Clannad is a wonderful story about how one man's influence can have a major effect on those around him, while causing a stir of entertainment for the viewer. The story takes place in a small rural town where Tomoya just isn't enjoying himself as much as he'd like to. Tomoya’s boredom leads him down a troublesome path until one day he meets a young girl muttering words to herself. Curious about why she behaves that way, he confronts her and the two engage in conversation. He learns of her illness and that her repetition of food words are to boost her confidence, but also that she wants to re-open the drama club at school. From here Tomoya's journey takes a different direction, as he now must get to know all of the other members of the club, but more importantly overcome his conflicting emotions.

Both male protagonists are somewhat confused as to what direction they want to take in life, but are then given a second chance by joining a club they never knew existed. One very important thing to note is that, both of these anime are made by the fantastic developer Key/Visual Arts, and so much of the story takes on more of a visual novel approach when telling the story. Both Tennouji and Tomoya are sort of rebellious in nature, always seeking out new paths in their once stagnant lives. The great aspect about them however, is how they manage to help influence those around them in such a remarkable way. Each behave like teachers to a large group of females who are also trying to discover just who they are, and work together to create a better environment within their respective clubs.

Jun Maeda and his team at Key never fail to impress the masses with their incredible artistry and provocative story telling, with Little Busters being one of the more creative. The story takes us on a journey with Riko as he and four of his close friends decide to make something of their remaining youth. Their goal isn't to claim the highest prize or rebel against the world, but rather to practice and play baseball together. Unfortunately due to a team needing more than five players, his friend Rin decides to help out by recruiting more females on board as she is currently the only girl. Suddenly Rin finds a mysterious letter attached to her cat and is unsure of what to do with it, until she realizes that there's an assignment she must fulfill right away.

What makes Rewrite so compelling is how deeply connected each character is to each other, and Little Busters follow that very same route. Each character throughout the show feels polished, and are very entertaining whenever they make foolish mistakes. No one feels contrived in their ways, as each encounter that's made feels a lot like a deep rooted friendship that continues to blossom over time. Masato shares some resemblance to Tennouji where both put on this fake comedic bravado to play tough guy in front of the girls, but deep down the two are such great mentors to their friends it's so hard not to like them. Both lack brain cells and always seem to find themselves in a tussle with one of the female casts, usually with a footprint embedded in their chest after all is said and done. This great comedic blend along with real life lessons really bring the show to life, and is simply what Key is best known for.

Charlotte begins as Yuu discovers that he has an incredible ability to read the minds of others, but due to this power he tries not to let anyone know of it. Through many uncertain events Yuu eventually gets called out by some students who convince him not to use his power, and that he should enroll into their school where individuals with supernatural powers can feel at ease. Yuu is then forced into joining the school council which then places him in a position to now come to terms with his unique ability, while having to assist others on their journey as well.

So perhaps if you haven't noticed by now, the biggest similarity between these anime thus far is that they're all made by the creative genius that is Jun Maeda. We can only thank him dearly for creating such a brilliant cast of characters that somehow all relate to one another so well, that it's so hard to tell whether they just met or have known each other for years. One thing to point out is that much like Rewrite, is that both main male leads have a secret ability that they try to keep hidden from the rest of the cast, but eventually confess to their colleagues and must share their knowledge with everyone. Yuu and Tennouji behave like the student and the teacher, where they have the responsibility to interact with everyone on the council, helping them to remove their dark inner secrets and learning about their past. Each time they try to get too close, they get punished severely for it which is where the comedy starts to build up, and we get to see a tighter relationship being formed.

Before we go into the synopsis of Kanon, we want to stress that before you switch on your PC to watch the 2006 version of this show, we highly recommend watching the 2002 original to get a better feel for the story's flow. The story looks at Yuuichi as he returns back to his hometown after several years, only to remember nothing about it due to a traumatic experience. Yuuichi desperately tries hard to recite exactly what took place seven years ago, and fortunately comes across a red headband that reopens a path in his conscience which helps him to put together the missing pieces to his past. As more uncertain events take place, Yuuichi must now rely on his new female colleagues in order to link everything together and restore his memory of his troubled past.

Jun Maeda and the team at Key never fail to create a series that makes you burst out into tears in both a comedic and heartfelt fashion. In the 2002 version of Kanon, you'll more likely want a box of tissues nearby because of how touching it is, but keep them there because you'll crack up in certain moments where Yuuichi acts out of hand. Rewrite blends the best of both worlds also, with great storytelling that keeps you engaged throughout each episode, and brilliant character development that just makes you feel connected to everyone on screen. Both are about a young boy with a troubled experience, but somehow overcome it with the help of a group of girls who change their lives forever. These female leads also have stories of their own, all of which tie into the main characters path, and so all of them must work together to put everything back together but also find solace within their souls.

Angel Beats! is another hit title from Key and looks at the life of Otonashi. After a surprising turn of events Otonashi comes to realize that he's dead but doesn't seem to remember why. The only thing he can remember clearly is his name, and female lead Yuri explains to him that he's now residing in the afterlife. Yuri explains in detail as to what her duties are, and that she is about to wage war against a female enemy. Otonashi doesn't seem to be sold on the story that her rival Tenshi is in fact evil, and so he tries to get in touch with her which ends up a lot worse than he imagined. Not entirely convinced, Otonashi then joins the Afterlife Battlefront to learn more about Tenshi and her intentions. His mission however becomes even more challenging as he now must confront an even bigger problem: his growing interest in Tenshi and regaining all of his memories pertaining to the mysteries of the afterlife.

Tennouji and Otonashi are living in two worlds which don't seem to add up very well in their minds. Tennouji is attacked, stalked, and killed by a cute girl with a long red ribbon, while Otonashi is killed and is unsure of himself as to why. The two both join an organization that has them surrounded by adorable females, who all share a small piece to the puzzle of their lives. All of the females too however have their own deep dark secrets, and so both boys need to put their differences aside and get to know each individual one by one to uncover more behind what's unfolding. The shows do showcase some great action in certain scenes, but the important thing to note is how both shows emphasize the relationship between boy and girl, and its significance in building stronger connections over time. A lot of the interactions are quite dramatic, while chirpy humor is used to create a balance within the story's compelling adventure. We have to highly recommend this one as it's one of Key's most exciting works to date.

The story of Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae wo Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai, also known as Anohana, revolves around dealing with the death of a friend, and embarking on a journey of self discovery to live a better life. Yadomi sits in his room on a hot summer day enjoying his video games, when he is pestered by his childhood friend Menma to grant a wish for her. To his knowledge, Yadomi thinks he's going nuts due to the severe heat and decides to ignore her, already knowing in his mind that she had passed away several years ago. Failing to believe that Menma was actually there, he is then confronted with something that convinces him that Menma had actually reached out to speak her mind. The story now leads Yadomi to reform his relationship with past friends in order to lay her spirit to rest, while also reliving the pain and guilt they received from what transpired that fateful day.

Rewrite doesn't really touch on the real life aspect of death and how much of an effect it can have, but what the two share is a story about an individual who is trying to seek answers to discover more about their past. Tragic events both occur in each characters lives and must now come to learn of the realities that life can bring at the most inconvenient time. Friendship building is where much of the similarities lie because Tennouji joins a club to help his colleagues overcome their dark pasts. While Yadomi relies on the help of his friends to bring closure to a past incident that changed their entire lives. These stories do have a lot of emotion behind them which can create very dramatic scenes and make you cry every now and then. We can relate so much to every character that we can laugh at their experiences and at the same time, learn to appreciate just how willing they are to make a difference to the people around them.