UlasanAnime.com – To truly do justice to Kanon and Air as two distinct franchises, a solid historical understanding is essential. Venturing into them without proper grounding makes little sense. Sadly, I’m not sure if I’m qualified to even attempt such a detailed explanation.
I did try, but after writing a few paragraphs, I realized the futility of explaining it in great detail. It’s beyond my current scope. Instead, I’ll aim for brevity and clarity.
Kanon centers on its female characters, their individual narratives, and the fable-like atmosphere of its fantasy winter wonderland. Or perhaps, a winter tragicland. These elements alone are more than sufficient to attract its own fanbase, based purely on the merits of Kyoani’s animated adaptation. The power of “moe”, after all, transcends petty franchise labels.
Older Kanon fans, whether from the Toei era or from the initial surge of Key’s success, will likely enjoy the new anime adaptation just as much as its existing fans. I’m not entirely sure what that implies, but simply seeing Mariko Kouda back in action—older, mellower, and even more “moe”—is enough to transport me back to that winter wonderland. This experience likely varies for each fan, and you know the usual drill.
Comparing Kanon to Air is certainly possible, but there’s so much that can be discussed beyond superficial similarities. In fact, one must delve into the core of both adaptations: they were truly sister games. Kanon served as a proof of concept, while Air, more radical and original, emerged in the wake of Kanon’s success. This is evident in its nonlinear storytelling, its choice of narrative devices, and its overall simplicity.
These fundamental differences naturally surface in their respective adaptations. Kanon was, by all accounts, a straightforward harem, and Kyoani’s Kanon currently remains just that. It’s unsurprising that individuals who, for various reasons, have developed an allergy to harems often “don’t get” why so many of their equally jaded fellow fans still appreciate it.
The moral of this story, I suppose, is to consult Wikipedia. It’s common to mock Kanon as an eroge, but that’s akin to laughing at Michael Jackson for having black skin—you could, but it betrays a lack of good-faith understanding of the situation. It’s both stupid and ignorant. It’s also somewhat disingenuous to compare Kanon and Air solely on the grounds that one is a harem and the other is not. There are likely many valuable insights to be gleaned from such an exercise, but we need to delve deeper to grasp them.
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