every moment of your time. As far as multi-girl non-harem romance stories go (a regrettably small but worthwhile genre) things don't get much better than this. Great fun, pretty girls and essential viewing for all fans of romance. It'll really earn its place in your heart.

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I really can't think of anything quite the same as Kanon. Fans of more intelligent romances like Boys Be and KareKano may get quite a lot out of it, or maybe if you liked Marmalade Boy.