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

[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.)