Clannad (film) - TV and Film Differences

TV and Film Differences

Being done by two different production teams and having their own take on the story from the Clannad visual novel, there are numerous differences, both subtle and obvious, between the Clannad TV series and film. The series follows the original visual novel's storyline closer, while the film makes several changes from the original material. While both the series and film depict the developing relationship of Tomoya and Nagisa, the film presents their relationship as central to the plot. Due to this focus, the film downplays the other main heroines which played major roles in the series, such as having Kyou (Ryō Hirohashi), and Tomoyo (Hōko Kuwashima) playing minor roles, while Kotomi appearing only as a background character, and Fuko not appearing at all. Furthermore, Tomoya takes the place of the girl of the illusionary world and Kyou's sister Ryou does not appear in the film, though Fuko's older sister Kouko is in the film, and plays a major role. In the film, Kouko is still teaching at Nagisa's school, is depicted as athletic, and had been the drama club adviser (she was an art teacher in the series) before the club was dissolved, instead of Toshio Koumura as in the series. Also, Kouko's fiancé Yusuke (Hikaru Midorikawa) plays a bigger role in the film in how he helps Tomoya obtain a job at an electrical company and remains his friend during Tomoya's depression.

The relationships between certain characters and the characters themselves have changed in the film. For instance, Tomoyo and Youhei constantly fight in the series, but in the film they act friendly toward each other and work together to get Tomoya out of his depression later in the film. In fact, Youhei in the film is depicted less as a comic relief character as in the series, and is more serious about life, such as when he gets a part time job due to his family's financial situation. In the series, Tomoya's father is a lazy, unemployed drunk who mostly sleeps with piles of trash around him, but in the film he actually works a graveyard shift and usually sees his son in the morning before he goes to school. He also cares more about his relationship with Tomoya and even lets him reunite with Ushio to prevent Tomoya from becoming like himself. Kyou is seen as a close friend of Tomoyo in the film, and even helps Tomoyo with her election for student council president, but in the series, Kyou finds Tomoyo as a nuisance who gets in the middle of her plans with hooking up Tomoya with her sister Ryou. However, despite these numerous changes, Nagisa's parents Akio and Sanae mostly retain their roles and personalities as seen in the series, and original visual novel. The Japanese voice cast is the same as the TV series with the exception of Tomoya Okazaki's character. However the ending between the series and film has one major change, with Nagisa being brought to life in the series whereas she remains deceased by the conclusion of the film.