Early Clannad Impressions

[theworld]

Well, I had written earlier in the Recommendation thread about whether or not I should take a chance on Air, Clannad, and Kanon. All three are based off Visual Novels, and each have girls that all share similar designs, yet the draw of Kyoto Animation being behind all of them was enough for me to check out the first Clannad set.

I've gotten through the first 6 episodes, and found it to be beautifully animated, a tad predictable, but overall enjoyable so far. It was enough for me to preorder the sets for Kanon and Air.

As of so far, the girls in Clannad are a tad cliche and a little too cutesy for my tastes, but the endearing nature of the show, lack of any real perversity, and absolutely beautiful animation is enough for me. The fact that a rather moe show as this has little to no fanservice, skin, or dirty jokes feels like some kind of godsend.

I look forward to seeing Air and Kanon when they arrive in my hands. :3

[Herron]

I really started enjoying Clannad. I like shows like it so I wasn't expecting to not like it. Though I only got to episode 9 before the disc got glitchy, sent ADV an email to customer service asking for a replacement. Don't know if they got it or have sent one, nothings shown up yet so I'm stuck up to episode 8 which is sad because I really want to see the rest.

It's not quite slice of life, but it feels that way because you get to see so much of the quiet moments the characters interact in.

[theworld]

It's a very pretty, gentle show.

[bored@lazy]

My copy was thankfully fine, and I enjoyed the first 12 eps immensely. The second collection is probably my most wanted anime set I currently have on order.

[something]

Note: Replying to theworld, who as on episode six as of the quoted post, thus I may discuss things that occur in those episodes (but not beyond).

I've gotten through the first 6 episodes, and found it to be beautifully animated, a tad predictable, but overall enjoyable so far. It was enough for me to preorder the sets for Kanon and Air.
As of so far, the girls in Clannad are a tad cliche and a little too cutesy for my tastes, but the endearing nature of the show, lack of any real perversity, and absolutely beautiful animation is enough for me. The fact that a rather moe show as this has little to no fanservice, skin, or dirty jokes feels like some kind of godsend.
As for the last part, it's not quite so shockingly rare as it seems, but it's definitely true that Clannad is freer of such "distractions" than most game-based romance series. Of course, this can also be seen as a downside in some ways - just give me Nagisa in a swimsuit once! Doesn't need to be in a fanservicey way! =P Some have complained that Clannad takes it to far as to "sterilize" the relationships. There is one aspect of the second season where I felt that way, but by and large I don't share that worry. After all, it's hard to seriously complain about anything being "sterile" in a show with such incredibly intense, genuine emotional impact as this. I suppose it depends on what sort of relationships and interactions one is looking for.

I won't get into heavy story discussion because spoiling you would be just unforgivable, but you already know you're dealing primarily with Fuuko and her relationship with Tomoya and the Furukawas right now. While for some she reeks of the more unrealistic character traits that people opposed to this sort of show harp on, I find her so amusing and cute and endearing that such thoughts never cross my mind.

Briefly skimming episode six, I see some of the scenes that crack me up most about her - the crazy thoughts that her imagination comes up with. "What is the starfish festival?" XD! Then there's her sudden brain freezes, which are always a riot. Tomoya has a great, lively dynamic with her as they trade jabs in their two completely different ways.

But I think what really pulled me in even more than that is how strongly attached Nagisa has become to her. When she breaks down while inviting Kouko to the festival it's funny at first, but then you really see how much she's been affected by Fuuko. Tomoya too, but he just displays the affection in a different way. It's the more serious side to Fuuko's dilemma where Tomoya and Nagisa are fighting to come to grips with who and what she really is that really makes this part of the show. And it's a wonderful opening plotline for the series because it serves to really bring Nagisa and Tomoya closer together as they struggle together to help Fuuko out.

Good stuff. Let us know what you think as you continue through it (and that goes for anyone watching it!).

[something]

My copy was thankfully fine, and I enjoyed the first 12 eps immensely. The second collection is probably my most wanted anime set I currently have on order.
With it scheduled for early May, I wonder if we'll start seeing shipments from TRSI soon? They get the first part out like three weeks early, and we're entering that time frame now. Would be nice...

[Dissonance]

I'm on the fence over whether to buy the second set. While I enjoyed the first 12 episodes overall, there were a few things that bothered me.

Fuko's arc was too long. The problem, I suppose, is that instead of cute, endearing, and amusing, I found her deeply irritating. I can't pinpoint the precise reason, but whenever she was onscreen I was overcome with a desire to stab myself in the eye. This, understandably, resulted in cold indifference to an ending that was, I presume, supposed to be emotional.

Also, I'm not sold on Nagisa. Given her obvious importance, that's a big stumbling block. She's likeable enough but, eh, she's just too nice. Or maybe I'm too cynical. Yeah, probably the latter. With those staggeringly amazing parents, I would have expected better.

The comedy. Now, Tomoya's deadpan manner amuses me endlessly, and his exchanges with Fuuko were the bright moments of that darkest of arcs. BUT. Tomoyo beating up the comic relief guy might be conisdered kind-of-sort-of funny the first time, but not so much the second, third, fourth, etc. Please no more of this.

Finally, NOT ENOUGH KYOU. She's fabulous and she will need to feature prominently if I'm to lay down another however much for the second set. I'm also filled with love for the bundle of awesome known as Kotomi and would like to see the conclusion of her story.

So, I dunno. I might just toss a coin or whatever.

[njchobitsfan]

My copy was thankfully fine, and I enjoyed the first 12 eps immensely. The second collection is probably my most wanted anime set I currently have on order.

I hear ya, it's mine too. My favorite show of this year, so far. In fact, I got an e-mail from TRSI stating the second collection just shipped. :bigsmile:

[Dack Ralter]

I finally got around to starting this at a friend's request, and was not disappointed. I'm hooked after six episodes, but it took three or four episodes to get into rhythm for me. I'm just posting some thoughts on the first six episodes, so apologies for the long-ass post.

Ep. 1
-No childhood friend?! Blasphemy! Actually, kind of a welcome change of pace.
-I do love the OP, but it sort of sets the table abruptly, character-focus wise.
-Misae... :beatingheart:
-I love Tomoyo's...awesomeness against the punks, but it was a little more ferocious than I expected. Not a bad thing, though.
-If I have a complaint, it's Sunohara. He makes up for most of it by being the chew toy, but he's sure asking for it.
-Akio is as cool as I'd heard, and Sanae... :beatingheart:
-All I can say for now is that I like Nagisa a lot.

Ep. 2
-This episode was a little slow for me, as it introduced more characters (and answered no questions, as far as Kotomi is concerned :sd:)
-Kyou should just come out and accept her bi-ness. The world would be a better place.
-Fuko is a very neat character, although I kept making wisecracks about the superficial resemblance between her and another Key character (plot-wise, at least).
-Unfortunately, the whole basketball thing was a bit predictable. I like the idea, and it get's Okazaki's problem out in the open, but it makes me question Nagisa's common sense.

Ep. 3
-The whole "dead world" thing is appropriately creepy, but it's making me nervous. It's so gloomy compared to the rest that it's sort of casting a pall. (it also took me awhile to figure out who was narrating)
-What an odd character Yoshino Yuusuke is. I like his entrance into the story, but it sure seems random (not that much seems random at all--is this another one of those 100-person towns? :P)
-Sunohara has been beaten up by too many people; it has obviously caused brain damage of some sort.
-Nagisa getting called to the student council was really played up. :sd:

Ep. 4
-I'm starting to think that the world might be better off without Sunohara. Detachable breasts?
-Fuko's so cute. I didn't think she'd be the first to get development, but I have mixed feelings about the implications.
-Ryou + Nagisa = ...:nosebleed:
-More bits-and-pieces information about Kotomi and the others. I like that the show is bringing the whole cast along, rather than shuffling some off to the side altogether.

Ep. 5
-Poor Nagisa, when they go to see Ibuki-sensei. Just claim Okazaki already and end this now! :P
-Fuko is even more cute, when Nagisa brings her home. It's weird that Nagisa's folks jump right in to help, but I like it.
-Well, of course they're starfish, Okazaki...silly boy.
-A friend had shown me the "It comes off" bit, and that was what made me curious about the show. Poor Ryou, hoodwinked into helping out with Okazaki's questionable sense of humor.
-I think I like Kyou best, so far. Gotta love those energetic types.

Ep. 6
-Okazaki is workin' my last nerve, pickin' on Sanae like that :P I guess she wouldn't be quite so cute if she wasn't crying, sadly.
-Waitress uniforms!
-Even though you can see it coming, it was heartbreaking watching Fuko and Ibuki-sensei at the end of the episode.

On the whole, an extremely enjoyable series. I'm on the fence about Okazaki's behavior (although his home issues are a real backbreaker). All the girls are great characters, and I'll celebrate a happy married couple in anime whenever I can.

[bored@lazy]

My copy was thankfully fine, and I enjoyed the first 12 eps immensely. The second collection is probably my most wanted anime set I currently have on order.

I hear ya, it's mine too. My favorite show of this year, so far. In fact, I got an e-mail from TRSI stating the second collection just shipped. :bigsmile:

Mine shipped on friday, i'll have to wait a few weeks though due to living in Australia.

[something]

Ep. 1
-No childhood friend?! Blasphemy! Actually, kind of a welcome change of pace.
As much as its detractors might automatically see "lots of more of the same!", "Welcome change of pace" describes a lot in Clannad, though admittedly it's primarily clustered around After Story. The breaks from convention in Clannad are important, but more subtle, and there are certainly a number of ways in which is does conventional things. It just does them so damn well. It's not so much what it does, early on, but how sincere the emotions are, particularly when viewed through the uniquely skillful Kyoto Animation filter.

-I love Tomoyo's...awesomeness against the punks, but it was a little more ferocious than I expected. Not a bad thing, though.
Heh, the best part is of course the "spectator view". It seems like such an obvious thing to re-show a dramatic scene like that in real time, but when they did it I was cracking up. Brilliant.

-If I have a complaint, it's Sunohara. He makes up for most of it by being the chew toy, but he's sure asking for it.
I <3 Sunohara, though certainly he seems like a dick at first. Actually, I take that back, he is a dick. But he's such a lovable dick. And moeeeee~

-All I can say for now is that I like Nagisa a lot.
This is a very good thing. She's only the greatest character in anything ever after all. I can totally see why some people don't warm up to her at first, though. Some people don't like the seemingly helpless type, but I think Nagisa's inner strength is the important thing She's just had a rough time with repeating school (as she's mentioned), although her family is quite loving and supportive. Probably the only thing worse for a student than not fitting in at all is not fitting in and being older than your peers. You're an outcast and weird for not having graduated yet. ;_;

Ep. 2
Have to stop myself from commenting on a couple things here, so I'll just say that yes, Kyou should embrace bi-ness!

Ep. 3
-What an odd character Yoshino Yuusuke is. I like his entrance into the story, but it sure seems random (not that much seems random at all--is this another one of those 100-person towns? :P)
Haha, good question, I have no idea how big Hikarizaka is. Not very large, from what I can gather, although they do seem to have a downtown type area. I guess there aren't a lot of details on that. But the main theme of Clannad is "family", so certainly interconnections between characters run strong.

Ep. 4
-Ryou + Nagisa = ...:nosebleed:
Whether or not Kyou is bi, I'm convinced Ryou is! She totally accepted Nagisa's confession before she realized it wasn't a confession! That scene is one of the funniest of the show, and one of my favorite non-serious scenes. While the main romance of Clannad is just hands down my absolute favorite ever (even beating out all yuri - yes I of all people just said that!), I would soooo be up for Ryou x Nagisa. They look absolutely perfect together.

-More bits-and-pieces information about Kotomi and the others. I like that the show is bringing the whole cast along, rather than shuffling some off to the side altogether.
Yes. This is exactly what makes Clannad so important to me. It's not just the "main girls" either, there are characters who would be "secondary" in most shows who I would argue are much much much more important than such characters would be in other shows. Of course, the way Clannad handles its cast has been one of the main sticking points with people who go into it expecting something more traditionally bishoujo-game structured. It really requires a somewhat different way of thinking, and doesn't always spend time on the things people would automatically expect.

Ep. 5
-Fuko is even more cute, when Nagisa brings her home. It's weird that Nagisa's folks jump right in to help, but I like it.
Everything Akio and Sanae does seems weird, but that's just because it's all so awesome that we have trouble comprehending it with our mere mortal minds.

On the whole, an extremely enjoyable series. I'm on the fence about Okazaki's behavior (although his home issues are a real backbreaker). All the girls are great characters, and I'll celebrate a happy married couple in anime whenever I can.
Tomoya makes me moe so hard. And he's funny as hell. And he's really a great guy beneath his cynicism. His development and growth and complexity by the end are nearly unmatched. He's definitely my favorite lead of the Key males that have been animated, and just one of my favorite male characters ever, along with the likes of Lelouche, Kyon, and Simon. Hell, Tomoya may just be my favorite male character, period. Sunohara is awesome too, though, even if he makes people work a bit harder to see it. :sd:

[theworld]

That crying scene in episode 12? If anyone here's seen it, you know the one. That just blew me away by not only its suddenness, but also how freaking beautiful it looked. And I'm making my way through the Air TV set, and saw a very similar scene as well, which also looked just drop-dead gorgeous.

Damn you Kyoto Animation! Must EVERYTHING you do look freaking beautiful?!

[Dustfire]

(even beating out all yuri - yes I of all people just said that!), !!

Everything Akio and Sanae does seems weird, but that's just because it's all so awesome that we have trouble comprehending it with our mere mortal minds.Not that there's been much competition, but Akio's probably my favorite anime father ever. And you can't go wrong with milf moe.......

On the whole Sunohara is awesome too, though, even if he makes people work a bit harder to see it. :sd: You have an interesting definition of "a bit." Ah, he's a good guy somewhere deep down.

This show's all kind of awesome, and I'm glad people get a chance to see it.

[bored@lazy]

Ep. 3
-The whole "dead world" thing is appropriately creepy, but it's making me nervous. It's so gloomy compared to the rest that it's sort of casting a pall. (it also took me awhile to figure out who was narrating)

I'll rewatch it soon, but to satisfy my curiosity who is it narrating? I always have trouble differentiating some japanese voices so without a face or a context it can get confusing for me...

[Dack Ralter]

Ep. 3
-The whole "dead world" thing is appropriately creepy, but it's making me nervous. It's so gloomy compared to the rest that it's sort of casting a pall. (it also took me awhile to figure out who was narrating)

I'll rewatch it soon, but to satisfy my curiosity who is it narrating? I always have trouble differentiating some japanese voices so without a face or a context it can get confusing for me...

Being primarily an english dub guy, I have a pretty rough time with Japanese voices myself. In this case I meant the little scrap-metal-robot dude. At first it wasn't clear to me who was being referred to in the narraration, but now that I was paying proper attention, I know that he(?) is talking about the girl, not vice versa.

I really need to carve out some time to finish this...just got part 2 yesterday, so no more excuses. :sd:

[something]

Being primarily an english dub guy, I have a pretty rough time with Japanese voices myself. In this case I meant the little scrap-metal-robot dude. At first it wasn't clear to me who was being referred to in the narraration, but now that I was paying proper attention, I know that he(?) is talking about the girl, not vice versa.
Heh, didn't the male voice give that away? =P Though like you noted, I guess instantly knowing "that's a female seiyuu but she's totally doing a boy's voice" is something that comes more naturally as you watch more in Japanese. So maybe it's just something I'm used to. Do English dubs often use female voice actresses for young male roles?

[The Great Bear]

Do English dubs often use female voice actresses for young male roles?

Yes. It's very common to have actresses voice young male roles, though there are some notable exceptions where an adult male voices a young male (sometimes quite well, sometimes not so well).

[Dack Ralter]

Heh, didn't the male voice give that away? =P Though like you noted, I guess instantly knowing "that's a female seiyuu but she's totally doing a boy's voice" is something that comes more naturally as you watch more in Japanese. So maybe it's just something I'm used to. Do English dubs often use female voice actresses for young male roles?

I am, surprisingly, aware of the occasional use of female VA's to perform young male roles on both sides of the Pacific. =P My confusion stemmed from the vague presentation of the "dead world" in episode one.

Anywhoo, I'm going to try and cram in two or three episodes tonight, if I get the chance.

[Dack Ralter]

It's just easier for me to break it down by episode.

Ep. 7- Star-Shaped Feelings

-There's nothing like taking life advice from a pair of teenagers...still, Kouko should listen anyway.
-Heh. I love Botan toting that starfish around.
-Kotomi-chan will only be addressed as such! And she knows more about starfish than our local echinodermophiliac. I'm sure they'll address this eventually, but why does she bother coming to school? I'm sure she could be making better use of her time elsewhere... Also, random English. :P
-The tongue twister battle evolves about as expected. Fuko is too cute for her own good, however.
-Sunohara getting carried off by Fuko's Dog Army was pretty hilarious. I wonder how he escaped?
-Getting married at the school...How odd. A nice idea, however.
-Fuko flashback! I feel so sorry for her. It seems kind of harsh what Kouko tries to do, but understandable.
-Sunohara is smacked down epically after casually complimenting Nagisa. That's what he gets! (Actually, he went a long way towards rehabilitating his image with me this episode)
-Shuriken? Not hard to imagine.... Although how much punishment has Sunohara absorbed if his first thought is a weapon? :P
-A battle between the dango and the starfish. How...unexpected. Nagisa is fired up! Okazaki and Sunohara are demoted to fight commentary.
-Said battle ends about as expected. Nagisa :beatingheart:
-Fuko's gone again...
-Okazaki evokes the "Okazaki Charm" to get Sunohara to help Fuko out of her echinodermatic haze. Okazaki seems to have a weird prank-oriented charisma. I wonder if it will backfire on him at some point?
-They even show the saliva...Sunohara suffers a serious melee beating with a "shuriken". Awesome!!!
-I like that the skill-learned banners are a running gag.
-Kouko delivers the bad news about Fuko's condition. Nagisa is so heartbreaking when she cries... Even Okazaki breaks down a bit.
-Some people are not able to see Fuko anymore...Sunohara is actually concerned, so more points for him.

A great episode. The interplay between Fuko, Okazaki, and Nagisa (as well as Kotomi) is superb. Even Sunohara has his moments. Only down points are no Kyou/Ryou or Tomoyo, but Fuko needs the screen time.

[something]

Not going to watch the episode in full because I don't know if anyone plans to do a formal, dedicated ep by ep discussion thread after the official street date (lots of people don't have part 2 yet), but I'll skim it and comment on a few things for now. But if you do want to go ep by ep at least for your reactions in this thread, maybe reply to the root/first post for new eps? Might not matter if this doesn't become a large scale discussion thread though. Hmmm, I wonder if starting a dedicated thread after I'm done with the Aria thread would be a good idea. I dunno, might be too soon (or too late for some :sd: )

-There's nothing like taking life advice from a pair of teenagers...still, Kouko should listen anyway.
Everyone should listen to anything Nagisa and Tomoya say because they're amazingly awesome and perfect and wonderful and adorable and > ALL! That said, Kouko is an open minded person, and Tomoya and Nagisa make a very compelling (and emotional) argument. Like Kouko says, it's as if there's "some strange power" behind their words. As if they really do know Fuuko (go figure). But even if they didn't, Kouko does, and deep down she has to know there's truth to what they say. I like that Tomoya is actually quite blunt, in telling her that her way of thinking is actually somewhat selfish, that it's only really a self-serving sacrifice. Not that Kouko is being intentionally self-centered or anything, but that she's trying so hard not to do anything "unfair" that in the end it's got very little to do with what Fuuko thinks. Especially since, as we hear right after, Fuuko had no idea Kouko was worried about such a thing.

Fuuko has such an adorably earnest conversation with Botan.
And the same with Kotomi. Poor Kotomi thinks everyone is a bully. Though with Fuuko I think she's more confused than scared.

-Fuko flashback! I feel so sorry for her. It seems kind of harsh what Kouko tries to do, but understandable.
The way Nagisa can't help but sniffle and cry over and over when it comes to Fuuko, especially hearing things from Kouko, was so endearing to me. I'm sure it annoyed some people (which would be a shame because it is totally not her whole personality) but for me I just really, really loved how emotionally involved Nagisa was in Fuuko's situation. It shows that it's not just Tomoya and Fuuko's story. Nagisa is every bit the equal (or greater) partner in helping out Fuuko.

-Sunohara is smacked down epically after casually complimenting Nagisa. That's what he gets! (Actually, he went a long way towards rehabilitating his image with me this episode)
Sunohara toooootally has a heart of gold under his outer delinquent. I absolutely love him, and his involvement in the Fuuko story early on is what totally started the process that ended in him becoming easily my favorite "male lead's best male friend" type character. What's funny about him is that he managed to truly be a dick and a good guy simultaneously, which makes him a deeper (and more amusing) character.

Okazaki seems to have a weird prank-oriented charisma.
-I like that the skill-learned banners are a running gag.
-Kouko delivers the bad news about Fuko's condition. Nagisa is so heartbreaking when she cries... Even Okazaki breaks down a bit.
These middle Fuuko episodes really do exhibit the brilliant mixture of serious/emotional and comedic/cute better than almost any other part of the show. Fuuko is a character very well uited to that, given the juxtaposition of her bizarre personality and depressing situation.

[Dack Ralter]

Not going to watch the episode in full because I don't know if anyone plans to do a formal, dedicated ep by ep discussion thread after the official street date (lots of people don't have part 2 yet), but I'll skim it and comment on a few things for now. But if you do want to go ep by ep at least for your reactions in this thread, maybe reply to the root/first post for new eps? Might not matter if this doesn't become a large scale discussion thread though. Hmmm, I wonder if starting a dedicated thread after I'm done with the Aria thread would be a good idea. I dunno, might be too soon (or too late for some :sd: )

Yeah, this thread ain't exactly high traffic, so I thought I could get away with it. :P

I'll probably restrict myself to quick and dirty impressions for the rest of part 1, although I'll stick to episode by episode takes (vomiting my impressions of six episodes onto a single post is not appealing). I find that writing down my thoughts about a show like this improves my comprehension dramatically; if folks want to discuss it further, that's gravy.

I'd be interested in a dedicated part 2 discussion.

(in a tiny OT comment, apparently "ain't" is considered passable by this spell checker. :depressed:)

[Dack Ralter]

Gah, I'm so far behind! Sorry for bumping...

The conclusion of the Fuko arc is about as tear jerkin' as I expected. I was actually happy to see Okazaki crying, as it highlighted his emotional involvement. It was nice to see everybody struggling with their memories of Fuko disappearing (especially Sanae and Akio) rather than the old "everybody remembers at the last minute" cliche. Fuko so blatantly pairing up Okazaki and Nagisa was cute too.

On the whole, I found the first arc of Clannad highly enjoyable and am looking forward to the next part (Kotomi, it seems).

Edit: Actually, at this point I think I'll just suspend commenting here since people are still processing part 2. For anybody reading this, would folks be interested in a dedicated discussion thread for the DVD release, or are people Clannad-ed out?

[something]

Edit: Actually, at this point I think I'll just suspend commenting here since people are still processing part 2. For anybody reading this, would folks be interested in a dedicated discussion thread for the DVD release, or are people Clannad-ed out?
I could probably make time, with the Aria the Natural thread ending tonight. It's always a tricky matter of timing and the Spring season is in full swing now, but I haven't watched Clannad S1 in full since a little while after it first ended so it's a good time for me.

[Classical]

Edit: Actually, at this point I think I'll just suspend commenting here since people are still processing part 2. For anybody reading this, would folks be interested in a dedicated discussion thread for the DVD release, or are people Clannad-ed out?

I would be interested in partaking in a Clannad discussion thread. I already have both parts, however I'm in the process of watching Negima!?. I only have 8 episodes left, so I should be done in 4 or 5 days, though I don't really care if I'm late to the Clannad discussion if one gets started soon.

[Ty]

I was planning to watch my sets very soon as well, though I cannot promise anything given how inconsistently I am online lately.

[Daniel_Perales]

I just finsihed watching the entire show just this past weekend.
My quick thoughts:

It was ok. I liked the OP and ED song (keep hearing that Dango song in my head). Liked most of the characters, but not as much as the ones from "Kanon".

Another thing I love was the lush visuals that this anime has. But, it only seems to emphize that the subs just keep getting in the way. Can't help to think that this anime should have had a quality dub like "Kanon" did.

Anyway, for the "Key" animes that I've watched, these are my favorite in order:

"Kanon"
"Clannad"
"Air"


Danny

[DJ_72]

Some thoughts after episodes 1-9:

What a pleasure this show is to watch! There's just the right amount of cuteness, drama and humor and the story flows well.

Tomoya's practical jokes have me laughing out loud. Nagisa's cuteness and vulnerability are carefully measured--I found those same qualities to be forced with Air's Misuzu, although being under the curse had a lot to do with that.

Fuko is an endearingly quirky character and has great chemistry
with Tomoya and Nagisa (I loved the "dribble, shoot, high five!" bit :bigsmile: ).
The end of her story arc was both sweet and satisfying.

Looking forward now to Kotomi's moment in the spotlight. I'm getting
Alice Caroll (ARIA) vibes from her---a prodigy loner who slowly opens
up and makes friends.