Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card
Sakura faces new magical challenges in junior high school.
The manga group Clamp wrote and drew the shōjo sequel series Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, which follows Sakura Kinomoto in junior high school. Madhouse produced a 22-episode anime adaptation that aired from January to June 2018.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Magical girl, romance
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Sakura Kinomoto begins junior high school with her friends and her boyfriend Syaoran Li, who has just returned to Tomoeda after a long-distance relationship since his return to Hong Kong. During her first year, Sakura encounters magical incidents similar to those in elementary school. After a prophetic dream, the Sakura Cards turn blank and lose their power, prompting Sakura to investigate. She captures new cards using a stronger mystical dream key. Sakura befriends transfer student Akiho Shinomoto, who lives with her butler and guardian Yuna D. Kaito. Akiho, orphaned after her parents died in an accident, treasures a stuffed toy named Momo that is actually a guardian of a magical book. Sakura gains the ability to create new cards. Syaoran's mother Yelan warns of a prophecy that unchecked powers could bring disaster. Syaoran takes possession of the Sakura Cards for safety and later reveals this to Sakura. Kaito, a sorcerer whose magic alters his appearance, places a spell on Syaoran to prevent him from revealing Kaito's nature, but Sakura breaks it. Kaito has been causing incidents so Sakura can create a card he needs.
Media
Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card is written and illustrated by Clamp. It was serialized in Nakayoshi from the July 2016 issue sold on June 3 to the January 2024 issue sold on December 1, 2023, with a bonus chapter in March 2024. Kodansha collected the chapters into 16 volumes between December 2017 and April 2024, and Kodansha Comics released the series in English digitally and in print. Kunihiko Hamada replaced Kumiko Takahashi as character designer. The main cast from the original anime returned. An OVA prequel titled Sakura and the Two Bears premiered at Anime Expo on July 1, 2017, and shipped in Japan as a DVD with the special edition of volume 3 on September 13, 2017. The first opening theme is Clear by Maaya Sakamoto, and the first ending theme is Jewelry by Saori Hayami. Funimation premiered the simuldub on January 24, 2018. The second opening is Rocket Beat by Kiyono Yasuno, and the second ending is Rewind by Minori Suzuki. The series was released on Blu-ray and DVD in eight volumes from May to November 2018. Funimation released two Blu-ray sets in 2019 and a complete series volume on August 11, 2020. A sequel was announced on April 1, 2023. A mobile game, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Happiness Memories, launched on October 3, 2019, with theme song Flash by Maaya Sakamoto, and ended service on June 30, 2020.
Reception
In April 2017, over 1 million copies of the manga were in print in Japan. Erica Friedman of Yuricon called the sequel honest-to-goodness and said fans of the original would enjoy it, but gave low ratings for yuri themes. The anime received mixed reviews. Miranda Sanchez of IGN praised the storytelling and animation but found the second episode mundane. Geordi Demorest of Anime Feminist argued the sequel was less progressive and missing the original's LGBTQ representation. Lynzee Loveridge of Anime News Network doubted it added worthwhile character stories and called it a facsimile with no traditional villains. Timothy Donohoo of CBR claimed the series was largely forgotten and a disappointing, mediocre rehash. Charles Solomon of Animation Scoop praised animation quality but said it faltered by copying the original too closely, had an abrupt ending, and sidelined elements like Tomoyo's love for Sakura. Jack Eaton of Gamerant noted it lacked the original's critical and commercial success and called for a better sequel or remaster. Shamus Kelley of Den of Geek criticized the ending as a convoluted mess, called the plot heavy-handed, noted Tomoyo's obsession, but praised the series as fun while fighting itself. In other reviews, Kelley criticized the plot as lackluster, not expanding queer themes, lazily aping the original, and described Kaito and Akiho's interactions as creepy. Tim Jones and Stig Høgset of THEM Anime Reviews gave a more positive review.
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