The extended epilogue continues as Yakumo returns home after the theatre burns down. Some are signifying the burning down of the theatre as the death of Rakugo while others are speaking of it as a new beginning. After all Rakugo can be performed anywhere as long as someone is willing to listen. The members of the theatre seem well aware that Yakumo was the one to start the fire but considering that the theatre was due for renovation regardless and that they owe Yakumo for keeping the place in business, are willing to write it off as an unfortunate accident. Konatsu tells Yotaro that she is pregnant when has me almost as happy as he is. Though I think I missed the point where Yotaro and Konatsu got more romantically intimate. I certainly saw them getting more cosy with each other but I guess I am just annoyed that I didn’t get to see the big kiss moment between the two of them. It’s silly, I know but one thing that bugs me to no end about Clannad is that not once in the two seasons of the shows runtime are Tomoya and Nagisa shown kissing. A kiss almost seems like a final confirmation of a relationship in fiction and to not have it is somewhat unsatisfying.
With the way this episode was conducted I was beginning to think that Rakugo was only going to have a ten episode run as everything in this episode screamed final. Yotaro in a strange twist of fate looks to be carrying on Yakumo’s legacy instead of promoting the writers new works and from the sound of things Yotaro instead wants him to write Rakugo that Konatsu could perform. With Konatsu asking Yakumo to let her be his apprentice it looks like she will be the one to bring change to Rakugo. The final moments with Konatsu finally forgiving Yakumo for what happened to her parents and thanking him for raising her was truly a beautiful moment. In a way Yotaro is to thanked for this as he broke down her walls so well that she can finally be honest with him.
Then when all this fluffy emotion which could just as well serve as a great final episode to cap off the series, we once again see Yakumo’s death being insinuated. Look, it’s the third time already. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, then go to hell. After having this happen two times already I just won’t accept it until Yakumo is in that coffin. It wouldn’t be all that bad for him to die here when all his grievances have been resolved and Konatsu has reconciled with him. It’s somewhat cruel for Konatsu after he agreed to take her on as an apprentice but if they pull a bait and switch with Yakumo’s death yet again then I will really start getting annoyed. For it seems whenever this show is ready to end we once again foreshadow Yakumo’s death to extend it. Look at this episode, shows over. There is literally nothing left to resolve. Unless we are doing some sort of flash forward I don’t really see the point in continuing. We have two more episodes left and there is nothing to fill them with. This is of course a great show but there comes a time when all things must end. Dragging out the final closing of the curtains only degrades the performance.
