Basically the title. I read and watched this series when I was in 5th or 6th grade and I thought it was ok. I also watched and read Tsubasa chronicles (and many other CLAMP works) and I also thought it was ok. Recently when talking with one of my friends who also watched and read CCS in her childhood and we were talking about the series (because of the new Clear Card anime). And I realized, I never really like Sakura. At least, not as a person. I liked her design and her outfits and her wand and magic but I actually dislike her as a character. And the more I thought about it the more I realized that this series wasn't as good as my rose-tinted memories thought it was. I don’t like how Sakura is such a one-dimensional Mary Sue and I also think that the story overall is pretty weak. Sakura is supposed to be this cute, ditzy character who is kind and a little naive. However, her personality doesn’t automatically make her a bad character. Its that she never seems to grow or change at all. Despite everything that happens to her, she’s still pretty much the same Sakura at the end of the series as she was in the beginning. She’s still kind, friendly, ditzy, and determined. These are all good personality traits to have but the issue is that she’s always this perfect character. She has no flaws, no real negative traits to her. Everyone in the series ends up liking her or grudgingly accepting her. She never feels like a real person, just a glorified dress up doll (like a Barbie). In a lot of children’s shows this isn’t really an issue. Like, I don’t have a problem with caricature like characters in kiddie shows like Teletubbies, Barbie Movies, or freakin Caillou. But CCS isn’t made just for vapid kids entertainment. The series tries to combine moral discussions that would go over a lot of younger kids’ heads with a child friendly storyline. And it just doesn’t work. It waxes philosophical about heavy topics like love and loss. At times, the characters don’t talk like real people; they just spout lengthy ideologies that sound more like quotes from philosophy essays. Not to mention, some of their morals are seriously messed up.
One of CLAMP’s most prevalent themes is “Love is love, regardless of anything.” CLAMP believes that when it comes to True Love, (age, gender, religion, incest, etc. )anything goes. One of Sakura’s elementary school friends named Rika has a crush on their teacher, Mr. Terada. As the series progresses, Terada gives her a promise ring to signify that they are Fiance’s. Whats even weirder is that the other characters who find out about this relationship, like Tomoyo, just seem to accept it as though its absolutely normal. It just casually condones pedophilia and it is so messed up. It definitely doesn’t belong in a comic aimed towards young kids. I know some people will try to refute this point by saying the 10+ year age difference doesn’t matter when they’re older or that their relationship isn’t sexual yet because they’re engaged. First of all, an age gap of 10 years isn’t that big of a deal between consenting able-minded mature adults (like say a 25 year old and a 35 year old). But Rika is actually an elementary schooler who has not even reached puberty yet. Whereas her teacher is a grown ass man, who has been through college, who pays taxes, who has a job, and for some reason wants to get with his elementary school students. Rika is described as mature for her age, but that doesn’t (and shouldn’t) mean that she has the mentality of an adult. It just means that she’s a little more responsible than the other 10 year olds running around in her school. And also, theres something fundamentally fucked about an adult thinking about a kid romantically. It doesn’t matter that he’s “waiting for her” so theres no sex or whatever because he’s actively thinking of a little child romantically. And it just proves that EVEN HE thinks there’s a problem with it, since he knows that he should wait for her to at least hit puberty. I read this series when I was in elementary school, when some of my own classmates had crushes on our teachers and even then I (and many others) knew that this kind of dynamic was hella wrong. Basically, the issue that I take with CLAMP is that their very heavy moral lessons (i.e. pedophilia is love, incest is ok) is that they frame it in a world where real problems don’t exist. There isn’t any grooming or sexual urges or opposing view points in CCS. Its this heaven-like, innocent utopia vacuum where there is no real pain or suffering or ugliness.
The progression of action in the plot is okay (just a girl powering up as she gets more magical cards or whatever). But at least for me, the moral lessons/philosophical spiels carry no weight because they’re presented as facts and theres no real discussion. The side characters have slightly better character growth than the Sakura, but even they are all only two dimensional at best. I honestly think that the only thing that makes this manga worth reading is the art. All of their stories tend to be lackluster. Their characters occupy a weird middle line where they’re not quite real people, but they’re also not entirely metaphorical personifications that spout lengthy lines. Does the author want CCS to be a normal tale with relatable characters or do they want to make an abstract piece where the characters are all metaphors of something? CLAMP needs to pick a side and stick with it.

I have to say, this is one of my favorite mangas. The manga is different from the anime so whatever you read in the manga, some of it wont be in the anime D: Like the yaoi! D: That saddened me a lot ;_; but! There are hints of shounen-ai! Uwah! <3

Anyways this is a series for younger readers but its still a good series if you want a shoujo manga. Its got beautiful artwork, the plot is original, the characters are developed, and there are plot twists! I've only read this series once but I absolutely love it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a cute series! Clamps artworks are very good and worth any money you have to spend!

Cardcaptor Sakura was my childhood. I grew up watching it (and Sailor Moon), wishing that I had a Kero and my own Clow Cards. The art is classic CLAMP, and improves drastically in the spin-off Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. Though I have to say, I'll always have a soft spot for how this series was drawn, even if I probably wouldn't rate it as high anywhere else in modern manga. The plot is fantastic. Anything that stays in your memories for more than a decade generally tends to be

This is one of my all time favourites as a kid and even now. I think it's the best the second time you read/watch it because you are able to catch all those hints that you couldn't the first time.

BUT please understand that when CLAMP made this manga, they wanted to make a manga that minorities will feel comfortable with. Therefore, although love is portrayed in this series as very pure and naive(no kisses or very explicit things), and older audience will be able to detect some relationships that aren't necessarily acceptable in society.

If you are familiar with the works of CLAMP and you like them, then you won't be dissapointed.
But if you haven't read anything by CLAMP before and don't know to expect, please understand that you have to have an open mind in order to be able to fully appreciate the wonder that this series is. If you're a close minded fellow that is only looking for a magical girl manga/anime, then please reconsider that this may not be the series for you.

I'm not trying by any means to stop anyone from trying to get involved with this series, but I would like this series to avoid as many comments calling it "disgusting" as possible cause it was truly heart warming.

One of the first mangas I've read, and my first CLAMP series ;;; So many feels... I've read and re-read it so many times I've lost count omgg.
CLAMP is indeed very amazing when it comes to their mangas because CCS portrays what real love is very well, and not just the average boyxgirl romance. They gave us the pure love between SakuraxSyaoran, the implicit (and unrequited) love Tomoyo has for Sakura, ToyaxYukito's shounen ai, the big age gap romance between RikaxTerada and EriolxKaho, and so on. Many taboos for a child-oriented manga, but portrayed so innocently it makes you accept them without any problems (for me anyway).
This series influenced my standards for shoujo A LOT. After seeing how shy and cute Syaoran is when he's with Sakura, I just ended up searching for more mangas in which the male protagonist falls in love first ;A; Also, the "as long as the person I love is happy, I'm happy as well" may be cliche and/or cheesy for some people, but I JUST LOVED IT. That's indeed what true love is, in my opinion. Wow, CCS just make me so sappy pfft.
ToyaxYukito was the first ever boyxboy relationship I've encountered in a manga (I was like 7 or 8 when I first read this series) and I'm so glad it was. That made realize that gay relationships aren't wrong or whatever some people say, because they should have the same rights to fall in love as well. That's a very nice point of this manga, because it teaches kids that real love CAN exist in every kind of people.
This is totally a manga I would want to recommend to everyone, not just kids, because it's awesome ;~;

... Last updated on June 23rd, 2015, 5:23pm

Cardcaptor Sakura is one of the best manga i've ever read. i don't regret reading it. it's a beautiful story, love the drawings, story line, couples, everything about it makes me happy. i really want the books, and one day meet the authors who created it. i'm very happy that the anime and manga follows a bit similar, but as long it's a happy ending i'm proud of it xD

These series belongs with the Girl power genre like, Sailor Moon, Wedding Peach & Pre-tear. Like Sailor Moon this manga deals with some mature themes that may not be appropriate for minor readers ages 7-12. So for minors I suggest you stick with the anime adaptation since it reduces some maturity from the manga then after 3-5 years you may read the manga. Anyway the series is a good read. The plot was good. Every character as well as the cards have a purpose. Sakura is a cute heroine & very mature for age plus she have many costume changes than the usual super hero.

... Last updated on November 26th, 2012, 5:42am

I watched the anime when I was a kid and I only recently read it. The manga's as wonderful as the anime. The plot's amazing and the characters well-developed. The art is great, too.
I don't mind the controversial parts. I didn't get it as a kid anyway. The shounen-ai, shotacon , etc. , parts didn't disturb me as these themes usually do. Because it was well-executed.

This was the first anime I ever watched---I watched it as a 7 years old kid.

Cardcaptor Sakura left such a large impression on me that I still remember every costume Sakura ever wore, and the cards that she collected--It's been more than 8 years since I first watched it.

And the theme songs? I still sing them in the showers at night. "I am a dreamer, hisomu power~"

Honestly though, the only unsatisfying part for me was how Sakura had an open ending with Syaoran...I knew they would end up together but I WANTED TO SEE IT WITH MY OWN EYES!!!

Anyways, I'll always have a special part of my manga-loving heart dedicated to Card Captor Sakura--and it was the manga that led me to discover Tsubasa Chronicles, XXXHolic, and all those good stuff. LOVE YOU, MY GATEWAY MANGA!

... Last updated on March 7th, 2014, 7:26pm

Beautiful art and story, as expected from Clamp.
Although this is supposively targeted at a younger audience, it does have various mature themes that raise an eyebrow. Honestly, when i first read/watched this when i was in elementary school i didn't pick up on any of those themes-- haha. Naiveness.