Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card (カードキャプターさくら クリアカード編) is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by the manga group Clamp. It is a sequel to Clamp's manga Cardcaptor Sakura and focuses on Sakura Kinomoto in junior high school. The manga was serialized in Kodansha's Nakayoshi magazine between the July 2016 and January 2024 issues, with the chapters collected in 16 tankōbon volumes. A 22-episode anime television series adaptation produced by Madhouse, featuring the cast and staff from the original series, aired from January to June 2018, which loosely adapts the first 24 chapters.

Plot

Sakura Kinomoto is starting junior high school alongside her friends and her boyfriend[2] Syaoran Li, who has just returned to Tomoeda, and the two start dating after having been in a long-distance relationship since Syaoran's return to Hong Kong a few years earlier.[3] During her first year in junior high school, Sakura encounters several magical incidents in Tomoeda, similar to what she experienced in Elementary School. After having a prophetic dream about a mysterious cloaked figure, the Sakura Cards turn blank and are rendered powerless, thus starting her quest to find out what is wrong. In the process, Sakura captures new cards; using the new and much stronger mystical dream key. Sakura befriends a transfer student named Akiho Shinomoto, who lives with her butler and guardian Yuna D. Kaito. The daughter of two powerful magicians, Akiho was left orphaned after her parents died in an accident, and later placed under Kaito's care. Akiho treasures Momo; what she believes to be a stuffed toy but is actually the guardian of a magical book.

Due to her growing powers, Sakura gains the ability to create new cards, and Syaoran's mother Yelan tells him of a prophecy that if Sakura's growing powers are left unchecked they could bring her disaster. Working with Eriol and the Sakura Cards, Syaoran takes possession of them for Sakura's safety and eventually reveals all to her. Learning that Kaito (whose magic makes him appear different to his actual, unknown age)[4] is a sorcerer, Syaoran tries to reveal this as well to Sakura, but Kaito places a spell on Syaoran to prevent him from doing so, which Sakura later breaks. Kaito knows about Sakura's ability to create new cards, and has been causing the magical incidents so that Sakura can create a card that he needs for an unknown purpose.

Kaito is revealed to have been was an orphan who became part of a secret magic society; one that collaborates with a clan of European magicians that seeks to bring all of the world's magic under their command (an agenda that Akiho's mother, their most powerful member, did not share). After Akiho's birth, members of her clan learnt that Akiho has no magic of her own, and both they and Kaito's society decide to use her as a tool for their agenda; implanting her with various spells that Kaito knows will cause Akiho to lose her soul. Akiho is entrusted into Kaito's care so that she can travel the world and acquire new magical knowledge. Going against both Akiho's clan and his own society, he hatches a plan to make Sakura create a card that he can use to not only absorb Akiho's magic into his body, but alter everyone's memories into making them believe that Sakura and Akiho are sisters. Kaito believes that Sakura and her family would keep her safe and happy. Kaito succeeds, but by misusing the magic inside of Akiho a seal that was placed on Kaito is activated; trapping him in a magical prison and wiping out the memories that everyone had of him.

Sakura believes Akiho to be her sister, but with the help of Momo and Akiho's late mother (who travels through time to reveal the truth to her) she learns how both her life and memories have been rewritten, and finds and frees Kaito from his magical prison. Sakura uses her magic to ensure that most people will have their memories of Kaito and Akiho erased; thereby ensuring that they will be safe from their respective organisations. All but one of the Clear Cards become part of Momo's magical book, with the remaining card (Flight) staying with Sakura.

Due to circumstances, time stops still for Kaito, and he and Akiho leave Japan to find a cure for his condition. Kaito tells Syaoran that he will teach him time magic if he wishes; knowing that Syaoran would never misuse it. Akiho befriends Eriol while Tomoyo devotes herself to working on her sewing skills; looking forward to designing a wedding dress for Sakura for when Sakura and Syaoran get married. Moving to Germany, Kaito and Akiho stay in regular contact with Sakura and Syaoran, who are about to start their third and final year of junior high school. Momo is no longer with Akiho and Kaito, but assures Sakura when visiting her one day that Akiho will see her again.

Clear Card ends with Sakura vowing to continue moving forward and spending each precious day with the special people in her life, and meeting up with Syaoran to walk to school with him one morning; on her birthday. Syaoran surprises Sakura with a gift; telling her that birthday is the most special day to him. A touched Sakura pulls his hand close to her heart; telling him that he will always be the most special to her before hugging Syaoran while the cherry blossoms from the trees fall around them.

Media

Reception

It was reported in April 2017 that over 1 million copies of the manga were in print in Japan.[28] In reviewing volumes 1 and 2 of the manga, Erica Friedman, founder of Yuricon called the sequel "honest-to-goodness", and said that those who enjoy the original series will enjoy this manga, and said she was happy with "this kiddy ride full of pretty art and nice kids", but gave low-ratings for yuri themes.[29][30]

The anime adaptation received mixed reviews. Miranda Sanchez of IGN reviewed the first two episodes of the series, praising the storytelling, and animation style, but was critical of the second episode, calling it "mundane".[31][32] Geordi Demorest of Anime Feminist criticized the series, arguing that while the original Cardcaptor Sakura is beloved for its "LGBTQ-inclusiveness," this sequel seems "less actively progressive" and is missing the original focus on "explicitly representing LGBTQ characters".[33] Lynzee Loveridge of Anime News Network wrote that she was unsure whether the series added "anything worthwhile to characters' stories" and argued that it is a "facsimile of the previous series," with no traditional villains.[34]

Timothy Donohoo of CBR claimed that the series was "largely forgotten" by fans and the anime industry because it was a "disappointing affair for many" because it ran for 22 episodes and called it a "mediocre rehash" of the original and "painfully mediocre".[35] Charles Solomon of Animation Scoop praised the series for its animation quality, but said that the series "faltered" by copying the original series "too closely", had an ending that was too abrupt, and stated that elements like Tomoyo's love for Sakura "fell by the wayside."[36] Jack Eaton of Gamerant noted that the series did not receive "the same critical and commercial success" as the original, and called for a "a second chance at a sequel" which is more fitting than this series, or a remastering of the original.[37] Shamus Kelley, in his review of the final three episodes of the series for Den of Geek, criticizing the ending as a "convoluted mess", called the plot "heavy-handed", noted the series focus on Tomoyo's "endless obsession with Sakura", and praised the series as "really fun" but fighting "against itself."[38] In reviews of other episodes within the series, Kelley criticized the plot as "fairly lackluster", not expanding on possible queer themes, "lazily aping" the original series, and described the plot as creepy in relation to interactions between Kaito and Akiho.[39][40][41] Tim Jones and Stig Høgset of THEM Anime Reviews gave the series a more positive review. Jones said he had some hesitation to start the series, as it was three years after Sailor Moon Crystal, while Høgset called the show like "a fun family reunion" and praised the background art for the series.[42]

External links