Cardcaptor Sakura Is Part of a Broader Alternate Universe Fans Need to Experience

Clamp is the team behind one of the most well-known magical girl series, but Cardcaptor Sakura is far from the only work they’ve produced. Additionally, Cardcaptor Sakura is part of an alternate universe that Clamp created with other shows, which features Sakura and Syaoran who have lived different lives, and they embark on a journey through parallel universes in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. This show has a mix of shounen and shoujo elements, but it’s heavier on the action and combat while containing darker themes than those you find in the works that Clamp brings together for the show, such as Cardcaptor Sakura and xxxHolic.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles has an anime adaptation that’s available for streaming on Crunchyroll, but don’t go into it expecting an experience that’s similar to the comforting, heartwarming vibes of Cardcaptor Sakura. Clamp doesn’t pull their punches this time, and since it’s a completed series, you can witness the full story from beginning to end.

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Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles Is a Story About Identity and Tragedy

You first receive an introduction to Sakura and Syaoran, who live in the Kingdom of Clow. If you’re a fan of Cardcaptor Sakura, you’ll spot a lot of familiar faces in this world, including Sakura’s brother, father, and friend, Yukito. However, Princess Sakura has a mysterious power that hidden forces are after, causing her to sleepwalk to ruins during the night. Syaoran follows her, but his attempt to save her results in her memories scattering across worlds in the form of powerful feathers.

This leads to Syaoran being sent to Yuuko, who resides in her original world of xxxHolic, where he’s joined by Fai and Kurogane, each being sent to Yuuko for other reasons. Naturally, Yuuko takes payment that’s equivalent to the help that she gives. For Syaoran, this means that he agrees to be erased from Sakura’s memories if he wants help finding them.

That’s just the start of the story, and it only becomes deeper from there. If you read the manga, you see unexpected twists and truly get into the themes of identity, including what makes a person who they are, how identities are earned, and what it means to be yourself in one world while countless variations of you also exist in parallel worlds. It’s a fascinating adventure that deserves more attention, and honestly a new anime adaptation that follows the manga more than the existing one.

While the anime is a great place to get started with Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, the manga is where the story can truly shine. Otherwise, you miss out on a lot of crucial content for the plot, and instead have an ending that wraps up the show in a rather unsatisfying way. Roughly the first half of the anime does alright when it comes to following the manga, so if you’re a fan of Clamp’s work and like the beginning episodes, then you’ll definitely need to check out the manga.