Seventeen Review:

In this episode, we're almost at the point of ending Shiori's story, in case you don't know, by now, we've finished Makoto, and Mai, ending with Mai in the hospital and Makoto dead...  With Makoto, he could help find what was missing, and Mai, he could help her fight her daemons, but, what could you do for a girl who has a week at the most to live?In this case, there is nothing he can do for Shiori, which leaves him feeling helpless.

One night, he goes to Shiori's fountain, and finds her just staring at the water. While they talk, she tells him she's so sorry, that she wasn't supposed to fall in love, and that she's very thankful for what he's given her, and she has a lot to apologize for. But she has a request, she wants to be treated like a normal girl, one who isn't dying. She has him pretend to be her big brother, someone who will take her back to the times when she wasn't to sick to have fun. As they part, he begs Shiori to tell him if there is a way for her to make it. And rather to happily she tells him that a miracle would save her, but miracles never happen so why wish? And then she is gone.

For the  last few days of her Life, Shiori comes to school, and for the most part, seems pretty upbeat, and happy. One of the worst parts of these episodes (16/17/18) is that Kaori doesn't even want to show she has a sister, because the pain of watching her die is too much for her.
             

    

  Tragedy after tragedy befall the girls of Kanon. One of their number, Makoto dies in Yuuichi's arms, then Mai-chan injures both herself and her only real friend, Sayuri rather badly. Shiori is still ill and something seems to be bothering Nayuki. The only one not in pain at the moment seems to be Ayu-chan.

  But that too is temporary. Akiko-san falls ill and Ayu is reminded of her mother as she died. However, Akiko's protests that she merely has a cold do not fully convince Yuuichi, Ayu or Nayuki. But after a little trouble involving rice porridge and medicine, Ayu succeeds in helping Akiko to recover.

  One of the happier happenings this episode was Shiori's date with Yuuichi. They go to an arcade, and then to the place that Shiori 1st met Ayu and Yuuichi. From there, they go on to having a snowball fight, and build a snowman, and finally, Shiori draws Yuuichi's picture... Even this happy day ends bitterly, for she asks Yuuichi to take her to their school, and there, she tells him about her collapse, and her inability to return to school afterword. One's suspicions about Shiori's health are confirmed, and she tells him that she has been very sick since her birth.

  After that, Shiori's sister's identity is confessed- Kaori.Kaori gives Yuuichi some hard news, Shiori's birthday is in a week and that week will probably be her last. Her doctors say that Shiori will not live to see her birthday this year. Kaori breaks down crying, and tells him that she ignored her sister, pretended she didn't exist because it was to painful to watch her grow weak and die. Wishes she had never had a sister, and demands of Yuuichi why her sister was born, only to die so soon.

  Was it the intention of the author to drive watchers to the verge of tears every episode? If so than they succeeded. Kanon is a masterpiece that will bring watchers to their knees. There is nothing out there in the world of anime that could possibly equal it.

I'm not sure I'll be able to finish this one. It's hard to watch as Makoto dies-infront of her friends-unknowing, slowly remembering things. And it's sad that they can't do anything to help her. it's like in the opening song she just "smiles to the very end". Plus, I'm only on episode 10. there are 24 episodes. How much worse can it get??