As I mentioned in my last review, it’s been a REALLY long time since I’ve watched anything Cardcaptor Sakura (CCS)-related, so during this second episode I found myself asking myself questions like, ‘Is the card always shoehorned in like this? Was half the episode always slice of life and the rest related to the card capture?’ XD
So, roughly the first two-thirds of the episode focuses on Sakura, Syaoran and Tomoyo’s day at school. Sakura shows her friends her new clear card, Gale, and explains how she’s just trying to live her life normally without worrying about her cards too much. Makes sense right? For her part, Tomoyo is disappointed that she missed Sakura’s first capture but is relieved that her best friend is ok.
In class Sakura’s friend Chiharu gives her cheesecake recipe to the girls, as they had said earlier that they wanted to try making it. This class is also when their teacher makes the announcement about everyone needing to pick a school club. Tomoyo wants to join the Chorus Club, while Sakura wants to continue with cheerleading.
During lunch Sakura, Syaoran, and their friends all eat their food together outside. They discuss which clubs they’re all planning to join, and Syaoran shares that he’s not joining one yet because he still has a lot of paperwork related to his move and transfer to finish up; however he might join one afterwards. What caught my attention the most during this conversation is that Syaoran was really vague with many of his answers. He doesn’t specify what kind of paperwork he still needs to complete, nor does he explain in detail why he missed the same festival that Meiling went to. Could something be going on? Hmmm…
After lunch is Art Class, and then Home Ec. Sakura and Tomoyo make Chiharu’s cheesecake recipe, and it turns out beautifully. Sakura brings it home after school, where it is a bit hit with both Tomoyo and Kero. Sakura’s older brother and Yukito arrive home, forcing Kero to pretend he’s a stuffed animal again.
Speaking of which, there were lots of hints in this scene towards Toya being aware of Kero’s true form (ie not a plushie), and I honestly wish that Kero would just cave and reveal himself to Toya. I went and wiki’d a bunch of stuff that I won’t include here in case it’s manga-only content, and will just say that as an adult watching CCS, I think Sakura’s situation would be a lot less frustrating if everyone was on the same page so to speak. Like why hide it at this point?
Anyways, after dinner Sakura, Kero and Tomoyo head up to Sakura’s room for an outfit sizing courtesy of Tomoyo, and this is where the next card catches them off guard. The trio are encased in a square rubber room that has no door. Eventually they get the idea that perhaps they could pop the room like a balloon, and what do you know, Tomoyo just happens to have her pincushion on her wrist. Perfect! Sakura transforms and as Tomoyo pops the room, Sakura captures the unknown card. I thought the card might be something like “Rubber” or “Balloon” (which I know sounds dumb, but what else could a bouncy room be?), but it turns out to be “Seige”.
Over in England, Eriol still hasn’t returned Sakura’s message. He tells Spinel Sun that he can’t right now – he must wait until the time is right. Whatever that is supposed to mean. Hopefully Sakura won’t think he’s ignoring her and will clue in that there must be some secret reason why he hasn’t contacted her yet.
That night Sakura has another nightmare about the dragon flying over Tomoeda, and the mysterious robed stranger who appears to be trying to take Sakura’s Clow key. When she wakes up she checks her cards in their book, and they’re still there. Still clear. Sakura resolves to do her best to figure out the mystery behind these new cards, so she can one day see all of her cards returned to her.
Everyone’s inability to sense the power behind these new clear cards and Sakura’s new Clow key is a nifty little plot device that has already allowed for some dangerous situations, and I’m sure more will occur throughout the series. Not only does it mean that the cards can surprise Sakura when she least expects it, but the magic signature behind the cards also can’t be detected. Indeed whenever someone like Syaoran or Kero tries to pick up on the magical signature, they can only sense Sakura’s magic in the cards. I suspect that the robed individual in Sakura’s dreams will be someone who is the least expected to be a baddie.
It’s interesting for me to watch CCS as an adult compared to when I watched the original series as a young thing. xD For example Sakura’s card-capturing outfit in this episode was cute, but I noticed that the long ribbons hanging off the back of the outfit are impractical and could be borderline dangerous in certain situations. And while I know Tomoyo’s behaviour towards Syaoran and Sakura, or Sakura’s cardcapturing, is meant to be cute and provide some comic relief, it’s actually a little annoying. Like girl put down your goddamn camcorder and just watch. Just enjoy. And if your friend is with her new boyfriend, for the love of god just leave them alone and give them some privacy. =_= #tooadultforanime
As for the ratio of slice of life vs cardcapturing, I’m hoping that will 
balance out more as the series progresses. We’re only two episodes in and I realize that certain characters and events need to be set up in order for everything to progress as planned, so I hope later episodes will focus more on Sakura capturing cards. Like an episode where it takes almost the entire episode to capture the card? I think something like that every once in awhile would be refreshing.
But overall I’m extremely happy with the series. The music is great, the animation is so beautiful, and I’m really enjoying this title so far. :3
Oh! As of this episode, there was a very quick segment introduced at the end titled “Leave It To Kero-chan!” Kero looked at the differences and similarities between the Tomoeda elementary and middle school uniforms. Kero said that this segment will air every week, so I think that’s a neat little bonus to look forward to. Actually I wish it were longer, honestly – I love behind the scenes trivia!
See you guys next week!
P.S – Anyone going to try making Chiharu’s cheesecake recipe in real life? Is it even possible or was it perhaps shortened for the sake of including it in the show?
Apparently in the old CCS manga and anime, the structure of some chapters/episodes was such that 1/3rds (or even 2/3rds) of a plot was SOL stuff, with card capture taking place just at the end.
I don’t remember the original anime too well, but that’s what I seemed to remember. I guess it annoys me more as an adult than as a teenager, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it.
In the original CCS, Tomoyo makes it extremely clear (to viewers, if not to the perpetually-dense Sakura) that her feelings toward Sakura are romantic/yuri in nature, rather than simply friendship. Although she’s accepted that Syaoran is Sakura’s #1, I view Tomoyo’s cockblocking behavior as, on some level, intentional. I don’t think she’s trying to deliberately sabotage the relationship, but her constant disruptive behavior may be her way of subconsciously venting her frustration/sadness/pain at knowing that Sakura doesn’t return her feelings. And/Or maybe her obsessive need to record every romantic moment is her way of vicariously experiencing what she can’t have; it’s the closest she’ll get to being “with” Sakura. It’s all quite tragic and sad for poor Tomoyo.
Ah yes, that’s right I forgot that Tomoyo was attracted to Sakura in the original manga. In that light, as you said a lot of her behaviours suddenly make more sense. Poor Tomoyo. ;~;
Not quite right, it is not romantic. It is even worse because it is being caused by magical attraction, that cares not for people’s genders or age differences. Tomoyo’s mother can’t even function with Sakura in the same room with her. Tomoyo wishes for Sakura’s happiness and knows her attraction is really false so she suffers everyday just from being around her and not letting Sakura know how she is being torn apart by the same magic Sakura loves.
The descendants of Clow and the reincarnation of Clow, Eriol, all suffer from this. The magic forces them together and apart sometimes quite cruelty. Both Sakura and Syaoran are more attracted to Yukito than to each other, and her brother Toya is in a relationship with Yukito to protect Sakura from him and to let her magic and Yukito survive. The girl he loved went to live with Eriol because she was more attracted to him, even though he was like 8 years old and living across the world. Toya’s magic was perception, so he can’t not understand what is happening. He is forced to bury all his feelings yet again when the new humanoid female magical beast Eriol created tried to get Toya to love her, but despite their mutual attraction, he would not let his friend Yukito die.
Magic provides wonderful things for the characters, but is also the impersonal villain threatening their happiness,and forcing everyone to do its random bidding, while the MC Sakura is kept blissfully unaware of the pain and suffering going on around her and that the truth is withheld form her so she can be happy. For example, Syaoran is mostly with Sakura because he feels sorry for her, even though he had to trample Meiling’s heart, who is magically attracted to him and suffers everyday, so Syaoran can selfishly blunt his pain of not being with Yukito with his slight attraction to Sakura, who blunts her frustration of not being Yukito’s love slave by feeling all warm and tingly around him.
From Wikipedia:
“The creators have stated that the reason that Sakura does not return her friend Tomoyo’s feelings is not because Tomoyo is another girl as Sakura does not see gender as barrier for her romantic attraction. She simply doesn’t have romantic feelings for Tomoyo in particular. Demonstrating this, Sakura confesses that she has a crush on a female teacher in the series.”
and
“As children living in Hong Kong, they both trained in martial arts under the tutelage of Wang Wei. One night her pet bird escaped from its cage, and the normally quiet and withdrawn Syaoran told her not to cry, then left. After spending hours in the rain, he returned with the bird and Meiling was both grateful and touched. From that day, she devoted herself to him, eventually declaring that she liked Syaoran above all others and, reasoning that he liked her as well, she declared them to be engaged. At the same time, she promised that if he found someone he liked more than her, he would tell her and she would release him from the promise.
In coming to Tokyo, Meiling intends to help Syaoran gather the Clow Cards, and actively dislikes Sakura. As the series progresses, Meiling develops a grudging respect for Sakura that turns into a good friendship by the time Meiling returns to Hong Kong in episode 43 by her mother due to unknown reasons. During her initial visit, Meiling seemed to recognize that Syaoran was falling in love with Sakura, but it wasn’t until she briefly returned in episode 60 that she acknowledges and accepts Sakura as the person Syaoran loves. Wanting to keep her promise, Syaoran attempts to tell her that he loves Sakura, but Meiling interrupts and tells him that she knows because he is now calling Sakura by her first name, something he only does for his sisters and her. She releases Syaoran from their promise, then quickly leaves.”
and
“In the manga, Syaoran begins to develop feelings for Sakura around the time of the Erase card’s capture. Once Syaoran realizes his feelings, he tries to admit his love for Sakura several times, but is both too nervous to confess his feelings while also being constantly interrupted. Syaoran also becomes extremely jealous whenever he sees Sakura spending time with Eriol, believing he harbours romantic feelings for Sakura and considers him a rival. Syaoran’s love for Sakura is proven to be really strong as he thinks strongly of her well being and needs before his own as shown when after Yukito rejects Sakura’s feelings, Syaoran comforts her even though Sakura is still unaware about his own romantic feelings towards her. Nearing the end of the series, Syaoran finally confesses his feelings to Sakura, but decides to return to Hong Kong, since Sakura has now become the new master of the cards.”
In the series finale movie, Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card, he and Meiling return from Hong Kong a few months later to visit. Throughout the movie, Syaoran waits for Sakura to reply to his confession, but as Sakura constantly keeps trying to tell him how she feels, they are repeatedly interrupted. Syaoran and Sakura work together to defeat the Nothing Card that has been secretly stealing the Sakura cards while making parts of Tomoeda disappear. Eventually at the end of the movie, they manage to defeat the Nothing Card, which becomes the Hope Card and Sakura finally confesses her love for Syaoran and jumps into his arms.”
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Cardcaptor_Sakura_characters)