Charlotte Anime Bookclub - Questions & Feedback

[Naoki_Saten]

The moment I started watching the last episode, I got really excited. The moment the last episode ended, I felt like something really big had come to an end. I don’t think that was due to the series itself. It’s what happens when you’re engaged in repeatedly watching, analyzing and discussing one thing for 3 months in a very detailed manner together with a lot of people. By going this much into detail, we have been able to draw out (almost) everything there was to gain from the series. Of course, some series are more suitable for such treatment than others. You could say that thanks to the book club, we were able to enjoy Charlotte in a very special way. It’s different from “having fun” or “not having fun” by simply watching it, which depends heavily on the the series itself as well as one’s personal expectations. It was still possible to enjoy book club discussions and podcasts about episodes one did not really like.

As for criticism, I did find that sometimes, during podcasts (particularly during and immediately after the 30-seconds-recaps), you guys were acting a bit too silly and too lacking in seriousness and professionalism befitting of a recording that goes out into the world and represents a community, though this is probably just my inner sourpuss speaking ^^

[Result]

While I still really enjoyed all the discussion with you guys and loved the opportunities to be on the podcasts, it always seems to be detrimental to my overall experience of a show when I stop every 20 minutes to dissect the hell out of it. The real downside of doing stuff in this way is that if we have even just one bad episode, all the discussion, even if it is legitimate, can easily make everything feel much worse than it might actually be.

I was fairly surprised and taken back by how accurate some of the predictions were about future episodes. I almost felt like I was given spoilers!! At times, I felt I had to refrain from watching the podcast until I watch the next episode because I wasn’t sure what to expect to hear.

While I was taken back by the predictions, I too have done my own analysis for CLANNAD Afterstory. This was before I knew a VN existed. Waiting for the last few episodes of Afterstory to air in 2008, I went back to watch pivotal episodes that hinted to how the series was gong to end. My predictions ended up being right, and I could not have been happier. So I understand why one would go into so much depth for Charlotte.

I am a little worried about the pace for the CLANNAD book club. Now I have very little knowledge about the pacing of the VN, but going through 1 route a week seems like a little too much content to go over. “My experience with VNs thus far.” I tend to take my time with these VNs. For instance, I’ve owned Rewrite for about a year and I only completed 3 Out of the 5 Routes. I understand that these will be recorded, but I am afraid I will feel left out if I don’t keep up with the pacing. I guess I can bring this up in the CLANNAD forum too.

It was enjoyable to listen to all of the cast members and special appearances on the show. The pacing and sharing of constructive opinions were very much welcomed. It seemed that everyone brought something to the table. I really liked that.

The 30 second recaps were hard to follow at times. @Naoki_Saten summed up that pretty well. If I think of any more feedback and comments, I will let y’all know.