I’m always impressed when I see Cardcaptor Sakura [Season 3] as my top post. It’s always there, no matter how many amazing posts I write, Sakura is always the reigning queen. It’s amazing. When I wrote that post, I got very few views, but then it suddenly exploded into the Top Posts list one week later and has remained there ever since. Every time another post snatches her crown, it’s a real feat… It doesn’t happen too often, and even if another post does get more views, the weird thing is that she’s still on the top of the Top Posts list. She’s that hesitant to lose her place. Not even the STRIPPER SONGS COUNTDOWN I prepared with .nodame was able to snatch her spot even though it gets more views than Sakura’s post on certain days.
Over the 1-year time period it’s been up, it managed to collect over 7,000 views and currently makes up around 15% of the views of HEART STATION. I’m very thankful for that, because it is an anime that I enjoy very much and have very sweet memories of. I used to watch it a lot when I was very small (Like in first and/or second grade), so re-watching everything last year was very surreal. Especially because I was watching it in Portuguese, the language I used to watch it in when I was a 1st/2nd grader. It was truly a surprise that a simple review that I wrote about the anime was able to grab so much attention. If I ever start watching another anime that I really like, be sure that there will be more reviews!
One thing that I like very much about Cardcaptor Sakura is the cheerful, feel-good quality of the soundtrack. Not only in the opening and closing theme songs, but also in the actual soundtrack of the anime. The instrumentals picked to set the mood through the show are just right and take care of their task so well. I really like the opening and closing themes for the second season, though! (Especially the closing) I didn’t like the opening before, but it grew on me:
Cardcaptor Sakura [Season 2 Opening]
Cardcaptor Sakura [Season 2 Closing]
I’m not sure, but I think these themes weren’t available for the Portuguese version of the anime, so the fact that there wasn’t a translation for the theme songs kind of helped, because translations have the tendency to slaughter original songs. Especially when it comes to TV shows.
The Portuguese version of Catch You, Catch Me is a guilty pleasure of mine, though. I don’t think it’s that bad!
Catch You, Catch Me [Original Japanese Version]
Catch You, Catch Me [Translated Portuguese Version]
I think they’re both really cute.
It’s hard for me to pick a favorite episode because the show is pretty much surrounded by many mysteries that don’t seem like they exist until they’re actually solved, and this is great, because you don’t feel lost, and yet, you’re involved with the story line. The first season is my favorite, though.
I remember when there used to be a special set of shows called Toonami in the Brazilian version of the Cartoon Network channel, and it was on right when I came home from school, so I’d turn on the television and keep watching anime from 3 to 6. The ones that I most remember are Cardcaptor Sakura and Sailor Moon, (Probably because they were the most successful) but there were more and little by little I start to remember random ones that I only watched for several episodes, like Corrector Yui, Super Pig (Even though Super Pig wasn’t from Toonami) and a few others. But Cardcaptor Sakura will always have a special place in my heart.
I used to collect several volumes of the manga (In Portuguese) when I was younger and had all the Clow Cards (Which came with a special Sakura Club magazine), but I don’t have them anymore (The manga and the cards), and in the peak of my Sakura drive, I really wanted to get them back. The first volume, though, is out of print and I’d have to auction it off. The auctions were unsuccessful so I ended up buying the first 3 American volumes of the first season. I guess that’s the equivalent for the first 6 volumes of the Portuguese version:
My 3 Volumes
I’ve read 3/4 of the first one, but put them aside because of school and everything else, but I plan on restarting my graphic novel reading and not waste my super cute American version manga.
Because this week I’m setting up a fantasy mood of memories, who else better to feature other than Lorraine, Carole and Bhavya?
Sakura & Syaoran
They’re the oddest, most hilarious group of BFFs. It’s really hard to describe them because they’re like a mixture of dreamers with an edge that each of them have in a different way. I think it’s better to break them down individually.
Lorraine: Lorraine is so sweet and bitter at the same time. It’s a good mixture, definitely, if you’re on her bright side. I’m so thankful that she stops by every once in a while to comment on my poems and posts, because it surely means a lot! We had some conflicts in the past, but she was also really careful with her words whenever she was involved, and this shows how she really cares about the people in her life! She’s like bubblegum, and you need to chew your way to the fruity interior, and once you’re there, the added flavor will make it worth it!
Comparing someone with bubblegum is so weird. But I think it’s good enough! It makes sense, doesn’t it?
She’s very respectable and knows how to have a good time. She still has a dreamer side to her, and was my anime partner when we were small! We sure have many stories to share from back then and now! And I love it! She’s truly special!
Carole: Carole is more on the cute little friendly side. She makes friends very easily and is also someone to go to when we want to have a good time, especially through conversation. She’s also very careful with her words and this quality makes friendship last so much longer! Because I’m so dramatic and unpredictable, I might end up with a conflict with her as well, but it doesn’t last long because she’s just that social and cute.
It seems like she likes to exercise her creativity because she loves to write stories and drawing. She shares a blog with Bhavya, entitled
“Even though we’re far apart, our friendship lies in our heart..”
and they both write about their experiences, Carole in Brazil and Bhavya in Singapore!
Bhavya: I think that her MSN nickname says it all: Magic Dreamer. She moved to Singapore, but still keeps in touch with us through her blog and whenever we see her online. She’s a sweet Indian girl with a big heart and a naughty side, that’s right Bhavya, we all know it, very open-minded, friendly and supportive of all her friends. She changed a lot since the last time we saw her (It has been 4 years) and we have hilarious conversations.
Just like Carole, she loves writing and drawing and they’re like partners in crime in that area. They have book-long stories together and I admire that, because it’s something I surely don’t have creativity enough to keep up with! Her sense of humor is hilarious and her exotic manners make our times together really funny.
I really appreciate all the support they gave me through these 2 years, and HEART STATION wouldn’t be the same without their kind words! Thank you!
These past months have been really nostalgic for me, and they have even brought me to watching all 3 seasons of Cardcaptor Sakura all over again for the first time since 2nd grade. I have also been inspired by the huge fan club of ex-Sailor Moon fans in my class, so yesterday I went even more back in time and decided to watch a little bit of Sailor Moon! I hate watching things from the middle to the end, so I began with Sailor Moon Classic, the first season, and one that I had never watched before because it never aired on Toonami when I watched it. Every time I watch one episode, I always want to get to Sailor Moon R and Sailor Moon S because I loved these seasons, they were the best (Sailor Moon R because it was the season I first watched when I began watching Sailor Moon in CartoonNetwork’s Toonami and Sailor Moon S because it’s my favorite season!). I used to be completely addicted to the series, and it even brought me to sing its theme song in the talent show we had in 2002, when I was in second grade. Sailor Moon was really big here in Brazil for anyone and I bet that there are certainly many girls with photographs of them dressed up as Serena (Usagi). I used to love Serena because she was so much like me, clumsy, dramatic, everything, even our blood type is the same! (O+) But still, my favorite senshi has to be Sailor Uranus for so many reasons!
First, we are basically the same. As a matter of fact, when she’s not dressed up as Sailor Uranus, she acts and dresses like a boy. Her birthdate is January 27th (It’s weird when I write this way about an anime character), just like mine, she’s an aquarius, just like me and her planet is Uranus, just like me! You can’t get any more similar to an anime character! If my blood type was B, then we’d be exactly the same! Even her supposed height is the same as mine! (1 meter 75 centimeters) She was the 7th senshi to be introduced to the show and 7 is my lucky number.
The dorama I have been writing about for some time, Last Friends, seems to have been based on Michiru’s and Haruka’s relationship from Sailor Moon. The characters have almost the same names (Ruka is Haruka, and Michiru is Michiru) and apparently, the director is a really big Sailor Moon fan. Both Ruka and Haruka drive motorcycles and both of them have a boyish appearance. No wonder I liked Last Friends!
I love everything about Sailor Uranus, she’s by far, my favorite of all the senshi and her character is just awesome! She and Michiru, (Sailor Neptune) have a really strong bond and they seem to understand each other far more than anyone else. They are really enigmatic and I love that as well! They also seem to share more than friendship towards each other.
Sailor Uranus Profile
Identities: Tenou Haruka, Sailor Uranus, Super Sailor Uranus, Amara
Blood type: B
Birthday: January 27th
Sign: Aquarius
Age: 18
Hobbies: driving, racing, running playing the piano, flirting, teasing pretty girls (like Serena)
Favorite Food: Salad
Least favorite food: Fermented Soybeans
Favorite color: Gold
Favorite class: Physical Education
Least Favorite class: Modern Japanese
As a tribute to Sailor Uranus, my anime soulmate, I made a video myself! I hope I’ve done justice to all Sailor Uranus fans! It took me 4 hours to do it and it’s five minutes long. I hope everyone enjoys it and feel free to rate it and comment! I did my best to sync the music with the clips and I hope that you’ll pick up on that! I’m really proud of the video, and I hope that you all love it as well! Enjoy!
I am yet to watch an anime series that is just as sweet (Or sweeter) as Cardcaptor Sakura, especially through the way the series ended. The 3rd season is amazingly emotional in this cute, innocent and special way. I never thought I’d ever give a chance to romantic series, but this one is special, there’s something different about it that I can’t grasp, but it’s there and anybody can notice it.
The series switches focus from Clow Reed (Powerful magician) to Sakura. We follow the story of Sakura trying to discover her own powers, and discovering the power within her, the power of her star, and that’s basically what she uses to defeat the evil forces this time. But there’s a twist. This time, the key to the book of the Clow has changed its form, and therefore, Sakura has to change the cards as well. Transforming the cards from Clow cards to Sakura cards is really exhausting, and can create lots of trouble for her in her life because she needs to rest a lot after each transformation. This season, it’s all about discovering your own powers and learning from your mistakes. Along with the warm feeling of love that only Cardcaptor Sakura can bring to us. Through this new adventure in her life, Sakura and her friends meet many new characters and a few go through transformations into completely different ones:
- Kerberos: Kero transformed into his true form after Sakura collected each one of the Clow cards and before she turned them into Sakura cards. His personality changes a little, though. He seems a lot more affectionate and kind, less selfish and angry. Kerberos looks like a tiger with angel wings.
- Yue: Yue is Yukito’s true form. Yukito is a fake identity to the protector of the Clow cards, Yue. They also have completely different personalities. Yukito is kind and friendly, while Yue can be cold, but he will do anything to protect the current owner of the cards, Sakura. Yue also looks like an angel.
- Eriol: He seems to have Clow’s presence around him. He is the causer of all the chaos that Sakura has to avoid this season. Later on, he confesses that he is the reincarnation of Clow and that he needed Sakura to turn every card into Sakura cards, or else they would become average, powerless cards, so that’s why he challenged her so many times.
- Spinarel: Just like Kero, he is a little plushie-like creature, but looks more like a cat with little wings. He is kero’s counterpart and while Kero likes playing videogames, he likes to read. He can become a really powerful panther-like creature with big, butterfly-like wings.
- Nakuru/Ruby moon: Yue’s counterpart. As a human, (Nakuru) she seems to have a crush on Touya (Sakura’s brother) and is really affectionate towards him. She’s really cute and is always friendly. As Ruby moon, she seems more serious and powerful, she takes the form of a lady with large, pink butterfly wings.
This season, there were moments where you felt the feelings of the characters and I really loved that. These were the most marking moments for me: [Spoilers]
- Heartbreak: When Shaoran told Meilin (His cousin and ex-girlfriend [Even if only she thought it])
that he loved Sakura, she walked away from their house in Japan and ran to Tomoyo’s house and cried on her lap and let it all out. It was really sad, but I loved that scene. - Sacrifice: In the last battle, (Against Eriol) Sakura had to convert two last cards that would win the battle for her, but she wasn’t strong enough. When Eriol told her that she needed to sacrifice Yue and Kerberos to convert the cards, (They would return if she had enough power and succeeded) she ran to Kerberos and hugged him and cried saying she didn’t want to take the risk.
- Distance: When Sakura listens from Tomoyo that Shaoran is leaving for Hong Kong and he never told either of them. She becomes silent and hangs up the phone. Then she tries to figure out what she really feels for him after he told her he loved her.
- The Bear Factor: Some time before Meilin left for Hong Kong, many girls were interested in making stuffed animals and giving them to whom they had a crush on. Sakura went with Tomoyo and Shaoran to the store and bought herself a kit. But she didn’t know that Shaoran had bought one as well. While she gave hers to Yukito, Shaoran saved his to give it to Sakura, but he never did, until when he was leaving Japan.
The ending of the series was really beautiful and full of emotions. It’s an ending that leaves you thinking, and yet, satisfies your craving to discover what happens between Shaoran and Sakura. Here is the complete last episode! I hope you enjoy!
![Tomoyo [Bottom], Sakura, Shaoran, Yukito, Touya, Meilin)](http://alvycunha.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/cardcaptor-sakura.jpg?w=211&h=264)
For a while now I have been downloading and watching the Portuguese version of the Cardcaptor Sakura series, and I have already gone through the first 46 episodes of the anime, this means I have watched every episode of the first 2 seasons.
- Touya: Touya is Sakura’s older brother and is always teasing her and making fun of her, but deep inside, he loves her really much and really cares for her. He can see spirits and feel supernatural things, and that’s what caused Sakura to be so scared of ghosts.
- Yukito: Sakura has a huge crush on Yukito, and so does Shaoran. Yukito is really unpredictable and is Sakura’s brother’s best friend. He is really sweet to everyone, and maybe that’s why he has such a big fan list. Later on, it’s discovered that he isn’t real, he is Yue, another guardian of the book that Sakura had opened.
- Tomoyo: Sakura has been friends with Tomoyo long before when the story begins. Tomoyo is Sakura’s #1 fan and loves to videotape anything that happens to Sakura, especially when Sakura is collecting the Clow Cards. Tomoyo is also Sakura’s cousin, and is always loyal to her and never loses her faith in Sakura. She also loves to design and make clothes for Sakura to wear during her adventures!
- Kero: The guardian of the cards. He looks like a little stuffed animal and loves to eat and play video games. He and Sakura are a great team to stop the Clow Cards! He loves to show off and believes that he can do anything and that he is the best.
- Shaoran: In the beginning, he was Sakura’s rival. Shaoran came from Hong Kong just to retrieve the Clow Cards that Sakura released. In the beginning, he was pretty much an enemy to Sakura, questioning her powers and bringing her down. But later on, they become really good friends and collect the cards as a team. Shaoran also has a hard time expressing what he feels and can seem really cold most of the time.
- Meilin: Meilin came from Hong Kong some time after Shaoran and is his cousin. She loves Shaoran and always introduces herself as his girlfriend. She also feels like Shaoran doesn’t feel for her the same thing she feel for him. She’s really loud and extreme, but always fun and egocentric, which makes her one of the most fun characters.
Cardcaptor Sakura is one of these series that can be changed around in one episode, and then you have to fit all the puzzle pieces together and think “Right! How haven’t I noticed this before?!” Which is one of the reasons for the show having such a big number of fans. The soundtrack is irresistible and all the characters are really bubbly and cute, the anime is perfect for all genders and ages.
The show can also be really mysterious at times as well, for not much is explained. Many people suspect that Touya and Yukito share more than friendship towards each other and that Shaoran’s crush on Yukito might also hint something else. It’s really fun seeing how these hints are all put together and to notice how you were completely oblivious to that when you were a kid, so, with these subtle hints of more grown-up themes (That shouldn’t be labeled as such), it makes it appropriate for all ages.
It’s too bad that the Brazilian versions of the manga are in really limited stock, and the first manga might even be over, for I would love to have the collection in Portuguese as well.
As you watch, you feel like you are watching the characters grow and you watch them experience new things and it’s really fun to see what happens to them during these situations!
All the elements that make Cardcaptor Sakura so original are meant for everyone to watch and I hope if you get the chance to check out the Anime, you do! For it’s a completely different Anime full of wonderful characters and settings and an involving story-line!
