Syaoran returns to the Kingdom of Clow to hunt down Fei-Wang!
Creative Staff:
Writer/Artist: CLAMP
Translation: William Flanagan
What They Say
Syaoran, Fai, Kurogane, and Mokona are returning to the Kingdom of Clow – and toward an ultimate showdown with the ruthless Fei-Wang Reed. But entering a world that is cut off from time endangers the very existence of the once-happy villagers, as the final story arc of the Tsubasa epic begins!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Through Yuko’s magic, Mokona takes Syaoran, Fai, and Kurogane back to the Kingdom of Clow. However, something is badly awry in the country Syaoran left behind. They discover the inhabitants reliving the same evening over and over without change. By the time the travelers figure out what’s happening, they’ve irrevocably upset the time-space magic cast upon the populace — with devastating consequences.
I’ve mentioned before that the tone of Tsubasa has taken a much darker turn since the post-apocalyptic Tokyo arc, and it continues progressing in that vein. Not only do we have the Syaoran image rampaging innocents on other worlds, but we now have an entire village wiped out because of Fei-Wang’s plotting. Their demise is quite disturbing — it reminds me of something out of an H-bomb video. Before the villagers are annihilated, however, Syaoran and company come away with an important clue — the day which Fei-Wang froze time.
The final three chapters are dedicated to a series of flashbacks that shed a lot of light on Syaoran’s origins and the Tsubasa Chronicle’s connection to CLAMP’s series Card Captor Sakura. Because the Tsubasa story began in an entirely different dimension, I assumed that CLAMP was just recycling characters and that Syaoran and Sakura had no connection to Card Captor Sakura. After all, many other characters that have popped up in this series have no connection to the CLAMP manga they originally came from. So I was quite surprised to learn in this volume that that is not the case. The Tsubasa Sakura and Syaoran are not the same as the CCS Sakura and Syaoran, but they do have a direct connection to them. As a Card Captor Sakura fan, this revelation makes Tsubasa much more interesting, but I have to say, having three sets of Sakura-Syaoran couples in one story is a bit much.
In Summary:
Syaoran returns to the Kingdom of Clow to find its inhabitants trapped in time. It’s a testimony not only of Fei-Wang’s immense power but also points towards the goal he is striving to accomplish. Still, Syaoran presses on, and a series of flashbacks reveal the reason for his determination. Although this information feels somewhat tardy, the back story is intriguing, and as a Card Captor Sakura fan, I’m especially interested to learn more about Tsubasa’s ties to that manga.
Translation notes are included as extras in this volume.
Content Grade: B-
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: B
Text/Translation Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Del Rey Manga
Release Date: October 27th, 2009
MSRP: $10.99
