CLAMP Exhibition -SELECTION- to be held in Fukuoka, Sapporo and Nagoya

©CLAMP・ShigatsuTsuitachi CO.,LTD. ©CLAMP・ShigatsuTsuitachiCO.,LTD./CLAMP展製作委員会

Following successful runs in Tokyo (with over 250.000 visitors) and Osaka, the CLAMP Exhibition -SELECTION- will travel next to Fukuoka, Sapporo and Nagoya.

Starting in Fukuoka, it will run from February 27th to March 31st, 2025 at the Mitsukoshi Gallery.

Official website (Special page within the Fukuoka Mitsukoshi Department Store website): https://www.iwataya-mitsukoshi.mistore.jp/mitsukoshi/event_calendar/CLAMP-SELECTION.html

The exhibition is scheduled to go to Sapporo in July and Nagoya in the Japanese Summer. Details on the venues and specific dates will be announced at a later date.

For more detailed info, please check: https://clamp-net.com/archives/59636 (in Japanese)


A much shorter run for Fukuoka (about one month) and same for Sapporo, it seems. Though understandably so, given these are much smaller cities than Tokyo and Osaka. I was expecting Kyoto to go next, but maybe it will be after Nagoya.

New CLAMP illustration for “Shonen Ace” 30th Anniversary (Updated)

Kadokawa‘s Shonen Ace magazine is celebrating its 30th Anniversary next month and to celebrate it, the December issue will come with a “Memorial Illustration Book” featuring several artists, including CLAMP.

ANGELIC LAYER was published in Shonen Ace from 1999 to 2001. Should we expect a new ANGELIC LAYER illustration? Ten years ago, on the occasion of the magazine’s 20th Anniversary, CLAMP drew a new ANGELIC LAYER illustration for it.

The December issue of Shonen Ace magazine will be released on October 25th.

The information comes from Shonen Ace‘s official X account.

Thank you Claudio for letting me know about this!

UPDATE: Here’s a preview of the new illustration!

It looks very similar to the original ANGELIC LAYER style!

CLAMP Exhibition -SELECTION- announced!

Starting in Osaka, this exhibition is expected to run across different cities in Japan and will display selected works off the CLAMP Exhibition held in Tokyo with some rearrangements depending on the location.

To preserve the original artworks, the “-SELECTION-” exhibitions will display reproductions of the original manuscripts.

According to the organizers, “this exhibition was born out of our desire to allow as many people as possible to see the numerous works and exhibits on display there”.

The first stop in Osaka will run from October 11th to January 13th, 2025 at the Hirakata Park Event Hall.

Official website: https://www.hirakatapark.co.jp/clamp-ex-osaka/

Curious about the “rearrangements” for each city. Maybe CLAMP will do a new illustration for each city similarly to what they did to some of the cities which the Cardcaptor Sakura exhibition traveled to.

It’s a pity the original manuscripts cannot travel everywhere, though it’s understandable. At least this will be a great opportunity to showcase CLAMP’s amazing work. Fingers crossed this will also allow the exhibition to go beyond Japan borders and reach other countries!

Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary (Sanrio) x CLAMP collaboration: design revealed!

CLAMP’s design for Sanrio’s Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary has been announced!

Turns out it’s a design heavily inspired in Cardcaptor Sakura! The Star Wand with kitty ears is so adorable!

CLAMP’s comment on the collaboration is “The concept is ‘if Kitty became a magical girl’. We also drew Sakura-chan in a matching costume wearing a hat of a different color.”

The designs will be on display in Lady Kitty House starting on May 24th, and original goods such as clear files, acrylic stands, acrylic key chains, and can badge sets will be on sale starting in July.

In addition, Hello Kitty in the costume depicted in the illustration will appear at Lady Kitty House amusement park to greet visitors during the entire month of August.

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

Source: CLAMP-NET.COM, Sanrio Puroland

CLAMP Exhibition: first details

As previously announced, a CLAMP art exhibition will be held at the National Art Center in Roppongi, Tokyo, from July 3rd until September 23rd of 2024. It will be the largest CLAMP exhibition to date.

Today the exhibit’s official website and X account were both updated to reveal the first details of it.

The exhibition will be consisted of five themes:

“C” is for COLOR.
CLAMP color the world.

“L” stands for LOVE.
The form of love that CLAMP depict.

“A” is for ADVENTURE.
Follow CLAMP’s story.

“M” is for MAGIC.
CLAMP create magic.

“P” is for PHRASE.
CLAMP spin words.

I guess this is why the exhibition’s logo is shaped the way it is 😉

Key visuals for the five themes will be released soon, the first one will be announced on February 25th.

Moreover, the exhibition will be split in two parts. The first part will run from July 3rd until August 12th. The second part will run from August 14th to September 23rd. It’s not clear yet at this point what is the difference between the two parts, but usually contents change between one part and the other. Goods and visiting giveaways might differ as well.

July 3rd to July 5th will be “special viewing days” to celebrate the exhibition’s opening.

Here’s the full schedule:

July 3rd~September 23rd
Full run

July 3rd~July 5th
Exhibition opening special viewing

July 3rd~August 12th
First part of the exhibition

August 14th~September 23rd
Second part of the exhibition

According to this post by the official X account, all CLAMP works will be featured, from RG Veda to Drug & Drop:

Interestingly enough, sequels where the main title didn’t change were referred to as a single work: Magic Knight Rayearth, Card Captor Sakura, Tsubasa – RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE – and XXXHOLiC. Gouhou Drug and Drug & Drop, however, are listed as two separate works (indeed they have different titles and logos, after all).

I do wonder if we will be seeing any of their early doujinshi works or non-series or non-manga works as well.

I am very much looking forward to the key visuals! Surely they will be new illustrations drawn by CLAMP? I sure hope so!

CLAMP Exhibition to be held in Tokyo in 2024

A CLAMP art exhibition will be held at the National Art Center in Roppongi, Tokyo, from July 3rd until September 23rd of 2024.

Here’s a short text about it, taken from the exhibition official website (https://www.clamp-ex.jp/) and roughly translated by me using an online translator tool:

This exhibition traces the activities of CLAMP, a creative group of four women who have produced a wide variety of works in the genres of boys’ manga, girls’ manga, and young men’s manga. This is a large-scale exhibition that will showcase CLAMP’s works from the time of their debut to the present, focusing on their manga manuscripts and crossing publishers and magazines.

The exhibition has an official account on X: https://twitter.com/clamp_ex

The announcement is included in this month’s Nakayoshi magazine as well and it only shows Kodansha works (Card Captor Sakura, Magic Knight Rayearth and CLOVER), however, judging form the blurb above, it really seems like works from other publishers will be included as well.

2024 will mark CLAMP’s 35th anniversary in the manga industry, therefore this exhibition must be part of the celebrations. The National Art Center is a huge place and the blurb says this will be a “large-scale exhibition”. I’m expecting great things from it! Hopefully it will be as big as CLAMP Su (2004), or even bigger than that.

Hello Kitty (Sanrio) x CLAMP collaboration announced

In celebration of Sanrio’s Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary, a collaboration with CLAMP has been announced!

CLAMP will provide an original design for Hello Kitty that will be announced soon. Some goods are planned to be sold featuring CLAMP’s design.

In the past, there has been a Card Captor Sakura x Sanrio Collaboration, but this is the first time that CLAMP provide an original design for Hello Kitty.

Celebrations for Hello Kitty’s 50th Anniversary will run from November 1st 2023 until December 31st 2024.

Source: CLAMP-NET.COM, Sanrio Puroland

Very interesting collaboration! I mean, Hello Kitty is crazy popular. This will be good for CLAMP’s portfolio. I’m quite excited and curious about this.

‘GIFT’ picture book (Yuzuru Hanyu x CLAMP collaboration): first pictures

A press release was sent to several Japanese media outlets today sharing more information about the GIFT picture book, along with its key visual:

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

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.

‘GIFT’ picture book (Yuzuru Hanyu x CLAMP collaboration): more details announced

Yuzuru Hanyu during the victory ceremony at the 2017 World Championships. The costume is designed by Satomi Ito. Photo by Phantom Kabocha.

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.

Yuzuru Hanyu x CLAMP collaboration: ‘GIFT’ picture book announced

Yuzuru Hanyu at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung. Photo by David W. Carmichael.

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.