Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Volume 1 (Paperback)

by Clamp (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In the mythical land of Clow, the brilliant but romantically clueless teenager Syaoran is working on an archeological dig, while his friend Princess Sakura works up the courage to tell him she loves him. Unfortunately, just as she's about to, a mysterious symbol robs her of her memories and scatters them across countless parallel worlds. What follows next is no surprise: Syaoran vows to restore her memories and embarks on a quest, joined by a wizard, a ninja and a Pokémon-like creature. In this first volume, the motley group finds itself negotiating with an interdimensional witch and visiting the Hanshin Republic, a parallel world obsessed with Japan's perennially second-place baseball team. While Clamp (the Japanese collective of women manga creators) has pitched this workas a more sophisticated take on its source material (the Cardcaptor Sakura series), the art is stereotypical manga: lithe figures, occasionally confusing layouts and lots of cutesy chibi figures. Alas, the writing is equally confusing. Characters appear and disappear with great fanfare but little foundation, and if the dramatis personae "scorecard" in the back of the book is any indication, half of the central ragtag fellowship aren't even characters in the series. Still, Clamp taps into some story lines that are likely to pay off. Fans of Cardcaptor Sakura will enjoy this; everyone else will be left scratching their heads.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description
SAKURA AND SYAORAN RETURN!

But they’re not the people you know. Sakura is the princess of Clow—and possessor of a mysterious, misunderstood power that promises to change the world. Syaoran is her childhood friend and leader of the archaeological dig that took his father’s life. They reside in an alternate reality . . . where whatever you least expect can happen—and does. When Sakura ventures to the dig site to declare her love for Syaoran, a puzzling symbol is uncovered—which triggers a remarkable quest. Now Syaoran embarks upon a desperate journey through other worlds—all in the name of saving Sakura.

Includes special extras after the story!

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; 8th Printing edition (April 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345470575
• ISBN-13: 978-0345470577
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #130,493 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 1 in The Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle (English) Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun read..., August 1, 2005

By	Ramapajama (Odenton, MD) - See all my reviews

I had heard about Tsubasa from a friend of mine, so I decided to pick up the first two volumes. I was immediately drawn to the artwork, which is of much higher quality than some manga I've read. Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE is essentially a fun story. It isn't ground breaking or anything. But it's a nice little story about three mismatched people in search of disparate goals. If you know anything about CLAMP's other works, I think you might get some of the references others might miss (seeing as to how it is a cross-over). Even without this knowledge, it's still entertaining.

DEL REY I think has done a good job. I liked the little section on Japanese honorifics in the beginning. I also liked how they "subtitled" the sound effects, rather than blanking out the Japanese and substituting them with English. I haven't read the Japanese version, but it seems like a good translation. At least, it isn't atrocious.

In sum: if you're looking for a manga that is visually pleasing and fun to read, pick this up. Especially if you like CLAMP's other works.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!, May 30, 2004

By	The Lit Chick "a_sinning" (Alto, MI United States) - See all my reviews

I wasn't exactly excited when this manga first came out, since I'm leery of crossovers of any kind. They usually mean that the people producing the crossover have run out of ideas and are just sticking their older, better characters into the story for lack of original material. Not to mention that I've become rather tired of CLAMP lately, having not been a fan of their newer series to date! Fortunately, TSUBASA turned out to be much better than I expected, crossovers and all. The artwork is different from older CLAMP works - it's more sketchy, and somehow slightly less detailed, but in a way that really appeals to me. It looks unique and adds to the feeling of the story itself. The book moved quickly and effortlessly, and the mood is mostly serious, but sometimes there are little touches of humor to lighten the mood (and it actually makes me laugh, something most jokes in manga seem unable to do). The crossover aspect is actually quite smooth and the crossovers don't seem "just tossed in", for the most part; they don't interrupt the story's flow.

If there's one nitpick I need to make about this manga, it's all in how Del Ray handled the release. It's a gorgeous book, but the paper quality is a little rough, which means that the quality of the images isn't so great. Large areas of black ink are especially problematic (some areas are darker than others or flecked with white where the ink doesn't seem to have stuck). Also, TSUBASA will set you back $10.95 instead of the seemingly universal $9.99 most people have grown used to. But these are small complaints, and really, the manga is worth the price and worth getting despite those issues.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant and charming, October 16, 2005

By	S. F. - See all my reviews

Sakura is the princess of Clow Country, which is ruled by her older brother, King Touya. Her childhood friend Syaoran is a young archeologist. Sakura is revealed to have strange powers when she has a vision of a mysterious symbol and places she has never seen. Meanwhile, Syaoran discovers the same symbol at the ruins he is excavating. When Sakura goes to the ruins to confess her love for Syaoran, she spots the symbol and recognises it. Ghostly wings appear on her back and a mysterious force begins to pull her into the walls of the ruins. Syaoran rescues her in time, but her wings are scattered across dimensions. The High Priest of Clow Country, Yukito, immediately realizes that Sakura's "wings" were the manifestation of her soul and memories; without her wings, she will die. In order to save Sakura, Syaoran must journey to retrieve Sakura's lost memories.

Yukito sends Syaoran and the unconscious Sakura to the Witch of Dimensions, Yuuko, who is one of the main characters in XXXHolic. There he meets Kurogane, a rough-mannered ninja banished from his world by Princess Tomoyo, and Fai (or Faye) D. Flowright, a magician who fled his world to avoid King Ashura, a mysterious figure frozen in crystal. Each of them must pay with what he values most in order to gain the power to cross dimensions. For Kurogane, it is his sword Ginryuu, and for Fai, it is the tattoo on his back which allows him to use his magic. (Fai later reveals that he still possesses magic, but has taken an oath that prevents him from using it without the tattoo on his back.) Syaoran, on the other hand, must pay with his relationship with Sakura: even if he is able to retrieve all the rest of her memories, she will never remember anything about him or their relationship. (This sacrifice also pays Sakura's "toll" to Yuuko.) Only when the three agree to her terms does Yuko present them with the power to cross dimensions: a pocket-sized version of Magic Knight Rayearth's Mokona. While traversing through worlds to find Sakura's feathers, the four travellers and Mokona are forced to overcome many dangers and opponents, some of whom are figures from Syaoran's past who wish to collect Sakura's feathers for their own reasons. I found this series to be highly amusing in all it's respects, and initially approached it because I had loved Sakura and Syaoran from CCS. However, these aren't exactly the same, and there are amusing little facts that you find hard to apply to the original characters- such as how, after a night of drinking, only Syaoran gets a hangover while Sakura remains cheery in the morning. Tsubasa is a whirlwind of Clamp character references that come thick and fast from all of their books that will leave you flipping back and forth upon realizing that, say, Syaoran's kudan in the second book is actually Rayearth. Hence, I think these books would lose some of their appeal if you are new to the genre or just aren't a Clamer. Longtime fans of their work will find the constant cameos and references a delightful tribute that can border on fanservice at times. Be prepared for a slight commitment though- the books are currently at 12+ volumes in Japan, but the great thing about Clamp is that they also know when to say "the end." For those looking to spot everybody from Clamp manga past, here's the compiled list up to Volume 11 of every spottable character. You might have to look hard! Also, be aware for references in the names of places and things. Enjoy hunting for them! NOTE: Certain characters appear in multiple worlds, as each world has it's own version of a character!
Clow Country
Syaoran (Syaoran Li) (originally from Cardcaptor Sakura)
Sakura (Sakura Kinomoto) (originally from Cardcaptor Sakura)
Touya (Touya Kinomoto) (originally from Cardcaptor Sakura)
Yukito (Yukito Tsukishiro) (originally from Cardcaptor Sakura)
Fujitaka (Fujitaka Kinomoto) (originally from Cardcaptor Sakura)
The former King (Sakura and Touya's father) (Clow Reed) (originally from Cardcaptor Sakura)

Kingdom of Japan/Nihon
Princess Tomoyo (Tomoyo Daidouji) (originally from Cardcaptor Sakura)
Souma (originally from RG Veda)

Seresu Country
Chii (originally from Chobits)
King Ashura (originally from RG Veda)

Japan (Modern Day)
Yuuko (Yuuko Ichihara) (originally from XXXHOLiC)
Watanuki (Kimihiro Watanuki) (originally from XXXHOLiC)
Maru (originally from XXXHOLiC)
Moru (originally from XXXHOLiC)
Mokona=Modoki (Mokona) (originally from Magic Knight Rayearth)
The white Mokona (who travels with Syaoran and the others in Tsubasa) is named Soel while the black one (who remains with Yuuko and Watanuki in XXXHOLiC) is named Larg.

Hanshin Republic
Sorata Arisugawa (originally from X/1999)
Arashi Arisugawa(Arashi Kishuu) (originally from X/1999)
Kudan(The Rune Gods - Rayearth, Selece, and Windam) (originally from Magic Knight Rayearth)
Shougo Asagi (originally from X/1999: The Movie)
Masayoshi Saitou (originally from CLAMP School Detectives)
Masayoshi's Kudan(Sang Yung) (originally from Magic Knight Rayearth)
Primera (originally from Magic Knight Rayearth)
Miyuki (originally from Miyuki-chan in Wonderland)

Koryo Country
Chun'yan (Chun Hyang) (originally from Legend of Chun Hyang)
Girl on the Magazine Cover (Ringo Seto) (originally from Angelic Layer)
Chun Hyang's mother (Wall-Mae) (originally from Legend of Chun Hyang)
The Kiishimu (Debonair) (originally from Magic Knight Rayearth the anime)
The Amen'osa (Nokoru Imonoyama, Suoh Takamura, Akira Ijyuin) (originally from CLAMP School Detectives)
Miyuki (originally from Miyuki-chan in Wonderland)

Jade Country
Princess Emeraude (originally from Magic Knight Rayearth)
Miyuki (originally from Miyuki-chan in Wonderland)

Outo Country
Minoru's persocoms (originally from Chobits)
Blanche (originally from Angelic Layer)
Yuzuriha Nekoi (originally from X/1999)
Inuki (originally from X/1999)
Kusanagi Shiyu (originally from X/1999)
Ryuu-ou (originally from RG Veda)
Souma (originally from RG Veda)
Eri (Erii Chusounji) (originally from Duklyon: CLAMP School Defenders)
Kentarou (Kentarou Higashikunimaru) (originally from Duklyon: CLAMP School Defenders)
Takeshi (Takeshi Shukaido) (originally from Duklyon: CLAMP School Defenders)
Caldina (originally from Magic Knight Rayearth)
Oruha (originally from Clover)
Misaki Suzuhara (originally from Angelic Layer)
Ohjiro Mihara (originally from Angelic Layer)
Tamayo Kizaki (originally from Angelic Layer)
Karura-ou (originally from RG Veda)
Garuda (originally from RG Veda)
Qiang Ang (originally from Magic Knight Rayearth)
Sang Yung (originally from Magic Knight Rayearth)
Souhi (Kurogane's sword) (originally from X/1999)
Hien (Syaoran's sword) (originally from X/1999)
Utako Ohkawa (originally from Man of Many Faces)
Makoto Ohkawa (originally from Man of Many Faces)
Hinata Asahi (originally from Suki)
Shirou Asou (originally from Suki)
Vayu (originally from RG Veda)
Varna (originally from RG Veda)
Umi Ryuuzaki's parents (originally from Magic Knight Rayearth)
Touya (Touya Kinomoto) (originally from Cardcaptor Sakura)
Yukito (Yukito Tsukishiro) (originally from Cardcaptor Sakura)
Seishiro Sakurazuka (originally from Tokyo Babylon and X/1999)
Sumomo (originally from Chobits)
Kotoko (originally from Chobits)
Miyuki (originally from Miyuki-chan in Wonderland)
Possible crossovers
Seiichirou Aoki (originally from X/1999)
Koutarou Kobayashi (originally from Angelic Layer)
Souhi and Hien (as girls) (originally from X/1999)

Edonisu Country
Chitose (Chitose Hibiya) (originally from Chobits)
Hatoko Kobayashi (originally from Angelic Layer)
Madoka Fujisaki (originally from Angelic Layer)
Miyuki (originally from Miyuki-chan in Wonderland)

Sharano Country
Karen Kasumi (originally from X/1999)
Yasha-ou (originally from RG Veda)
Gigei (originally from RG Veda)
Ashura (originally from RG Veda)
Miyuki (originally from Miyuki-chan in Wonderland)

Shurano Country
Ashura-ou (originally from RG Veda)
Yasha-ou (originally from RG Veda)
Kumara-ten (originally from RG Veda)

Piffle World
Tomoyo Daidouji (originally from Cardcaptor Sakura)
Tomoyo's bodyguards (originally from Cardcaptor Sakura)
Ryuu-ou (originally from RG Veda)
Yuzuriha Nekoi (originally from X/1999)
Nokoru Imonoyama (originally from CLAMP School Detectives)
Suoh Takamura (originally from CLAMP School Detectives)
Akira Ijyuin (originally from CLAMP School Detectives)
Shougo Asagi (originally from X/1999: The Movie)
Masayoshi Saitou (originally from Clamp Campus Detectives)
Sorata Arisugawa (originally from X/1999)
Arashi Kishuu (originally from X/1999)
Chun Hyang (originally from Legend of Chun Hyang)
Erii Chusounji (originally from Duklyon: CLAMP School Defenders)
Kentarou Higashikunimaru (originally from Duklyon: CLAMP School Defenders)
Takeshi Shukaido (originally from Duklyon: CLAMP School Defenders)
Karura-ou (originally from RG Veda)
Karen Kasumi (originally from X/1999)
Oruha (originally from Clover)
Miyuki (originally from Miyuki-chan in Wonderland)
Ohjiro Mihara (originally from Angelic Layer)
The announcer (originally from Angelic Layer)
Tamayo Kizaki (originally from Angelic Layer)
Takashi Yamazaki (originally from Cardcaptor Sakura)
Chitose Hibiya (originally from Chobits)
Ichiro "Icchan" Mihara (originally from Angelic Layer)
Tokiko Magami (originally from X/1999)
Primera (originally from Magic Knight Rayearth)

Rekoruto Country
Miyuki (originally from Miyuki-chan in Wonderland)
Yuzuriha Nekoi (originally from X/1999)