Happy 14th Anniversary to the New Trials Yahoo Group!!! (And mini-review of CCS Clear Card Manga Chapter 20)

Beauty and the Wolf: Sakura cheers up Syaoran by wishluv on DeviantArt

I think I have been writing more blog posts in the past month than I have in the past two years combined! I would have forgotten if Amethyst Beloved didn't remind us all, but today is the 14th anniversary of the creation of the New Trials Yahoo Group by Kirei Blossom on February 3, 2004. There are many of you out there who have been great support to me and the New Trials of Card Captor Sakura community, but these two individuals can be especially considered the pillars of the New Trials fandom, both in terms of dedication and longevity. So many thanks to them, and to all of you! I wouldn't have been able to remember the history of the Yahoo Group, without a reminder from Amethyst Beloved's lovely fan website. For some reason, 2004 doesn't even seem that long ago, but here we are, 14 years later. New Trials has seen Geocities and Bravenet guestbooks (remember those), a forum, and so on, but really it's the Yahoo Group that has endured for all this time, and sort of what we always ended up going back to.

The Yahoo Group, in modern times, can be considered quite a dinosaur, by all means. It sometimes eats up posts and at least for me is a bit clunky to navigate. Yet, at the end of the day, it's still the best place for in-depth discussion of both CCS and New Trials, (especially for those of you who want to avoid in-your-face spoilers in Facebook) and there is especially revived dialogue recently for those of you who haven't joined already. Facebook is great for posting updates, reactions, and photos, but it's really hard to keep track of conversations, after all. 

The fanart of Beauty and the Wolf is chibi-art, I know, but it actually took a bit longer than I expected. Maybe because I like the subject matter so much. I love Beauty and the Beast, and when I was writing about the play for Sakura's cultural festival, I so was set on doing Cinderella, but also wanted to do Beauty and the Beast, hence that disastrous play came to be. Actually, I had wanted to write a Goth Cinderella with Tomoyo as Cinderella and Eriol as the Prince, but I just couldn't wrap my eyes around Eriol playing the Prince. Not that Li Jinyu made any better a prince, I suppose. Anyhow, we were all talking about how we miss the grumpy, scowling, suspicious Syaoran from the original CCS series. I think what made Syaoran so distinct was what a lone-wolf he was, so here is Syaoran-Wolf and a bubbly Sakura-Belle trying to get him to come out of his shell.

So Happy 14th Anniversary to the New Trials Yahoo Group, but more importantly, today's a day to appreciate all of you guys, because all of you make New Trials possible! 

I'm also including a brief Card Captor Sakura Clear Card-hen manga commentary below, so skip if you don't want to be spoiled. I actually haven't read a whole chunk of chapters in between but was captivated by a Nadeshiko cover. I love her blue dress and that she's holding sakura branches, and she looks somewhat younger here to, as does everyone in the Clear Card Arc, but for me, it felt like Amimaya Nadeshiko of New Trials was looking out at me, so I went ahead and read the chapter.

The other reason I had to read the chapter was because I saw in spoilers that Syaoran and Sakura both get to meet Sakura's great-grandfather (Nadeshiko's grandfather). That was extremely cute, and something that goes beyond my imaginations. Sonomi and Tomoyo's mother-daughter bonding time was really cute too, especially, how Sonomi remarked how Amamiya Masaki-ojii-san wanted to meet Syaoran because he's the guy that close to Sakura (aka boyfriend). This is especially significant because if you remember, Nadeshiko eloped with Kinomoto Fujitaka, hence didn't have the approval of her grandfather and family. It seems like Masaki is trying to right some of the wrongs of the past, but who knows, because the chapter cut off short. For the first time, I wondered if Masaki-ojii-san also has special powers like the vision, for who else would have Nadeshiko earned inherited them from. In New Trials canon, of course, Masaki as a descendant of Amamiya Hayashi would probably have inherited some sort of powers.

And why is poor Touya part-timing as a lobster? Can't he just tutor students or something if he needs to earn his college tuition? I probably won't be reading the manga first because I like being surprised by the anime first and then reading the manga for the details and beautiful art, but I might have to read next chapter as well to find out what's going on about Sakura's great-grandfather and what he has to give her (likely to be related to Nadeshiko). 

Music Spotlight: Beauty and the Beast - "Something There" 

   

I can never get enough of Disney's Beauty and the Beast--of course the original animated feature film would always be my favorite Disney movie ever. But I've also watched the musical on the Broadway and of course the 2017 live feature movie with Emma Watson, which I watched 4-D (which kind of made me sick). I watched it as a play at Disney World in Orlando as well and never will get tired to the music or story. In the original animated version, "Something There" is the only time we here the Beast singing. When I was little, I loved Belle's winter outfits, especially the maroon cape and the green dress she wears when the Beast shows her the library. I listened to a lot of Beauty and the Beast soundtrack, both original and movie versions while writing Chapter 73 of New Trials.

I was chocolate shopping today and realized that Valentine's Day is coming up soon , and I groaned to myself. I have started the year on such a good foot with updates, and had to question myself if I will have Chapter 73.5 ready in time for Feb. 14. I thought for a second, shoot, I should have saved Kaitou Magician Origins for Valentine's Day, and realized, wait, that's a horrible fanfic to celebrate the day. 

New Trials Chapter 68 Fanwork Spotlight

Sakura Chapter 68 Wedding Dress Sketch by ~wishluv on deviantART

Happy Friday the 13th. First off, I posted on deviantart a rough concept art for New Trials of Card Captor Sakura Chapter 68: Regeneration. I normally do not post doodles, but sadly I don't think I'll be able to actually ink this sketch till my finger gets better, hence, I'm posting it up. I sketched it on a crowded subway on my lap, without support, hence the messiness. Upon Amethyst Beloved's request, I also posted up a HQ version of the entire cast of New Trials (not really, but closest to it you'll see in one picture). It's more of a collage of old and new artwork, some incomplete. I actually like Chang Ruichi and Risa the best in it, but they're not really completed. The picture was used in the pan-up sequence in the New Trials Ending Theme 4 I made to Maaya Sakamoto's Koucha.

Kris from the New Trials Yahoo Group did an awesome video review on Youtube on Chapter 68. Warning, it has spoilers! 

My favorite part of Kris' review is his Asuma and Leiyun's Anyhow, Kris is so very articulate and has a great sense of humor, I feel like I'm listening to a pro film critic or something. Anyhow, if you're feeling to lazy to read the chapter or forgot what happened, Kris does an excellent job summarizing what happens, and it's so fun hearing a reader's POV on the various events. So, may I say, I think this review does a better job of relaying Chapter 68 than the actual chapter. I loved it when he recaps the Magnet scene. Oh, poor Syaoran.

While you're waiting for Chapter 69, please do check out other fanworks. The talented and beautiful Melenie Mackey from the Yahoo Group (the Malanie who appears as a model in Chapter 63) wrote a HILARIOUS New Trials side fanfic "The Gang Plays Love Truth Game." 

Of course Eriol would wear Armani. And I suddenly began to wildly imagine what could be on the Hiiragizawa Eriol Blackmail Diaries. Oh ho ho ho... Anyhow, loved all the Tomoyo x Eriol interactions and also seeing Leiyun in somewhat of a regular setting. ^^

Then, there is the great Kirei Blossom's Tomoyo Video Diaries, New Trials Edition: The Sniffing Chronicles. I cracked up so much... Poor Eron-kun. So, I've always told Kirei-chan if something ever happens to me, I'll let her finish New Trials.

You know, I never realized how popular the Li Syaoran Blackmail Diaries would be. It makes me wonder, what will be on it. Any ideas? Syaoran wearing teddy-bear print boxers? Syaoran tying a frayed green ribbon around his hair, Eron-style. Syaoran folding Sakura's underwear, only trying to be helpful? 

New Trials of Card Captor Sakura Entire Cast by ~wishluv on deviantART

New Trials Fanwork Updates!

I feel like fanfiction writing in itself is sort of a testimony of how much you love the original work. As I began writing New Trials in 1999, it was because I: a. loved Card Captor Sakura and b. was frustrated at that time because I felt like I wanted a continuation of Sakura's story and was bubbling with many ideas. No, the anime and manga weren't even finished then, and I was craving for more CCS.

But I'm so grateful for the love that New Trials has received, and I am so distracted by how organized/ talented/ imaginative readers have been. Amethyst Beloved has been very hard at work over the past few months, updating New Trials on fanfiction.net. Can't you tell that there's a marked different when I'm trying to run it and when she is? Lol. It's so good to have her back. I used to feel an empty hole when she went missing for some years. ^^

I was sort of lost in time looking through the New Trials Picture Book she has put together. It made me so nostalgic seeing all the fanart organized by arcs, really like seeing a visual representation of NT. And I love how Amethyst has tracked down all the old artwork too that might have been lost. I feel like readers have also sent me a lot of fanart over the years. Stupid hotmail that deleted them all and stupid old computer that crashed. I got lost in an afternoon looking at old and new artwork and feeling nostalgic. Do check out the New Trials Manga if you haven't already by Asocialcat. 

And do join the newest New Trials DevianArt Group set up by the talented WinxC1ub.

Kris from the Yahoo Group also made a video review on Youtube. It's my first video review ever, and it makes me feel so excited to see a reader almost face to face. Kind of. ^^; 



So I'm always thankful to all you who kept supporting this scatterbrained, procrastinating author who dared to drag on a fanfiction longer than the actual work itself. I think it's also a testament to the longevity of Card Captor Sakura's popularity 14 years since it ended, as CCS consistently makes it to top anime lists even nowadays.

I have come to the sobering conclusion that I am mind-numbingly digitally challenged. Hotmail: 277 unread mails though half are ff.net alerts and another quarter junk mail probably. Gmail: 1,288 unread mail. All junk I think. Work mail: account full. How can they give me only 300 MBs? Laptop: 5GBs left. When did I use up 300 GBs and two portable drives? In case anyone's wondering why I'm such a horrible correspondent nowadays, it's because I just can't keep up. And I still don't get Twitter. But I do love get reviews via old fashioned email though. As I always mention, though I don't respond right away in the middle of writing a chapter, it could be YOUR email which makes me suddenly whirlwind through a writer's block to finish up a long-overdue chapter.

And always thanks to http://www.robswebsites.com for the free web space.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles Chapter 232: The End?

Spoilers...


How should I put it... This ending leaves a lot more wanting. I had a firm belief that Tsubasa could become and epic manga or it could become a huge disappointment for me simply because I have invested so much in the characters of "Sakura" and "Syaoran" since Card Captor Sakura days. Either way, I'll refrain from making a final judgment until I see the final epilogue chapter and how xxxHolic unfolds.

Ever since the whole Clone controversy began, I began to feel a little cheated. Because Tsubasa has been the story of the clone's journey. I haven't followed Tsubasa that carefully and I think it could do some good to read everything through without all the interruptions.

There are lots of parallels between TRC and some Jungian principles; I recommend Carl Jung's Synchronicity as a start. Hence, I feel confused when I read TRC whether there is deeper meaning or whether the ending is simply rushed or there is just a lot of explaining to be found in xxxHolic.

Maybe it was naive of me to think there could be a happy ending for the clones. I knew clone Sakura and Syaoran meeting in the alternate modern day Hong Kong world in Chapter 222 was too good to be true. My heart broke a little bit in Chapter 223 when I learned that Syaoran's surname in that world was also Li. I think CLAMP indicates that the memories of the Clones will live on through real Sakura and Syaoran, hence they are not truly gone. But then, they are gone and at the end of the day, while I initially thought that Tsubasa was a manga about the epic journey of a boy who wants to recover the memories of his most beloved person, it is actually the story of a glitch in time, the story of how duplicates of the real Sakura and Syaoran escape from an infinite loop. It was never a story about characters but rather archetypes. I have a feeling we'll probably be seeing the vampire twins (they'll probably get their own spin off someday) and KuroFai in the future (truthfully, I feel more sorry for these two than anyone else in the manga--they lose arms and eyeballs and find out that their travel buddies are clones that disappear in the end, not to mention that they've had quite crappy childhoods on top of that).

From the beginning, I decided to differentiate between CCS!Sakura and Syaoran and TRC!Sakuras and Syaorans. I don't know why CLAMP wrote this manga. I initially thought it was fanservice, reintroducing characters we knew in a big, grand universe and showing us the interlinking of CLAMP worlds. The second half of TRC seemed to then twist into a torture-fest of how much we can make our main characters suffer as much as possible. I can't tell if this ending is the true ending that CLAMP intended for TRC (though obviously we'll understand more through xxxHolic), or whether they just grew tired of this project and wanted to move on to other projects (that would likely get a more decent animation production).

I read TRC eagerly to see glimmers of further insight of characters I am familiar with. Truthfully, though TRC!S+S are not CCS!S+S, nonetheless, this story has made me reevaluate the dynamic between Sakura and Syaoran. I'm not sure I can ever look at the beautiful ending of the CCS manga where junior high Sakura and Syaoran hug, finally reunited without thinking of a very similar composition in TRC where clone Sakura and Syaoran are reunited in Hong Kong. Furthermore, it is indicated throughout TRC that CCS!Sakura and Syaoran are aware how much suffering their alternate world alter-egos are undergoing.

I've been working on a TRC AMV recently, but now I feel like I'm going to cry if I see poor S+S.

Anyhow, does anybody feel like it's time for some Kobato-healing?

xxxHolic 籠 186 Review

SPOILERS>>>>> XXXholic Rou (Cage) again with the bird in a cage analogy...


Wow, I really was not expecting a time jump. It's strange seeing how much Watanuki has changed, especially when he's lying Yuuko style on her couch, wearing a draping kimono and smoking a pipe in this languid, laid back manner that you never saw from him before. I keep thinking back to how Watanuki was such an irritable, cranky, slightly boisterous and very silly boy. His eyes were so expressionless in that panel that it was rather heartbreaking, and I constantly applaud CLAMP's artistic execution of the full two-page spread of the "new Watanuki" to give us the full impact and also eye-candy. It is like Watanuki has taken on as much of Yuuko's characteristics in order to keep her alive within himself.

The bright side of this chapter was Doumeki's appearance and his interactions with Watanuki evokes the faint traces of the old Kimihiro Watanuki that still remains in him. Doumeki is now a folklore major? It was funny because I thought the same thing as Watanuki; that image really doesn't fit Doumeki but also reality hits how four years have already passed in the world outside. People outside are changing, developing, but Watanuki is forever trapped in one moment in time, in one mindset, with one strong desire. I'm personally very interested in Doumeki's folklore professor. Who knows if there is anything significant about this professor or not. Of course, our favorite CLAMP professor will always remain Kinomoto Fujitaka aka Clow Reed's half-reincarnation. But again, there is the painful reality that time outside of Yuuko's house is moving and shifting but for Watanuki, he is always trapped inside that house frozen in time, just waiting. It reminds me of poor Syaoran trapped inside the glass cylinder with his time and freedom sacrificed. It's also reminiscent of Princess Emeraude from Magic Knight Rayearth who was so lonely and trapped because of Rayearth's pillar system. Hence "cage" I guess.

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles is coming to an end very soon with only a few chapters left. I'm actually surprised it's ending so soon because I feel like there are so many loose ends to tie, and I was hoping that all the numerous characters would be able to get some resolution. Unfortunately, I feel like Kurogane and Fai have only become a backdrop to the whole Sakura and Syaoran plotline. The part of Tsubasa that I actually enjoyed the most were the little character interactions in between all the chaos like Fai and Sakura's mutual understanding (Fai is like the sister Sakura never had in my mind) or Kurogane and Syaoran's mentor and student relationship. I'm hoping that Tsubasa ends with a satisfying conclusion. I have a feeling that it will be XXXholic's role to tie all the loose ends that Tsubasa does not manage to tie up. I'm just going to trust CLAMP to let the stories come to a fitting end without fans having to rip their hairs out in agony.

On a side note, I finally watched the XXXholic Shunraiki OVAs, and I was sort of peeved at the difference in animation quality between XXXholic and the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles Shunraiki, especially because of the overlapping scene in the dream world. I have to admit, the battle between Syaoran and Syaoran in Tsubasa Shuraiki OVA 2 was awesome. But all the budget seems to have just gone to that particular scene. Also, I loved all the Tomoyo and Kurogane interactions. It makes me wonder if the rest of Tsubasa would ever get animated properly. It's a pity because Tsubasa could have become an epic anime with the right direction, supervision and budget.

I have high expectations from XXXholic's ending because for me Tsubasa was all about chaos and in-your-face shocking plot devices whereas XXXholic's strength was its restraint, gradual character development and the unique strange, artistically melancholy and mysterious ambiance of the manga. I wonder if we'll get a time jump in Tsubasa at one point as well. I'm still waiting for CCS!Syaoran and Sakura's appearance before the end of the series. It's a problem when I'm looking more forward to getting lots of pretty Sakura and Syaoran artwork in the next couple chapters than having a happy resolution. I'm also waiting for Clow Reed to make an appearance, and even more so waiting to learn that Watanuki actually becomes Clow Reed in the future and we'll have a big incestuous circle of S+S being Wata's parents, and Wata/Clow Reed being Clone!Sakura's father and we get an impossible eternal loop. Lol. I'm joking. Half. After all, I'm a fanfiction writer. It's just that as I was coloring Watanuki in this particular frame, I thought how much he resembled Eriol-kun. Anyway, who else thinks Watanuki aged very well? ^_^

Oh well, if all fails, then I'll just eagerly await glimpses of Kinomoto Touya in the upcoming Kobato anime. ^_^

xxxHolic 185 and TRC 226

Wow, I never thought I would come to say this, but at the moment, I am more in anticipation of the new xxxHolic chapter than the Tsubasa Resevoir Chronicles chapter. Truthfully speaking, I was never that into xxxHolic in the beginning. I was nostalgic of CLAMP's old style of drawing, and I read xxxHolic for the tie-ins with TRC.

Watanuki is a reluctant hero, and starts out as a crabby, whiny and ungrateful high school student. He is always grumbling, he is silly with his crush for Himawari-chan. Over the course of xxxHolic, he has matured greatly starting with the spider incident and the eye-swap with Doumeki. We can see how far he has grown as a person in Chapter 185, when he claims he will take over the shop. That last shot when he takes a puff out of Yuuko's pipe will remain one of the most poignant CLAMP images to date because you see a gravity in his persona, a sense of dignity, sadness, determination and responsibility all in one panel.

I find the relationship dynamic between Yuuko and Watanuki a fascinating one. They are not exactly mentor and student, they aren't friends, they aren't lovers. You wonder what was the significance of her existence to Watanuki. Watanuki has a strong pillar system going with Doumeki by his side, but you can clearly see that "Yuuko" is the one who has left an imprint on Watanuki, changed him for better or worse. On the contrary, I find Himawari a rather shallow character, and I can't figure out her significance in the bigger pictures of things, but CLAMP may surprise us yet. Yuuko reminds me a bit of CC of Code Geass with her will to die.

In TRC 226, I found Fei Wong Reed's reaction to Yuuko's disappearance funny. You can't tell if he is angry or sad that Yuuko is gone, declaring she must be revived. I wonder if Fei was bishounen like Zagato, would he be more likable. He is possibly the most despicable character in all of CLAMPdom, but that can still be overturned. Who knows what inner demons he suffers from. TRC has come to a full loop now with the explanation of the glass cylinder scene in Chapter 225. I am glad to know that they were the clones after all aka the "original" S+S that we start off with, that we weren't cheated of the main characters, that the story is indeed the clones' story. It was jarring to see Clone with Son though, same age. I wonder if Ohkawa-sensei shed some spoilers to Maaya Sakamoto when Maaya wrote the lyrics for the Tsubasa anime ending 2 "Yunagi Loop."

Either way, I look forward to the conclusion of both mangas. It will really feel like the end of an era to me. At least we can look forward to the Kobato anime!