CardCaptor Sakura

"It will be ok. Definitely."

Genre: Action – Adventure – Comedy – Fantasy – Romance – Supernatural

Length: 70 episodes

Year: 1998

Studio: Madhouse

Director: Asaka Morio

Script/Writer: Ohkawa Nanase

Character Design: Takahashi Kumiko

Music: Negishi Takayuki

Animation: (…) Fujita Mariko, Koga Makoto, Kimizuka Katsunori (…)

Licensed by: Geneon Entertainment

Site: NHK

Based on: Cardcaptor Sakura manga 12 vols. – May 1995 to July 2000 – Author: CLAMP Illustrator: CLAMP – serialization: Nakayoshi

Characters: Kinomoto Sakura (Tange Sakura), Daidouji Tomoyo (Iwao Junko), Li Syaoran (Kumai Motoko), Kinomoto Touya (Seki Tomokazu), Kinomoto Fujitaka (Tanaka Hideyuki), Kinomoto Nadeshiko (Minaguchi Yuko), Kerberos (Hisakawa Aya-mini/Onozaka Masaya-big), Yue (Ogata Megumi), Yukito (Ogata Megumi), Hiiragizawa Eriol (Sasaki Nozomu), Clow Read (Hayashi Kazuo), Akizuki Nakuru (Yuzuki Ryoka), Ruby Moon (Yuzuki Ryoka), Spinel Sun (Touma Yumi-mini/Konishi Katsuyuki-big), Sasaki Rika (Kawakami Tomoko), Yanagisawa Naoko (Motoi Emi), Mihara Chiharu (Matsumoto Miwa), Yamazaki Takashi (Miyazaki Issei), Li Meiling (Nogami Yukana), Mizuki Kaho (Shinobara Emi), Terada Yoshiyuki (Tohru Furusawa), Kimura Yukie (Saeki Tomo), Matsumoto Maki (Mitsuishi Kotono), Sonomi Daidouji (Itou Miki) and Wang Wei (Kiyokawa Motomu).

Synopsis: Clow cards. When unleashed, they will bring chaos to the world. They are special cards created by a magician named Clow Reed. Each one is alive and has its own special powers. They do as they please, and on top of that, ordinary people can’t control them. That was what the plushie-like winged orange mouse Kerberos told Sakura Kinomoto when she freed them and him when she opened a strange book she had picked up in the basement.

Now Sakura is in charge of catching them?! Will it go smoothly… or will more serious problems lay ahead? In the world of magic, expect the unexpected.

Openings:

• 1. Catch You Catch Me – Gumi (eps 1-35)
• 2. Tobira wo Akete – ANZA (eps 36-46)
• 3. Platinum – Maaya Sakamoto (eps 47-70)

Endings:

• 1. Groovy! – Koumi Hirose (eps 1-35) [HQ]
• 2. Honey – Chihiro (eps 36-46)
• 3. Fruits Candy – Megumi Kojima (eps 47-69)
• 4. Platinum” by Maaya Sakamoto (ep 70)

Appreciation: This review will be solely considering the anime.
The epitome of shoujo, Card Captor Sakura will be the eternal mahou shoujo of my memories and I really love CLAMP for this work.

The best thing about CCS is most likely the fantastic plot, which is certainly more than catching cards. It has a bit of it all, comedy, fantasy, action, some drama too. And the harmony of these elements that makes it a smooth and engaging watch is a proof of being well-made. The characters get your sympathy easily and I think there’s not one I didn’t like in this series (Sakura is an adorable protagonist). This series is suitable for kids, nonetheless adults are able to enjoy it too, in a deeper, clearer way.

Concerning graphics, it’s not top-notch obviously, but the animation is fluid, boosted by the sound effects and ambience (which I personally fancy a lot), and the character design is adorable. I really can’t comment about the seiyuus since I watched it dubbed (I better not comment that) but I’ve checked some episodes and I have no complaints so far.

The only cons I may point out besides the one I mentioned above is the fact of being a long series, it doesn’t make it perfect to rewatch, and of course despising the fact that you know episodes will always end up with Clow card’s capture.

A classic shoujo must watch if you don’t mind 70 episodes of magic and cosplay/designed outfits. I recommend watching in Japanese because I read in the Cardcaptors version they censor?! alter some things as, for example, the relationship between the infamous Yamazaki and Chihiru is a cousins one instead and other things (people who know the story, you have an idea what else will be changed), and that’s not fun at all is it. Go for subbed in this one.

Rate: Excellent

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Tags: 1998, anime, Asaka Morio, cardcaptor sakura, CLAMP, Excellent, madhouse

• August 8, 2010
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