badger11’s take on anime

Kanon - an Addictive Event? (Prententious Claptrap warning)

What is it about Kanon that causes me to absolutely need to watch it? This has been something I’ve wanted write/rant about for a few weeks now. Granted its visually stunning. Story-wise, its interesting. In terms of characters, from main characters like zombie Nayuki and her sleepiness to secondary characters like Jun and his Elvis impersonations, the quirks of the characters are endearing. But I still can’t explain why I want to watch this show. So consider this my rant about a Kanon addiction. Jeez, this turned out to be a long one.

When, just when did Kanon become a need-it-now addiction and a cannot-miss-all-social-interactions-be-damned* “event” that I have to see as soon as it becomes viewable? Why is that this is the only show that I’ll watch the opening and closing credits, humming along with the music? Where or at what point in time did my mind say, “Okay, I need more. Please man, just…just one more hit. That’s all I need until the next episode”. Of course that one more hit becomes one more re-watch the episode which can easily lead to the dreaded “marathon**.”

So I’m addicted to an anime show but not a regular t.v. show. Not even “Lost”. One of the few t.v. shows that I watch. Given the number of t.v. shows like C.S.I , its spin-offs and imitators, its not surprising that I’ve come to prefer watching anime in general and Kanon in particular. When I go to watch it it, it becomes an event for me. My attention is on the show and no where else. No interruptions are allowed. None at all.

“Hey…”

“Shhh”

“Bu..”

“Shhh”

“I need t…”

“Shhh”

“Thehouseisonfi..”

“Shhh”

“Cake?”

“Sh…what kind?”

“Strawberry”

“Make sure its covered in chocolate. I’m not some Rozen Maiden”

“Roz..”

“Hayaku, hayaku”

“Here’s the ca…”

“Shhh”

“You suc…”

“Shhh”

For better or worse, the show has become an event. Something good to watch. I clear my desktop and carefully place my Starbucks super-sized mocha is in its spot, a fresh bread roll in another spot, get the lights just so and I’m off.

So, I re-watch the show. I can stop anytime I want to. I’ll stop at episode 7. Episode 10 rolls around an I’m crying into a bath towel. I tell myself that I’m re-watching the episodes to “exercise the little gray cells“. Looking for clues as to what happened to Yuuichi seven years ago when he was a chibi novice pimp. Cut to his present time and just why is Makoto cheesed off at him? What did Ayu lose? And just what is Ayu? Is she a ghost? If so, can ghosts have reflections? She has one in the window of the bookstore where the bakery used to be. So we know that she’s not a vampire. Unless she’s a psychic vampire. But why does she seem to routinely go off screen into white light? Who is Shiori, the walking pharmacy, and why is she just wearing a wrap/shawl/random piece of cloth around the shoulders in the cold and snow? She’s sick and yet she’s wearing the least amount a clothing a sick person should wear. So that must mean that she’s taken a walk off the mental map. And the questions and the hunt for clues about all of the characters continue.

So I watch the show for clues. My little gray cells are starting to seize up and keel over, wasting away from being worked (not overworked, just worked). Eeep! I’ve succumbed to the marathon. Looking for clues when in reality, I have problems with the obvious. I also have problems with the unobvious, but that’s not up for discussion. Fortunately (for my remaining little gray cells), I can and do stop. The outside world requires attention/interaction.

Standing in line at Starbucks (yet another addiction), listening to the guy ahead of me interacting with the barista by ordering his non-fat, half-fat, soy milk, 1% milk, caramel, whole-milk froth, half-caf, de-caf, etc, etc, oh, don’t forget the lemon twist coffee-based drink, the piano music from the flashback scenes is pleasantly stuck in my head. That is until I have to place my undoubtedly bizarre coffee drink order***. At which point, that melody gets driven out of my head.

Mmmmm coffee. So I still don’t know why I like Kanon. Is it a great show? For me it is. Oh well, as far as addictions go, its not a bad one. If you’ve made it this far, then go get yourself a pizza from Pizza Hut. Remember, Pizza Hut supports the revolution.

Yuuichi hit by a bucket
Yuuichi gets hit by another bucket
Then there are scenes like these two that
make it all the more enjoyable

* Of course I’m exaggerating…just a bit.

** Which routinely happens to me when I watch Patlabor or the Big O.

*** Considering all of the times I’ve gone to Starbucks and ordered my venti non-fat, no-whip, cappuccino-Al-Pacino-mochachino, I still have to actually to try to remember the word “venti” when placing my order.

2 Comments so far

  1. Aitsukai January 5th, 2007 4:32 am

    It’s so true. We’ve all been reeled in like fish gnawing away at a rusty hook, but that’s because Kanon’s so addictive, and so BRILLIANT.

  2. badger11 January 5th, 2007 5:13 pm

    You’re right that we’ve been reeled. I know that I pretty much was going to like it from the start based on the promo. I just didn’t anticipate how much I was going to like. Oh well, give more Kanon