Aizawa Yuuichi returns to his hometown after seven years, a snow-covered city in northern Japan. He moves in with his aunt, Minase Akiko, and his cousin, Minase Nayuki. However, Yuuichi’s return to his old stomping grounds is not carefree, as the boy remembers almost nothing from his previous visits. As Yuuichi reconnects with the town’s residents, he gradually discovers lost memories and secrets from years ago.
Kanon (2006) – Audiovisual Design
Video
Regarding technical aspects, Kanon represents a very high level, which is hardly surprising—Kyoto Animation is famous for its attention to detail and its ability to breathe life into every story. The visual design is polished and simply beautiful. The character designs faithfully reflect the style of the original game while modernizing them with very successful results. At the same time, they are fluidly animated and full of subtle emotions. The animation here truly stands at a very high level. This is especially visible in the facial expressions—the heroines’ faces perfectly capture their states of mind. The emotional expression of the characters is top-notch; the creators are able to convey a whole range of feelings, from joy to despair, in a single frame.
Also noteworthy are the wonderfully drawn backgrounds and—what was a hallmark of stories of this type and Kyoto Animation itself in those years—the play of light. The same sceneries shown in different color palettes blended perfectly with the current emotional state of the characters as well as the story itself. This is often overlooked, but subconsciously, it strongly influences the perception of the whole.
The winter town in Kanon has been beautifully portrayed. The constantly falling snow, the dusk falling over snowy streets, the empty park wrapped in white fluff, or the cozy, warmly lit interior of the Minase house create a unique atmosphere.
Audio
Equally delightful, even legendary, is the sound design. The soundtrack consists of original compositions from Key studio and works brilliantly in combination with the visuals. The soundtrack perfectly emphasizes the mood of every scene—from light, warm melodies accompanying daily happy moments to nostalgic, soul-shredding tracks during dramatic scenes. The musical themes from Kanon are among those that stay in the memory for a long time. Just hearing the first bars of the opening or one of the main themes is enough to immediately feel as if you are standing in the snowy town next to Yuuichi and Ayu again. Both the opening (Last Regrets) and the ending (風の辿り着く場所 / Kaze no Tadori Tsuku Basho in the full chorus version)—both performed by Ayana and composed by Orito Shinji—remain among my all-time favorites to this day.
Voice Actors
The voice acting also deserves separate praise. The seiyuu perfectly captured the characters’ personalities, and many of them are still absolutely legendary names. Oh yes, the cast of Kanon is truly outstanding. Ayu (Horie Yui) sounds exactly as cute and cheerful as one would expect from this character, and her uguu~ has become iconic. The role of the main protagonist was voiced by none other than Sugita Tomokazu. Tamura Yukari is Kawasumi Mai, Sakamoto Maaya is Amano Mishio, Seki Tomokazu is Kitagawa Jun, Minaguchi Yuko is Minase Akiko, while Kawasumi Ayako is Misaka Kaori.
Kanon (2006) – Plot and Characters
Introduction
Kanon is a title considered an absolute classic of the nakige genre—stories designed to draw tears from the viewer. It was created as an adaptation of the Key studio visual novel of the same name, undertaken by Kyoto Animation. A lot of time has passed since the premiere (and my first contact with this adaptation), but I must admit that rewatching this winter tale still provided me with enormous emotions. From the very first episodes, I felt that characteristic melancholy and nostalgia, and with each subsequent episode, I was reaffirmed in my conviction that Kanon is one of the best moving series I have ever experienced.
I will add right at the start that the review will contain spoilers; the biggest ones will be enclosed in the appropriate tag and hidden, but it is impossible to write a review of this title and completely eliminate any mention of plot progress, so please keep that in mind.
A Brief Overview of the Kanon (2006) Plot
Aizawa Yuuichi returns to his hometown after seven years, a snow-covered city in northern Japan. He moves in with his aunt, Minase Akiko, and his cousin, Minase Nayuki. However, Yuuichi’s return to his old stomping grounds is not carefree, as the boy remembers almost nothing from his previous visits. As Yuuichi reconnects with the town’s residents, he gradually discovers lost memories and secrets from years ago.
What is the series about
The series is divided into distinct arcs dedicated to the five main heroines with whom Yuuichi gradually strengthens his bonds. Each of these girls faces her own drama, and at the same time, each was strangely connected to Yuuichi’s past. The 2006 adaptation skillfully combined all the paths from the visual novel into a single, coherent story. Instead of separate routes, Kyoto Animation weaves the heroines’ threads together so that they complement each other and build a common narrative background.
Thanks to this, events follow naturally from one another—when one arc reaches its climax, another is just beginning, and all of them eventually intertwine in the final act. Despite the risk of chaos, the narrative remains clear and engaging, leading the viewer with a steady hand through subsequent mysteries and moments of emotion. The Kyoto Animation team (with significant credit to Ishihara Tatsuya, who also worked on Clannad) was one of the few who could do something like this without damaging the source material. I truly regret that they abandoned visual novel adaptations, as they had already perfected this approach.
The storytelling style is quite calm and subdued. Kanon does not rush the action—the pace of the narrative is intentionally slow, which stems directly from the nature of the source material. The series skillfully balances light and humorous moments with poignantly sad ones. We have scenes of Nayuki’s morning struggle with the alarm clock, Yuuichi’s bickering with Makoto, or Ayu’s adorable uguu~. This seemingly ordinary, comedic atmosphere of the first episodes makes it so that when the dramatic scenes arrive, they hit with double the force. This is the essence of nakige—first making the viewer fall in love with the characters and making them laugh, only to then mercilessly touch their heart.
Plot Development
Beneath the surface of everyday life lie more serious themes. Kanon explores the topic of lost memories and given promises, as well as the significance of small miracles in ordinary life. The protagonist’s amnesia is not a cheap plot device here—it is a consciously used technique that turns the viewer into a detective discovering the truth about the events of seven years ago along with the character. We learn subsequent pieces of the puzzle through the girls’ stories. Each hides a fragment of the mystery from Yuuichi’s past. This is accompanied by a light supernatural thread in the form of these miracles. Importantly, miracles in Kanon do not mean spectacular magic tricks—they are rather subtle, personal phenomena on the border of faith and feelings.
Everything is set in a unique winter scenery of a quiet, snow-covered city. The omnipresent snow is more than just a background here—it symbolizes the frozen emotions and memories of the characters. Only with the thaw and the arrival of spring in the finale does the relief of suffering and the fulfillment of old promises come. This beautiful metaphor makes the plot of Kanon leave the impression of a perfectly thought-out whole, where every element—from the narrative construction to the scenery—serves to build an atmosphere of poignancy.
Characters
Visual novels are primarily driven by their characters. So, it is not hard to guess that the “canon” of Kanon is indeed the characters. There is absolutely no shortage of interesting figures here, and the slightly mystical aura adds even more depth to them.
Aizawa Yuuichi
The central character binding all the threads together. A likeable, slightly sarcastic boy who serves as our guide through the world of Kanon. Although Yuuichi lost his memories of his previous visit to the city, he quickly renews old acquaintances and wins over new people. His character is a combination of good-heartedness and sharp humor. He can tease the girls in a charmingly biting way, but deep down, he is empathetic and always ready to help. During the series, he also undergoes a transformation. Initially, he treats his lost memories with distance, but confronting the suffering of his friends forces him to face his own past. It is through Yuuichi’s relationships with each of the heroines that the viewer gradually learns the truth about the events of years ago and observes how Yuuichi matures emotionally, regaining his lost sensitivity.
Sawatari Makoto
From the moment she appears on screen, she sows chaos in the protagonist’s life. She attacks him without an apparent reason, stubbornly claiming she has an old score to settle with him. Though she doesn’t remember exactly what it is herself, as she suffers from memory loss. Makoto initially behaves like a typical stubborn tsundere. However, over time, her hostile facade cracks, and we see more and more signs of confusion and sadness. Makoto begins to feel like a family member in the Minase household. When the truth about her past comes to light, Makoto’s story takes on a tragic dimension. It turns out that Makoto is not just an ordinary girl with amnesia.
She is a fox miraculously transformed into a human, whom Yuuichi briefly cared for seven years ago. As a young boy, he gave it the name Makoto (in honor of a certain older classmate). The abandoned animal missed him so much over the years that it received a chance from fate to meet him—at the cost of its own life.
Kawasumi Mai
A quiet and aloof third-year high school student whom Yuuichi meets at school. From the beginning, an aura of mystery surrounds her. Mai talks to almost no one, and at night, she slips into the empty school building with a sword in her hand. Yuuichi quickly sees the goodness in the closed-off Mai and begins to accompany her on these nightly escapades. Their relationship develops slowly. As a kuudere, Mai rarely shows emotion, but she gradually opens up to Yuuichi and allows him to become her ally. Mai’s arc combines elements of action and psychological drama. The past again plays a key role here. It turns out Yuuichi knew Mai in childhood. During one of his summer visits, the boy befriended a young Mai endowed with an unusual power of healing. When the time came to part, a frightened Mai lied that monsters were threatening the area—she wanted Yuuichi to stay longer and protect her. However, the boy had to leave anyway, and Mai’s innocent lie gave birth to a burden lasting many years.
Misaka Shiori
A delicate first-year high school student surrounded by a mystical aura. Yuuichi repeatedly meets her standing alone in front of the school. Shiori almost never appears in class due to an alleged prolonged cold. In reality, however, she hides a more serious problem. She is terminally ill, and doctors do not give her much chance of living to see her next birthday. Despite this, Shiori maintains a cheerful spirit. Her story is thoroughly moving because it concerns both coming to terms with one’s own fate and a desperate need for closeness.
Shiori has an older sister, Kaori, who is in Yuuichi’s class—and who pretends Shiori does not exist. Kaori tries to deal with the pain this way. She thinks that if she distances herself from her sister emotionally, it will be easier to bear her passing. The sisters’ thread pulls at the heartstrings because it shows two extreme attitudes toward tragedy—on one hand, Shiori desiring normalcy and family warmth, and on the other, Kaori rejecting love out of fear of suffering.
Minase Nayuki
From the beginning of the series, she is closest to Yuuichi, but remains somewhat in the shadow of the other heroines. As his cousin and the hostess of the house, Nayuki cares for him daily. She wakes him up (with varying success, given her own tendency to oversleep), shows him around the area, and introduces him to her group of friends. Always smiling, shy, and patient, she seems to have no expectations of her cousin other than for him to be happy. However, the more Yuuichi regains his memories, the more clearly it can be seen that Nayuki has been hiding pain for years. In childhood, she became very close to Yuuichi. He was her first love and playmate. When he unexpectedly left, she was left alone with a void and a painful sense of being forgotten.
Nayuki suppresses all these feelings within herself, not wanting to burden others with her sadness. Her arc grows somewhere in the background of other stories, only to explode toward the very end of the series. She reveals to Yuuichi how much his silence and unfulfilled promises hurt her over those years. Yuuichi realizes how much he hurt her by forgetting.
Tsukimiya Ayu
The central heroine of Kanon and the character most fans associate with the series. Ayu appears in Yuuichi’s life on the first day of his return to his hometown. She literally runs into him on the street in a comical scene of chasing after taiyaki (her favorite treat). Short, perpetually laughing, a girl with a characteristic backpack with wings, she immediately stands out through her behavior. She also has her recognizable verbal tic; when something doesn’t go her way, she makes a cute Uguu~ sound (heroines of this type appear in almost every VN from Key). The old friendship between Ayu and Yuuichi quickly revives.
Though the boy initially doesn’t remember where they know each other from, his heart tells him that this girl was someone important to him. Ayu is searching the city for something very important that she lost, but she cannot remember what that something is. Together with Yuuichi, they spend a lot of time. Ayu brings warmth, lightheartedness, and a bit of magic into the protagonist’s life—literally and figuratively. Their relationship is adorable. However, the closer the end of winter gets, the more clearly one can feel that some sadness weighs upon Ayu. Finally, Yuuichi regains a key memory.
Seven years ago, he and Ayu were inseparable and made an important promise to meet again in the future. Unfortunately, an accident occurred that winter. Ayu fell from a tree on a hill while trying to reach a certain object—a gift for Yuuichi—hidden high on a branch. As a result of the fall, the girl fell into a coma from which she did not wake for the next seven years. The revelation of this truth shocks Yuuichi. It turns out that the Ayu he spent time with is an entity on the border of dream and reality, a fulfillment of a childhood promise and a miracle at the same time (a similar motif appears in Clannad with Fuuko). When Yuuichi realizes this, a goodbye occurs; Ayu disappears as suddenly as she appeared. Yuuichi is left devastated by the loss of his beloved friend for the second time in his life. However, Kanon rewards the viewer with a finale. In spring, when the snow melts, another miracle happens. Yuuichi finds Ayu lying in a hospital, and the girl wakes up from her coma. Their promise to meet is finally truly fulfilled.
Summary of the Cast
Ayu’s story binds all the threads and themes of the series together—the motif of unyielding hope, faith in the fulfillment of promises, and the power of feelings that can overcome even death or time. From the beginning, Ayu radiated a joy for life tinged with sadness, and when we learn her dramatic background, it’s easy to understand why.
Kanon’s gallery of characters is rich and colorful. Besides the main five heroines, it is worth mentioning the supporting characters who complete the story. Warm, understanding Aunt Akiko with her homemade jam adds charm and humor. In key moments, she becomes a pillar of support for the young heroes. Kitagawa Jun—Yuuichi’s schoolmate—provides a dose of comedy with his comments. Kurata Sayuri, Mai’s best friend, captivates with her kindness and loyalty—it is thanks to her that Mai is not completely alone. Finally, Misaka Kaori, initially an ordinary classmate, turns out to be an essential part of Shiori’s story, undergoing her own transformation from denial to acceptance of the truth.
Kanon (2006) – Evaluation and Summary
Kanon is something more than a typical drama. It is a timeless tearjerker that one wants to return to in order to experience those emotions anew. Despite the passage of years, this series still makes a huge impression with the sincerity of its message and its ability to build a bond with the viewer. A beautifully constructed tale that is not ashamed of its melodramatic roots; on the contrary, it proudly presents a range of emotions, from joy to deep sadness, and does so in an authentic way.
Kanon reminds us of the power of given promises, the pain that forgetting brings, and that within human relationships lie small miracles capable of changing our lives. It is a story about hope despite losses, about forgiveness, and about love (not only romantic, but also familial and friendly) that gives meaning to suffering. For people already familiar with anime and Japanese culture, Kanon will be a real feast. It is one of the flagship eroge works from Key studio, placed alongside Air or Clannad as part of the legendary great trilogy of nakige. Personally, I consider Kanon to be one of the best nakige type anime I have seen. Many years ago, this series literally defined this genre for me. It reminded me how powerful stories told from the heart can be. After rewatching, I maintain that conviction.
Furthermore, we have here an unusual situation where two—in my opinion, the best—eras of anime merge. The original was released at the end of the 90s, and one can feel that era of anime throughout the story, where visual novels were starting to become highly popular and passionate creators did what they could to creatively tell their stories in an innovative way for that period. The adaptation, meanwhile, was created at the height of the 2000s era, which was characterized by a slightly different way of narrative and presentation. The 2006 Kyoto Animation adaptation combines all the best from both periods.
Finalny werdykt
Final evaluation
Which translation do I recommend to watch Kanon (2006)?
- Coalgirls (Eclipse).
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