It’s episode 13, and Kotomi tells Okazaki about what happened to her parents in the past, and why she collects all of the newspaper and book clippings and why she studies so hard. Meanwhile, Okazaki and the others try to find ways to help Kotomi out, as her birthday is coming up very soon.
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Go Straight to the Screenshots | Go Straight to the Review
The highlights of this episode:
- Okazaki realizes that he and Kotomi met at kids. He figures out that Kotomi had known all along, and asks her why she didn’t any anything. Kotomi tells him that she was happy to see him, and happy that Okazaki allowed her to meet more friends, but was unsure whether to remind him “what she was like back then.”
- She tells Okazaki how her parents, and especially her father was able to describe the world “in such beautiful words.” She also told him how happy she was that Okazaki had accidentally stumbled into their yard trying to catch butterflies, and ended up becoming her friend.
- However, Kotomi’s parents were suddenly called to go on a trip over Kotomi’s birthday, leading Kotomi to get upset and scream “I hate you!” at her parents. The next day, the man who worked at the lab with Kotomi’s parents came by to tell Kotomi that the plane her parents were on crashed into the ocean and was lost. The man also asked Kotomi if they had left a copy of a very important paper, and if he could have it, but Kotomi just slams the door on him.
- Kotomi starts to panic, desperately looking for her parents around the house before stumbling upon a manila envelope lying on her father’s study’s desk. Believing that this paper is what led to her parent’s death, and in despair, she decides to burn it.
- She explains to Okazaki that she collects any mention of her parents from newspapers and books as a way for atoning for her sin of burning the paper. She also studied as much as she could so that she could follow in her parent’s footsteps, so that the everyone can see the “most beautiful way” her parents tried to describe the world.
- Okazaki tells Kotomi’s homeroom teacher that she told him her story, but Kotomi’s teacher tells him that Kotomi has taken up an offer to study at a university in the United States. Okazaki goes back to Kotomi’s house and decides that he’s going to try to clean up her yard, just so he can do something for her.
- The next day, Okazaki figures that he should go and buy some real gardening tools if he’s going to fix up Kotomi’s yard. While he’s out, he runs into Ryou, Kyou, and Nagisa, who tell him that they decided to give her the violin from school for her birthday. However, a motorcycle almost ran them off the road, causing them to drop the violin and break it. They take it to a couple of instrument shops before one finally decides to take on the job of repairing it. However, they say that it will be several weeks to several months before he can complete it.
- The four then all decide to work together to fix up Kotomi’s yard that night, before Nagisa looks up and thinks she saw the curtains in Kotomi’s room move…
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If the story arc lengths in CLANNAD are similar to those in Kanon, then the next episode will probably be the finale in the Kotomi story arc. Even given that, I’m not sure what will happen. Will Kotomi study abroad or stay around? I could see it going either way.
The episode noted that Okazaki didn’t come to Kotomi’s planned birthday party, even though he said he would, and I’m wondering if this will end up being because of something else he got caught up with in another of the girl’s story arcs (perhaps Tomoyo’s? Speaking of Tomoyo, her arc is my odds on favorite to come next).
I’m not sure what will happen with the violin. It seems unrealistic that the guy would suddenly be able to fix it in two days. Maybe it will show up again at the end of the series?
I think we found out why Kotomi went crazy when she saw the accident, since she stressed to Okazaki that she desperately didn’t want to lose anyone close to her again, and given that she was friends with Ryou, seeing the accident she thought Ryou was in was just too much for her.
I’m still not sure we’ve explained Kotomi’s asking if people were bullies and her fear that she would hurt other people, so I think there is still more we’re going to find out. Kotomi is clearly remorseful over burning her father’s paper, but I’m willing to bet that she thinks she’s the cause of her death by telling them that she hated him in frustration when they were going off on their trip.
I can’t wait to watch the next episode.
