#ohkawa

When will Clear Card end? 

Personally, I think that even though Ohkawa has announced that it is gearing up towards the end, I do not think this will happen quickly. I believe what she means by this is that it is entering the final arc of the story. In terms of pacing, I doubt that we’ll even see the end of the story this year as the entire story would have to be resolved in basically 8-9 chapters with the occasional breaks CLAMP takes. 8-9 chapters I don’t think is suitable to end the series, especially considering how short these chapters usually are. We also have SO many questions that need answering, and at least one flashback that is in my mind guaranteed for Kaito, so I’m thinking it’s more likely going to end in 2023. 

Are we ever going to get a Season Two for the Anime? 

Unfortunately, there has still been absolutely no news on this. However, based on how well the Clear Card anime was received (I gauge this based on the sheer amount of merchandise and games they are still pumping out as a result), I can’t imagine why Clear Card would not get a season 2. I feel like financially, it was a success, so it seems foolish to not make another season when the odds of making money seem so much like a sure thing. The way season 1 ended was a bit abrupt and without any answers, and even as vague as CLAMP can be with some endings, it seems too odd to end it there. Personally, I think there are and have been intentions of making a season 2, but that they had to wait until more manga material came out before they could even have the possibility of starting it. I think this is a smart move as I have seen countless anime die due to the pacing moving faster than the manga and having to rely solely on fillers to keep going (or god forbid air on a channel that can’t support the themes of the plot and the animation studio decides to just change the most important plot points to make it work *cough* Tsubasa *cough*) . The reason the fillers worked so well in the original anime of Cardcaptor Sakura was because Ohkawa was right there to help them write the scripts, so everything was still canon. However, I doubt she has all the time to spend doing that right now with a manga still ongoing and other projects too probably in the works (not to mention the ladies of CLAMP are getting older and can’t be expected to do as much as they did 20 years ago). 

My hope is that with the confirmation that we’re nearing the end of the story that they’ll finally give us some news about a second season. I feel like there really isn’t any better time than this year, and they should strike while the iron is still hot. I know some friends of mine and myself tend to look for big news around April 1st of every year as this is CLAMP’s anniversary (and Sakura’s birthday!), and it’s not uncommon for them to give us big news on this day. I certainly haven’t lost hope as I have now seen proof of other series getting another season several years later (like ‘The Devil is a Part Timer’), and Cardcaptor Sakura itself is an example of a series getting more content twenty years later. That speaks volumes as to how precious this series is to so many people, including CLAMP, so I just know it’ll get what it deserves. 

What will CLAMP do after Clear Card is over? 

Back when Tsubasa Nirai Kanai was being serialized and reached its final chapter of the arc several years ago, it became apparent, at least to me, that CLAMP was gearing up for something big on their end. The way Nirai Kanai ended seemed to lack in actual answers and really implied that there was more to come (hey, sounds familiar to our situation with the Clear Card anime, now doesn’t it?). Back then, I had felt deep in my heart that CLAMP was putting Tsubasa and XXXHolic on pause for something big. It was very shortly after Nirai Kanai had it’s last chapter that they announced a new Cardcaptor Sakura project.  CLAMP I believe even confirmed themselves that they would continue Tsubasa at some point and this was not the end. So I firmly believe that once Clear Card is done, they will continue with Tsubasa and may even tie it together somehow with Clear Card (no need to panic for those of you who are freaked out by possible Tsubasa connections. I think Clear Card will remain untainted by this and keep true to its main themes). It’s also entirely possible Tsubasa and XXXHolic were placed on pause simply due to time being a factor, but considering how far in advance I’ve seen them plan some things out, I’m a bit more inclined to think that this was decided ahead of time (with Clear Card in particular, I had theorized that it was being planned since at least 2009). 

We also can’t forget that CLAMP is likely still working on finding a new animation studio for the Tokyo Babylon project after the plagiarism scandal with the first studio. I know this is a project they told fans they intend on still going forward with, so this is probably going to be another focus of theirs in the future, and I’m personally very much looking forward to it! I’m happy that it’s so important to them for it to be done right, though I’m bummed that we didn’t get it last year as expected due to absolutely atrocious choices by GoHands (good on CLAMP and King Records for backing out of that one! It was the right choice 100%, and I believe there was even mention of CLAMP themselves being involved in that conversation). 

What will WE do after Clear Card is over? 

Well, I know there are plenty of people who have really struggled to keep following the story and will be grateful when it is over. As for me, it will be very sad. Of course every story has to come to an end at some point, but I love the characters and story so much that I often find myself never wanting it to end. So whether it is a relief for you, a sad parting, or a bittersweet moment filled with feelings from both sides, everything will surely be all right. Be grateful that we were so fortunate to have this extra time with Sakura, Syaoran, and all the other amazing characters, including brand new ones! Be grateful for getting to share this moment with other people who grew up with CCS just like you (I personally have made so many new friends that I might have not met otherwise). Be grateful that so many are being exposed to Cardcaptor Sakura for the first time, some old fans getting to enjoy this alongside their children. Be grateful to love a series so beloved we got more content two decades after the creators said it was done and they didn’t plan on making more. Be grateful that when they made a Clear Card anime, they managed to get nearly every single original voice actor, director, music composer, singer, and more to come back 20 years later to reprise their roles. Everyone’s love for Cardcaptor Sakura is what made Clear Card a reality. So really, when it comes down to it, the magic was in us all along. What we have here is so incredibly special, and I’m going to enjoy every moment of it.