Kanon: The Complete Series
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DVD details
Brand: FunimationDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Japanese (Original Language); English (Original Language); English (Dubbed)
Format: Box set, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 600 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-04-28
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Funimation Prod
DVD Reviews of Kanon: The Complete Series
DVD Review: Timeless Anime Storytelling
Summary: 4 Stars
It's almost impossible to find any reviews of Kanon that refrain from comparing it to the show Air. Now that Funimation has acquired the rights to bring both of these (already similar) shows out just one week apart will likely do little to differentiate one from the other. Having just watched the two series literally back to back, I can attest to the fact that Kanon succeeds in many areas where Air comes short. Yes there are some similarities between the two that will warrant direct comparison throughout my review but in actuality, Kanon is certainly more emotionally taxing in its prose and scope. Well before I get ahead of myself here, let's start at the beginning, shall we?
Released across 4 discs, Funimation is packaging up TBS Animation's Kanon in a complete series box set. The packaging is quite appropriate if slightly mysterious in its rear panel summary. Inside is a pair of beautifully artistic thin packs, each of which contains two discs. The choice of whites and pale blues is subtly appropriate for the oft-snowy setting of the story itself. I may even go on record as saying that the thin pack exterior art is the finest Funimation has released to date. In all the show runs 576 minutes and earns a fairly conservative TV PG rating (no nudity, language, or violence to speak of).
The set, as has been the trend of late, contains virtually no extras to speak of although the language options are thorough (English dub and original Japanese with or without English subtitles).
With stories like this that play out literally as emotionally driven mysteries, I feel it's critical that I don't provide any spoilers while attempting to summarize the plot here. That said, the story follows a high-school age young man who comes to stay with his aunt and female cousin after a seven-year hiatus. The viewer is treated to the same laid back pacing that Air relished and Kanon even operates off the sometimes-monotonous rhythm of daily routine. Where Kanon succeeds over Air is through the use of witty dialog that actually manages to be funny. The lead character (Yuichi) has many genuine moments of interaction, especially early on when the massive cast is being established.
Interestingly enough, save for one other male, the cast is entirely female. It sounds suspicious but manages to work surprisingly well. Much of the story plays off the fact that Yuichi basically comes back to town with amnesia of his previous visit (which was just over summer vacation seven years prior). The viewer is along for the unveiling of the facts right along side the lead character through frequent flashbacks that shed a bit of light present situations.
I won't sugarcoat the reality that this isn't a show for the overly sensitive as heartbreaks and a near endless succession of tragedies abounds. However, if I can offer any insight without taking away from the show's charm it would be to hold off on passing judgment until you've followed it all the way through to completion. Many of the show's mysteries and seeming impossibilities don't start making sense until the final couple episodes. In fact, the bigger picture isn't fully realized until the last section of the final episode!
Like such classic films as the Sixth Sense, Kanon is setup with clues and hints all along the way that cannot be fully appreciated until the second or third time through. Just prepare for a few of those "how could I have not realized this the first time" moments.
The show's art is simply flawless throughout. Landscapes, textures, lighting, and ambiance are truly second to none. Much of the show takes place over the course of a winter but don't for a minute suspect this left the artists with a pallet of drab grays and whites. Truthfully, the sunsets, snowfalls, crunching sound of boots and steamy clouds of exhalation just dazzle consistently throughout.
Additionally there are many that attempt but few shows that succeed in so charmingly capturing mood. Acting work, especially in the English dub, is outstanding. This is especially admirable considering that such a large cast of similarly aged females surely required unique performances for distinction. I should mention that a few characters do sound a lot alike but in the end the choice was most certainly deliberate.
With each of my reviews I like to attempt to nail down a single attribute that could be the show's greatest strength. With Kanon I may have to bend my own rule on account of the fact that so many aspects come off so well. I was initially leaning toward character development as, in this case, it is detrimental in moving the story along. Here we have a cast of characters that is near impossible not to adore for their sincerity, innocence, sense of humor, and in many cases, realistic interaction with each other. Coupled to the stunning visuals and solid voice work, it's tough to praise one aspect over the others.
In all, I won't kid you into thinking Kanon won't be difficult to market to the domestic general public. Upon first impression of the cover art, I feared a tale leaning toward the female-set what with the five glassy-eyed girls and pink lettering and all. However, and much like Air, this is a show with an abundance of heart and enough intriguing elements along the way to soften up even the hardest viewer. It's a story that transcends fads, styles, cultures and even defies genres come to think of it. We simply have nothing like this in the United States for a direct comparison and I'm certain that accounts for a lot of its charm. It's definitely not for everyone on account of the fact that what it lacks in action sequences is made up for with the viewer's ability to connect with the cast.
Take even the name Kanon for example- it is cleverly explained in one scene to have been inspired by the musical definition (canon) whereby a composition consists of a single melody repeated over and over with the addition of more elements each time. In a way I cannot think of a more appropriate metaphor for the show itself in its portrayal of life as being essentially the same day lived over and over with the addition of new experiences layered atop the familiarity of our routines.
Shows like this are successful not for their ability to focus on one aspect of the human condition but rather because they manage to grab hold of all of the little things that define humanity then put those elements together across a pace at which nearly anyone can relate. Kanon is more of an experience, a chance to briefly live among someone else's creative vision than it is simply entertainment. Kanon is truly timeless storytelling in the strictest sense of the word.
Description of Kanon: The Complete Series
Can the future exist without a past? Yuichi hasn?t seen his cousin Nayuki in years. Now that he?s back, all knowledge of ever visiting has vanished. He tries to adjust to the vaguely familiar surroundings, but the gaps in his memory haunt him as time grows short. The pieces of the puzzle have appeared ? an eerily silent beauty with blazing tresses, the mysterious girl with the winged backpack, and the sword-wielding demon slayer ? but it?s up to Yuichi to discover how they fit together.Stills from Kanon (Click for larger image)
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