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July 2, 2018

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Card Captor Sakura – Clear Card arc – Chapter 25

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

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

Japanese RAWs
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.

After last chapter’s big revelation, we got ourselves a more relaxed chapter. But still some important information are revealed.

So we have the much anticipated Akiho’s backstory. There might be more to it but it reveals a lot of things already, such as of why she doesn’t have any magic even though we all expected her to have. It’s not like she was hiding it all this time, it’s really because she was born without any magic powers while still coming from a family composed entirely of magicians. In fact, her parents remain a mystery and it seems like they were already absent when she was still only a child. I wonder if we’ll ever find out who they were/are and if they are important at all.

Akiho’s condition reminded me a lot of the “squibs” in Harry Potter. Probably the rest of you who have read it, too.

This is actually very interesting because again CLAMP are dealing with minorities in CCS. In one of their interviews they mentioned that CCS was, at its core, a story about minorities and how they are treated equally (in Tomoeda at least!) and here we can see that very clearly: Akiho feels isolated and negleted by her blood family but she finds comfort in her Tomoeda friends, and Momo and Kaito too. It is true that for Sakura and her friends, there is nothing Akiho “wrong” with Akiho since they have no clue that she is supposed to have magic powers. But here we have once again Sakura and her friends showing nonjudgmental love and support. I love that. It is what CCS is made of.

Did everybody else also love CLAMP’s representation of the book’s characters? They look so magical ❤ I wish CLAMP would draw my life.

And did everybody else also got a very negative vibe from Akiho’s clan? Not only because they acted like a bunch of assh*les to Akiho, but also because they sound competitive as f*ck (that bit about the Li Clan, I mean?)

I thought it was amusing that this backstory was drawn in a very child-like manner, comical even. Interesting (?) choice for such sad story. I guess CLAMP wanted to mimic a fairytail or children’s book (and also because Akiho was dreaming of it and she often dreams within the context of books).

When Akiho wakes up, it is implied that she remembers all of that, which is new to me. I was under the impression that she had almost no recollection of her younger days or at least her memory had been altered.

Now, just how amazing Fujitaka is? He keeps topping so hard.

Fujitaka:  (It’s said that) when you know you’re dreaming, you can change the dream to make it go how you want it to.
Sakura:  That’s amazing! Can you do that too, dad?

No, Ohkawa, you’re the only one who can do it because you are an enlighted and evolved human being.

Then we have Sakura being the dear she is inviting Akiho to come over to cook with her. I wonder if the dream had anything to do with this decision consciously or unconsciously.

Nice, subtle mention about Kaito feeling tired (because of all the magic strain he’s being going through).

Lastly, Yue finally does what he should have done much earlier and decides to have a conversation with Syaoran.

Oh yes, we are getting revelations and oh yes we are reaching the climax here. Series or arc I do not know, though.

The updated list of cards secured so far:

  1. GALE
  2. SIEGE
  3. AQUA
  4. ACTION
  5. REFLECT
  6. RECORD
  7. FLIGHT
  8. LUCID
  9. SPIRAL
  10. SNOOZE
  11. LABYRINTH
  12. APPEAR
  13. BLAZE
  14. MIRROR

Anime-only cards:

  1. GRAVITATION
  2. HAIL
  3. REVERSAL
  4. MIRAGE
  5. SWING
  6. STRUGGLE

28 pages for this chapter. This is the first chapter of volume 6.

13 thoughts on “Card Captor Sakura – Clear Card arc – Chapter 25”

  2. Yoooooooooooo what a chapter!!!
    FINALLY SOME BACKSTORY ON MY AKIHO GIRL!!!

    1) Akiho was such a cutie as a baby. I want to see Sakura as a baby too sometime.
    2) THAT F*CKING JOKE OF A CLAN SHOULD EXPLODE, seriously? Treating such a lovely child like that just because she didn’t have powers? And what’s that competition with the Li family?? I mean, can’t you see that Li family doesn’t give a shit about you and treats its magicless daughters way better than you??? ASSHOLES! (I’m still so mad, this will be hilarious to read in posterity)
    3) Seeing Akiho smiling at those pretty creatures of her imagination and then seeing that tear forming under her eye….it was too much. Hit home too hard. I saw myself in her a lot, dammit.
    4) After such an emotional first part, I appreciated the way lighter croquettes scene, with detailed recipe too. I already said I’m gonna do these one day or another, but it’s already getting too hot here to turn the grill oven on XDDD
    5) Fujitaka best dad or best dad? I’m not sure, probably best dad?
    BUT, BUT, did you see what Ohkawa is doing here? she’s trying to confuse us with all these definitions of “dreams”, “reverse dreams”, “correct dreams”, “lucid dreams”, it’s impressive. I’m sure (SURE) that Fujitaka’s lucid dreams will turn out to be important later. I experienced lucid dreams and it’s true, I forced some very scary nightmares to turn into something better, so I really hope Sakura can do that too, when she’ll find herself in an important dream (it seems quite a given at this point).
    6) I LAUGHED SO HARD AT YUE, I mean, he was all “Aruji woke up crying this morning? Ok, fuck this shit, nobody makes my aruji cry. Time to talk with Syaoran Li” LOOOL don’t touch Yue’s aruji you know!!! He’s so done, so fed up with all this situation that is slowly damaging Sakura, he’s not gonna let that happen. You thought only Syaoran was on the warpath? Think again! Finally it seems it’s time for some more confrontation and revelations on Syaoran’s end too.
    7) UH-OH….do you think next chapter Sakura is gonna lead Akiho into her father’s library? YIKES, let the climax begin!!!

    Now some comments to your comments (lol):
    This is actually very interesting because again CLAMP are dealing with minorities in CCS.
    This whole paragraph made me so emotional, this feels like going back to the core, to the origin of CCS. Yes, yes and again yes. I agree with everything and I’m so glad this thematic is being explored in one more nuance. I already figured Akiho was introduced as the character part of a minority of Clear Card, but this chapter definitely confirmed it.

    Did everybody else also love CLAMP’s representation of the book’s characters? They look so magical
    VERY pretty. Loved them!

    And did everybody else also got a very negative vibe from Akiho’s clan?
    I don’t know what you’re talking about.
    *prepares a funeral pyre*

    I guess CLAMP wanted to mimic a fairytail or children’s book
    Exactly, that’s what became immediately apparent to me.

    Nice, subtle mention about Kaito feeling tired (because of all the magic strain he’s being going through).
    Are we supposed to *know* what he’s doing in the shadows, from what we could see in the anime? Cause we saw him being tired there, in episode 22. Hey….what if that clock…is ticking out his time?

    And now, a whole summer without a new chapter. Guess I’ll have to dive into the fanarts production! lol
    Hope CLAMP are taking some vacations (I don’t want anyone to die, and if Ohkawa-sama isn’t happy, characters get mistreated! lol).

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  3. The storybook was a nice deviation from Ohkawa’s usual method of plot exposition, ahaha! I honestly enjoyed it—it’s a very simple backstory that fits very well into the world of CCS. I started to feel tears welling in my eyes when poor Akiho began to cry as she imagined her book friends.

    Considering that Akiho is almost definitely going to see Fujitaka’s library next chapter (finally!!), the most obvious thing that comes to mind is that she’s been searching for the Clow Book to inherit Clow’s magic and one-up the Li clan for her family. But considering how much Akiho values her friends (both from books and from Tomoeda), and considering why Clow made Sakura his heir in the first place (“I want you to live on in happiness with your new master”), maybe she heard of the Clow Cards and wants to befriend them, too?

    BTW, this is the first time Clow’s name has been dropped in Clear Card. I wouldn’t be shocked if it turned out “the most ancient sorcerers in Europe” were the Reed family—all the stupid cruelty and competitiveness would be in keeping with Feiwang Reed’s desperate wish to be more powerful than Clow. (I always got the impression Clow himself didn’t give a rat’s @$$ about the whole thing, hence Sakura getting the Cards. The warm Fujitaka scene we got here might have been a hint at that—remember when King Clow told little Princess Sakura to do everything she could to be kind to Syaoran?)

    Will croquettes be the last recipe we ever see in CCS? Stay tuned!!

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    • I started to feel tears welling in my eyes when poor Akiho began to cry as she imagined her book friends.
      OMG SAME Pan T_T

      I wouldn’t be shocked if it turned out “the most ancient sorcerers in Europe” were the Reed family—all the stupid cruelty and competitiveness would be in keeping with Feiwang Reed’s desperate wish to be more powerful than Clow.
      Caught up in the swirl of emotions, I didn’t think about this, but it makes A LOT OF SENSE now that you mentioned it. I can really picture things being like that, that would also explain why Kaito might have changed her last name (Reed would’ve been too obvious if he needed to do things hidden from everyone, as well as Ohkawa with her plot hahaha). I’m glad Clow’s name has been dropped in the story when it feels we’re heading towards the end of the arc, I knew it would 😉
      Even if they’re as*holes, I’m glad we’re probably going to find out more about the Reed side (and possibly the Li side too) of Clow’s lineage!

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  4. Is it only me or Sakura’s bed changed positions ? O.O In chapter 24 it was drawn stading at the wall opposed to the door, however in 25 it appears to be next to the wall right to the door (slightly blocking the closet)…

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  5. The chapters are so short… In original CCS, 1 chapter was like 2 chapters of Clear Card… The best exemple is chapter 22 and 23, it feels like it could have been one chapter.
    The story feel so slow, and I really wonder why Cardcaptor Sakura became WeMakeAndEatFood Sakura (oh, and sometimes, there are cards involved)…

    I don’t want to be too hard on my favorite manga, but some question went trough my mind the other day…
    At the end of the original manga, when Fujitaka meets Nadeshiko again, she said she would explain everything to him… But he seems to still be a lot in the dark !
    And the fact that Toya never told Yue or Yukito that he knows about Kero and the cards is weird… I don’t understand why they still bother to hide Kero…
    That’s why it was strange when Sakura went to see Masaki, and knew he is her great-grand-father when nothing else changed.

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  6. oh my god! this chapter was so touching and emotional! and it was so wonderfully done too. i loved how akihos past story was drawn in story book illustration style. very fitting for her adoration of books in general. whoa…! i got very teary with the panels where the sorcerers walked away from her and left her all alone and the part where akiho was sat all alone reading her books and she imagined the characters! oh my life my eyes were as red as sakuras by then! im also hopeful that this english clan are in fact the reed clan! they were ridiculously vain competitive and cruel! poor akiho! so this clan are in personal competition with the Li clan it seems. they knew syaorans four sisters were like akiho with no magic, and that syaoran was the most powerful after yelan. omg i would so love to see li family vs mystery english clan! actually i want to see the li family, period! ive been thinking (more of a passing thought) akiho seems somewhat competitive though. she admires everything sakura is. in her own words “sakura is pretty”, “sakura is a great cook” etc. although this is true, she regularly compares herself with sakura. and in her dreams as MCF she’s after everything sakura has, her magic, her cards, her key, likely the clow/sakura book too.
    once again fujitaka was great! he just knew that there was no way he could leave sakura like that, and even though probably knew it was more than a “normal” sad dream, without understanding anything about the magic world he and he said just the right thing to encourage sakura. gorgeous father daughter moment! just so sweet the way he knelt down and held onto her hand ! ❤ ❤ ❤

    "At the end of the original manga, when Fujitaka meets Nadeshiko again, she said she would explain everything to him… But he seems to still be a lot in the dark !"
    ive been wondering that too! i really thought nadeshiko would literally tell him everything thats been happening with both sakura and touya, but apparently not (?) he at least senses things and suspects theres something magical involved now when sakura acts strange or seems off. but he has no clue about the details.
    after feeling the emotions of this chapter tugging at my heart, the end had me leaping for joy! FINALLY yues done waiting like everyone else and has decided taking action is better so he's going to corner syaoran, since eriol is temporally not a go to option. gotta say though when i read the raws before the translation that final page had me scared that kaito was attacking yue too! it looked like he was suddenly being ambushed like eriol. it wouldnt surprise me if kaito does do that though. yue seems the most likely to figure everything out and get down to the source very quickly. i bet thats why CLAMP had him take a back seat until now. if yue was more involved at the start, clear card would be over in like 3 chapters!
    so this dream sakura had is the first time in clear card we see her viewing the past? even though it was akihos dream it was still the past.
    more cooking in chibi style! tbh i was hoping sakura would be taking akiho straight to the library before cooking. but i wonder if akiho will be triggered by entering that library.

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      • “Everything I could have said about this chapter, you said right here!”
        great minds as they say! 😀
        i love it when that happens, i always read the other comments before i write anything in case i accidentally repeat something thats already been said. and there have been a few times where pretty much all the comments covered what i wanted to say!

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  7. Daaaayuuuum! This chapter has stirred a lot of thoughts and emotions. I wish I could leave a lengthy comment about it, but I’m in the process of moving this month! I’d be much more “What??? We have to wait TWO months for a chapter this time??!!!” if not for my moving!
    I hope to keep up with your blog posts throughout the summer!

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  8. forgot to say, it felt like 1 or 2 chapters were skipped after last months revelation of syaoran under that hood. i was expecting to see how sakura would deal with that vision. and also how she’d react to syaoran at school. would she be scared, or suspicious, confused or angry etc. and also we have no idea if she told kero or yue. it feels like she maybe should of had a few more dreams like that before dreaming of akiho/Alice past. yue taking action feels a bit sudden too after he agreed to wait a little. it feels like that syaoran plot has been brushed aside or completely under the rug. so im hoping the final stretch of clear card wont be rushed. and the anime has taken a different route with the MCF reveal showing akiho rather than syaoran so its not like the anime will fill the gaps in this- ah! unless they actually do the syaoran MCF thing in part two…? (assuming there is going to be a second series)

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  9. I feel like maybe there was indeed a rivalry between the clans all along? We can’t say much about the Li clan because we literally haven’t seen them in the Manga yet. But remember when Syaoran first appeared in the original series? How competitive he was to become the next owner of the clow cards, because the Li Clan wants to be better than Akiho’s clan so as the next head of the Li Clan, Syaoran was raised thinking that he should inherit the clow cards to keep the clan stronger than the other(s). And since Akiho’s clan knows about them, I’m sure the Li Clan would know about the Akiho clan too and how their new successor can’t wield magic. Either way, it was an extremely interesting chapter to find out that there wasn’t only a 2 groups of magicians left, but in fact, there was more and from the previous chapters, there even was a society of them! I really like how CCS Clear Card Arc is going now 🙂 there is a lot more plots and more things from the original series are being developed on and answered. Ahh can’t wait to find out about everything x(

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