Saturday, May 26, 2012

The City's Lights: Tomoyo


Clannad is a novel. It has its themes, its arguments, its ending point. Every little part of Clannad adds to this point, and the episodes after Kotomi's arc are no exception. While they focus on a number of things and characters, the most important character of the bunch is Tomoyo.

As I've stated before, all the girls from Clannad are variations of Ushio, the girl who will help Tomoya save himself. Tomoyo's contribution to the show is her absolute determination, combined with a trust in Tomoya that the other girls (save Nagisa) don't show. Don't believe me? Fuko was there just as much because of Nagisa as she was for Tomoya, so she doesn't count. Kotomi, once confronted with her past, shut herself up and only came out when she thought it was good to do so. Tomoyo? Well, she listens to Tomoya from the instant she meets him, and seems to connect with him in a way that none of the other girls do. She hangs on his every word and, thanks to his advice, impresses everyone so much that they elect her Student Council President. This reminds me a lot of Ushio's wish to stay with Tomoya based on three days of knowing him alone. There's a beauty in the simplicity of such a decision.

And that may be it. Tomoyo is very simple. She sees something that she wants and reaches for it, regardless of cost (as shown in the Alternate World episode). She and Ushio both see what they want and go for it with their whole soul in a way that is as beautiful as it is purposeful. More than Fuko, Tomoyo and Ushio are set upon their goals. Which is, and will always be, family. Tomoyo, while not quite as obvious as Fuko and Kotomi, is no less important than either of them.

Tune in next week, as we cover the man of the hour, Akio!

2 comments:

  1. I knew there was a reason she was my favorite.

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  2. What, the air combos weren't enough? Or the teddy bear outfit?

    ReplyDelete