Card Captor Sakura

4 reviews - 18.5 total score (Explanation of the rating system)
avg. score: (4.6)

4. bluemist

This is the anime that got me started watching anime. Before Cardcaptor Sakura my interest in anime was minimal, only watching some series on TV randomly whenever it catches my eye. I seemed that this show made me feel how important it is to watch anime from start to end, with nothing left behind. And because of this, I bid welcome to my anime fandom.

Cardcaptor Sakura is probably CLAMP's most popular title to date. Based on a 12-volume mahou shoujo manga series of the same title, the anime focuses on the life of Sakura, a young girl who not only has the power to capture, control, and take care of magical entities in the form of the Clow Cards, but also has the courage and strength to live her life to the fullest everyday, and never give up. But this is not your typical mahou shoujo anime. It seems like anything an anime can be is represented in this long series. There are the typical elements like comedy, action, magic, and drama. But I'm quite surprised that this series, even when aimed at kids and pre-teens, mixes mature elements so naturally that it can't be rendered offensive even to kids. For example, maybe yaoi (gay), yuri (lesbian), teacher-student, cousin relationships are too harsh, intriguing, and censored words to describe some themes in the series, but it really is present here. Moreover, the magic described in the series seemed almost voodoo-ish, some of the occult and even some of the fortune-telling type. Even with all these seemingly offensive themes, it remains in a subdued but undeniable presence. The power of storytelling shows when you turn a dark or unique page of reality such as those themes into something lighthearted and natural.

Cardcaptor Sakura is a production masterpiece. Even with it's simple plot and storyline, the show gives an aura of refined quality in terms of its art, animation, voice acting, and music. In other words, people have worked hard for this anime, and the result shows. The visuals are very colorful and vivid. I was specifically astounded with all the animation work. All those magical sequences alone had to be reanimated according to Sakura's current costume (which changes almost every episode), and also according to what Clow Card would be displayed in the other sequences. The voice acting is simply top-notch. And its music remain in my history books as the most majestic and inspirational set of songs and background music in the entire entertainment genre that I was exposed in. Simply put, I love great music.

All in all, something very special like this should not be missed, even in a lifetime. For me, one obtains true entertainment when one feels immersed in the fictional world that is portrayed. And Cardcaptor Sakura delivers the goods.

3. Iodine

A sweet magical-girl show with incredible production values and a very well-plotted story. The detail and execution of the seemingly simple premise is absolutely amazing. We meet Sakura Kinomoto, a ten-year-old girl who accidentally releases a set of magic cards, and has to get them all back. With the help of friends and pressure from rivals, Sakura tries to fulfill her role as a cardcaptor while dealing with her regular life too. All the characters, from gluttonous mentor Kero to big brother Touya to the mysterious Mizuki-sensei are wonderfully fleshed out, and their relationships are nicely balanced and realistic. Sakura is a typical Japanese schoolgirl, with a world centered on her family and friends. The show indulges in quite a lot of little girl fancies, especially best-friend Tomoyo's battle costumes and the expected love triangles, but builds up a solid structure with tons of careful details to make it all work.

The logistics of this show are mindboggling. Sakura changes outfits in almost every episode, and none of them, aside from her school uniforms, are ever repeated. In addition, the transformation sequences have to be reanimated every time to match. Each of the dozens of individual cards have to be kept track of throughout the show, ranging from the one-timers like Sweet to the oft used Windy and Fly. The animation, courtesy of Madhouse, is very high quality and wonderfully dynamic. The stories, though repetitive, mix action and dramatics with plenty of fun and silliness. Of course, the show would be nothing without the characters, specifically Sakura and her rival, Li. Fortunately, both manage to escape the extremes of over-agressiveness and saccharine sweetness to act like relatively normal, and very appealing kids. Sakura, especially, is a great character specifically for her faults and fallacies. This is one of the very best of the CLAMP series in every respect, and one of the best girls' anime in a very long time.

2. Polaris

Cardcaptor Sakura is about a 4th grader named Sakura Kinomoto who ends up going into her basement and finds a magic book glowing on the shelf. Of course she opens the book and releases tons of cards with special abilities and personalities of their own into the surrounding area. Shortly after this she meets Kero, who was suppose to be guarding the book. He blames her for the mess and gives her the responsibility of getting all the cards back. This is how Sakura becomes a Cardcaptor. Now, when first watching Cardcaptor Sakura I enjoyed it but did not ever think I would give it a five star rating. The plot seemed to go nowhere and while the episodes were enjoyable the show seemed like a card-of-the-week deal. It wasn't until halfway through that the real meaning of the show began to surface. The show became less centered around the cards and more on how Sakura had matured because of her responsibilities as a Cardcaptor. The character development in this show is wonderful and you can't help but enjoy watching the characters get into arguments over everything. With 70 episodes this series has a lot to offer and many priceless moments. I still have yet to watch the two Cardcaptor Sakura movies and look forward to seeing them. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who has not yet seen it. On a side note, I would give the English-dub of Cardcaptor Sakura released by Nelvana (called Cardcaptors) a one star, if that. I have never seen such a wonderful show so badly butchered. I am honest when I say it is not even the same show. Steer clear of it.

1. Himiko

Ahh..the famous anime by CLAMP that is on American TV. First, I would like to say to everyone that has only seen CCS on Cartoon Network, WB, whatever, that CCS is NOT like that in the original version. Its sooo much better left the way it originally was made. Kinomoto Sakura is a young elementary school girl that finds a magic book one day and unlocks the power of Clow. With the help from her little servant, Kero, she learns how to capture clow cards and tries to turn them into Sakura Cards on her journey. Of course, like many anime, there has to be a love interest... that's where Shaoran Li comes in. When we first meet Li he is a bit of an ass...he doesn't think Sakura is fit to be a Master of the Clow since she doesn't really look up to the task. We find out later that her powers are much greater than anyone expected and her caring nature helps bring out the good in everyone. I definitely liked this anime... it's cute, funny, and lots of YAOI in here!! Mwahah!! But anyway, Sakura is definitely awesome to watch if you can stomach kawaii-ness!