Search - Cardcaptor Sakura - Sakura Book Set (Vol. 10-18) on DVD

Refreshing, exciting, very Japanese!

Adam Rugo | St. Louis, MO, USA | 11/09/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My daughter and I have been intrigued by other Japanese anime, especially how these programs give insight into Asian culture. Pokemon is another series that, through the fantastical and adventurous stories, teaches viewers about Japanese food, festivals, spirituality, and social values. CardCaptor Sakura is even richer and more insightful about the culture than Pokemon. It's very refreshing, especially in context of American animation which is culturally empty, unless it promotes consumer culture, and presents a distorted view of what it is to be a girl/boy/white person/black person/American. The children in American cartoons are so often bratty, materialistic, aggressive, and disdainful of adults in general. I was amazed that, in the world presented in CardCaptor Sakura, Japanese children are generous of spirit, kind, polite, earnest, health conscious, and eager to do well in school (they also can be mischevious, competitive, and critical of their own and others' failings).

The series works on three levels simultaneously: the magical narrative (the Clow Cards and their capture), the cultural context (Japan and some bits about China), and universal life issues (success, love, dealing with fears, death). Be aware that the subject of death comes up quite frequently, as Sakura's mother is to have died before the series begins, so her premature death and Sakura's feelings of loss keep taking center stage. But the topic is handled with realism and positivity - Sakura misses her mom but has learned to see the situation in a way that is life affirming. There's a serious side to this program which is absent from most other children's anime. I believe that's the only reason why the age recommendation is so high (BTW, my 9 year old daughter loves the show and has no problems dealing with the more serious topics).

It also refreshing to see a female hero character who is not "extreme" or "a**-kicking" or "glamorous." Sakura is an otherwise normal kid who is struggling to learn to use magic to solve a problem she created (releasing the Clow Cards). Most of her magical battles she solves with her wits, not with brute force. The problem-solving strategies she finds are refreshing, too. And she's so good hearted, she's always protecting friends, family, pets, the environment, cultural monuments, as she saves the world (unlike the PowerPuff Girls who trash everything in sight). Sakura's problem-solving is complicated by her allies. Kero, the Guardian Beast of the Clow, has been trapped inside a tiny stuffed animal. He has some magic, but it's limited by both his form and his vanity and gluttony. Li Shaoron, the Chinese boy-magician, has powerful magic, but is hyper-critical of Sakura and unable to express warm emotions comfortably. Yukito, her brother's friend (and Sakura's love object), functions like a Kung Fu master in disguise - he's always arriving at just the right time to defuse a fight between Sakura and Li, and doing it without them even knowing it.

All in all, CardCaptor Sakura presents a world that is stable and life-affirming. The show reinforces Japanese traditions and values (as opposed to American anime, which tends to undermine many social values (non-violence, self-sacrifice, reverence for traditions and elders). One of my favorite aspects of this show is that it is in Japanese with subtitles. We watched the American version of the show and we were amazed at the difference in voices and personas. The Japanese version is so rich with culture and emotional nuance that it wins over the English-language version hands down. And it's a great way to learn how to understand spoken Japanese. I highly recommend the series to anyone interested in: magical stories, girl-hero stories, asian culture, animation."

An Excellent Anime Series

csmith400 | Jacksonville, FL | 05/21/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ignore the above review in the show
received a low rating because the dvds are in Japanese.
It is a series made in Japan. Of course the audio
would be in Japanese. This anime is delightful. The animation, color
range of the paint, special effects, voice
acting, and music are all excellent. The frame
rate is also very high for a tv show, and
the animation is quite smooth. It's miles above
what you might be expecting from television
animation. This show is something that can help us all
remember our childhoods and the process
of growing up. The story is sweet without
being too sugary, and the characters do not
burst into song for no apparent reason,
unlike a Disney cartoon. I would recommend
the show to just about anyone. If you're trying
to learn Japanese, the show could teach you a lot
of common, everyday spoken Japanese as well. I'd give it 6 stars, but 5 appears to be as many
as I can give."

Great Big Fun!!

Yabuki | Los Angeles, CA USA | 03/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just purchase the Clow Book set (Vol. 1-9) a couple of weeks ago!!!...The sound & picture quality of each DVD is great!!...plus the bonus art gallery has a lot of beautiful character sketches!!...This is an anime that I'm sure everyone will enjoy!!...Don't buy the DVDs on Ebay because most of them are cheap copy imports!!...Buy this one!!...It's reasonably price and has excellent English Subtitles!!!...I planning to buy the Sakura Book Set (Vol. 10-18) to complete my collection!!..This anime is worth every penny!!...I promise you won't regret buying it!!..Enjoy!!...Here are the titles to the Clow book (vol.1-9) and the Sakura Book (vol.10-18) :
Vol.1 ( The Clow)
1- Sakura and the Mysterious Magic Book
2- Sakura's Wonderful Friend
3- Sakura's Heart-Racing First Date
4- Sakura's Tiring Sunday
Vol. 2 ( Everlasting Memories)
5- Sakura, Panda, and a Cute Shop
6- Sakura and the Memories of Her Mother
7- Sakura's First Attempt as a Thief
8- Sakura's Rival Appears
Vol. 3 ( Friends Forever)
9- Sakura and the Mysterious Brooch
10- Sakura and the Sport's Day of Flowers
11- Sakura, Tomoyo, and the Mansion
12- Sakura Never-Ending Day
Vol. 4 ( Sakura Fight)
13- Sakura and the Elephant's Test of Strength
14- Sakura, Toya, and Cinderella
15- Sakura and Kero's Big Fight
16- Sakura and the Rainbow of Memories
Vol. 5 ( Vacation Daze)
17- Sakura's Scary Test of Courage
18- Sakura, Yukito, and the Summer Festival
19- Sakura and the Summer Holiday Homework
20- Transfer Student vs. Sakura
Vol. 6 ( Friend and Family)
21- Sakura's Long Marathon Race
22- Sakura and Her Kind Father
23- Sakura, Tomoyo, and the Wonderful Song
24- Sakura's Little Adventure
Vol. 7 ( Magical Mystery)
25- Two Sakuras
26- Sakura and the Wonderful Teacher
27- Sakura and the Shrine of Memories
28- Sakura and the Enchanted Cards
Vol. 8 ( Sweet Trouble)
29- Sakura's Sweet Cooking
30- Sakura and the Injured Card
31- Sakura and the Nameless Book
32- Sakura, Kero, and Shaoran
Vol. 9 ( Winter Wonderland)
33- Sakura's Freezing Ice Skating
34- Sakura, Yukito, and the Midday Moon
35- Sakura's Wonderful Christmas


Vol. 10 ( School Daze)
36- Sakura and the Snowy New School Term
37- Sakura and Tomoyo's Lost Voice
38- Sakura's Fun Strawberry Picking Adventure
39- Sakura's Dizzy Fever Day
Vol. 11 ( Trust)
40- Sakura and the Sakura from the Dream
41- Sakura, Shaoran, and the Sea of Sand
42- Sakura and the Blacked Out School Arts Festival
43- Sakura and Farewell to Meilin
Vol. 12 ( Final Judgement)
44- Sakura, Kero, and the Mysterious Teacher
45- Sakura and the Final Clow Card
46- Sakura and the Final Judgement
47- Sakura and the Mysterious Transfer Student
Vol. 13 (Star Cards)
48- Sakura and the Awakened Key
49- Sakura and the Dangerous Piano
50- Sakura, Shaoran, and the Invisible Thread
51- Sakura and the Big Teddy Bear
Vol. 14 ( Powers Awry)
52- Sakura Sheep Warning
53- Sakura and the Panicky Bike
54- Sakura and the Calendar of Memories
55- Sakura and Sakura from Wonderland
Vol. 15 ( Realizations)
56- Sakura, Kero, and the Sweet Meeting
57- Sakura, Shaoran, and the Elevator
58- Sakura and the Double Troube
59- Sakura, Tomoyo, and the Ball Trap
Vol. 16 ( Friends in Need)
60- Sakura and the Precious Friend
61- Sakura, the Card, and the Presents
62- Sakura and the Strange Written Fortune
63- Sakura, the Pool, and the Huge Wave
Vol. 17 ( Confessions)
64- Sakura and the Snowy Ski Class
65- Sakura, Yukito, and the Vanishing Power
66- The Person Sakura Likes the Most
67- Sakura, Shaoran, and the Tsukimine Shrine
Vol. 18 ( Revelations)
68- Sakura, the Past, and Clow Read
69- Sakura Meets Clow Reed
70- Sakura and Her True Feelings
"

A MUST HAVE for any CCS/CC fan!

Yabuki | 04/03/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cardcaptor Sakura is the original version of Cardcaptors and it's a great deal to be able to get them all at once if you plan on getting the whole collection. I love this series! It's one of my top favorite animes to watch. If you love the series and have always wanted to watch them all in their uncut forms than this is perfect."