CLAMP-NET.COM has posted the cover of GATE 7 #3:
It will be released on May 2nd.
I think it’s safe to assume that every cover will feature Hana and an animal. I wonder if there are any meanings in the order they appear?
This illustration reminded me of one of the illustrations that CLAMP drew for the Oshiroi Chouchou book.
21 thoughts on “GATE 7 #3 cover”
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Chibi Yuuto's CHRoNiCLEs 
What a beautiful cover! ๐ I really like Hana’s clothes!
I think the theme of GATE 7 cover is Chinese constellation. If 1st volume represents Suzaku (Red Bird), the 2nd represents Seiryuu (Blue Dragon), and the 3rd represents Genbu (Black Tortoise) so the 4th volume would represents Byakko (White Tiger).
Anyway, thank you for the info, ChibiYuuto-san! ๐
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Or maybe the Chinese Signs…
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That makes a lot of sense! Thank you!! We’ll see if the next cover will have a White Tiger ๐ Seems very likely to me!
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Although, apart from the tortoise, the cover also has a snake O.o
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Xuanwu or Genbu is usually depicted as a chinese chimera in the form of a tortoise intertwined with a snake.
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Wise, wise, very wise.
Are there only 4 animals?
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The four animals (the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, Black Tortoise) represent the four cardinal directions (east, south, west, and north respectively) and are each associated with a season as well as one of the five elements in Chinese mythology (wood, fire, metal, water respectively).
Chinese mythology makes an occasional reference to “Huang Long”, the Yellow Dragon of the Center, whose element is earth. Japanese mythology considers the fifth element to be “Void/Aether/Sky” (the five elements in Japanese mythology removes wood and metal, and includes “wind”), so Huang Long doesn’t normally appear because “void” apparently can’t have an animal to represent nothingness.
Ancient Chinese constellations known as the Twenty-Eight Mansions and they were placed into groups of seven under one of the Four Symbols according to their locations in the sky.
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Thank you for the info! Very insightful!
So there are 28 animals?
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Hmmm… the short answer is no.
The Four Symbols/Animals are related to the Chinese creation myths and how the universe works, I think, so I think that’s why they seem to show up a lot as a way of organizing a fictional universe in a lot of works. There’s only four in this category and they’re regarded as gods because of their celestial nature and each of them are supposed to rule part of the heavens.
The 28 Mansions is the system of constellations, much like how the western world has constellations like Lyra, Draco, Virgo, Leo, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, and so on.
Chinese mythology also has the Chinese zodiac with 12 animals (which I think you’ll be familiar with if you’ve read Fruits Basket), but they aren’t associated with the Chinese system of constellations at all. They’re more for calendar purposes.
(Oh dear… I think I’m just confusing people.)
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Not at all! You’re being very helpful, trust me!
I now wonder what they will draw on the 5th cover and on…
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Does that mean that we have to expect just 12 volumes? O:
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I really really love the style of the gate 7 covers *-*
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It looks very… earth-toned. Especially with the serpent. I like how the cover makes Hana look slightly more masculine, which keeps Hana’s gender ambiguious.
I wonder if the fourth volume will have light colours (if the first volume had a fire theme and the second one was water) for air? Or if the theme is the Five Elements, maybe gold or green for either metal or wood.
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Their cover artwork NEVER fails me! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
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This animal in Chinese is called “XuanWu”(the animal mixed by snake and Tortoise).The animal on the cover of “GATE 7″1 is called “ZhuQue”(suzaku) and second book is “QingLong”(green dragon).In old time of eastern country like China and Japan, it is said that there were 4 animals protected 4 places(east west south north) from the monster.So I guess that the fourth cover of it is “BaiHu”(White tiger), it is the western animal of 4 animals.
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So, Clamp going to put four animals in their cover? Then, after volume 4, I wonder what kind of animal they are going to put?
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I wonder the same thing…
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Could it be a sign that it ends in 4 volumes? Otherwise my guess would be having Chikahito on the covers with the 4 animals again
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That’s a possibility.
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In chinese,they are”ๆฑ้๏ผ้้พ๏ผ็ๆญฆ๏ผ็ฝ่”
๐
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I’m inclined to agree with you on the animal covers. Hope they do mean something.
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