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Can the future exist without a past?

Yuichi hasn’t seen his cousin Nayuki in years. Now that he’s back, all knowledge of ever visiting has vanished. He tries to adjust to the vaguely familiar surroundings, but the gaps in his memory haunt him as time grows short. The pieces of the puzzle have appeared – an eerily silent beauty with blazing tresses, the mysterious girl with the winged backpack, and the sword-wielding demon slayer – but it’s up to Yuichi to discover how they fit together.

Kanon (2006) is the 2006, 24-episode adaptation of a famed visual novel developed by Key, of Clannad and Air fame. The first Kanon anime adaptation aired in early 2002 and is rather infamous today because of the art style.

Like the summary above hints at, Kanon is an anime of remembering. However, as this is an adaptation of a Key work, things can’t be interpreted using real-world logic and must instead be looked at with an open and imaginative mind.

Even if the plot in paper won’t interest you, I guarantee that watching the story unfold as Yuichi puts together the scattered pieces of his memory is a real treat. Aside from the basic plot, in a character-driven adventure like this, having a varied and likable cast is a must. Fortunately, the characters all have fun and varied personalities.

The series is divided into several different parts which can loosely be considered arcs. I say “loosely”, because although the focus shifts between the different heroines, most of them have a presence in all the arcs. My main complaint about the series stems from this setup. Throughout the anime, it felt like the anime was just one big pile of disjointed episodes, that had little or no relation to each other, with a little flashback in every episode to keep the action going.

Rundown

Plot – 8 out of 10 : I found Yuichi’s trials as he tries to uncover the past an original and welcomed change from the usual romantic comedies and world-saving escapades. Although the narrative could be tighter and the fact that one has to apply “Key logic” in order to understand many of the events is confusing, there is a story to tell here and Kanon knows how to do it.

Characters – 7 out of 10: The cast of Kanon is a weird bunch. On one hand you have characters like Yuichi, Shiori, and Mai, with well-developed intentions and traits. On the other hand you have characters like Akiko and Nayuki, who are both important characters but are always left wanting to say something more.

Art – 8 out of 10: The ongoing winter theme was beautiful at first but the constant overuse of the same settings made the novelty wear off fast. Strong voice work, fluid animation, and pleasing character designs made this series a joy to watch.

Enjoyment – 7 out of 10: I have to say that I really enjoyed the first three-fourths of the series. The last batch of episodes, where the previously mentioned “Key logic” is in full-force, didn’t sit all that well with me.

Recommended.