When the first Kanon TV series aired nearly five years ago, I didn’t watch it. I was still new to the online fansub scene and wasn’t up to speed with what was going on in Japan. Still, I had knowledge of the game and its significance within the fan community, so I at least recognized Kanon as something I wanted to watch. Or needed to watch, to be more exact.
It wasn’t until a few months after the final episode had aired, however, that I actually sat down to watch the show. I was in the middle of a move, actually, and one day found myself sitting in an empty apartment with nothing but a roommate’s computer and binder full of fansubs on CD. I was bored out of my mind, of course. But that binder held the entirety of Kanon, and with nothing to do and nowhere to go, I fired up the first episode… and then the second… and then the third… and…
Well, you get the picture.
The funny thing is, every time I’ve rewatched the series since, I’ve made a habit of marathoning it from start to finish, the same as I did that very first time. This time, I can take it slowly.
So, what of the new Kanon? Is it fair to compare it to the first TV series? I suppose I will, fair or not. As lovely as the first series was, it had one critical deficiency: its short length. That’s not to say the first series didn’t tell the story of Kanon in full, necessarily. Rather, because of its short length, it had to focus on the most important points of the story - and given how involved Kanon’s many stories are, there were a lot of important points to cover. I always thought that was unfortunate, and it’s why I’ve been looking forward to this remake since before it was even conceived.
I don’t think I’ll be disappointed. The amount of detail in the first episode of the remake amazes me… detail that never even saw the light of day in the first series. And while those details aren’t necessarily important to the story of Kanon, they’re still the fabric of Kanon. They’re the atmosphere, the character, the humor, the love. They’re what makes Kanon more than just another visual novel. I can’t even describe how happy I am to see those details animated. And, of course, it sends a clear message: Kyoto Animation is going to be thorough about this.
But since when is Kyoto Animation not thorough? If you stop and think about it, as amazing a studio as it is, it’s not really known for producing “blockbuster” animation. That’s for the GONZOs and Production IGs of the world. What KyoAni excels at is attention to detail. The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi wasn’t an especially dynamic show visually. Neither was Air. There were no giant air battles, graceful fight sequences, or sweeping vistas. But there was a girl with a guitar.
And now there’s a girl stuffing her face with taiyaki.
Of course, there’s more to production than just appearances. The direction this time around feels different, that’s for sure. I think it’s an improvement and captures the “feel” of Kanon better compared to the first series. The dialogue feels more natural, too. I think that’s part direction and part talent thanks to a returning cast of veteran seiyuu who know these characters backwards and forwards. That, and Sugita Tomokazu… I swear, you could produce a show with nothing but him sitting around talking to himself, and it would be a hit. He’s that good.
So, yeah… it was worth the wait. No doubt about it. And the cherry on top?
Nayuki is cuter than ever.
