Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card-hen - Episode 05 Review

Sakura eats, drinks, and sings with friends!

I think Clear Card-hen should officially rename itself Cooking Master Card Captor Sakura with the amount of time spent on the show with characters cooking meals and showcasing bento. Not that I’m complaining—even in the original anime, I always enjoyed and appreciated all the food-related moments. I can’t get over what a sweet, feel-good episode this was. Even the dark force this time, Gravitation, was good-natured, bringing Sakura to a nice, isolated hill to view the prettiest cherry blossom tree. And the overall animation quality of this episode was spectacular—everything was so fluidly animated and all the character art was very pretty and background gorgeous. Totally made up for the ugly CGed-Ents from Episode 4—now I know where all the budget went! 

Who's taking pictures of a sleeping Sakura-chan and uploading them onto her laptop? Syaoran raises hand: "Can you send me one please?"

We started off with a hairdryer product placement moment after Sakura comes out of the shower. I appreciated hearing from Rika again, though over phone! Kero-chan reading a mystery novel recommended by Spinel Sun and getting the culprit wrong is so point on! I dig Sakura’s red laptop and matching mouse, but am more amazed that Sakura knows how to use a computer now. So, Kero-chan is taking photos of Sakura while she’s sleeping? I can’t decide if it’s creepy or for Tomoyo.

Sakura: Beda! Touya: Lord help me, what am I going to do with this little monster.

Again, I enjoyed Touya, Fujitaka and Sakura’s interaction in the kitchen making her bento. Especially Touya telling Yukito over phone that the lunch Sakura packed "should be safe" to eat because their dad making it with her so. Touya telling Sakura not to squeeze the rice so hard when making onigiri, which makes it too hard, is legit advice, though Sakura doesn't respond to it well. Then she’s so polite and sweet to Yukito on the phone—poor Touya, he’s so used to ignoring his bratty little sister’s antics—he should get more love. I really enjoyed the one serious conversation they had, when Sakura asked if Yukito is eating as much as he used to—and Touya said not as much in the past. I love how Fujitaka asks Sakura’s opinions for everything, like whether she wants the sausages octopus-shaped or bunny-shaped, or the vegetables grilled. What an awesome father! The Kinomoto family’s bunny-shaped sausages are adorable.

Outfit of the day! Pink for cherry blossom viewing!

I loved Sakura’s flower-viewing outfit, from the pink tea coat with flower-print collars and stylish brown boots and vertical-striped stockings. And Tomoyo’s hairstyle with the two braids down the side was really cute. It’s not like Syaoran to be tardy, but again he's mysteriously missing. It was interesting to note that Yamazaki Takashi is officially Syaoran’s spokesman. Apparently Yamazaki and Syaoran have that kind of relationship where they text each other and out of that entire group of friends, if Syaoran’s going to be late, he doesn’t contact Sakura, or even Tomoyo, but Yamazaki-kun who even knows that Syaoran told them to go ahead and start their lunch! When have been that close? The hidden dark horse was not Eriol, it had been Yamazaki all along! I really enjoyed Chiharu’s remark about Yamazaki enjoying “experimental cooking.” That is totally him. Akiho is adorable as well—I’ve been won over this episode. Akiho overlaps with Tomoyo a bit, except she is not as perceptive and shrewd. If Sakura and Tomoyo had a daughter, she would probably be like Akiho. 

The birth of Yandere-Tomoyo!

I can’t help thinking of the “Siege Card” as the “Cheese Card.” That’s what I hear. The whole action sequence with the Gravitation was animated so fluidly, nearly movie quality! As I mentioned earlier, again, like some of the Clow Cards of earlier days, the whole purpose of this card seemed to have been to draw Sakura and gang to view the prettiest “best kept secret” cherry blossom of the neighborhood. The Gravitation Card also was interesting because it was more of a physics-related card than an element and the likes. It rather reminded me of the Magnet Card from New Trials of CCS.

I am Syaoran, an elf of Lothlorien. Okay, I'll stop with the Lord of the Rings references.

Yandere Tomoyo is bummed at another missed filming opportunity—I rather like the idea of a dark Tomoyo in the making. Syaoran suspiciously makes his entrance like three minutes before the end of the episode. Where were you all this time? You better not be the one releasing all the Clear Cards at Sakura! He looks like a woodland fairy in his green and ivory outfit—I mean, who can pull off those ivory three-quarter slacks with socks and a matching green and gold man-purse—I mean satchel. Syaoran brings his infamous peach buns, Akiho compliments them, and I don’t know how I feel about Syaoran smiling at other girls except for Sakura, because back in the days, Sakura was the only person he smiled for. 

Akiho: The peach bun is so delicious! Syaoran: I didn’t make it for you, gurl!

Sakura’s dejected expression when she hears Syaoran already ate lunch is the cutest thing ever. And it’s so Syaoran-like that he is so perceptive, notices the slight change in Sakura's expression, remembers it, and asks “what’s the matter” a little later. (Yes, Syaoran must have telepathy when it comes to Sakura!) Sakura explains there was another card. But Syaoran cuts straight to the point that Sakura looked a little sad when he said he already had lunch. Sakura says, “Don’t worry about that.” Sakura’s worried that Syaoran’s already too full, but Syaoran looks really serious and says my favorite quote of the episode, “I have to, when it’s about you.” This guy, who always blushed red when interacting with his crush and running out of the scene in elementary school days, has gotten completely suave in the year or so he has been gone! What has he been studying in Hong Kong? Probably Eriol’s “Dating Manual for the Hopeless Guy.” For more info, check out my fanfic: The New Trials of CCS.

Syaoran: I can read your mind, you know.

Sakura: Hoe! No way!

"I have to worry, when it's about you." Syaoran always makes this troubled expression when Sakura's not looking.

Syaoran insists on eating the bento Sakura made for him, though Sakura says he shouldn’t force it. He was especially hot when he asked, “Dame-ka?” That’s the kind of Syaoran I liked, and the most Syaoran-like he has been a while. The whole bento exchange scene was also probably the most shoujo manga-esque one between Sakura and Syaoran we’ve had in CCS in a while.
 

Syaoran: I want to eat your bento.

"Dame-ka?" Who can resist those eyes!

Of course, Sakura can't, so she gives him the bento.

 Sakura’s blushing smile when Syaoran eats her bento and says it's delicious is the most adorable thing ever. Also, I realized once again I like serious Syaoran the best, and though he is smiling with other characters, he is still very serious and attentive when it comes to Sakura, just like he was in elementary school. So, even if he smiles at all the other characters, I like how he still gets unsmiling when he is worried about Sakura and her feelings. 

Syaoran's eating my bento! Hanyaan!

Cute bunny sausages! The onigiri is a little bit tough though. Sakura should have listened to her brother's advice!

I can't let the new girl upstage me—gurl, why are you humming along?!

Yamazaki interrupts the rare S+S moment with a silly story about castella, Tomoyo sings, Akiho sort of hums along (isn’t that kind of impolite), and Sakura takes a furtive glance at Syaoran and is so cute. And probably Syaoran gets a tummy-ache later for having two lunches back-to-back to please Sakura.

Best view of the sakura-viewing outing!

Teehee, Syaoran's so handsome!