Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE

SUMMARY:
Five extraordinary travelers: Sakura, Syaoran, Fai D. Flourite, Kurogane, and Trokona (actually Mokona Modoki. I used that name "Trokona" as Mokona's nickname since it fits her troll personality. LMFAO!) traveled to countless worlds in different time periods to search for Princess Sakura's power/memory feathers. While the group were aiding Syaoran's feather hunt, each member of the Tsubasa family had a particular reason to travel to different worlds, as well as learning each other's true identities. The story also focused on how their childhood tragedies brought them closer to this never-ending journey. The Sakura & Syaoran who travelled with Fai, Kurogane & Mokona at the beginning were clones while the real Sakura and Syaoran were held as captives to Fei Wong Reed (the twisted yet manipulative villain who was responsible for this tragic mess). Fai D. Flourite hoped to avoid confronting King Ashura of Celes while Kurogane was sent away by Princess Tomoyo of Nihon Country due to the reckless slaughter. Whether it's saving Princess Sakura's feathers or her life, Syaoran, in no terms, would risk everything he had for her sake from Fei Wong Reed's murderous grasp.

SCORECARD:

Story: 9
Although the cloning scene got confusing sometimes, the story was easy to follow. The first half of the story resembles "saving the princess" game premise (e.g. Super Mario) with a healthy balance between comedy and tragedy. Unbeknownst to the travelers, Fei Wong Reed was the main perpetrator who set up the grueling travel drama for his victims. As the story reached to its climax, it began to overshadow more gloom. Its mood darkened when the connection between the five travelers disintegrated with dark secrets they were unwilling to share. After the travelers learned each other's past, they were all prepared to not only save their beloved princess, but also waged their lives against Fei Wong Reed. The Clow Country arc gave out the powerful feeling of fighting justice and keeping faith amongst each other. Since Tsubasa's main genre was adventure & tragedy, I thought CLAMP did a wonderful job to make the blockbuster crossover story feel realistically believable. Despite the Sakura & Syaoran cloning confusion, the story protion deserved a 9.

Characters: 10
-Syaoran (clone): At the beginning of the story, we were given that the Syaoran in front of us was the main protagonist. He was an artificial copy of Tsubasa Li, and he was designed to collect memory feathers as his top priority. We see him mostly as an emotional fighting machine throughout in the first half of the run; as we reached to the Tokyo arc, we learned that Fei Wong Reed and "Syaoran" were responsible for creating his artificial life. The real Syaoran also placed his magic from his right eye and implanted to the clone's right eye as a camera before he was taken prisoner. I suppose it's safe to say the clone Syaoran was mostly used as a robotic fighter during the first half. I admired his bravery, intelligence & determination to save Sakura's feathers and the world from evil. He also never took a step back from the choices he was willing to walk onto.
-Real Syaoran (Tsubasa): After clone Syaoran was used as a puppet, real Syaoran filled in the lead role. While clone Syaoran was journeying with the other travelers, the real Syaoran could only witness on what the clone was facing. As for my thoughts about this little puppy, I could only admit that the clone and the real were one of a kind. Either brothers or father-and-son alike.
-Princess Sakura: I first thought Sakura was kind of a cute looking human baggage when Syaoran brought her along the quest. If she were to be written out, then there would be no story. She first starts out as a damsel-in-distress after Syaoran retrieved a couple of power feathers. She was unable to do anything at that time being due to the lack of gaining power feathers. As the story progressed, Sakura emerged from her "damsel-in-distress" role and contributed actively as much for the group as she can. While she was unable to fight for her own memory feathers, she could only hope that Clone Syaoran makes out the battles alive. After the clone "betrayed" the group, Sakura took more drastic measures to have the clone's heart returned to him. As for the adorable little princess, I'll confess that her faith, progressing strength & genuine care amongst her traveling companions made her an outstanding female protagonist.
-Fai D. Flourite (aka Yuui): A runaway magician who always carried out a clownish, carefree façade during the first half of the story. Fans would wonder why Fai would revert from his shady facial expressions to his cheerful mask. We were given hints that he may be fleeing from his troubled relationship with King Ashura. Aside from his powerful magic and fighting abilities, he's also talented on visual and culinary arts. He genuinely cared about Sakura and Syaoran's well-beings whenever they both are feeling uncomfortable or facing troubled times. He created a ton of hilariously ridiculous nicknames for Kurogane, as well as teasing him in a friendly manner. Kurogane was able to see through Fai's mask as Fai deflected his response that he doesn't want to be involved in other people's lives. From what I had witnessed from his character, I really enjoyed him as a gentle and selfless "mother" figure towards the children. His mysterious and conniving personality also makes him quite an alluring anime hottie to die for or mirror ourselves with. :heart:
-Kurogane: A gruff-mannered ninja who was seen as a contrast character of Fai. He often teamed up with Clone Syaoran to retrieve Princess Sakura's feathers & taught him how to use a sword under Syaoran's request. Beneath his sour and stern face hides his generosity. He only wanted the best from each member. Whenever he interacted with Fai, he expected honest answers from Fai regarding to his behavior and maigc abilities. While Kurogane was serious about this issue, Fai had the tedency to evade it by playing moody. From what I had learned about this character, Kurogane was quite an entertaining character CLAMP created. His weakness, which happens to be controlling his anger, always had me laughing. A combination of "daddy figure" + seriousness + professional swordsmanship + humor gave Kurger Burger a perfect 10!
-Mokona Modoki (Trokona Trodoki): A magical rabbit-like critter who's best known for transporting the team to different worlds and troll humor. Mokona and Fai nearly have the same personality, except Mokona doesn't conceal the truth. The story was intended to be a tragic romance; without Mokona, the group could have been emotionally lost inside the vast darkness. Trokona never ceases to amuse me, especially her 108 super techniques. I always loved how she would use one of her secret techniques and playfully tell that the other 107 techniques were a secret. She's always there to give you a hug whenever you are feeling low. =3= <3
-Fei Wong Reed: The ruthless, cruel, elderly sorcerer who was responsible for setting up a depressing, feather-searching expedition with his manipulative intelligence. His creepy intentions to target Fai, Kurogane, Sakura, and Syaoran made you want to question what advantages would he get from his controlling destiny. There wasn't a single positive trait I could honestly describe about Fei Wong. He seemed to linger himself backwards in most of the story to bring the dead back to live. Although CLAMP had constructed his villain persona well, his actions and purpose made him the biggest criminal in all of CLAMP society.
~My thoughts on other characters: All five travelers had met many other crossover characters they could befriend with. The people the team met was similar to how we meet during each different stage of life. When we move on the next stage, the friendship bonds created remain permanent. Most of their newfound friends helped our prince-in-shining-armor to develop his character growth and often gave our heroes a healthy amount of support for them to complete every feather-searching mission they encountered from world to world. Some of the "supporting" characters came off as typical assholes. They would prevent our heroes from completing their mission by selfishly keeping the feather for personal gain. The crossover idea helps us see what types of people we encounter in reality.

Themes: 10
Tsubasa mainly focuses on growing up, enduring sufferings, and identity issues. Syaoran had to suffer from his physical and emotional injuries before the start of the feather-hunting expedition. He was forced to forfeit his previous relationship to Yuuko, the space-time witch, in order to start his relationship with Sakura again. Even if Sakura was able to gain more memory feathers, she wouldn't be able to remember Syaoran. Hearing Sakura mentioning her past broke Syaoran's heart. With this encouraging quote spoken by his newfound comrade Kurogane, Syaoran was able to move forward. Each time Syaoran was wounded, he ignored the bothersome wound and continued to pursue the memory feather within his own will. He also received survival training and advice from Kurogane in order to improve his upcoming battles against his future foes. While Syaoran wasn't the only member who had to emotionally mature, Sakura, Kurogane, and Fai had to outgrow from their former personalities. Before regaining enough memory feathers, Sakura had to nap most of the time. As she regained each memory feather, she was able to remember most of her past without Syaoran in the picture. Even though Syaoran was forgotten, she remained open to restart their relationship anew. Kurogane started off as an arrogant warrior before Princess Tomoyo sent him to join his future companions. As he grew emotionally close with the crew, he was able to understand the true meaning of strength as Princess Tomoyo wished him to. He became less violent and learned to take care of others. As Tokyo Arc approached, Kurogane gave Fai a pep talk to confront his current character and behavior when Fai was questioned. Even though Fai countered Kurogane's answer by playing hooky, Kurogane could see his statement was a lie. No matter how much Fai wanted to avoid making someone unhappy, Kurogane still believed Fai's actions had already gotten himself involved with their younger companions. As the conversation ended, Fai admitted to himself that putting a carefree façade wasn't paying off. Kurogane's trust for the group began to deteriorate as the group discovered that Syaoran was a duplicate and ate Fai's right eye. Sakura, who was trapped in the orb-like cage, witnessed the heterochromia Syaoran was entirely different. The Syaoran she now saw became a ruthless young man with murder inside his eyes. After the clone departed the group, Sakura became serious and determined to bring back the heart clone Syaoran had lost. She closed herself up and became emotionally distant after the real Syaoran took the clone's place. Despite her cheerless personality, she secretly sacrificed herself by saving the future she foresaw. She allowed herself to get stabbed by Fai by rescuing the real Syaoran from getting killed. As the group traveled to Fai's homeland and learned about his history, Kurogane discovered that Fai was unable to forge forward and cut the copy of his dead twin as a lesson. He also reminded Fai that his past doesn't add with the present situations. He slayed King Ashura from strangling Fai to death as a way to put an end between their relationship conflicts. As the dead twin disintegrated, Fai could only watch, weep, and forgive himself. The second curse allowed Fei Wong Reed to close the empty-barren Celes. Fai was rescued by Kurogane as the world swallowed into darkness. CLAMP had portrayed these themes well (I will discuss them in future CLAMP reviews) in a realistic pace, so I credit them a perfect 10.

Story's Emotions: 10
Tsubasa's story was mainly considered to be a tragedy, so most of the story's scenes were genuinely heartbreaking. I had already covered the heartbreaking loss Syaoran had to suffer after he paid Yuuko the expensive price: his relationship with Sakura. All three Tsubasa boys had a tragic past shared as the story dove into the deepest part of the ocean. If I were to choose the most tragic backstory, it would be Fai's. Fai had to survive a number of hardships as the King of Valeria proclaimed that he and his twin were "considered" bringing unhappiness to their kingdom. The young twins were separated in a landfill where many civilians (innocent and guilty) were mercilessly executed by the deranged ruler. Before the deranged king executed himself, he gave Fai two heartwrenching selections: live or die. As years passed by, the twin princes above the tower felt emotionally tormented and wanted to commit suicide. Fai (the name young Yuui took to change himself) sacrificed himself by allowing Yuui to restart his life. Life in Celes seemed less threatening when Fai put his magic to work. His hard work had saved the townsfolk from an incoming disaster and he learned to brighten himself with a smile; however, the unnecessary murders across Celes made him sad again. When King Ashura challenged him to murder him, Fai was unable to assassinate him due to the strong power of kindness that was buried deep inside his heart. Instead, he put the monstrous king to sleep in efforts to avoid the adversary King Ashura had implanted into the relationship. Kurogane's story was also heartbreaking. During his teenage years, he lost both of his parents from the deadly invasion in his former homeland. His father's final words allowed him to grow emotionally strong; by all means, to protect the people Kurogane highly values. Kurogane had his share of losing his loved ones, but he didn't appear to suffer most of his childhood life. The story also offered hilarious, heartwarming moments to keep the atmosphere from getting dark. The Trokona scenes were always a delight for readers to have a laugh. I loved how Trokona performs one of her 108 secret techniques in each world the group visited. When she said the other 107 techniques were a secret, this quote allowed us to guess what other techniques Mokona could do in creative ways. The KuroFai teasings bring in the laughter (funny how Sakura and Syaoran were like WTF? when watching the two grown men behaving like naughty grade-schoolers during recess), as well with the ridiculous nicknames Fai always called Kurogane before the Tokyo Arc. CLAMP's use of emotions in each of their stories never ceased to amuse and touch me (as always), so I give them another perfect 10.

Art: 10
From drawing glossy shoujo characters to saucy shonens, CLAMP topped this classy-creative artstyle with a notch. The world and clothing designs were aesthetically unique. The clothing and architectural style were perfectly fitting for each world the group stopped by. The characters' facial expressions appeared romantic depending on the mood of the story was pacing. I happened to notice that the character designs were boldly detailed until the group traveled to Celes. The eyes appeared much lively compared to its earliest character designs. The battle scars the characters suffered were realistically painful, especially when each of the main member had to sacrifice all of the blood to achieve a certain objective. The artwork still maintained its grace despite the noodle-like human structures CLAMP designed.

Overall Score: 9.8 (or 10)
Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles was one of the most grandeur manga series I was indulged since high school. I found the crossover idea extraordinary. Growing up reading most of the CLAMP-made mangas, CLAMP always had the knack to put some of their old work elements into their newly created series. Tsubasa was no exception. All of the worlds the Tsubasa gang traveled had all of the old CLAMP characters you could find in any of the older CLAMP series. As for the characters I had discussed, all of the main cast were almost lifelike. The way CLAMP portrayed their raw emotions throughout the story felt genuinely realistic. Each of the main protagonists had done their good and "evil", just like most of us do. The story got freakishly confusing during the Clow Country Arc. So new and former Tsubasa readers! Brace the mindfuckery! Despite the clone confusion, this manga was a definite must-read to manga fans who grew up with Cardcaptor Sakura and other CLAMP series before Tsubasa's birth <3 It's also perfect for those who enjoyed reading adventure mangas during their spare time!

SPOILERS AHEAD, BUT SRSLY DONT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS CRAP!!

The villain makes a clone of Syaoran, which keeps chasing the original in order to kill him.. then through some convoluted happenings, the clone is thrown back in time, decides to live a normal life, gets married with Sakura clone and have a kid..

Which turns out to be the original. WHAAAAAAAAT???

YES, both the Syaoran and Sakura CLONES are the PARENTS of the original Syaoran. This is by far the most absurd and retarded plot twist i've ever seen in my life. I actually lost more brain cells while remembering this crap to type this review.

DONT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS MANGA! YOU'RE WELCOME!

Rewritten:
TRC, is a heavy piece of material. The first thing you should know is that this is a world of crossover. What does this mean you ask? Any material that CLAMP has produced may or may not have been put into the world of TRC. Mainly it will be characters that are central to CLAMP’s other works. People who seem like they should be important or have some distinct background but you aren’t getting. It’s not necessary to read them before reading TRC, but trust me. If you read them before you read TRC, you’ll see these people and be like “Oh my god, its them!” (I believe X's characters play a particularly large role in TRC). The one work you may want to consider reading side by side with TRC is xxxHolic. Not particularly necessary either, but there may be a few inconsistencies that may seem odd or have no explanation to you that came from the witch Yuko that would have been explained in xxxHolic.

Story: It’s one of those love/hate relationships for me. I felt that TRC was a journey for CLAMP, a journey through each of their mangas, their stories, while developing a new story along the way. While Sakura and Syaoran, Fai, Kurogane and Mokona travel so are the rest of us, meeting each of the characters in a different light. The story behind Sakura, Syaoran, Fai and Kurogane though are unique and twisted in themselves. You can’t really find any fault to it, although I don’t particularly like the ending. And I don’t particularly care for how long it was. I sort of felt this dragging motion when reading it when I got to the very last volumes. I think the story lies in the crossover though, the traveling between worlds. The mixture of CLAMP’s signature works, angst and fluff, drama and romance, violence and adventure has your head spinning, albeit in a very good way, that will make you cry, squeal in delight, smile in happiness and gasp in horror. And the twists. When has any piece of work done by CLAMP been without multiple twists? Oh they have you turning they do. Once again, there’s a common undertone of shounen ai here, so if that’s a problem for anyone than you should get over yourself and accept the world as it is.

Art: I believe you must have a certain amount of appreciation to love CLAMP's work. Their art is unique, containing long lined characters, very detailed eyes and often hair (which was always odd for me), and very detailed clothing. In TRC it's sort of soft and very quiet which fits the setting of the plot for the first half. When we get to the second half, the clothing, the dark lines, the deep backgrounds reveal to you the level in which the story will now take. I've always loved CLAMP's art so this was highly enjoyable for me. I also believe that it sort of loses it's sensual feel that the older works used to have (e.g., Tokyo Babylon, X, RG Veda) although there is an aesthetic appeal to it.

Character: I feel that the characters are the story in TRC. I am biased towards Kurogane and Fai, for I am their supporter, but I also feel that they develop the most throughout the story. So much angst and drama, so much humor and light-hearted banter. This connection that they make with each other is unique and powerful. Syaoran and Sakura go through a lot of pain throughout the series and though I think they are most notably the least developed, they are the most important in the series. Even Mokona becomes a central character. And it’s not just the five main characters. Everyone you meet through each of the world’s becomes a part of the overall story. That’s the point of TRC. That is how TRC develops and continues to evolve. How each of the characters interacts and faces the problems before and their pasts behind them and their future before is how they develop. So when I say that the characters are truly the story, I mean it.

Enjoyment: What is there not to enjoy? I've seen old characters brought to life, new characters given life, CLAMP's trademark brought to the extreme (their endless way to confuse you greatly), humor, sadness, ordeal's overcome. I've cried, laughed and was even frustrated. You simply cannot go wrong with this manga. It will have you thinking, for long even after you've finished it. This is a once in a lifetime work that should not be forgotten.

This manga (TRC in short) is a Masterpiece, yep, some of you thinks that this manga is a confusing manga because of the some sudden change of the events, but this manga is truly a masterpiece.

Story :9.5
They have a unique story, perfectly well written plot, plot twist are shocking, some are predictable

For concern i'm going to review some arcs, they are the last 7 arc, so there are some spoilers here so do not read this part if you hate spoilers

SPOILERS (do not read if you do not want to be spoil)
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Suwa arc (Kurogane's) = first hint of something happens here, in the image of the suspicious, the hints are everywhere, Fai become more mysterious here, Syaoran become suspicious, Kurogane being noob XD XD just kidding, but the thing that made me think meh in this part is why when Fai touch the book of memories, Kurogane didn't think that "fuck i should read it, he already hold it, maybe i will discover some fucking hints about him and blah blah blah"
Acid tokyo arc = Fucking plot twist, i was crying and cursing while reading this arc, crying because of the sudden change of events and to Fai who lose his precious magic, and cursing because of the fake syaoran . But this arc shows the major character development to KuroFai tandem, especially Fai (i think not character development but change character for him)
Infinity arc = brace yourselves Fai Flourite Fans because this Arc for you is going to be a burst emotion arc. "WTF is happening to them" is what my head says when i'm reading this arc, i don't know if it's plot hole or fucking hardcore change of events all over again, but since this arc answers the question in my mind when i'm reading the first arc of this manga. But i think this arc reminds me of the novel that i read somewhere that involves human chess.
Celes arc (Fai's) = "FUCK YOU FEI WANG REED" That's all. This arc is one of my trigger arc to express my emotion over the main enemy, and this arc proves that "Do not underestimate Fai, he knows everything" but Kurogane's character development show again in this arc. And WTF, why i didn't see syaoran's move in this arc?
Nihon arc = ANOTHER FUCKING PLOT TWIST, and wild major character development show up, there's a sudde. Change among all of them and it'll definitely say to you, okay this is not a manga for child right now HAHAHAHAHA. This one has the epic fighting scene in CLAMP history, TBH
Clow arc (Syaoran and Sakura's) = HANDS DOWN TO CHAPTER 203, the best chapter in this manga part,that manga chapter gives me a lot of encouragement TBH, this manga shows that "sacrifice is a matter of thing" but sorry sakura syaoran fans, but sometimes i find sakura annoying :3
Final battle (still in Clow arc) = FUCK YOU FEI WANG REED X1000000000000 (infinite) this explains the mystery that "is it a fate that the three will meet to make an adventure?" Also this one explains that Fei wang reed planned it from the start, when our heroine are still little kids, the thing that made me confuse was "why and how yuuko is involve here" but i think it answer my question in my second attempt to finish it. But this arc makes my anger to Clone syaoran suddenly disappear, and the magic of Fai returns to him after the shocking death, and ahem. . . KuroFai bond is developing once again, LADIES AND GENTLEMAN! KuroFai is canon hahaha

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Art : 8
Typical clamp art, moeish style hahaha the art here is a masterpiece, especially the fighting scene part, it was perfect to display at house because those details are good, looks like a typical artist can't do it beyond one day, one day is not enough to draw a page of manga like that

Character : 9.75
Different attitude but has one goal, That's CLAMP's TRC, they have a different origin but they are joined to each other. They have a colorful character, fits to their signature color
Sakura (pink) - joyful
Syaroan (brown) - courage
Fai (blue) - cool
Kurogane (red) - determination and power

Enjoyment : 9.5

TBH, i find it boring btu as the soon as the manga goes on, it become funny, the first funny thing about this manga is it has a lots of crossover from other clamp SERIES. You can see chobits reference, CCS, Xxxholic, X, and many many more. The enjoyment here is somewhat overload because of lots of funny scenes at first half until it become dark at the second half, the enjoyment meter at second half was decreased from 9.5 to 8.87 because of the sudden change of events

OVERALL : 10
SPEECHLESS TO THIS MANGA, MASTERPIECE, well done, if you want a manga that you want to relaxed then mindfuck as it goes on, then read TRC, this series will made you insane and think a lot, it can be a perfect mind exercise because of the sudden changing of events that will left you thinking a lot before continuing another chapter.

Thumbs up CLAMP

This Manga is really awesome and it keeps you hooked with its various twists and turns. A really intriguing time space adventure with a little subtle romance there. The story follows Sakura and Syaoran in a quest to restore Sakura's memories with allies like Fye a magician and Kurogane a swordsman. Its really different and has a vast universe of characters often combining different characters from CLAMP''s other works. A true masterpiece with a great storyline, awesome characters and lot of great action sequences.

Syaoran follows a quest to attain the lost memories of his friend with a great sacrifice on his own part. Sakura, she tries her best to support the group. Fye is really a cheerful character on the surface. I really liked the little comic situations in this manga, but most of all is its different storyline. You might get a little confused towards the end but overall its a great enjoyable read.

This was a really great manga, one of the best ive ever read and seriously ive read a lot of manga
at the beginning i liked the part were kurogane, syoran, and fai got to meat yuko and sorta saw another character from a diffrent book
I love clamp cause they combine their manga into like one huge super story
Though this is a fabulous manga it would be cool is they added another young girl to the story(preferably a really cool girl)
but overall its totally awesome and you should read it if you havent
Quickly.
I mean like getting on your comp.or running to the library or bookstore right now quickly.

Are you reading yet?

What I liked most about this series would be the art. Looking back at it, CLAMP adds such a surreal feel to the manga. I have been captivated over and over, to the point where I stare at the pages and just "zone out" so to speak, blown away by it.
The concept of the story is also good. The idea of sending the characters from dimension to dimension was good and was well executed. It isn't always the same plot for each dimension. There are a wide variety of subplots in each world and some more serious than others. It's quite enjoyable reading it from start to end. But by constantly sending the main characters to different dimensions, we are never able to fully connect to the supporting characters and see their development. I didn't mind it much, but I'm sure others might.
Although the characters are constantly moving from place to place, CLAMP periodically teases us with a sense that there is a greater conspiracy than we were told before, and that turned out to be true in the end. While enjoying a variety of different stories in the different worlds, there is still a greater group of evil-doers that anchors the story down. It instills us in a mode of suspense to try and find out where the story is going.
Near the end of the series, due to the fact that the characters are able to travel through space AND time, CLAMP has woven quite a complex story. If you don't pay enough attention, you may end up getting lost and confused. I personally had to reread the chapters near the end multiple times in order to understand what was going on.
Overall, this manga was great! If you enjoy a manga that makes you think, but still makes you laugh, cry, and excited over the subplots and fight-scenes throughout its course, then I recommend this manga for you!

Ahh Tsubasa, you wonderful story you! At the time of this review, I have read this story more then ten times! With that being said, I will do my best to keep this review short. Now first off with the story.
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~Story
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle starts out as a typical adventure story but soon morphs into something even more outstanding. The story begins with Syaoran getting jumped by Sakura and she begins to confess her love for him but is soon interupted by bells from the castle. As she leaves we learn that Syaoran feels the same, but will soon be able to show how he feels by helping her find her memories that soon get scattered along the worlds. Now this might sound like a typical romantic manga, but I swear to you it is nothing of the sort! It will soon start to get slowly dark and angsty after chapter 100 and onwards and will have you wanting more. When reading this story, it is smart to make sure you read through the manga slowly and not rush it, otherwise you might miss things. And rememebr, this is a Clamp story, so make sure your able to get at what they are writting. Its not weird at all to go back through this story to re-read it a few more times.
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~Art
Oh god, the art in this story is wonderful! If you have read Clamp's previous works, then you know already that the artwork will be amazing. At first the art is just a black and white inking style (Which happens to be a fave of mine) But soon evolves to include screentones that make the characters and scenes pop out even more. As you read though this work, you will come to notice how the art style changes and adapts through the chapters. The art is already well developed by volume 4 but evolves into something even more powerfull and grips you. Nothing else to be said about it now.
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~Characters
Well, I am only going to sum the characters together and not go one by one. I figure that anyone who reads the story will be able to tell what they like about them. Now the main group of characters that you travel with throught the entire story is half original new clamp characters, while the other half are from CCS. And to be honest, a lot of characters from Clamps history of stories pop up in this story, all the way back to RG Veda. We even get the entire X/1999 crew in here, not to mention lots of others. This is one of the main reasons you should keep your eyes peeled and see if you can fins your face Clamp character!

And all in all, you should get to reading it now! And speaking of reading, I have to go back and re-read it again, just for old times sake!

Before we start off, I would like to emphasize some points. This is not your typical shounen manga. It is the farthest thing from it. Second, it is better if you don't expect that the Sakura of this manga is same as the Sakura of Cardcaptor Sakura(Well, if you want, you can. Nobody is stopping you). And lastly, this is a tale of adventure on the search of love which crosses the entire universe, the entire time, the entire space and surpasses any logic that tries to contain it. And I mean it. I mean it.

Just like how a journey into uncharted territories contains surprise, joy, pain and a certain loss of grasp on reality, Tsubasa chronicles is a groundbreaking manga which does exactly the same. It resonates with your emotions on every level of your heart, and tells the story of a boy who goes on an adventure spanning places you wouldn't imagine existed,enduring pain which no one else could, all so for a single girl.

The story has been written so beautifully, that it will take you on a roller coaster of feelings and awe.

The art is by far the best I have ever seen, even by CLAMP standards. In particular, the fights and the scenery have been done so brilliantly. And even more so, I would say that the art adds to the world building and the various characters who have been there, doing all the characters, including the main characters and the one time characters justice.

Character development in this manga is the biggest and best I have ever seen. And that includes all the anime and manga I have seen till now. There has never been a clean character development from start to finish.

I will say that I enjoyed this manga the most. I liked the twists offered by this particular journey in CLAMP and also the unexpected ending of this manga. I recommend that you don't surf on any website regarding this manga, because the spoilers in this manga are infinite. No kidding. From start to finish I really enjoyed this manga.


Overall, I give this a 10/10 for everything. This is certainly unlike any manga you will have ever read.

Tsubasa Reservoir chronicles: A chronicle of the story of two wings as they try to escape the reservoir of their fates.

CLAMP have, as per usual, created a very complex story with huge psychological impact on both the characters and the readers. The characters are great and they each get their fair share of development and angst throughout the series.
Tsubasa may seem like a dimension hopping fun house at the beginning but gets darker and edgier about halfway through and CLAMP, once again, make it work.
I'll keep this short for my own sake because otherwise I would ramble on for hours. Every character is believable, has his/her own strengths and weaknesses and a purpose that is unique to all of them but that come together nicely in the end.
The art is gorgeous and the story captivating with it's mind screws all over the place though also very confusing. Even CLAMP got confused in the end.
I recommend this manga to pretty much anyone but advice you to not take the anime as a serious adaption because it is not.
Anime is actually frowned upon by CLAMP and they had season 3 cancelled. So stick to the manga (except the OVA's) and enjoy.

This is one of my favorite manga of all time. The story starts out predictable, but the second half is full of plot twists. So much that some points are very confusing. (Not to mention the orgianl plot-line is somewhat forgotten, but for a good reason.) The art is no less than outstanding (What else would you expect from CLAMP?) and the characters well developed. One of my favorite parts are the pages in between the chapters, when CLAMP shows off some of their best artwork. Every book cover is drawn with them wearing different style clothes. Each of the worlds have their own style, you can see an outfit and know what world it's from. I love everything about this manga: the story, the characters, and especially the nostalgic artwork.

This is a wild ride through time and space with unlikey allies and mysterious motivations. The story goes from understandable, to complicated, to good luck keeping up if your not reading them all in one sitting. This is not a bad thing, it's quite the opposite. With so many supporting characters and odd senarios keeping this tangle of conflict going, your going to be engaged pretty much no matter what (whether you remember what happened last volume or not). Each character has an in-depth background to them that come out during emtional moments which power their motivations. With heart jerking moments, intese fights, cutesy humor and suspense, this manga has it all. Those these parts will only live up to exspectation if you are into the story enough to let them. If you can get attached to the characters and the concept as easily as I did or if you're a CLAMP fan, you will love this manga. However if perfer straight forward and down to earth plot lines or if your not a CLAMP fan, you will probally not be very fond of this manga. CLAMP does not disappoint with adding hints of their other manga in it either (which some people like and some find annoying). I've heard interputations of Tsubasa merely being a continued version of Card Captor Sakura. A complicated and more epic version, but the theory is supported. The art adequate and never faulting, except maybe during a few fighting scenes (I'd like to see you draw better). The length of the series is for those with long attention spans. Over all though it is a fun and original story with plenty of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages.

Overall score (if I’m being realistic): 7.75/10
Overall score (if I’m being honest): 9.5/10

Posting in 2016 because it’s never too late to read a timeless classic.

[This review contains minimal/no spoilers.]


-Opening Spiel-

There are two ways to review any work. An analysis that seriously outlines a piece’s flaws and triumphs, and scores it accordingly, is the critically sound choice. The second is the subjective approach. Honestly, I don’t think any review is free from subjectivity, anyway. Some works demand this approach. Like people, they do not amount to the sum of their parts but something greater, and loving them is a matter of embracing the wild interplay between good and bad. Not everyone will stay around for them, which is fine. (Guess which team I’m on when it comes to TRC.)
Due not only to vast technical skill, but also to the emotional pull of a unique set of characters and a world of intricate personal symbolism, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle deserves both perspectives. While some staggered plotting and convolution mars the end of the series, this and other faults are outweighed by the success of CLAMP’s dynamic art, Ohkawa’s intense characterisation, and the story’s unnerving ability to tap into real feelings of grief, remorse, and love.


-I live under a rock; What is Tsubasa?-

Tsubasa is a commercial and critical high-point of CLAMP’s career, the catalyst for an ongoing enmeshment of their works into one overarching multiverse, and a contemporary fantasy classic in the manga world. I’m not an expert, but I will defend its place as such. Since its release in 2003, it has gained a sort of kitschy status in the West. It was the go-to comic book series for middle school libraries to pick up, and many who read it back then never got past volume 15 or so, when the rating suddenly jumped a level (leaving middle school librarians everywhere perplexed, I imagine). But to my surprise, when I was living in Japan, almost every second hand manga store I went to had Tsubasa filed under the ‘Classics’ or ‘Staff Recommendations’ section with works like Black Jack, Monster, and (lol) Cardcaptor Sakura. I was overjoyed. Because, like. It IS a classic.


-CHARACTERS, STORY, THEMES-

-Structure-

Sacrifice is one of Tsubasa’s major themes, and it links beautifully with ideas about fate and relationships that appear over and over in CLAMP works. I will refrain from repeating the reams of awesome meta found on LiveJournal, Tumblr, and AO3 and suffice to say that the Tsubasa-Holic duo really caps CLAMP’s ongoing exploration of these ideas.

The entire narrative structure of Tsubasa forms a diptych to do this. Many reviewers and readers criticise its first half for being fluffy and inconsequential before careening down the road of impenetrable darkness that is the second half. I have problems with this criticism. It’s worth noting to those who have not read Tsubasa that it does shift drastically, in terms of narrative AND art, about halfway through. However this, like every other narrative decision in Tsubasa, is intentional. The first half acquaints us with the characters and the premise, slipping in horrifying foreshadowing and troubling sexual tension under a layer of comfortable ignorance, before shuffling us on to the next exciting adventure. By the time the shit hits the fan, we’re wary but still unprepared, and definitely not content to watch these characters, who we’ve fallen thoroughly in love with, suffer at the hands of inevitable disaster.

This dual structure not only has a positive impact on tension and momentum, but also represents the ideas underlying the story in a classically CLAMP fashion. Duality is a constant stylistic element in Tsubasa, which I will talk more about in later sections. The characters’ relationships, the dichotomy of truth and memory, and the duality of identity are all represented in the dual shape of the plot itself. (ANYWAY.)


-The Tsubasa Family-

One of Tsubasa’s biggest draws, and its greatest strength, is its cast. The four core characters are an incredible bunch. Right from the start, we’re introduced to a visually and emotionally distinct group of people. They begin archetypically, assuming clear narrative roles and only hinting at greater depth. But they rapidly begin to flesh out to fill every crevice of the story, from domestic squabbles to interdimensional conflicts. Most of all, they improve each other as narrative devices. Syaoran’s brazen determination complements Sakura’s quiet resolve and patient strength; Kurogane’s deadpan honesty challenges Fai’s evasive quips and deflective smiles. The relationships between all four of the central characters are deftly portrayed, with none going to waste in the dense storytelling.

The main four also embody the themes of the story in breathtaking ways. Syaoran’s very shounen determination, his selfless devotion to his cause, is violently subverted in accordance with the underlying logic of the story - that sacrifice demands reciprocity, and love demands self-worth. (Dualisms~) Sakura’s contrasting power originates from her longing for autonomy and a sense of self. In their interaction, both Sakura and Syaoran allow the story to examine ideas about love and identity in a way that would resonate with an adolescent audience of the same age as the characters just as much as an older readership.

The main drawback with these two, and with the characterisation of the protagonists overall, is the lack of development and plot significance afforded Sakura. In an ironic reflection of her worst fears as someone trying to reestablish her identity - surrounded by strangers and travelling constantly between foreign worlds, relying on outside help to achieve her goal of selfhood - much of her autonomy is stripped away. The memory we gain of an intelligent, kind, and innovative princess remains that, as her moments in the spotlight always pass too soon (or end in hideous tragedy).

Then there are Kurogane and Fai.

I have read the opinion (and I’d source the hell out of this if I could remember who first said it) that CLAMP have had three ‘magnum opus’ moments in their career. The first came with Tokyo Bablyon in the early nineties; the second was Tsubasa’s more technically refined sister-series, xxxHolic. The third was the relationship between Kurogane and Fai in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle.

I would like to WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree. Instead of relegating them to the roles of protective side-characters (see ‘Tsubasa World Chronicle’), CLAMP rendered the themes of Tsubasa perfectly through their relationship. If the themes of Tsubasa are a beam of light, Kurogane and Fai form the prism. (LOOK I’ve wanted to write this dorky review for a very long time.) The love between these two, however platonic or romantic it may come across depending on cultural conditions or personal biases (but please, be honest with yourself, they're a couple), reflects the very core of the story’s ideas about sacrifice and identity. In a sense, when the Sakura-Syaoran relationship begins to focus more on fatalism, Kurogane and Fai inherit the younger lovers’ roles in the story as the harbingers of a balance between sacrifice and (self) love. It’s great.

If any improvements could be noted, it would be that better closure would have helped in Fai’s character arc. He grows immensely, and believably, over a very short span of time after a few inciting incidents. However, the story seems to equate Kurogane’s character development with Fai’s and once their conjoined arc is complete, Fai’s individual development is cut slightly short. It’s easy to imagine that the conversations which must certainly occur offscreen would resolve this somewhat, but they are, unfortunately, left offscreen.


-The Antagonists Who Deserved Better From the Story-

Some major problems with character cannot be overlooked, however. The most glaring problems with Tsubasa’s characters arise from its lack of attention to antagonist Fei Wong Reed. Buttchin, as he is referred to by some, is deserving of the name. Where the main four were introduced simply and allowed to develop all the nuances and humanity that their early actions implied, FWR never seemed to make it past the one-dimensional phase. His objective remains unclear, which feels less like a stylistic choice than a pacing blunder. Every time I reread this series, the story feels like it’s setting me up for something more when it comes to FWR. Everything points to deeper reason, deeper feeling, deeper meaning, but it never arrives, and then the story ends. He barely even represents the idea of an antagonist, by which I mean I would forgive his basic characterisation if it was intended to make him feel inhuman, like the arm of fate instead of a person or whatever. But when this impression IS created, it quickly disappears in the miasma of weird plot events at the end of the series, and amounts to little. He seems to exist only as a facilitator for plot events, and not as a character, when all signs say that he should.


-All the Other Characters-

As you’ve undoubtedly noticed if you’re on this page, CLAMP reuse a lot of old characters in Tsubasa. They’re crafting a multiverse - let them get on with it. Read the manga (all of them, preferably) and you’ll get it. Judge the actual ‘making a multiverse’ part as you see fit.


-Plot and Pacing-

CLAMP had a very unique and difficult medium in which to pace their longest series, and they used it to their advantage as well as possible. The premise of a central group of characters world-hopping, and hence arc-hopping, is well-suited to monthly instalments and gave CLAMP maximum freedom when it came to design and worldbuilding. However, the story weaves its core elements fluently between each arc. No matter what world the characters are on, their central relationships and goals are always developing. Part of the reason Tsubasa is so memorable is because readers can relate certain events directly back to the worlds in which they occurred, and by extension the stylistic and thematic backdrop of each happening. When a Tsubasa fan refers to Infinity or Acid Tokyo, you know they’re having a shitty day.

As has been stated seven trillion times, Tsubasa gets confusing. Its unnecessarily complex time-wimey plot definitely detracts from its power towards the end. By distracting from the core elements that carry it through most of its 28 volumes, Tsubasa falls a little flat in the final books and leaves itself with no choice but to resolve the mess it has made through arduous, interdimensional exposition. It is important to consider, though, that Tsubasa never really claims to be a perfectly literal story. As much importance is placed on the stylistic layer of the series as on the plot, if not more. Which brings us to...


-ART AND STYLE-

As my film teacher loves to say, style IS substance. Nothing could be truer of Tsubasa.


-Art-

As I mentioned earlier, Tsubasa’s art style is not static. While in some cases a magaka’s art style changes over time due to improvements in technique or changes in staff, Tsubasa’s art shift is a stylistic decision. By this point in their career, CLAMP (and more specifically Mokona) had mastered the use of a range of looks for their work, and weren’t really subject to huge and obvious advances in skill in the space of a few years. Tsubasa starts out as a heavily lined, distinctly shounen action piece, belying a later shift into a more detailed, ‘mature’ style most similar at the time to their style by the end of X/1999. This shift complements the change in the work’s overall mood and reinforces its binary structure. And it looks cool.

The panel layouts are typical of many a shounen manga, with big, irregular frames displayed for prime viewing of action sequences. The difference with Tsubasa is that the ‘action sequences’ are often interchangeable with heavy emotional sequences, and the same dramatic visual layouts are used for intimate social conflicts as for physical ones. Giving the manga an extra CLAMP flair, the pages often make use of uninterrupted spreads that cover one whole page or more. CLAMP are liberal with their use of page space and detail, usually to striking effect. Due to this, and their eerie ability to portray expressions and glances perfectly, dialogue is sometimes foregone completely. The most haunting moments in this series are those in which the characters say nothing at all.

On occasion, usually in fight scenes, the detail works against the flow and clarity of the artwork, making scenes difficult to understand. But the good moments are far more frequent than the bad ones, which - COINCIDENTALLY - mostly line up with the clumsy plotting in the late chapters. Which are full of fight scenes.

Character design and world design is attractive, consistently detailed, and full of CLAMP-specific symbolic imagery. (Hooray.) A non-spoilery example is the scar on the back of Kurogane’s left hand. It is present right from the start of the series, and gains narrative and thematic relevance later on. The point is that CLAMP included it from early on, and made sure it was a permanent part of his visual design. Designs on the characters’ clothing interact visually with surrounding environments, especially in chapter cover artwork, to imply emotional states and future events. The composition of images holds foreboding and hints, placing characters literally in the way of their future challenges for the reader to mull over. World designs are conveyed with enveloping atmosphere and carefully chosen details, painting just a full enough picture of each dimension the characters visit to leave a lingering impression on the story.


-Symbol-

Left until last because it’s arguably what makes Tsubasa so simultaneously masterful and infuriating.

CLAMP symbolism works on several tiers. The internal level specific to any one manga, such as Tsubasa, is everything that can be discerned from a reading of just that manga. CLAMP symbolism is specific to CLAMP’s work as a whole, and forms threads of logic between otherwise unrelated series. Finally, cultural symbolism is very present in many of CLAMP’s works, and informs how certain visual motifs, colour schemes, and dialogue should be read. The Tsubasa experience is greatly enhanced by having read some other CLAMP works first, as a result. However, its internal symbolism is strong enough that a full-blown authorship analysis is not necessary. Seeking out meta or other fan analyses should shed light on most things.

To summarise this very characteristic trait of CLAMP’s work, Tsubasa is rich in subtext, visual parallels, and motifs. You don’t need to be hyper-alert to all the little symbols in Tsubasa to enjoy it, or to gain a full reading experience. But if I have any advice for people approaching Tsubasa, it’s to be conscious of these things. Look out for them more than you might usually. Pretend you’re back in high school and just rip it to shreds. There is so much to glean from Tsubasa’s little secrets. (Better yet, do this the second or third time around if you go for seconds, so as not to distract too much from the raw enjoyment of the story.)


-Closing Spiel-

Aaaaand that’s Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle in a very oversized nutshell.
It’s a manga focussing on key ideas of love, sacrifice, and fate through the lens of dualism. It’s also really fun and heartbreaking to read. While suffering from some clear drawbacks, its technical brilliance in many areas cannot be overstated, and it had an impact on me that I haven’t gotten from many other stories.

I would recommend Tsubasa to anyone looking for a character-driven, immersive, deeply original fantasy series to spend a few days in. If you’re in need of an unusual take on love and adventure stories, and appreciate realistic characterisation against a dreamlike backdrop, if you don’t mind reading closely or having your heart stolen, get busy.

Just. Go read it. It’s 2016.

Amazing manga, with lots of crossovers.
there are Sakura, Syaoran, and Tomoyo from Card Captor Sakura, and others from several other works gathered in this wquest of gathering Sakura's "feathers/memories"

Sakura here is a princess, Syaoran is son of archaeologist, they're both in love. but one night sakura gets driven to a place where due to her powers loses all her memories and they become scattered as feathers, and syaoran makes it his responsibility to gather them back.

the events are full of action, a bit of romance, and wonderful illustrations. the ending is a bit frustrating since I wanted them to be together together, not this kind of happy yet unresolved ending. but still it deserves to be read.

Crossovers are fun. They span across multiple genres and multiple universes. It can lead to many possibilities and much variety as you travel to various worlds. It allows you to witness interactions between your favorite characters of different stories that lead to interesting results. Certain creators have done this in the past with the characters they own - Marvel Cinematic Universe, Penny Dreadful, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - and CLAMP has done the same in spades. One of the reasons I fell in love with anime in the first place was because I got to see the different worlds anime brought me to, whether it's some post-apocalypse city, the outer space, or even the middle of the desert, anime had managed to tap into many worlds and settings. Tsubasa's story of traveling across dimensions in search of a MacGuffin allows the perfect excuse to exploit this glorious part of anime by traversing across many worlds with its audience.

Story: 7
The premise at first glance seems like your average adventure tale; a band of heroes are gathered together in pursuit of their various desires as they travel across multiple dimensions. The tone of the story certainly fitted that premise in the first-half of the manga; light-hearted, comedic, occasionally tearjerking with heartfelt lessons about heroism and true strength. That was of course till the infamous "Tokyo Arc" arrived and changed everything, making the whole manga grimmer and darker. You could tell from the chapters after the Tokyo Arc ended that things became a lot more depressing. It's as if you are reading an entirely different book.

To be honest, as much as I enjoy dark and gritty stories, I would have been fine if the manga kept the same tone before Tokyo. In spite of the comedy, there were numerous emotional moments in the story even then. The moments that came to mind especially were those from the Koryo Arc (regarding Chu'nyan's mother) and the Recort Arc (regarding Kurogane's past). The manga maintains its characters' likability all the same and even managed to insert interesting character development. But when the Tokyo Arc did arrive, CLAMP did something rather impressive. It deconstructed its main characters and turned their weakness against them. Much like Captain America: Civil War, the unaddressed concerns we had about the story and characters in prior story arcs were acknowledged there. Such deconstruction of itself is not easy to pull off and requires careful planning before the first chapter is written, thus making it all the more impressive when it's done so brilliantly. And while deconstructing overused cliches is nothing revolutionary, it's still often satisfying when I see it, that act of bringing something new and clever to something that's trite and hackneyed.

Unfortunately, CLAMP overplayed its hand in the final arc of the story throughout its last 30-50 chapters. While there were complex threads tying the story together before, things were never really got as confusing as the final stretch of the story when the manipulation of time and space came into play, not to mention figuring out who is a clone and who is the real deal. It gets worse when Easter Eggs of CCS were thrown in for good measure, throwing readers off into thinking that the two franchises (CCS and Tsubasa) are directly connected when they are really not (aside from a few cameos). I've always hated this form of storytelling as I personally felt that it served no enjoyment on my part, merely confusion. Serial Experiments Lain and Ghost in the Shell (specifically Stand Alone Complex) are two prime examples of such convoluted stories that I didn't enjoy because I was too busy trying to figure out what was going on, but at least those two had the excuse of being convoluted from the beginning, not suddenly dropping a bomb on my head in the middle of the story.

And when it's not confusing me, some of the arcs can be quite boring, specifically the Piffle Arc. The Dragonfly Race was a snooze, and also the main reason I dropped the manga many years ago. A generic obstacle course with the race rigged by the bad guy. Not exactly original or refreshing. Due to its subversive nature, the manga can also be inconsistent sometimes, specifically its lack of continuation on its "Mokona Extra Chapters". Those bonus material are short comedy skits involving Mokona fooling around. Naturally, after the Tokyo Arc, such antics and extras began to disappear entirely.

Character: 8
Since CLAMP did a disservice by mucking up the story near the end, the strongest element of Tsubasa lies with its characters and brilliant character development. As mentioned, the best part about Tsubasa is seeing how it subverts the expectations one has towards these cliched archetypes, and that surprise element always delights me. The manga follows the standard technique of making the characters likable with comedy in the first-half and inserting horrible tragedies in the second to make us care deeper about them. Standard, but effective.

The most obvious draw for most people when it comes to Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE is probably the two familiar main characters, Syaoran and Sakura of their Cardcaptor Sakura counterpart. That's what first got me into reading this too. Characters already being familiar to us makes them easily accessible for the audience, and while some might call it lazy storytelling, I think of it as more of an effective form of storytelling as we easily lost most of the exposition. In Tsubasa's case, there are certain changes to the personality and background history of these familiar characters as they are not the same person, but for the most part, they've stayed the same.

Much like her CCS counterpart, Sakura is the kind-hearted angelic child you remember, minus much of the temper she had towards Syaoran and her brother. Unlike the CCS version, Sakura here is an even more blend Mary-Sue who could do no wrong and loves everyone around her. Thankfully, this cliche is intentional, much like the others, and she later becomes a more independent woman who could fend for herself.

Syaoran is your typical shounen hero: brave, honorable, and he refrains from killing - which also makes him the most boring character of the bunch. Out of the entire cast, Syaoran is the one with the least development, because his "development" came in the form of a plot-twist that's more about his identity than his personality, so I don't really count it as a character development more than it is a plot development. When his "identity" was affected in the Tokyo Arc, he becomes someone else who's also quite generic. Ironically, Syaoran is the only main character who's more interesting prior to the Tokyo Arc than after. The cruel price he had to pay to save Sakura was the most interesting part about his character... and then that plot point was left meaningless near the end, and the price never mattered anyway.

Mokona is a white pork bun- I mean a white and adorable creature who serves as the mascot of the story. He's cute, he cries when the main characters are injured or worse, and he spits out from its mouth whatever the plot (and Yuko) needs it to; pretty much a walking plot-device, really. But that's all fine, since his cuteness warms my heart to no end.

Kurogane is one of the two new characters not part of CLAMP's universe prior to Tsubasa. He's a ninja who was sent away by his master, Princess Tomoyo, because of his ruthless actions and ill regards for life. Initially, Kurogane didn't catch my attention much beyond being a powerful and hammy comic relief. This quickly changed after the Recort Arc, when his past was revealed, and you learn why he is so angry all the time (much like Wolverine). His heroics increased even further after the Tokyo Arc, especially with the sacrifices he made for one of his teammates...

Fai D. Flowright is the second new character to be introduced in Tsubasa. He's a Stepford Smiler who keeps his dark past concealed behind that friendly face. While it's hard to say whom among the main characters carry the most sorrowful feelings (they all have heavy burdens), Fai is undeniably the most self-loathing for good reasons revealed in the Celes Arc (an arc that should really have been adapted as an OVA over the convoluted Nihon Arc). The banter between him and Kurogane remained amusing before and after the Tokyo Arc, and either of these two characters just wouldn't be as charming to watch without the company of the other.

Then there's a whole string of cameos by characters from the CLAMP universe, ranging from X/1999, Magic Knight Rayearth, xxxHolic, RG Veda, CLAMP School Detectives, and of course, Cardcaptor Sakura. Most development involving these guest appearances are superficial, but like any good crossovers, there are some plotlines that give a deeper perspective into the relationships of these familiar characters. Therefore, this manga is a MUST-read for any die-hard fans of the CLAMP universe.

Art: 6
I've complained various times in the past about my disdain for manga art, especially those in battle scenes. Streaks of black and white meshed together make for very incomprehensible drawings that can be a pain to read. CLAMP's art is even worse, not just because of the existence of clones and whatnot, but also because the magical powers the characters are spewing out are more focused on than the illustration of the characters themselves. What I mean is that in a large scale battle, it can be hard to see whom is shooting that beam at the opponent you cannot make out either (because they are both tiny, miniscule). Honestly, with colors, this is less of a problem. Just look at American comics.

Enjoyment and Overall: 7
While Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE has its faults (like any great stories), its clever deconstruction and emotional writing makes it an entertaining read for any fan of a good story. As long as you can stomach the last 30 chapters of convolution by referring to footnotes written by fans (only after you finish the manga, mind you, since those notes contain spoilers), then you shouldn't have a problem enjoying the journey.

And with CLAMP bearing a sequel to RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE - Tsubasa: WoRLD CHRoNiCLE (what's with the fancy wording though, seriously...), there's even more of that journey to look forward to. So in a way, it's kinda like the TV anime's ending, the journey never ends - minus all the plot-threads left hanging and undeveloped.

First things first. My "reviews" system is explained on a blog entry. Which can be found through my profile.
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✦Story
Cannot tell much regarding story without spoilers. But can tell this much. It's pretty solid story, very sweet, tragic and beautiful. But clamp multiverse is complicated thing and it seriously became difficult for me to keep up on what was going on. As well the reveals and plot twists were also quite a ride. Sadly enough I'm not reader type, meaning it's a bit duller for me plus much harder to remember stuff, which was another reason why story became a bit too annoying to keep up with. But aside that It was an emotional and tragic adventure. So yeah, story'wise it's superb. Loved it. Seen most of clamp anime, thus lot of things were quite a discovery from reading manga, which basically means as well I will have to read holic manga to get the whole picture.

✦Art
Clamp, I got nothing to say. Superb art, maybe as usual a bit odd character designs, but scenery and the rest of the art was stunning.

✦Character
Sakura and Syaoran, those two are kind hearted souls, with a very complex characteristics. Cannot say much else about them without spoiling.

Aside that we got Fai, the tricky magician with hidden past. Kurogane the loneful tough samurai/ninja and Mokona the mascot of the show. Of course there is a lot of more to each of them, but that just gives general gist.

Aside that there are a lot of more side characters with a big roles and in general the characters and their progression is beautiful, so cannot complain. Does get confusing with multiple worlds and time traveling though.

✦Enjoyment
1. I loved Anime, watched it 2 or 3 times.
2. As mentioned not reader stuff as simply images and text + lot of remembering required = I suck at it.

I did love it, It got tad too confusing for me and I don't particularly remember details of the story, I usually remember general gist of things but practically never the details.. whenever manga or anywhere else.

Also did seriously grow into characters, especially to Sakura and Syaoran (obviously, they main focus of the story)

✦Overall
Wanted give overall of 9 as wanted give story/enjoyment 9 because of my own inability to remember and connect things. But, If I take the part of complexity out, then I think this superb manga. Clamp does do wonderful job on their creations.

So yeah, superb manga and highly recommended to read clamp multiverse works to understand things even better. (xxxHolic)
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Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE is a very unique manga. It has a great story, which seems to be very usual, but chapter after chapter it just becomes so epic. It might be kinda hard to follow and complicated, but everything is explained so well in the end. Also this is the first manga that I fell in love with the art. I couldn't stop wathcing some images (and the color pic of course). The characters are so well drawn and each of them has he'sher's unique characteristiks, which makes this manga so enjoyable to read. Also I totally reccomend watching the anime but you gota know it won't be as epic as the manga