By this point, I’m beginning to see something of a pattern in how these arcs are set up. Someone in the group has lingering issues relating to their past, and Kotori assumes the responsibility of resolving those regrets because ‘it’s the right thing to do and it will make people happy’. That’s especially the case here with Tomo, whose issues have been discussed throughout the entire story. I don’t feel like Tomo’s character has the same depth as the others, but this arc makes up for it with a ton of development for Kotori and Tomoyo, both as individuals and as a couple.
Perhaps my favorite part of this route is the influence Kotori, Tomoyo and Kanako have over the people in the village. Although we don’t see much of what Kanako does to befriend the village, you can definitely feel the weight behind every person’s bond with her and the others. Also, in Kotori working to build a school for Tomo to learn at, he teaches the villagers what it really means to live, to have a purpose for living. It reminds me a bit of Kotomi’s route in CLANNAD, particularly the part where Kotori You does his absolute best to convince Kotomi to return to school by cleaning up her garden, except on a grander scale.
Something I’ve also noticed is that this arc is full of fanfic bait, such as what happened to Takafumi and Tomo while the others went to see Tomo’s mother, and Kotori and Tomoyo’s plans for their future. Although I have no time on my hands right now to write about these things, I feel like it might be something I could tackle in the future, especially the former prompt. I want to see Takafumi becoming best buds with Tomo so bad~ X3
The end part is pretty shocking, though. It looks like Tomoyo After is far from over, and soon I will see what could either be the best part of the story or the worst. It all depends on what happens after the countdown has reached zero… 
