Graffart has had another collab and this time it Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Edition

Clear Card Chapter 76 Analysis

HELLO!!!

I am so sorry for the lateness on this chapter review! I was on vacation when chapter 76 came out, and honestly…I completely forgot about my analysis after that. I made a mental note to do it when I returned from vacation, and that mental note obviously did not last (DAMN MY ADHD!!). Anyways, I also found myself busy looking into a lot of big life development things! For example, this week, I am officially adopting this beautiful fur baby and bringing her home!

Her name is Diana, and I hope y’all don’t mind if I spam my social medias a bit with pictures of her once she is home. Here is my gif of the month!

CLAMP never ceases to draw stunning color pages each month, and this one is no exception! I’m not surprised to see Akiho here, but I gotta say, she looks quite nice in green! I love the lily flowers in her design and it seems to be a really nice connection made to her mother, Lillie. Other than that, it seems to be a rather basic portrait of Akiho in elegant clothes.

The chapter starts with the group at Yukito’s house. The video feed from the cameras Tomoyo left them with has unsurprisingly cut out with Sakura and Syaoran entering the space where Kaito is trapped. Tomoyo asks if they just lost reception in there (I honestly find this question pretty funny), but Eriol chimes in and states that this is not the case. He lets everyone know that before the feed cut out, he did manage to see the inside of the space for a brief moment, and based on the sight of those broken clocks, he suspects this place isn’t just one with halted time, but broken time. Now, you might be wondering what this means exactly. My theory is that it means time doesn’t function normally in this space. I imagine events in time are probably twisted together or nonexistent. After all, Kaito essentially had to break time to change it, so this doesn’t really surprise me. It seems to be, from what I can tell, at least isolated to this space, but it’s unclear what kind of damage it could do if it weren’t.

Syaoran looks around at the space and tells Sakura that there doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with the watch itself and that it only looks to be broken in appearance due to the pressure placed upon it. Sakura clutches at her head and seems to wince in pain. Syaoran asks her if she is all right, and she seems to have discomfort in head. He explains to her that the spell around them is strong enough to make an influence on her physically, and when asked, he admits that even he is feeling it (Syaoran I imagine has a much higher pain tolerance and hides it well). However, it seems that without the watch to guide them, they most certainly would have gotten lost. Sakura smiles and claims that this is as if Akiho herself is guiding them.

Sakura takes the watch back now that it has seemingly served its purpose and looks the trapped dragon Kaito. She says to him that she doesn’t know how to address him since she does not know his name, but that she feels the watch in her hand has a connection to him. She tries to ask him if the watch feels connected to him purely because of having the same magic power or if he is the owner of the watch. Dragon Kaito obviously doesn’t respond, but Sakura takes the moment to ask Syaoran, who has impeccable magical senses particularly for moon magic, if the magic that made the false moon is the same magic coming from the watch. Syaoran focuses in on this and advises her that they are not of the same magic and that something is different. I’m honestly really happy to see Sakura utilizing Syaoran’s skills and knowledge here. She herself is very intuitive and able to figure out things naturally, but that can’t entirely replace the level of training and experience Syaoran has, so I’m glad CLAMP has really made use of that here. Sakura deduces that the cage itself around dragon Kaito also feels different from the magic in the watch, so she comes to the correct conclusion that he is not here willingly and is locked up in here by someone else (-cough- Squid Clan -cough-).

Looking into dragon Kaito’s eyes, Sakura senses a familiarity that she recognizes it not simply because she saw him in a dream. Moreover, she recognizes that these eyes once watched over Akiho. Sakura reaches her hand out and tells him that he can’t stay here and to come with her, but before she can proceed further, the warped clocks around them appear to react, and Syaoran is quick to move and protect her with his thunder attack.

Meanwhile, in the Tsukishiro home, everyone is waiting patiently for some sort of update. Akiho seems to be the most focused and determined of the bunch, making sure she’s ready to go in case Sakura calls for them. Everyone smiles and Yukito says that he is happy they have each other.

Back in the fake moon space, Syaoran is fending off the attacks and tells Sakura that he doesn’t think his spells will be able to break the cage around the dragon, but he will protect her while she figures out how to break through. Sakura remembers Momo’s message to her through the RECORD card that there are other cards left behind and waiting for her to call their names. As she looks down at Kaito’s watch, she thinks about her mother’s watch and remembers seeing a card that looked just like it, though she doesn’t remember making it. She calls out for TIME and smiles seeing it, as this was a card she feels she and her mother, Nadeshiko, made together (that’s a sweet way to look at it!).

Sakura calls for the card to break the ‘cage frozen in time’, and this seems to do the trick in breaking it. It makes sense that this cage was built from time considering where they are and the very type of spell that triggered this trap in the first place. So it seems logical that time would be the thing to break it. I think even Kaito himself once said that spells could be broken more easily when you used time magic.

The cage breaks and Kaito spreads his wings in freedom! Sakura and Syaoran quickly look for an exit and starts towards it, but when they look back, they notice that dragon Kaito isn’t following them.

However, before they get much opportunity to think about why, there seems to be an attack coming from above. And OH BOY does this attack look familiar. It actually looks to be exactly the same as chapter 33 when Kaito fended off that attack from the Clan and Association! It would make complete sense to me that this was an attack from them considering how dangerous Kaito is to them. Certainly they don’t want him escaping his punishment.

I think things are really going to ramp up action wise in the next chapter, and I do think as well that Akiho’s part is very near. I have a feeling Kaito wasn’t just staying where he was to avoid attacks from the Association and Clan but also because he doesn’t feel he deserves to. And who of all people but Akiho could convince him of his worth and to come out? I’m looking forward to seeing how this goes and what sort of repercussions will arise from dragon Kaito entering Tomoeda!

I will try to make sure I post the next analysis soon after the next chapter comes out here and won't leave y'all hanging! I can't wait for the next one!

Sun and Moon

yakuza 3 (2009)

Aki-chan ❤️

What're Akiho's and Kaito's English names are going to be like Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Arc got dubbed by Nelvana? I could see Akiho's English name being Selina but i'm not sure about Kaito

Aaahh, I'm not very familiar with the Nelvana dub aside from watching some (cringy) bits and what US American friends told me about it... So I have no idea what was their criteria to rename the characters. If it's anything like in the Italian 90's tradition, they'd keep at least the first letter of the Japanese name (but I don't think they did that cause I know for example Tomoyo was renamed as Madison).

Selina for Akiho, you say? I'm not sure, for some reason I associate Selina to a bitchy character 😂 maybe they'd name her Alice and spoil the whole association with Alice in Clockland later 😂

Kaito... I dunno, Kyle?? Sounds similar 😂

Akiho spitting facts

Cardcaptor sakura (good jakura au) recast (cardcaptor tee clear card)

Cardcaptor Sakura Kinomoto-Tee Myng Li

Warrior Syaoran Li-Zane Stonewell

Elemental Jinjing Lu-Roy Rosebud

Cardcaptor Akiho Shinomoto-Wesley Osborne

Warrior Aiguo Tao-Schroeder Chapire

Elemental Sumire Oshiro-Jack Frost

Fighter Meiling Li-Ajax Budrose

Djinn Jay Lu-Mike Tergrell

Cardhunter Jakura Fukumoto-Vee Count Teecula

Cardhunter Fukura Minomoto-Troshi (warioware)

Djinn Lingling Lu-Rainbow Rina

Fighter Shieran Li-AJ Rosebud

Cardcaptor Tomoyo Daidouji-Rudy Gertrell

Elemental Sarah Jones-Ulysses Tork

Warrior New Amitie Stroh-Fred Sullivan

Fluffy brindle gang 🐻♥️😎🐻♥️😎🐻♥️😎

Shougetsu, Seiji & Sumire Go Senshi Shimai FCI

ccs: clear card ☆

❀ ヒトリジメ ❀

Clear Card Chapter 75 Analysis

Omg, Chrissy posting a chapter analysis in a reasonable amount of time! It’s like a Christmas miracle in July! Now that I am mostly moved into my new place and am in a better place emotionally, I actually have the time to sit down and get this done quickly! I apologize for the delays the past two months, and I appreciate y’all being patient with not just that, but the lack of posts in general. I know I’ve been more quiet than usual for sure, and I’d like to get back to being more active on here.

This chapter was really fun in a lot of ways, but we also get a nice cliffhanger that isn’t entirely surprising. But nonetheless, I’m hyped and so ready for future chapters! Without further ado, let’s dig into chapter 75!

As usual, I will start off by talking about the color page. Omgggggg, I love this one. CLAMP gave us the colors for these new outfits immediately (the fanartists are grateful), and I love the similarity to this and the cover for chapter ____. Syaoran still has a serious expression, but certainly looks more serious than emotionless like the Kaito black cat version. And Sakura is actually smiling in this one as opposed to her almost confused expression in the previous chapter. The moon seems to replace the gears for the most part here, and this is symbolic as the moon itself becomes very important in this chapter! We also have Kaito’s clock face in this image, which is important for obvious reasons.

The chapter itself begins with Sakura revealing her Dream wand. It is not familiar to anyone of course, but Sakura stated to have found the key alongside her star key, and she felt it was important to use this one, especially as she and the others could sense that this was made with her magic. It seems logical to all that this staff existed prior to the world being rewritten.

 Tomoyo advises both Sakura and Syaoran that the ear cuffs they are wearing are transmitters that will allow them to talk to each other. Moreover, they can be used to send audio and video to her tablet. Nakuru is impressed by the technology, but I never cease to be amused by Tomoyo’s never ending desire to capture literally everything on film. Hahahaha.

 Sakura then pulls out the FLY card and uses it on Syaoran, which sprouts the wings that we’ve become familiar seeing on him. However, this is a surprise to everyone else, who of course doesn’t remember any of this from the previous timeline. Also, CAN I JUST SAY HOW HAPPY I AM THAT WE STILL GET WINGED SYAO?!! I was honestly a little depressed thinking we wouldn’t see any more of that. Lol. Kero asks why Sakura is using the FLY card on him and what she will do for herself. Sakura states that Momo told her that there were other cards that haven’t disappeared, and she calls upon FLIGHT (yay!!!). FLIGHT is honestly probably the best card of the Clear Cards, so I am stoked to see this card particularly returning. It is the only one from this deck that has really shown clear emotions and personality, and it’s so cute!!

 Eriol seems impressed and through Nakuru’s phone can see the new card. He can tell it is made from Sakura’s magic and Kaho mentions that it is also Sakura’s summoning circle. With that, Sakura steps up to Akiho and asks to borrow her pocket watch for a bit. She willingly passes it along and claims she will be right back before she and Syaoran fly up into the air.

 The couple has a beautiful scene in the sky with the moon in the background, and Sakura thanks Syaoran for coming along. He thanks her in return, but specifically for saying that he is her favorite person in the world. OMG, HOW CUTE CAN THESE TWO BE, SERIOUSLY?! I could not help but gush for a moment and just felt a warmth in my heart. But I absolutely love what Sakura says next. She says that when she found out the world had been rewritten, she thought to herself that if she had something to say, it was important to say it, because then even if the world was rewritten again, the words would still have been said and would live in their hearts. This kind of explains why Sakura has been a little more assertive in what she wants to say in the past few chapters, but I also think this is an important and beautiful message in general for everyone. We should all say what we want to say while we can, because they will live on in our hearts no matter what happens after.

While Tomoyo, Kero, Suppi, Nakuru, and Yuki are watching on the tablet, Touya speaks alone with Akiho. He tells her that despite Sakura’s flaws (which are hardly flaws but just silly teasing remarks), that she always carries out the things she says she is going to do. So if she has promised to find Akiho’s missing person, then she will. He is likely saying this to Akiho so she will be reassured that everyone will come out of this safely. So all they have to do is wait for Sakura to call them…together. He gives her a little pat on the head, and this is just such a sweet little moment between brother and sister.

 Meanwhile, the rest of them are watching the ‘livestream’ of Sakura and Syaoran and just caught the cute interaction between the two. They comment on how livid Touya would’ve been if he had heard the conversation, and Kero and Suppi find themselves starting to pity Touya as a result. Lmaaoo. I guess it’s a blessing he didn’t overhear any of it.

 Sakura and Syaoran are up in the air and discuss how they will go about finding Kaito, and Sakura says that she feels power inside of it, but that it doesn’t belong to anyone she knows. They come to the conclusion that it must belong to ‘the one who is missing’ and that it will lead them to him. Syaoran summons his rashinban and tells Sakura to place the pocket watch on it. She does as asked and Syaoran uses his locating spell. This has been a spell established in the original series as something he could do. In the Sakura card arc, Syaoran attempted to find Eriol via the coat he left behind on the feverish Sakura, and he mentioned this spell when Sakura transformed the SHADOW card at the school to locate Tomoyo (he couldn’t in the end since they didn’t have anything left behind by Tomoyo). The way the spell works though is that Syaoran can locate a person with an object of theirs that is left behind, and I’m so glad we finally get to see him use this spell successfully!

However, the result is rather unexpected. The rashinban shoots out a beam of light that points directly towards the moon. Syaoran assumes this must be a mistake because there are traces of moon magic in the pocket watch, and that perhaps this is why it is pointing towards the moon. This is logical, however Sakura then advises that his tracking spell is actually correct, and that what they are seeing isn’t the real moon. Syaoran is naturally confused by this, but Sakura acts immediately by summoning the SWORD card and slices right through the illusion. 

This seems to open up a portal to where they want to go. Watching from England, Kaho and Eriol are commenting on how magic of this level would have taken the combined power of many sorcerers, but that Sakura was able to see right through it within seconds. She has certainly grown powerful, but Eriol states that this was not power she grew unconsciously but rather through sheer will. If she wants something done, her magic will guide her and do what she wants. It’s a good thing Sakura is such a pure and good human being. Can you imagine what someone with evil intend would do with that kind of power? Makes me shiver thinking about it…

 Sakura and Syaoran have no idea what awaits them on the other side, but nonetheless they bravely go in together and without hesitation. The space they enter almost looks like a crazy Salvador Dali painting with warped clock parts all around them. I think this space symbolizes Kaito’s ‘time’. His lifespan is now a bunch of warped clock pieces that are broken apart (this is my theory at least). The beam of light from Syaoran’s rashinban continues to guide them, however where it ends is certainly unexpected. At the end of the light is...the dragon (the one we’ve seen from Sakura’s dreams) curled up asleep within a gyroscope of sorts. It seems to be trapped, and due to the light pointing at it, reason would deduce that the dragon is Kaito’s current form (likely a result of the curse put upon him by the Association and Akiho’s clan). Now, many of us have had theories that the dragon would ultimately turn out to be Kaito due to the dragon symbols that appeared in the corners of the ‘storybook’ formatting of his past as told by Momo. However, there was never any certainty until now. I can’t say I’m surprised, but I’m glad that we finally are getting some answers.

The only thing we need to know now is…well, what happens now? What will happen if they free and wake up dragon Kaito? Will he be violent and cause destruction? Will he remember who he is? And naturally…how in the world do they get him back to who he was? My current theory is that he will escape and enter Tomoeda, just like the first dream Sakura had about Kaito. I also believe that initially he will not remember who he is and cause destruction, but that Akiho will be the one to bring him back to himself. I also still think Syaoran will have some role here as CLAMP seems to have implied it, but we’ll see exactly what that is. I am extremely excited though to see where this goes, and I anticipate major drama in the next chapter! Let’s gooooooooooooooooo!!!!

Sun and the moon (WIP)

flipped so you can see the artwork, intended comp under the cut

yakuza 3 (2009)

feelin' a bit under the weather atm. have some Akiho.