Discussion topic for the final arc of Tomoyo After: ~It’s a Wonderful Life~: After. Feel free to discuss anything from this arc without [spoiler] tags, but please tag anything from outside works, providing adequate context in parenthesis.
How would you rate this arc?
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Oh man, I’ve said this before but I just love this route. It’s my second favorite Key route in general after Refrain and is what ultimately made me decide I liked Tomoyo After better than CLANNAD, bringing it to my personal #2 spot. As far as I’m concerned, Key has never done romance better than here. They were already my favorite couple, but Tomoyo managing to make Tomoya fall for her all over again in just the span of one week is what really sealed the deal for me. And then he wakes up anew and they’re married and it’s just so damn sweet.
The juxtaposition of this ending and all the bad endings is amazing. The idea of having things you couldn’t foresee happen any way you go, but still just accepting those as a matter of course, was presented so well. In any of the bad ends, presumably Tomoya survives and lives out the rest of his life in Tomoyo in peace. Sure, they’d have the regrets from not finishing things up right there lingering for a while, but they still had a whole life ahead of them with plenty of opportunities to make more happy memories and eventually file those regrets away and forget about them. Here, Tomoya dies. Tomoyo dedicates her time to helping other people through tough times. They’re completely distinct paths and it’s a freak accident that the latter happened to turn out that way, but that’s just the way it is, and we can accept that without regretting what led up to it. CLANNAD had a similar moment, but seeing Tomoyo move on in her own way in this route was just so powerful to me. That final monologue is just pure beauty, and Harmony of Sorrow is such a great track, too.
Gotta say though, I love the bittersweetness of the original ending. I really need to read the updated ending sometime… just so I can actually form my own informed opinion on it.
I do have to wonder though whether it was Tomoya’s Nagisa flashbacks that made that particular week so special he managed to end it with an “I love you”. I guess that moment he speaks to Nagisa really is the moment Tomoya’s life started to change all around him.
This was a beautiful ending. I don’t want to go into too much detail as I may have to save my thoughts for later. However, I lost it when Tomo appeared at the end, even if it was for no reason, just seeing that side of Tomoya’s still believe in him after all this time and distance just made my heart break.
I know the ending was changed a lot from the original version but what exactly did they change? The only thing that confirms that he survived is the portrait of Tomoya undergoing rehab. So, if that were the case, did the original only stop the game after he falls asleep on his wheelchair and only implies that he died? Or do they give more solid basis for you to think of that?
Frankly, I am convinced with this. I think Tomoya being able to push someone else is what also makes him able to push for himself. Thus it gives him the confidence to finally tell a girl he only knew for a week that he loves her. I’d get into more connections with this and the “illusionary world”, but I’ll have to think more about that, for now.
Alright, let me give a quick rundown of the changes from the original version.
Besides the prologue, which naturally changed from being sex scenes to dress-up, all the changes are after Tomo arc. You know that little segment that bridges Tomo arc and After arc? That wasn’t there originally. Tomoyo and Tomo have their heart to heart and then you’re immediately thrust into the After arc with Tomoya having suddenly lost his memories.
Then it’s the same until the scene where Tomoya confesses to Tomoyo and you get that pretty CG of her. In the original game, there was no flashback at this point. No Takafumi, no Kanako, no Sunohara voice cameo, just Tomoyo implying all of them in text.
Then during the second week when Tomoya and Tomoyo are back at their apartment, in the original they consummate their marriage, which is still the only sex scene I’ve ever considered actually good in a visual novel. After that, we head to the final monologue, which besides the absence of the Tomo cameo plays out the same way. And then, of course, the final epilogue that implies Tomoya and Tomoyo got back together (be it in reality or in the afterlife) never happens. You do still get the couple of CGs of Tomoya being rehabilitated though.
While the game doesn’t spell it out, there’s hardly any doubt Tomoya dies in the original ending. Tomoyo’s monologue mentions that the operation wasn’t successful even though she directly afterwards mentions how he did recover memories and was rehabilitated for a while. But after that she goes back into describing how at times her heart almost tore into pieces from the pain. And the lines that follow are basically written in such a way as if her time with Tomoya was unforgettable to her, implying that it has already come to an end.
Edit: Oh, uh, and I totally forgot that Tomoyo outright writes that the two of them will never walk together again.
In this version you can instead reason that he may have just fallen into a coma and eventually woken up after all. If it works for you, fine, but since I don’t believe Key literally changed their ending - just that they decided to leave it more open to interpretation to please some readers - my interpretation is still that Tomoya dies in the end.
Well thanks, that’s clarifying, I didn’t actually understand whether he died or not, but wasn’t there a scene at the very end where Tomoyo says “You always kept me waiting”? I think she said 8 months after the break up, 3 years after the accident and then after your sleep. Doesn’t this directly imply that he didn’t die, that he recovered from a coma? Or is that sentence said in the afterlife after Tomoyo died?
This aside, from the changes you’ve mentioned, I see lots of improvement with the transition between arcs and the flashback scenes instead of a description given by Tomoyo.
This. I assumed it was an afterlife thing, though I’d talked to Karifean before reading, so obviously my thinking was already set on him dying.
Without explaining him collapsing or his hands going numb? That’s kind of annoying, isn’t it? Like, he suddenly gets unexplained amnesia.
That’s pretty disappointing 
I thought Tomo coming out after all these years was one of the most powerful moments of this scene.
Hmm yes, that’s something that was not mentioned in the current steam version.
That being the case, why could you not think that Tomoya may have fallen into a coma in the original? It would still be something extremely painful, and that would prevent him from walking again if not forever, at least, indefinitely.
My interpretation of all of this, having read only the updated version, is that Tomoya did not die, nor did he have a coma. I believe that Tomoya had turned into a vegetative state. It kind of fits in to what Tomoyo said about the operation not going well, plus Tomoya not being able to talk anymore. It also adds in to the pain and struggle for Tomoyo, having to live her life taking care of Tomoya. Thus my interpretation of their reunion being something in an afterlife, where they can continue to exist with each other normally.
I haven’t read the steam version yet, but I can’t imagine the story with a build up to the events. Suddenly starting a scene and realizing something is terribly wrong was always a great moment. It’s explained why he is like that by Tomoyo later on.
well, in that case, I guess that is more forgivable. It’s just that seeing something slowly happening to Tomoya was also equally interesting.
I wouldn’t put this arc on the level of the best portions of After Story, but this arc still ranks high on some of the best stories Key has done. Every emotional beat hit the mark. Seeing Tomoyo persevere and continue to love and care for Tomoya over a three year span was touching and heartfelt. Her struggles and moments of doubt were portrayed effectively and realistically. After Tomoya proving throughout the entire game that he’s willing to go life-threatening lengths to help Tomoyo, she proves she’s just as capable (if not moreso) here.
Even the moments where Tomoyo recounts their days in Clannad together were interesting. Seeing Tomoya’s candid insights on these events was not only in-character but helped round out the kind of person he is. Under all the jaded skin he’d grown over his heart, he’s always been a kind person willing to go over leaps and bounds for other people so they don’t suffer the way he did. In the same way, Tomoyo is also very altruistic. Her more openly emotional investment can make her short-sighted, but she’s worked just as hard as Tomoya to help others, like saving the cherry blossom trees for her family’s sake or helping with the school for the village’s sake. Despite her flaws, she compliments his nature by being physically stronger and more capable. It’s part of the reason their relationship results in such endearing chemistry.
Although I’ll concede that the original ending was somewhat ambiguous in this way, I feel like having Tomoya die would almost make the narrative a Shaggy Dog Story. I mean, after both have them have worked so hard to accomplish their goals and have stuck with each other through thick and thin, Tomoya dies? (After Story spoiler) Nagisa’s death was different because it had proper build-up and foreshadowing throughout both her route and After Story, and in her sacrifice, Tomoya was able to become a self-sufficient individual worthy of having a daughter. . But here? If he dies, no one benefits. Tomoyo proved her strength and her desire to help others by caring for him all this time. Instead, she’s punished with an unexpected tragedy. I am aware that unexpected things happen in life, too, but in the context of a story, I feel something sudden like this needs to fit the narrative. As a result, I feel all of Tomoyo and Tomoya’s hard work and drive resulting in a happy ending better fits the story.
Thematically, I love how the story emphasizes the joy one gains from helping others. By supporting each other, Tomoya and Tomoyo are able to enjoy each other’s love and gain the satisfaction of seeing the happiness of the people around them. Showcasing that hard work and dedication to one’s meaning in life (whatever that may be) yields great results is a powerful message that resonantes greatly with me.
I also prefer how Naoyuki’s nicer side came out her than (After Story spoilers again) than the way it did there, where we’re supposed to instantly forgive him all of his wrongdoings . Here, while he’s still acknowledged to have his bad points, he’s organically shown to care for Tomoya underneath his insincere facade by preparing his house for the time he returns. It was a little touch that I appreciated. Hearing a Sunohara voice cameo was nice, and so was the nod to the very first moment in Clannad that we got. I do wish we had a couple more appearances from them, as well as Takafumi and Kanako, even though I understand there are in-universe reasons for why they wouldn’t be there. They were so important to the group dynamic, so seeing them not be represented at the end was sad for me…
Other than that, though, I loved this. 4/5. Now to get some much needed levity by playing Dungeons and Takafumis…
Just finished! There were some feels, let me tell you. It really made me empathize because I now have a person who means the world to me and has helped me become the best version of myself (which is still a work in progress) and has given me more happiness than I could have ever imagined. So thinking about going through that stuff with him? Powerfully heartbreaking. So good on them for getting me in that frame of mind. The part with the father also broke my heart. I enjoyed some of the subtle foreshadowing as to what was going on as well.
I have a few negative points as well. Well first is that amnesia did really suit what they were going for, but I would have liked to see a more creative way to challenge their relationship. Like the vegetable thing mentioned above or something else. Amnesia is used a lot in media because it’s easy. It would have been amazing if they could have used something else and given the same impact. Also, I understand it’s been going on for a few years and being in a relationship with someone like that has got to be unimaginably challenging. With that said, his mind reverts to a late middle school/high school age and I’m uncomfortable with the idea of being physically romantic with someone who mentally is like 14. Some of it was sweet, the “I love you” bits were sweet and I’m not trying to say Tomoyo is a bad person or anything. But mentally he was a middle schooler and our minds do a lot of growing and maturing in those years and after only a week of adapting to a new life (repeatedly, granted), I don’t feel his mind would have been where it should have been to fully understand that kind of adult relationship.
I did like the vague ending, it was quite touching and beautiful, I liked finding out Tomoyo was the narrator and the kind of fourth wall breaking motivational words were great. It did feel a little bit abrupt though and I would have liked to see more of the rest of the cast before things wrapped up.
So yeah, I enjoyed Tomoyo After, it was worth the price, and I probably will read it again in the future. Not my favourite, but Tomoyo definitely went up in my books for being willing to stick it out through that. That takes an incredibly strong person and I admire and respect that. I also liked the art much better.
Side note, does anyone feel for poor Tomoya and his romances? He ends up with amnesia in this one and possibly dying an early death and in CLANNAD his wife dies in childbirth.. I mean, poor dude can’t catch a break.
There was one thing about Tomoyo After that impressed me more than anything else that being it’s structure. Due to being structured around multiple routes, most Key novels sneak around conventional linear storytelling. However, those conventions exist for a reason, so I’d like to take the time to showcase how TA embraces a linear story while still making use of the power of choices.
As an aid in this, I’d like to make use of a technique explained by Matt Stone and Trey Parker in this video. Essentially, they explain that the major beats of a story should show a clear pattern of cause and effect. So if we look at the major beats of the “true” path through TA, it’d look something like this.
And that’s basically it in broad strokes. For negatives, it’s not super clear if Takafumi’s arc progresses the story. Takafumi definitely could have found Tomo’s mom without going through all of that. Like I said, I think restoring Kanako’s faith in love might have helped, but I’m not 100% sure. Other than that though, plot points continue to build on each other like a house of cards. And if a card isn’t added you won’t be able to finish the house; this is what happens if Tomoya loses heart in the first arc or if the school doesn’t get finished.
When I finished Tomoyo After, I could look back and see how every previous step had led me to this point. It’s straightforward and effective. I really like Key’s regular route based novels too, but sometimes it irks me to see how they’re basically held together with duct tape and staples. Tomoyo After seems to be unique in effectively contrasting it’s kin like this, so I’d be overjoyed if they could make more refreshers like it.
Before I even started Tomoyo After, I knew about its reputation. Many of the critiques I saw about it before the Steam release was announced talked about how it was one of the saddest Key games, but it wasn’t the kind of sorrow that led to a happy ending. It was a painful sorrow, as many reviews hinted that the ending was in no way happy. So I knew right off the bat that Tomoyo After wasn’t going to be like every Key game I experienced beforehand, not even its predecessor.
Nevertheless, in trying to be different from its peers, it falls into new problems all its own. Like most final routes written by Maeda, there is repetition that is boring to read, but there’s a spin to it in that it’s all stuff I know about from CLANNAD. So it made me wonder, could this game stand on its own for someone who hasn’t read CLANNAD? I made the observation earlier, but I couldn’t be entirely sure until I read every line of this novel. Now, I feel more sure than ever that the possibility exists. This story, I feel, is far stronger than CLANNAD on the whole, although if you asked me, After Story is a far better final route than After Arc.
After Arc places focus on Tomoyo trying to reconcile with her feelings for Kotori, who has amnesia after the accident he had during Tomo Arc. Kotori has to relearn everything he knew from his middle school days onward, with Tomoyo placing great emphasis on describing her relationship with Kotori. I do admit, there is some value in learning how Tomoyo saw the events of her route in CLANNAD, but I find very little difference between that and what I read in CLANNAD. I’m actually pretty glad I didn’t reread Tomoyo’s route before I read this, because I would have been especially bored being fed information I wasn’t expected to remember. >.>
Still, the best parts of the route come after that, when Kotori understands how much he loves Tomoyo, even if he doesn’t remember any of the time they spent together. I felt a huge disconnect from Kotori before then, knowing practically everything that transpired except the three years Tomoyo wrestled with her feelings for him. From then on, some semblance of hope returns to Tomoyo and Kotori (and myself by extension) but things go downhill very quickly. I feel incredibly helpless watching everything transpire and being unable to do anything about it. All this talk of hope and union…and they make it out to be all hopeless in the end. Now I understand why people talk about how painful this game’s ending is. Tomoyo is left with nothing at the end, even after all she did, save the last comforting words of Kotori just before his passing. I can’t even begin to fathom the sorrow Tomoyo must be feeling after all that… T_T
I heard that the original release of the game had a different ending than the other editions (including this one). I feel that mainly applies to the epilogue which, speaking as someone who hasn’t seen the original ending, feels like the most out-of-place usage of Key Magic since (Rewrite spoilers)Chihaya’s route. I figure that’s why Yuuto Tonokawa got credited for writing the script in this release; he’s the biggest suspect for this kind of thing happening nowadays.
I still have Dungeons & Takafumis left. However, with the story ending like that, it only makes me want to see more of these characters. I gotta make it a priority to write a fanfic about this once I’m finished with my other projects…Excuse me.
walks away, holding back tears
They “jokingly” bring up amnesia quite a few times, for example, in the prologue when Tomoyo “forgets” Takafumi, or when Takafumi pretends to be a baby.
I really like to describe this arc as a mix of (ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two spoilers) Renji and Chihiro’s romance and the ending of (a certain Winter 2014 anime) Your Lie in April.
As for my actual thoughts, I like this arc. It’s a real shame that I spoiled myself really hard before reading this game. It can really hurt the entertainment value here, especially for TA which relied on a dramatic twist. It was a good thing that I forgot the anterograde amnesia part, which successfully caught me off-guard when I encountered it in the game.
Even if the spoilers took away the drama for me tremendously, there were a lot of things that I enjoyed a lot from this arc, namely the dialogue between Tomoya and Tomoyo. I did say before that I didn’t find myself digging this pairing, and even after reading this arc I still don’t ship it, but I really enjoyed the dialogue between the two and there was more than enough chemistry between them.
Sunohara getting depressed about Tomoya’s situation hurt me tho. :(( And speaking of which, I really like the scene with Tomoya’s father. That was After Story level of heartwarming man. ;u;
So yeah I like this a lot. I just wished I wasn’t spoiled so bad.
My overall thoughts on TA is that it’s definitely a really enjoyable read. I was thoroughly immersed by the story.
Funny you should mention that. I was also spoiled by the game a while back. It’s testament to Jun Maeda’s skills as a writer that I was still engrossed.
Why does being spoiled about the after arc seem to be a thing? I, too, was spoiled about the amnesia… Except I didn’t know it was anterograde amnesia. That fucked me up quite a lot while I was reading it!
I had every twist in the After arc spoiled for myself, except for the fact that it ends with Tomoya dying. Still my favorite ending to any VN ever, so I can’t say my impression of it suffered any for it.
Because a lot of Clannad fans refused to read it, so those who had gone through it kept trying to convince the ones who hadn’t by spoiling more and more of it! That, and Youtube comments. Personally I was spoiled by the large conversations that were around when the old partial released. People don’t hide 'em.
