Manga: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle

[Buffalobiian]

http://img379.imageshack.us/img379/6779/tsubasavolume1.jpg
Sakura is the princess of Clow kingdom, which is ruled by her older brother, King Toya. Her childhood friend Syaoran is a young archaeologist. Sakura is revealed to have strange powers when she has a vision of a mysterious symbol and places she has never seen. Meanwhile, Syaoran discovers the same symbol at the ruins he is excavating. He sees Sakura standing on the symbol on the ground. Ghostly wings appear on her back and a mysterious force begins to pull her into the walls of the ruins. Syaoran rescues her in time, but her wings are scattered across dimensions. The High Priest of Clow Kingdom, Yukito, immediately realizes that Sakura's "wings" were the manifestation of her soul and memories; without them, she will die. In order to save Sakura, Syaoran must journey to retrieve her wing's feathers, the fragments of her memories. (Sakura. Syaoran, Toya, Yukito and the Clow comes from another Clamp anime series, Cardcaptor Sakura)

Yukito sends Syaoran and the unconscious Sakura to the Dimensional Witch, Yuko, who is one of the main characters in xxxHolic. There he meets Kurogane, a rough-mannered ninja banished from his world by Princess Tomoyo, and Fay D. Flourite, a magician who fled his world to avoid King Ashura. Each of them must pay with what he values most in order to gain the power to cross dimensions. For Kurogane, it is his sword Ginryu, and for Fay, it is the tattoo on his back which regulates his control of his magic. Syaoran, on the other hand, must pay with his relationship with Sakura: even if he is able to retrieve all of her memories, she will never remember anything about him or their relationship. (This sacrifice also pays Sakura's "toll" to Yuko, because what Sakura values most are her memories of and with Syaoran.) Only when the three agree to her terms does Yuko present them with the power to cross dimensions; a white creature named Mokona Modoki.

While traversing through worlds to find Sakura's feathers, the four travellers and Mokona are forced to overcome many dangers and opponents, some of whom are figures from Syaoran's past who wish to collect Sakura's feathers for their own reasons as they are seen to be objects that hold great power.

The manga adopts darker and more complex tones in the latter half of the story.

Because of the crossover characters with xxxHolic, the two manga occasionally intertwine with each other.

~Manga Traders

Files available here: http://www.mangatraders.com/manga/series/255

Anyone following this besides me and Zell?

Newest chapter (216) was confusing. The magic circle lead me to believe the two in the jar are Sakura and Syaoran from Card Captor Sakura, but them appearing in Tsubasa clothing was a weird one.

Overall though, still very enjoyable. It'd be even better if we bounce ideas off each other, for those who can get their head around this :S.

[RyougaZell]

And yes. Those are CCS Sakura and Syaoran.
Their wish to Yuuko, in order to help their son, had them pay with their lives literally. Their time was rewinded and they were trapped within the tube. So, therefore, the Sakura and Syaoran at the very beginning of the manga are those of CCS.

Yuuko explained how their relatives left them in her care. Touya and Yukito.

[Buffalobiian]

Ah, that explains Touya and Yukito's frame.

I started with the anime, then went over to the the manga though....so I guess I missed the beginning of that. I might just pop over back to chap 1 to see what happened.

[RyougaZell]

The manga doesn't really show that much in the beginning different from the anime. It took all by surprise, the sudden twist.

But it also clearly explains how Watanuki (xxxHOLiC) is parentless, for Sakura and Syaoran are trapped. Remember that Watanuki was 'born' with the wish that sent Syaoran to the other kingdom, in order to rewind time. In escence... he is half of the real Syaoran Jr (his real name was never released...)

Overall this manga has been an interesting fanservice. I wish Chapter 217 was coming out this week, but CLAMP decided to take yet another break after a major chapter. Damn them.

Both Tsubasa and xxxHoLiC are scheduled to end this year, before CLAMP debutes their new shoujo manga.

Wish they decided to continue X already instead...

[RyougaZell]

Wow... just wow...

This page on xxxHoLiC held a LOT of impact

http://onemanga.com/xxxHolic/177/08/

[Buffalobiian]

Yeah. Bit late now, but I guess reading xxxHolic and Tsubasa Chronicles in parallel would have been the way to go. That settles it that it's CCS Sakura and Syaoran for me now.

[RyougaZell]

You do know WHO Watanuki really is, do you Bill?

[Buffalobiian]

You do know WHO Watanuki really is, do you Bill?

I can't quite remember. He was Syaoran's other half or something right? The shadow/clone created to take his place when he chose to reverse/freeze time to stay with 7yr old Sakura, hence he was seeing the mum and dad he never remembered in that scene.

Do correct me if I'm wrong.

[RyougaZell]

Correct! The essence left behind when Syaoran Jr wished to return time.
It held a LOT of impact for Watanuki to see them for the first time, even if he didn't recognize them, his body did.

Damn... I think I need to buy the Tsubasa manga now...

[RyougaZell]

Oh god.
Chapter 217.

I came...

[Buffalobiian]

I'm mindf*ed...

Okay...right now, right here, there are 2 Sakuras and 2 Syaorans.

1 pair was here originally (7yr old Sakura who's been frozen in time, and Son Syaoran)
2 others just appeared in a non-bloodied fashion (adult Sakura & Syaoran in Tsubasa clothing).

So now Adult Sakura had a dream where CCS Sakura gave her her staff....so..who's Adult Sakura?

I was confused at who made the containing spaces too, but it looks like:

Adult Sakura summoned one encasing her and 7yr old Sakura
CCS? Syaoran summoned one encasing him and his Son
Fye saw them and did likewise, protecting him, Kurogane and Mokono.

[RyougaZell]

I didn't really understood the part with the staff either. But it did seem like Adult Sakura dreamed about her own younger self from Junior High, since the clothes are the same from the CCS ending. Scratch that, I saw the scene again... its yet another Sakura, or the clone Sakura visiting CCS Adult Sakura in yet another paradox. But if Tsubasa also travels through time its plausible.

The growing number of Sakura's is overwhelming my brain... lol.

I think you nailed who summoned which space. Nice touch seeing Watanuki here as well.

And nothing can beat Sakura's "Zettai Daijoubu" phrase, even if got translated differently in both mangas. I believe they used "Everything will surely be alright" during the CCS subbing days.

[Buffalobiian]

he growing number of Sakura's is overwhelming my brain... lol.

Haha, same. After reading that, I tried remembering exactly what happened to each of the Sakuras we've met. I thought I nailed it down once, but now I'm not so sure (or I've forgotten).

7yr old Sakura is THE Tsubasa (aka Clow country) Sakura.
Real Sakura was a Sakura living in an alternate Clow country storyline when Son Syaoron froze the other timeline.
When Real Sakura fell through those ruins in the first few chapters, she went to Fei Wong, and was replaced by Clone Sakura. Clone Sakura was mistaken as the Real and journeyed along with them. If memory serves right, she died in the Nippon arc, right?

Real Syaoron was sent to Clow Kingdom because his Dad told him to. He met 7yr old Sakura, froze time, and chose to keep reliving it, right? He left to find a way to save 7yr old Sakura and got captured by Fei Wong.

Fei Wong created a clone of him, and sent Clone Syaoran ??back??

This back part was one that I didn't quite get. Where did he send him? Because when he got sent there, time was moving. The architect adopted him, they met "little Real Sakura" for the first time and so on......

Was that really some alternate timeine? I don't get the connection between that Clow Kingdom and the one that keeps repeating the same day.
-----------------------------
I also forgot the reason why when Fye/Kurogane showed up at timelocked-Clow Kingdom, with each repeating cycle, the number of citizens decreased.....

/brainmelt

This manga needs a guidebook.

[RyougaZell]

I wonder if any of this connections have anything to do with the small Sakura that appeared on the Tokyo Arc in the OVAS (she wasn't in the manga)


Ok... my own take on the Sakura's and Syaoran's.

CCS Sakura - The Adult one on Chapter 217 who had her timed rewinded in order to aid her son.
Real Sakura - The Princess of Clow Country, daughter to Fujitaka and Nadeshiko. Her time was frozen at 7 years old.
Clone Sakura - The Sakura living at Cloned Clow Country where her father was Clow himself. She was used to break the feathers of Real Sakura, Clone Syaoran thought they belonged to the real one. This Sakura has been collecting the memories of the real Sakura.
Unknown Sakura - The one that traveled in time to hand Adult Sakura her staff.

CCS Syaoran - The father of the current Syaoran.He had his time rewinded to aid his son.
Real Syaoran - Son of CCS Sakura and Syaoran. He met Real Sakura while traveling through the worlds. When Real Sakura's time was frozen, his wish allowed time to be stopped, thanks to his parents and Yuuko, but was eventually captured by Fei Wong Reed and imprisioned.
Clone Syaoran - The one sent to live on Cloned Clow Country, brainwashed to collect the feathers.


So in a way... the Cloned Clow Country is falling apart, that is why the people are dissapearing. Why is it on the loop? Maybe because all the magic here is breaking its structure.

One thing... Real Syaoran's time didn't stop, for he grew while being imprisione... yet Real Sakura's time still remains frozen, as she hasn't aged. Will Tsubasa end with Syaoran getting his time rewinded again? Or will Sakura suddenly age? What will happen to Watanuki?

I wonder what Eriol and Fujitaka (CCS) think about all this mess. Or if Cerberus and Yue accepted this outcome. Well... I guess Yue should have at least... since Yukito, alongside Touya, left the case with Yuuko.

[Buffalobiian]

Chap 218 (http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/218/)
Chap 219 (http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/219/)

Well this doesn't really clear up any previous questions, but at least it only added one more.

Clow's sign - I wonder if that's the same one as CCS Sakura's. If that's the case, then it just means her sign was obscured from Fei Wong's view by Syaoran(s).

Weird thing is, if that was the case though, CCS Sakura could have helped them out all along during that fight instead of waiting till the last minute. Fye showed you can work magic outside of your sphere, but I guess it's quite taxing.

The alternative is that somehow Son Syaoran developed the ability to use Clow's sign, and somehow applied it to all his allies. From memory, his pervious shows of magic didn't show a magic circle, so it's not necessarily the same as his dad's.

Anyway, it was some good flashy magic chapters.

[Buffalobiian]

How it all started:

Chap 220 (http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_reservoir_chronicles/220/)

[RyougaZell]

Please do excuse me while I embarass myself squealing like a fangirl.

Chapter 222 features Hikaru, Umi and Fuu!! WOOT!!!!

Nice way to 'end' their story. Now onto the originals...

There is just something very awesome to see two of my favorite clamp girls together in the same manga... Sakura and Hikaru...

[Buffalobiian]

I didn't recognise them, since I only just jumped on board I guess.

But damn, I like this chapter, short as it was. Particularly p398. Those eyes....<3

[RyougaZell]

Hikaru, Umi and Fuu are the main characters of Magic Knight Rayearth, the anime responsible for me liking anime. :D

And yeah, I also liked page 398... heck... the chapters is full of win...

I don't think xxxHOLiC has much longer to go either... with Yuuko dying.

[Buffalobiian]

Well, it's been said before that that xxxHolic and Tsubasa are going to end together, but since Yuuko is so much more a central character in that manga, I wonder how the story will conclude without her alive till the very end.

Or do they not run in EXACT parallel? (ie this week's Holic chapter covering the exact same events in this week's Tsubasa, just in their timeline).

I'd be so much fun cosplaying this manga too. The wardrobe set is enormous, possibly only beaten by CLAMP's own Card Capter Sakura costume set.

[RyougaZell]

Well... they sometimes do go on exact parallel... but taking into account that xxxHOLiC releases erratically once or twice a month, contrary to Tsubasa's weekly publication (when they aren't taking constant breaks that is...)...

We'll probably get at least 5 more chapters of xxxHOLiC wraping Watanuki's story versus 10 to 15 chapters of Tsubasa wrapping up the battle with Fei Wong Reed and Syaoran's reunion with Sakura.

I also wish to see more of CCS Sakura and Syaoran...

Lets see... the series is finishing... so I guess its safe to assume this 'main' characters of other series never appeared on Tsubasa:
- Suu from Clover
- Kobato from... Kobato
- Main guys from Clamp Campus Paranormal Investigators

I don't remember who else... this very chapter finally added Hikaru.

We've seen Kamui and Fuuma (X), Akira (20 Menso ni Onegai), the Detective Trio (Clamp Campus Detectives), Chunnyan (Legend of Chunyan?), Chi (Chobits), Misaki and Hikaru (Angelic Layer... although the Deus only in backgrounds), Sakura (CCS... obviously...), Watanuki (xxxHOLiC) and probably some more I don't remember...

I need to buy this manga...

[RyougaZell]

ARGH!!!

They just HAD to do that didn't they? They just had to create that uber complex paradox didn't they??

http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/223/
Chapter 223 made my brain die.

[Buffalobiian]

ARGH!!!

They just HAD to do that didn't they? They just had to create that uber complex paradox didn't they??

http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/223/
Chapter 223 made my brain die.

This is weird. So Clone Syaoran and Clone Sakura got sent to another universe/time where they gave birth to Syaoran. Syaoran grows up and will encounter Clow Sakura and start the Tsubasa Chronicle storyline again.

The ones who came to help, the ones who locked themselves up all this time....I thought they were C.C. Sakura and C.C. Syaoran? Plus, they don't look the same.

[RyougaZell]

Forgive the paradox as I TRY to explain this.

- Alternate Sakura is born on Alternate Earth
- Alternate Syaoran is born on Alternate Earth
- Alternate Sakura knows she needs to look for someone. When she travels to Alternate Hong Kong she finds Alternate Syaoran.
- Alternate Sakura and Alternate Syaoran marry.
- Alternate Sakura gives birth to Tsubasa Syaoran
- Alternate Sakura dreams of Card Captor Sakura.
- Card Captor Sakura gives Alternate Sakura her Sakura Staff
- Alternate Sakura meets Yuuko and wishes to send Alternate Syaoran to Clow Country because of her profetic dream (which in fact is her memories) paying with the Sakura staff
- Tsubasa Syaoran meets Tsubasa Sakura
- Tsubasa Sakura is about to lose her life when Fei Wong Reed stops her time.
- Tsubasa Syaoran is thrown back to his world.
- Tsubasa Syaoran wishes to return to Clow Country, rewinding time. His payment... to not see his parents?
- Alternate Sakura and Alternate Syaoran wish to protect their child. Yuuko rewinds their time and freezes them.
- Tsubasa Syaoran is captured and cloned. Clone Syaoran is born.
- Tsubasa Sakura is cloned. Clone Sakura is born.
- When Tsubasa Syaoran awakens, Clone Syaoran becomes a puppet.
- Clone Sakura and Clone Syaoran die.
- Yuuko uses the last of her magic to send Clone Sakura and Clone Syaoran back in time. Clone Sakura becomes Alternate Sakura and Clone Syaoran becomes Clone Syaoran.
- Paradox eternus
- Clone/Alternate Syaoran will protect his son/original
- Clone/Alternate Sakura protects her son and her original/daughter-in-law-to-be?

@___@

[Buffalobiian]

- Alternate Sakura is born on Alternate Earth
- Alternate Syaoran is born on Alternate Earth
- Alternate Sakura knows she needs to look for someone. When she travels to Alternate Hong Kong she finds Alternate Syaoran.
- Alternate Sakura and Alternate Syaoran marry.
- Alternate Sakura gives birth to Tsubasa Syaoran
- Alternate Sakura dreams of Card Captor Sakura.
- Card Captor Sakura gives Alternate Sakura her Sakura Staff
- Alternate Sakura meets Yuuko and wishes to send Alternate Tsubasa Syaoran to Clow Country because of her profetic dream (which in fact is her memories)
- Tsubasa Syaoran meets Tsubasa Sakura
- Tsubasa Sakura is about to lose her life when Fei Wong Reed stops her time.
- Tsubasa Syaoran is thrown back to his world.
- Tsubasa Syaoran wishes to return to Clow Country, rewinding time. His payment... to not see his parents?
- Alternate Sakura and Alternate Syaoran wish to protect their child. Yuuko rewinds their time and freezes them.
- Tsubasa Syaoran is captured and cloned. Clone Syaoran is born.
- Tsubasa Sakura is cloned. Clone Sakura is born.
- When Tsubasa Syaoran awakens, Clone Syaoran becomes a puppet.
- Clone Sakura and Clone Syaoran die.
- Yuuko uses the last of her magic to send Clone Sakura and Clone Syaoran back in time. Clone Sakura becomes Alternate Sakura and Clone Syaoran becomes Clone Alternate Syaoran.
- Paradox eternus
- Clone/Alternate Syaoran will protect his son/original
- Clone/Alternate Sakura protects her son and her original/daughter-in-law-to-be?

Yep, just fixed a few minor typos, but that makes sense to me.

Except why Yuko rewinded Alternate Sakura/Syaoran's time. I thought they were just frozen, which obviously isn't the case as we can see, but did they really specify to rewind?

[RyougaZell]

Ack at the typos.

Their time was rewinded because it was 'fated'. Since they are the clones... the needed to be the same age they were when they 'died'.

Or maybe it was just CLAMP fucking our brains.


One thing Im curious about... where is Watanuki? Alternate Earth? Or Real Earth?

Clow Reed was obviously on Real Earth before he left for Clow Country... but did Yuuko live there as well? What about Fei Wong Reed?

Because Alternate Sakura and Alternate Syaoran can't have been on Real Earth... because that would mean there were two Sakura and Syaoran... or that the Hikaru, Umi and Fuu with Alternate Sakura are the real ones.

AGH!! I give up trying to explain this series...

[RyougaZell]

Finally some confirmation on the REAL Card Captor Sakura!!

http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/224/01/

So she WAS the one to entrust Clone Sakura with the Sakura staff... nice!!

And its funny that even Clone Syaoran says how it can be possible for his own son to be his original... paradox FTW!!

Ah... fucking CLAMP is taking yet another fucking brake...

[Buffalobiian]

Well, good of them to confirm what we've been thinking, even if it did seem to make sense, you can't ever be too sure with these guys :p

I guess I'll have ot wait and see, because I got no clue what Sakura meant when she suggested how they could break the cycle, or how it can be done by THEM (clones).

[Buffalobiian]

Totally forgot about this for a few weeks and finally caught up to chapter 228.

I can't wait to see this animated. Good as the manga is, the panels are often too messy to see exactly what's going on. Now that the clones and the original are packed together, I can't tell who's who anymore, not that it really matters now.

[Archangel]

Should i read this or watch the anime?

[Buffalobiian]

Should i read this or watch the anime?

If you want to see the story "properly" right from the start (as in with the right tones and seriousness), I'll suggest the manga. If you want to get this over with quickly, go manga.

If you're like me, and prefer the animated medium and have some time on your hands, and don't mind seeing it toned down a bit (for the first 50 episodes), then the anime isn't a bad watch.

I would normally have recommended the manga outright, but the anime had some good soundtracks. I've also found the later chapters kind of messy and hard to follow art-wise. I don't know if that was the case for the earlier chapters because I didn't read them, hence my recommendation.

What I will say is, whether you watch the anime or not, to watch the OVAs: Tsubasa Tokyo Relevations (3 eps), and Tsubasa Shunraiki (2eps). They portray the tones of the manga accurately, and I really enjoyed them, in particular, Tokyo Relevations.

[RyougaZell]

The anime has a superb OST, as Bill points out, but its full of filler. Half of the episodes never happened in the manga. So... go manga.

I do agree that the latter chapters have been a mess art-wise. I just want for them to get over with the battle already so we can advance the plot.

[RyougaZell]

Argh!
The ending sucked http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/232/

[Buffalobiian]

Argh!
The ending sucked http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/232/

Yeah, it was a so-so ending, much like the Anime endings where they pretty much finish the way they started.

It wasn't emotional or anything, but I always suspected Fei Wong had a crush on the Yuko ever since he wanted to revive her. Glad that's sorted.

It wasn't much of a conclusion for Kurogane and Tomoyo's relationship neither.

[RyougaZell]

Thank god for epilogues!!!

http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/232.5/

Now this IS a better ending.
Quite a surprise with their real names. But I should have seen that one coming.

xxxHOLiC is already having a fastforward in time, several years after this, so I guess we will probably see more of the Tsubasa Characters over there.

[Buffalobiian]

Thank god for epilogues!!!

http://www.onemanga.com/Tsubasa_Reservoir_Chronicles/232.5/

Now this IS a better ending.
Quite a surprise with their real names. But I should have seen that one coming.

xxxHOLiC is already having a fastforward in time, several years after this, so I guess we will probably see more of the Tsubasa Characters over there.

Oh, the epilogue and the last chapter were published separately? Good thing I read it together :D, but yeah, otherwise just the ending by itself would have been very bad.

[RyougaZell]

So even though Tsubasa already ended, and several years have passed on the xxxHOLiC world... they talk about the Tsubasa characters and what they are doing in xxxHOLiC 192

http://www.onemanga.com/xxxHolic/192/