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November 30, 2016

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Card Captor Sakura – Clear Card arc – Chapter 7 (Updated)

© CLAMP・Shigatsu Tsuitachi CO.,LTD. / 講談社

© CLAMP・Shigatsu Tsuitachi CO.,LTD. / 講談社

Chinese scanlations.
English translations.

DISCLAIMER: If you enjoyed reading this story, please support CLAMP by purchasing the original or licensed material available in your country.

Card Captor Sakura is available for purchase at CD Japan and Amazon Japan with worldwide shipping.

We have a lovely eastern new year’s illustration for the front cover. Third cover in a row! I bet CLAMP will take some rest of drawing covers after this xD

We also have a lovely girls night out slumber party colored spread with Sakura and Tomoyo in a cold night of eastern soon-to-be winter. I like how busy and filled the illustration is.

Now onto the chapter itself, we begin from where we left of in the previous chapter. In the waking dream sequence, the new key seems to be attracted to the cloaked figure, which adds a layer to my theory that the wand isn’t really Sakura’s and it actually belongs to the cloaked figure. Of course, there is also the theory that the cloaked figure is some twisted version of Sakura herself — they do have the same height, after all.

More importantly, we see the cloaked figure watching Sakura’s bedroom window just outside her house — casually standing on top of a lamp post, very casually. This means that the cloaked figure doesn’t exist only in the dream world and that it actually has a physical, material version out there.

At breakfast, after not noticing anything different from Sakura, Touya says “Not yet, huh?”, which implies that he is expecting something to happen, at some point, that he will notice right away in Sakura.

At school, we learn that there is a new transferred student! Akiho Shinomoto is her name and yes, the similarity with “Kinomoto” is uncanny and I don’t think that is a coincidence. It is also worth pointing out that she is transferred on the same day that we see the cloaked figure in its physical form, outside the dream world and that she shares the same height as Sakura. Could the cloaked figure be Akiho? In the past, Sakura dreamed about Syaoran, Kaho and Eriol and later would meet them on the exact same day. But then again, she dreamed about the cloaked figure since chapter 1, so I’m sure.

There are other similarities between Akiho and Sakura. With the exception of her hairstyle, her face and features are very similar to Sakura’s. She even has one spiky hairstring popping out of her hair (Sakura has two). Even her reactions to Yamazaki’s lies are the same as Sakura and this time Syaoran too. I don’t think these are by chance. On the other hand, Akiho seems calmer than Sakura, a bit less genki maybe.

It seems like Akiho has been out and about, having lived in many countries including Hong Kong and England, and so far it seems like she and Sakura got along well.

In the meantime, Syaoran secretly talks to Eriol on his cellphone and Eriol’s role is to calm Syaoran down and tell him that he should wait even though it must be painful doing so. So Syaoran is being instructed by Eriol to stay out of things and come up with his lame excuses for not being around when Sakura is securing cards.

Eriol was reading Tarot cards? xD I’m not sure who he was talking about when he pulled the card of The Lovers but I assume is Syaoran and Sakura?

Another new teacher! A male teacher who seems to have came out of Kobato.

It looks someone made a doodle of Sakura and Syaoran being lovebirds and that made Sakura panic.

Sakura looks out of the window and notices a strange behavior in the school’s trees. We know it’s the doings of a card, could it be the counterpart of The Wood?

37 pages for the chapter — this chapter was a tad bigger possibly because it had a color spread and it was featured in the magazine cover. 69 pages for volume 2 so far.

87 thoughts on “Card Captor Sakura – Clear Card arc – Chapter 7 (Updated)”

  3. In this partial english translation of the chapter: http://cardcaptorcoconut.tumblr.com/post/153681283659/cardcaptor-sakura-clear-card-arc-chapter-7 , when Syaoran and Eriol talk with each other, it’s about the transfert student not having any magic, and Eriol says that what he read through his divination is “Nothing. Just that Sakura-san will get along well with her. That it looks like they’ll become good friends.”

    I really don’t want the story to go down the obvious road of “the new character arrives and have something to do with the events happening”, we already got that with Syaoran, Mizuki, Eriol and Nakuru. Which is why I was really glad to read this translation: at the moment at least, it only seems like we will get to see a new face around school, which is a bit refreshing really, it’s not like there is anything wrong about the old group of friends of course, but having a new person joining them is nice, sort of a replacement (but not really) of Rika.

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    • ok, so now I actually saw the chapter (bcs I wrote the above comment only knowing about the spoilers pages released together with the translation I read a few days back too + your review).

      Sakura and Akiho got attached to each other way too much way too fast ^^; They’ve got a ‘womance’ going on between them in this chapter XD This is reminding me of the hanyyan feeling Sakura got with Mizuki. But this seems even stronger? ^^; (no wonder Eriol got a tarot card with hearts and said those two would get along…).
      All in all, Sakura is slow but also quite an instinctive person, it doesn’t feel like Akiho is someone suspicious and who would hurt her in the long run?

      The answer to all this is quite easy in the end: the next chapters will tell us what we want to know, and I’m not talking about any big revelations, but only whether Akiho will become a big presence in the manga: if she turns into a major character we see often, then I guess we could indeed conclude she could very likely have something to do with the upcoming events. If she simply becomes part of their group of friends, well, then that’s that!

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      • I don’t think she is as ordinary as Rika or Naoko or that she will be just another member of the gang.

        I think she must be important for the fact of being so similar to Sakura (to the point of Sakura herself, who is a little clueless, realizing) and the fact that she was in both Hong Kong and England.

        That being said, I don’t think she represents a threat.

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      • “sakura and Akiho got attached to each other way too much way too fast ^^; They’ve got a ‘womance’ going on between them in this chapter😄 This is reminding me of the hanyyan feeling Sakura got with Mizuki. But this seems even stronger? ^^; (no wonder Eriol got a tarot card with hearts and said those two would get along…).”
        yeah i agree with this. i read that loads of fans were thinking she would be sakuras love rival. i REALLY hope clamp wont do this! and i dont know why, but im hoping akiho isnt the hooded person. probably only cause it seems too obvious. it’d be nice if she will be more like another tomoyo for sakura, or if magical then i was thinking mizuki too. just cause of the way sakura is sooo quickly attached to her like it was with mizuki.
        speaking of the hooded person, were they spying on sakura in her room on that telephone pole…? creepy!

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        • yeah i agree with this. i read that loads of fans were thinking she would be sakuras love rival. i REALLY hope clamp wont do this!

          I would lie if I said the thought she could be Sakura’s love rival didn’t cross my mind, because it did, but not for too long, it was more like a passing thought? I suppose it was hard to think of her that way with all the nice words, flowers and smiles exchanged between her and Sakura ^^; From this first chapter at least, it doesn’t seem like CLAMP is going in that direction.

          and i dont know why, but im hoping akiho isnt the hooded person. probably only cause it seems too obvious.

          I suppose many people feel the same: it just feels way too obvious for the new kid in town to be the cloaked figure. So while it is definitely an actual possibility not to be ignored (her arrival with this timing + her fast and close approach of Sakura + her similarity with her, are all suspicious points), I am still resisting the idea at the moment.

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    • Take three!

      Ok, so now, I read the full translation: it’s not wonder you insisted on the fact they were similar, even Sakura herself said so, and Akiho looked a bit taken aback when she told her? …
      Still, I will stick with the ‘she is just a new friend’ hypothesis for now, just like Eriol did, until further information are given about her. I really don’t want it to go the obvious way: just like Sakura84 said bellow, I want to believe the true identity of the cloaked person will be a big surprise!

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      • In the page Sakura said that the they were similiar, even Akiho movements were almost the same, I wonder if it’s relevant or not.

        This reminded me of when Mokona said “I was told to draw Yukito similar to Fujitaka.”

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      • One could argue that Eriol might be lying about her lack of powers, but Syaoran also doesn’t sense any magic coming from her, so maybe she really lacks magic powers.

        However that doesn’t mean that she isn’t the result of some paradox or side-effect of something xD

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            • “Maybe she’s concealing her magic powers and that’s why Syaoran didn’t sense anything?”
              this.. yes… its certainly something relevant. like how kero, yue, syaoran etc cant sense anything when a clear card situation happens. ONLY sakura senses something very briefly before an incident… so maybe the fact that syaoran cant sense any magic from her…

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          • The idea she might be concealing her magic almost immediately crossed my mind when Syaoran said he didn’t sens anything from her, but I personally discarded the thought as being too obvious a plot.

            But you are right, it is still a possibility.

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  4. Here we are, for our monthly favorite time! And what a chapter, this month!
    the new key seems to be attracted to the cloaked figure, which adds a layer to my theory that the wand isn’t really Sakura’s and it actually belongs to the cloaked figure. Of course, there is also the theory that the cloaked figure is some twisted version of Sakura herself — they do have the same height, after all.
    Yep, I’m still standing by my first intuition, CloakedGuy is too covered for my taste, it’s really like this time CLAMP don’t want us to know who this person is, because it will be a big surprise. The other times, Sakura dreamt about important new characters but you could see their features…this time is completely impossible to make out any physical trait, aside from the height. My bets are on a twisted version of Sakura.

    More importantly, we see the cloaked figure watching Sakura’s bedroom window just outside her house — casually standing on top of a lamp post, very casually. This means that the cloaked figure doesn’t exist only in the dream world and that it actually has a physical, material version out there.
    How the hell the characters always climb up to such impossible places?!
    Anyway, this is very important. CloakedGuy does exist in the real world! Unless……Sakura ended up in another dream level. I’m writing this here in case I was right xD

    At breakfast, after not noticing anything different from Sakura, Touya says “Not yet, huh?”, which implies that he is expecting something to happen, at some point, that he will notice right away in Sakura.
    Yeah because let’s not forget that Touya doesn’t have his powers anymore…so if it’s something he’s going to notice, it will be something not “supernatural” and we will definitely notice too.

    At school, we learn that there is a new transferred student! Akiho Shinomoto is her name and yes, the similarity with “Kinomoto” is uncanny and I don’t think that is a coincidence. It is also worth pointing out that she is transferred on the same day that we see the cloaked figure in its physical form, outside the dream world and that she shares the same height as Sakura. Could the cloaked figure be Akiho?
    And that’s why I’m not buying what Ohkawa is selling me here. This is precisely made to make you believe that CloakedGuy is Akiho. Come on, this is CLAMP we’re talking about.

    In the past, Sakura dreamed about Syaoran, Kaho and Eriol and later would meet them on the exact same day. But then again, she dreamed about the cloaked figure since chapter 1, so I’m sure.
    Just to be precise, Sakura didn’t dream of Syaoran in the manga, but she did in the anime. Which makes totally sense to me and Ohkawa did the right thing in adding this to the anime version. Come on, she couldn’t not have dreamt of the most important person in her life!

    There are other similarities between Akiho and Sakura. With the exception of her hairstyle, her face and features are very similar to Sakura’s. She even has one spiky hairstring popping out of her hair (Sakura has two). Even her reactions to Yamazaki’s lies are the same as Sakura and this time Syaoran too. I don’t think these are by chance. On the other hand, Akiho seems calmer than Sakura, a bit less genki maybe.
    Yeah let’s talk about Akiho. The first impression I had was of an extremely sweet girl, I like her features (I think the drawing style of Kobato is strong in her) and overall she gives me really a “Sakura” vibe, but less lively. So far I like her, even if I’ll keep an eye on her (and I’m sure Syaoran will do the same).

    In the meantime, Syaoran secretly talks to Eriol on his cellphone and Eriol’s role is to calm Syaoran down and tell him that he should wait even though it must be painful doing so. So Syaoran is being instructed by Eriol to stay out of things and come up with his lame excuses for not being around when Sakura is securing cards.
    Eriol was reading Tarot cards? xD I’m not sure who he was talking about when he pulled the card of The Lovers but I assume is Syaoran and Sakura?
    Eriol ends up always having the role of the little shit. He’s giving quite some painful instruction to Syaoran, and he knows it. Also, Syaoran is at this point unseparable from his painful look , there’s no chapter in which he appears that he’s not wearing that face. I’m really starting to pity him, my poor baby 😦
    Eriol was making a divination with Tarot cards and he was talking about Sakura and Akiho. It seems they’ll be good friends.

    It looks someone made a doodle of Sakura and Syaoran being lovebirds and that made Sakura panic.
    That was Naoko, she’s into the SyaoSaku ship, she’s one of us! *-*

    Sakura looks out of the window and notices a strange behavior in the school’s trees. We know it’s the doings of a card, could it be the counterpart of The Wood?
    Now, can somebody explain to me how the hell she will secure it with all those people active in the school? I really want to see that!

    We’re moving forward, but with the anime set for 2018, I think there’s still a long road ahead of us….

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    • My bets are on a twisted version of Sakura.
      Dark Sakura! Kuroi Sakura! haha

      How the hell the characters always climb up to such impossible places?!
      How the hell no ones from Tomoeda noticed him/her? xD And Kero is so useless in this arc………… Sakura should talk to him about this mysterious person.

      And that’s why I’m not buying what Ohkawa is selling me here. This is precisely made to make you believe that CloakedGuy is Akiho. Come on, this is CLAMP we’re talking about.
      Yes, that’s what Ohkawa wants us and silly Nakayoshi readers to think. But we’re not buying it just yet…..

      Just to be precise, Sakura didn’t dream of Syaoran in the manga, but she did in the anime. Which makes totally sense to me and Ohkawa did the right thing in adding this to the anime version. Come on, she couldn’t not have dreamt of the most important person in her life!
      That’s right, thank you! Having the anime so cannon sometimes messes with my mind xD

      So far I like her, even if I’ll keep an eye on her (and I’m sure Syaoran will do the same).
      hahahaha look at you all protective… “I’ll keep an eye on her” xD

      Eriol ends up always having the role of the little shit.
      Best quote I read today. I’m gonna frame it and put it on my wall.

      Eriol was making a divination with Tarot cards and he was talking about Sakura and Akiho. It seems they’ll be good friends.
      Thank you! I think we should all go and read more about The Lovers card. It might foreshadow a few things…

      Now, can somebody explain to me how the hell she will secure it with all those people active in the school? I really want to see that!
      My best is that, somehow, everyone will conveniently disappear or leave the premises, just like when she secured REFLECT. It seems that’s the way it works with these cards…

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      • Dark Sakura! Kuroi Sakura! haha
        YES PLEASE! You don’t know how much I loved Infinity’s arc right because of that! xD

        And Kero is so useless in this arc………… Sakura should talk to him about this mysterious person.
        REALLY!!! He was her counselor, he knew a lot of things, he taught her about different kind of magic, he was THE BEAST OF THE SEAL…and now…he’s really just a plushie ;_;

        hahahaha look at you all protective… “I’ll keep an eye on her” xD
        Of course! Everybody is worrying sick in this arc, and I get protective xD

        Best quote I read today. I’m gonna frame it and put it on my wall.
        I have other names for Eriol, but I won’t disclose them here ❤ hahahaha

        Thank you! I think we should all go and read more about The Lovers card. It might foreshadow a few things…
        YEAH I’ll do so….

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    • That was Naoko, she’s into the SyaoSaku ship, she’s one of us! *-*

      XD XD XD
      It seems like she is, indeed! 😀
      That’s that I call a glorious doodle!

      There is at least one character in this series that reminds us that SxS are dating, because it’s getting harder and harder to believe they are with each passing chapter with nothing happening between them ^^;
      Needless to say, none of us is expecting the basic shoujo romance from CLAMP (and I wouldn’t like it), but this total nothingness is hard to swallow after 7 months of serialization ^^;

      Still, both are preoccupied with different issues, so it can’t be helped: the strange supernatural events going on around them are obviously more important, and I am a lot more curious about Syaoran’s role in all this and what is that “moment” he is waiting for (+did he learn new magic?), than seeing him going on a movie date with Sakura (though, it would be nice to have both things :P)

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      • I think maybe the “total nothingness” is easier to swallow after considering that in the timespan of the chapters, it’s only been a week since Syaoran came back.

        But still I’m honestly annoyed because I really want to see a chapter of them alone together and just talk and bond and/or fight the new cards together but so far CLAMP isn’t giving me any of that ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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        • The first series ended in a very impactful way between those two: a revelation, a realization, a confession, a separation, than a reunion, and finally a rarely seen genuine ‘happily ever after’ from CLAMP.
          We were given the clear image that these two were very close and very much in love, communication through letters and emails, and an emotional reunion with a hug, and an ‘we will be together forever from now on’, ‘there are so many things I want to tell you’, ‘tell me everything!’ …
          All strong and major events/words.

          And after that…
          nothing.

          This is quite anticlimatic? It feels like we fell from quite high? ^^;

          But I agree with you: in the manga timeline, he’s only been back for a few days, so we should be patient as readers 😀

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          • I agree with you about it feeling anticlimactic… But I don’t want to feel so down about it because it’s making me feel like crap haha. I like to think they’re saving the good syaosaku stuff for later (I’d rather it be sooner though)

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      • As always, we agree, Cutesherry! ^_^
        Just like you, I think it would be nice to see something more about those two, I’m personally starting to get impatient, then there’s the whole “it’s not that time yet” thing that is getting unnerving!
        And yeah, what about that “there are so many things I want to tell you”??
        Yes, we have to be calm and patient. Calm and patient. There’s still so much ahead of us, we can hope sooner or later Ohkawa the witch will realize there’s “something” missing from the plot! ._.

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        • As an SxS shipper, the wait is excruciating!! DX
          CLAMP is torturing us right now: convincing myself to be patient, that’s it’s logical because it’s just the beginning and that we have so many more chapters to look forward to, is difficult ;_;
          And the major thing is that no one of us is expecting anything big, you know: can’t they just…talk with each other? Just a conversation in a few pages, that’s all …
          But it doesn’t seem like we are going in that direction for the moment: Sakura will catch a new card in the next chapter, and I expect to see more of Akiho too~

          Let’s hang on, Sakura84!!
          I still trust in the power of…editors! Nakayoshi staff! Make CLAMP draw that fluff!! 😀

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          • “As an SxS shipper, the wait is excruciating!! DX
            CLAMP is torturing us right now:”
            ive shipped this couple since it became obvious syaoran was gaga for sakura, and im not gonna lie…i ship them above any other manga couple out there! im dying to see a chapter or more of them just you know… going for a little stroll in the park, going to the cinema, or the cafe, or the teddy bear museum… oh so many date possibilities for these two! I blame eriol! i bet in one of his phone calls to syaoran he said no dates, no holding hands, no walking home together, till this big bad moment is over. and now the date is probably gonna be in the final chapter. @@
            on another note id love to see badass sakura/ dark sakura. clone sakura was awesome when she flipped to the dark side in tokyo and infinity.

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          • And the major thing is that no one of us is expecting anything big, you know: can’t they just…talk with each other? Just a conversation in a few pages, that’s all …
            Isn’t this absurd? We are striving for something so natural, so normal!! And they can’t even give us such a simple thing! >_<
            Let's hang on, really!

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            • Right. I think the anime will have more room for fanservice like that. Right now, CLAMP must be under a lot of pressure to move on with the plot as fast as they can, they have a whole anime staff waiting for them.

              After what needs to be told is told, they can relax and focus on the lovey-dovey aspects.

              However, leaving the readers in the neverending expectation of fanservice is part of their job.

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              • And here comes my lil bro, always so rational, to make me realize that maybe they really are under a lot of pressure to present as much plot material as possible for the upcoming anime…thank you, that’s a point of view I didn’t consider! ❤

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  5. Not sure if it really is The Lovers card. Some people have been saying that the bird represents peace and those two hearts represent souls, which means, peace between two people, so what Eriol said was very accurate.

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  6. I don’t think the Tarot card Eriol was holding was The Lovers, but rather the Two of Cups. (Although I don’t know why CLAMP would put hearts in the place of the cups ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
    The Two of Cups: “The 2 of Cups often refers to romantic partnership, but that is not its only connotation. It can speak of balance, friendship, joy, and sharing […]” source: http://www.psychic-revelation.com/reference/q_t/tarot/tarot_cards/cups_2.html
    “[…] Outside of love, the Two of Cups reflects a partnership of sorts, be it a business partnership, friendship or even a relationship between a person and their pet.” source: https://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/minor-arcana/suit-of-cups/two-of-cups/

    If it really is The Lovers though, it’s possible CLAMP was misdirecting us by putting that “Looks like [Akiho and Sakura] are going to be good friends” line over the panel of Eriol holding the Tarot card. According to biddytarot, “When the Lovers card appears in a reading, it is important to think about what decisions and choices you are facing. The fact that the Lovers is a Major Arcana card indicates that these decisions or choices are incredibly important and significant so it is essential that you choose the right path. There may be an easy option available but you will need to ask yourself whether this is the right path for you in the long run. Oftentimes, it is the more difficult path that will bring you the greatest benefit, particularly on a deeper level.”

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  7. oh yeah! here’s another thought that just came to me, and its too big for me not to say anything, and its probably a crap theory but anyway…! shinomoto akiho could actually be another version of sakura, but is using a fake name. you know like with watanuki kimihiro or yuuko… its just the name, the look, just the overall striking similarity between the two girls.
    anyway, great chapter! this akiho girl really added something. i want to see more yue pretty please clamp!

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  8. I really hope Akiho isn’t the cloaked figure/antagonist, since a) that would be too obvious, as most of you have said; b) that would make her a ridiculous Mary Sue; c) her budding friendship with Sakura in this chapter was genuinely charming. In a series about accepting many different kinds of people, sometimes the foreign transfer student should really just be a normal kid.

    I’m going to go against the grain and say that I’m more sympathetic to Eriol than to Syaoran here. He’s much more disheveled than he was when we last saw him, which suggests that he’s been divining for information non-stop while having to keep Syaoran in the loop. (Given Syaoran’s weak powers relative to Eriol, Sakura, Kero, and Yue, he could seriously end up becoming a liability if he decides to ignore Eriol’s advice and charge in to help Sakura at some point. Given that Syaoran implies that he came back to Japan on his own volition in this chapter, Eriol might be trying to advise him and keep him in check rather than order him around.) The fact that Eriol is being so open and helpful to Syaoran suggests that there’s a bigger reason why he hasn’t contacted Sakura yet — maybe he’s worried that the cloaked figure is monitoring her and would target him if he tried to intervene?

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  9. When the cloaked figure watched Sakura from the window, I wonder if they don’t have any presence just like the clear cards, hence Kero and Sakura doesn’t notice them?
    I also wonder how close Akiho would be with Sakura. Would she be so close to Sakura to the point that she know Sakura has magical power like Tomoyo does?

    The necessity of Eriol having to do a divination is suspicious. It’s as if he’s not exactly got full knowledge about what’s going on right now. At first, I thought he know everything (with all of those secret talk with Syaoran and all), now I’m not sure anymore.

    I’m also reminded at chapter 4 where Ruby/Nakuru isn’t ready to go to Japan. Just what happened with her actually? Is this has something to do with the cloaked figure being close to Sakura (the figure watched Sakura outside of her house afterall) and Akiho’s arrival?

    Also, we know after Eriol’s magical power is shared to Fujitaka, he’s not the strongest magician anymore, which makes Sakura stronger than him currently. Which gives possibility, what if the cloaked figure actually attracted/drawn/chasing/haunting/ a person with the strongest magical power (with any purpose)? The figure might be someone that Clow Reed knows (and maybe avoid. lol), but since right now the strongest magician is Sakura herself, they started to be “attracted” to Sakura instead. It’s funny to think that even Akiho looks “attracted” to Sakura. Like many already said, it’ll be too obvious (and getting old, really) if the cloaked figure is Akiho, but the suspiciousness is real (she even ever lived in England and Hong Kong plus having similar last name with Sakura. Coincidence? It’s CLAMP). Can’t wait for more chapters, I’m intrigued with Akiho and want to know more about who she actually is (and whether Sakura will reveal her magic or not to her since they’re going to be close friend)!

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    • This is not really a reply, but more of an opinion of mine:

      If we are talking about raw magic powers, than yes, Sakura is indeed the strongest, she even surpassed Clow!
      But her experience and knowledge in magic are almost non existent: both Eriol, who has Clow Reed’s hundreds of years of memory, and Syaoran, who was born and raised in a family who taught him magic since a young age, are better than her in those aspects, and in fighting too (Sakura is athletic in her sport classes, but she is not a fighter).
      Ultimately, Sakura have been shown, so far, to be doing everything on the go, she didn’t receive any proper education in magic, she doesn’t know any spells, or say all the supernatural creatures we’ve seen in xxxholic and so on…

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    • The necessity of Eriol having to do a divination is suspicious. It’s as if he’s not exactly got full knowledge about what’s going on right now. At first, I thought he know everything (with all of those secret talk with Syaoran and all), now I’m not sure anymore.
      Good point! But notice how he already knew that Akiho was a girl even before Syaoran said it. Eriol knows something. Maybe not all, yes, but he already predicted the arrival of a female transferred student.

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      • He probably got all those info from the divination itself. I think he pulled out the Tarot cards as soon as Syaoran called him.
        Let’s not forget that now, with his powers halved, he doesn’t have the power to see the future anymore (it was one of his/Clow’s wishes), so the little possibility he has to see into the future is to use the Tarot cards.
        And no, I’m not sure he knows everything, that’s why we’re seeing him so worried.

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  10. Yamazaki telling lies is becoming repetitive…

    I perceived a small mistake, first Sakura sat between Syaoran and Akiho.
    Then, when she pulled Akiho by the hands, she was between Yamazaki and Akiho.

    By the way, the link for the Chinese scanlations is broken.

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    • I guess Sakura moved around? XD But yeah, a small continuity mistake there.

      Thanks for letting me know about the broken link. I guess the Chinese people must have taken it down. I’ve updated the link with a different source 😉

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  11. Call me crazy, but maybe Akiho can be Sakura’s mom?

    That would explain some things:
    1 – Her appearance(including curly hair)
    2 – Getting very well with Sakura
    3 – The fact that Nadeshiko is not more showing herself to Fujitaka

    And the last one:
    You can write Akiho using the letters from Nadeshiko!

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      • Yes, it is indeed. I hope we can see the entire conversation between CCS Sakura and TRC Sakura until the end of this
        new serialization.

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        • “Yes, it is indeed. I hope we can see the entire conversation between CCS Sakura and TRC Sakura until the end of this
          new serialization.”
          IF we do get the chance to see this, it’l be amazing how many plot holes that one scene would tie up for trc!

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    • “Call me crazy, but maybe Akiho can be Sakura’s mom?”
      ah! yes, ive read a few fans theories saying that. its an interesting one too, it definitely ties in with nadeshiko being a no show which is VERY unusual for her. unless she’s doing the same as eriol. holding back till the right time…
      im liking akiho already from just this chapter. she’s quite a strong character.

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      • It sure is an interesting theory.

        In CCS manga Vol.2, in the chapter where The Shadow card appear in a shop and Touya got hurt, Touya mentions if he sensed something other than human there, and Fujitaka replied, if Nadeshiko actually able to sense things like that too. We know that Touya has magical power (before he gave it to Yue). If the ability of sensing supernatural beings is part of his magical power, that actually might be a clue if Nadeshiko also have magical power too, since she’s able to sense things like Touya did.

        Now, if Nadeshiko actually really have magical power, it seems possible for her to take a form of Akiho. Not to mention that she sometimes come to watch her family as a spirit, which I suppose it might be impossible without magical powers. Also, the kanji “Shi” (詩) in Shinomoto name means “poetry”, but actually “Shi” can also means death if it’s written in different kanji (死), which fits Nadeshiko’s deceased status. If Akiho is Nadeshiko, “Shinomoto” can be a pun of Shi/death and Kinomoto.

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        • I start by saying that I don’t think Akiho is Nadeshiko in any form (although Nadeshiko’s disappearance is surely important), but at the very first moment I saw Akiho’s surname, I shivered…yeah, the kanji isn’t the same, but the play on the words is undeniably immediate… Shinomoto= origin of death! Let’s just hope it’s not as we are thinking ^^”
          And yes, Nadeshiko had powers! Touya and Sakura took their powers directly from her! She was even able to tell she would give birth to two children, a boy and a girl, before that happened! All of this is explained in really really interesting CD drama (I think it’s called Okaasan no omoide?) and I suggest to listen to it to whoever understands Japanese, especially now that it might be useful to know more about Nadeshiko’s character.

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          • was this drama cd ever translated into an english script by any marvellous chance? i love drama cds and the extra insights they always add to a story.

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            • First, I checked and the correct title is “Sakura and her mother’s organ”, it’s the first drama CD! The script is written by Ohkawa so I consider it canon….mostly because it gives some info on a part of the story that is not very well known (like, did you know that it was Nadeshiko the one asking Fujitaka to get married? hahaha yes) But I don’t know about any english script, I might look out for it!

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                  • i wonder would anyone who understands japanese language be able to translate it or do a summery of the cd? i love nadeshiko and fujitaka as a couple! they are so cute! how perfectly suited that she popped the question before he could. xD . and i never knew sakura and touya inherited their powers from nadeshiko! i always thought it was from fujitaka.

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                    • It’s kind of a mix of both. Both Nadeshiko and Touya could see ghosts and sense the supernatural, but Kero remarks early on in the Sakura Card arc that Sakura’s magic resembles Clow’s. (Yue says the same thing about Touya when Touya gives him his power.)

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                    • I would love to do a summary, the problem is having enough time to do it because the drama is quite long! I’ll try to do a post on my tumblr blog, it would be nice to analyze and talk about Nadeshiko and Fujitaka’s past, since Nadeshiko’s disappearance seems kinda relevant for the Clear Card plot!

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    • I do not agree with this theory: CLAMP got an iron clad rule in their universe > the dead can never come back.
      They can either reincarnate (Sakura and Syaoran in TRC, or Kobato for examples), or the deceased person could have descendants (Shuichiro in WISH, or Doumeki in xxxholic for examples). And even like that, said descendants/reincarnations are always shown to be decidedly different people than the individuals they were in the past, even if they share the same soul or a similar physical appearance.
      The best we got are cases like Doumeki’s grandfather in xxxholic or Nadeshiko in CCS, which makes appearances as ghosts as their own true selves.

      The one point I agree with though, is the fact Nadeshiko’s absence has definitely a meaning, which Clamp will hopefully share with us in the next volumes! ^^ (no plot holes, please, Clamp). But said ‘meaning’ is not being Akiho, as I see it personally.

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      • Well, I said Haruka is a ‘ghost that makes appearances’, but not exactly: Watanuki communicates/meets with him through Dreams, but he is long dead, that’s for certain.

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      • For sure, the dead not being able to return to life is a pillar all Clamp works are based on.

        But like Doumeki’s grandfather, Nadeshiko could exist in a dream world right?
        I may be overthinking this, but what about instead of the cloaked figure materialized himself in the real world, he dragged everyone to his dream world?

        A exact copy of Tomoeda does exists, like shown in the third chapter.

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        • It certainly would be one BIG fat plot twist if everything, or even just part of it, was actually happening in a dream world. Though the concept of dream world is not totally clear, or more like very broad, and we can’t consider it as something fake: what happens inside a dream world might be ‘true’, but not necessarily ‘real’?
          The dream world itself is its own world, as part of the Clamp multiverse.

          But then, when did it start? After the first encounter between the cloaked figure and Sakura? I hardly believe that it begins with SxS reunion, which is part of volume 12 of the first series…

          My first thought would be that it’s not the case: too many people would be involved in said dream, several of them with magic so they shouldn’t have been dragged into it this easily; Syaoran and Eriol roles in all this would also make no sens if this was all a dream created by the mysterious person unless Syaoran is actually the ‘device’ which is supposed to wake Sakura up, the same way the phone kept on ringing in xxxholic rei for Watanuki.

          Still: if it was a dream world, it should have been centered on Sakura’s viewpoint, and we shouldn’t have been able to get in the heads or other characters, or this is at least how I see it.

          Another question is: does CLAMP want to go in this direction for this new series of CCS? They almost overused the Dream World in xxxholic and TRC/TWC and even Gate7 (and X too now that I think about it!), it doesn’t feel like CCS is involved in it other than the few encounters between Sakura and the cloaked figure.

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          • It’s interesting that you bring up Gate 7, since the Clear Card arc has been reminding me of the original pitch for that series. You remember, different factions struggling for control over the world of dreams. Considering that the cloaked figure/Sakura’s new staff is the “Dream Staff,” and all of these episodes seem to take place in a dream space, I’m wondering if Ohkawa is recycling elements of the early Gate 7 plot here.

            If this whole thing was just a series of dreams within a dream, then I guess it would have started when Sakura fell asleep the night following Syaoran’s return to Tomoeda? With Syaoran’s bear serving as his “totem” linking him to the dream world? It’s hard to believe, but this would be so convenient for the continuity of the series.

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    • The uniforms really are cute! The prices aren’t so cute, though. XD ACOS has been pushing more and more of these official, high-end costume reproductions for cosplayers with little time and lots of money.

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    • I was soooo happy when I saw that! A little less when I saw the price, but oh well, tailor-made cosplay costumes cost more or less that amount (at least here in Italy). I want to cosplay Sakura in her junior high school uniform next year, but I’ll see if I find a cheaper way to get the costume!

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  13. Erm, new entry here sorry I needed to read all people opinions to ease this weird feeling I’m getting by the new CCS arc chapter. First of all thank You for sharing all this, including the possible translation of “Akiho”, played as “origin of death” directly reminds the starting sentence of this arc “the beginning of an end”. Hence I really can’t help thinking Akiho is involved into the new events, being just a new classmate. I was lately thinking more about Chikahito in Gate 7 who’s the nothing-that-reflects and none of the Hana gang can sense magic powers by/through him. Also, the way the new cards are getting transparent, the cloaked figure behaviour trying to pull and steal Sakura’s key, Nakuru feeling sick (who will be the next one?)… I’ve this feeling the kind of power Sakura is gonna face has something to do with “nothingness” in order to cause a further transformation and evolution of her magic. As much as what happened into the previous arcs. Which means also at a personal level she will grow. Sometimes I’ve a sort of guess that the cloaked figure could be Sakura herself, as a mirror copy of her grown self to challenge. The parallel with the way Clamp managed powers and magics in Gate7 and the concept of “nothing”, the “stars” appearing on the cloaked figure dress so similar to the ones on TWC Nirai Kanai Sakura dress, and some others stuff make me think ’bout we’re gonna see a psychological war (I even thought this Akiho/sort of Sakura will “steal” all her relationships passing time, that’s also why perhaps Clamp aren’t showing much on that side, just focusing on cards now). Another wurmbrain having here (sigh -.-): since I readed that scene at the end of TRC with this CCS Sakura giving her staff to adult CSakura through the dream, I always wondered what happened to CCS Sakura to make her say she didn’t need it anymore (“she had the cards”)… so that’s what we are reading now, what is happened before that dream? And how CCS Sakura in that dream knew the CSakura needed that staff (we know why she needed it but how she did?)? And yeah this new arc maybe is gonna explain that. So that’s what I’m expecting. To finish, I’m gonna say it , sorry, I don’t like this Akiho, at all: you just arrive and you’re already friend with all, seriously?… you have to fight more girl to get into the gang we loved for ages, dayum.

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  14. Such a nice magazine cover illustration! I hope they’ll recycle the costume in the anime!

    The chapter cover is pretty as well, I like the feeling. Plus Tomoyo is back! ^__^
    Ok, I have to admit a have weak spot for snow, everything looks nicer with snow.

    So the action start where we left last time, Sakura has fallen into the dream world even though she was awake. She wakes up before we could get anywhere with the dream, of course. On page seven, we see she is next to the furniture where the stuffed bear is placed. A stuffed bear Xiaolang proposed Sakura should take… There definitely something fishy about it.

    The cloaked one was physically just a few step from Sakura this time, which probably explain why she fell to the dream world even though she was awake.

    Touya noticed something… probably due to his unknown new power…

    Like we said it chapter 3’s comment, here comes a new character, Shinomoto Ahiko. Sakura want to become friend with her right away and they get along suspiciously well… I have no doubt she will turn out to be the cloaked one, none. As disappointing as it sounds, it’s one of the Card Captor series trope and I’m sure Ohkawa will stick to it. Although I believe there will be some plot twist about her relationship to some greater Clamp-verse plot. She could be Feiwang Read daughter or some thing to this effect.

    Reading her travelogue in reverse, she started from England, then Italy, Germany, France, Hong Kong and finally Japan. As if she’s looking for something. Also, being such a traveler makes her the perfect generic Westerner. XD
    Although her Japanese name broke this image. Xioalang and Meiling have Chinese names, but Akiko is a foreigner with a Japanese name…

    She fell for Yamazaki’s story, a clear sign that she is magical. XD

    On page 23, when Sakura and Akiho are smiling each in their frame, the jaw line is different, the eyebrows line is different. I’ll have to roll back my ikiryou theory, Akiho is not Sakura’s double in disguise. Then again, the “womance”. Magic attract magic, such a fast bond mean Akiho is a magic user for sure.

    Science teacher this time. Some cute interactions, then on with the card!

    About Shinomoto Akiho, I would guess she’s related to Clow’s English family and probably some Japanese family as well. Maybe Kaho’s? Or maybe Nadeshiko’s (hence why Sakura and Akiho looks somewhat alike).

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