Review - Kanon Volume 1
Reviewed by Richard Brownell on 12.28.2009.
Score: 3/10
Kanon began its life as a video game. This is an important piece of information. The lack of entertainment in the anime series Kanon has a lot to do with the original goal of the source material. Kanon wasn't just a video game, but an adult video game. Yes, the explicit segments of the game were removed in one release to make it appropriate for all ages, but the original intent of the creators was still present.
Japanese dating sim games, whether they are for adults or not, all share many common features. The girls tend to be ridiculously cute. Usually there are many girls to choose from and the goal is to pick one and make her happy. The girls are usually not too bright and their lives tend to revolve around the main character. They also fall into many archetypes, such as the really loud and obnoxious girl, the shy girl, the relative who gets into awkward sexual situations with you but you both really want them to happen so its ok, etc. Kanon has all of these and more.
I can't necessarily put down Kanon the video game and its goal of creating a fantasy world for male gamers to play around in. If I were reviewing the video game, something I would probably never do, I'd certainly consider that goal. But Kanon the anime is decidedly different. Even though it's probably intended to appeal to the same people as the game, as well as girls who don't know where the game came from and just like the cuteness, Kanon the anime was shown on TV and is sold in stores alongside all the rest of the anime I review and will be judged the same: for its story, characters, art, music, and overall enjoyment.
The main character in Kanon is Yuichi Aizawa. He is returning to the town of his youth to live with his cousin, Nayuki, after being gone for seven years. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember much of anything from his youth. Even though this would be quite normal for a high school student trying to remember the days when he was eight years old, the show makes a big deal of of it. In fact, this is a common thread in the show as many characters are lacking memories. It's pretty much the only thing resembling a plot in this show.
As I said, Kanon came from a dating sim game so it's really all about the girl characters that surround Yuichi. His cousin, Nayuki, is the first. She's a cute girl on the track team that enjoys every waking moment being around or talking about Yuichi. Yuichi also comes across a strange younger looking girl with wings on her backpack who likes to eat and steal Taiyaki (a tasty street food in Japan which is basically pancake stuffed with sweet red bean paste cooked in a fish mold). Another girl can't remember anything, including her name, except that she hates Yuichi. Yuichi of course can't remember why.
It's important to note that while all these girls are cute, ridiculously cute, they're also all really stupid. Yuichi is pretty much the only character who has an interesting personality in the whole show. The girl with the backpack is so stupid she didn't know she had wings on her backpack. How is this possible? I can understand when she doesn't know what a cell phone is. It's unlikely, but Kanon was originally written when perhaps that would just make her naive. But when Yuichi tells her she has wings on her backpack, she spins around in circles to try to see them. I can't emphasize enough how incredibly idiotic somebody would have to be for them to not know what their backpack looks like and then to try to see it by spinning around.
The situations in this show also make no sense much of the time. One of the most egregious examples of this is the girl who can't remember anything. Before she bursts onto the scene in this show, just what the heck did she do to survive? She doesn't know anything, even her name. So what was she doing before she met Yuichi? Perhaps the show did give a hint of what she was doing, but most of it was so dull that I may have tuned out.
The visuals of this show are the only significant redeeming part. While the girl character designs venture too far into the cute realm, with eyes way too big and bad facial proportions and placement, the rest of Kanon actually looks pretty good. The town that it takes place in is completely covered with snow and it is snowing in many of the scenes. It is all painted very well. Much of the animation is done better than shows that are much more deserving of a high animation budget.
Kanon is a show that I probably should have known better than starting. It's clearly not for me. That said, I don't really see the appeal for the moe haremfest that it is. There are a few humorous parts, but it the girls are only endearing on the surface. There is little depth there and they are either dull, stupid, or both. Kanon may have a decent budget and production team behind it, but it just isn't that interesting.
Special Features
· Clean Opening & Closing Animation
· Kanon: A Close Look at an Anime Production House Part 1
The best part of Kanon volume 1 is not Kanon at all. The extras include a behind the scenes look at the production of the show. Volume 1 only includes the first part, but it's still a treat. I always enjoy seeing the people behind the anime. This extra includes an interview with the director and footage of artists doing their work.
