what does it mean to be family is it
simply the people you're related to by
blood or perhaps something more what is
it about these relationships that makes
them so precious and hard to define one
of my favorite themes in anime I love
watching the unique bonds of family
explored in so many different ways and
few places is this more pertinent than
the varied works of Kyoto Animation
obviously Clannad stands out as the
quintessential family anime from the
studio's catalogue and for good reason
this is a story completely devoted to
capturing the essence of family after
all but even in works not explicitly
about family it still pervades from Yui
Inoue ease idyllic devoted relationship
in Kay on to the guidance of or take a
strong-willed older sister in yoga
familial connections play an integral
part in so many of these works here I
want to look at how three series explore
the meaning of family and distinct ways
kuba Cohen Monaco's relationship from
sound ephone 'i'm the family were given
the Kobayashi's from miss Kobayashi's
dragon made the family we make a new
saga yama from Tomica market the family
we choose together these give us a
glimpse into the many forms and feelings
family can take first let's look at the
oh my sisters in Sandy phone IAM at the
start of the series Kumiko and nam
because relationship could be described
as strained at best they reflect the
common tendency of siblings to drift
apart with age Kimiko idolizes her older
sister as a kid like many younger
siblings she sees even MA Miko's
ordinary talents as these amazing feats
younger children inevitably look up to
their older siblings they have an innate
desire to appear and act like them
especially at an early age for Kumiko
her sister inspires her to take up the
euphonium well to us mommy ko is just a
regular middle school student to Kumiko
she occupies this incredible faraway
world with time that image fades to the
background but those feelings never
completely go away now a high schooler
herself Kimiko still looks up to her
sister perhaps in a more subconscious
manner but mommy ko isn't that picture
in Kumiko's mind as she gets further
away from that the wedge between them
drives deeper mommy go quit concert band
yet Kui Co keeps playing even if she
doesn't know why part of it stems from
her wish to latch on to those feelings
the euphonium represents the image of
her sister she held so tightly and
Kumiko doesn't want to let that go
she clearly still puts a lot of weight
on her sister's words when Mommy co says
she should wear her hair down for
instance she listens out of pressure
from her parents mommy go quick concert
band to focus on her studies pressing
Kumiko to do the same when she voices
her passion for the euphonium though
mommy goes taken aback
you've all got skied on you can sense an
air of jealousy and regret farmer
towards Kumiko's love for the band
Kumiko started playing the euphonium in
the first place after seeing her
sister's performance and wanted nothing
more than to play with her when Mommy co
quit that bond broke she played the
strong older sister making Kumiko think
she left out of apathy but she never
wanted any of it
for Kumiko this is a shocking revelation
how could she say that now Kumiko sees
herself as The Forgotten younger sister
as their parents placed all their dreams
on MA Miko's shoulders to go back on
that here is too easy neither
understands the other's feelings as they
only see things from their own
perspective Mommy Co saw her parents
pressures differently envying could
because freedom to choose her own path
when she remembers how much your sister
admired her though it all comes flooding
back no matter how much parents may try
no two siblings are raised the same each
of the sisters positions here feels
believable and something anyone with
siblings can relate to the two finally
confront these misunderstandings in
episode 10 of season 2 bamako admits she
resented how Kumiko was able to do as
she pleased well she felt beholdin to
follow their parents path however she
comes to understand that no matter how
much pressure she faced from them
she was never powerless in her decisions
Kumiko's proof of that Kumiko's passion
for the euphonium gave mommy co the
resolve to take charge of her own path
part of what makes this conflict work is
how real it feels their dialogue in this
scene here has all the subtle jabs and
sibling rivalry normal to these
relationships it's not a comfortable
conversation so we see shots of the two
shifting their nervous energy into
cutting vegetables or washing a pot
rather than directly facing each other
Kumiko meanwhile comes to terms with her
feelings for her sister much like ma
because she wouldn't let on to how sad
she truly is to lose her not wanting to
show that vulnerability even as they
grew apart Kumiko on some level never
stopped seeing her sister as this
amazing person to this point she buried
that affection to the back of her mind
but as the reality of her sister leaving
hits her it pours out
despite their bickering and resentments
Kimiko loves her sister more than
anything connecting the dots between all
these conflicting feelings
Kimiko breaks down in tears surprised at
her own emotions as a younger brother to
two older sisters around the same age
gap I can relate the show masterfully
executed the sadness of seeing them go
at nationals mommy ko finally sees her
sister play after giving her the resolve
to speak her mind to ahsoka Kimiko
desperately wants to see mommy ko
afterwards to do the same with her when
the two find each other
Kumiko at last lets her feelings reach
her
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at the SEMA
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we don't choose our immediate family or
stuck with them but while friendships
may come and go siblings form perhaps
the longest lasting relationship in your
life nobody can relate to my experience
in the world more nobody knows me better
as much as my sister's make me want to
pull my hair out at times I wouldn't
trade that for anything but family isn't
limited to blood
it's about finding this unique
connection the people you relate to
understand support and want to protect
it's akin to friendship but with
something deeper and irreplaceable 'ti
miss Kobayashi's dragon made throws the
notion of the nuclear family out the
window and its exploration of what this
relationship means the odd couple
Kobayashi and Toto both disenchanted
with their normal lives find comfort in
each other's companionship Tony who
makes no secret about a romantic and
sexual attraction to Kobayashi and while
she never explicitly returns those
feelings Kobayashi accepts the role of
her parent partner raising their
daughter kana a family unit of an office
worker her dragon maid spouse and their
dragon daughter the series shines not
for exaggerating their eccentricity but
normalizing it scenes of the three
shopping for school supplies cooking
dinner or going for a walk in the rain
surf to ground their relationships as
wild as its gag comedy can get made
dragon isn't afraid to slow down and
soak in a moment it derives both its
humor and its heart from the mundane
goings-on of this family through each
other they find a sense of belonging of
togetherness of home none of them have a
support system in their birth family be
it due to physical separation trust or
lack of care by the end of the series
though their family with each other
allows them to rediscover home their
family makes each feel whole again
despite her misgivings toward humanity
toward who finds the acceptance she
never got from the human or dragon
worlds in Kobayashi a kindred spirit
kana gets the loving nurturing attention
from Kobayashi she didn't get from her
mother while Kobayashi regains the
feeling of purpose she lost in the
monotonous lonely shuffle of a regular
life
as the Family Circle expands each new
member finds something they were missing
from five years otaku linked with takia
to the colas role as the matriarch
watching over everyone
nothing illustrates this completeness
better than Kobayashi's reaction when
Tori's forced away and their families no
longer hold music made dragon is an
emphatic tribute to the power of family
how it shapes us binds us together and
gives us place these invaluable
connections allow us to feel complete
fulfilled family can be as regular or
irregular as necessary to give you that
feeling there is no singular idea as it
carries different weight - every person
whether you value the family you're
given or the family you make the
importance is finding that meaning for
you perhaps no series and Kyoto
animations catalog better illustrates
this than Tomiko market the production
staff devoted enormous care to crafting
a sense of community in Osaka Yama the
shopping district is alive bursting with
home at every corner
Tomiko derives her sense of self from
this environment she's the daughter of a
mochi maker never questioning that or
seeking something more small snapshots
of the markets daily upkeep give us a
feel for each of its quirky residents as
the individual vignettes of life in the
district lettuce anon this odd setting
we come to understand Tomiko is more
than a product of her surroundings her
surroundings or a product of her
Tomiko treats usagi yama with the same
warm welcoming nature the market brings
- its visitors by the end of the series
Tomic was forced to confront her place
deciding between her ordinary life at
home or the extravagant world of a
princess with everyone preoccupied by
the prospect of Tomica leaving she
strolls the emptied market noting how it
resembles when her mother died Tomiko
and her mother both represent the
markets life
she makes Usagi Amma a family they see
the market is keeping her grounded and
push her to take up the offer believing
this would best allow Tomiko to spread
her wings but Tomiko doesn't want that
she reflects on all the small moments
she shared with everyone in the market
growing up how they shaped her embraced
her and gave her home
Tomiko cherishes this place hitting on
what makes it family
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[Applause]
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when you loose Akiyama is the family
she's given the family she makes and now
the family she chooses what does it mean
to be family the question holds a
different answer for each of us maybe
it's the people who know you better than
anyone who inspire you each and every
day maybe it's those you connect with
most of all who make you a more full
person by having them in your life or
maybe it's simply the place you call
home whatever family means to you these
are special irreplaceable relationships
this connection or lack thereof has a
profound impact on our lives as much
variability as there is to the concept
of family at some level we can always
relate perhaps that's why I love seeing
this theme explored in fiction no
relationship is Richard strikes closer
to the core of our person as I sit on
what it means to me I realize my closest
family is my immediate family it's not
that we're just related by blood
we're related by experience when I'm
with them I never feel lonely or
detached I can't say that about anyone
else whether you call your family by
blood or any other measure I hope you
have that relationship with someone if
not I promise that person is out there
you'll know once you have it these are
the people you feel closest to the
people who may not support every
decision you make but we'll never stop
supporting you the people whose very
presence makes you feel home makes you
feel complete makes you feel like family
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