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March 31, 2021

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Card Captor Sakura – Clear Card arc – Chapter 52

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

This chapter is available for free at CLAMP-FANS.com.

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.

Strong X vibes coming from this color spread! You can just FEEL the angst and the drama coming out of it. What a rare thing to see a character other than Sakura herself featuring a full color spread. Did this ever happen before? I wonder…

I was expecting we would get a Spring themed color spread and I’m so glad we didn’t, because we got enough of season themed color illustrations.

Poor Kaito is feeling restrained and contained and yet not struggling. He is sleeping comfortably in his own prison. What is he holding/protecting? And what are those shards of glass around him?

We’ve been on a roll for the last few chapters, getting revelations and moving the plot forward each time, however in this chapter things were a little slow, almost like a breather after the busy day Sakura had — yes, it’s been 3 or 4 months in reality but it’s only been a day in the story.

There was a lot of unspoken words being said in this chapter and some inner workings going on with the characters, particularly the 2 main couples, Sakura and Syaoran, and Akiho and Kaito.

So the watch is gone. I wonder if it’s in the card or if it simply vanished because it served its purpose…

Yelan made her second manga appearance and I love what she had to say about intuition. I love CLAMP’s nod to intuition and how we should listen to it. I think it hit me in particular for a situation I am going through right now in real life where I had to trust my intuition so it’s nice to have some sort of “validation” from the artists I look up to.

Kudos to Mokona-sensei for being such an amazing and talented artist who’s able to convey a huge range of emotions through facial expressions. You could just tell by looking at Sakura’s smiling face that she was troubled about something. It’s really hard to convey that and that deserves to be praised.

Good thing that CLAMP reminded the readers that Sakura and Syaoran can’t touch each other. I am not sure all readers remember that, since this detail hasn’t come up very often and it hasn’t received enough attention either…

On the other hand, I got the feeling that too much attention was given to Kero and Suppi coming along with Sakura to school. I am not sure they needed to come along with Sakura only for story digest purposes, they could switch back and forth from the school and Sakura’s home, as they usually do. I wonder if it’s important for the plot that they are near Sakura for what’s about to happen next…

That (seemingly) random affection from Sakura towards Tomoyo seemed very… random. Tomoyo was like “…okay…”, I wonder if there is more to it.

We finally learned what happened to Akiho, she is fine at her home recovering from what happened, but she hasn’t gone back to school yet.

She and Kaito have a very similar conversation as the one Sakura and Syaoran had in this very chapter, including Kaito trying to dismiss Akiho’s worry about his well-being, just like Sakura tried to dismiss Syaoran’s worry about her own well-being.

Kaito being purposely aloof to Akiho’s demonstration of affection felt really harsh, even if he left with the excuse of serving her. Poor Akiho. Momo looking absolutely pissed off at Kaito represents all the readers, including myself, who are starting to become impatient with Kaito’s lack of common sense. I feel like the message has come across, and I am ready to see the outcome of this dynamic.

Speaking of Kaito, he seemed fine in the presence of Akiho — even though she sees right through him anyway — but as soon as he leaves her room, that’s when his real health condition gets exposed and we see that he is really unwell.

And then, this chapter’s biggest revelation: we learn that Kaito is the one who stole Sakura Card The Mirror. Kaito seemed too obvious of a suspect when the theft happened and I soon discarded this possibility. Why also would he be interested in a Sakura Card to begin with? We know he was waiting for Sakura to create a new card, not a card that was long created. But don’t be fooled: I don’t think this is the card he’s been wanting Sakura to create all along (after all, this card already existed, so it wouldn’t make sense). I think either Kaito gave up on waiting for that card and will try a different approach or stealing The Mirror was always in his plans.

It is worth mentioning that Kaito was not shown having any particular reaction towards the fact that Sakura created the TIME card. Did he not feel it because he is too weak? But he always does… Did CLAMP not show to the readers on purpose? I still think it’s a hell of an important card (it took 80% of the page, rememberrrr?).

And what is it that Kaito is planning to do with The Mirror? By the next chapter I will be suspecting of anyone thinking they might be The Mirror in disguise.

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
  15. BLADE
  16. REPAIR
  17. REWIND
  18. SHADE
  19. BREAK
  20. TRANSFER
  21. PROMISE
  22. MIRAGE
  23. DREAMING
  24. TIME

Anime-only cards:

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

29 pages for this chapter. 85 pages so far for volume 11. The next chapter will come out on April 29th! Card Captor Sakura will feature on the cover of Nakayoshi again and there will be a special article celebrating the series’ 25th Anniversary!

4 thoughts on “Card Captor Sakura – Clear Card arc – Chapter 52”

  1. I wonder if Kaito’s stealing of The Mirror will explain the future vision of Syaoran in Akiho’s robes. Either he will cast its magic on himself or Akiho? Maybe to coax Sakura into doing something?

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  2. *Barges in*
    HELLO! I am here to unload my usual random thoughts about the chapter! (After all, we’ve already talked so much by voice XD)

    Poor Kaito is feeling retrained and contained and yet not struggling. He is sleeping comfortably in his own prison.
    OH what a FITTING description you did. THIS. This is exactly what he’s doing. I called it “cocoon” previously (not related to this art but a more wide talk about him), but “prison” is also very apt. He created this space himself to protect him from whatever it is “outside”. And he feels comfortably “numb” inside of it. He knows everything in this enclosed space, after all, there’s only him. He’s not noticing that this sad sad place is robbing him of his will to live.

    yes, it’s been 3 or 4 months in reality but it’s only been a day in the story.
    Always a good idea to point it out, because it’s easy to forget/not realize it, and it gives a new perspective on the pacing of the events as seen from the POV of Sakura. Things seem slow to us because we have to wait for month in-between chapters, but to her it feels literally like an avalanche of strange happenings and anxiety and whatnot.

    There was a lot of unspoken words being said in this chapter and some inner workings going on with the characters, particularly the 2 main couples, Sakura and Syaoran, and Akiho and Kaito.
    As I already said ad nauseam everywhere, I loved these parallels. I shouldn’t have, because one side of it really had it rough (no need to mention which side…) and it hurts to see them like that, but I still find very valuable how Ohkawa wanted to show what happens when you shut your heart and don’t let your loved ones help you out. You hurt them, yourself, and everybody loses.

    I wonder if it’s important for the plot that they are near Sakura for what’s about to happen next…
    True, it felt somehow strange that they would give them all that space, so maybe it really will be relevant…? I don’t know.

    That (seemingly) random affection from Sakura towards Tomoyo seemed very… random. Tomoyo was like “…okay…”, I wonder if there is more to it.
    Subconscious memories from the trip into the book. Sakura is subconsciously having a reaction of relief at seeing that Tomoyo talks and loves her like before.

    Kaito being purposely aloof to Akiho’s demonstration of affection felt really harsh, even if he left with the excuse of serving her. Poor Akiho. Momo looking absolutely pissed off at Kaito represents all the readers, including myself, who are starting to become impatient with Kaito’s lack of common sense. I feel like the message has come across, and I am ready to see the outcome of this dynamic.
    *Cue the young Jodie Foster gif* Man imagine how much *I* am waiting to see the outcome of this XD Especially now that I can see them going towards the “down” moment, that plot dynamic that makes the characters’ relationship go on bad terms before reconciliating for the happy (?) finale….man it’s gonna be torture to watch that. Considering I also expect Kaito to lose his mind at this point and starting to do things he wouldn’t have done before.

    But don’t be fooled: I don’t think this is the card he’s been wanting Sakura to create all along (after all, this card already existed, so it wouldn’t make sense)
    Yeah, we have found out by now that it was a mistranslation….That’s not the card he wanted all along.

    It is worth mentioning that Kaito was not shown having any particular reaction towards the fact that Sakura created the TIME card. Did he not feel it because he is too weak?
    Yeaaaaaah that felt really strange. Either the pendant watch is disguising its presence from the inside, or he *did* feel it and he’s precisely preparing to go and take it, with the help of the Mirror Card. I will be suspicious of any character, too!! hahahaha

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    • OH what a FITTING description you did.
      Whoa! I was validated by Sakura84, that made my day =) I also loved your take on it, it reminded me of an Alanis Morissette song that I will share with you that she says exactly “comfortably numb” (because I know you are sharing a lot of songs related to YunaAki 😉

      As I already said ad nauseam everywhere, I loved these parallels.
      ad nauseam? Girl, you are KILLING with your vocabulary today. There is another Alanis song where she uses “ad nauseam”, but that one has nothing to with Kaito kkk

      but I still find very valuable how Ohkawa wanted to show what happens when you shut your heart and don’t let your loved ones help you out. You hurt them, yourself, and everybody loses.
      Yes!

      Subconscious memories from the trip into the book. Sakura is subconsciously having a reaction of relief at seeing that Tomoyo talks and loves her like before.
      How did I not notice that? I’m so dumb sometimes xD

      *Cue the young Jodie Foster gif*
      hahaha

      Considering I also expect Kaito to lose his mind at this point and starting to do things he wouldn’t have done before.
      Kaito breaking down? Hmmm yes I can see that happening. Fye-stabbing-Sakura style.

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