Clannad and Deus Ex Machina: The Truth Behind The Girl And The Robot

Introduction to Planade

This section introduces the anime series "Planade" and its reputation as a fielsiest anime with thematic depth and emotional impact.

Planade's Impact and Criticisms

• "Planade" is a beloved series known for its thematic depth and emotional impact. It is often discussed as one of the fielsiest anime.

• The speaker personally considers "Planade" as one of their favorites, despite acknowledging its faults that are commonly pointed out by others.

• One criticism that the speaker disagrees with is regarding the ending, which they believe is not an ass pull or a poor fit.

Personal Interpretation of the Ending

In this section, the speaker discusses their personal interpretation of the ending of "Planade" and aims to prove that it is not an ass pull or a poor fit.

Challenging the Criticism

• The speaker has heard various criticisms about the ending but disagrees with them.

• They aim to explain why the ending is not an ass pull through their own interpretation.

Recap of Plot Leading to Ending

This section provides a recap of key events leading up to the ending of "Planade."

Recap of Events

• After Uscio's death, Timoia collapses in the snow while scenes show a girl in a robot witnessing a collapsing world.

• Timoia wakes up at Uscio's birth in what appears to be a happy ending.

Understanding Orbs of Light

This section explores the concept of orbs of light in "Planade" and their significance in granting wishes.

Orbs of Light

• Orbs of light appear when someone achieves true happiness in the series.

• These orbs can make miracles or wishes come true, but they have limitations such as specificity and genuineness of the wish.

The Illusionary World

This section delves into the concept of the Illusionary World in "Planade" and its connection to the orbs of light.

The Illusionary World

• The Illusionary World is an alternate dimension connected to the real world.

• It is hinted at throughout the series, particularly through scenes with a girl in a robot and Kotomi's arc.

The Afterlife and Wish Granting

This section explores the connection between the Illusionary World and the afterlife in "Planade."

Afterlife and Wish Granting

• The Illusionary World is not just an alternate reality but also represents the afterlife.

• Objects referred to as orbs of light are moments of true happiness that appear both in the real world and in this afterlife realm.

Loneliness and Existence in Planade

This section discusses themes of loneliness, existence, and soullessness portrayed through a robot character in "Planade."

Loneliness and Soullessness

• Through visual cues like heart-shaped cookies, it is implied that the robot character lacks a soul or ability to imbue life into objects.

• The robot's dialogue highlights how nothing is born into their world, emphasizing loneliness.

The Vision of the Girl and the Illusionary World

This section explains the connection between the girl beneath the tree in the epilogue, who is revealed to be Ushio, and her role as the creator of the Illusionary World. It is explained that Ushio created this world out of regret for leaving her father alone in the real world.

Ushio's Creation of the Illusionary World

• Ushio creates the Illusionary World out of regret for leaving her father alone in the real world. (Episode 22)

• The girl states that she is the world itself, and if she were to leave it, the world would die. (Episode 22)

Ushio's Regret and Timoia's Role

This section explores Ushio's regret and how it leads to Timoia's involvement in the Illusionary World.

Ushio's Regret and Creation of Illusionary World

• After Ushio dies at the end of After Story, she creates the Illusionary World out of regret for leaving her father alone. (Episode 16)

• Ushio hopes to reunite with her father and gathers orbs of light to make a miracle occur, creating a world to trap those lights. (Episode 16)

Timoia's Involvement

• Timoia dies moments after Ushio, likely due to neglecting his own well-being while taking care of her. (Episode 21)

• Timoia's soul enters the Illusionary World created by Ushio in the form of a robot without any memories from his past life. (Episode 21)

The Timing and Nature of the Illusionary World

This section delves into the timing and nature of the Illusionary World, questioning its relationship with the real world's timeline.

Timing and Coexistence with Main Story

• The Illusionary World appears to be happening concurrently with the main story, raising questions about its connection to the afterlife. (Episode 21)

• The theory suggests that the Illusionary World exists outside of the linear timeline of the real world, both in the far past and distant future. (Episode 21)

Connection to Real World

• The Illusionary World is an afterlife created by Ushio connected to the real world but separate from its timeline. (Episode 21)

• Timoia's experience as a robot in the Illusionary World explains his nostalgia for Nagi's play. (Episode 21)

Lights, Hopes, and Dreams

This section explores how lights play a significant role in connecting Ushio, Timoia, and their hopes and dreams.

Collection of Lights

• Ushio collects lights in the real world that Timoia gathers in each arc, symbolizing their shared experiences. (Episode 16)

• The final light comes from Timoia's reconciliation with his father, representing parents' hopes and dreams being passed on to their children. (Episode 16)

Granting Wishes

• Ushio as the girl is able to grant Timoia's wish because she embodies all the happiness he collected and shared with Nagi-sa. (Episode 16)

• Through this realization, Ushio regains her memories of her former life and finds contentment being with her father all along. (Episode 16)

Timoia's Reflection and Resolution

This section focuses on Timoia's reflection on his past choices and his resolution to live happily with Nagi-sa and Ushio.

Reflection on Tragedy

• Timoia contemplates whether it would have been better if he had never met Nagi-sa, considering the tragedy that followed. (Episode 16)

• Despite the hardships, Timoia realizes that he could never throw away the time he shared with Nagi-sa. (Episode 16)

Resolution and Moving Forward

• With enough lights gathered and the purpose of the Illusionary World fulfilled, Ushio grants Timoia's wish, sending his soul back to the real world. (Episode 16)

• It is suggested that Timoia moves to a different timeline or world where everyone survives, creating a new beginning. (Episode 16)

Interpreting the Ending

This section discusses different interpretations of the ending and how Timoia's journey leads to a happy outcome.

Different Interpretations

• Some interpretations suggest that Timoia goes back in time to Ushio's birth with a happy ending. (Episode 16)

• Another perspective is that Timoia moves to a whole new timeline or world where everyone survives. (Episode 16)

Multiple Timelines and Worlds

• The existence of multiple timelines and worlds is hinted at, suggesting limitless possibilities for different futures. (Episode 16)

• Through Ushio's use of lights, she enables Timoia to leave behind tragedy and move towards a new world where happiness prevails. (Episode 16)

New Section

This section discusses the ending of Clannad and addresses whether it is considered an "ass pull" or a conclusion that was foreshadowed throughout the series.

Foreshadowing of the Ending

• Orbs of Light appear at the end of each arc during moments of true happiness and lead to a mysterious illusionary world inhabited by a girl in a robot.

• The power of these lights is demonstrated during Misae's arc and Akiyo's flashback with Nagiso. This information is directly stated multiple times throughout the series.

• The Illusionary world is revealed to be an afterlife, with the girl in the robot being Usio and Timoia. This is confirmed through dialogue, images, and final shots in the last few episodes.

• Usio created this world out of regret for leaving her father alone and collects light orbs to make Timoia's wish come true. This is supported by statements from both Usio and Kotomi in different episodes.

• Kotomi states that the Illusionary world runs parallel to our own, suggesting multiple worlds with limitless futures exist. This sets up the climactic scene where Timoia's soul moves to a new timeline for a happy ending.

Clannad's Ending as Not an "Ass Pull"

• The information about the ending comes from the anime itself, not just the visual novel version. Thus, it can be concluded that Clannad's ending was not an "ass pull."

• The magic and supernatural elements in Clannad are established throughout the series, making them not come out of nowhere.

Thematic Fit of Clannad's Ending

• The ending is a perfect thematic fit for Clannad and could not be replaced with another ending.

• Two alternate endings proposed by some fans are discussed: one where everything in episode 22 is imagined by Moya, and another where the series ends after Moya and Hushio's reconciliation. However, these endings fail to capture the themes of family and the power of life present in the actual ending.

Themes of Family and Life in Clannad's Ending

• The ending emphasizes the power of family, illustrating the deep connection between Moya and Hushio. It shows that children are the culmination of their parents' hopes and dreams.

• Clannad is ultimately a story about life, highlighting that pain and tragedy are part of it but also emphasizing that happiness outweighs them.

• The ending demonstrates that suffering makes us stronger and that life is worth living despite its challenges.

New Section

This section explores how Clannad presents life as painful, short, fragile, and beautiful, discussing why the ending is uplifting.

Acceptance of Life's Challenges

• To Moya realizes that his family is an integral part of him, making living a life without them equivalent to throwing it away. The ending brings this realization full circle.

• In the first scene of the series, Nagiso asks if one can still love life even when happy things don't last. At the end of their journey, To Moya understands that it's because of those happy moments that life is worth loving.

Clannad's Realistic Portrayal of Life

• Clannad presents life as painful, short, fragile, and beautiful. The ending is not an unearned respite from sadness but a powerful demonstration of the idea that suffering makes us stronger.

• The ending is considered the most uplifting ending by the speaker and perfectly captures Clannad's themes.

New Section

This section raises a question about Nagiso's illness and its connection to Misuzu's condition in Air.

Nagiso's Illness

• Nagiso's illness is likely connected to her connection to the town through Akio's wish and her recurring sickness during winter. There may be more to it than just that.

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The speaker apologizes for not providing a review and mentions the need for light orbs. They also request support through their Patreon page and encourage viewers to subscribe and follow them on Twitter.

Speaker's Apology and Request for Support

• The speaker apologizes for not being able to provide a review at the moment.

• They mention the need for light orbs in order to proceed with the requested content.

• The speaker requests support from viewers by checking out their Patreon page.

• Any help is appreciated as it contributes towards creating better content.

• Viewers are encouraged to subscribe if they enjoyed the video.

• The speaker invites viewers to follow them on Twitter.

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