When Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle ended, many people were left confused. Some readers had a lot of questions. Tsubasa World Chronicle doesn’t answer any of them. When i read this manga for the first time, i wrote, “Rather than attempting to wrap up any loose ends or mysteries of TRC, it feels more like CLAMP weren’t ready to part with the travelers and wanted to write one more adventure with them.” That still holds true, but was written before CLAMP developed such a habit of only writing “sequels” that add nothing to their parent story. It was a happier time in the CLAMP fandom.
That’s not to say TWC isn’t a good manga, because it is. It’s set in a fantasy version of the Ryukyu Islands, with CLAMP’s typical attention to cultural details. The story is about the interplay between life and death, in a world where the two are uniquely connected. The crux of the story is Syaoran’s desire to meet someone who was important to him in TRC once again, and whether that would ever be possible. I don’t want to say too much, as this series does contain spoilers for TRC. If you haven’t read Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, you should do that before reading this one. That said, Syaoran’s dilemma is poignant, and i wish i could discuss it in greater depth.
As usual with CLAMP manga, TWC interconnects with several of their other works. World Chronicle takes place after Reservoir Chronicle, obviously, and after the first three volumes of xxxHOLiC Rei. It features Gate 7 characters making their first crossover appearance, as well as Kujaku from RG Veda, who i’d been waiting for /years/ to see in Tsubasa. It’s not necessary to have read Gate 7 or RG Veda to understand TWC, but xxxHOLiC Rei is probably a good idea.
If you were frustrated with the ending of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, this sequel might not satisfy you. But if you enjoyed exploring the different worlds of the CLAMP multiverse, and seeing the way our heroes interact with each other, this’ll be a fun read. Just don’t expect it to resolve anything from TRC.