[canon pimp] Cardcaptor Sakura
Cardcaptor Sakura! The thought of having to introduce this series makes me want to weep. But then again, it was my gateway drug into anime, and I've never looked back. Come on a nostalgia trip with me.
Sakura is a normal girl-- good at P.E., hates math. One day she opens a mysterious book and releases nineteen (manga) or fifty-two (anime) Clow Card spirits into the world. When the plushy beast of the Seal tells her that disaster will befall the world, if she doesn't get them back, then Sakura takes the responsibility to collect all the cards.
CCS is known for being fluffy and sweet, and for the many different types of relationships portrayed in it, both familial and romantic. It's also about optimism and determination.
From an interview with CLAMP:
Our works generally have a few main themes as well as other background themes I wanted to write. For CCS, and I don't know if this is the right way to put it, but I wanted to write something that minorities would feel comfortable with. Depending on your point of view, Tomoyo-chan's feelings for Sakura could be considered dangerous. Similarly, you can see Yukito and Touya as being friends, or as going beyond that. There's also how Syaoran was, at first, attracted to Yukito, and Rika's feelings [for Terada-sensei]. I took great care in how to portray all that.
I mentioned this earlier, but the series's main theme is explored through the main character, so think of how Sakura-chan acts. For example, when she found out that Syaoran was in love with Yukito, she didn't look at him strangely. She did consider him a rival, but she didn't act as though it was weird... I wanted a story with a protagonist who had an open mind towards different family structures, different kinds of love, and different perspectives from society....
One last comment on the subject: I am glad that the readers are happy that Sakura and Syaoran got together, but that anyone would think it's because they make a normal couple... it's a little disconcerting. Sakura didn't chose Syaoran because he's a boy close to her in age. If Syaoran had been a girl, if they had been far apart in age, as long as he was still Syaoran, I think Sakura would have fallen in love with him.
Currently in the City, we have our titular heroine, Sakura Kinomoto, her canon beau, Syaoran Li, and the creator of the Clow Cards himself, Clow Reed.
However, there are many, many other appable characters we'd love to see.
Sakura's faithful leonine guardian Cerberus, more commonly known as Kero-chan. Enjoys sweets and video games; does not enjoy hiding from Touya or worrying about his little mistress. He spends most of his time in his plushy form there to the left, but can turn into the impressive creature there on the right.
Yukito Tsukihiro (left) and Yue (right)-- unlike the other guardians, Yue's false form has an entirely different personality than his true form. In fact, disconcertingly, Yue once calls his other self a loser. Issues, much? Yukito is smiley, kind, and quiet. Touya is his "number-one person," though Sakura nurses a crush on Yukito for most of the early series. As for Yue, he's stoic, serious, and fiercely loyal.
Touya Kinomoto is Sakura's older brother, and that fact defines a lot of the things he does in the series. He is very protective of Sakura, but at the same time, helps to keep her secret, even when he doesn't know exactly what she's up to. Touya has the ability to see spirits for most of the series but he gives all of his magic to Yue so that Yue and Yukito can continue to exist. Touya likes to tease Sakura, and has a very antagonistic relationship with Syaoran, especially when he realizes the nature of Syaoran's feelings for his sister. He works many jobs and is very responsible, helping to take care of his sister since their mother died when Touya was ten.
Meiling Li, anime adaptation only, Syaoran's cousin and fiancee (for a while, anyway). Would confuse the heck out of the Syaoran in the City, who has never heard of her. Meiling is determined, bossy, more cynical than Sakura, but a great friend in the end. She hates not being able to do magic.
Tomoyo Daidouji is Sakura's best friend, going along as Sakura catches Clow Cards and providing many different outfits for her to wear. Tomoyo continually gives valuable advice to Sakura and to Syaoran in the series. Over the course of the second half of CCS, she convinces Syaoran to confess his love for Sakura, even though Sakura is the person she loves the most in life, because she says that if her beloved is happy, she will be happy. Tomoyo can be a little manipulative, knowing how to calm Kero's irritation and even convincing Syaoran to crossdress for a play. She's also bright academically, a great singer, and very observant of human nature.
Sonomi Daidouji, nee Amamiya, is Tomoyo's mother and Nadeshiko's cousin. She's the president of a toy company and never goes anywhere without the accompaniment of her four female bodyguards. Sonomi says that she hates Fujitaka for taking Nadeshiko away from her, but she loves Sakura and is always thrilled to see Sakura with her daughter. Sonomi is dramatic at times, but she cared very much for Nadeshiko, and while she tries to hide her sadness, it does emerge in the series a few times.
Fujitaka and Nadeshiko Kinomoto (nee Amamiya) are Sakura's parents. They married when Nadeshiko was only sixteen. Nadeshiko was very sweet, but not very bright, and incredibly prone to accidents. She died when her daughter was only three, but Fujitaka remains devoted to her even after her death. He still wears his wedding ring and greets her photograph every morning. Fujitaka is a devoted father who is often late to events due to his work schedule, but he cares for his children very much and can always tell when something is wrong with them. He teaches archaeology at a local university. In the manga only, Fujitaka is half of the reincarnation of Clow Reed. When Sakura splits Eriol's powers between Eriol and Fujitaka, Fujitaka gains the ability to see the ghost of his wife.
Eriol Hiiragizawa, the primary antagonist of the Sakura cards arc, is secretly half of the reincarnation of Clow Reed. He's the half with all of the magic and memories of his former life. When Eriol transfers in from England, he flirts shamelessly with Sakura in order to irritate Syaoran. He's more mature, calmer, and quieter than the other people in their grade, because he's kept himself in the form of a twelve-year-old since he was incarnated (so should really be about Fujitaka's age). Eriol is very nice to Sakura on the outside but spends a great deal of time putting her in difficult situations so she can change the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards. He doesn't reveal himself until the end of the series, where he threatens to put out the sun and make everyone sleep forever if she doesn't defeat him. After she wins, Eriol takes them back to his home and explains that he's done everything for Sakura's best interests.
Nakuru Akizuki/Ruby Moon is Eriol's moon guardian. She's exuberant, cheerful, and very fond of teasing Yukito because he doesn't know he's Yue. Unlike Yukito/Yue, Ruby Moon is the same person as Nakuru. Ruby Moon has no gender but presents as female for the series, though Spinel seems to find this strange. She has a crush on Touya and wants to take his magic for herself, preventing Touya from speaking to Yukito alone on several separate occasions. She is bouncy, good at all sports, and very clingy to Eriol. In the anime, Nakuru claims to be Eriol's older cousin.
Spinel (also known as Spinelsun and Suppi, albeit the latter against his will) is Eriol's sun guardian. He is quiet, somewhat cynical, and a voracious reader. He finds Ruby Moon's exuberance very frustrating, but loves her deep down. In the series, Spinel very much kept to himself-- the only people who he allows to touch him are Eriol, Ruby Moon, and Sakura. In the anime, when Spinel gets ahold of anything sugary, it makes him drunk and somewhat violent.
Kaho enters the series in a cloak of mystery-- Kero even suspects her to be Yue's false form, for a time. As it turns out, she was the bearer of the Moon Bell, which Sakura needed to defeat Yue in the Final Judgment. Flighty and forgetful, though often also mysterious, Kaho dated Touya the first time she was in Japan, but returns on Eriol's arm, to everyone's great surprise.
Sakura's classmates and teacher (from left): Rika Sasaki, Chiharu Mihara, Naoko Yanagisawa, Takashi Yamazaki, and Yoshiyuki Terada. Yamazaki is a perpetual liar, though his longtime girlfriend Chiharu always calls him out on this, often violently. Naoko is a dreamer, a writer, and a lover of the paranormal. Word of God says she has a long-distance boyfriend, but that chapter was cut from the manga. Rika is quiet, mature, and good at sewing and cooking, though most people know her because of her engagement to her teacher, Mr. Terada, who is himself a stern but friendly teacher.
No, I didn't make a profile for Sakura's grandpa, STFU Chi. The guy doesn't even have a first name, okay?
I don't know about anyone else, but I would do awful, awful things for you if you apped Eriol; I'm the only Eriol player that I know ffffffff. I would also be happy to provide scans/make icons/help with apps/anything like that for you if you want to app another one of the characters of course.
ETA:
Clow-mun (Chi) (7/29/2009 11:10:34 PM): Chi of course has a huge hard-on for any Yuki/Yues who might app, as well as any Touyas, but has a persistent dream of seeing Sakura's entire class (maybe with Terada-sensei?) in Poly.
So there you go. What else do I need to do to convince you? I will make up a silly dance. Really.
AND I FORGOT: This series is up on Onemanga again, though the scanlations leave much, much to be desired. And I think all/most of the anime is on Youtube.
Sakura is a normal girl-- good at P.E., hates math. One day she opens a mysterious book and releases nineteen (manga) or fifty-two (anime) Clow Card spirits into the world. When the plushy beast of the Seal tells her that disaster will befall the world, if she doesn't get them back, then Sakura takes the responsibility to collect all the cards.
CCS is known for being fluffy and sweet, and for the many different types of relationships portrayed in it, both familial and romantic. It's also about optimism and determination.
From an interview with CLAMP:
Our works generally have a few main themes as well as other background themes I wanted to write. For CCS, and I don't know if this is the right way to put it, but I wanted to write something that minorities would feel comfortable with. Depending on your point of view, Tomoyo-chan's feelings for Sakura could be considered dangerous. Similarly, you can see Yukito and Touya as being friends, or as going beyond that. There's also how Syaoran was, at first, attracted to Yukito, and Rika's feelings [for Terada-sensei]. I took great care in how to portray all that.
I mentioned this earlier, but the series's main theme is explored through the main character, so think of how Sakura-chan acts. For example, when she found out that Syaoran was in love with Yukito, she didn't look at him strangely. She did consider him a rival, but she didn't act as though it was weird... I wanted a story with a protagonist who had an open mind towards different family structures, different kinds of love, and different perspectives from society....
One last comment on the subject: I am glad that the readers are happy that Sakura and Syaoran got together, but that anyone would think it's because they make a normal couple... it's a little disconcerting. Sakura didn't chose Syaoran because he's a boy close to her in age. If Syaoran had been a girl, if they had been far apart in age, as long as he was still Syaoran, I think Sakura would have fallen in love with him.
Currently in the City, we have our titular heroine, Sakura Kinomoto, her canon beau, Syaoran Li, and the creator of the Clow Cards himself, Clow Reed.
However, there are many, many other appable characters we'd love to see.
Sakura's faithful leonine guardian Cerberus, more commonly known as Kero-chan. Enjoys sweets and video games; does not enjoy hiding from Touya or worrying about his little mistress. He spends most of his time in his plushy form there to the left, but can turn into the impressive creature there on the right.
Yukito Tsukihiro (left) and Yue (right)-- unlike the other guardians, Yue's false form has an entirely different personality than his true form. In fact, disconcertingly, Yue once calls his other self a loser. Issues, much? Yukito is smiley, kind, and quiet. Touya is his "number-one person," though Sakura nurses a crush on Yukito for most of the early series. As for Yue, he's stoic, serious, and fiercely loyal.
Touya Kinomoto is Sakura's older brother, and that fact defines a lot of the things he does in the series. He is very protective of Sakura, but at the same time, helps to keep her secret, even when he doesn't know exactly what she's up to. Touya has the ability to see spirits for most of the series but he gives all of his magic to Yue so that Yue and Yukito can continue to exist. Touya likes to tease Sakura, and has a very antagonistic relationship with Syaoran, especially when he realizes the nature of Syaoran's feelings for his sister. He works many jobs and is very responsible, helping to take care of his sister since their mother died when Touya was ten.
Meiling Li, anime adaptation only, Syaoran's cousin and fiancee (for a while, anyway). Would confuse the heck out of the Syaoran in the City, who has never heard of her. Meiling is determined, bossy, more cynical than Sakura, but a great friend in the end. She hates not being able to do magic.
Tomoyo Daidouji is Sakura's best friend, going along as Sakura catches Clow Cards and providing many different outfits for her to wear. Tomoyo continually gives valuable advice to Sakura and to Syaoran in the series. Over the course of the second half of CCS, she convinces Syaoran to confess his love for Sakura, even though Sakura is the person she loves the most in life, because she says that if her beloved is happy, she will be happy. Tomoyo can be a little manipulative, knowing how to calm Kero's irritation and even convincing Syaoran to crossdress for a play. She's also bright academically, a great singer, and very observant of human nature.
Sonomi Daidouji, nee Amamiya, is Tomoyo's mother and Nadeshiko's cousin. She's the president of a toy company and never goes anywhere without the accompaniment of her four female bodyguards. Sonomi says that she hates Fujitaka for taking Nadeshiko away from her, but she loves Sakura and is always thrilled to see Sakura with her daughter. Sonomi is dramatic at times, but she cared very much for Nadeshiko, and while she tries to hide her sadness, it does emerge in the series a few times.
Fujitaka and Nadeshiko Kinomoto (nee Amamiya) are Sakura's parents. They married when Nadeshiko was only sixteen. Nadeshiko was very sweet, but not very bright, and incredibly prone to accidents. She died when her daughter was only three, but Fujitaka remains devoted to her even after her death. He still wears his wedding ring and greets her photograph every morning. Fujitaka is a devoted father who is often late to events due to his work schedule, but he cares for his children very much and can always tell when something is wrong with them. He teaches archaeology at a local university. In the manga only, Fujitaka is half of the reincarnation of Clow Reed. When Sakura splits Eriol's powers between Eriol and Fujitaka, Fujitaka gains the ability to see the ghost of his wife.
Eriol Hiiragizawa, the primary antagonist of the Sakura cards arc, is secretly half of the reincarnation of Clow Reed. He's the half with all of the magic and memories of his former life. When Eriol transfers in from England, he flirts shamelessly with Sakura in order to irritate Syaoran. He's more mature, calmer, and quieter than the other people in their grade, because he's kept himself in the form of a twelve-year-old since he was incarnated (so should really be about Fujitaka's age). Eriol is very nice to Sakura on the outside but spends a great deal of time putting her in difficult situations so she can change the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards. He doesn't reveal himself until the end of the series, where he threatens to put out the sun and make everyone sleep forever if she doesn't defeat him. After she wins, Eriol takes them back to his home and explains that he's done everything for Sakura's best interests.
Nakuru Akizuki/Ruby Moon is Eriol's moon guardian. She's exuberant, cheerful, and very fond of teasing Yukito because he doesn't know he's Yue. Unlike Yukito/Yue, Ruby Moon is the same person as Nakuru. Ruby Moon has no gender but presents as female for the series, though Spinel seems to find this strange. She has a crush on Touya and wants to take his magic for herself, preventing Touya from speaking to Yukito alone on several separate occasions. She is bouncy, good at all sports, and very clingy to Eriol. In the anime, Nakuru claims to be Eriol's older cousin.
Spinel (also known as Spinelsun and Suppi, albeit the latter against his will) is Eriol's sun guardian. He is quiet, somewhat cynical, and a voracious reader. He finds Ruby Moon's exuberance very frustrating, but loves her deep down. In the series, Spinel very much kept to himself-- the only people who he allows to touch him are Eriol, Ruby Moon, and Sakura. In the anime, when Spinel gets ahold of anything sugary, it makes him drunk and somewhat violent.
Kaho enters the series in a cloak of mystery-- Kero even suspects her to be Yue's false form, for a time. As it turns out, she was the bearer of the Moon Bell, which Sakura needed to defeat Yue in the Final Judgment. Flighty and forgetful, though often also mysterious, Kaho dated Touya the first time she was in Japan, but returns on Eriol's arm, to everyone's great surprise.
Sakura's classmates and teacher (from left): Rika Sasaki, Chiharu Mihara, Naoko Yanagisawa, Takashi Yamazaki, and Yoshiyuki Terada. Yamazaki is a perpetual liar, though his longtime girlfriend Chiharu always calls him out on this, often violently. Naoko is a dreamer, a writer, and a lover of the paranormal. Word of God says she has a long-distance boyfriend, but that chapter was cut from the manga. Rika is quiet, mature, and good at sewing and cooking, though most people know her because of her engagement to her teacher, Mr. Terada, who is himself a stern but friendly teacher.
No, I didn't make a profile for Sakura's grandpa, STFU Chi. The guy doesn't even have a first name, okay?
I don't know about anyone else, but I would do awful, awful things for you if you apped Eriol; I'm the only Eriol player that I know ffffffff. I would also be happy to provide scans/make icons/help with apps/anything like that for you if you want to app another one of the characters of course.
ETA:
Clow-mun (Chi) (7/29/2009 11:10:34 PM): Chi of course has a huge hard-on for any Yuki/Yues who might app, as well as any Touyas, but has a persistent dream of seeing Sakura's entire class (maybe with Terada-sensei?) in Poly.
So there you go. What else do I need to do to convince you? I will make up a silly dance. Really.
AND I FORGOT: This series is up on Onemanga again, though the scanlations leave much, much to be desired. And I think all/most of the anime is on Youtube.