Product Details

• Actors: Sakura Tange, Junko Iwao, Aya Hisakawa, Tomokazu Seki, Megumi Ogata
• Producers: Akira Watanabe, Eizo Kondo, Hideki Goto, Tatsuya Ono, Yasuko Uchizawa
• Format: NTSC
• Language: Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Studio: Geneon Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: February 3, 2004
• Run Time: 30 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00018LTDS
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #131,253 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #26 in	Movies & TV > Animation > Characters & Series > Cardcaptor Sakura
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
An imaginative mixture of adventure, charm, and emotional warmth made Cardcaptor Sakura a big hit in both Japan and America. In contrast to the one-note and often bratty girls in American animation, ten-year-old Sakura Kinomoto is a good-natured but never saccharine character who learns and grows from her magical experiences. A cheerful 4th grader, she lives with her older brother Toya and her widowed father, a professor of archeology. Sakura dislikes math and Toya's teasing, and nurtures a crush on his friend Yukito. When she opens a mysterious book in her father's study, glowing forms fly into the night. Kero, the winged, toy-like creature from the book's cover, explains that she has released the magical cards created by the sorcerer, Clow Reed. Despite her protests, Kero insists that Sakura must become a Cardcaptor and retrieve them before they work mischief on the world. As she pursues various Cards, Sakura's best friend Tomoyo videotapes her adventures. Shaoran Li, a student from Hong Kong related to Clow Reed, initially challenges Sakura's right to the Cards. As they move from reluctant allies to friends, the relationship is complicated by Shaoran’s loudmouth cousin Meilin. Toya, who "sees things other people can't," keeps a watchful eye the magical goings-on.

Sakura wins increasingly powerful Cards, but is haunted by a recurring dream in which she battles an unseen foe atop Tokyo Tower. Meilin returns to Hong Kong, allowing the partnership between Sakura and Shaoran develop smoothly. When Sakura captures the last Card, she faces the confrontation she saw in her dreams. Losing this battle would have dire consequences. But Sakura proves herself worthy to become the new master of the Cards: the timid girl of the first episodes has discovered reserves of inner strength she didn't know she possessed. The arrival of Eriol, who is somehow linked to Clow Reed, produces new troubles for Sakura and her friends, just as Shaoran is coming to grips with the awkward realization that he likes Sakura. The interplay of personal moments and the increasingly ominous plot keeps this extremely popular "magical girl" series moving smoothly through the two and half seasons included in this collection. (Note: this series is rated "13 and Older," but appropriate for viewers three years younger. The popular Cardcaptors series heavily edits this original series for a much younger audience.) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing, exciting, very Japanese!, November 9, 2004

By	Adam Rugo "adamadjembe" (St. Louis, MO, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My daughter and I have been intrigued by other Japanese anime, especially how these programs give insight into Asian culture. Pokemon is another series that, through the fantastical and adventurous stories, teaches viewers about Japanese food, festivals, spirituality, and social values. CardCaptor Sakura is even richer and more insightful about the culture than Pokemon. It's very refreshing, especially in context of American animation which is culturally empty, unless it promotes consumer culture, and presents a distorted view of what it is to be a girl/boy/white person/black person/American. The children in American cartoons are so often bratty, materialistic, aggressive, and disdainful of adults in general. I was amazed that, in the world presented in CardCaptor Sakura, Japanese children are generous of spirit, kind, polite, earnest, health conscious, and eager to do well in school (they also can be mischevious, competitive, and critical of their own and others' failings).

The series works on three levels simultaneously: the magical narrative (the Clow Cards and their capture), the cultural context (Japan and some bits about China), and universal life issues (success, love, dealing with fears, death). Be aware that the subject of death comes up quite frequently, as Sakura's mother is to have died before the series begins, so her premature death and Sakura's feelings of loss keep taking center stage. But the topic is handled with realism and positivity - Sakura misses her mom but has learned to see the situation in a way that is life affirming. There's a serious side to this program which is absent from most other children's anime. I believe that's the only reason why the age recommendation is so high (BTW, my 9 year old daughter loves the show and has no problems dealing with the more serious topics).

It also refreshing to see a female hero character who is not "extreme" or "a**-kicking" or "glamorous." Sakura is an otherwise normal kid who is struggling to learn to use magic to solve a problem she created (releasing the Clow Cards). Most of her magical battles she solves with her wits, not with brute force. The problem-solving strategies she finds are refreshing, too. And she's so good hearted, she's always protecting friends, family, pets, the environment, cultural monuments, as she saves the world (unlike the PowerPuff Girls who trash everything in sight). Sakura's problem-solving is complicated by her allies. Kero, the Guardian Beast of the Clow, has been trapped inside a tiny stuffed animal. He has some magic, but it's limited by both his form and his vanity and gluttony. Li Shaoron, the Chinese boy-magician, has powerful magic, but is hyper-critical of Sakura and unable to express warm emotions comfortably. Yukito, her brother's friend (and Sakura's love object), functions like a Kung Fu master in disguise - he's always arriving at just the right time to defuse a fight between Sakura and Li, and doing it without them even knowing it.

All in all, CardCaptor Sakura presents a world that is stable and life-affirming. The show reinforces Japanese traditions and values (as opposed to American anime, which tends to undermine many social values (non-violence, self-sacrifice, reverence for traditions and elders). One of my favorite aspects of this show is that it is in Japanese with subtitles. We watched the American version of the show and we were amazed at the difference in voices and personas. The Japanese version is so rich with culture and emotional nuance that it wins over the English-language version hands down. And it's a great way to learn how to understand spoken Japanese. I highly recommend the series to anyone interested in: magical stories, girl-hero stories, asian culture, animation.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Anime Series, May 21, 2004

By	csmith400 "csmith400" (Jacksonville, FL) - See all my reviews

Ignore the above review in the show
received a low rating because the dvds are in Japanese.
It is a series made in Japan. Of course the audio
would be in Japanese.

This anime is delightful. The animation, color
range of the paint, special effects, voice
acting, and music are all excellent. The frame
rate is also very high for a tv show, and
the animation is quite smooth. It's miles above
what you might be expecting from television
animation.

This show is something that can help us all
remember our childhoods and the process
of growing up. The story is sweet without
being too sugary, and the characters do not
burst into song for no apparent reason,
unlike a Disney cartoon. I would recommend
the show to just about anyone. If you're trying
to learn Japanese, the show could teach you a lot
of common, everyday spoken Japanese as well.

I'd give it 6 stars, but 5 appears to be as many
as I can give.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Big Fun!!, March 14, 2006

By	Yabuki "bluenote" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cardcaptor Sakura - Clow Book Set (Vol. 1-9) (DVD)

I just purchase the Clow Book set (Vol. 1-9) a couple of weeks ago!!!...The sound & picture quality of each DVD is great!!...plus the bonus art gallery has a lot of beautiful character sketches!!...This is an anime that I'm sure everyone will enjoy!!...Don't buy the DVDs on Ebay because most of them are cheap copy imports!!...Buy this one!!...It's reasonably price and has excellent English Subtitles!!!...I planning to buy the Sakura Book Set (Vol. 10-18) to complete my collection!!..This anime is worth every penny!!...I promise you won't regret buying it!!..Enjoy!!...Here are the titles to the Clow book (vol.1-9) and the Sakura Book (vol.10-18) :
Vol.1 ( The Clow)
1- Sakura and the Mysterious Magic Book
2- Sakura's Wonderful Friend
3- Sakura's Heart-Racing First Date
4- Sakura's Tiring Sunday
Vol. 2 ( Everlasting Memories)
5- Sakura, Panda, and a Cute Shop
6- Sakura and the Memories of Her Mother
7- Sakura's First Attempt as a Thief
8- Sakura's Rival Appears
Vol. 3 ( Friends Forever)
9- Sakura and the Mysterious Brooch
10- Sakura and the Sport's Day of Flowers
11- Sakura, Tomoyo, and the Mansion
12- Sakura Never-Ending Day
Vol. 4 ( Sakura Fight)
13- Sakura and the Elephant's Test of Strength
14- Sakura, Toya, and Cinderella
15- Sakura and Kero's Big Fight
16- Sakura and the Rainbow of Memories
Vol. 5 ( Vacation Daze)
17- Sakura's Scary Test of Courage
18- Sakura, Yukito, and the Summer Festival
19- Sakura and the Summer Holiday Homework
20- Transfer Student vs. Sakura
Vol. 6 ( Friend and Family)
21- Sakura's Long Marathon Race
22- Sakura and Her Kind Father
23- Sakura, Tomoyo, and the Wonderful Song
24- Sakura's Little Adventure
Vol. 7 ( Magical Mystery)
25- Two Sakuras
26- Sakura and the Wonderful Teacher
27- Sakura and the Shrine of Memories
28- Sakura and the Enchanted Cards
Vol. 8 ( Sweet Trouble)
29- Sakura's Sweet Cooking
30- Sakura and the Injured Card
31- Sakura and the Nameless Book
32- Sakura, Kero, and Shaoran
Vol. 9 ( Winter Wonderland)
33- Sakura's Freezing Ice Skating
34- Sakura, Yukito, and the Midday Moon
35- Sakura's Wonderful Christmas


Vol. 10 ( School Daze)
36- Sakura and the Snowy New School Term
37- Sakura and Tomoyo's Lost Voice
38- Sakura's Fun Strawberry Picking Adventure
39- Sakura's Dizzy Fever Day
Vol. 11 ( Trust)
40- Sakura and the Sakura from the Dream
41- Sakura, Shaoran, and the Sea of Sand
42- Sakura and the Blacked Out School Arts Festival
43- Sakura and Farewell to Meilin
Vol. 12 ( Final Judgement)
44- Sakura, Kero, and the Mysterious Teacher
45- Sakura and the Final Clow Card
46- Sakura and the Final Judgement
47- Sakura and the Mysterious Transfer Student
Vol. 13 (Star Cards)
48- Sakura and the Awakened Key
49- Sakura and the Dangerous Piano
50- Sakura, Shaoran, and the Invisible Thread
51- Sakura and the Big Teddy Bear
Vol. 14 ( Powers Awry)
52- Sakura Sheep Warning
53- Sakura and the Panicky Bike
54- Sakura and the Calendar of Memories
55- Sakura and Sakura from Wonderland
Vol. 15 ( Realizations)
56- Sakura, Kero, and the Sweet Meeting
57- Sakura, Shaoran, and the Elevator
58- Sakura and the Double Troube
59- Sakura, Tomoyo, and the Ball Trap
Vol. 16 ( Friends in Need)
60- Sakura and the Precious Friend
61- Sakura, the Card, and the Presents
62- Sakura and the Strange Written Fortune
63- Sakura, the Pool, and the Huge Wave
Vol. 17 ( Confessions)
64- Sakura and the Snowy Ski Class
65- Sakura, Yukito, and the Vanishing Power
66- The Person Sakura Likes the Most
67- Sakura, Shaoran, and the Tsukimine Shrine
Vol. 18 ( Revelations)
68- Sakura, the Past, and Clow Read
69- Sakura Meets Clow Reed
70- Sakura and Her True Feelings