Review: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle 25-32 (CLAMP)

[nebroadwe]

Is it just me?

In reading reviews of the Tsubasa Chronicle anime, I keep running into people who think that the manga's Jade arc was over-long, dull, badly constructed and off-putting. Which surprises me because it was that very arc which sold me on Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle -- I had picked up the first few volumes because I'm a Cardcaptor Sakura fan; kept going because the art was pretty and Del Rey's translations were wonderfully professional; but didn't really invest in the story until Sakura woke up in that dungeon and figured out how to break herself free. Maybe I was waiting for her to take a more active role in the plot. Maybe I'm a sucker for fairy tales (I taught courses on them, after all). Maybe I appreciated the fact that the Jade story was being carried by atmosphere, investigation and dialogue rather than by action sequences (which, I admit, I sometimes have trouble following in manga, regardless of the talents of the artist. I'm just more used to reading words than pictures, I guess.). De gustibus non est disputandum, of course, but it surprises me that my gustis on this point is so far out of the apparent mainstream. (I'm almost alone in being bored by the Shara/Shura arc, too, though I've grown to appreciate it more lately; it improves a bit on rereading. Fortunately, everyone -- including me -- seems to enjoy the Oto story. Phew.)

Anyone else enjoy watching Syaoran read while riding? :-) I can't be the only one ...

Comments

[fmanalyst.livejournal.com]

I love the manga, but I haven't been too impressed by the anime, particularly the pacing. I did prefer the Jade arc to the Shura arc, probably because the latter spent less time with the grownups. I've become a KxF shipper. I also liked the European setting of the Jade arc. I do prefer Shura/Shara to Piffle, however, esp. because while we do lose K&F for awhile, in the early part of the arc we get to see Fai's mask drop a little. But yes, Oto is the best arc until the angst hits the fan in Acid Tokyo. Speaking of which, have you been following the scanlations?

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

I love the manga, but I haven't been too impressed by the anime, particularly the pacing.

Yeah, ditto. The one thing that really grabs me about the anime is the incidental music (not the insert songs): I find myself humming its themes, but not really engaging with its story. (Okay, except for the moment in episode one where Touya declares to the overwhelming army of Fei-Wang Reed's minions that they're not taking one step past his line in the sand. I love moment-of-truth moments.) It's rather like watching the first couple of Harry Potter movies -- I'm enjoying seeing a story I love come to life in another medium, but ye gods they could've done better. Mind you, the godchildren (aged 8 and 6) are enjoying it (but they don't look at the screen and say, "Good grief, it's another shot in which nothing moves except the speaking character's lips. They're not even matching eyelines. Yeesh!").

I did prefer the Jade arc to the Shura arc, probably because the latter spent less time with the grownups. I've become a KxF shipper.

I'm still primarily in the story for the sake of the kids, though I do enjoy watching Kurogane put Fai in irons with a shrewd observation and then Fai tacking his way back before the wind. I'm looking forward to the day (evidently not to be too long delayed) when Fai finds himself with no sailing room at all. Heh. That'll be a character-defining moment.

But yes, Oto is the best arc until the angst hits the fan in Acid Tokyo. Speaking of which, have you been following the scanlations?

By sheer force of will, no, because if I did I'd then feel obligated to buy the tankoubon. I have been reading ashura_sama's dialogue translations lately, though, which give me a reasonable idea of what's afoot. I'd been getting pretty bored during the Piffle arc and its immediate aftermath, despite the backstory on Kurogane, so I checked to see whether I should keep preordering the Del Rey volumes or wait until I could get them used and cheap. The Acid Tokyo arc pretty much sold me on the preorder! preorder NOW! option :-). I thought I had the loophole in Shaoran's sacrifice of his relationship with Sakura pegged, but now I'm not so sure. I'm also coming to the conclusion that I need to invest in XXXholic as well; too many hints that both stories are heading toward some kind of entwined conclusion for me to resist. Agh. Maybe I should just buy stock in Random House while I'm at it.

[fmanalyst.livejournal.com]

I've always been suspicious of earnest characters, and Syaoron is just so terribly earnest that it grates on me, and Sakura is missing too much of her CCS personality. The men are just more interesting to me.

And the trouble with Piffle is that it's basically piffle, all strawberry fluff and no substance.

As for Fai with no sailing room? That's exactly where he is now in the scanlations, no place to go at all. I may be reading the scanlations, but only because Del Rey's volumes aren't coming fast enough. I'm buying them though, as I don't like reading on the computer all that much. I prefer to do my manga reading in bed before I go to sleep.

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

I've always been suspicious of earnest characters, and Syaoron is just so terribly earnest that it grates on me, and Sakura is missing too much of her CCS personality.

Hmm. I'm actually fond of earnest characters -- I miss the combativeness of CCS-Shaoran, but I like the "What he wills to do, he'll do" aspect of Tsubasa-Shaoran. (Possibly because I lack that kind of grit myself. :-) I admit that I've been giving Sakura a pass on the grounds that a good deal of her self is missing; I'm hoping to see a bit more assertiveness from her as she recovers more of her feathers.

And the trouble with Piffle is that it's basically piffle, all strawberry fluff and no substance.

Forget Jade -- this is the arc I think goes on for what feels like forever to very little purpose. I suspect it'll translate reasonably well to the anime, however, since it's kinetic piffle. Again, the godchildren enjoy having it read aloud to them. I'm getting major points for doing Nokoru with my best attempt at a cultured English accent. :-)

As for Fai with no sailing room? That's exactly where he is now in the scanlations, no place to go at all.

So I gather. He's got one of the nastiest backstories I've yet encountered in manga (I'm reminded of Seta Soujiro in Rurouni Kenshin) and I'm honestly not sure which way the story is going to jump from this point. (I'm not sure I'd have an idea even if I could see the pictures as well as the dialogue.)

I may be reading the scanlations, but only because Del Rey's volumes aren't coming fast enough. I'm buying them though, as I don't like reading on the computer all that much. I prefer to do my manga reading in bed before I go to sleep.

Hear, hear. Can't take the computer in the bathtub, either. I twitch a bit over scanlations of mainstream material -- it's my J poking me, I suspect. I agree that Del Rey's release schedule isn't so much an exercise in delayed gratification as it is of the Chinese water torture, but at least I'm never disappointed by their work when it finally arrives in the mail. Unlike, say, Viz's translations of FMA. The scanlators almost have the advantage there ...

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

I also liked the European setting of the Jade arc.

It occurs to me, looking it over again, that I quite enjoy the representations of pseudo-eighteenth-century male dress. Men in knee-breeches and waistcoats, mmm. :-)

[fmanalyst.livejournal.com]

And the wonderful overcoats on Fai and Kurogane. (I told you like the men.)

[fmanalyst.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I also love that Syaoron is obsessed with books.

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

And expresses such enthusiasm about learning and scholarly discovery. It occurs to me that several of my favorite anime protagonists have that going for them: Tsubasa's Shaoran, Fullmetal Alchemist's Elric brothers, Princess Tutu's Fakir, Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind's Nausicaa ... anime for graduate students?

[fmanalyst.livejournal.com]

Speaking of anime for grad students -- four of mine are in the process of getting hooked on Death Note, which is another good one, given all the logic games.

[nebroadwe.livejournal.com]

I'm waiting for the R1 release of that! It sounds like great fun. Also the kind of thing I can have endless ethical discussions over with my fellow overly educated anime-watching friends.