Review - Cardcaptor Sakura (Manga)

Upon awakening the mystical beast Cerberus, fourth grader Sakura Kinomoto learns that she possesses the magical abilities necessary for capturing the enchanted Clow Cards that have been unleashed on Tokyo. With the help of Cerberus and her best friend Tomoyo, Sakura must capture all of the cards so that she may become their master. 

Cardcaptor Sakura is a manga series written and illustrated by CLAMP, originally published in 50 chapters in the pages of Nakayoshi from 1996 until 2000.

At its core, Cardcaptor Sakura is a simple magical girl series that approaches the genre with just the right amount of cheekiness and sincere innocence. It is divided into two arcs, with the first focusing on Sakura’s pursuit of the Clow Cards and the second detailing her mastery of them. Our titular heroine is tested throughout, constantly having to think and act creatively in order to capture and control the cards. This is emphasized by their unique abilities and the variety of personalities each seems to possess. CLAMP smartly approaches each capture differently and the vast majority are done while Sakura is dressed in insanely cute costumes (designed in the story by her best friend Tomoyo). They’re also to be commended for the mythos behind the Clow Cards and the gorgeous designs for each, fusing western with eastern aesthetics.

In a rather genius twist, CLAMP opt to focus on the interpersonal relationships rather than the magic and action of Sakura’s Clow Card adventures. This helps to relieve the narrative of any predictability. Rather than building each chapter around the capture or mastery of a Clow Card, CLAMP will often treat such an action as a subplot or even forego it altogether. Instead, they explore the complicated relationships that young people engage in while in school. For instance, the second arc spends a lot of time devoted to Syaorang’s love for Sakura and his many attempts to confess his feelings to her. There are also chapters that focus on Sakura’s attempts to win over or impress her crush Yukito. What is most fascinating, however, is the way in which CLAMP involve taboo themes into Cardcaptor Sakura without passing judgment on them. Queer relationships and feelings figure into the narrative through Tomoyo’s love for Sakura and the relationship between Sakura’s brother Toya and Yukito. There’s also the engagement between Sakura’s classmate Rika and their much-older teacher. CLAMP’s emphasis on personal relationships helps to create an intimate and relatable narrative, thus distinguishing it from other works in the magical girl genre.

There’s no denying that Cardcaptor Sakura is an essential read and is almost without peers. However, it has a significant chink in its armor. The magical girl genre had been redefined in the years leading up to the publication of Cardcaptor Sakura, drawing it away from the childish plots in the vein of Sally the Witch to action-oriented superhero stories pioneered by Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. Since Cardcaptor Sakura features a preteen heroine whose adventures lack a distinctive antagonist, it leaves the series with very little direction to the story. Tension often takes place when new characters are introduced and their motives remain a mystery – as with Syaorang, Mizuki-sensei, and Eriol – but is often deflated once we learn the truth. As such, it leaves the reader with very little payoff. Even the ending is bound to leave readers disappointed depending on their feelings towards the pairing of Sakura and Syaorang. If your favourite character is Tomoyo like she was for me, there’s a sense of dissatisfaction when (SPOILER!) it becomes clear that her feelings for Sakura will remain unrequited. She is unwaveringly loyal and understands Sakura better than Syaorang does, which makes her seem better matched. Unfortunately, CLAMP plays it safe and leave Tomoyo hung out to dry.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Cardcaptor Sakura. It is a breezy and entertaining series that calls back to a more innocent time. The art is breathtaking too. From Sakura’s costuming to the Clow Cards’ designs to the recurring visual motif of flowers, CLAMP delivers an absolutely stunning series that is arguably unmatched in the manga industry. This goes beyond the superficial elements as well, since they are able to set the tone of each panel with their art and successfully orchestrate the reader’s emotions through a variety of expressive reaction shots and epic action sequences. What further elevates Cardcaptor Sakura is its rich mythology that remains iconic within the genre and a narrative that dares to explore taboo subjects through an almost-objective lens. While I found the ending a bit contrived and anticlimactic, and wished there had been some kind of antagonist, Cardcaptor Sakura kept me engaged from start to finish and left me wanting more.

RATING: A-

Review - Magic Knight Rayearth (Manga)

Transported to the magical world of Cefiro, three teenage girls from Tokyo discover they are the legendary Magic Knights destined to save the Princess Emeraude from the clutches of the nefarious Zagato. With the help of the sorcerer Guru Clef and the adorable Mokona, the Magic Knights embark on a life-changing quest that will grant them unimaginable power and make them into the best of friends.

Magic Knight Rayearth is a manga series written and illustrated by Clamp, originally published in the pages of Nakayoshi from 1993 until 1995.

Magic Knight Rayearth is a genre-bending masterpiece that plays out like an epic fantasy roleplaying game. Much like the early entries in the Final Fantasy franchise, Clamp’s breakthrough series follows a group of legendary warriors as they traverse an expansive fantasy world in search of incredible weapons in order to free the land from a despotic sorcerer. Elements of the mecha genre flavour the latter half of the narrative, while our primary protagonists are effectively prototypical magical girls. This merging of genres distinguishes Magic Knight Rayearth as an incredibly unique manga that engages with fictional tropes and plays with them in a distinctive self-aware fashion. An example of this would be the girls’ magic evolving armour and weaponry that don’t require them to acquire new ones, which is atypical of the genre and is something the characters point out. They also call out magical spells that are unique to the individual, which is more akin to the Sailor Guardians from Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon than the black mages of Final Fantasy.

Despite its rather simple premise, Magic Knight Rayearth manages to be an engaging read that is both funny and emotional. Its central themes of fate and friendship play out through a narrative that sees three strangers becoming best friends through their shared destiny as the legendary Magic Knights. This kinship makes them stronger heroes and more capable of fulfilling their destiny as the saviours of Cefiro. For instance, Fuu is ready to sacrifice her life in battle for her friends and this willingness ultimately unlocks a greater power within her. That said, it’s important to note that Clamp employs a very episodic structure in how they tell the story of Magic Knight Rayearth. It’s likely done purposefully to mirror the way in which fantasy RPGs require its protagonists to go on missions to acquire new weapons and powers in order to defeat boss characters. Each chapter of this manga follows that formula. The main characters, whether in unison or individually, are tasked with learning magical spells, acquiring weapons, finding a special mineral, evolving their equipment, and then taking control of the legendary Mashin. During each mission they must either defeat or overcome the threat of a boss character. Remarkably, Clamp makes such a formulaic narrative fun, fresh and exciting with the use of humour and clever plot twists.

The characters of Magic Knight Rayearth are a huge part of what makes this manga so enjoyable. Clamp smartly creates three protagonists who are distinctive in their personalities, appearances, and roles within the narrative, which ensures that readers are able to relate to at least one of them. Hikaru Shidou is the red-haired tomboy who gains mastery over the element of fire. She’s unusually short for her age, which becomes a running gag early on, and is good with animals. She’s the most naïve of the main characters, but she makes up for it in her unwavering bravery. Fuu Hououji is the flaxen-haired archer who controls the element of air. It is her knowledge of roleplaying games that becomes key to the Magic Knights understanding the world of Cefiro. Despite being the brains of the group, Fuu is not very intuitive and this becomes a source for many jokes throughout. She is also the only character to be given a romantic interest in the form of the roguish Ferio and her spells are the most versatile in that she’s capable of both healing and fighting offensively. My favourite of the trio would likely be Umi Ryuuzaki. The blue-haired hydrokinetic Umi is an elegant and straightforward individual whose upper class upbringing and fencing abilities make her seem aristocratic. However, she’s perhaps the most comedic of the main characters. She has a remarkably short fuse and is constantly losing her cool, particularly due to her lack of patience with their guide Mokona. Her outbursts are always played up for comic effect and it makes her an endearing character because of this.

Aspects of Magic Knight Rayearth’s story will feel familiar, largely because Clamp pays homage to (and parodies) roleplaying games and the fantasy genre in general. The episodic storytelling can be problematic, particularly since it could seem monotonous under a less talented creative team. However, as far as manga classics go, Magic Knight Rayearth stands the test of time. It is an entertaining read that is tethered with the perfect balance of comedy and drama. Clamp conveys their central themes effectively to their audience through an engaging narrative and relatable characters, while the art compliments this through its ability to shift from moments of whimsy to slapstick humour. The art in its detailed nature serves Cefiro to readers as a palpable world, while the characters are gorgeously rendered with distinctive and memorable appearances. If anything, the only glaring fault that Magic Knight Rayearth has is that it’s too short and ends abruptly without tying up its numerous loose ends. Thankfully, Clamp recognized this and provided fans with a sequel shortly after its conclusion.

RATING: B+