Cardcaptor Sakura
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Cardcaptor Sakura (カードキャプターさくら Kādokyaputā sakura) is a 1998/1999 anime series by Madhouse that was adapted from the manga of the same name by the famed Manga artist group CLAMP. It was first broadcast on NHK on April 7, 1998 and ended on March 21, 2000 with a total of 70 episodes produced. The anime was very well received, and it had spawned two movies and several video games, and also saw huge international debuts in several countries, including the US, the UK and Australia, in where it first saw the light of day under a plagarized dub by Nelvana called Cardcaptors with several edits and name changes, before NIS America released the anime on DVD under its original name. The anime was very successful, and it has been one of the most beloved animes of all time, with some people even dubbing it as the "Sailor Moon Killer".
Plot
The anime focuses on the 10-year-old tomboy, Sakura Kinomoto, who was born with magical powers, and becomes the titlular Cardcaptor after she accidentally released a set of magical Clow Cards from the Book of Clow created by Clow Reed. With the help of her new guardian Kero, and her love interest, Syaoran Li, she must find the missing Clow Cards by battling their magical personifications and seal them away.
Why It's So Magical
- Cutesy concept of a little girl born with magical powers.
- Amazing characters designs created by the talented CLAMP group.
- Sakura Kinomoto was a very cute, tomboyish protagonist, as she enjoys hanging out, sports, skateboarding, playing video games and having fun.
- Her most iconic everyday outfit (her school uniform), which is officially doubled her iconic battle outfit, makes her even cuter, including a pair of white socks and a pair of very shiny black Mary Jane shoes.
- Great story and characters, especially Sakura herself, her guardian Kero and her best friend Tomoyo.
- It follows an exciting narrative form following the "monster of the week" theme, with a new card with a different power being revealed with each new episode.
- The series explores serious themes such as the loss of a mother and feelings of love for others, regardless of gender or age.
- Cutesy animation made Madhouse, even fits Sakura Kinomoto's cuteness.
- Meiling Li's inclusion opens avenues for character development
- It has a great development in the characters, such as:
- Sakura: At first a naive, fearful girl who only cares about her older brother's friend, but who over time commits to the mission of gathering the Clow cards and develops an interest in her rival Syaoran.
- Syaoran: At first a rude boy who rivaled Sakura in both the capture of the Clow cards and interest in Yukito, but develops feelings for Sakura throughout the episodes.
- Meiling: At first a clingy, obnoxious brat who overtime became warmer, softer, and more respectful of others' decisions.
- Strong romance and chemistry between Sakura and Syaoran Li.
- Highly-memorable opening and ending songs and background music.
- Takes several liberties from the original manga.
- Animax did a better dub than the Nelvana one, that dub is based in the original Japanese version and all romance was kept.
- Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card it was an extraordinary film that ended the series on a high note.
Qualities Worthy Of The Discard Pile
- Nelvana butchered the series, renaming it Cardcaptors, completely cutting out any romance, and editing it in order to create boy-oriented) a boy-oriented action fantasy-comedy series by making Syaoran (or Li Showron in the dub) a co-protagonist to Sakura.
- Meiling Li, Syaoran's cousin, can be considered an annoying character to some fans so much that many find her an unnecessary addition to the anime since she is not originally from the manga.
- There were some cards that were not shown being captured at any time during the series like The Bubbles, The Libra, The Through, The Wave and the Arrow, appearing out of nowhere in season two (but Kero states that Sakura caught them during spring vacation).
- The Arrow is shown being captured in the first movie in the series.
- "Sakura, Kero, and the Sweet Meeting" and Sakura, Syaoran, and the Elevator"(depending in your wiew) are pehaps the only bad episodes of this show.