Hey look, it’s something different than Shuffle!

Seriously, I suppose I must look pretty silly and behind the times, blogging 2 series that are already well-finished. I’ve actually completed Shuffle! now and am started on the Memories recap series for it. Kanon 2006 I’m up to episode 15 on the incredibly spoilerish (as in if you haven’t watched the entire series don’t click the Read More button)second pass.

In this episode the harem is more clearly defined with the introduction of quiet girl Mai and quieter girl Shiori. Very loud girl Makoto makes an appearance in the end, while very normal Nayuki and Uguu girl Ayu make token appearance.

Ah, with a harem like this, the fun could go on forever, eh Yuuichi?

If you’ve watched the full series of Kanon, you know of course that statement is a complete lie, and although we don’t get an incredible amount of depressing foreshadowing, there is plenty clues dropped for Shiori and Ayu will continue to be foreshadowing throughout the whole damn series.

As standard for about 9 of the next 10 episodes, the episode begins with a pseudo-Ayu dream sequence. Since this is the first time, we don’t get an overlay of Ayu Ayuon the bench or a shot of The Tree, but rather a shot of a window and the stars, perhaps from Yuuichi’s perspective. The theme of ‘wishing’ is also hinted at here, as with the angel doll in the intro.

A few minutes of fluff as Yuuichi wakes up and is treated to a sonic symphony of Nayuki’s alarm clocks. Cute scenes follow as Yuuichi tries in vain to wake up everyone’s favorite blue-haired sleepy-ko. (is there a trope for that?)

What you see in this shot will reveal a lot of your character. Also note that she still sleeps with Keropi. Cuuuuuuute~

Jam sequence ensues as Yuuichi gets first hand exposure to the real villain of Kanon, Akiko’s glowing yellow jam. I always thought it’d be funny if the jam actually turned out to be something important.

Although, rather, it is in a way, helping to reduce Akiko’s status to token family member rather than important girl, which makes her getting pwned by a car much later in the series all that much more shocking. But more on that when we get there.

Nayuki asks Yuuichi again if he remembers this area, and by ‘this area’ she of course means ‘herself’, and by ‘herself’ she of course means ‘that one snowbunny scene’, and by ‘that one snowbunny scene’ she of course means “I’m still in love with you damnit Yuuichi, care about me and not that girl with wings or that trap girl or that emo girl with a sword or that emo girl with a box cutter. Srsly.”

Yuuichi doesn’t seem to care. Great answer, o harem master.

Nayuki also makes a stronger reference and alludes to Ayu and her dream sequences – which I don’t think she knows of per se and is likely just a coincidence just like Shiori’s many monologues.

We get to school and Yuuichi reminds us that KyoAni makes Haruhi by referencing both the ‘unoriginal introduction’ and the ‘external internal monologue’. Funny, but strangely out of character. Almost.

Irrelevant note is that Kaori’s class president. This never comes in important either. Kanon needs more red herrings to really confuse the first-timers. Even the dream allegory of Kanon is pretty comprehendable compared to what Air pulls off. But now I’m ranting~

We get very little direct plot development for Maiyuri (horrible, I know) this episode, with their only appearance being Nayuki’s ‘crash into hello’ which also follows KyoAni’s definition of ‘fanservice but not really’. No panties, just compromising positions. Kind of. Perv.

Yuuichi, after school, ends up going on an adventure to find himself to find the way out of the incredibly huge school, and comes across a lot of places which will be important later.

First up is the eating place for Mai and Sayuri, which he notes of. Remember to come back here in 3 episodes in order for harem++, love, Yuuichi.

Next is the courtyard where Shiori always shows up. Why here, of all places? She wants to be a normal person like everyone else, yet prefers to stay where nobody can find her. Funny that. Note to self: come back here tommorow for harem plus plus, love, Yuuichi.

Third up is the art classroom where they find a bunch of art students dumbfoundedly staring at a nude male model. I say dumbfoundedly because none of them have anything drawn on their paper. I wonder how many art classes in America would actually do that at the high school level. Parents would flip. Or volunteer.

Note to self: don’t come back here, ever, unless I want hard gay. Love, Yuuichi.

The final stop is the library. Funnily enough this is the first and last time he will ever go to the library. It’s a shame, because a lot of really awesome characters love books. And have glasses. See picture for at least one of the two characteristics.

Eventually Kaori comes to the rescue, and the two talk for a bit about Nayuki talking for a bit about Yuuichi. Gee, you ever get the impression that Nayuki likes Yuuichi? That would never happen. Not in America.

Also, Kaori Misaka, eh? What a unique last name.

To the Ayu place shopping district, where we learn the important fact that Ayu is
1) left-handed
2) very bad at getting out of the way
3) weighs nothing at all, based on how she bounces off Yuuichi.

They end up somewhere in their quest to get away from Mr. Taiyaki. Ayu recognizes it but can’t seem to place why, recalling that they used to pass through here before. It’s from seven years ago, when they used to take this path to ’school’. Mmhmm.

Ayu finally figures out that Aizawa Yuuichi-kun is THE Aizawa Yuuichi-kun, AKA Ayu is revealed as the childhood friend girl (before Nayuki, and Mai, and Makoto). Glompage follows, or attempts to follow before Ayu gets tree’d. Good job!

Also Yuuichi gets another flashback to Ayu Ayu in the tree, which I believe is the same image as last episode, with different words to it. Again, it’s rather mysterious. What promise, eh?

Cue Sad Shiori in Snow. I’m not sure if you can see the box cutter in this scene – it was made a lot less prominent than Kanon 2002, but it’s probably there if you look close enough. Also, it’s probably not that strange but Shiori acts really quiet in this scene, even quieter than most quiet girls.

You can’t quite connect Shiori in this scene to ‘going home to slit wrists’ Shiori, but if you have an active imagination you can infer that she’s more than just shy.

Anyway, Shiori goes away to go be sad in snow, and in house, and Ayu and Yuuichi walk back to Eternal Sunset Shopping District, where they ‘pinky swear like they used to’. I’m surprised Yuuichi didn’t get a sudden flashback here, personally.

Yuuichi goes shopping for once, and we get a quick shot of a mysterious person in a cloak. Wonder who that is?

Well, 5 seconds later, you find out. Sort of.

It’s Makoto! Although her name isn’t revealed until next episode. Until then, have cute Makoto cutely beating the cute crap out of Yuuichi. It’s funny, however, that she’s a lot weaker here then she is in later episodes.

And that’s the end of it on a Makoto cliffhanger. She’s going to take the stage in the next few episodes, and considering the twists she has, there’s bound to be plenty of foreshadowing for her especially.

-CCY