Part 1 of our Kyoto Vacation, ‘Crying is the Key to Happiness,’ continues with our review of Kanon, a fascinating snapshot of two groups of storytellers finding their way: The team at Key VisualArts, for whom Kanon was their first original visual novel, and the artists at Kyoto Animation, who had already made Air the year before, and were now working with double the episode order and an even more confident sense of style. Sean and Jonathan disagree on exactly how effectively it all comes together, but there’s no doubt there’s a lot of artistry and passion on display, and that Kanon is – pardon the pun – a key stepping stone in the Kyoto Animation legend. 

Enjoy, and come back next week as we review the first season of Clannad, one of the most beloved anime of all time! 

Time Chart:

Theme Song: 0:00:00 – 0:01:30

Intro and History: 0:01:30 – 0:52:13

Eyecatch Break: 0:52:13 – 0:52:47

Kanon Review: 0:52:47 – 3:14:09

End Theme: 3:14:09 – 3:15:11 

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“re:CAPTURE” and “Happily Ever After” – Original Music & Lyrics by Thomas Lack, featuring Hatsune Miku. https://www.thomaslack.com