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Big apologies for the delay. I didn’t have time to do this review any sooner. Thanks for those who have been waiting for it.
Double colored splash page is beautiful and very dark for Card Captor Sakura standards (not complaining). Our girls are getting older ❤
So Kaito actually intended Syaoran to not be affected by his magic. On my previous review I was under the impression that he himself had resisted it. Although I didn’t write anything about it, I did find it surprising that he had gotten that strong — one thing is Sakura, the soon to be greatest magician in CLAMP’s universe, to pull off such a feat, but Syaoran too? — I think this is more cohesive indeed.
And I wonder why Kaito intended to leave Syaoran out of it… what were his intentions?
Syaoran straight-up confronts Kaito and Kaito straight-up replies accordingly, except he doesn’t reveal which card he wants Sakura to create.
Kaito then drops the bomb that Syaoran’s mother and current head of the Li Family, Yelan Li, foresaw a seemingly unfortunate future and therefore Syaoran was sent to Japan in order to prevent it from happening. Classic CLAMP.
There’s a lot to say about that single page in which Yelan appears…
To begin with, let’s all have a moment to appreciate Yelan’s long awaited debut in the manga. We’ve known her from the first animated movie but she never appeared in the manga. Her appearance looks slightly younger than her movie version — but then again, everybody looks slightly younger in Clear Card.
**Tsubasa Spoilers ahead (does this still apply?)**
Then, many people have noticed that the gazebo in which Syaoran and Yelan are standing looks exactly like the one from the country where the clones from Tsubasa were reborn. It is safe to say it is the same. Now, I don’t want to get into a very deep analysis of the meaning of this, I’m not gonna get into this rabbit role, it’s not the place and time for that yet. Yes it could well mean that the clones were reborn in our Hong Kong or no, it doesn’t mean that and the Hong Kong there were born is just an alternate, mirrored Hong Kong (much like the “Earth” from Rayearth is not the same “Earth” as X even though both have the same shape, countries, societies etc). More on this later, for the time being it’s worth pointing out that yes, it looks like the exact same place and this is CLAMP, nothing is by chance.
**End of Tsubasa Spoilers**
Kaito then reveals, for the first time I think, that he wants to activate a forbidden magic with the help of Sakura, who shall create the card that he is soughting and which will initiate/move/activate the Alice in Clockland book. He mentioned he stole a forbidden artifact from the Magician Society (Akiho) but I believe this is the first time he reveals that the magic he is trying to activate is also forbidden? We know in CLAMP world this could mean one thing: revive the dead.
This worries me slightly because plot recycle alert!
CLAMP have been using and reusing this plot for what? I wanted to say a decade but it’s actually nearly 2 decades now…? I can’t think of any other forbidden magic, can you all? And who is he trying to revive? Akiho’s mother?
Next, Kaito does what we all hoped he wouldn’t do: he turns back time again. It sounds very disappointed at first, I know, but this time is a lot different from the previous times.
The very first times Kaito did this left and right and Sakura never felt a thing. Last time, Sakura’s finger felt weird and she noticed something was off. This time around, she created a card! She also has the impression of having met The Light and The Dark cards. Notice how CLAMP is progressively building up layer by layer. If there is gonna be a next time in which Kaito tries to rewind time again, it might be his last.
The card Sakura created is called TRANSFER and again, as many of you have noticed, it looks uncannily like the infamous tube from the opening scene of Tsubasa. If you pay attention when Sakura is creating the card, Syaoran is at the center of one of the tube’s extremities (if we can even call that thing a tube).
The whole sequence of time rewinding, Sakura trying to stop it and by doing so creating the TRANSFER card but only actually securing it later when time is already rewinded is very confusing. I hope it’s meant to be that way, because I feel like this will be important.
Now, I know many people are heavily against Card Captor Sakura being linked to Tsubasa, but this is CLAMP and they are always connecting and linking their series. Whether you like it or not, these two series are strictly related (the Clow from CCS is the same Clow from Tsubasa, to beging with, but there are many more connections) so it is expected that their connection could go even deeper.
Of course, if it turns out to be the case and we shall see a bigger link between both works, my expectations are that it will be done in a satisfactory way. As a reader and CLAMP enthusiast, I can only trust them in making something that will be full circle.
The last page has a very strange continuity from the previous page. It’s not really clear what happens to me. It seems like Sakura dropped (?) the cards or the BREAK card jumped out (?) from the deck and makes Sakura realize something. Keep in mind she created the BREAK card while trying to break out of Kaito’s spell in which she saw Syaoran dressed in Akiho magic clan’s robes. Hummm.
Other thoughts:
– Such a shame we didn’t get to see Yamazaki’s father!
– Kaito rewound time big time again. Hello, Kaito’s lifespan, how are you doing? Short I suspect?
The updated list of cards secured so far:
- GALE
- SIEGE
- AQUA
- ACTION
- REFLECT
- RECORD
- FLIGHT
- LUCID
- SPIRAL
- SNOOZE
- LABYRINTH
- APPEAR
- BLAZE
- MIRROR
- BLADE
- REPAIR
- REWIND
- SHADE
- BREAK
- TRANSFER
Anime-only cards:
- GRAVITATION
- HAIL
- REVERSAL
- MIRAGE
- SWING
- STRUGGLE
Another set of 28 pages for this chapter. 85 pages for volume 9 so far. Next chapter will be published on April 1st (very special day, you know why. Expect big things).
10 thoughts on “Card Captor Sakura – Clear Card arc – Chapter 42”
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Chibi Yuuto's CHRoNiCLEs 
Hello.
When you told about Sakura using some forbidden magic, probably resurrect someone, my guess she will try to bring her own mon to life. Nadeshiko was telling she stepped so far, and must be Sakura that must create a card…
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That’s an interesting point… maybe if she went further, she might have ended up creating a card that would do exactly that, out of her own wish to see her mother again.
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We’re always happy to see your chapter posts, Alex! Don’t apologize for taking your time–it’s been more stressful than usual for many of us these days.
I loved this month’s splash page! The black background punctuated with the cherry blossoms reminds me of the illustrations with Sakura in her two “final battle” costumes from the original series. (Akiho is the big difference here, obviously. It makes me wonder if she will ever get to have her say about this whole mess.)
So Kaito actually intended Syaoran to not be affected by his magic. On my previous review I was under the impression that he himself had resisted it. Although I didn’t write anything about it, I did find it surprising that he had gotten that strong — one thing is Sakura, the soon to be greatest magician in CLAMP’s universe, to pull off such a feat, but Syaoran too? — I think this is more cohesive indeed. And I wonder why Kaito intended to leave Syaoran out of it… what were his intentions?
I think this makes more sense, too, even though it seems everyone (even in the Japanese fandom!) is wondering why Kaito wanted to talk to Syaoran. It’s strange that Kaito has managed to quietly gather so much information on both Sakura and Syaoran’s families, but the revelation that Kaito can’t really foresee the future feels like an even bigger one. He’s risking a lot on a plan that might end in disaster for everyone involved. Yelan and Syaoran are both convinced that something terrible will happen to Sakura, and Akiho had that dream in which “Alice” met a horrible fate…
CLAMP have been using and reusing this plot for what? I wanted to say a decade but it’s actually nearly 2 decades now…? I can’t think of any other forbidden magic, can you all? And who is he trying to revive? Akiho’s mother?
I’m really hoping it’s something more creative than bringing somebody back from the dead. Readers have been speculating for a while that Kaito might want to switch Sakura and Akiho, dumping Akiho’s awful contract and childhood on Sakura while giving Akiho Sakura’s happier life. That seems too bluntly cruel to Sakura, though.
We have another mismatched translation for the Clear Card, by the way. 転移 (tenii) is better translated as “transference” (as in “psychological transference”) or “metastasis” (as in the spread of a tumor). Did CLAMP intend for it to be this creepy?
Now, I know many people are heavily against Card Captor Sakura being linked to Tsubasa, but this is CLAMP and they are always connecting and linking their series. Whether you like it or not, these two series are strictly related (the Clow from CCS is the same Clow from Tsubasa, to begin with, but there are many more connections) so it is expected that their connection could go even deeper.
Of course, if it turns out to be the case and we shall see a bigger link between both works, my expectations are that it will be done in a satisfactory way. As a reader and CLAMP enthusiast, I can only trust them in making something that will be full circle.
I know what I want in terms of that “bigger link,” but… 😂
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We’re always happy to see your chapter posts, Alex! Don’t apologize for taking your time–it’s been more stressful than usual for many of us these days.
That’s so sweet, Pan, thank you! Thank you also for translating the XXXHOLiC short story Ohkawa posted on her IG 😉
The black background punctuated with the cherry blossoms reminds me of the illustrations with Sakura in her two “final battle” costumes from the original series.
And they reminded me of X @_@
but the revelation that Kaito can’t really foresee the future feels like an even bigger one.
Yeah, I guess in CLAMP world, seeing the future is not associated with power but more like something you just naturally have.
Yelan and Syaoran are both convinced that something terrible will happen to Sakura, and Akiho had that dream in which “Alice” met a horrible fate…
It’s definitely not looking good for Sakura. Even though we all know it’ll all be alright…. at what cost I wonder?
That seems too bluntly cruel to Sakura, though.
I agree and I don’t think it fits Kaito’s profile. It’s hard for me to believe he would be so gentle with Akiho and a complete asshole to Sakura.
We have another mismatched translation for the Clear Card, by the way. 転移 (tenii) is better translated as “transference” (as in “psychological transference”) or “metastasis” (as in the spread of a tumor). Did CLAMP intend for it to be this creepy?
Aha! I did think about you while reading this chapter “I wonder if Pan will have something to say about these kanjis”. It’s really starting to become a trend where the kanji tells us more than the english name.
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I’m not going to lie, I’m super excited for a crossover with Tsubasa. I joke about it a lot, but as you said, it would be a full circle and I always wanted to see the complete link between the two series. (and Holic…)
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😉
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I tried to comment on your blog since last chapter but still can’t ;w;; I don’t know why and that makes me really frustrated ….
I love your analysis , Chibiyuuto-san! (it is the reason wht I always wait for your reaction on Clamp’s things!)
Eveyone’s look in Clear Card arc is younger than previous version, hahahah…
for gazebo thing, it’s OK for everyone to excite and relate it with TRC, but somehow I think it’s normal thing maybe just the same location not the same event……….but I have no problem if it’s connected with TRC at all (it seems to turn out in that way..)
Poor Kaito……do you still have more lifespan ? LOL
I’m quite disappointed for rewinding time again…….. this is….um…third time?….At least Sakura noticed something strange now…I wish next chapter would continue from this point not to skip time to start new arc XD I really want more progressions……..
I’ve read theory from somewhere…….it guessed that the girl who Sakura has seen may not be Akiho but Akiho’s mom……
I agree with you about reusing plot…..It makes us bored now……..[it’s very contrast from their o’d series like X which the dead one cannot return anyway…..and I prefer something like that more..]
I have read your speculation about how long Clear Card will end, at first I believe like you that it’s going to end soon but seeing the slow progression in story line like this and I’m not certain….there are too many unsolved things!
And I want to see other CLAMP’s works more than Sakura…….
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and for my time zone, Happy X day………;-; (24/03) still my most favorite Clamp’s work of all time…
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“Happy” X hiatus day =(
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I’m sorry to hear you are having problems to comment…. I wonder why ._. but at least it seems you finally managed? Thank you for persisting! ❤
I love your analysis , Chibiyuuto-san! (it is the reason wht I always wait for your reaction on Clamp’s things!)
yay this makes me so happy!
I’m quite disappointed for rewinding time again…….. this is….um…third time?
Yes. I want to believe that 3rd time is a charm and that there won’t be a 4th time.
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