I thought it was just about the kiss. I have a save right at that choice and I’m pretty sure I chose the jealous thing(don’t know about the coupon); whether I choose the kiss or not still decides which ending I get. It did throw me for a loop the first time when how I got the “wrong” ending(I kinda like the idea of eloping with Minagi) when I chose the most normal answers.
[quote=“Pepe, post:21, topic:722”]
It makes sense since the normal end relies on Minagi’s feelings for Yukito, just that I found it funny how it’s the total opposite of your classic bishoujo visual novel 
[/quote]I’ve noticed that a lot of what AIR has to offer is quite different from the typical dating sim. I won’t spoil how, but it feels like the dating sim parts of AIR were added in near the last stages of development to appeal to consumers. I just can’t see Minagi and Yukito as anything more than friends, which is one of the reasons why I consider the ‘normal end’ the ‘bad end’. The other reason is that trying to run away from the situation instead of confronting it only makes Minagi weak-willed and cowardly, which is why she so easily submits to Yukito and rashfully decides to run away with him. It reminds me a lot of Yoshine’s route in Brass Restoration, when she wants to run away with Ryo to not only be with him, but to escape the harsh reality of her trashed dreams and her isolation from him. Ryo can either run away with her, leading to a bittersweet ending where they live together relatively peacefully while being constantly on the run, or he can tell her to face her parents, rebuild her life, and pursue her dream of becoming a violinist in an orchestra. The latter choice leads to the better ending, and even Ryo throws away his future to start over and be with her, just like how his father threw away his career to be with his mother. It’s a brilliant way to tell an important moral, that being selfish and cowardly gives you lesser, temporary rewards than confronting your fear and finding a reason to move forward.
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I agree with this
I feel like the “romance” aspets of part of this game were just added to appeal to the consumers
I have a hard time putting Yukito in anything stronger than a platonic relationship with any of the heroines - even Misuzu
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The romance in AIR is a bit haphazard. I can kind of understand it in Misuzu’s route. The Kano route is… well, that’s for later. I think the Minagi route gets away with it (it does seem like Minagi had a bit of a crush on him when he first showed up.)
Just in case anyone wants to talk more about how annoying Michiru is, I just made a topic for her.
You’re welcome. 
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Since hating on Michiru seems to be popular here I’d like to point out a scene where I really think she shines as bright as the stars so beloved by Minagi
On July 25th (yes -I’m still on the 25th - making my way slowly through Minagi) when Minagi starts to talk about her mother’s illness Michiru can sense that Minagi is getting sad and stops Yukito in his tracks to keep him from making Minagi be sad
I think this really shows that no matter what Minagi’s happiness is everything to Michiru and even though she is immature and kinda annoying at times, her heart is pure gold and is such a great friend to Minagi and Yukito both
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Alright now that I have the time, time to put in my thoughts about Minagi’s route. Sorry in advance, this is gonna be loooong…
Okay, first and foremost, lets get things out of the way. Yeah, it was draggy. A lot of scenes could have been cut. I get that and will agree to that. Now, on to the bright side. The ending of Minagi’s route was very very uplifting. As such, I honestly feel that the route is one that did not and cannot make me cry. The only emotion I felt at the end was this strange sense of happiness (which was proved by the grin on my face). After all, we promised Michiru, didn’t we? We have to keep on smiling~
Minagi’s route was something that I feel is multi-faceted. It deals with so many issues in one story. To name a few:
- Sacrificing your own wishes to satisfy those of the ones you care for (Minagi sacrificing her identity for her mother’s sake)
- Getting over the loss of a loved one (and somehow blaming yourself for this)
- The overall value of friendship and their impact on our lives even after we leave
And some others that can be applied. All-in-all the route deals with these issues fairly well. However, because of the unique combination of these themes, I feel that it makes it a story that is unique to Minagi. In many other stories, we can find ways to relate our own experiences. However, and this is just an opinion, I find Minagi’s story to be a lot less relatable, but more driven by the characters and what specifically happens to them.
Minagi and Michiru are the main driving characters, what with Minagi’s selfish desire coinciding with Michiru’s selfish desire, yet having to face the reality. Yukito serves as the one being level headed and, much like the common route, gives the absolute best advice. From the “All three of us sharing the burden” speech to the “why does our heart need to be purified” speech, he gives both characters a healthy does of reality. I guess we can chalk it up to his experience with traveling. One thing’s for sure, Yukito is a realist, living in a world plagued by fantasy, and serves as the perfect foil for it.
Now, onto the next, and probably most important point of my analysis: The “wings” and the “dream”
Arguably, the most important phrase in Minagi’s route is “Is there meaning in wings that can’t fly?” What, then, are these wings.
When we are first introduced to the allegory of flying, it is right after Minagi explains what happened to her mother. She then asks that question, and at first, I found it relatable to the situation with her own mother. Minagi states that she is stuck in between the sky and the ground and her wings cannot fly. The way I understood that is that her own desire (to fly) is to be recognized by her own mother as “Minagi” and not “Michiru.” However, she is stuck to the ground because of her mother’s situation, i.e. her mental illness. Because Minagi cares about her mother, and because she feels guilty about what happened, Thus, I understood it more literally as “What is the use of wanting to be recognized when it will sacrifice the happiness of my mother” and I was satisfied with that…
But then, she says that she herself is still dreaming! We are then put into the second main inner conflict with Minagi: Her own desire to have a little sister. Similarly, her own desire to remain with Michiru. I think it is heavily enough implied that Minagi knows who Michiru really is. We can then imply that her dream is to remain with Michiru, who shouldn’t really be there in the first place. What, now, are the meaning of the wings that can’t fly in this context. Yukito states that “They’re precious memories of when you used to fly to the sky.” This goes hand-in-hand with Minagi’s own dream. Her “flying in the sky” is contrasted to her “dream” and being able to spend time with Michiru.
If you think of them separately, they each make sense. However, if you try and apply the same context, it just… doesn’t work. Is Minagi currently flying, because she is enjoying her time with michiru, and she will lose her wings when Michiru leaves? Or is she currently stuck to the ground because she cannot fulfill her desire of being recognized as Minagi by her mother? Of course the latter is eventually answered once she decides to go back home, however…
It gets even more confusing when we take the normal end into account. Yukito says to her “The day when you can fly will definitely come” and Minagi says some time later on “Please let me fly away” and the very last line of the end is “We’re still in the wind.” It heavily implies that she wants to fly but can’t. What, then, will make her fly? Being able to get over Michiru? But that contradicts the wings being “memories of when you used to fly to the sky.” Perhaps the normal end only takes into account her flying as being accepted in the world as Minagi. She yearns for that acceptance from Yukito and requests him to be able to make her fly
And this is where I am left stumped. In the end, I’m left with the question: was Minagi able to fly? Or did she stay on the ground and kept her broken wings as precious memories? I guess it can go both ways. She said goodbye to Michiru and kept her wings as memories of her time with her, but the moment she met her real half-sister, she was able to fly again. At the same time, her dream of being accepted as Mingi came true as well (which was resolved pretty early). So perhaps they really are two separate things that should be kept separate. After all, like I said, her route is very multi-faceted, and perhaps the wings remain similarly multi-faceted
A lot of this is rambling, yes and perhaps I am overthinking things. In the end Minagi was happy, Michiru was happy, and everything turns out for the best! But what use is a bookclub if we simply sit here accepting it 
I still have more thoughts, but since there is a Michiru thread, I think I should put it there instead.
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[quote=“Misuzu, post:27, topic:722”]
On July 25th (yes -I’m still on the 25th - making my way slowly through Minagi) when Minagi starts to talk about her mother’s illness Michiru can sense that Minagi is getting sad and stops Yukito in his tracks to keep him from making Minagi be sad
[/quote]I believe that’s also the part where she kicks Yukito hard in the solar plexus and screams at him.
[quote=“Pepe, post:28, topic:722”]
The ending of Minagi’s route was very very uplifting. As such, I honestly feel that the route is one that did not and cannot make me cry. The only emotion I felt at the end was this strange sense of happiness (which was proved by the grin on my face). After all, we promised Michiru, didn’t we? We have to keep on smiling~
[/quote]I noticed that, too. The CGs that show when Michiru gives her farewell speech to Minagi are some of the most beautiful ones in the entire VN. I made a point earlier that Michiru looks absolutely gorgeous without those scrunchies in her hair. Likewise, I did not cry either, but I was moved.
[quote=“Pepe, post:28, topic:722”]
Minagi’s route was something that I feel is multi-faceted. It deals with so many issues in one story. To name a few:
Sacrificing your own wishes to satisfy those of the ones you care for (Minagi sacrificing her identity for her mother’s sake)
Getting over the loss of a loved one (and somehow blaming yourself for this)
The overall value of friendship and their impact on our lives even after we leave
[/quote]Having just finished Little Busters!, I found a lot to compare here. (REFRAIN SPOILERS AHOY) Kyousuke’s entire goal in Little Busters was to make sure Riki and Rin made it out okay, and were strong enough to make it out on their own, since he, Masato, Kengo, and the rest of the cast were destined to die in that bus accident. Likewise, Michiru, and Yukito by extension, made every effort to pick up Minagi’s broken self-esteem and help her grow and move on without having to worry about the death of her sister or her shattered family. And I found friendship to be the biggest comparison, as one of the morals of Little Busters! is the important of friendship, and Minagi’s route places a huge emphasis on Minagi and Michiru’s bond as both friends and sisters.
[quote=“Pepe, post:28, topic:722”]
Yukito serves as the one being level headed and, much like the common route, gives the absolute best advice. From the “All three of us sharing the burden” speech to the “why does our heart need to be purified” speech, he gives both characters a healthy does of reality. I guess we can chalk it up to his experience with traveling. One thing’s for sure, Yukito is a realist, living in a world plagued by fantasy, and serves as the perfect foil for it.
[/quote]You could say that, but I think it has to do more with the common trope of dating sim protagonists being the voice of reason for the girl. Yuuichi, Tomoya, and Riki have all said their fair share of conscientious, inspiring speeches to sway people to change their lives for the better, so why should Yukito be any different? Also, I don’t think being insightful or enlightening has much to do with experience. I think it has to do more to do with listening to your heart and feeling for yourself what is right. Some of the least intelligent or experienced people have said and done inspiring things at least once in their lifetimes. That being said, knowledge and experience do help when you need to inspire others to become stronger individuals, which is why studying and working every day is vital to both knowing what to do and inspiring others to do the same. Yukito’s experience with the outside world can justify what he says to Minagi, but Michiru does the same thing Yukito does, and she doesn’t have as much experience or knowledge as he does. I would go deeper, but I would start pulling from my own religious beliefs if I did. You can ask me about it later if you want, either here or through PM.
[quote=“Pepe, post:28, topic:722”]
A lot of this is rambling, yes and perhaps I am overthinking things. In the end Minagi was happy, Michiru was happy, and everything turns out for the best! But what use is a bookclub if we simply sit here accepting it
[/quote]Sansei. I really think your opinion on Minagi’s multi-faceted condition is very detailed and insightful. It’s definitely something I look forward to discussing in the podcast.
[quote=“Pepe, post:28, topic:722”]
I still have more thoughts, but since there is a Michiru thread, I think I should put it there instead.
[/quote]Please do.
Aye, that is one of the facets that I did not mention; the bond as family.
Oh and about the broken self-esteem part. When I was reading about her constant self-blaming, I first thought it was one of those Japanese things again. It’s a common character trait that I see in Japanese media for people to blame themselves for things that are only indirectly their fault. After hearing Minagi’s story, I realized that it was way deeper than that, so I went away from that theory immediately ^_^;
No no, I get your point. It’s a pretty usual thing, now that you mention it; a lot of VN heroines seem to lack a certain common sense because of their distraught emotions, and the MC usually has to smack some sense into them. But Yukito seems a lot more profound, if you will. Which is why I felt like mentioning that specifically.
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[quote=“Pepe, post:30, topic:722”]
Aye, that is one of the facets that I did not mention; the bond as family.
[/quote]This VN focuses on that facet a lot, perhaps even moreso than CLANNAD. We’ll see why in later routes.
[quote=“Pepe, post:30, topic:722”]
When I was reading about her constant self-blaming, I first thought it was one of those Japanese things again. It’s a common character trait that I see in Japanese media for people to blame themselves for things that are only indirectly their fault.
[/quote]Yeah, it’s not a very well-received character trait here in the States, either. Not a whole lot of people enjoy apologetic types here, which is probably one of the reasons why Japanese products like this are so niche.
After seeing so much of it, it’s hard not to notice after a while. That’s why it’s hard to not compare other Japanese works with each other. That does not mean it is bad, though. I’ve already accepted that nothing can be original in concept anymore, so it’s all dependent on execution.
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For once, I had the whole day free on Tuesday and I thought "Hey, I could just sit here and read all of Minagi in one go. I can’t be that long right? Wrong. Read all day that day and still didnt finish 'til today. If it hadnt already been used in the last podcast, I think the “7.8/10. Too much water.” joke would fit perfectly here.
Anyways, I think I’ll just start off with replying to others’ thoughts and spread the entirety of my thoughts over several posts as usual.
[quote=“EisenKoubu, post:23, topic:722”]
I consider the ‘normal end’ the ‘bad end’.
[/quote]I agree. I can see why it isn’t necessarily a bad end, but it sure doesnt feel like a good end to me. In fact, I guess I’ll use this as the first “Key Point”:
I’d like to hear you guys talk about the meaning and implications of the normal/bad end. What did Yukito do/say wrong? What did Minagi do wrong? Is it a bad end, or can some “good” come out of what to me seemed like both Minagi and Yukito just giving up? What connection and meaning in light of the themes of the story as a whole does it have?
Yup. I was thinking the same thing for most of the story, and just wasnt really able to get into it like I usually do with Key. But Minagi’s final “backstory” completely saved it for me. That part where we see Minagi’s life, her emotions, her parents emotions, and then all three of their breakdowns, is possibly my favorite part of the entire route. of course, the endless loop of Kaisouroku didn’t hurt too. 
[quote=“EisenKoubu, post:29, topic:722”]
Having just finished Little Busters!, I found a lot to compare here.
[/quote]Same here (The following are all LitBus spoilers, if you couldnt tell)
First of all (and most importantly) “LOVE LOVE HUNTER!”
The “bad” end kinda reminded me of Komari’s bad end, with both the protag and the heroine just giving up on solving the problem and running away and choosing to just keep on living in a broken state (that and the taking-advantage-of-a-broken-girl h-scene).
Minagi’s comment about that “even when everything is sad, Michiru keeps smiling” reminded me of Komari. And Michiru telling Minagi that she can’t cry reminds me of Kyousuke.
Finally the huge internal conflict about waking up from the dream: Extremely similar to the conflict between Kyousuke and Kengo: Becoming strong enough to wake up and continue living vs. Wanting the dream to continue eternally so no one has to go through the pain.
[quote=“EisenKoubu, post:31, topic:722”]
This VN focuses on that facet [family] a lot, perhaps even moreso than CLANNAD
[/quote]I’m sorry, I might sound a bit rude here, but I dont think you realize just how crazy that sounds. THE NAME OF THE VN MEANS FAMILY (or at least, [is supposed to][1]). I know I havent finished AIR yet, and I know everyone experiences everything differently, but that just seems impossible to me.
This route was barely about family anyway, unless its about how family hurts you and then tries to make crappy excuses to make it up to you. Minagi’s mom sent most of Minagi’s life completely rejecting her, and then its just barely even implied that they just suddenly are fine again. Michiru, as stated before, really acts more like a friend than a sister (which honestly was fine by me).
And dont even get me started on Minagi’s dad. I barely met him and he might be my least favorite character in the entire VN. First of all, he’s a selfish bastard: Wife almost dies in a miscarriage, his supposed-to-be new daughter is dead, and in the moment his family needs him the most he just up and leaves. Not only that, but he tries to take Minagi with him, AND then gets remarried, never to be heard from again.
But thats not the worst part. The worst part is the ending. I dont know how anyone found the ending heartwarming. It would have been perfect if it had ended right when Michiru disappeared, or with Yukito leaving town. But it honestly kinda disgusts me that the dad would, after leaving his family for years, just think it would be OK to write and say “Ive got a whole other family now, AND you have a sister now Minagi, AND guess what (as if things could get any more twisted) I NAMED HER MICHIRU.”
Not only that, but the fact that Minagi would just immediately accept all that, AND be happy about it, basically just acting like all that shit with HER Michiru didnt just happen, like HER Michiru wasnt really important because “Hey, she was never real to begin with. And now Ive got a real little sister,” its all just sad.
TL;DR, I really didnt like the ending. But hey, the rest of it was pretty good, so oh well.
[1]: Key Title Naming Sense
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Yeah, AIR doesn’t focus on family more than CLANNAD. Family was the driving force in CLANNAD. In AIR, family is a means of exploring something deeper. They are used as an insight into the past, the present, and the future. They are used to present issues from multiple perspectives. They are used in contrast to Yukito’s life.
If CLANNAD is about family, AIR is about independence. It’s about the freedom of flying, and the restraints of having wings.
It’s been a while since I read it, so I might be forgetting some things, but I never remember disliking the father…
“I barely met him…”
Then don’t judge him. A quick judgment without observation is a terrible way to treat people.
Isn’t his wife messed up by that point though? I can understand why he’d leave. At that point, she’s unfit as a mother, and unless she works to keep her family together, she doesn’t deserve it.
The remarried thing might be a low blow, but it depends how much time had passed. You’ve gotta move on, or you end up like Minagi’s mother.
What’s wrong with that? It shows he’s still thinking about the family he moved on from. It shows he still wants to be with Minagi. Heck, the fact that he was compelled to name his daughter Michiru shows that he might be trying to make up for something he regretted.
This is a guy who faced a tragedy, moved on to a better future, didn’t deny his past, and actively tried to keep all of his loved ones happy. We don’t know how he made the decision to move on. Did he spend hours talking with a woman who denied reality? Did he spend hours thinking of how to lead a decent life? I don’t think he just got up and left at the blink of an eye. Can you imagine how painful it’d be to hear your long-awaited baby daughter has died? That your family life is in shatters? That your loved one has broken, and won’t even hear your voice? That your growing daughter may lose her hopes at having a good future?
All we have is the memory of a child to go by. We don’t know what it was like for the parents.
Wouldn’t that be what Michiru wanted though? For Minagi to move on? To live her own life?
Besides, it’s not like the new Michiru is a replacement. The dust still exists, right?
This is a route about accepting the past, and making a future. You can’t get anywhere if you stay stuck in the past, but you can’t move on if you forget about the past. You need to come to terms with life, and not ruin everything by getting over-sentimental.
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AIR focuses on family in a different way than CLANNAD
All of the routes in CLANNAD had a different form of family and the different problems that arise with each different family style. All the pros/cons of each.
AIR doesn’t really do that. But AIR focuses more on the relationship between mother/daughter.
(air spoilers for all four heroine)
Kano feeling like she killed her mother and wanting to use her magic to apologize to her for being born
Minagi’s mother having a mental illness and replacing Minagi with Michiru in her mind and Minagi having to live with that
Kanna and the search for her mother
And Misuzu with her relationship with Haruko
Even Yukito himself has a lot of influence with his mother and the quest she bestowed upon him adn the powers he received from her
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SHE HAS AN EFFING MENTAL ILLNESS! She hasn’t done anything wrong and she deserves love more than anyone else. It doesnt matter what the hell he thinks he’s going through, they all lost Michiru. If he can’t stand by her and continue loving her through that, then he never truly loved them in the first place. Like I said, he leaves her AND Minagi when they need him most.
To me, naming his daughter with a completely different family Michiru is disrespecting the memory of the original Michiru. He knows nothing about Minagi “being with” Michiru, and conveniently immediately before, finally getting over Michiru’s death. For all he knows, she is still distraught, having to live with her mother who thinks she is Michiru. Ok, sure, he probably didn’t have such a malicious intent as I was describing previosuly, but it still feels thoughtless to me. The thoughtless part being writing to Minagi, asking her to see him and his new daughter (seemingly without any apology, although we dont actually know that) as if that will just make up for everything.
Dont get me wrong though, this is starting to sound like a much bigger deal than it actually was to me. It was just something that bugged me. It luckily wasnt a huge part of the story, so I can pretty easily just look over it and appreciate the rest of the route, which as as said, I enjoyed.
Problem number 1.
No one deserves more love than anyone else. She’s just a person.
No, it does. It matters a lot. In fact, I’d say people’s feelings are important.
Exactly. They all have to live with it. Unfortunately that only works perfectly if everyone involved decides to keep living.
People change. The broken women who was deaf to his voice might not be the woman he loved.
Feelings change. He might be depressed or scared seeing his love in such a state.
He gave Minagi a choice, and he respected her decision.
Would he have helped? He might have made Minagi’s life easier (not that it was especially hard) but would his wife really notice? We don’t know what state she was in.
You can see it as that. I see it as him holding onto a part of the past, and wanting to honor it. It’s like naming a child after your deceased grandfather or something. You generally name things after the things you love… Unless it’s Gary Oak, in which case, it’s the total opposite.
The problem here, is you are behaving in a way because of the knowledge you hold. You are looking down on someone who doesn’t have that knowledge.
If you put an eraser in a crayon box while someone isn’t looking, and then ask them what is inside, do you expect them to answer “eraser.” No. They have experienced something completely different to you, so they can’t act based on what you know.
For all he knows, Michiru was just a name to Minagi. He doesn’t know how Minagi’s life has been since then. She was a young child, and can’t be expected to remember someone who barely existed. The Michiru we know is an abstract existence - no one would expect that.
Does he know this though? Which parts of their family life is he aware of, and how much would have changed over the years since he left?
All he can do is sound positive and welcoming - that’s a parent’s role when they are faced with the unknown.
Why does he need to apologize? I don’t see any reason for him to. Does Minagi?
It’s not thoughtlessness - It’s a lack of knowledge… Knowledge he can’t obtain until a later date.
I think there is a big part of AIR that you are missing which sours your beliefs, and it will become clear as you read more of AIR. For those that have experienced all of AIR, it is the focus on Buddhist beliefs, especially reincarnation. That a life lives on in multiple bodies, unbound by time. The Michiru of the past is in spirit the Michiru of the future, or vice-versa. Other examples include Misuzu also being that girl in the logo. Yukito lives on in Sora, and in the boy almost in the logo.
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Fun little fact about Michiru also
(spoilers about the ending)
I don’t remember where I read this and I’m too lazy to research it on my own, but I read somewhere that in Japan there is a song that mothers who have gone through a misscarriage would sing about their child not being able to blow bubbles (or something along those lines) - which is why Michiru is unable to blow bubbles no matter how hard she tries
Knowledge of this is very important for understanding some of the parts of AIR (AIR arc spoiler) especially the very very ending with the two children on the beach - from my experience this seems to confuse a lot of people and it’s really not that confusing, as long as you have a basic understanding of the principles in Buddhist reincarnation
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My short answer to that is: Minagi becomes too emotionally invested in Yukito and therefore becomes dependent on him to obtain her desire of acceptance.
Actually, I never replied to Eisen on that, but he is both right and wrong. See Clannad is all about family. Some routes refer to parents. Some refer to siblings. Some refer to children. But AIR is also related to family in one way: Mothers. All the main heroines have this “mother” figure that becomes involved with their story (I can’t say literal mother because of Hijiri). Even Yukito frequently remembers his own mother while on his journey. So no it’s not about the family, but yes, it is about mothers.
Like I said on Michiru’s thread, Minagi feels more like a mother to Michiru than a sibling, if you ask me.
They never say the exact reason why they get divorced and it could be for multiple reasons, perhaps even some not even involved with Michiru or Minagi. Who knows, maybe it was the mother who wanted a divorce (e.g. “Why can’t you see our child Michiru? SHE’S RIGHT THERE. I don’t want to be involved with a person who can’t accept our beautiful daughter”). If we look at an ideal world then no matter what the situation, it is always a selfish thing to file for divorce after you have children. Alas, the world isn’t so simple.
You see, I thought there is a good reason for trying to take Minagi with him. For starters, her mother turned craycray. It isn’t a good idea to have a person like that raise your child. Heck, if Minagi did decide to go with her dad, she wouldn’t have had those self-confidence issues that became a main cornerstone of the plot. Hey, let him be. He has a new life now, it happens… Such is the world that we live in.
But that’s missing the whole point of Michiru’s story. The whole point is being able to get over the death of the old Michiru and facing towards the future with hope with the new Michiru. Admittedly, calling her Michiru was a bit of a stretch, as it is something you wouldn’t want to do if you needed to get over the death of your previous child. But I feel it was put as a more symbolic representation by the writers. The point could have been made across even without her being called Michiru but it would be a bit weaker.
I thought about this specific thing, though: “Why did her father only contact her now, seemingly a few years after he had his own Michiru?”
And you know what I think? I think it’s because he knows about his ex-wife. He knows that she got over Michiru’s death and is now living a normal life with Minagi. If anything, that would be the best time to try and rekindle your connection with your previous daughter, because the problems are already gone.
It might be a cowardly thing to do, yes, but in a situation where you have no control over the situation, it’s a safe thing to do.
And that’s the exact point. “Hey, she was never real to begin with. And now Ive got a real little sister,” is a very blunt way of putting her situation now. To put it in kinder terms: “Hey, I enjoyed the time with my sister but I had to get over it, and now I have a real little sister that I can pour my heart into.”
One of the facets of her story is dealing with loss, and if you keep being sad over that loss and remain unable to feel happy towards what happens in the future, then it’s my opinion that you aren’t really over that loss. That’s exactly the reason why Michiru gets so worried about their mother knowing her name. But her mother got over it, and when she hears “Michiru” she doesn’t remain sad about it. She remains happy to see a cheerful young girl with the same name of the girl she was never able to have.
(in hindsight I made this post before reading @Takafumi’s post and I feel like I just echoed a lot of his concerns. Oh well).
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@Pepe Yeah, I realize my first rant thing was kinda extreme. Like I said, it was just something that struck a bad note with me. I understand what they were getting at with the ending, I just didnt like it, and I guess I was just trying to rationalize why I didnt appreciate it. Because I like to appreciate and enjoy these things and it bothers me when I dont.
@Takafumi Seems like I might indeed be missing something. I didnt even consider that something down the line could change how I thought about something like this.
But anyways moving on to a much more cheery topic: comedy!
The humor levels were very strong in this one… in other words I was laughing a ton.
Such as, fun with Potato:
“He’s just pretending he can’t speak human words to keep up appearances”
“COME ON, POTATO!”
Making fun of Hijiri, otherwise known as:
Lazy Ass Doctor K
Classic whining from Yukito:
“I’ve been here eight days… at this rate I might be here until I die!”
“Jesus…”
Some amazing translation work by WinterConfetti (my favorites):
“I feel simply wizard!”
“Holy shit, next up is the letter R!! Get hyped!”
And finally, a revelation that Yukito is actually @Bonecuss :
“I’m good with my hands…”
1 Like
I couldn’t understand that one ;_;
Of course the other one that made me laugh, asides from Yukito going “Po” was the Lovely Love Hunters from Hijiri. I never realized that the term was used before Little Busters!
[quote=“yerian98, post:32, topic:722”]
Minagi’s mom sent most of Minagi’s life completely rejecting her, and then its just barely even implied that they just suddenly are fine again.
[/quote]Minagi’s mom didn’t reject her. The trauma of losing her child was too much for her, and Minagi felt that it would be better for both her and her mother if she posed as her dead sister instead.
[quote=“yerian98, post:32, topic:722”]
But thats not the worst part. The worst part is the ending. I dont know how anyone found the ending heartwarming. It would have been perfect if it had ended right when Michiru disappeared, or with Yukito leaving town. But it honestly kinda disgusts me that the dad would, after leaving his family for years, just think it would be OK to write and say “Ive got a whole other family now, AND you have a sister now Minagi, AND guess what (as if things could get any more twisted) I NAMED HER MICHIRU.”
[/quote]Not everyone thinks that the father is what you think him to be. He most likely left because her mother had been mentally destroyed by the incident, and when the wife is unwilling to commit to the relationship, there’s no reason to be a family anymore. Minagi’s father still cared for Minagi very much, and the fact that he had the courtesy to offer to take her with him was kindness in and of itself. Besides, it was Minagi’s choice to stay, because she was more concerned with her mother’s well-being than her father, because he was much better off. As for the ending, the fact that the memory of Michiru still lives on in her new half-sister is heartwarming enough. It’s a happy ending for Minagi, courtesy of Key Magic.
Besides, if you think Minagi’s father is a jerk, just wait until you read the AIR route. Misuzu’s real father isn’t any better.
[quote=“Takafumi, post:33, topic:722”]
Then don’t judge him. A quick judgment without observation is a terrible way to treat people.
[/quote]I agree with this. First impressions are often entirely wrong.
[quote=“Pepe, post:38, topic:722”]
Actually, I never replied to Eisen on that, but he is both right and wrong. See Clannad is all about family. Some routes refer to parents. Some refer to siblings. Some refer to children. But AIR is also related to family in one way: Mothers. All the main heroines have this “mother” figure that becomes involved with their story (I can’t say literal mother because of Hijiri). Even Yukito frequently remembers his own mother while on his journey. So no it’s not about the family, but yes, it is about mothers.
[/quote]And that is why the AIR route is the best part of this VN. (AIR spoilers) The bond between Misuzu and Haruko is the most powerful and well-developed relationship I have seen in a Key game. Haruko spent so much time distancing herself from Misuzu, but then Yukito tells her that it is not the right course of action. She realizes that she has been entrusted with a huge responsibility, and she has been deliberately avoiding the rewards of upholding said responsibility in order to escape the negative consequences that came with it. So she spends time with Misuzu, and she begins to understand and grow fond of her. Her entire life begins to change, and Misuzu’s death changes her for the better. Neither Minagi’s maternal/sororal relationship with Michiru nor Hijiri’s similar relationship with Kano is any different or less important. They just have a lesser focus in the overall story.
I cannot really say much more other than what Takafumi and Pepe have said already, and both of them have made very good points. Really, all I can say is that everyone has their own interpretation of things, and I try to be as open-minded as possible (even if I do find a lot of similarities to previous Key games). If you do not like what Minagi’s route does with the characters, that’s fine. I respect your opinion. I just hope that in future routes, we will find more things to agree on.
