© CLAMP・ST/講談社・NEP・NHK
Episode 20 – Sakura, Rainbows and Grandpa
Card Captor Sakura Clear Card TV Anime is being broadcast in several countries around the world via online services in a simultaneous or semi-simultaneous fashion. Please check the guide below to see if your country is included:
Where can I watch Card Captor Sakura Clear Card TV Anime? – A useful guide
If you watch the anime via one of these channels, you’ll be supporting the creators and helping to make Card Captor Sakura even more popular worldwide.
I am going to be very brief, because this episode followed the manga chapters very closely, so there isn’t much to add regarding the technical aspects or anime-only choices.
I didn’t like the fact that they changed Sonomi’s cool vintage telephone for a smartphone, lol. That vintage phone is a lot cooler.
The pacing of this episode was really good! A huge departure from last week’s episode.
I wonder why they decided to make the memory of Nadeshiko as a child interact with Sakura instead of her as an adult angel. What’s with this ban of Nadeshiko as an angel from Clear Card altogether? I liked the fact that she interacted with her mom as an angel, I don’t know why they changed that. I think it was the only difference between the manga and the anime — apart from Sonomi’s phone LOL
I’ve seen some fan theories saying that Akiho might be the reincarnation of Nadeshiko. I can see where that comes from: her similarities with Sakura, the way she resonated when Sakura was interacting with her mother’s memory, some people even compared the stars in Akiho’s ceremonial robe with the stars in Nadeshiko’s high priest robe in Tsubasa. It’s very possible, but I don’t know what to think about that…
The animation quality on this episode was so-so. Some shots were great while others looked half-done. Oddly enough, the grandpa looked slightly younger! haha
It’s amazing how the anime is now neck and neck to the manga. What a perfect synch! By the next episode, we will have seen all of there is left of the manga animated, leaving off episode 22 with some original content for the most part, I believe?
Only 2 episodes left but, by now, it’s looking unlikely that the anime will finish with episode 22. There will probably be a continuation of some sort: another full season, half a season or a movie.
14 thoughts on “Review: Card Captor Sakura Clear Card arc TV Anime – Episode 20”
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Chibi Yuuto's CHRoNiCLEs 
“I wonder why they decided to make the memory of Nadeshiko as a child interact with Sakura instead of her as an adult angel. What’s with this ban of Nadeshiko as an angel from Clear Card altogether? I liked the fact that she interacted with her mom as an angel, I don’t know why they changed that. I think it was the only difference between the manga and the anime”
I haven’t read the manga version yet, and I actually assumed it WAS the angel Nadeshiko that was talking to Sakura there, but she used her angel powers to possess the image of young Nadeshiko that was created by Sakura’s magic, and talked to her through that form. I think it actually works better this way, since normally the only reason you got to see angel Nadeshiko in the first place was because you were looking through Touya’s perspective back when he had the power to see angels.
I don’t think that Akiho is another incarnation of Nadeshiko or anything like that… but it definitely does seem like Akiho is somehow instrumental in whatever Kaito’s planning to do… My thoughts on that are that Kaito is trying to transfer Sakura’s contract over to Akiho with this time book synchonization ritual… I think Sakura fell under Kaito’s spell somehow just like Akiho, and both of them are being drawn into this shared dream world… and I think the closer the two of them come to having the same dream at the exact same time, the closer this “synchronization ritual” will be to completion… and the fact that Sakura’s prophetic dreams about this event earlier involved the mage trying to steal Sakura’s key, that makes me think that Kaito’s goal is the transfer of Sakura’s contract over to Akiho.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You know how I complained about Kero and Yue’s tone when they confronted Eriol in the comic? It’s funny how the situation flipped in the show: Kero has helped Sakura out more regularly, while the last time Yue was even in the same room with her was back in…Episode 4? (Poor Eriol got stuffed in a box for nine episodes, ahaha.)
Sakura and Akiho’s vision confirmed that there’s nothing under the MCF’s robes, so I wonder if the person underneath really is interchangeable. As Warpio was saying, maybe the end goal for Kaito here is to swap Sakura and Akiho somehow? I don’t know what to think of a potential Akiho-Nadeshiko connection, either — there doesn’t seem to be any logical reason behind it relevant to the original series. If it was important, you’d think that Ohkawa would have had Sonomi notice something off about Akiho, right?
Nadeshiko’s voice actress won’t be appearing next episode, so it looks like she might not play a significant role in the show at all? The key we’ll be seeing next episode is kind of odd — it looks like a slightly-tacky souvenir you’d buy from a real gift shop somewhere in London (not like the pendant Sakura received in the comic, which screams, “I’M A MAGICAL ARTIFACT”). It probably says a lot about my understanding of CCS when I disregard a potential new magic key just because it wouldn’t work well for marketing.
Junko Iwao has been dropping hints that there’s going to be a second season, but I’m unsure if there’s enough material to fill out another 22 episodes. We’re definitely building up to some kind of climax next episode centered on Sakura securing MIRROR and Kaito attacking Eriol (who’s still supposed to be at full power in the show), so it’s going to be either a rushed ending or a cliffhanger.
LikeLike
Whoops, I meant this to be a standalone comment, not a reply!
LikeLike
I do wonder if we’ll be left on a cliff hanger rather than a series completion. Drills explanation surely ties up one half of the story with the new cards and Sakura going out of control… Series 2 could be more focused on kaito and akiho after finding out about them. But there needs to be more manga material. Just a guess if series 2 happens ^^ fingers crossed tightly!!
LikeLike
Eriol not drill lol!!
LikeLike
This post must be cursed with some kind of typo spell. XD
LikeLiked by 1 person
“It’s amazing how the anime is now neck and neck to the manga. What a perfect synch!”
It was Nakayoshi magazine trade mark in the 90’s. Sailor Moon, Magic Knight Rayearth, Card Captor Sakura, all those series had very well timed released between the manga and the anime, making sure the young fans will follow both media instead of having one ahead for the plot twists and finale.
“Only 2 episodes left but, by now, it’s looking unlikely that the anime will finish with episode 22. There will probably be a continuation of some sort: another full season, half a season or a movie.”
Well, looking at the other two arcs of the Carp Captor Sakura series, it’s very likely everything will be done in the last 2 episodes. Next Saturday, we’ll have the last chapter of the 5th book released and only one more episode to watch. Everything will be placed for the endings. One episode to wrap up the final fight and explanations is what we had in the Clow Cards and Sakura Cards had one more episode to bring us to the movie, but no movie had been announced for Sakura Card yet and I doubt any will. After that will have a 6th book to finish the manga and I hope for a extra episode made with it sold with the last book.
My bet is still on 22 episodes and 6 books! And next Saturday, will have every info for last theories before the anime conclusion.
LikeLike
Not a chance this is ending with 22 episodes. Your own logic doesn’t even make sense, if there’s going to be six books, what will be in book 6 that never makes it into the anime? There’s only 40-ish minutes of anime left and about 1000 questions left on the table.
LikeLike
Hello There!
I wasn’t expecting new entries from you for while considering you are away at the moment ^^
As you said, very little to say about an episode which follows the manga chapters so closely, other than the inevitable urge to compare both haha
I also don’t know where they are getting at with Nadeshiko: I was thinking either she is cut off completely, or she isn’t, but they somehow went for solution 3 and mixed up the flashbacks scenes with a Nadeshiko saying the same she did in the manga but not in her Angel form… We’ll have to see where this is going!
OMG I totally forgot about that phone!! XD XD
I do remember now that you commented you really liked it when you posted your review of the chapter a couple months back ^^
There was also a change for Syaoran: he received a mail from Tomoyo on his laptop (anime) instead of his mobile phone (manga). They also completely changed the vibe of the scene between Masaki and Syaoran, but having him being all serious and resolute all along, while his smile in the chapter made their encounter a lot gentler…
All in all, great episode, and indeed, at this point, it’s almost a certainty this is not ending with 22 episodes … YAY! 😀
As for ep21, they already spoiled in the preview that the key is different from the clock in the manga… but maybe not! Sakura is supposed to receive 2 things from her grandpa, so we might just be surprised 😉
LikeLike
I had the exact same thought about the granpa XD
I really hope that a second season will come. I’m not particularly fond of movies.
LikeLike
wow this was a great episode! and i loved that it was almost identical to the manga chapter.
omg that cooking duet kero sung by and sakura at the start was soooo darn cute!! kero dancing was just LOVE for me!! ❤ ❤
i can see the resemblance between touya and masaki now. i was looking for it after fujitaka mentioned it in the manga. and yes masaki does indeed look younger this time.
i really like the that blue house! i saw online somewhere that house actually exists in real life.
so the scene where sakura goes looking for the tea was amazing! the choice to have parts of the animation in "stop/ start" style was wonderful (lol i have no idea about technical terms with that but its the part where shes on the stairs) . it really gave a feeling that she was somewhat cut off from everything.
i think the choice to have "young nadeshiko" interact with sakura was ok since in the anime there has been no missing "angel nadeshiko" plot, nor has there been any hint of sakura being able to see her ghost. rather that for the anime sakuras ability to see the past has been explored further. so i think it works well for the anime to have sakura interacting with her mum via the past. and did i hear nadeshiko having the same voice as akiho?? mmm i dont think (?) nadeshiko has been reincarnated into akiho… rather that akiho is a relative. but nadeshiko is certainly connected to all this, and the resemblance both in looks and mannerisms with akiho is almost identical so who knows. ^^ personally id prefer akiho to be her own person and not nadeshiko. i wouldn't mind if she's related to nadeshiko side though…
LikeLike
it was great seeing kero yue and eriol conversation from eriols perspective. and im looking forward to kaito vs eriol fight with eriol at full power. i wonder if that will cut the fight in half for sakura, if eriol defeats kaito, then sakura has the MCF and dragon to fight? unless kaito/momo are the dragon… who knows, cant wait! i love the suspense
and it does seem more likely we will get another series or movie after this right?? feels like there needs to be another series to expand sakura, and syaorans new powers more. and id like to know if syaoran will follow through and teach sakura how to speak english!!
LikeLike
There’s no way this can end in two episodes, there’s no way this can end in two episodes, THERE’S NO WAY THIS CAN END IN TWO EPISODES!!! I will be VERY surprised if it does, and probably… a bit… critical, if it does hahaha It just seems like there’s so much left to go over, and unless they just exposition/plot dumped everything on us and revealed everything with no conflict or struggle, then it just stands to reason that there’d be more, whatever that “more” turns out to be.
Not much to say that hasn’t been said already. Something I’ve noticed about the anime that I kept forgetting to mention until now, they’re doing a good job at adding realistic touches with everyone’s mannerisms and such. For example, with Syaoran being from a rich family with a caretaker that waits on him, Sakura mentions how he’s not awkward or intimidated at all. There’re other things that have been added that we never got to see in the original series, like showing more use of Chinese between Syaoran and Meiling (because of course Hong Kong natives would be more comfortable in conversing in Chinese), Syaoran and Akiho’s knowledge of English, and so on. It’s cool to see the crew go the extra mile to add neat little touches like that.
(In this paragraph, there’s a spoiler for those that haven’t read the manga past what this episode showed)
I really liked how the anime made it look like Eriol, Cerberus, and Yue were all transported to some kind of private magical space to have their conversation, as opposed to the kind of Princess Leia-like transmission shown in the manga lol. I’m sure it’ll look much cooler and more dire when Kaito interrupts their conversation. Also… that key in the preview, could that just be the key to the villa that Masaki was going to leave to Sakura?
Theory time! Well, more a ponder, really. But I’m wondering whether Akiho really is the one under the cloak. She said she SAW someone wearing her cloak. Meaning she was standing apart from the figure to see that they were wearing it. There was a POV-shot from the MCF’s perspective underneath the hood looking at Sakura, but still. Is she looking at the figure through Sakura’s eyes because she’s becoming in sync with her? Is she standing apart from them both, unnoticed or invisible? I mean, still pretty sure it’s Akiho, especially with the recent chapter artwork, but I just thought it was an interesting to note.
Is Kaito trying to sync Akiho up with Sakura by using Akiho as a sort of… long-distance possession tool? And then he can manipulate Sakura and her power from a distance via Akiho? So many questions! This can’t in two episodes, I tell ya! It only looks like things are being set up for a minor conflict, but not a final showdown!
LikeLike
Jokes, I just went to your post of the manga chapter that this episode covered, so that I could refresh my memory on how they covered it, and you said the exact same thing about Akiho seeing the MCF as though they were a separate being. Sorry for the repeat!
Also, funny side note, but the episode title seemed an odd choice. Sakura, check; Grandpa, check; Rainbow? We only get one seen in passing, with nothing to show for its significance.
LikeLike