The essential episodes of Clannad
Watch these 15 in order and you've got Clannad — each pick states its reason.
- 01
On the Hillside Path Where the Cherry Blossoms Flutter
On the way to school one day, Tomoya Okazaki meets a strange girl talking to herself named Nagisa Furukawa. Later in the day, Tomoya has a conversation with Nagisa during lunch and learns that she is repeating her last year of high school, and wants to join the now-disbanded drama club. After school, Tomoya goes to Nagisa's family bakery and meets her parents; he is invited to have dinner with them.
- 02
Tomoya, Nagisa, and Fuko spend the night at school having a pre-celebration for Youko's wedding. In the morning, Tomoya and Nagisa have forgotten about Fuko and cannot see her. Both Tomoya and Nagisa later feel that there is something important that they are forgetting, and finally remember about Youko's wedding, which is also when they are able to see Fuko again. On the wedding day, initially the only students to arrive were Tomoya, Nagisa, and Fuko, but after the ceremony it is shown that everyone who had received a starfish came to the wedding. Fuko ultimately disappears after thanking Tomoya and Nagisa for what they have done, and congratulating her older sister. A rumor still persists at Tomoya's school of Fuko as a cute girl who is constantly running through the school.
- 03
After getting over Igarashi, Misae starts hanging out with Katsuki more and starts falling in love with him. One day, Katsuki realizes after going to his house with two of Misae's friends that he is in fact not Katsuki Shima, but a cat who was sent by the dying Katsuki Shima to grant Misae's wish. At the autumn festival, Misae confesses she has come to love Katsuki, but that night he disappears shortly after Misae made her wish for him to always be with her. After Tomoya wakes up, and realizes the cat showed him all this, Tomoya later tells Misae some things Katsuki did not get a chance to tell her.
- 04
Shortly after his graduation, Tomoya decides to be more independent, and works toward this goal by first taking up a job at the bakery. Meanwhile, Nagisa has begun her new school year, although she makes few friends and her attempt to reestablish the theater club ends in failure. Tomoya eventually moves out of Nagisa's home to a small apartment of his own, while taking up a job as an electrician with Yusuke Yoshino. After his first day of work, Tomoya returns to his home completely exhausted, barely able to stay awake during his dinner with Nagisa.
- 05
The Founder's Day Festival Promise
Working has its ups and downs for Tomoya. He does not want his boss to find out that he has an injured shoulder, in fear that he will lose his new job. He promises Nagisa that he will join her at the Founder's Festival, yet work gets busy and while his fellow co-workers would have covered for him, he wanted to prove his worth. He is late for his date, and is starting to become too busy to sustain a healthy relationship with Nagisa. He gains respect with his co-workers and settles into his job.
- 06
Yusuke tells Tomoya a little about his past and how he met Kouko in high school. After graduating, Yusuke went on to become a successful singer-songwriter, but ultimately it all came crashing down and he started taking drugs. When he came back to the city and saw Kouko again for the first time in years, he regretted not continuing to sing for her sake. Tomoya is offered a new position as a manager in a new electrician firm, but the deal falls through when his father is arrested. Tomoya is enraged that his father is still managing to mess up his life. Tomoya finally proposes to Nagisa, and she accepts.
- 07
Tomoya tries to convince Akio to talk to him about his decision to marry Nagisa. Akio, however, will only talk to him if he can get a decent hit with a baseball match. Tomoya continues to practice hitting the ball until he gets good enough to face Akio again. He finally hits a home run, and runs over to Akio to beg him to let Nagisa be with him; Akio agrees. Christmas time arrives, and as Nagisa turns twenty, she has her first drink of sake; when she is drunk, she accuses Tomoya of being attracted to Sanae. Nagisa's fever goes up again, causing her to become absent from school, but not enough to repeat another year. Tomoya soon organizes with some of their friends and previous classmates to gather at the school and celebrate Nagisa's graduation. Nagisa receives her diploma and graduates. Tomoya and Nagisa get married soon after.
- 08
Nagisa and Tomoya are now a married couple living together. Nagisa tries to find work and starts working in a family restaurant with Nishina. Akio and Tomoya visit Nagisa at work and scare out a couple of customers who were hitting on Nagisa. Nagisa tells Tomoya that the old building of the school they went to is going to be torn down. Knowing that the drama club was in the old building, Tomoya freaks out and admits that he is uncomfortable with all the changes happening in their town. Tomoya and Nagisa visit Akio and Sanae, who tells them Nagisa is most likely pregnant. Akio gets angry at Tomoya at first, but he congratulates him afterwards.
- 09
Nagisa becomes increasingly bedridden due to morning sickness. Nagisa wants to give birth at home, so Sanae introduces Yagi, a midwife who is to assist in the delivery. Sanae later tells Tomoya that giving birth will be difficult because of Nagisa's weak physique and may even put Nagisa's life in danger, so they might have to choose abortion. However, Sanae leaves the choice up to Tomoya and Nagisa. Nagisa learns of her mother's worries, but she decides to go through with the birth. Akio takes Tomoya to a meadow and tells him more about the day when Nagisa nearly died. Akio carried Nagisa to the meadow and prayed for her life, and Nagisa miraculously regained consciousness. Akio tells Tomoya that while many painful and difficult things will happen, he and Sanae will always be there for Tomoya and Nagisa since they are family. Nagisa and Tomoya take a walk by the river and decide on the name Ushio for their child.
- 10
Winter comes and Nagisa enters the final months of her pregnancy, but she becomes sick again. On a snowy day, Nagisa goes into labor two weeks early and her family, unable to transport her to a hospital in time, is forced to have her give birth at home. After an excruciating process, Nagisa successfully gives birth to her daughter, Ushio, but the delivery and her illness combined take their toll on her and Nagisa dies moments after seeing her newborn baby. Tomoya, who has stayed by her side for the entire time, does not take the sudden turn of events well. His dream of raising their daughter together as a family is shattered.
- 11
Five years after Tomoya left Ushio with Sanae and Akio, he spends his days at work and spending money on smoking and drinking. Sanae and Tomoya go out together into town, and she asks him to go with her and Akio on a family trip; after Sanae continues to ask him, he accepts. The day of the trip, he discovers that both Sanae and Akio have left him and Ushio alone together. The two spend the next day and night together, and when Sanae and Akio still do not show up, Tomoya asks Ushio if she would be willing to still go on a trip, even if it was only with a person like him. The two decide to take the trip by themselves and, as they walk, Tomoya wonders where they are headed.
- 12
While on the trip, Tomoya buys a toy robot he picks out for Ushio to play with after they arrive in the countryside. The next day, after staying at an inn the previous night, Tomoya and Ushio take a walk through the area and come across a field of flowers. Ushio plays in the field as Tomoya watches, but Ushio soon loses the robot in the field; they try to look for it, but to no avail. Remembering something from his past, Tomoya goes off to another area and meets his grandmother Shino Okazaki, his father's mother.
- 13
Tomoya and Ushio get back from their trip together. After spending a night with Nagisa's parents, they leave to Tomoya's apartment, where they will both be living from now on. Some time later, Tomoya takes a day off from work and the two meet up with Kouko, whose sister Fuko has been released from the hospital. Afterward, Tomoya and Ushio visit Tomoya's father. Tomoya manages to convince his father into moving back to the countryside with his mother. While Tomoya and Ushio say goodbye to Tomoya's father, a light appears and gets absorbed by Tomoya, while only being noticed by Ushio.
- 14
When Tomoya brings Ushio to school he meets her teacher, who is none other than Kyou Fujibayashi and they have a conversation. After that, Tomoya goes to work and Yoshino asks him for Fuko to play with Ushio, since she likes her. Tomoya agrees to this and Fuko arrives at his house to play until the evening when she goes back home. When it is time to sleep, Tomoya uses Nagisa's song to lull Ushio to sleep. The next day, Kyou tells Tomoya about sports day at school where the parents are to participate as well. He is reluctant about it, but Ushio encourages him, which makes him change his mind. One evening, Ushio is taking a stroll to the new hospital by herself and encounters Fuko on her way. When the latter asks why she does this, Ushio says it is for no real reason. The next day, Tomoya is preparing for the meet at the Furukawa bakery with Sanae and Akio, when Ushio is suddenly struck with a fever, much to the others' shock.
- 15
The girl in the Illusionary World is dying in the snow, and the robot regrets having her take the journey. The girl can finally hear the robot, and tells him that they once existed in another world. As she hums the tune of "Dango Daikazoku", the Illusionary World starts to collapse. As the robot is swept away, the girl calls him "Papa" and disappears with the world. Back at the hill, Tomoya calls after Nagisa, and she is glad that he did so. Nagisa brings Tomoya through time, and together the voices of the robot and Tomoya note the end of his long journey. Tomoya awakens to Ushio's birth, but this time, Nagisa miraculously survives. After Nagisa watches Tomoya give Ushio her first bath, she and Tomoya see that countless orbs of light are floating throughout the city outside the window. They both sing to Ushio and from then on, Tomoya and Nagisa experience a happy life raising their daughter together, finally free of their cursed fate.
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