Spotlight Anime: Cardcaptor Sakura MAL Anime Information Page: Cardcaptor Sakura MAL Score – 8.20 (by 47010 users) Ranked - #286 Popularity - #106 For the next week I would like to have a discussion about the anime that focuses on the key elements that we here on MAL use to critically rate an anime: Animation, Sound, Characters, Story, and Enjoyment. I would like everyone to approach this thread as if you were going to write a review and structure your initial post like this: Animation - insert rating Sound - insert rating Characters - insert rating Story - insert rating Enjoyment - insert rating Animation - discuss any pros and cons of the animation styling used in the series, try to include some specifics. Sound - describe any of the things you liked or didn't care for in regards to the music and sound effects used in the series etc... If you are having trouble writing up a review or coming up with specific pros and cons, please don't worry. Just do the best you can with it and if you can only write two or three sentences about any of the 5 elements then that's OK. Not everyone here is currently at a level which will allow them to articulate their thoughts and opinions. After your initial post is made you can feel free to civilly discuss issues of contention. I am sure there will be many opinions expressed here that some of us will disagree upon and criticise and it is for that reason that this entire club exists. So I hope everyone has fun and I am really looking forward to watching this discussion unfold. RESULTS OF THE RESURRECTION YOU DECIDE POLL (08/11/2014) - Yes: 14 - No: 8 - I haven't watched this anime: 28 ~ Abstained: 5 ~ Ineligible: 0 This anime was NOT inducted into the club Anime list - 63.6% |
LindleFeb 20, 2016 2:28 PM
Current FAL Ranking + Previous best::  [ |
| First of all, do not take the English-dub bastardization as a representation of this anime. More than just ruining the characters with obnoxious voices, it completely changes the pacing of events around and even removes important plot elements and themes. ------- Cardcaptor Sakura is more than just a classic. It's more than just a title that's influential. It's an example of a series that was not afraid to take risks and defy common conventions of the genre in order to maximize quality. There are small differences such as Sakura changing outfits each episode by normal means instead of transformation, and major deviations like the role of a male deuteragonist. The anime starts off with a simple monster-of-the-week formula but soon evolves into something much more. For one, the mahou shoujo plotline does take off and improve exponentially later into the story, but this isn't so much a magical girl anime as it is a romance. The relationship between Sakura and Li becomes increasingly prominent as the story progresses and even side characters have their feelings explored in detail. Shoujo series are a bit infamous for their overly-idealized and sudden romances but Cardcaptor Sakura is again an exception. There is certainly idealizing, sparkles and bubbles, but the depth is there. The feelings between Sakura and Li naturally grow and evolve over the course of the series, with no contrived events used to advance their relationship. There is not even a confession by the end of the 70-episode run, yet there is no need for one as the anime has already communicated how strongly the two feel for each other. Character interaction and body language are used to express this-- not conveniences followed by dramatic outcomes. The end result is one of the most natural and endearing romances in anime. As a mahou shoujo it is good, but as a romance it is excellent. Despite its young demographic and reputation as a family-friendly anime, there are also some surprisingly taboo topics that are covered in the anime. There's the forbidden love between teacher and student and homosexual feelings between two important characters. The anime does not use any of these elements as shock value, though, simply presenting them as-is with no moral connotation. 'Love' is the main theme of CCS and the amount of detail put into the relationships of even periphery character is certainly commendable. And while music is a much more subjective topic, I do believe that CCS has one of the most appealing and eminent soundtracks in anime. Music is often used to set the mood and enhance emotional value, and CCS does an exceptional job at that. Still, there a few flaws that hold the anime back from reaching its full potential. My main gripe is that the large episode count is a bit too much for the anime to handle at times, and as a result it can occasionally feel repetitive (especially when certain spell cards resemble past ones). There's enough substance to make each and every episode feel unique, though I can't help but wonder how much more compact the pacing would be with a 50-episode count instead. But can one really complain much when the story and characterization are so brilliantly executed? Cardcaptor Sakura is certainly a lot more lighthearted than what's typically inducted here, but being perhaps the best mahou shoujo anime, it definitely deserves a spot in the club relations. An easy yes from me. |
VeroninFeb 8, 2013 7:48 AM
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| http://myanimelist.net/blog.php?eid=95543 So I guess this Blog post will finally be of use. As for my thoughts on Cardcaptor, the answer is that unfortunately it hasn't aged well. Answering why would lead us back into the argument about the anime industry killing itself with overused material and genre specific plot designs, but going down that path would be unproductive, so I'll just start discussing some of the aspects of CCS that I thought were interesting enough to deviate it from the hoard of other Magical Girl series. CCS plays the homosexual card fairly early on in the series and uses it as a running joke throughout most of the series in regards to Li. However the humor does well to highlight the sexual ambiguity that many adolescents go through during puberty as they sort through their feelings and preferences. In this regard, the show is both informative and helpful to children who might be going through similar difficulties. There were some aspects of Sakura's character that were also very interesting, but I've really forgotten what. In my memory She is a standard moe lead, in Mahou shoujo work. In fact she is the epitome of MOE and certainly one of the driving characters that have propagated the "kawaii" craziness that now posses many otaku's pure and or indecent minds. I wouldn't go as far as to say that CCS and the character Sakura created the craze, but it certainly is a good example of series that has become an archetype for countless other magic series since. Is that enough to consider it special? Veronin mentioned a few aspects that I'd agree with. Specifically, the character development between Sakura and Li was developed extremely well for this type of story. I also agree that the episode count at times began to make the series feel very redundant. Find a card, defeat it, collect it. The formula is unchanging and probably one of the hardest aspects to overcome. Proving that it does is essential, if this series is to be considered for induction. Another downfall to longer series are the many filler episodes, of which CCS had a few. Sakura's development away form the cliche character design, isn't explored until she's introduced in other CLAMP universe series, where we get to see her grown up. Those aspects cannot be considered for this series, thereby making it more difficult to prove that Sakura was a dynamic character. Of course, there is an argument to be made pertaining to the emotional aspect of Sakura's character being dynamic. Li's character is certainly the strongest argument I think the series has in regards to a dynamic character development. The art of the series was good and the animation was also of high production, being Madhouse that's not a surprise. The main character designs are the weak point yet again, excluding the cards, which had many interesting designs. The line work was good, and the animation isn't as dated as some might imagine, but the production of Sakura happened right around the time that software began becoming much more sophisticated, aiding in the production quality. The music I've forgotten so I just won't comment. I don't remember if the series continued to recycle certain musical scores over and over, giving that feeling of redundancy. Most likely it did during the battle sequences? I'm leaning towards a no vote on the grounds that I don't think the series is excellent enough to be crowned the "Best Mahou Shoujo" or CLAMP's best manga adaptation. Madhouse and friends certainly did a great job though, of taking the source material and turning it into a huge success in Japan. I suppose if you wanted to watch a Magic girl anime, CCS certainly wouldn't be a bad suggestion to someone interested in the genre. But overall, I wouldn't feel confident in recommending this series to many people, which speaks volumes when attempting to decide it's merit for induction. |
Orion1Feb 8, 2013 5:05 PM
| As far as most magical girl animes go, this is probably the one that I would watch multiple times. This coming from someone who doesn't care for the genre. I don't know why, I guess because of the character Sakura herself is what gives the show it's charm. |
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| Well, I'm about 20 episodes into CCS and I doubt I'll be able to complete it by the time the voting rolls around, so I'll drop a few of my general thoughts about the series so far. First off, the atmosphere of the show seems to be on the right track, with the magical elements oddly enough not feeling that overbearing compared to other mahou shoujos. Specifically, a lot of the events seem to revolve more around fleshing out elements of Sakura's life as well as her numerous relationships with the other characters. The Clow Cards still do play a role, but they are usually seamlessly integrated into the theme of each episodic plot, usually touching on an theme of growing up such as relationships or reality/illusions. As such, everything just seems to be paced very well, with the show managing to establish its own rhythm before the conflict is built up to its climax. Part of this probably stems from the show not wasting time on re-used animation such as 1-2 minute transformation scenes and capture segments. The reason for this being that Sakura has her battle costumes pre-made by her friend, Tomoyo. While this may seem like a minor aesthetic choice, in actuality it allows CCS to avoid a huge pitfall of the genre. Generally speaking, lengthy transformation scenes affect magical girl titles in terms of how much content they can cram into one episode, negatively affecting their pacing. As for the actual cast, they've been pleasant to watch so far due to their dynamics. Sakura in particular stands out (as she should considering she's the show's title character), and though I will admit she does have moe qualities, they do little to negatively detract from her characterization. If anything, her personality seems more in keeping with a young girl her age - elements such as her fascination with the world, schoolgirl-like crush and even somewhat bratty nature brings out her multiple facets. Her relationship with Tomoyo is also quite charming, as the two share a close bond with a lot of unspoken subtleties below the surface. For example, in the one episode where Sakura was going up against the Thunder Clow Card, Tomoyo prepared a special outfit made out of rubber to protect her against the electricity. It's just little moments such as this one that shows the closeness between the two girls and more specifically how well written the character dynamics are. Another element of the show which I'm finding rather interesting is the whimsical and mystical nature surrounding the different Clow Cards. Apart from their varied designs, each one seems to possess a unique personality that determines how they behave, leading to a certain degree of unpredictability. Still, this aspect lends itself quite well in terms how Sakura must find a method of capturing each one, whether this is by her own skills or using the abilities of another card in her inventory it keeps things feeling fresh. This is one area which I feel CCS excels at compared to most other mahou shoujos, since it makes extremely good use of the monster of the week formula, turning it into something that is exciting and strategic, rather than dull or repetitive. Last but not least are the production values, which while nothing outstanding for the time period are quite effective overall. While some of the directing is generally good, I'd say the soundtrack lends itself quite well in terms of crafting some of the show's stronger moments. Overall though, CCS seems to be on the right track as far as mahou shoujo titles are concerned. The characterization and dynamics of the main cast, along with the mysterious nature of the Clow Cards and excellent use of the monster of the week formula makes this stand strong as a mahou shoujo title. The show does have its weaker episodes where conflicts aren't built up as naturally or Sakura barely has to do anything to capture a Clow Card, but in general the show subverts a lot of the pitfalls with the genre. At the moment I'm leaning towards a "yes" on this one, though I'll see where I end up in about a week's time. |
Don_Don_KunFeb 10, 2013 7:25 PM
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| I'm now at the minimum voting mark, and considering I have 56 episodes until completion and 3 days before the vote starts, I figure now is as good a time as any to get a word in. Mostly, I echo points people have already made. As Veronin outlined, against the tradition of the Mahou Shoujo genre and despite it's fantastical plot elements, Cardcaptor Sakura is a surprisingly grounded series. It doesn't rely on flashy presentation or drama or world-saving high stakes to function - instead, it's a lighthearted and borderline slice-of-life series that happens to involve capturing magical cards. Though none of the characters themselves are anything special, the interactions between them are very down to earth and realistic. Finally, the CLow Cards themsleves are an excellent touch, both stylistically, and as DDK outlined above, in the unique personalities behind each card. Another thing I quite like about CCS is that despite being targeted at kids, it doesn't feel the need to baby the viewer and treat them like an idiot. For example, in many such shows, if there is a threat, no matter how obvious, the protagonists remain oblivious until it's spelled out for them (Pokemon is easily the biggest offender for this). However, the moment something seems amiss in CCS, the first thing that usually comes to Sakura and Kero's minds is the presence of a Clow Card. As also mentioned, though, there are two definitive flaws here: the repetitive nature of the episodes, and the sheer count of them. Even at this point the plot seems repetitive, and though it has remained entertaining throughout, I'm doubtful my opinion will be the same 56 episodes later. In theory this is a decisive flaw, but I'll have to see it with my own eyes first. For now, I'm not really sure about my vote, so I'll abstain - though I may switch to a yes if the poll is cutting it sufficiently close. |
| I will briefly list the reasons why I like this show in bullet points - Aside from some of the reoccurring gags like Touya's jobs (which we all know he knows what's been going on for a very long time), this show models very realistic characters and families. The single parent family is portrayed very well, and to be frank, I am a bit jealous of their family. - I found the Syaoron's feelings very realistic as well as his behaviors simply based on character and age. - Overall, I really liked the episodes which have nothing to do with cards. For instance the grandfather episode was spectacular. After scanning (quickly) through the comments, I found that the repetitive episodes seem to be an issue with many. I think most viewers already knows the ending and structure of card capturing episode, but we watch how it is done. - All the opening songs were awesome. - Lastly, Syaoron isn't Japanese! Remark: Syaoron must be pretty smart to speak Japanese so fluently at his age... |
| Even when I was in crowd, I was always alone |
| Continuing from my last post, a few of my thoughts regarding the second half of the show and my final verdict on CardCaptor Sakura. In terms of the second half of the show, it did change things up a bit from the first since Sakura had already captured all of the Clow Cards, making the plot much more linear. While this direction may have initially seemed beneficial to the pacing of the series, it actually did the opposite since there were some events which felt dragged out. The whole conflict with Clow Reed testing Sakura could have easily reached its conclusion sooner since there were quite a few filler-type episodes which served little purpose (such as the one with Sakura in Wonderland or Kero meeting the other familiar). Then there was the fact that certain plot events kept getting prolonged for the sole sake of maintaining tension, which became frustrating considering how easily the plot progression was stalled. The main case I'm referring to here was Sakura's brother Toya who knew about Yukito's identity, yet somehow never got the chance to tell him this since there was always that annoying girl interrupting him. One would think that after the first few times he would have caught on and approached Yukito in a more secluded space or just continued his questioning right after she left. It's just one of the unfortunate things that comes with long running series I guess (prolonging the inevitable for as long as possible), and it stood out like a sore thumb in CCS' case. However, that's not to say that the second half of the show was of a lesser quality than the first since there were still a handful of strong moments, most of which involved the blossoming relationship between Sakura and Shaoran. Seeing Shaoran eventually realize his feelings for Sakura was not only heartwarming, but tasteful as well. This was definitely the aspect which sold the show for me during the second half, as the development of relationships between the characters felt incredibly natural and believable. Best of all was that the main theme (which in this case was love) tied in strongly to how the show depicted multiple types of relationships. Whether they were heterosexual, homosexual or a familial bond, CCS portrayed them all in the same light, never attempting to downplay any type of love. Sakura's development into a more independent girl towards the end of the series was also handled quite well. What I appreciated the most about her transition was that it didn't completely change the fundamentals of her character, but rather showed how elements of her personality had gradually matured. Although Sakura was still the same sweet, naive girl we saw in the first episode, she now had a better understanding of her own abilities and relationships. As a result, she had certainly grown as a person, but was still very much a child - something the show did an excellent job of conveying through her characterization. All in all, CCS is a superb example of a classic mahou shoujo done right. Although it doesn't exactly deviate from its rather predictable plot formula, the likable characters, subtle yet touching handling of the main themes and overall charm makes this a definite "Yes" from me. |
Don_Don_KunAug 15, 2013 7:38 PM
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| I want to address the issue of repetitiveness (or so the lack of it). I'm currently at episode 24 and I got to say: CCS hardly feels repetitive at all. Even if the episodes are based around capturing a card, it's the diversity between the cards that makes up for new things every-time. I heard the show changes style in the second part, but I'm not there yet. |
| -Fixing- |
| I had to write this comment again because my computer hates me. Commenting based on what I remember: Animation: It still holds up to this day, almost 20 years after it was made, and even looks better than some more recent shows. Of course, it does have the omnipresent Clamp anatomy, but I chalk that up to art style more than anything. Even if the animation isn't flawless, the show is still very easy on the eyes. 8/10 Sound: Pretty solid all-around. The music does a good job of conveying the atmosphere. The opening and ending themes are decent, and the voice actors do a good job when it comes to portraying their characters. 7/10 Characters: Probably the show's best aspect, in my opinion. The characters are all endearing in their own way. Some might say that the characters are depicted in too idealistic a manner, but it works. They are well-developed and are pretty engaging. 8/10 Story: Nothing special. The story plays out pretty much like how you'd expect it to. It doesn't stand out by itself. I do give it credit though for not getting repetitive despite every episode having the same formula. The romance is cute too, I guess. Disregarding that one subplot from the manga. 6/10 Enjoyment: Hard to rate this, to be honest. It is what it is. And what it is is a very well-made show for its target audience, but the problem is that I am not in the target audience. However, since I gave its aspects a good rating, it does have a certain amount of appeal for those outside the target audience, but I'm not sure about how I feel about the show as a whole. Maybe I should rewatch it. Undecided/10 Overall, I rated this show a 9/10 on the poll, even if I don't know how much I should rate it based on enjoyment. Despite being for little girls, it excels enough at what it sets out to do, to the extent that even people outside the target audience can find stuff to like about it. I can see why this show remains influential to this day. |
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