|
|
Information --> Introduction to Cardcaptor Sakura [Manga]
About Cardcaptor Sakura: Genre: Mahou Shoujo (Magic Girl) Fantasy manga. Creators: CLAMP Created in: 1998 Serialized in: Nakayoshi Publication Company: Kodansha Ltd. Cardcaptor Sakura was CLAMP's second manga hit. Created after the success of Magic Knight Rayearth, it became the number one selling girls manga in Japan and America, spawning an anime series, two movies, and a collectibles line. It was serialized in Nakayoshi fan comics in Japan, and eventually the traditional flipped-book form (back-to-front, right-to-left) was published here in North America by Tokyopop. Now, after 6 years, the characters of Cardcaptor Sakura and other CLAMP manga are back in a new manga called 'Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLES', which is currently being released in Japan. Cardcaptor Sakura is the story of 10-year-old Sakura Kinomoto and her growing magical powers. When she first opened a magical book, known as the Clow Book, created by a powerful magician known as Clow Reed, all the magical cards in the book were set free upon the quiet town of Tomoeda. The guardian of the cards, Cerberus, appointed Sakura to re-capture all the runaway cards with the use of a special wand with a bird's head on the end. At first, Sakura doesn't want to be called the official Cardcaptor, but after her best friend Tomoyo Daidouji finds out about her powers, she sticks with it and ends up capturing a good number of the original 70 cards. All does not stay well, however. A descendant of Clow Reeds, Syaoran Li shows up in Tomoeda and demands all the Clow Cards Sakura has captured up to that point. After Syaoran notes that Sakura isn't going to give up easily, the two become rivals, trying to capture a card before the other does. As they capture cards, their animosity grows into a reluctant friendship. All is not well, however. The final judgement after all the Clow Cards are captured is fast approaching. The last card, the Earthy, is captured, and the Judge, Yue, tests both Syaoran and Sakura to see which of the two is worthy to receive all of the Clow Cards. There is a high price to pay if neither is worthy, though. If neither Syaoran nor Sakura is worthy, then their memories will be wiped and they would have no recollection of the Clow Cards, or even magic. Sakura very nearly fails the test after Syaoran has already failed, but she is saved, and the Clow Cards all belong to her. In the second story arc, a new danger approaches Tomoeda, and the Clow Cards seem powerless to stop it. All changes however, when Sakura unlocks an entirely new magic she created herself to power the Clow Cards. As all of the Clow Cards are transformed into Sakura Cards, Sakura's magic strengthens. When the cause of all the disturbances reveals himself as the reincarnated Clow Reed, Sakura is put to another test. This time, the stakes are much higher than the Final Judgement. If she fails, the whole world will be put to sleep indefinitely, including her family and friends. With the help of Yue, Cerberus, and Syaoran, Sakura defeats the cause of the disturbances. What she is unaware of, though, is Syaoran's growing feelings towards her. After the Clow Reed reincarnation is defeated, Syaoran confesses his love for Sakura straight to her face the next day at school. She doesn't give him a response right away, however, because she's not sure what she feels for him. She finally realizes that the love she feels for him is not the same as what she thought she felt for Yukito, and she makes him a teddy bear. All doesn't go as planned, however, when her best friend Tomoyo tells her that Syaoran's leaving on an early morning bus for the airport. Sakura manages to talk her older brother, Touya, into giving her a ride on his bike, and she confesses her love for Syaoran and gives him the bear. They promise to meet in the future... Sakura's in middle school now, and, like always, leaves the house late. She runs into Syaoran outside her house, who tells her that he's moved back to Tomoeda permanently and they can stay together forever. The last scene in the manga is that of Sakura jumping into Syaoran's arms with tears in her eyes. The storyline described above is the storyline as told in the manga series. The storyline of the anime series is similar, but has certain differences to the manga. The manga is what came before the anime series, and without the manga, the anime wouldn't have been made. Both of them are excellent representations of CLAMP's work, and both of them are hits in Japan and North America. |
