Well, I’m working this weekend so it’s problematic as to whether I’ll have a full post, but I’ve watched Clannad and Dragonaut so far.
Clannad: KyoAni’s art still amazes. The girls are all strange. I’m thinking this one isn’t going to be so hot. This was the “intro all the girls” episode, and the end indicates things are about to get slightly weird, a little earlier than happened in Kanon. I’ve never been able to make heads or tails out of various plot descriptions for this show, and it’s shaping up to be a mess. I’m seeing elements of Ikkitousen (sans panties), Melancholy, and Kanon, especially the latter. It’s another Visual Art’s game adaptation, so go figure..
Dragonaut: What the hell? The characters look like they escaped from Hayate no Gotaku, Divergence Eve, and Code Geass, with a story concept inspired by Fafnir. Saenzen Nagi (with butler, no less!) is here, along with (a bustier) Hinagiku, many (but not all) of the women have (and need) those anti-grav brassieres, and since when did Villetta become an Eleven and get breast augmentation? Like the spike heels, but not in the ear, baby. If CLAMP did the designs, I missed it in the credits, but it sure looks like their work. The guys are as skinny as Hayate–or built like Hulk Hogan. I’m not getting anywhere near a Divergence Eve-level vibe from this; too many fetishes showing up, and it doesn’t grab my attention the way DE quickly did. I’m thinking it might fool me and be above average, but I’d put money on “entertaining trash” for now. What the hell, it worked for Code Geass.
I also caught the Shana movie, and I definitely need to make a post on it. The plot wasn’t an exact repeat of the series, and the showdown with Friagné was far more epic. There was only a touch of the school angst (just about perfect), but the way the good guys win really shatters the continuity of the main (i.e.:series) story. Overall though, I’d say the movie came close to being was what the series should have been. Not surprising, as it did come from what was inarguably the best of the story arcs. Friagne was creepy in the series, but in the movie, after a ho-hum start, he gets downright scary. It’s really too bad that the best villain of the entire series was the first. I may just stop here, so the series will end on a high note (but I probably won’t). From what I’ve heard of the second series’ first episode, they really jacked with it to keep the love pentagram going. Yuuiji develops a bit of amnesia and can’t remember walking into the flame with Shana or what she said to him. Argh.
I find myself agreeing with you on Clannad, which is disappointing seeing as I’d been anticipating it for more than six months. Kyoto Animation’s famed faithfulness to the source material may prove a liability this time around–the first episode felt really disjointed, and might have been improved if they’d shuffled things around a bit. Tomoya isn’t nearly as interesting a lead as Yuuichi was, and there’s no girl who really has me looking forward to her arc like that Mai did. It wasn’t nearly mediocre enough that I’d consider dropping it, and my KyoAni fanboyism requires me to watch the whole thing anyway, but I’ve just about given up hope that this will be the second coming of Kanon.
Well, you can understand their faithfulness to the source, when you look at what the come up with when they aren’t. I’m going to check out Renta Magica, as soon as a subbed version is up. Other than that, the only thing entertaining me right now is Hayate no Gotaku, and I’ve got a bone to pick with it.
Would the Shana movie be intelligible to someone who has not seen the series?
Yes, absolutely. Since its from the first arc, the explanations are a major part of the first 1/4 of the show.