Clannad After Story - Episode 9

This episode was very very touching. It was definitely one of the best episodes in After Story so far and made me cry... But head to the beginning.

Apparently, in the other world, a strange device is being built. It should take the two out of the world where noone else live to the warm world where people live in happiness. Will this thing ever take off to the radiant sky?

Everything seems to go as usual in Nagisa and the others' world. Another peaceful day filled with fun has started. Tomoya and Nagisa are having a talk about their future. I mean, not "their" future, but school/career future of each of them. Nagisa wants to find a job, but Tomoya doesn't have a clue what he wants to do and tries to change the topic. Successfully.

Another regular meeting of the Theatre Club members in the Theatre Club room. They all chat about their future and Sunohara reveals the dreadful truth, he wants to be a model. This was too much for Nagisa and she collapsed. Okay, this wasn't the case Nagisa collapsed. She got a fever, very bad one.

Nagisa is sick. One month has passed since she collapsed in the clubroom. When I heard the sentence, "A month went by." (一ヶ月が過ぎた), it made me extremely sad in an instant. I felt how the shiver was creeping in my body. I didn't think something like that could happen, Clannad never stops impressing me. 

Tomoya is constantly depressed and he's totally out of it. But, who wouldn't be on his place? As months pass by and Nagisa's condition isn't getting better, the chance she will have to repeat the year is rapidly rising. And when the Christmas come, it's definite. She's going to repeat. Tomoya comes up with the idea that he will repeat too, but Akio strikes it out of his head immediately and tells him that Nagisa would be upset, if he did it.

Christmas Eve, and Nagisa's birthday. Everybody gather at Furukawa's house. Tomoya gives her a present, Dango plushie. She's very happy and thanks everyone for coming and being by her side to support her. Then, Akio comes with nice, heartwarming words: "You are a precious part of our family. Be happy, Nagisa."

Time goes by and Tomoya and others are graduating, without Nagisa of course. Everybody goes to graduating party but Tomoya is coming home to Nagisa. He recalls all the nice moments he spent with Nagisa and then finds her waiting for him outside the house.

He thanks her for changing his life, for making his school life in fun, and tells her that he would rather repeat the year too and finally bursts into tears. However, Nagisa tells him to move on and gives him her best smile.

This episode seriously made me cry. Looking forward to what happens next. Nagisa's illness makes me nervous and I feel that things won't go as smooth as one would wish.

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3rd Seiyuu Awards

The Seiyuu Awards Commitee has decided to set up a new category, Foreign Fan Award. Non-japanese will be able to vote in this category and choose their favorite seiyuu. For this purpose, English website is to be opened on November 29. If you want to participate, you have to do it until January 1, when the voting is going to be concluded. Results will be announced on March 7, during an official ceremony.

The number of categories will grow from current 8 to 9. Best lead actor, lead actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, new actor, new actress, singing, personality and foreign fans award. I am sure that the commitee will be pleased if the number of foreign voters will be high, so I tell you, vote!

EDIT: The site was launched here.

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Clannad After Story - Episode 8

After Sunohara pretended to be the great Miyazawa Kazuto, the guys from the other gang take action. They are pretty sure that Kazuto is back from hospital, because three of them were beaten up horribly. The fact that they got beaten up by a girl remains hidden before them.

Meanwhile, Tomoya is doing strange things with other girl right before Nagisa's eyes. But as expected, Nagisa doesn't mind. Poor Tomoya. Wouldn't you feel depressed if your girlfriend didn't feel jealous in a situation like that. Fortunately for him, Nagisa eventually becomes a little jealous.

Back to the main point. Yukine tries to convince the other gang to stop fighting, but fails horribly. She agrees on a match between gang leaders, meaning that her brother is supposed to fight, although she knows he can't. The one who caused the misunderstanding has to take the responsibilty on himself, so Sunohara is going to get thrashed.

A few moments before the fight, Nagisa pulls out a secret snack, Rainbow bread made by Sanae-san and jam made by her good friend. Sunohara and gang members bite in it once, and then each of them falls dead. Tomoya is the only one who's remain alive, because he knew the power of Sanae's bread and didn't have one.

The jam was a crossover with Kanon. Akiko's jam was known to be lethal so in the combination with Sanae's bread a ultimate weapon is created. Why didn't anyone tell them that they should have give it as a present to the other gang members?

After that, Tomoya goes as a replacement of Sunohara-Kazuto. The fight continues for a very long time. Then, Kazuto shows up, but gets a punch from the other gang's boss. Mask falls and the real identity of that "Kazuto" is revealed. It's noone else but Yukine. She couldn't bear watching other people getting hurt and she would rather be hurt herself, that's why she decided to do that.

The real Kazuto is actually already dead. Yukine takes everybody to his grave and tells them his last wish, the peace between the rival gangs. This wish eventually comes true and Yukine is very content. In the very end of the episode, Tomoya sees a mysterious light falling down from the sky. It's most likely the same thing that can be seen in the other world. 

It was a very good and very touching episode with a lot of sorrowful moments. Tomoya had to fight to protect his friends again, and Sunohara failed to accomplish anything, again (as usual). The crossover with Kanon was hilarious and certainly pleased a lot of Key fans. Would anyone of you dare to try this radioactive food?

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Contact Me

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About Me

I live in the heart of Europe, the Czech Republic. To be more specific, I live in its capital, Prague. I am a student and still have some time left before becoming a member of the labor force. If you asked me what exactly I would like to do in the future, I wouldn't be able to give you a clear answer. But since I like computers, electronics, and related stuff, I would like to work in some technological or computer-related field.

My first encounter with anime dates to the time when I was a child and started watching Pocket Monsters like many of my peers. This madness gradually died down and I retained the status of an ordinary boy with common hobbies. In February 2006, I came across an interesting series when I was flicking through the TV channels. It was called Gakkou no Kaidan -Ghost Stories- and it caught my interest. That was my reunion with anime and by the summer of the same year I had started to watch anime not on TV but via the Internet.

I enjoy various genres of anime but I'm very fond of dramas and tragedies. That's why I love Key's works, ef, Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, Higurashi, etc. But I also love slice-of-life series and comedies such as Azumanga Daiou, Hayate no Gotoku, School Rumble, K-ON!, or fantasy series such as Fate/stay Night or ARIA. And I don't really know in which genre to place Code Geass, which I loved as well.

My mother tongue is Czech, which is quite natural as I come from the Czech Republic. I've been studying English since 7, when I enrolled in an elementary school focused on foreign language studies. Besides these, I eagerly study Japanese, I studied Spanish at elementary school but I've forgotten most of it by now, and I'm forced to study French at my current school.

I started blogging in November 2008 after being inspired by fellow blogger Danny Choo. Since then, I've been getting more and more visitors and I'm doing my best to make sure that they will enjoy their stay here. Currently, the blog has around 1300 visitors per day and I will do my best to keep the number growing.

What means "raku" in the blog's name?
Raku means comfort or ease in Japanese, and it is also a part of the word "rakuen" which means "paradise".

You can contact me on matteas at ymail dot com, or you can use the contact form.

You can follow me on Twitter, Flickr.

Blogroll Exchange

If you wanted to do blogroll exchange, please contact me so that I can add your site to my blogroll. If you use banners for your blogroll, feel free to use any of the below ones.

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Hayate no Gotoku 2nd Season - episode 0

If you are reading this, then you are reading my first post on this blog. I'm sorry for the current look of this blog, but I'll work on it so it will definitely improve.

Hayate no Gotoku 2nd season episode #0 has been officially announced to be released on DVD before the 2nd season premieres. The release date of episode 0 has not leaked yet, but according to some sources, it is supposed be around January, February. The rest of the second season might begin airing in spring next year, but I won't bet my life on it.

The title of episode 0 is "Shimoda Onsen Hen Jyoshou, Nagi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Hayate de -Saikai- (Shimoda Hot Spring Part Prologue)". It should cover the volume 11 and 12 of manga.

I believe we'll be granted with some huge amount of humor again. I'm really looking forward to it, because I miss those funny events from Sanzenin Nagi's mansion.

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