Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE

In CLAMP's usual style, TRC is a mash-up of their previous titles with tons of surprise cameos, though the characters often have little to do with their series' counterparts. The whole interdementional-travel to save a princess gives it huge potential to branch off into something great, although it often falls short IMO. Don't go looking for fantastic battles and such here, though there are few, as CLAMP tends to focus on character development. Be prepared to face lots of vague wording and intrigue as you attempt to decipher what the heck is going on. The artwork is definitely some of the best they've put out--If you're a fan of their style, that is. It certainly is a bit strange how long everyone's arms and legs are.

If you've been turned off of the series because of the early 100 chapters having poor translations, that's understandable--this comic isn't easy to understand (the main villan practically speaks in prose). But if you're willing to stick with it, you may find your own part to enjoy. Permalink " "

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle is... a CLAMP manga. If you're a fan of CLAMP manga, then that's probably all you need to know; you're bound to enjoy it. Likewise, if you dislike CLAMP's previous works, then you're unlikely to enjoy Tsubasa. If you're not that familiar with CLAMP, or otherwise don't fall into either camp, then things might not be so simple.

First of all, let's make one thing clear – Tsubasa is a crossover work. Indeed, CLAMP have gone on the record as saying that Tsubasa and xxxHOLiC are intended to "tie together" all their other works. The good news, however, is that this doesn't mean you have to have actually read any of those other works to enjoy Tsubasa; it stands on its own remarkably well. Even xxxHOLiC and Card Captor Sakura, the two series with which it is most intimately linked, aren't required reading.

Another thing that probably warrants saying in advance – CLAMP have written a variety of manga, including both the more light-hearted adventure and the more serious, complex, heavy-handed fantasy. Tsubasa... is both. It starts out as the former, and continues in that vein for quite some time, but there are elements of the latter under the surface, and after a dramatic turning point midway through the series, that's the direction it ultimately takes. The story is, by its very nature, rather episodic (a central plot device is that the characters leap between different worlds, and each world tends to form an individual arc of its own) but becomes less so as the focus shifts in the latter half.

The vast majority of characters are recycled versions of characters from previous CLAMP works – not the same characters, but rather alternate-universe counterparts. The two main characters – Sakura and Syaoran – are alternates of the protagonists from Card Captor Sakura, and the "mascot" character, Mokona, is originally from Rayearth. The other two central characters, Kurogane and Fai, are two of the series' few truly original characters. All characters, original or otherwise, are highly likeable and well-designed, and the artwork, as always with CLAMP, is pristine and often elaborate, as well as highly distinctive. And the scenarios are always enjoyable and compelling, especially, in my opinion, in the latter half of the series.

A word of warning, though, to anybody thinking of trying out this series from scratch – the manga is, in my personal opinion, a little difficult to get into, and this isn't helped along by the less-than-brilliant quality of the translations that exist for the earlier parts of the series. My advice would be to watch the first series of the anime (possibly skipping the last episode, since it's not only filler, but very questionable filler), thus bypassing these issues, and only then to move on to the manga (reading from the beginning, or from chapter 50, where the first season of the anime cuts off). I wouldn't particularly advise watching the second series of the anime, since it's very prone to inserting filler, messing with the order of events, and generally being unfaithful to the original material. The OVA is definitely worth watching, though – it would perhaps be a good idea to watch it after reading Chapters 107-135 (the Acid Tokyo arc that the OVA covers), to reinforce the important events that happened therein, as well as to enjoy the excellent adaptation. Permalink " "

Despite the fact that I don't usually like CLAMP's works, this manga is my favorite ever. Permalink " "

Once again CLAMP continues to deliver in their latest series. It is astounding the cast of characters and how this manga-ka's are able to weave every other manga they ever wrote into this one piece of art.

Drama, angst and action are guranteed as well as a feeling of dread and mind numbing plot twist that will make you question your sanity. Permalink " "