As Rin regains her will to fight on, will Riki do the same?
While I already knew that the ending is going to be a happy one for the fact that both Riki and Rin regain their will to save everyone, the thing that particularly surprised me is his narcolepsy. He apparently developed this when he witnessed his parents lying dead in a car accident. He simply slept so he doesn’t have to witness anything tragic. However, it also shows that he is weak for the fact that he is running away from hardship than accepting it. Thankfully, I’m glad that he finally gotten over it. With Rin’s help, he managed to save everyone, including Kyousuke even though he was critically injured.
As for the ending, it was satisfying for the fact that it doesn’t feel like a deus ex machina, which everyone seems to complain about when Clannad After Story concluded with its true ending back in 2009. I think this mostly have to do with the dream world, which allowed both Rin and Riki to become stronger so that they will be prepared to save everyone when they return to reality. But aside from that, I am very satisfied with the ending as JC Staff did a great job transitioning between the Refrain and the true ending without making it feel awkward and letting Kyousuke recover for a certain period of time instead of instantly curing him.
Final Thoughts
From watching the first few episodes of the first season, many people felt that it’s not up to par compared to previous adaptations because it’s JC Staff. While the first season had a rough start, it definitely got better as the season went on. With the sequel, I think JC Staff have done a fantastic job of presenting the dramatic aspects regarding the world’s secret, the bus accident and how Rin and Riki overcome this tragedy through the power of friendship. While this show will be missed for the fact that it was so emotionally powerful, it will also go down being one of the best Key adaptations (despite its flaws) I’ve seen.
Refrain Overall Rating: 9.5/10, A, Masterpiece
First Season Overall Rating: 8.5/10, B, Good
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