Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card-hen - Episode 08 Review!!!

"Sakura, the Clock, and a Hide-and-Seek Game"
aka the introduction of Tomoyo's long-lost evil older brother

Sakura’s always talking about her brother, which I think is really cute. She has a brocon too, I suppose. A highlight of this episode is a flashback to Sakura and Syaoran’s visit to Tomoyo’s house, and the revelation that Tomoyo has been preparing a battle costume for Syaoran as well (which I think we'll get to see next episode! She even took his measurements and remarks he got taller! I felt a deja vu seeing this scene. Sakura also is excited to see Syaoran in his new costume. I think it’s finally hit her what a hottie Syaoran is. 

Tomoyo: Li-kun, you've grown taller and manlier!

Syaoran: Are you sure? I'm rather worried that I've actually shrunk and reverse-aged.

Akiho finally reveals that she’s living in Eriol’s old house. Sakura and Syaoran (plus Kero-chan) have a rendezvous in the secret rose garden. Sakura invites Syaoran to Akiho’s house Sunday. Syaoran lies and says he’s busy again. Sakura this time asks Syaoran on a date for the Sunday after that, blushing and cute. She says she’s been practicing making tamagoyaki (egg rolls), and this time Syaoran says okay. He tries to pick a flower petal off of her shoulder, and the two of them are lost in their own world. Kero-chan interrupts and says: “The world ain’t just for your two!” Kero-chan’s really been pounding out these great one-liners lately. And of course Syaoran’s not the one taking the lead in the relationship at all. I really have a bad feeling Sakura’s the only one who thinks they are in a relationship. I like how we see Sakura and Chiharu in cheerleading practice—that’s some pretty rigorous aerobic workout there. I suppose since Akiho and Tomoyo are both in the choir club together, they will also get a chance to get closer.

Sakura: Syaoran-kun, do you want to go on a date with me next Sunday?

Syaoran: Sorry I'm busy. I'm also busy for the next four Sundays. In fact, I'm going to be busy every Sunday till the school year ends. Just kidding. Let's meet next, next Sunday.

Syaoran: So, what exactly is the function of this piece of long hair?

Syaoran: Sorry, there was a flower petal! (Did she buy it? I guess so.)

Kero-chan's moment of truth: Hey, I'm still here, and the world doesn't just revolve around you two young'uns!

Gratuitous shot of Sakura and Chiharu looking cute at cheerleading practice.

I missed Touya last episode, and he’s waiting for Sakura at home today. I like his usual subtle concern and teasing remarks at his little sis. He calls her name, and the “hoe?” she makes is the cutest thing ever. He then proceeds to ask seriously if he should put konjac/konnyaku in the rice. Sakura gets all huffy but we know Touya teases her more when he’s worried about her. It’s cute that the scriptwriter still remembers all the tiny details like foods Sakura hates because there are so many series which wouldn’t. Touya looked especially handsome today—it’s clear he’s pretty worried about Sakura nowadays. I thought the little detail with Sakura tucking Kero-chan into bed after a long day at school is really endearing as well. Of course she collapses after having her cloaked figure clock dream—I really hope she didn’t just collapse on the ground like that. I’d like to think Kero-chan caught her and blocked the blunt of the fall. Or else I guess Touya would have raced upstairs.

I'm going to give you konnyaku for dinner. It's a great diet food with low calories.

Sakura: Onii-chan, if you interrupt my date with Syaoran next week, I won't forgive you!

Sakura: Syaoran, are you spying on me with this?

Sakura and Tomoyo, in pink and sky-blue dresses respectively, visit Shinomoto Akiho’s place finally. Akiho answers the door herself—Kaito fails as a butler already. Eriol’s house had an automatic door. I don’t remember that detail from before. We are introduced to Akiho’s most important person Yuna D. Kaito in his black and purple butler outfit and pocket watch. Akiho is wearing a pale yellow dress with a rose print collar, similar to the rose print on Sakura’s pink coat from the cherry blossom viewing outing. Yes, she is a poser. I loved all their outfits, I can’t decide who has the best outfit of the day. 

Sakura and Tomoyo's outfits of the day!

Introduction of Mad Hatter Yuna D. Kaito!

Kaito serves tea in teacups and pots matching Sakura and Tomoyo's dresses.

Hanyhaaann!!!

Yandere Akiho: So, I'm just a job to you, huh, Kaito?

Sakura: Cheer up Akiho! At least he didn't tell you that your feelings of liking him resemble that of liking your dad. 

Kaito serves the girls sakura tea and cake, and Sakura goes, “Hanyaan” because it tastes so good and even feeds Kero-chan a bite in her bag. It’s so cute that Sakura is consciously scaling down on saying “hanyaan” because she’s a big middle schooler now. Akiho wants to know about Eriol, and Sakura can only describe him as "mature." I would have liked to hear Tomoyo's description of Eriol. I enjoyed how Kaito just shoots down all of Akiho’s affection toward him by saying, “It’s my job.” It’s really heartbreaking seeing how bummed Akiho is, and Sakura notices this as well. CCS is a character-driven series and such little details, subtle as they are, really can portray characters’ dynamics. Kaito probably even knows Akiho’s feelings for him and is putting her in her place because he is the adult in the relationship, sort of like how Yukito knew about Sakura. But Kaito looks pretty evil and suspicious for now. I’d rather have him be the evil one manipulating Akiho than the other way around.

Akiho shows off that she has a bigger library than the Beast's library in Beauty and the Beast.

Tomoyo: Sakura, don't you think Kaito-san kind of looks like me? Maybe he's my long lost father.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Bookshelf

We are introduced to the Shinomoto family’s huge library. I’m glad to hear that Akiho does seem to have a family—though who knows why they have left their daughter alone with that evil magician who looks like he could be Tomoyo’s long-lost older brother. Sakura finds a series of books that are missing volumes 9 to 17. She captures the Lucid Card with the Secure, with absolutely no effort. Tomoyo captures it all on her smartphone and is worried about the footage being low-quality and blurry. But she’s all like, “You’ve got to make sacrifices when necessary.” Lucid makes thinks invisible. I thought the Invisible was a canon card for a moment before I realized it wasn't. 

Sakura: Syaoran and Kero-chan are useless again this episode! Lucid!

"Alice in Clock Land" by Eriol Hiiragizawa

Sakura: The book that Akiho wants better not be the Clow.

Akiho returns with her strange book, “Alice in Clock Land.” It’s not written by Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass,  and written in strange language which Akiho apparently can read. Apparently Akiho has trouble with Japanese but can read made-up languages. I guess she’s a linguist, or perhaps her family might be in that field judged by the number of books they have. Kaito strategically interrupts with a phone call before Akiho can tell them what the books is about. 

Nakuru: Eriol, whose pink shirt are you wearing?

Back in England, we get to see Nakuru get mad at Suppi because they can’t go back to Japan, and she’s worried about Sakura. I wonder when Ruby Moon got so close to Sakura. I think she just misses Touya and Yukito. Eriol, accompanied by Mizuki-sensei, says all they can do is wait for the time to come. Eriol’s wearing a pale pink shirt with a blue sweater. I wonder where he got that pink shirt from. And we have another mysterious shot of Syaoran at his bedroom desk with the Rasinban glowing, with Syaoran-bear leering in the background. Did Sakura’s dreams start appearing after she received back Sakura-bear? So, is it safe to assume that Syaoran is sending Sakura the weird dreams? He’s up to no good, I suppose. I think he’s using Sakura-bear to spy on her. If it was Kaitou Magician, he probably would have had a spy camera installed in the bear. 

Syaoran: Darnit, where did my favorite pink shirt go?

Shoot. Did I leave the pink shirt at Eriol's place in England?

Syaoran-bear: Eriol's wearing it right now.

I’m very much looking forward to Syaoran and Sakura’s date at the aquarium in Episode 9. Where Touya coincidentally happens to be part-timing.

Syaoran: Darnit, I couldn't wear my favorite pink shirt for my first date with Sakura!