Customer Reviews

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, Vol. 1 - Gathering of Fates

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Outside of watching Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon with my son I really haven't watched any anime for myself. However, when I discovered that the manga of Tsubasa that I had just started reading was also an anime I was determined to check it out. After getting past the initial sticker shock for anime in general I picked up this first volume. I wasn't at all disappointed, except perhaps by the fact that it ended.

The anime has presented an entirely different way of viewing these characters. Right from the opening credits I've loved everything about the anime. The music is great and everything is so colorful, a huge departure from the black and white panels of the manga (not that I don't enjoy the manga, I do, this is just so different!) Fai in particular has such a cute personality and I love the interactions between him, Kurogane and Mokono. It seems a wonderful balance between humor and drama and I'm really looking forward to watching more of this series!

First of all, I love everything CLAMP has ever made, so there was no way I was going to miss this release. But I don't think I'm biased when I say that this is a good show for anyone to watch. Fans of the original manga might be disappointed by animation, which is about average and could have been better, but they'll still enjoy the creativity and beauty of the different worlds that Syaoran and his companions travel to. The characters are what really make Tsubasa worthwhile, and the English dub does an excellent job of bringing out their often hilarious personalities. My favorites are the voices of Tomoyo and Fay, who is voiced by fan-favorite Vic Mignogna (Edward in Fullmetal Alchemist).

The only downside to Tsubasa is that it's plot starts out rather predictable, but that gets better later on in this season. The simplicity of this series is actually what makes it appealing. The innocent love between the two leads is a bit corny, but at the same time oddly heartwarming. I haven't physically smiled at an anime romance in a while, so this was a real treat. (Note: this is not a romance anime! It's a shonen action series, but i mention this to show that it has something for everyone.)

If you have kids, this is also a good show to watch with them, because the action is bloodless and there are only a few swear words.

This first DVD features the first whopping five episodes of the series (take that Region 2!) which introduces us to all the main characters and takes them on their first adventure to the world of Hanshin.

Having watched the series during it's original run on Japanese TV and being sorely disappointed with several of the voice actors (I'm looking at you Sakura, Fai and Kurogane!) I was looking forward to hearing the English actors and what they would do with their roles and man, not only was I pleasantly surprised... I was ECSTATIC!!! The English voice actors not only manage to match the characters but they also achieve something the Japanese actors couldn't: giving their characters personalities!

The Japanese Sakura has always been, for me, an example of one of the most boring portrayals of an anime character. The actress always came across as rather weak and wispy and this even includes the scenes before Sakura lost her features where she was supposed to be full of life. Fai and Kurogane's voice actors fit their roles but didn't seem to do much else with them. One might go so far as to say that they became almost stereotypes of themselves. It wasn't until I saw the amazing xxxHolic anime series did I consider that Bee Train's voice direction may have been to blame.

The same voice actress that portrayed Yuko in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle portrayed her in the xxxHolic series and the difference in quality is shocking at times. In xxxHolic, Yuko is full of energy even when she's talking seriously. In Tsubasa she honestly seems bored at times. I also found some subtle differences in the way the different Mokona's were portrayed in the different series with black Mokona showing a lot more comedic range than the white one in Tsubasa who seemed to be on "just be cute all the time" mode.

Watching the English Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles is like watching an entirely new show! All the voices are so dynamic and have so much depth. It's like the characters from the manga have finally been given the voices we all expected! Sakura is now full of life and energy. She's no more the annoying high pitched "we have to love her just because" anime girl. Here she has a personality and is actually likeable, something the Japanese version never really made us feel they just beat us over the head every episode by having characters tell us she's so likeable and great.

Mokona is spot on and shows us all kinds of cuteness. Fai and Kurogane are both perfectly cast here, obviously due to their similarities to their Japanese counterparts but are so much more interesting to listen to. While I always liked the Japanese Syaoran, this version also seems to offer a greater emotional range.

The only voices I was a bit concerned about were Fay Wang Reed who just sounded so different than what I expected though he did grow on me by Episode 5 and Watanuki who sounded very unusual, mind you he only spoke one line.

The only really negative aspect of the dub I could find was the mispronounciations of some of the names. Kurogane's was particularily strange and Mokona is being over pronounced as "Moe-ko-na". Sakura also suffers as well, being pronounced as "Saaarrr-ku-ra" instead of the proper "Sa-ku-ra". Whether this was a deliberate choice of pronunciation or due to the voice actor's American or Canadian accents I'm not sure. It does detract from the enjoyment a little and I hope they correct this by the next volume.

Overall this is a great release though and those of you who found the Japanese version boring and painful to watch should definitely give the English one a go.

Those who read the manga may be a little dissapointed in the anime. Some scenes didn't go into a enough detail to be honest and the dialouge was toned down in places that it didn't need to be.

Those who buy this, do be warned that CLAMP was not happy with the second season and discontinued this series. Speculation is that there may be another animation company who will take it over (and I definitely hope so, Bee Train does the second season so little justice)

But to be honest, the first season is pretty good. The dub is also well-done, which I am thankful for being a hard core Tsubasa/CLAMP fan in general.

I'm pretty pleased with this to be honest, despite my half-hearted review. The music is amazing, as is the animation. The dialouge could use a little work, but that was my only complaint (aside from my biast opinion on Bee Train)

It's a fairly good anime, and if you hadn't read the manga, you may find it to your liking.

~Melissa

That was my first real review on something here...I just now realized that....

This series so far (I've only seen the five episodes in this volume so far, and have Netflixed the others) has a very sweet heart. It's not the dark/deadly sort of story. It's basically a quest tale mixed with a friendship/romance story. And both my husband and I--middle aged nerds--have been enjoying it.

Synopsis: Princess Sakura (who I understand is an alternate world version of Card Captor Sakura of another anime/manga series) has a deep and bonded friendship-blossoming-to-romance with Syaoran, the son of an archeologist who is continuing his father's work on some mysterious ruins. Sakura, who is innocent and pure and cheerful and sweet-beyond-belief and perky, experiences a strange event where her heart/soul/memories take a winged shape and shatter into feather-fragments that are transported to assorted dimensions. She goes comatose, at risk of death. She and Syaoaran are transported to Yuko (a witch) on her plane/world, along with other main characters--the fair and mysteriously laid-back and fearless magician named Fay D. Flourite and a proud and powerful black-haired warrior named Kurogane (banished by the princess he guarded in order for him to lose his arrogance and learn to be a better person). Each must give up something precious to continue on their quests. The witch provides a communication "device" sort of creature that looks like a white bunny (really silly-cute) who will also aid Syaoran in finding the feathers.

So, yeah, basically a quest for assorted things (the feathers sure, but also for what each needs in some way).

The purity and innocence of Sakura plays a great role here, too, as she interacts with other characters.

I found the fantasy elements a lot of fun and the relationship between Sakura and Syaoran quite heartwarming. I'm curious about the enigmatic Fay and want to see what his deal is (and hope it is revealed later on).

I really like the music used. And I like the warm fuzzies I get at various scenes.

A delightful anime series (well, from what I can gather seeing only this volume so far).

Enjoy.

Mir

While I agree in principle and in some specifics with the review, I have a slightly different take. Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles is an excellent story. The first season is as good as anyone could expect from anime. And yes, the second season falls short. However, Tsubasa animation does not end with season two. Three more excellent episodes called "Tokyo Revelations" in OVA form have been released in Japan by a different studio (awaiting licensing in the US), with expectation that more will follow. So, if you hesitate to invest in this series because you think it dead ends, keep that in mind.

Where I disagree with the previous reviewer has more to do with whether or not one also reads the manga from which the anime is adapted. I have watched some 150 anime series, but have read little manga. From my experience, the comparison between novel/movie and manga/anime adaptations is virtually parallel. If you read books and manga, you should as a rule avoid the movies and anime based on them, because you will usually be disappointed. An anime I enjoyed, Love Hina, was ruined for ever watching again by my reading the manga, and that adaptation was supposedly a good one.

Point being, this is anime, not manga. Taken on its own, Tsubasa's first anime season ranks with some of the best. The flaws are minor: I almost stopped watching because of the horrible audio mix in the first episode. I literally almost started re-adjusting my sound system, because the music drowned out dialogue. The music was misplaced, with intense action music playing, and playing continuously, over non-action dialogue, where no music at all would actually have been most appropriate--much worse than any "B" Hollywood movie I've ever watched. Fortunately, either the sound person was replaced or corrected immediately, since by episode two or three the mix was fine.

More obvious in season two, but somewhat in season one, are the animation shortcuts: those long pauses for instance. This becomes ludicrous and laughable toward the end of season two, when I presume the studio had already been informed they would lose the series and so started cutting production costs dramatically. But somewhat in season one, you'll find yourself actually wondering when the screen will change or someone will say something.

I disagee entirely with the season two "Smurfs" comment, however. That animation style lasts only one episode, is quite humorous, serves the purpose of comic relief, and as such is placed properly. More generally, if you are looking for pure action or dramatic anime, then Tsubasa isn't what you want anyway. The series was broadcast at 6:30 pm in Japan, meaning it was intended for family or young audiences (as in the US, anime with more adult themes are aired late night). Though the series, as with many Japanese stories, does get dark at times, overall this anime is a fantasy-romance story with a strong comedic tone.

Bottom line is don't hesitate to buy this series because of a comparison to the manga, or because of flaws that become apparent late in season two. CLAMP, the creators of Tsubasa and one of the most famous manga production groups in Japan, wrote the manga series (still continuing, in fact) as an anniversary gift to their millions of fans, and the quality is definitely there. Though obviously some of that quality seems lost via adaptation, the anime is still well worth owning, and we can only hope that the new studio behind Tokyo Revelations will continue releasing more episodes.

One last word on crossovers: CLAMP wrote Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles to crossover directly with xxxHolic, another of their manga series still running concurrently (much of the crossover is not in the anime versions). But more importantly, to enhance the enjoyment for their core fanbase, nearly every character in Tsubasa is actually an alternate version of a character from their earlier works. While not essential, a previous viewing of Cardcaptor Sakura and Chobits, for instance, greatly enhances the depth or comedy of some scenes and episodes.

For poorly directed/produced anime like this, there really ought to be a rating lower than just 1 star.

The overwhelming problem with this anime is in how it was directed (or produced). The voice actors all speak extremely softly all of the time almost like they are whispering...kind of out of place during an action sequence. It's hard to beleive someone is excited when they are speaking in a calm soft whisper.

Unfortunately, someone had the bright idea that the music needs to be running for the entire duration of the anime. Seriously, I don't think there is any point at all in the anime when the music is not actually running. The big problem here is that the music is loud while the voices are very very soft, so the end result is that you have big problems actually hearing the dialoge.

Don't get me wrong, I like the music...I find it very compelling and well-composed, but they seriously overdid it. Music should be used at key parts to enhance certain events....not run as a steady backdrop to the entire thing.

My final complaint is in the pauses. Granted it is not as annoying as the constant music and inaudible dialogs, but it still breaks the flow of the episode. Basically at certain points in dialoges there will be a huge pause. It may not even be at logical points...it doesn't seem to emphasize anything (the most common function of pauses), and what's more...the pauses stretch much much further than they should. Seriously...one character will say something, then scene will shift to the other character who says nothing, starting the pause. 5 seconds go by, the scene shifts back and forth a few more times (still in the pause), and finally after about 10 or 15 seconds (not much exaggeration if any) the second character finally replies with a few words. Not even important, climactic words...but with some simple little end-dialoge that does not need to be emphasised. It causes a break in the continuity of watching the episode.

All in all, after buying (and forcing myself to watch) the first DvD, I have resolved to not wasted any more money on this anime. Take my advice, stick with the Manga and you'll be happier (and get more value for the money).

This is a great story of love and romance but with a lot of determination and courage I just simply love it!

I recomed this item a lot it comines a lot of CLAMP characters but all of them living in different world and in other circuntances, you will fall for thew story and the characters.

the story hapens at the same time of the xxxHOLiC series (great too) and they complement each other.

the in the story Sakura is a princces of the Clow country, and Syaoran as his childhood friend is a humble archeologist.

somehow sakura losses her memory in the country ruins and the only for Syaoran to get those memories back is to travel into diferent world and recover each one of her memories but then he meets with Fye a lone magician whos only wish is to escape from his world and never return and with a strong samurai that only wants to go back to his world and they all travel through different worlds with the help of Mokona Modoki and giving their most valuable thongs in return.

I'm so happy I got into the manga. This anime was the icing on the cake. I love tsubasa! <3

This is an amazing first volume of TRC! I only gave it 4 stars because the first world they spend time in is not my favorite, but it's still a really exciting set of episodes!

Now I was a big fan of Cardcaptors (yes, the edited dubbed version, I am in love with it <3) and TRC seemed interesting because it stars 2 familiar characters, Li and Sakura, but it's their teenage alternates. I loved their relationship in CC (though it began as rivalry, then to friendship, then you could see how Li became very protective of her, and you knew he liked her by the way he blushed, LOL!)

So in the first episode, the quest for the feathers begin. Sakura is the Princess of Clow Country, and Syaoran is the son of an archiologist, they have been childhood friends. Well, some strange ruins have been unearthed, and it calls Sakura. She then outspreads these wings of light and is being sucked into the symbol upon the wall, but Syaoran saves her in the nick of time, interuppting the strange ceremony. As they fall, her wings shatter, and her feathers become strewn across time and space. So Yukito sends them to Yuuko. 2 others also enter, Fay and Kurogane. Each has to give up something for the power to cross dimensions (Fay's tattoo, Kurogane's sword) and Syaroan's greatest treasure was his bond with Sakura, so no matter how many feathers he collects, Sakura will never remember him. But he is willing to sacrifice that to save her life, 'cause that's how much he loves her, so he vows to return every single feather.

The first world they enter is a modern world. But everyone there has like this guardian spirit called a kudon (sp?) and there are different levels, like Class 1 is highest rank, Class 4 is lowest. They do find 1 feather, but there's another feather in this world, which they conclude is attached to someone's kudon. Who's kudon is it??? Watch Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles Volume 1! Gathering Of Fates. You will be hooked.