Back in April it was announced that CLAMP have been commissioned to draw a special illustration for the Yosakoi Kochi Cultural Festival 2026, a festival themed on traditional performing arts.
Today, a little over two months before the festival, the illustration was finally revealed!
The illustration looks so pretty! I’m in love! As I expected, they delivered a very colorful illustration.
I can see that CLAMP were careful enough to include in the illustration several elements that represent the city of Kochi. The city faces the Pacific Ocean, which is why they added an anchor and the waves akin to the famous woodblock painting “The Great Wave off Kanagawa”. The girl is holding “naruko” in her hands, small wooden clappers that are held when performing the traditional “yosakoi” dance. Moreover, the Kochi Castle can be seen in the background and the clothes that both characters are wearing are, of course, heavily inspired by the local cultural attires.
The illustration will be used in promotional materials and original merchandise. There are also plans to exhibit it as original replica, since the painting was made digitally for this particular illustration.
The festival will be held from October 25th to December 6th in the city of Kochi.
To respect copyright laws, only links to official and authorized materials will be shared (with the exception of translations), if and when they become available. Unofficial scans will not be shared on this post. Thank you for understanding.
If you enjoy reading this story, please support CLAMP by purchasing the original or licensed material available in your country.
XXXHOLiC Rei is available for purchase at CD Japan and Amazon Japan with worldwide shipping.
The volume 4 cover of the CLAMP PREMIUM COLLECTION edition ofย ANGELIC LAYERย has been announced!
As expected. we have Wizard with Misaki and Hikaru! I thought volume 3 might have started a new pattern of having 3 angels, but no… Wizard looks great here!
Looking forward to the 5th and final cover! I have a feeling we might get a surprise… apart from Athena, maybe Shuko will join too?
Volume 4 will be released on August 10th.
Here’s the schedule of ANGELIC LAYER (CLAMP PREMIUM COLLECTION):
To respect copyright laws, only links to official and authorized materials will be shared (with the exception of translations), if and when they become available. Unofficial scans will not be shared on this post. Thank you for understanding.
If you enjoy reading this story, please support CLAMP by purchasing the original or licensed material available in your country.
XXXHOLiC Rei is available for purchase at CD Japan and Amazon Japan with worldwide shipping.
Yesterday was a big day for the upcoming of the Magic Knight Rayearth TV anime remake: the global premiere happened at Anime Expo in Los Angeles with the screening of the first two episodes and a panel with the voice actresses of Fuu Hououji and Princess Emeraud as guests.
A new stunning key visual was released to the general public:
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As pointed out by my dear friend Shidouhikaru15, this key visual mixes original art from the manga (the cover of artbook 1, one of my favorites ever!) and other ilustrations from the original anime.
The main PV was announced, and on it we learn that the series will premiere on October 7, 2026!
Moreover, three additional cast members were announced:
I have vivid memories of this series being a massive hit among the girls in my class when I was in elementary school. Back then, the embarrassment typical of a boy hitting puberty kept me from reading or watching it (haha), but having the opportunity to experience the work now that Iโm involved in it, I completely understand why it was so popular. It possesses a truly unique originality while also holding a universal appeal that has endured through the years. It is a touchstone, a foundational work. The world-building by CLAMP is simply amazing!
I will pour my respect into the role of Clef as I help pass the baton of Magic Knight Rayearth on to a new generation. Please look forward to the broadcast!
Emiri Kato
I am Emiri Kato, and I have been cast as the voice of Presea.
I still find it hard to believe that the day has actually come for me to voice Presea.
This series holds a very special place in my heart; I watched the show and played the games throughout my childhood. Presea was one of my absolute favorite characters: an older-sister figure I admired for the warm, supportive way she stood by Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu.
When auditioning for the role, I re-watched the anime series because I wanted to get as close as possible to the Presea I love so much.
I hope that all the fans will be able to feel that warmth that defines Presea.
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Iโm Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, and Iโll be playing the role of Ferio.
I am truly delighted to be appearing in Rayearthโa series Iโve known for so long!
When I got the audition, I was shockedโthinking, “No way! Rayearth!?”
I intend to give it my all to deliver my own take on Ferio while honoring the world of the series.
I hope youโll look forward to Magic Knight Rayearth! (Personally, Iโm Team Presea!)
So, let’s talk about the main PV and my opinions about it!
I’m not overly excited about this anime. I know it’s a little sad and it makes me feel a little sad because this is a CLAMP anime after all, but I’m still not sure about some of the character designs (especially Umi! — always Umi), some action scenes look stiff, the music is not the type that I like and there is something about the coloring that doesn’t please me.
I know I sometimes come hard with CLAMP anime adaptations, it’s just that their style is so unique that it’s really hard to convey to anime, I guess.
It definitely doesn’t look as bad as Tokyo Babylon 2021 would haveโfor sure it doesn’t! But I guess after watching the Witch Hat Atelier TV anime and seeing that it is possible to make a stunning, almost flawless TV anime, I was hoping for the same from a CLAMP anime. Unfortunately, this isn’t it.
And don’t get me wrong, I am not comparing it to the classic anime (which had its flaws too), I’m honestly looking at this remake separately. It’s decent, but with Rayearth, decent isn’t enough, I wanted stunning.
I will say though that the one thing I really enjoyed was Sakura Ayane’s “Honoo no Ya” at the end of the PV — that was really good! I think she will be great as Hikaru.
To respect copyright laws, only links to official and authorized materials will be shared (with the exception of translations), if and when they become available. Unofficial scans will not be shared on this post. Thank you for understanding.
If you enjoy reading this story, please support CLAMP by purchasing the original or licensed material available in your country.
XXXHOLiC Rei is available for purchase at CD Japan and Amazon Japan with worldwide shipping.
Episode 35 of CLAMP’s podcast, CLAMP Kanbukai, is out! You can listen to it on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.
This episode’s theme is “Movies and ways to beat the summer heat”.
As promised, this episode was delivered on the Summer Solstice (in the North Hemisphere). Last time, Ohkawa-sensei had said that there would be one-on-one interviews before the delivery of this episode, but that did not happen…
The episode begins with a story from CLAMP about randomly meeting a podcast listener. While the four members were walking together in Kyoto, they were unexpectedly recognized by a young woman. They asked how she recognized them and she said it was because of their voices (she said she listens to the podcast). According to CLAMP, the lady was very apologetic saying she wasn’t a stalker or anything and they parted ways very quickly. CLAMP members were grateful for the encounter and wished they could at least have shook her hands.
Next, the members discussed Project Hail Mary, the film adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel starring Ryan Gosling. Going in with minimal knowledge and deliberately avoiding spoilers, they were surprised by the movie’s direction and charmed by the relationship between the protagonist and the alien Rocky.
They praise the film for blending science fiction, suspense, humor, and friendship in unexpected ways. The conversation also turns to the explosion of fan art and fan-made merchandise online, lamenting the lack of official goods and joking that Japanese fans inevitably adopt a “If it doesn’t exist, make it yourself” attitude.
They highly recommend this movie and they are telling everyone they know to watch it.
Next, the group discussed The Sheep Detective, a mystery film in which sheep investigate a murder. Despite the whimsical premise, the movie surprised them with its emotional depth, warm atmosphere, and memorable characters.
They talked about their favorite sheep and the film’s unusual idea that sheep can forget painful memories simply by counting to three. The conversation repeatedly returns to how adorable the characters are, and how disappointing it was that almost no official merchandise was available.
The discussion then shifts to The Mandalorian & Grogu, the latest Star Wars theatrical release. Even members who aren’t deeply familiar with Star Wars found the film approachable and enjoyable.
The group talks about Grogu’s overwhelming popularity, the surprising lack of lightsabers and Jedi compared to traditional Star Wars stories, and the movie’s resemblance to Lone Wolf and Cub. They also praise characters such as Ahsoka and Rotta and spend a significant amount of time discussing Grogu merchandise, especially the frustration of discovering that most of the best items are already sold out.
By the end, they admit that their social media feeds are now dominated by Grogu fan art. Ohkawa-sensei wants the Zara cologne but it’s already sold out (she asked to be notified when it’s restocked).
For upcoming movie releases, CLAMP are looking forward to Chiikawa: The Secret of Doll Island, which they are eagerly anticipating.
The conversation revolves around advance ticket purchases, exclusive merchandise, and how the story may affect different audiences. While children will likely enjoy it as a fun summer adventure, the members speculate that adults may notice darker implications hidden beneath the cute surface.
They recall how readers reacted to the original story online, describing widespread shock and sleepless nights when the manga chapters were first released.
Then, they briefly mentioned Good Boy, a survival horror movie centered on a dog. Their main concern was: Is the dog okay?
After hearing positive reactions from people who have already seen the movie, they are relieved to learn that the dog does not suffer, a detail they jokingly insist is the most important spoiler anyone could provide.
Next, they talk about Dark Water (Honogurai Mizu no Soko kara), one of the classics of Japanese horror cinema.
While Satsuki-sensei barely remembers the film beyond its gloomy atmosphere, Nekoi-sensei summarizes its lesson succinctly: “You shouldn’t just pick things up.”
The group reminisces about watching the film together and praises its oppressive mood, music, and lingering psychological horror. Ohkawa-sensei finishes by noting that anyone who lives in an apartment building is likely to find the film’s ending particularly terrifying.
For the remaining minutes of the episode, they talked about things they do to endure the summer heat. This was a very quick segment. Satsuki-sensei said she buys a new water bottle every summer to keep her hydrated, Mokona-sensei said she is been using the Dream Wand fan from the CLAMP Exhibition goods, Nekoi-sensei mentioned a make-up finisher with a minty scent and Ohkawa-sensei mentioned a sunscreen. They will be posting pictures of these products in the coming days in the CLAMP Kanbukai instagram account.
Now, with the use of an online tool, I was able to extract the text from the audio and made a translation with ChatGPT. It looks pretty decent so if you are interested in following the translation while listening to the episode, you can do so after the cut below.
There are two things to be aware of: 1) it’s a pretty decent translation, but not a perfect one. I did not make a throughout revision and there could be mistakes particularly in the Japanese names they mentioned and which member said what. I don’t have time to revise it but again, it’s a pretty decent translation from what I checked; and 2) unfortunately the tool I used to extract the text from the audio has a 30 minutes limitation so the last 5 minutes were not transcribed.
The volume 3 cover of the CLAMP PREMIUM COLLECTION edition ofย ANGELIC LAYERย has been announced!
As expected. we have Shirahime with Misaki and Hikaru, but what I was NOT expecting is seeing Blanche there! So that means we could be seeing more than one additional angel. Maybe there is a chance of seeing Mao and Alice too ๐ Perhaps it’s a bit too late for Ranga? We’ll see…
It’s the first time we have FOUR characters on an ANGELIC LAYER cover!
These covers are really kicking ass!
Volume 3 will be released on July 10th.
Here’s the schedule of ANGELIC LAYER (CLAMP PREMIUM COLLECTION):
To respect copyright laws, only links to official and authorized materials will be shared (with the exception of translations), if and when they become available. Unofficial scans will not be shared on this post. Thank you for understanding.
If you enjoy reading this story, please support CLAMP by purchasing the original or licensed material available in your country.
XXXHOLiC Rei is available for purchase at CD Japan and Amazon Japan with worldwide shipping.
I have been deeply moved and inspired countless times by CLAMP-sensei’s stories, characters, and dialogue.
I am truly honored to be able to participate in the Reiwa era’s Magic Knight Rayearth.
With respect for this long-loved work, I approached the recording sessions alongside the trustworthy cast members, striving to convey Princess Emeraude’s delicate emotions through my voice.
I sincerely hope you will look forward to the broadcast.
Yumi Ono
This is Yuki Ono, playing the role of Zagato.
That’s right! From Rayearth! ! Zagato!!!
The bar was set very high from the audition stage, but I also felt a great sense of fulfillment because of that, so I was overjoyed when I heard the news that I had passed.
There are many things that I shouldn’t discuss here, but I would like to portray him while staying close to his own “wish.”
I would be very grateful if you would watch and see it.
Mika Kikuchi
My voice acting career began with Mokona=Modoki from Tsubasa Chronicle. Looking back, it feels like it went by in a flash, but before I knew it, more than 20 years had passed. I always wished to meet Mokona again someday, but I never imagined it would actually happen!
Mokona always gives me courage and energy.
I’m on a new journey with the three Magic Knights, who are so pure, strong, and beautiful they take my breath away, and I would be grateful if you would watch over us warmly.
My heart remains unchanged from back then to now; I will simply continue to perform with sincerity.
Mika Kikuchi makes so much sense! There couldn’t be anybody else playing Mokona. I’m pretty sure CLAMP had a saying on this.
As for Princess Emeraude’s voice actress, this is not her first involvement with a CLAMP anime, she also sang the first ED theme for the Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card TV Anime, Jewelry.
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Moreover, it’s been announced that the anime will have its world premiere at this year’s Anime Expo, on July 4th in Los Angeles, with the screening of episodes 1 and 2.
Cast members Rie Takahashi (Fuu Hououji) and Saori Hayami (Princess Emerauld) will be in attendance.
