Spoilers for all Cardcaptor Sakura entries preceding this one will be left unmarked. You Have Been Warned.
Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card is a 2000 anime film and Grand Finale to the series. Set after the final episode of the anime and building on the ending from the final chapter of the manga Cardcaptor Sakura is given a cinematic send-off. It is directed by Morio Asaka, with the screenplay by Nanase Ohkawa (who, as a member of CLAMP, was also the main writer of the original manga and the anime). It was released on July 15, 2000.
After the events of the Star Cards Arc, Sakura, Tomoyo and Kero are getting used to the relative peace now that Sakura has transformed all of the Clow Cards into Star Cards and danger no longer threatens Tomodea. Its summer and the sixth grade class at Tomoeda Elementary is putting on a play for the upcoming Nadeshiko festival in which Sakura has been cast in the lead role as the princess. But Sakura's mind still lingers on Syaoran's declaration of love to her after the final battle with Eriol and longs to tell him she feels the same.
But unbeknownst to any of them a mysterious entity the Cards' creator Clow Reed buried years before has escaped from its imprisonment and has its sights set on everything Sakura loves and holds close.
Notably, the only part of the Cardcaptor Sakura anime series to receive a fully faithful English dub upon its release in the US prior to Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card thanks to Geneon.
It was the winner of the Kobe Award for Best Theatrical Animated Film in 2000.
Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card provides examples of:
- Action Prologue: Tomoyo's movie which features Sakura, Kerberos and Yue battling monsters broughted to life by the Create Card.
- Amusement Park of Doom: An amusement park is built over the land that was occupied by Eriol's house/Clow Reed's mansion after it was demolished. Sakura, Tomoyo, Syaoran and Meiling spend a day out on the rides before the Nameless Card reveals herself and has been secretly residing in one of the towers there. Then, the Nothing vanishes the whole of Tomoeda and takes control of the rides using its powers.
- Attack of the Town Festival: The Nadeshiko festival.
- Back for the Finale: Eriol, Kaho, Spinel Sun, Ruby Moon, Maki and Tomoyo's team of female bodyguards all make cameos.
- Childhood Memory Demolition Team: Subverted. The movie opens with a crew in the middle of tearing down the remains of Clow Reed's mansion which allows The Nothing to escape, while this was a key location and plot point in the third season Sakura and the central characters were only seen in it once, which was the last episode of the series and just before this movie. Double Subversion in that an amusement park is built where the house stood once the land is cleared.
- The Nothing itself acts as this for Sakura as she erases nearly all of Sakura's hometown of Tomoeda along with her friends and family with Sakura herself now in the 6th grade and with the implication from the original end of the manga that she will be going to Middle School soon. Fortunately It Gets Better.
- Cue the Sun: The sun starts to rise over Tomoeda just as Sakura and Syaoran mutually admit their love for one each other.
- Ferris Wheel Date Moment: Sakura and Syaoran have one, only for it to be interrupted by the Nothing.
- Finale Movie: For the original Cardcaptor Sakura anime adaptation.
- Grand Finale: A big send off to the most successful Magical Girl series since Sailor Moon.
- Hall of Mirrors: Sakura and Syaoran chase the Nothing into one at the amusement park when Sakura senses it and discovers inside that it has been stealing her Sakura Cards.
- Heroic Sacrifice: A non-fatal version. Syaoran was willing to sacrifice his most important feelings to seal the Nothing. It was mitigated when the Nameless Card reacted and fused with the Nothing.
- Kishōtenketsu: Similar to the first film the plot can be seen to function in four acts that fit into this structure:
- The first act (Ki) sees Sakura and Tomoyo adjusting to life after all the Clow Cards have been transformed with Errol and Syaoran both now gone and their class at Tomoeda Elementary participating in a play for the Nadeshiko festival.
- The second act (sho) sees Sakura sense something strange is afoot and runs into Syaoran and Meiling who have returned to Japan and the gradual build-up of Sakura trying to build up the courage and find the right time to tell Syaoran how she feels.
- The third act (ten) is when The Nothing Card’s presence and stealing of the Sakura Cards has finally been discovered by the characters and the school play goes ahead.
- The forth act and conclusion (ketsu) sees the final battle against the Nothing Card that ends with Sakura confessing to Syaoran that she is in love with him, the Nothing Card wilfully transformed into The Hope and all the damage from its rampage being undone.
- Relationship Upgrade: Sakura and Syaoran.
- School Play: Sakura's 6th grade class spends most of the movie rehearsing and planning for a play written by Naoko about a star-crossed prince and princess from neighboring countries at war that requires Venetian-style masks and costumes and ballroom waltzing.
- Shipper on Deck: Tomoyo and Meiling for Sakura and Syaoran.
- Shout-Out: Posters of Alphonse Mucha's art can be seen all along the walls of the dressing room when Rika and Chiharu are helping Meiling with her dress. Bonus as Mucha's poster designs influenced the look of the Clow Cards.
- Sphere of Destruction: The Nothing's form when she's resting in the tower.
