CLAMP works

Well, I've been looking around and there don't seem to be any threads on any CLAMP series at all. So I figured I'd put one up for CLAMP works in general, since it looks like none of their individual works have enough fans here to sustain a thread on their own...

So to start off, I was just wondering, does anyone know what was going on in xxxholic chapter 211? I mean, I get the thing about the serpent's eye charm, but I'm just wondering if there's anything more to that pair of separated lovers. Some kind of Japanese mythology reference or something, maybe?

Oh, and I may be overthinking things here, but for the last page where Watanuki states he has received payment for the wish, does he mean simply the umbrella with the charm, or was there something else we were supposed to notice on that page?

I'm only familiar with Cardcaptor Sakura (because my power level is lower than 1 Raditz). Pretty cute, fun, and even inspiring, though the overall plot didn't make much sense. Though this is a thread about CLAMP, I must admit that my favourite character, Meilin, was exclusive to the anime.

I agree, I found Cardcaptor Sakura kinda...light on plot (not in the sense that it had little plot, but more that it was kinda weak and confusing). But it was certainly cute.

Though it was kind of surprising when it popped up to tie in with Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles.

I've always wanted to get into CLAMP just so that I could see what my friends are fangasming about in Tsubasa, but it's never been able to hold my interest besides Code Geass. Cardcaptor Sakura is childish and inane, and I can't stand the Saturday morning vibes I get from trying to take the series seriously. I don't think it's funny, and I don't get any kind of pleasure from watching an elementary student repetitively fight pretty-looking monsters. And the art of Rayearth Knights is just too bizarre. Gah. Why are there so many little girls? I don't care about this story. I tried Xxx Holic for a while, but good lord, their bodies are so BIZARRE!

Gah. Why are there so many little girls?

Women's comics largely star women. Boys' comics largely star boys. Girls' comics...

Cardcaptor Sakura has a tremendous reputation, so I've been struggling to understand why I haven't been enjoying it, three volumes and nine episodes in. I like Princess Tutu, after all. I like Kure-nai, Kino's Journey, Yotsuba&!, Victorian Romance Emma, Maison Ikkoku, Apollo's Song, Ouran High School Host Club (seen the anime, haven't read the manga), The Vision of Escaflowne, Asatte No Houkou, CLANNAD After Story, Figure17, and — for all its little annoyances — Kimi Ni Todoke. I like...well, I dislike xxxHoLic less.

So there's some variety in my anime and manga tastes. There are girls' series I like, and other series with prominent young girls, and "romance" series. But something about CCS keeps it from being in the "stuff I like" group. And I don't think it can be boiled down to the age demographic; even if it could, I'd rather see it expressed in terms describing the series itself.

I agree that Cardcaptor Sakura isn't very memorable. It's not bad per se, but it's not particularly good either. It's just cute watching Sakura ask for a farming implement every so often. (Hooeeeee?!)

xxxHolic I liked a lot better, though mostly because of Yuko. I sorely miss her...I wonder how the series is going to conclude, in fact. I mean, I always viewed Yuko as one of the main characters, and things seem sad without her. Perhaps Watanuki was always intended to be the protagonist, but still...meh.

Watanuki always was the protagonist. She was just the most interesting side character.

Does anyone know how much longer xxxHolic is supposed to continue for? I figured it was going to be ending soon what with Doumeki and sutff, but that sideplot seems to have been pushed under the rug for now. Now it's back to weird little stories again.

By the way, what kind of spoiler policy are we observing? Like who here is interested in Tsubasa and xxxHolic but hasn't read them yet?

edited 29th Dec '10 9:34:11 AM by Arha

I just finished Volume 2 of xxxHolic this morning (liking it very much, btw )- the fact that Yuuko isn't in later volumes seems like a little bit of It Was His Sled, but I don't know the circumstances. Just food for thought- if the thread were to get spoilery, then I could just tread lightly around it. *shrug*

...Grabbing Volume 3 at the library today; I suppose I should grab Tsubasa Volume 1 too, since I'm very intrigued about that story. And I want Mokona

I have a sort of love/hate relationship with CLAMP's works. They always have this tendency to draw me in to a series just before going all...well, CLAMP on it and somebody falls in love with their sister or something. And loses an eye.

Basically, I promised myself that I'd stay away from CLAMP works unless I have some assurance that the series won't go completely insane before it ends. That leaves me with... the anime version of Kidou Tenshi Angelic Layer, pretty much. That was cute.

edited 29th Dec '10 3:42:33 PM by Sparkysharps

I watched Code Geass, which was character-designed by CLAMP. I liked the designs, but given what I've heard about CLAMP that's about as much of their work as I care to look at.

edited 29th Dec '10 5:21:04 PM by Sporkaganza

I need to get around to reading more CLAMP stuff. I actually like the whole Noodle People art thing.

Interestingly enough, despite the fact that CLAMP had no say in the writing of Code Geass, I've seen quite a few people say that the series as whole has some very CLAMP-esque themes and plot-points.

I've been watching Carcaptor Sakura lately for nostalgia's sake, it's definitely more focused on showing off the pimped out dresses and cool themes of each card than an overarching plot. But hey, it's entertaining enough, and that intro isn't easy to forget.

edited 29th Dec '10 9:33:07 PM by Billabong

I find CLAMP's art style kind of cute really...though that style seems to work better on the female characters than the male ones.

@Arha: Yeah, I also thought it might be wrapping up soon (or at least reduce the number of customer-of-the-week plotlines in favour of the main plot), but it seems we were mistaken on that. Still, about the Yuko thing...well, I guess it's a personal preference thing. I guess I'm just too fond of her character, so I find the series sorely lacking something without her.

^Not too uncommon with shoujo works. But I feel like CLAMP's works are very often gender fluid both in terms of demographics and character design, in the sense that they appeal to both shoujo and shonen demographics (though of course with a shoujo slant), and I feel like both females and males look beautiful in their style.

Aha! xxxHoLic remembered that it had a plot!

Lol, yes. Hopefully we'll get some more closure on the Yuuko x Watanuki relationship.

Final chapter of xxxHolic is out.

Well that was...surprising. And confusing. I'm not sure whether I'm satisfied with this ending at all.

edited 10th Feb '11 12:37:28 AM by ashnazg

Magic Knight Rayearth is pretty much the only CLAMP series I was ever really 'into' and that was because the mecha designs were phenomenal, with Rayearth's massive shield arm being one of my all-time favorite design elements.

Why they've never done another series with mecha entirely on their own is beyond me.

Not a fan of the xxxHolic ending. Mainly because the egg was never used, and the passage of time was never even hinted at being so long until right at the end. Seriously, I was guessing it was closer to 10 years than 100.

So wait, that's the ending we get? How dissatisfying.

Cardcaptor Sakura is the only CLAMP work I really like. I don't hate most of their other stuff, but only Cardcaptor Sakura really interested and charmed me. I really want to finish reading the manga, but my last attempts with scans were horrible to say the least. The person translating felt it necessary to inform of us of how gross they thought the characters with homosexual interests were. Especially Tomoyo. Tomoyo always got the worst of it and there was bitching more or less any time the girl was on panel. Then there's the quality of the translation itself...which was...god. It just...Fuck. It sucked. That's all I can say.

Buy the manga. The art's pretty, so it's worth it.

Huh. I didn't notice any bitching, but I suppose it's possible I didn't read the same translation as you.

I probably would've just found it funny anyway; bitching usually is.

It usually is, but this time it wasn't and I really didn't want it there. I don't really like annotations and footnotes at all, but fuck. I mean it is entertaining that this girl was just amazingly grossed out by Tomoyo's being in love with Sakura, but I just don't want it on the fucking page while I'm reading.

I'd like to buy the manga, but I'm amazingly poor and lack a job. I plan to buy it eventually though.

I never read the actual manga, but Clover characters design looks VERY PRETTY... even for CLAMP standard.