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Sakura Kinomoto (木之本 桜, Kinomoto Sakura?) is a fictional character, the heroine of CLAMP's anime and manga series Cardcaptor Sakura. She is known as Sakura Avalon in the English anime adaptation Cardcaptors. For all Japanese-language productions of the anime (including movies, audio CDs, and video games), Sakura is voiced by Sakura Tange. For English-language productions, she is voiced by Carly McKillip through Cardcaptors and the first movie. She is voiced in the second movie by Kari Wahlgren.

Statistics

Birthday: April 1
Blood Type: A
Hair color: Brown (auburn)
Eye color: Green
Favorite subjects: P.E. and music
Least favorite subject: Mathematics and history
Extracurricular activity: Cheerleading and track
Favorite colors: Pink and white
Favorite flower: Cherry blossom
Favorite food: Rice omelets and noodles
Least favorite food: Konnyaku (taro root)
Favorite recipe: Pancakes
Wish list: A new school bag
Hates: Summer homework
Scared of: Ghosts, scary stories, losing someone dear to her


Sakura is also a main character in CLAMP's later work, Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE. In its anime adaptation, she is voiced by Yui Makino.

She is also mentioned in another CLAMP title ×××HOLiC.

Name

Sakura's given name (桜) means cherry blossom. Her surname, Kinomoto (木之本), literally means the origin of wood.

In Cardcaptors, Sakura was originally going to be called "Nikki," but Nelvana kept her given name because of fan demand and the difficulty and expense of editing out numerous appearances of her name in rōmaji in the series. Her family name was changed to "Avalon." The pronunciation of her given name changed, as stress is put on the middle syllable ku, while in Japanese there is no stress on any syllable (though it may appear that stress is put on the beginning syllable sa when pronounced this way). Nelvana purposefully changed the pronunciation of the name since many English names have stress on the middle syllable.

Character

At the start of the series, Sakura is ten years old and living in a fictional town called Tomoeda in Japan. On the afternoon after her first day of fourth grade at Tomoeda Elementary School (Reedington Elementary School in Cardcaptors), Sakura hears a mysterious sound coming from her father's library in the basement. She, nervously armed with her cheerleading baton, goes downstairs and finds a mysterious book named The Clow. She opens the book to find the Clow Cards, a set of fifty-two cards that contain powerful magic. Picking up the top card, Sakura reads its name aloud, "Windy." This activates the Card, summoning a large wind that blows the remaining Cards out of the house and into the distance. The guardian of the Cards, Cerberus, then emerges from the book and recruits Sakura to become the Cardcaptor to retrieve the Cards. In return, she gains the right to use the Cards' power herself. It is later revealed that Cerberus also refers to Sakura as his appointed Candidate, as he is also searching for a new Master of the Clow Cards.

Sakura is an extremely energetic and cheerful character. She is very athletic, being a member of her school's cheerleading squad and an excellent runner. Her "invincible spell", "Everything will surely be all right." (「ぜったいだいじょうぶだよ。」, "Zettai daijōbu da yo."?), has carried her through innumerable trials and obstacles as she masters her magical skills. She often comes across as naïve, clumsy, and clueless, but she has her perceptive moments on occasion.

Sakura's optimistic and trustworthy character allows her to befriend virtually everybody, and the series focuses on the friendships she creates with people, whether strangers, loose acquaintances, or rivals.

Sakura lives with her older brother, Toya Kinomoto (Tori Avalon), and her father, Fujitaka Kinomoto (Aiden Avalon). The three help manage their home together, often rotating cooking and cleaning chores. Sakura's mother, Nadeshiko Kinomoto (Natasha Avalon), died when Sakura was three years old. Sakura and her family moved to Tomoeda about three years before the start of the series, when Toya was in eighth grade and Sakura was in first grade.

Sakura's character designs for the manga were originally developed by Mokona of CLAMP. She was designed to capture the image of Mokona's then two-year-old niece Kawaji. Kawaji wore short hair in pigtails much like Sakura does in the anime and manga.

Magic

Throughout the series, Sakura's magical powers get progressively stronger. This is mostly verified by Cerberus at random points in the series, as Sakura would otherwise appear to have equal expertise in each episode when she summons Clow Cards. Through the first two seasons, Cerberus's comments seem to imply that Sakura's magic grows as she battles and captures more Cards. In the third season, Sakura's inexperience is noted in Yue's criticism and Sakura's weariness after a single Card transformation. However, as she grows progressively proficient in transforming Clow Cards into Sakura Cards, she becomes less tired and more aware of Clow Reed's presence. She also remembers more details about her prophetic dreams. During the last of Eriol's trials, she is able to transform several cards at once.

Phrases

To summon her sealing wand:
CCS Key that hides the powers of the dark, show your true form before me.
I, Sakura, command you under our contract...
Release! 闇の力を秘めし鍵よ。真の姿を我の前に示せ。
契約のもとさくらが命じる。
レリーズ!
CC Oh Key of Clow, power of magic, power of light,
surrender the wand, the force, ignite! Release!

To capture a Clow Card:
CCS Return to the guise you were meant to be in, Clow Card! 汝のあるべき姿に戻れ、クロウカード！
CC [I command you to] return to your power confined... !

To summon her star wand:
CCS Key that hides the power of the stars, show your true form before me.
I, Sakura, command you under our contract...
Release! 星の力を秘めし鍵よ。真の姿を我の前に示せ。
契約のもとさくらが命じる。
レリーズ!
CC Key of the Star, with powers burning bright,
Reveal the staff and shine your light! Release!

To transform a Clow Card into a Sakura Card:
CCS The Card created by Clow, abandon your old form and reincarnate!
Under the name of your new owner, Sakura...
! クロウの創りしカ－ドよ、古き姿を捨て生まれかわれ。
新たな主さくらの名のもとに!
!
CC I call upon the powers of my star, ancient forces near and far.
Clow Card transform all your might and draw your power from my light.
Release! !

Sometimes (most likely to save time in the anime) the phrase to summon her wand is simply, "Release!" When the summoning occurs off-screen, the phrase is often omitted entirely, and a bright flickering light is seen to indicate the summoning.
If Sakura did not know the name of the Card during capture, her incantations would refer to it simply as "Clow Card."

Relationships

Syaoran Li

Sakura's relationship with Syaoran Li (Li Showron) is the most recognized relationship in the series, mostly because the second half of the series is heavily devoted to its development.

Most significant to the development of their relationship is Syaoran's changing opinion of Sakura, mostly because of Sakura's own heart-warming personality. In the beginning of the series, Syaoran immediately considers Sakura a rival when he finds out she is the Cardcaptor and concludes her unworthy of bearing the responsibility of the Clow Cards. Sakura is constantly intimidated by his glares and brash attitude both at school and while capturing Clow Cards. However Sakura never gives back any negative responses or behavior. Most of the time, despite Syaoran's aggression, she thanks him for his help and effort. This eventually becomes very confusing to Syaoran, whose gentler side soon causes him to be more humble than arrogant.

Though Syaoran gradually becomes more committed to liking Sakura, she still remains completely clueless of his feelings. Syaoran's blushes become more frequent, and there are some occasions where he would suddenly become clumsy when in her presence, but Sakura will either keep an innocent smile on her face or look confused and worried at Syaoran whenever he trips and falls.

Following the Final Judgment when Syaoran makes a permanent change from rival to ally, Sakura begins viewing Syaoran as a very close friend, often thinking of including him when there are school or community events. She is very happy to become able to call him "Syaoran-kun" instead of the more neutral "Li-kun" when he (in more desperate moments) calls her "Sakura." When Sakura confesses her feelings to Yukito, only to have them essentially rejected, Syaoran is there to comfort her in the park afterwards. It is a very emotional period in the series, but she is able to recover, thanks to Syaoran. In the anime, Sakura returns the favor by spending several nights in a row knitting him a scarf, which he accepts after a surprised pause. Similarly, in the manga, Sakura returns the favor by spending a week making him a yukata.

Sakura is finally made aware of Syaoran's feelings when he personally confesses them after the final battle with Eriol Hiiragizawa (Eli Moon). The news comes as a complete shock to her, and it is everpresent in her thoughts over the next few days. In the manga, after talking to her friends about why she is upset and confused about her feelings, those feelings lead her to conclude that Syaoran is her true "number one person," and she confesses her newfound feelings as Syaoran suddenly leaves for Hong Kong (though only temporarily). The anime stretches out the suspense, with Sakura not yet answering Syaoran in the last episode of the series. Instead, her confession comes at the end of the second movie, after several failed attempts throughout the film.

The teddy bears (seen in the above picture) are named Sakura and Syaoran, respectively, referring to a fictional tradition where if two people make teddy bears for each other and the recipients name them after their donors, the two will be a couple forever. In the manga, Sakura and Syaoran name their bears after each other after she confesses her love to him. In the anime, Syaoran gives Sakura his bear (she asks to have it) in Episode 70, but Sakura never gives him one, having already given it to Yukito earlier in the series.

Sakura and Syaoran continue to be widely recognized in fandom to the present day. They are also likely CLAMP's most famous fictional couple, as they make a lead appearance in their crossover manga series, Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE.

Yukito Tsukishiro

In the first half of the series, before any hint of a relationship with Syaoran, Sakura's primary romantic focus was on the older Yukito Tsukishiro (Julian Star). The origin of the relationship is unclear, but Yukito's presence always causes a significant effect on Sakura's feelings, commonly provoking her "floaty" exclamation, "Hanyaan~" (はにゃああん～).

Sakura always does her best to impress Yukito, on rare occasions even competing with Syaoran to give the better compliment or gift. She often looks forward to going to school with Yukito each day, and she is worried when he is not there. Most times when her brother, Toya, is present, Sakura is often provoked to raise her voice or else act "unladylike" at Toya, which immediately elicits her embarrassment when she realizes Yukito is also there watching her.

Late in the series, Sakura finally decides to confess her love to Yukito instead of forever skirting around the issue. However, Yukito does not return the feelings, admitting that he loves her also but only in a platonic way. He asks her to reevaluate her feelings towards him and suggests that she feels attached to him more because he resembles her father. Sakura agrees with Yukito after some thought, and he continues to reassure her by saying that the real "number one person" for her is still out there somewhere, and she should not give up searching for him.

After an emotional afternoon in the park, Sakura is able to get over Yukito but still remaining a close friend through the end of the series. She, in a rare perceptive moment, also realizes that Yukito's feelings have always been aimed towards her brother, Toya. She accepts that fact, also, and wishes them the best.

Interestingly, in episode 70, Eriol reveals to Yue that when Clow chose Sakura as the future new Master of the Clow (later the Sakura) Cards and their guardians, he had expected that in the future Yukito would love Sakura more than anyone else and vice versa. Yukito's attraction to Toya and Sakura's to Syaoran are the unforeseen occurrences, the deviations from Clow's plan, that Eriol mentions to Sakura and friends at the party in Clow's mansion.

Because Sakura's romantic ties with Yukito end in canon, her appearance with him in fandom and fanfiction are rare. Yukito is instead more popularly paired with Toya.

Tomoyo Daidouji

Though non-romantic, Sakura's close relationship with Tomoyo Daidouji (Madison Taylor) is likely the second most significant relationship in the series. Sakura and Tomoyo are best friends (and second cousins as their mothers were cousins), meeting randomly for the first time in the third grade when Sakura offered Tomoyo one of her erasers. Since then, Tomoyo has been very attentive to everything that Sakura does, including finding a passion for filming her throughout her daily activities.

Sakura holds a lot of trust in Tomoyo, often allowing her to take lots of measurements for the multitude of battle costumes and dresses that are made for her. Tomoyo is also one of the few keepers of Sakura's secret as the Cardcaptor, often accompanying Sakura in many of her adventures for filming and costume-testing opportunities. In the second half of the series, when Sakura gets a new wand and mission, Tomoyo is responsible for choreographing Sakura's new action poses.

Tomoyo holds a special, arguably romantic attachment to Sakura, of which Sakura is completely oblivious. In both the manga and anime, Tomoyo admits that she loves Sakura, but Sakura replies innocently, "I love you, too," in the platonic sense. The manga takes the scene further where Tomoyo comments that her love is more than what she is thinking it is. Sakura gives a confused look, but Tomoyo drops the topic, adding, "I'll tell you when you're older." Throughout the series, Sakura never realizes this deeper attachment, simply remaining Tomoyo's best friend. Tomoyo, however, selflessly does not mind this at all and even helps Sakura most times in setting up situations with Yukito and Syaoran, as Tomoyo understands they are the ones who would make Sakura the happiest.

Because Tomoyo lacks magical powers, Sakura takes on a protective responsibility most times when capturing or transforming cards. If Tomoyo is ever in danger (or missing), Sakura will be the one concerned for her most, and her focus changes from that of the Card at hand to Tomoyo's safety. Fortunately, Sakura has always succeeded and hugs Tomoyo warmly whenever she reunites with her.

×××HOLiC

While Sakura does not have a direct role in ×××HOLiC, Yūko Ichihara mentions her on several occasions and has a replica of her first sealing wand. She also states there is a Sakura living in her current world with her boyfriend, hinting of Sakura Kinomoto from Cardcaptor Sakura. Sakura appears once in Chapter 12 of the manga, however in an unconscious state, held by Syaoran.

Tsubasa Chronicle

Sakura also appears in CLAMP's crossover series, Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE and Tsubasa Chronicle. Her character is similar only in looks and personality to her Cardcaptor Sakura counterpart. Tsubasa Chronicle takes on a new story with new histories for each of its characters.

At the start of the series, Sakura is the princess of the Kingdom of Clow who has feelings for Syaoran, her childhood friend. When she is about to confess her feelings, a mysterious force causes her own dormant magical powers to manifest in the form of feathered wings. When her feathers are scattered across time and space, Syaoran vows to recover all of them because each feather represents a memory Sakura has had since birth and are connected to her heart; without the feathers, she will die. Fei Wong (the mysterious villain in the series) reflects on the ability of people like the High Priest Yukito, Princess Tomoyo of Nihon, and Yūko to cross dimensions and comments that the power concealed within Sakura and the ruins in Clow surpasses them all.

She pays Yuko in an indirect way. Her price is pretty much the same as Syaoran - her memories of him. When she awakes in the Hanshin Republic the first person she sees is Syaoran. He is taken back when she asks, "Who are you?"

At times, such as in Outo, Sakura comes extremely close to remembering Syaoran but it is quickly erased once more from her memory. Syaoran, having known this would happen previously, will never tell her anything about their previous relationship. At most all Sakura knows about Syaoran is what she has relearned from the adventures together with Mokona, Fay, and Kurogane, although she knows she knew him previously and he was very important to her. It is also clear, she is falling in love with him once more.

Sakura appears to possess unnaturally good luck at games of chance; whether she always had this or if it is a result of the mysterious force that awakened within her at the start of the series is unknown. According to Yukito and Syaoran, Sakura also has the ability to "hear" the voices of those who cannot be heard, such as spirits of nature, and has the ability to see ghosts.

At some points when she is asleep, she will unknowingly go out and search for her feathers. She will seem to be awake, talking and interacting with others and her surroundings, yet is actually completely out of it, like she is unconsiously searching for her own feathers.

In Tsubasa, Sakura's personality is passive and weary, weary because she's exhausted from her loss of memories. However as the series goes on she becomes stronger and independent. Syaoran states, even though she's lost most of her memories, she'll never change. She helps the group when ever she can, whether it's washing dishes or saving their lives.

Trivia

arrow The design of Sakura's staff is very similar to, if not the same as, the design for Fuu's sword hilt in Magic Knight Rayearth, another CLAMP series.

arrow Sakura's staff (a replica, however) is a crossover item in CLAMP's ×××HOLiC.

arrow April 1st is an important date to CLAMP, as it is the day the group was created. Sakura has that day as her birthday. It is also the same as that of Kimihiro Watanuki of ×××HOLiC, whose name (四月一日君尋, Watanuki Kimihiro) is spelled with the characters for "April 1st."

Fujitaka Kinomoto (木之本 藤隆, Kinomoto Fujitaka?) is a fictional character in CLAMP's manga and anime series Cardcaptor Sakura. He is known as Aiden Avalon in the English adaptation, Cardcaptors.

Statistics

Birthday: January 3
Occupation: University/College Professor (Archaeology)
Favorite Colors: White, ivory, light brown
Favorite Flowers: Wild pink carnation, peach blossom, cherry blossom
Favorite Foods: Sweets, noodles
Best Recipe: Desserts
Specialty: Remembering people's names and faces
Hobby: Cooking

Fujitaka is also a fictional character in CLAMP's manga series Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE.

Character and Role

Fujitaka is the father of Sakura Kinomoto (Sakura Avalon in Cardcaptors) and Toya Kinomoto (Tori Avalon). He is a very busy college professor of archaeology at Towa University who still finds time for his children. He is very kind and caring, and he loves his family deeply, especially his late wife, Nadeshiko (Natasha).

One of the major differences between his characterization in the manga and the anime is that in the manga, he is explicitly stated as half of the reincarnation of Clow Reed's soul, however holding no magical abilities himself. In the anime, this connection is erased altogether and never mentioned, as he is shown as one of the people affected by Eriol Hiiragizawa's (Eli Moon) sleep spell at the end of the series (the spell is not supposed to affect those with strong magical ability). In the manga, as he is half of Clow's reincarnation, he is unaffected by his spell and even shows up after Sakura manages to transform The Light and The Dark, passing Eriol's last trial. Fujitaka receives half of Eriol's magic as part of Eriol's final task of reducing his magical ability, leaving Sakura the strongest magician alive. With the infusion of magic, Fujitaka is able to see Nadeshiko's spirit and be reunited with her once again.

Fujitaka is mostly disliked by Sonomi Daidouji (Samantha), who strongly believes that he stole Nadeshiko from her in high school. At the time, Sonomi and Nadeshiko were high school students, and Fujitaka was starting his first year as a teacher there. One day, Nadeshiko had climbed a tree to tend to some birds in their nest, but she accidentally fell. Luckily, Fujitaka broke her fall, and after seeing Nadeshiko on top of him, he commented, "It appears that an angel has fallen from the sky." This sparked the relationship that would lead to their marrying when Nadeshiko is sixteen. In Episode 11, Sonomi recounts in a rant about how they would arrive at school together with matching packed lunches, husband and wife.

Sonomi is upset, because she herself had feelings toward Nadeshiko, but Fujitaka took all her attention away. Sonomi also believes they married too young, and Nadeshiko's unfortunate death just three years after her second child may have been related to this. Sonomi does not harbor absolute hatred for Fujitaka, however, as his consistent optimism and kindness make it clear to her why Nadeshiko liked him so much. Ironically, however, the inability to hate him makes her hate him more.

In the anime, Nadeshiko and Sonomi's grandfather and caretaker, Masaaki Amamiya, also used to disapprove of Fujitaka, especially because they both helped to raise Nadeshiko. Sakura meets her great-grandfather for the first time when on summer vacation, though she is unaware of his relationship to her. Sakura later discovers that her great-grandfather disapproved of Fujitaka while reading her mother's old diary, so on the day of Masaaki's birthday, she sends him a present though Sonomi. Masaaki, wanting to repay that act of kindness, asks Fujitaka for a meeting and, along with giving him presents for Toya and Sakura, says that he is now ready to forgive Fujitaka.

Fujitaka in Tsubasa

Fujitaka is mentioned in Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE as an archaeologist who came to Clow country to study the ruins there. He also adopted Syaoran, and later dies while working on the mysterious ruins that lead to the breaking of Sakura's memories. In Tsubasa, Fujitaka has no relation to Sakura nor Toya, though Sakura and Toya remain siblings in the series (they are the children of the king, Clow Reed).

Fujitaka makes an appearance in Episode 31 as a mechanic on a ship, but as a young boy about the same age that Syaoran was when Fujitaka first adopted him.

Syaoran Li (李 小狼, Japanese: Ri Shaoran?, Chinese pinyin Lǐ Xiǎoláng or Li3 Xiao3lang2), is a fictional character in CLAMP's manga and anime series Cardcaptor Sakura. He is known as Li Showron in the English adaptation, Cardcaptors.

Syaoran is also the protagonist in CLAMP's crossover manga series Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE and its subsequent anime, Tsubasa Chronicle. His characterization here is mostly independent of his characterization in Cardcaptor Sakura and is discussed further below.

Statistics

Birthday: July 13th
Blood Type: O
Favorite Subjects: P.E. and Math
Least Favorite Subject: Japanese
Extracurricular Activities: None
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Flower: Peony
Favorite Food: Dim Sum and chocolate
Least Favorite Food: (Konnyaku) Yam jelly
Favorite Recipe: None
Wish List: Magic book written by Clow Reed

Syaoran has also appeared in CLAMP's ×××HOLiC.

Name

Syaoran's name is Chinese in origin, commonly romanized from Chinese as Xiao Lang. His given name, Syaoran (小狼, Syaoran?), in both Chinese and Japanese, means "little wolf." His last name, Li (李, Li?), is a common Chinese surname that may also be spelled Lee.

In Cardcaptors his name is changed to "Li Showron." Li becomes his given name and Showron his family name.

In the early printing of the English manga, his name was presented in the Chinese naming order (family name then given name), Li Syaoran. Later printings switch the name to the Western order (given name then family name), Syaoran Li.

In the uncut English anime his name is romanized as Shaoran Li.

Character

Voiced by Motoko Kumai in the anime, Syaoran is a distant relative of Clow Reed, the creator of the Clow Cards. As a member of the Li clan of sorcerers from Hong Kong, of which Clow's mother was a member, Syaoran believes that he should be the one to inherit the Clow Cards, not Sakura Kinomoto. He first appears as an antagonist in the story, capturing a few cards for himself in the anime (though none in the manga). As the series progresses, and especially after Sakura is officially deemed the new master of the Cards, Syaoran drops his rivalistic attitude towards her and becomes her ally and friend, eventually falling in love with her and blushing at practically every sight of her.

Syaoran is shown, or at least implied, to be an excellent martial artist, swordsman (using a Chinese jian), and sorcerer. His magical abilities are centered around elemental spells using his sword or a collection of ofuda.

Although he claims certain Clow Cards for himself in the anime Syaoran does not actually capture any Cards, as the act of capturing can only be performed using Sakura's sealing wand. However, if Syaoran has played a major role in weakening or cornering the Card entity prior to its capture, credit for the capture is awarded to him (as the materialized Card floats autonomously to its owner after capture). While Sakura writes her name in rōmaji on the Clow Cards, Syaoran writes his name in kanji.

Before his relationship with Sakura, Syaoran seemed to appear to have an attraction to Yukito Tsukishiro, often blushing madly and abruptly running away at the sight of him. While Sakura also harboured a crush on Yukito, Syaoran would compete with her for his affections, usually by getting him a better present, making him better food, or giving the better compliment. It is discovered later that Syaoran and Sakura were just magically attracted to the magical energies of the moon which were residing within Yukito as Syaoran drew his magical power from the moon. Sakura, however, was simply drawn to a person that housed 'power.'

Syaoran and Cerberus often fight in the series, where Syaoran often calls him a "stuffed animal" while Cerberus retorts with patronizing terms like "kid" (小僧, kozō?).

A major change to Syaoran's character in Cardcaptors involves elevating Li Showron to become the male lead character, rather than a supporting character for Sakura in Cardcaptor Sakura. Here, Li is also referred to as a Cardcaptor, while he has no such title in the original series (as Cerberus never selected him).

Phrases

To use fire-based magic: To use wind-based magic:
CCS God of Fire, Answer my call! 火神招来 CCS Petals of Wind, Answer my call! 風華招来
CC Now, Element, Fire! CC Now, Element, Wind!
To use lightning-based magic: To use water-based magic:
CCS Emperor of Thunder, Answer my call! 雷帝招来 CCS Dragon of Water, Answer my call! 水龍招来
CC Now, Element, Thunder! CC Now, Element, Water!
Syaoran's incantation:
CCS Imperial king of gods,
Your divinity watches over the four corners
Metal, wood, water, fire, earth,
Thunder, wind, lightning,
Whirling blade of light,
I summon thee!
玉帝有勅
神硯四方
金木水火土
雷風 雷電神勅
軽磨霹靂 電光転
急々如律令!
CC Source of light with ancient spin,
send forth the magic power within.
Oracles of gold, wood, water, fire, earth,
cloud, wind, rain, and electricity.
Force, know my plight. Release the light!

Relationship with Sakura

Syaoran first meets Sakura at school on his first day as an exchange student from Hong Kong. His seat is behind Sakura, a very easy position for the many grueling stares that he gives her throughout the next few manga chapters and anime episodes. That same day, he confronts her about the Clow Cards, claiming that he is the one destined to inherit them.

This attitude continues throughout the first season of the anime where Syaoran constantly tries to capture new Clow Cards before she can, often stating facts about the Cards and about Card-capturing in a condescending manner. Although he would appear to do anything it takes to get the Cards, Syaoran never acts or fights dishonorably (i.e. stealing Cards from Sakura or injuring her in order to get ahead). Syaoran, despite the fact that he acaquired far less cards than Sakura, still succeeds in capturing the Time, Storm, Return, Freeze, Dream, Sand, Twin, and possibly Bubbles, as he is seen subduing it in a video recording of Tomoyo's in the second movie. As Sakura and Syaoran continue to meet whenever a Card-capturing situation arises, they begin to work together and combine their efforts, although he still tries to win the Card in the end. Additionally, starting halfway through the first season, Syaoran begins to blush occasionally when he comes face to face with Sakura, usually after she smiles or makes a sweet comment.

After the Final Judgment, Sakura is declared the new master of the Cards, leaving Syaoran essentially a failure. At the start of the third season, Syaoran plans on returning home to Hong Kong until newcomer Eriol Hiiragizawa comes along and starts (toyingly) charming Sakura. At this point in the series, Syaoran's feelings toward Sakura have slowly changed from that of rivalry to that of an elementary school crush. Sakura's consistently cheerful attitude and warm smiles cause more and more blushes on Syaoran's cheeks. Much to his surprise, Syaoran finds himself jealous over the fact that another student is getting too close to Sakura, and he in turn stays in Tomoeda for the remainder of the school year.

Season three of the anime is where the plot takes a stronger shift towards the development of Syaoran and Sakura's relationship. Though Sakura is still dealing with strange occurrences and using the Cards, each episode gradually puts more emphasis on the growth of this relationship, including Tomoyo Daidouji's involvement in giving Syaoran advice plus one particular dramatic scene in episode 60 involving Syaoran's then-fiancée, Meiling Li. Syaoran finds himself in more and more blushing situations, including those where he is on the brink of confessing his feelings to Sakura but is always interrupted (often in a comical way) just before he utters the climactic syllable.

Syaoran finally confesses his love at the end of the next-to-last episode of the series, 69. The news comes as a major surprise to Sakura, who had always just viewed Syaoran as a close friend. Sakura broods over the thought of it throughout all of episode 70, which ends with Syaoran planning to leave Tomoeda for Hong Kong. Sakura hears about his unannounced trip just in time to find him at the airport. He is holding (after his caretaker, Wei, hands it to him) a homemade teddy bear, which he had considered giving to Sakura but never found the right chance.

Instead, Sakura asks if she could have the bear in his arms. There is a tradition stated in the series (it is not an actual Japanese tradition) that when one person gives another a personally-made plush, if the receiver names the plush after its creator (the giver in this case), then both people will be together forever. Sakura is never seen giving a name to the bear, but the symbolism of her accepting his bear is enough to suggest that Sakura and Syaoran have a special bond with each other.

The TV series concludes there, a cliffhanger of sorts for the upcoming relase of the second movie, which finalizes the Sakura and Syaoran relationship in the anime. Set over summer break, Syaoran returns from Hong Kong for a short visit to Tomoeda. After having time to think about it, Sakura feels that she does love Syaoran back but is shy about confessing her feelings to him. Sakura wishes to tell him in person instead of writing a letter, because Syaoran had confessed his feelings in person (albeit quite randomly) and she wants to answer him the same way. The second movie goes through several situations where Sakura is just a moment away from uttering the next word after "Syaoran, I..." when something else interrupts her. In climactic fashion, Sakura finally completes her sentence in the last few lines of the movie. Syaoran smiles at this and accepts.

The manga concludes the development of their relationship differently, as there is no movie for which to create a cliffhanger. Instead of after a major battle as in the anime, Syaoran finds a quiet moment in Penguin Park to confess to Sakura. Sakura again is left in a mild state of shock as she tries to absorb the words, while Syaoran, satisfied that he has said what he needed to, leaves for home. This occurs near the beginning of volume 12, and the remainder of the volume details Sakura's quiet thoughts about the situation and her reanalysis of her feelings for Syaoran. Here in the manga, Syaoran also is planning to return to Hong Kong, prompting Sakura to hurry to the bus station to confess her feelings. She has the teddy bear that she made and successfully gives it to Syaoran through the window before the bus begins moving. She also confesses her feelings right there, asking to call the bear he gave her "Syaoran" after he asks to name his "Sakura." As the bus begins driving away, Syaoran tells Sakura to wait for him until he is finished with his tasks in Hong Kong.

Some time passes, and Sakura is seen in a secondary school uniform, obviously older, preparing to leave for school. Along the way, she meets Syaoran, who is happy to announce that he is through with his duties in Hong Kong and is now here in Tomoeda to stay. There would be no more need for letters and phone calls; they can both be, in Sakura's words, "together forever."

First-name addressing

Common courtesy and respect in Japan dictate that people should address each other by their last names, with the addition of an honorific (-san, -sama, -kun) if necessary. Addressing on a first-name basis is mostly reserved for family members or very close friends. A significant moment in Syaoran's developing relationship with Sakura is his shift to addressing her as "Sakura," coupled with Sakura progressing from "Li-kun" to "Syaoran-kun."

Syaoran's case is slightly unique in that, prior to the "Sakura" address, he has never called her "Kinomoto" or "Kinomoto-san" (the only time he even says that name is in Episode 12 when he takes some time realizing that Fujitaka Kinomoto is Sakura's father). In conversation, he usually omits the address and just begins speaking, using "Hey" or "You" on rare occasions. Sakura is often attentive of him whenever he speaks, too, so his lack of address is not usually noticed or viewed as awkward. For Syaoran's character, such a shift from no address to first-name address marks a very notable change in his feelings.

In the manga, Syaoran first says (yells) Sakura's name after losing his grip and dropping her into an abyss while battling The Earthy. Cerberus ends up saving her, but Sakura is happy nevertheless that he addressed her as such. She smiles innocently and asks if she could call him "Syaoran-kun" in return. In a fit of blushes, he eventually stammers, "Sure, do as you like." This occurs in volume 6, just before the halfway point in the series.

In the anime, Syaoran does not use Sakura's name until the middle of season three in episode 57, "Sakura, Syaoran, and the Elevator." In a similar fashion, Syaoran fails to save Sakura before she falls into a bottomless pit and screams her name in anguish as a result. Moments later, Sakura is seen returning to safety riding on The Float. Syaoran is so relieved that she is okay that he immediately hugs her, much to her surprise.

At the end of the day, Sakura makes a phone call to Syaoran thanking him for his help that day and mentioning that his calling her "Sakura" made her happy, that it made her feel like they've become good friends. She asks if she can address him as "Syaoran-kun" in return. Even on the phone, he blushes and can only stammer, "Do as you like," which is Syaoran's indirect way of saying "yes."

Syaoran in Tsubasa

In Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, Syaoran is an archeologist who is excavating ruins in the country of Clow and the adopted son of Fujitaka. In the anime, he is voiced by Miyu Irino.

He and the princess of Clow (Princess Sakura) are very close childhood friends. One day, Sakura displays mystical powers, but in the process she loses her memories, which are scattered through different worlds in the form of feathers. The lost memories put her life at risk, forcing Syaoran to go on a journey across the many dimensions in order to find them and save the person who is most special to him. In order to travel from dimension to dimension, he must sacrifice his most valuable possession: his old relationship with Sakura. It is a strange twist of fate, as it is shown that Syaoran himself was found without any memories, his name given to him by an adoptive father, and a birthdate given to him by Princess Sakura herself, which just so happens to be her birthday as well: April 1st.

In the series, Syaoran is shown to be an excellent fighter, centered around his devastating kicks (taught to him by Seishirou Sakurazuka to compensate for his lack of reliable depth perception due to being blind in his right eye; he was then trained to sense attacks coming from the left by Kurogane). He is also an experienced archaeologist, with the attendant skills and experience of a hardened adventurer somewhat reminiscent of Indiana Jones. In Outo, he receives a sword named Hien whose blade can be made to burst into flame and is trained in swordsmanship by Kurogane.

A tattooed figure who appears identical to Syaoran can be seen floating in a tank in Fei Wong and Xing Huo's headquarters (who, instead of being blind in the right eye, seems to be blind in the left). In the manga, the tattooed figure escapes and, with the assistance from Xing Huo, was sent to the Witch of Dimensions, Yūko Ichihara (this Syaoran makes an appeareance in xxxHOLiC in volume 9). It has been revealed that this Syaoran was actually the original Syaoran, but Fei Wong captured him and created a clone, who is the protagonist Syaoran. Fei Wong's intention was to use the copy to collect all of Sakura's feathers for him, but the original Syaoran gave half of his own heart to the clone (his left eye) and put a seal on the clone's right eye. At first Fei Wong did not care if Syaoran had feelings, as long as he had the determination to get the feathers and let the child go without removing Syaoran's alterations. Everything had been going as he had planned until he was met with interference in the form of the Witch of Dimensions.

Once the original Syaoran broke free from Fei Wong's hands, the main protoganist's right eye seal also broke (which is the reason why the protagonist's right eye was blind), for the heart did not actually belong to him but the Syaoran who was trapped by Fei Wong. Though the original Syaoran had hoped the clone had developed feelings of his own after his long journey, the copy became a ruthless being apparently without any feelings or heart, hurting his friends mentally and physically (including Fay D. Flourite whose left eye, since his eyes are the source of his magic, was removed and consumed by the copy) in order to eliminate anyone from interfering with the collection of feathers. Once he collected all of Tokyo's feathers, the copy left behind his companions, including his childhood friend, Sakura.

It is also possible that this Syaoran and Syaoran Li of Cardcaptor Sakura have some physical relation or are the exact same person. For example, the sword he uses is exactly identical to the sword that Syaoran Li bears. Also similar to Syaoran Li, the real Syaoran excels in magic and sword fighting skills, even using the very same magical attack Syaoran Li uses quite frequently in Cardcaptor Sakura (Raitei Shourai). Also, when he is first copied he appears to be around the same age as the Syaoran of Cardcaptor Sakura. However, it has been established in the manga that that people in different dimensions can share the same face yet be totally different on the inside. Also, many crossover characters bear the same weapons in Tsubasa as they did in their original series. Since Tsubasa has yet to be finished, this issue remains debatable.

Syaoran in ×××HOLiC

Syaoran appears in ×××HOLiC in two forms, a clone self and his real self. The clone self appears throughout both the ×××HOLiC and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle timelines via Mokona, who acts as a communication apparatus for Yūko.

The real Syaoran enters the ×××HOLiC manga storyline in Volume 9, when he visits Yūko after being freed by Xing Huo. In order to travel to the world where his clone is currently located, Syaoran pays an unspecified price. It is later revealed that Syaoran was one of three people who paid a price to Yūko in order to save Watanuki's life after he had fallen out of a window.

Notes

arrow Coincidentally, two of Miyu Irino's other roles have striking similarities to Syaoran and Tsubasa. One is Sora from Disney and Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts series, who has to cross over various Disney worlds, and the other is Daisuke Niwa from D.N.Angel, who at one point must collect Dark's memories (which, ironically enough, manifested themselves in the form of feathers).

arrow Syaoran's crossdressing in Cardcaptor Sakura, where he played the role of Sleeping Beauty in a play, is repeated in Tsubasa when he stays with the performing Troupe.

arrow Syaoran has four older sisters who seem to have an affinity for all things cute.

arrow In both the manga and the anime, Syaoran states that his father passed away.

Wow, this is absolutely fantastic, Suzaku!

Did you write this yourself? (If you didn't please add the source). Whoever wrote this is a genius.

Sonomi Daidouji (大道寺 園美, Daidōji Sonomi?) is a fictional character in CLAMP's anime and manga series Cardcaptor Sakura. She is known as Samantha Taylor in the English adaptation Cardcaptors.

Statistics

Birthday: 13 October
Occupation: President of a toy company
Favorite food: Mushroom dishes
Least favorite food: Coffee
Favorite color: Light purple
Favorite flower: Nadeshiko
Best recipe: Almost anything
Weak point: Waking up in the morning
Hobbies: Biking and driving

Character and role

Sonomi Daidouji née Amamiya (King in Cardcaptors) is the mother of Tomoyo Daidouji (Madison Taylor) and the cousin of Nadeshiko Kinomoto (Natasha Avalon). She is also the president of Daidouji Toys Co., a large toy corporation, and owns a large estate as a result of her wealth. She also has several bodyguards, many of whom are assigned directly to Tomoyo. She is also fairly athletic, once going to the national championships in track and field in high school, according to Tomoyo.

Sonomi adores Sakura Kinomoto (Sakura Avalon) much like Tomoyo does, treating her as if she was her own daughter. The main reason is that Sakura is the daughter of Nadeshiko, whom she had protected and loved since kindergarten. Nadeshiko died at the age of 27, three years after giving birth to Sakura. She initially blames this death on Fujitaka Kinomoto, who was Sonomi's and Nadeshiko's teacher in high school. In his first year as a teacher, Fujitaka was charmed by Nadeshiko, and they soon married when she was 16.

Nadeshiko's death was due to other factors, however, and Sonomi, after meeting with Fujitaka in episode 10, realizes that the early marriage did not contribute to her illness, as both agree that those were the happiest years of Nadeshiko's life. Sonomi tells Fujitaka that she loved Nadeshiko, although it wasn't the kind of love she wanted (as written in the earlier English translation by Tokyopop). Fujitaka understands that Nadeshiko loved Sonomi, too, and apologizes that he was the one who got to spend time with her between her sixteenth and twenty-seventh birthdays. Sonomi quickly responds that such is the reason she dislikes him so much.

Sonomi will always remain a rival to Fujitaka, as she has never won against him in any contest. Despite her recent acceptance of Nadeshiko marrying Fujitaka, she still wants to prove herself the better person. The only time Sonomi has won against Fujitaka is in the second movie during the Nadeshiko Festival. When Sakura is almost ready to perform, Fujitaka readies a simple disposable camera for pictures. Sonomi, however, has her bodyguards situated at different angles from the stage, all equipped with the latest video cameras. She claims confidently that she would get the better footage.

Nothing is ever revealed about Sonomi's husband other than his surname. He is not present in either the manga or the anime, and his only mention is an enigmatic statement by Sakura that Tomoyo "never mentions her father."

It is notable that Sonomi adored Nadeshiko very much the same way Tomoyo does Sakura - however, whereas Tomoyo selflessly keeps her feelings for Sakura hidden (and even tries to bring Sakura and Syaoran together), Sonomi was a rather bitter and jealous person when it came to getting Nadeshiko's attention. Tomoyo tells Sakura that the reason her Mother wants Tomoyo's hair to grow long is so it resembles Nadeshiko's.

Kaho Mizuki (観月 歌帆, Mizuki Kaho?) is a fictional character in CLAMP's anime and manga series Cardcaptor Sakura. She is known as Layla McKenzie in the English adaptation Cardcaptors.

Statistics

Birthday: 11 February
Occupation: Elementary school teacher
Favorite Food: Salmon sushi
Least Favorite Food: Marshmallows
Favorite Activity: Walking
Favorite Color: Gold
Favorite Flower: Moon-viewing-blossom
Best Recipe: Anything
Weak Point: Remembering street names
Hobby: Collecting antiques

Character and Role

Kaho first appears in the series as a mysterious substitute teacher at Tomoeda Elementary School, where she teaches math to the class that includes Sakura Kinomoto (Sakura Avalon in Cardcaptors) and Syaoran Li (Li Showron). The two students have opposite reactions to her: Sakura takes an instant liking while Syaoran responds with coldness and worry. When Sakura, Syaoran, and Tomoyo Daidouji (Madison Taylor) go to Tsukimine Shrine and are trapped by The Maze, they are rescued by Kaho, who is not only the chief miko of the shrine but also possesses an artifact called the Moon Bell, which can affect Clow Cards. At the same time, it is revealed that not only did Sakura's brother Toya (Tori) know Kaho, but also that they had an intimate relationship while she was his junior high school teacher. Toya reveals that Kaho had broken up with him so she could go to England to study.

For a time, Cerberus (Keroberos) was convinced that Kaho is the false form of Yue, Clow's Moon Guardian, but when he finally meets her, he realizes that this is not the case. When Yukito Tsukishiro (Julian Star) turned out to be Yue, Kaho uses the Moon Bell to give the seemingly defeated Sakura a second chance, enabling her to win the Final Judgment and become the new master of the Clow Cards. After this, the Moon Bell disappears and Kaho returns to England, after enigmatically telling Yukito to "take care of" Toya. Kaho seems to be immune to the power of the Clow Cards, even without her Moon Bell, as was proven during the Freeze's assault and when Sakura activated Sleep.

Throughout most of the third season, Kaho maintains a steady but guarded exchange of letters with Sakura that are full of enigmatic but helpful advice. When she finally reappears, to everyone's surprise, it is at the home of Eriol Hiiragizawa (Eli Moon) to help arrange for his return to England -- in her company. Apparently, Kaho had met Eriol even before Sakura discovered the Clow Book and he was the one who gave Kaho the Moon Bell. In the anime, Kaho is last seen in the second movie in Eriol's new room in England expressing her concern for Sakura and her friends' safety. In the manga, she is last seen holding hands with Eriol discussing their future together.

Controversies

Kaho's interest in the physically juvenile Eriol and the then-juvenile Toya (who was also her student) is controversial among many fans of Cardcaptor Sakura. The canon interpretation is that Eriol is actually much older than he appears, that neither relationship reached the point of physical intimacy over the course of the series, and that Kaho is mainly playing a small but important role in the much larger story surrounding Sakura's magical and personal awakening. Another interpretation is that because Eriol is partly the reincarnation of Clow Reed, it is this part of Eriol that is attracted to and attracts Kaho.

Clow Reed (クロウ・リード, Kurō Rīdo?) is a fictional character in CLAMP's anime and manga series Cardcaptor Sakura. He is voiced by Dale Wilson in Cardcaptors, the English adaptation of Cardcaptor Sakura.

He also exists in the storyline of another CLAMP series, ×××HOLiC. This is the same Clow Reed as Cardcaptor Sakura and ×××HOLiC happen in the same world.

Clow is also a fictional character in CLAMP's Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE with a separate characterization.

Character and Role

Clow Reed is the creator of the Clow Cards (also referred to as "The Clow"), a series of cards resembling tarot cards with various magical powers within them. Additionally, he is the creator of Yue and Cerberus, assigned to protect The Clow and ensure that it gets passed on properly to new masters.

When Clow was nearing death, he chose Sakura Kinomoto (Sakura Avalon in Cardcaptors) to be the new mistress of The Clow. Sakura was not yet born at the time, but Clow's magical ability allowed him to foresee most of the future and plan many of the situations that would enable Sakura to succeed in taking full possession of the Clow Cards. This is the reason why Sakura's sealing wand is pink and cute; he wanted to make a suitable wand for the young girl who would be mistress.

In the first Cardcaptor Sakura movie, it is revealed that though he was an extremely powerful magician, he had many enemies, including the sorceress and fortune-teller Madoushi, who held a bitter grudge against Clow, even after her death. Clow was also a fortune-teller and told fortunes that came true every time, which resulted in Madoushi going out of business and developing a hatred so deep for him that she challenged him to fights all of the time and cast a spell on a book so her spirit would reside in it after she had died. The spell would also draw Clow to her and once she was released by Clow (or anyone possessing the Clow Cards), that person would become sealed within the book instead of her. Madoushi was unintentionally released by Sakura during her trip to Hong Kong and she, demanding to know where Clow is, attacks Sakura and her friends, succeeding in capturing them all except Sakura, Tomoyo and Kero. However, it is revealed at the end of the movie that Clow had given her a beautiful hair ornament for her birthday and Madoushi truly loved Clow. After finally accepting that Clow is dead, she weeps and vanishes. As Sakura watches her dissapear, she cries too.

Clow makes an appearance in episode 46 just after Sakura has completed the Final Judgment, thus becoming the new mistress of The Clow. Here Clow explains the coincidences he had planned for Sakura--situations that would allow her to recapture all the Cards. He also advises Sakura to take care of her new power, the power that changed the original sealing wand into one that is completely Sakura's.

In episode 68, Sakura uses The Return to visit Clow prior to his death. Clow recognizes Sakura but does not concisely answer all of her questions. Sakura is mainly concerned that she would never be as great or as powerful as Clow, but Clow reminds her that she cannot keep comparing herself to him. Sakura is her own self, and she has already been fulfilling Clow's final wish, which is to allow his creations (the Cards, Cerberus, and Yue) to live in happiness under a new master. During this visit, Clow gives little to no insight about the recent mysterious happenings, though Sakura finds that out from Eriol when she returns to the present.

Syaoran Li (Li Showron) is a distant relative of Clow, as Clow's mother's family is the Li Clan.

Clow Reed's name resembles that of Thoth Tarot creator Aleister Crowley (クロウリー Kurourī in Japanese).

In Cardcaptors, Clow is also a local figure, with the town of Reedington being named after him.

Reincarnation

Clow Reed's present-day reincarnation is Eriol Hiiragizawa (Eli Moon), appearing in season three of the anime. In the manga, Sakura's father, Fujitaka Kinomoto (Aiden Avalon) is also a reincarnation (but just one-half, while Eriol is the other). Eriol retains all of Clow's past memories and all of his magic. Clow was not able to split his magic apart into the two new bodies and Eriol's final wish is for her to take half of his magic and give it to her father. Eriol's purpose is to create situations, much like Clow did in season one, that would allow Sakura to convert the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards, putting them wholly under her magical influence and completely finishing the transition of The Clow from Clow Reed to Sakura.

Because Eriol is Clow's reincarnation, Sakura and company continuously detect Clow's presence during Eriol's trials. This leads to suspicion in Sakura when she visits Eriol's manor in episode 65 and feels Clow's presence all over, especially in Eriol's armchair. The manor was indeed inhabited by Clow when he was alive, but Sakura does not fully realize this until the end of the series.

After learning that Clow was reincarnated, Yue protests the entire situation involving Sakura having to become the new master of The Clow. Eriol, holding Clow's memories, explains that he is not the actual Clow Reed, who would never return to this world. This is why Clow entrusted everything to Sakura. However Eriol offers to talk about his memories whenever Yue wishes.

×××HOLiC and Tsubasa

Yuuko Ichihara, a main character in ×××HOLiC, repeatedly talks about Clow. While the exact nature of their relationship is uncertain, they are known to have worked together to create the two Mokonas who appear in ×××HOLiC and Tsubasa. Yuuko tends to refer to Clow as "that creep with glasses".

Clow Reed is mentioned in Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, apparently as the same person as the Clow Reed of Cardcaptor Sakura and was personally acquainted to Yūko Ichihara. The two together created the Mokonas that would help Syaoran. Fei Wong Reed, the mastermind who initially guides the journey of Sakura and Syaoran across the dimensions, is an ancestor of Clow Reed's. Though Fei Wong refers to Clow as an interloper in his affairs.

The Clow Kingdom's own variation of Clow Reed was the father of Sakura and Touya, and the former king of the Kingdom of Clow. Little is known about this Clow Reed as he passed away before the story began. He was known to have allowed the excavation of the ruins in the country under the direction of the archaeologist, Fujitaka, and also allowed Fujitaka's adopted son, Syaoran, to become a close friend of his daughter Sakura. It is implied that he had powerful magic of his own and was able to discern the fates of Sakura and Syaoran before his death; he would later teach Yukito, the current High Priest of Clow, his knowledge of magic.