Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Episode 1 Review: Sakura and the Clear Cards

This Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card review contains spoilers.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Episode 1

If you’re a hardcore fan of Cardcaptor Sakura, this new series has everything you could want. The continuation of the final scene from the manga. Tomoyo’s stock of costumes ready to go. Yukito and Toya being gay as hell.

In a way this feels more like episode 71 of the original Cardcaptor Sakura series than a new iteration or sequel. That’s both the episodes greatest strength and weakness. While from a purely nostalgia point of view it’s great to see all the characters doing what we love, I wish we had seen some more new elements.

The first half of the episode was handled just fine and was the exact right time to play the old cards as it were. Sakura is still getting teased by Toya and she still sucks at school. Some things are just never going to change and I’m totally fine with little elements like these being constants. 

Sakura’s reunion with Syaoran was beautifully handled. We of course get the adorable cuteness that we’ve come to expect from Cardcaptor Sakura but it also has an undercurrent of genuine affection. In the time since we’ve seen these two their emotional bond has really deepened. 

This is reading a lot into soft focus and long anime looks but it’s one of the rare times in the first episode I felt some character development. Still though, Tomoyo breaking up the moment by recording it was pretty priceless.

The second half is where I hoped some new developments would kick in but it’s feeling like more of the same. The new mystery of why the Cards turned clear is intriguing but it seems more like an easy way to get Sakura to collect a bunch of new cards again. Hopefully I’m wrong in this and as we learn more about this new threat I’ll be able to get invested in it more.

I also didn’t quite buy Sakura’s reasoning for not telling Yukito about all of this. Yeah, she doesn’t want him to worry but keeping secrets from the guy nearly got him killed before so maybe just tell him the truth. 

While the new plot didn’t quite do it for me, I would be lying if I said I didn’t just enjoy returning to the cute world of Cardcaptor Sakura. Maybe all this show will be is more of the same and while I hope it isn’t I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t watch it every week. Maybe in this crazy world we live we just need an adorable show to make us feel good.

If the show can throw in a little character development and vary up the plots a bit though? It could be adorable and amazing. Focusing on where Sakura and Syaran are in their realationship is a great place to start.

Shamus Kelley is a mystic adventure. Follow him on Twitter!