@ tmsidr: Chrno Crusade has been on my watch list for the longest time now as I keep hearing good things about it. I already heard about the ending (in a vague sense) before hand, but somehow, that only made me want to watch it even more. If you’re comparing it to AIR, then I’ll definitely check it out at some point :P

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Because ultimately, there is no such thing as a good or bad tragedy, just as there is no such thing as a good or bad anime.”

Let’s not say things which are crazy.

Tragedy is such a vague thing to think about in anime, because, in actuality, there’s not a massive amount of tragic anime, and a lot of them just aren’t that good (your Da Capo example is an apt one). I, too, have been trying to figure out what makes the difference between a good tragedy and a bad one, and why Key adaptations have a real knack for inciting really strong emotions. The events of ep 16 of Clannad After Story are a really interesting example of Key tragedy to think about; there was this two or three episode build up leading up to it where there were numerous little flags foreshadowing what was coming. The audience was reasonably prepared for what was coming, which might be why it never felt jarring or out-of-place. But, then again, you never quite want to completely admit that your favourite character might die, which is why it still comes as a shock (although, with that said, Nagisa isn’t my favourite character).

I guess build up is a big part of good tragedy. Tragedy tends to work best when there’s enough build up that the events don’t feel jarring, but there’s still enough of a shock to move the audience.

To me, Narcissu is the real title that explored the death theme well. The concept sounds generic, yet I didn’t roll my eyes about it. In fact, I loved it.

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@ afatcow: If you want to be technical about it, I guess that would fall under the same category as AIR and the like. But I’m not sure if it’s closer to tragedy than failure :P

@ GNdynames: Of course, the fact that everything is ultimately subjective is sort of a given when it comes to these things. Bittersweet is definitely a good way of putting it, and in all but the most extreme cases, I find myself feeling the same way: sympathy for the characters, a little joy at the fact that the series has reached a new level of awesome, and then more sadness if I can connect the story to real life. ‘Course, that’s just me, and each of us probably has a different answer.

@ IKnight: Indeed, if done correctly, it can be just as – or maybe even more powerful if you can see it coming. I got that feeling from Saikano to some extent, where I understood intellectually that the show would have a tragic ending, but still tried to resist the notion until it could be resisted no longer. And yes, there were many days – mostly back at my old anime list at ANN – where I mentioned shows that can “make you wish you could enter the TV screen, just so that you could change the inevitable”. It’s that kind of skillful storytelling that gave Narcissu such a bittersweet, heart-tugging feeling for me, even if your brain tells you the ending right from the start.

IKnights last blog post..Varying Degrees of Whut

But what can I say, the element of tragedy is bittersweet for those who understand it. I for one am too empathetic towards the characters and that’s a reason why I’ve abstained from them since school started.

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