Anime Review: Kanon (2006 version)

Review Kanon (2006 version)Written by WarpshadowRating Excellent

While ren ai games and there anime adaptations are pretty much a dime a dozen there are a few that are most definitely worth watching and Kanon is a one of those few.

Yuichi Aizawa went to live with his Aunt and Cousin Naiyuki in a snowy town when his parents went abroad. It was also the place that he came to on vacation when he was a child although he hasn't visited in years and has no memory of the place. Even if he can not remember the town there are those ghosts of Yuichic's past that still remember him and how he vastly altered their lives.

Although it may sound presumptuous for me to say so I believe that Kanon should be considered the standard by which anime adpatations of Ren ai games should be judged. Whereas many shows of this genre fiddle away the majority of their episodes with what could be described as filler Kanon manages the nigh impossible task of fully realizing the characters in a source material that has several story paths to choose from. The story in question is a very touching story that is very tragic in spots; something more heavy than the harem comedy trappings that the show may have. There was a previous anime adaptation of Kanon although this version (the one produced by Kyoto animation and made in 2006) is superior in both that the animation is greatly improved and the show has enough episodes to properly tell it's story without severe editing (24 episodes as opposed to 13). Overall Kanon is a show that is a cut above it's genre brethren and something well worth watching not only to those who watch this type of show but also those that might give it a pass as well.