Clannad

Being the center of "Clannad" is Tomoya Okazaki - a total delinquent who's convinced life is just one big snoozefest, and he is destined for nothingness. With his buddy Youhei Sunohara, they are on a mission to skip school and basically cruise through their high school days without a care.

But one day, while strolling to school, Tomoya crosses paths with this girl, Nagisa Furukawa, whispering to herself. Out of the blue, she shouts "Anpan!" (some Japanese snack) that grabs Tomoya's attention. Next thing you know, Nagisa claims they are besties, but Tomoya goes, "Eh, whatever," and brushes it off.

Yet, he can't help but notice Nagisa more and more around school and still ends up being buds with her after all. Turns out, Nagisa had to repeat a year because she was sick, and her dream is to bring back the school's drama club. Tomoya, with nothing better to do, jumps on board and decides to help her out, along with four other girls.

As Tomoya spends time with these girls throughout the rest of "Clannad," he starts understanding them and their struggles better, stepping up to be their hero and helps each of them face their own challenges. Once getting deeper into their lives, Tomoya discovers that life is not that boring and bland as he once thought.

Release: 2007

MyAnimeList Score: 8/10