Not sure how many people have experimented with getting locked in the gym storage with different characters in her route but I just did Akio’s and it was great apparently he’s a gang member but he’s keeping it a secret from his family?.
3 Likes
Just finished Yukine’s route. Honestly, I actually got into her route by accident, thought I was going into Fuko’s route. But anyway, I was expecting that Tomoya would have to fight the gangster head like he did in the anime. But I guess that was an anime only. Probably would’ve been fun to see though..
Either way, I felt her Yukine’s route was a bit on the short side. (Around the same length as Kud’s route from LB!). And nothing really special about it. I remember from wiki that the writers didn’t really know how to make her route more interesting so I guess this was the result.
But as a character, Yukine is definitely up there, but below Nagisa for me.
2 Likes
I can’t stress just how easy it is to get into Yukine’s route. All you really have to do is talk to her a bit and not unlock other characters’ flags, and poof, you’re in!
The same goes for Mei, assuming you haven’t gotten locked into Yukine’s route yet 
1 Like
Thats… not really true. The story goes that she was originally supposed to be a “main heroine”… but whoever gets to decide that kind of stuff decided he didnt like her route as much as the other 5, so she got turned a “side route” instead.
As for what’s “special” about it, I think you’ll find as you read the rest of the routes that there actually is something very special about it. Something thats really awesome about CLANNAD is that while the routes all have similar themes, each focuses on a different aspect.
For me at least, there is something very calming about Yukine and the reference room; I can see why so many people visit her. Her route is too the VN just like the reference room is to the rest of the school and life: its a little oasis that really just gives you time to think, have a little fun, without drama or stress.
6 Likes
@Yerian The reference room is kinda like a cafe you go to after a long day right? With Yukine as your waitress. That’s the kind of vibe I get from this route. And yeah, you’re right. It is quite calming and I did enjoy it.
When I say it wasn’t special, I probably set my standard a bit too high when I said that because I’ve always known Key to have over the top dramatic or exciting stories lasting 30 minutes or more even with Ctrl even for the minor heroines. Or probably, that’s just my experience from LB!
I probably made a mistake in going for her route first. But as I put earlier, it was an accident!! 
1 Like
Heh, there’s a reason we didnt put her very first when making the walkthrough I guess XP
Yeah, several of the CLANNAD routes arent the typical melodrama you might expect from Key (although many of them still are XD). So I guess you might be surprised if thats what you were expecting. Lots of them really focus just on helping and getting to know people instead of some major extraordinary struggle.
2 Likes
I just finished Yukine’s route.
I love it even more than I already did.
I also spotted quite a big problem in the anime adaptation, because a certain couple of lines were omitted from the source material it created a huge plot convenience in the anime and takes away some very important elements in the greater story.
I’ll post my thoughts when we get to this route in the bookclub (or After Story) since I’d prefer to focus on the bookclub order of discussion, and it’s big spoiler territory… Guess I’ll have to have patience… But this is going to be bugging me for weeks until I get it off my chest.
Nonetheless, love Yukine, best girl. <3
Don’t misunderstand. The Bookclub is here so you can discuss whatever routes you want whenever you want, only the podcasts are following a schedule. Please, share your thoughts now! Don’t wait for the podcast to catch up to you.
1 Like
Okay so I spotted something which;
- Made me appreciate this VN + this route a hell of a lot more.
- Is something I believe to be hugely concerning with the anime adaptation.
- The part I’m about to talk about… For some bizarre reason can only be read once in Yukine’s route, and you can’t acess the text again if you’ve cleared it already.
For anyone that has seen the anime… There is a particular issue in the adaptation I spotted which is making me kind of salty, yet now reading this VN has allowed me to understand the greater plot of Clannad much better. So to begin;
In the VN, at the end of Yukine’s route Tomoya makes mention of the mysterious light orb that he was able to see when Yukine experienced her moment of happiness at the climax of her story. (And the end of every subsequent route, reasons explained ahead)
In this scene Yukine brings up the story passed down in folklore in the town of Hikarizaka.
As much as I wanted to copy out the text of the conversation… I can’t access the scene any more, because for some weird reason, the VN locks you out of that particular bit of text after you’ve read Yukine’s route once. If you go back… The conversation is cut, and you get redirected to the title screen after the comic relief moment between Tomoya and Sunohara.
But luckily I took some screenshots, so I can attempt to paraphrase what was said in that scene.
Yukine explains to Tomoya that nobody truly knows what the light orbs are, but they are taken as symbols of happiness. The second aspect is that if one collects one of these orbs of light, any one wish can be granted.
In this scenario we learn that Tomoya is the only person who can see the light orbs. Sunohara saw Tomoya reach his hand out to grab something, but he couldn’t see the light orb. And Tomoya said that when he grasped it, he could almost feel the happiness that was experienced at that moment.
Yukine explains that maybe Tomoya could see it because he is special
She immediately explains that at some point in the past (Not specified how long ago) everybody was/is special and used to be able to see the orbs of light. Highlighting that perhaps the reason no one can see them any more is due to a change in people’s hearts.
Here is the most important part.
Yukine implies that being able to see the orbs of light requires someone with a heart that truly cares about the town and its people, and that people used to live in society deeply connected to the town which is perhaps why everyone used to be able to see the orbs of light.
But now they can’t because people have grown egotistical and only live for themselves, having forgotten what it means to live connected to the town that nurtures them. Forgotten that the town is like one big family, and to appreciate the value of togetherness.
This is bringing to attention how and why Tomoya can see the orbs of light.
Tomoya is constantly exclaiming that he hates the town. The first line he utters in the VN is “I hate this town”
But if what Yukine says is really true, then surely Tomoya is lying?
What this one scene illustrates for me is that despite Tomoya saying that he hates the town… With each route. With each light orb he collects, he is slowly becoming a less egotistical person. He is learning to love the people. He feels their happiness when he collects the orbs of light and realising the value of helping others. While doing so he grows to love the town. He may start from the beginning of every route stating otherwise, but gradually helping people one after another, it made me realise the way Tomoya was being portrayed, and as a reader just how strongly yet subtly the theme of the greater story was being plugged in here. -After Story intensifies-
I genuinely feel this highlights the key themes of egotism in direct contrast to family and togetherness in regards to not only Tomoya’s character. But every character in the entire series. Which I would argue is partly one of the main social criticisms of contemporary society that Maeda was targeting with Clannad.
This one short scene has so much meaning and subtlety to the greater plot of Clannad (Which I won’t spoil here) which was written so remarkably, that I instantly fell in love with the way this very short segment was executed.
And you know what… Favourite route. By far.
The problem with the anime adaptation is… KyoAni omitted Yukine’s lines explaining why Tomoya is special, about the people of the past outlining the issue of egotism. And this I feel this stripped away one of the most crucial plot devices of the story, and made it come across as a huge plot convenience that only VN readers would understand.
Many people in the past have criticised the anime for little emphasis on how the light orbs worked and why only Tomoya can see them and nobody else can. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone clarify this, so I feel reassured having read this VN route because I understand the greater plot devices of Clannad much better now.
And it only took a 3 minute scene with a couple of lines to do it… I guess this shows just how important small pieces of detail can be in the big picture.
10 Likes
It’s a pretty common opinion that yukine’s route does give a good insight into the light orbs, and since the anime cut that out, it made the ending feel more like an asspull. But you know what? I read that scene 5 years ago, and I read the vn before the anime, and I still felt like it was an asspull. That’s just me, though.
Like you said, it is just a 3 minute dialogue, which isn’t even related to her story. And for that reason, I don’t consider it part of her story, which is why despite it being an important piece of dialogue, I can’t use it to justify the quality of her route.
But you do raise a good point with the Tomoya thing. I don’t think he’s lying when he says he hates the town however… There’s a certain kind of care needed to say that you hate a thing. I found it weird that he said he hates the town, despite the fact that the town had nothing to do with his bad experiences; it was mostly his father. And I think he says it because he genuinely does care about the town, and wants it to be something that mattered to him. Perhaps he received a sense of betrayal from the town, thus making him hate it, but he still cares for it unlike others who are simply indifferent.
1 Like
Yukine ended up as my third route. I really liked it for three reasons:
First and foremost: the intimacy. That was really sweet. Even though there wasn’t any big drama or anything and regardless of its short length, her reliance on Tomoya and their budding intimacy was quite adorable.
Second: Yukine herself has good interactions with Tomoya. I enjoyed their relaxing time together.
Third: I actually liked how the heroine didn’t have a huge, desperate need for something to be fixed, like a lot of heroines do. She didn’t really have any problems; she had already found peace, and that peace helped save others. So Tomoya’s relationship with her wasn’t some rollercoaster; instead, it was just a steady life of love, just like she’s been trying to live. Quite sweet indeed.
Since it was short, I can’t rank it too high, as there wasn’t as much time as I would have liked. But I did enjoy it while it lasted.
4 Likes
I was really skeptical of this route early on. Yukine is cute and fun, but I just didn’t feel really into it until probably after you get to the part where the clock drops off.
I think part of my objection to the route early on was that it just felt like escapism for Tomoya. Yukine was just kind of nice girl who cooked for him, and he did not really have to think about her or himself too hard.But the way they kind of slowly introduced Tomoya becoming attentive to her and her starting to lean on him was really well done and sweet. Dependable people really do need the one person to fall back on more than anyone. In someways this was the least “random” feeling romance of the routes so far.
Yukine herself is a great character. The story of how she kind of went from “normal” girl to being a pillar of support for all of her brother’s friends was believable and touching, and I really like that you feel that Yukine never lost part of herself - she just became more wise to the ways of the world.
2 Likes
No, the anime does mention about the light orbs near the end of the arc but I guess the VN gives more of an insight about them.
He was referring to the issue I raised with the anime cutting out details elaborating how and why the light orbs work in the way that they do.
The issue I had was that the light orbs aren’t explained in the anime very well at all.
We weren’t told why Tomoya is the only person that can see them, as well the background information on the people of Hikarizaka becoming egotistic wasn’t mentioned either.
At the end of Yukine’s route here in the VN it gave a nod to the upcoming events in After Story to foreshadow the ending, by explaining those things. Most likely so that when it comes to it, it wont come across as a huge asspull.
Yukine is one of those characters that I completely forgot about. She never stood out compared to everyone else, but reading her route she is now one of my favorite characters! There’s just something about her that’s so soothing, but she can also be a bit mischievous as well. Why else would she suggest such silly and embarrassing spells to Sunohara if she didn’t have a bit of a playful side? She also doesn’t judge based on appearances and can see the good in anyone, which is very similar to how I view people. There’s a bit of a mystical quality about her, despite her being one of the most normal characters, probably due to her wisdom and knowledge of the light orbs.
As for the route itself, I think any route where you’re messing around with Sunohara is a fun route. The conflict Yukine has is mostly resolved already, so instead of trying to help her, the route is more about uncovering the air of mystery surrounding her. It goes at a nice pace, and their relationship seems like more of a natural progression. Also, the final scene is just lovely. It’s probably my favorite route so far, to be honest. (Of course, I’m playing in the bookclub order so I still have most of the routes left.)
4 Likes
I think I said this somewhere much earlier in this topic, but something I really like about Yukine in the VN versus in the anime is that she feels like a much more real character.
In the anime, she really is just played off as some cute moe girl who does girly things like magic spells and is just exceedingly nice to everyone, no matter who they are.
In the VN however, she really shined as a human being. Not just some side character no one really has any investment in anyway. But someone that you want to care about. A girl with real feelings and real problems, and despite that, still shows real love to everyone around her.
This part, showing love to everyone indiscriminately, is what I’ll point out as the the real message for Tomoya in this route. Why does he stick around Yukine all the time? Because she cares for him, and doesnt care about his reputation, or who he presents himself as, or even who he really is.
This is in sharp contrast to our last route, Tomoyo’s, where the discrimination against Tomoya’s (and Tomoyo’s) delinquent-ness is overwhelmingly clear. I will continue to preach how Tomoya really just needs someone to love him, and really to teach him how to love back, and Yukine does just that.
3 Likes
I feel like the aspect of Yukine’s route which makes it stand out the most isn’t necessarily her character but more so the fact that her story presents a theme and plot device which seamlessly introduces the greater plot of Clannad which (If following the order of the bookclub) we’ve seen small glimpses of thus far.
I know @Pepe mentioned that the light orb background story after the credits roll isn’t necessarily part her route so to speak, but the plot device stems from her role in the story, albeit minor. I really want to emphasise that as part of what I love about this route so much.
Allow me to clarify what I mean.
Yukine may be a minor character who doesn’t have much presence and her story isn’t exactly grand scale or very dramatic either (in the VN at least. Anime was a bit… edgy). But her being the hostess of this reference room opened the opportunity to show the reader a character who has access to all sorts of bizarre information and items (magic spells, confiscated belongings from students, and old thrown out books ect)
When coupled with her story, a girl who brings other happiness and but has yet to find happiness herself. Taking both in consideration gave a very subtle transition to the scene explaining the light orbs after the credits rolled.
What I like about this is that it transitions perfectly into Yukine giving us the small piece of exposition at the end after the credits telling the reader all about the light orbs. It may be early on, but it emphasises those light orbs are very important
The fact that her story complements what the orbs represent, paired with (albeit kind of conveniently) her being someone who has access to strange information like that, in my opinion is quite clever writing.
To summarise, its less about Yukine, and more about what her role presents to the greater story. Having read After Story already now, it makes me appreciate what this route does for the novel in the long run.
As a stand alone route, it can be seen as poor. But otherwise I argue it’s pretty stellar.
EDIT: Kotomi route spoilers They could have easily had something like this take place in Kotomi’s route for example. considering she is a bit of a bookworm and could likely fit in just as well. But I feel like Yukine was the selected character because she was the ‘most relevant’ to get the point across from a writing standpoint.
2 Likes
First of all, thank God finals are over and done with, i can finally rejoin the discussions here.
I just recently got into Yukine’s route and man…what can I say about her…oh i know:
SHE IS SOOOOO KIIIIND!!!
I mean seriously she is without a doubt one of the kindest character I have ever met in the entire fiction world. Making a meal for Sunohara when she heard she’s down? Taking care of delinquents no matter what what others say? Always believing in the best of people (she’s one of the few characters to not call Sunohara an idiot)? Her smile? Truly an angel.
Her spells, combined with the idiocy of Sunohara fits so perfectly, I’m laughing non-stop whenever she introduced a crazy one Followed by that I can truly feel it when Tomoya commented on how peaceful the reference room is, both in stupid and quiet, serene times. I haven’t finished this yet but I’m really enjoying this route dialogue per dialogue.
Yes, I agree 100%, while I really love the Clannad anime, the anime really just portrays her as another kind cute girl. She really establish herself as a distinct key heroine in the VN:yukismil:
Naah I bet she’s just sinfully innocent just like the sinfully angelic smile she showed but point taken though
Here’s one of my favorite LOL moments hahaha
1 Like
Look at all this stuff Tonokawa tried to steal for a route in Little Busters! and forgot to take all the depth along with it!
Empathy, relationship endangerment, THE INGREDIENT CALLED LOVE, what is ‘right’?, OOEY GOOEY, imprinting/psychological SHIT, spirals!
Perfect route.
5/5
