Throughout the lifespan of an anime fan, ones’ favorite anime likely changes. For some it never does, for others it does all the time, but for most it is a cycle of change. For myself, my favorite anime has not changed since 2016. Of course that is until this year, which is why I felt inspired to write this post.
In 2020 I began heavily consuming what I would now classify as my favorite genre of anime; mahou shoujo. I found many of them slashing through my favorites but none quite touching the top. Until I began my journey with Cardcaptor Sakura. Being stuck inside all day, I had made it a routine to watch a few episodes of Sakura with my morning cup of coffee. After the first few episodes I immediately fell in love with its colorful art and endearing characters.
Cardcaptor Sakura follows Sakura Kinomoto an elementary school girl who accidentally releases magical cards known as “clow cards” into the world. With the help of the cards’ protector Keroberos she must re-collect them all and become their new master. What first stuck out to me about this show was the consistency in writing that keeps you coming back for more. At a glance it is simple; each episode Sakura encounters a new card and must find a way to capture it using the cards she has found already. However, as the series progresses this formula keeps the story incredibly consistent while still deviating into something mysterious and interesting. There are two sections of Cardcaptor Sakura; Clow Card and Sakura Card. Each section uses the same formula however overarching each episode is a mystery about the cards and the creator that keeps you interested until the amazing climax of both seasons. The powers each card possesses are interesting and the show does an incredible job of feeding you little bits of lore along the way to keep you entranced.
But consistent plot isn’t the only thing that makes a show great, and certainly isn’t the driving factor for why I fell so in love with this story. All of my favorite anime landed their way in my heart with their cast of characters. Cardcapor Sakura explores so many touching themes through the cast such as acceptance, LGBTQ love, complicated family dynamics, and conflict resolution in such a perfect and consistent way. At its core Cardcaptor Sakura is about understanding the different kinds of love one can feel, and the variety of relationships people have with one another.
Tomoyo, Sakura’s best friend is very much in love with Sakura. But rather than making this something sad or dwelling on it, the series displays it so naturally and shows us the deeper side of that kind of love. Tomoyo loves Sakura and understands that she doesn’t love her in the same way. Instead, Tomoyo supports Sakura in a genuine kind and caring way, even pushing Syaoran and Sakura together later on in the series. Her character also works to support Meiling who was in love with Syaoran (Sakura’s main love interest). When Syaoran tells Meiling that he’s in love with Sakura, Tomoyo serves as a support to Meiling because she understands the pain she’s going through. In many other stories of its kind this dynamic would turn into many heated arguments and misunderstandings. However Cardcapor Sakura chooses to show people how even in these difficult emotional triangles we can still choose to be kind and understanding of each other. Meiling decides to support Sakura and Syaoran because in her heart she knows that Sakura did nothing wrong so there’s no reason to lash out at her. Sakura has also been incredibly kind and accepting of Meiling which makes taking Syaoran away from her something she just couldn’t hate her for. Tomoyo then comes in to bond with Meiling providing an outlet for the two to lament their unrequited love while also allowing them to support their friends in the end. The show creates such delicate and special relationships between each character.
Another example of how the series handles different kinds of love and conflict resolution is with Yukito/Yue. Yukito is Touya, Sakura’s brother’s best friend. Sakura from the beginning said she was in love with Yukito. Many can feel this was a simple childhood crush, and it was to an extent. But despite that, Yukito handles Sakura’s feelings with such care, because at the end of the day he still loves her like a sister. He explains to her eventually that it is likely that of a familial love, not romantic. He also tells Sakura that her true feelings of love have not been found yet and Yukito admits to being in love with Sakura’s brother. It is done so casually and Sakura accepts it without question. It was at this moment I really began to grasp just how beautiful of a series Cardcaptor is.
Sakura, as our protagonist is so genuinely loving and accepting of all people. Through her eyes, things like Yukito being in love with a boy, and that boy being her brother doesn’t seem abnormal to her. Tomoyo’s love doesn’t bother her one bit and she loves Tomoyo probably more than anyone else. Meiling being previously in love Syaoran doesn’t affect their relationship at all. Sakura is incredibly accepting and kind to all people. Which is what propels Syaoran as a character and makes him fall in with her. He is a shy boy who has never considered his own feelings and meeting Sakura helped him realize his place in the world and allowed him to develop his own feelings instead of doing what is chosen for him.
These relationships and characters are what made me fall deep in love with this series. At my age, stories like this don’t change my worldview or have some profound affect on how I choose to move forward in life. But if I watched this as a kid, it would have helped me in a way nothing else that I watched at the time did because everyone handles conflict and tension with delicacy and maturity. The series presents uncommon relationships and family situations showing them in a “normal” way. When you add in the clow cards, their magic every episode help’s propel our characters to understanding themselves more. You get a perfect series. There wasn’t a single episode where I felt “that was alright”. Every episode left an impact on me especially as I was stuck inside feeling depressed and lamenting how difficult life was at the time. Just seeing how beautifully all these characters interact with and show their love for each other made me realize my love for Cardcaptor Sakura and appreciate how it exemplifies innocent love, and acceptance. It reminded me of feelings that in my adult life I can often forget about. And that is why it became my #1 anime. It is perfect in its conception and presentation and came to me at a time in life where I really needed it.
If you are feeling stuck you should watch Cardcaptor Sakura. If you are feeling hopeless and out of touch with the world you should watch Cardcaptor Sakura. If you’re just looking for something fun and endearing you should watch Cardcaptor Sakura.
Kuroonuma 