
Is it October yet?
For anime fans, this is the year that just keeps on giving. Kyoto Animation’s Kanon remake should be a winner - that much is practically a given - but, even so, I feel a little like a kid on Christmas morning every time something new about the show is revealed. A little nervous, a little excited, very anxious… rarely do I get this way about a show this far ahead of time, so I might as well twist the fanboy dial up to eleven and enjoy the hell out of it.
So, now that the Kanon Prelude is out, providing us with our first detailed look at the show, what’s the verdict? Looks pretty damn nice, if you ask me. Stunning animation? Check. The old gang? Check. Original OP+ED? Check. Sugita Tomokazu? Check.
OK, so that last one was one of the wild cards to worry about. Opinions will differ, no doubt, but I’m happy with Sugita-san’s take on Yuuichi. Honestly, I’ll admit to having been worried about the change. I had feared he’d show up on the first day of recording to a chorus of “give us Kyon!”, and, let’s face it… Yuuichi ain’t Kyon. But, no, we got something new. Not quite Kyon, not quite Mayama, not quite Rin, not quite Hideki (that would’ve been a riot!). Nope, it’s Yuuichi.
Everyone else sounds about the same as I remember. Shiori sounded a little more mature, I think, and Ayu didn’t sound quite so much like a walking, talking, taiyaki-munching Horie Yui doll, but beyond that, it was a nice trip down memory lane. Of course, as was the case with Air, the original background music and original OP+ED from the game are utilized. I have a minor complaint with regard to the the TV-size arrangement of “Last Regrets”, however: the way the drums kick in at the very end makes little sense musically. They should have either brought them in earlier or not brought them in at all.
As for the animation… well, I shouldn’t really have to say anything about that. It’s KyoAni. It’s Kanon. Draw your own conclusions.
42 days and counting…