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.
[COMMENTS]
A press release was sent to several Japanese media outlets today sharing more information about the GIFT picture book, along with its key visual:
Source: PRTIMES, Fashion Press, Famitsu
Some Famitsu article reports that a translated version of the book is being considered for a future release, although it’s not mentioned which language.
The other information has already been shared elsewhere and you can check my previous post for them, but this key visual is brand new.
Yesterday, the GIFT performance was held at the Tokyo Dome and two other illustrations were published on the special newspaper that was being distributed at the venue:
The color palette in the key visual is different than the one from the newspaper, so I wonder if it’s related to the story or if the ones shared at the newspaper were only proof of concept ones.
I prefer the key visual one. It looks gorgeous and more polished.
CLAMP trended once again on twitter in Japan today after this news piece was published:
The GIFT picture book will be released on September 1st.
Kodansha has announced more details about the upcoming Yuzuru Hanyu x CLAMP collaboration picture book GIFT.
It will be released on September 1st, costing 3,300 yens. The book will have 64 pages, a hardcover. Its format will be AB — 210 × 257 mm, which is slightly similar to A4 format.
Moreover, the limited first print will come with 2 postcards.
You can preorder the book at CD Japan and Amazon Japan.
Hardcover is nice! I think this will be quite fancy looking =) and if I have to guess, I would say one postcard will have a Yuzuru Hanyu picture and the other one a CLAMP illustration.
CLAMP announced their first collaboration with figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu: a picture book based on Yuzuru Hanyu’s solo performance “GIFT”. which will take place on February 26 at the Tokyo Dome.
The picture book is going to be released by Kodansha.
Yuzuru Hanyu’s comment (taken from the official website of GIFT)
In creating the story “GIFT”, I had many different images in mind. I was hoping that CLAMP would be able to realize this image of GIFT as a picture book. I hoped that CLAMP would embody this image in his work, which offers a different worldview from that of the performance at the Tokyo Dome. I hope that through this work, many people will feel a different perspective and enjoy it.
CLAMP’s comment (taken from the official website of GIFT)
We were really surprised when we received this offer. I hope that we can help deliver to you another “GIFT” called “picture book” envisioned by Hanyu-san, which is different from the unprecedented performance called “GIFT,” without any discrepancies.
More details to be announced soon! The official website of GIFT says that more information will be given on the official social networks and the special newspaper sold at Tokyo Dome, which makes me think that the book will not be released in time for the performance.
It’s always exciting to see collaborations like this. This is what makes CLAMP a “creative group” instead of ‘simply a “mangaka group”. It’s also worth mentioning that they specifically mentioned that this is their “first” collaboration, implying that there could be more in the future.
Card Captor Sakura Clear Card arc volume 14 will be released on March 31, 2023. This time, the special edition will come with a 12-piece acrylic key charm set featuring the 12 Sakura illustrations that appear in the back cover of the series’ classic edition.
Each key charm is about 40mm x 40mm in size.
Here are pictures of the volume cover and the special edition:
Kodansha lists volume 14 as having 160 pages, which is the average number of pages for Clear Card and about 30 pages less than volume 13 (which was bigger than normal). This volume probably includes up to Chapter 70.
The cover illustration is very pretty!
The prices for the regular and special editions are 517 and 3,080 yens, respectively, and they are both available for pre-order at Amazon Japan with worldwide shipping: [Regular Edition], [Special Limited Edition]
The covers of volumes 2 and 3 of X for the CLAMP PREMIUM COLLECTION edition have been announced!
Wow, so unexpected! We already have Kotori and Fuuma? No Hinoto and no Kanoe, but I think they might still be using elements from the tarot cards, except they are not following the original order. For instance, Kotori is holding a flower and the composition (Kamui behind her on his back) is very similar to the tarot card. The color pink is also the same. On the other hand, we don’t know Fuuma because he hasn’t appeared in a tarot card yet. Could this cover be a little foreshadowing of the tarot card he would feature? If that’s the case, does this mean he will be The Sun? (there is a sun at the back) Does this mean the color of volume 19 will be this shade of blue?
Kotori looks great! This style suits her very well.
I guess we can expect Kamui to be the common character of all covers (and his ragged red cloth)? I actually love this idea, I don’t mind seeing 19 new Kamuis at all.
The symbol in the back also changes for each cover. It shall be fun to look at all the 19 different symbols and patterns that they will come up for every cover!
The colors are so unexpected as well, We have pink and blue instead of purple and green (like the classic edition).
Between the two covers, volume 2 is my favorite! Kamui and Kotori look great and I love the wings in the back.
Here’s the full CLAMP PREMIUM COLLECTION schedule for X:
On sale: vol 1
March 3: vols 2 & 3
April 3: vols 4 & 5
May 2: vols 6 & 7
June 2: vols 8 & 9
July 4: vols 10 & 11
August 4: vols 12 & 13
September 4: vols 14 & 15
October 4: vols 16 & 17
November 4: vols 18 & 18.5
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.
[COMMENTS]
The 4th series of CLAMP PREMIUM COLLECTION has been announced and it’s going to be X!
Following the Kodansha/Kadokawa pattern, after Magic Knight Rayearth (Kodansha), fans already anticipated the next title would be one from Kadokawa.
The news comes from Amazon Japan, which lists X volume 1 of CLAMP PREMIUM COLLECTION for a February 3rd release date.
The description informs that all color pages that were originally printed in black and white on the original tankoubon version of X will be in color in the CLAMP PREMIUM COLLECTION! Moreover, the 5 chapters released for X 18.5 will also be included in this edition!
The bonus for those who purchase all volumes will be a set of 19 clear tarot cards! Gentle reminder that it must include The Fool, which was only published in the X ZERO artbook, which brings the total to 19 cards. Another gentle reminder that you must live in Japan or have a Japanese address in order to apply.
Kadokawa is coming with a bang! Bringing their longest CLAMP series next (albeit still unfinished) and including (some) original color pages!
This solves one of the major questions that fans had: whether incomplete series would be included in CLAMP PREMIUM COLLECTION and X confirms that they will!
I’m already looking forward to the new covers, CLAMP’s commentary YouTube videos (hopefully), Kadokawa promotional efforts and enjoying new re-releases of X for the next 9 months!
UPDATE: Kadokawa already has all 19 (18 + 18.5) volumes listed on their website!
Here’s the full schedule:
February 3: vol 1
March 3: vols 2 & 3
April 3: vols 4 & 5
May 2: vols 6 & 7
June 2: vols 8 & 9
July 4: vols 10 & 11
August 4: vols 12 & 13
September 4: vols 14 & 15
October 4: vols 16 & 17
November 4: vols 18 & 18.5
It’s confirmed now that volume 18.5 will have its own volume and not have its chapters included with volume 18.
UPDATE 2: The cover illustration has been announced!
This is just the illustration that will be used for the cover, it is not the actual cover. It’s still missing the typography of CLAMP PREMIUM COLLECTION.
It looks a bit similar to the tarot card from that volume, so I wonder if all covers will follow the same pattern… I also wonder if they will all be black (how cool would that be?)
The art style is simple, which is expected from this series.
Waaaah I’m excited!! =D
UPDATE 3: The final cover has been announced:
It’s been announced that a box to hold all 19 volumes (18 + 18.5) will be released. Details to follow.
Last October, it was announced in the obi that came with Card Captor Sakura Clear Card arc volume 13 that the series would end on the following volume, volume 14.
However, Kodansha and CLAMP went back on that decision and announced that the series will actually end on volume 15.
Here’s the official announcement, which was also included in this month’s Nakayoshi magazine:
Volume 14 will come out on March 31st, 2023.
Volume 15 (final) will come out on October 13th, 2023.
In recent twitter spaces that CLAMP did, they mentioned that volume 14 (by that time, still scheduled to be the last one), would be even bigger in page terms than volume 13, which was already over 180 pages. CLAMP and Kodansha probably thought it would be better to add one additional volume to wrap the story more properly.
Indeed, those who are following the story might have felt that ending it within 2-3 chapters might mean having a rushed ending. I was of course looking very much forward to the ending (I still am!), but I am in favor of making justice to the story and giving it the best ending! Besides, 15 volumes sound better than 14, right?
We have yet to see if this will have any impact on the resume of XXXHOLiC Rei, which is scheduled for the Japanese Spring.
This collaboration was originally announced in May of 2021 but only now, more than a year later, we finally have more details about it.
CLAMP have drawn this gorgeous piece of illustration for the multi-platform RPG game:
The game developers have produced character skins based on the above illustration, as seen below:
Other CLAMP extras will also be available such as stamps based off CLAMP characters from Kodansha.
Chibi Yuuto's CHRoNiCLEs 