In defense of the ending

Spoilers are obviously going to be here so quit reading if you're not done. I really don't think the ending is bad, at first I admit, I thought it was a bit rediculous and was a total cop-out, but then I gave it some thought, and realized this was a perfectly sastisfying ending to this exceptional series which is now my second favorite anime. Here's why it works. Clannad from the beginning has had a fantasy element but it was something of a mystery to us, though the series is pretty realistic for the most part. But we knew it was there from the beginning. Once Ushio dies, Tomoya is confronted with time altering choice that allows him the choice of never meeting Nagisa again, which in his mind would be saving her from dying, which would then follow with the death of Ushio, or, to stick with what already happened. If you remember after Nagisa's death, Tomoya wished he had never met her, so he put Ushio in the care of Akio and Sanae. He realized towards the end of the series he needed to be a father and raise his child. A bit after this is when Ushio dies and Tomoya is confronted with this choice. This shows Tomoya learned his lesson, which is to sacrifice your family for any reason, even if they don't come back to life. You may still say it's a cop-out, and in a sense you could say that, but with the message that was being conveyed, it got the point across. Those are my thoughts. What do you think of anyone posts on this board anymore?