Shelf Life

Kanon in D minor

Seven years have passed since Yuichi has visited the town his cousin lives in, but since he's transferred into her high school, he's moving in with her and her mom. He doesn't remember much about the town, but he keeps getting flashbacks of girls and feelings he doesn't understand. However, it's still a quick transition for him, and before long, he's made friends with a bunch of other girls, some of whom know him from the past.

While many of the girls fill certain visual novel stereotypes, for newcomers to the genre, some of them may seem a little over the top. An example in particular is a girl who not only looks five years younger than Yuichi, but also has wings on her backpack, and has a trademark sound effect. She's not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, and actually chased her tail for a good minute trying to see the wings on her back. Other archetypes include a sword-toting senior, a sickly girl, and a hyperactive nuisance, but in the end, they all provide a colorful backdrop and more opportunities for male viewers to fawn over.

Although I wasn't as taken in by the first volume of Kanon as I was by Air, I still found it very pleasant to watch. It's a very calming show, and even the occasional obnoxious moments couldn't break up the soothing atmosphere of the snowy town. So far, though, only the characters have been introduced, and not much else. There hasn't been an established storyline yet, and since almost nothing is revealed in Yuichi's flashbacks, the story doesn't really have a clear endpoint in sight. However, it's a fairly innocuous show and it's helped by the fact that there's actually a normal male protagonist. He's a smart, nice, independent guy, which makes the series infinitely more enjoyable to watch than those with wimpy milquetoasts who get beat up all the time. In fact, most of the characters are pretty likeable, so even with the lack of story, it's still easy to want to know what happens next.

It goes without saying that if you're a fan of moe, then Kanon is a must-buy. With its giant cast of young-looking high school girls, it's as moe as they come, and nothing brings out the brotherly instinct in daydreaming anime fans like girls shivering in their mittens. Even if you're not into this kind of thing, though, Kanon has enough to offer that you'll probably be entertained. It's a very low key series, with a few laughs scattered here and there, and there's just enough hints at angst and tragedy to keep you interested.[TOP]