Okay, thank you. I've run into suggestions for Air and Kanon before, but the impression I've gotten is that they're similarly sad, which I'm just not up to at the moment

I'll check out Angel Beats for sure, honestly I don't know how you'd do a show that was less action-oriented than Clannad, I guess if you just took out all the slapstick. Because if Clannad needs anything, it's to be less upbeat. /sarcasm

I loved the opening song for After Story, is the thing. It definitely called up the right type and amount of emotion. The Dango song indeed would have been too much.