Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle: Volume 28

by CLAMP, 276 pages

The journey is over. Only it isn't.

Fei-Wang vanquished. Stopped clocks restarted. The circle complete. And a new dream, a new journey, and an unknown, hope-fueled future embarked upon.

*sigh*

I don't even know where to start trying to explain this "concluding" volume or my reaction to it, so let's just say that I am already nostalgic for it, hoping for revealing after-story snippets (or wholesale continuations) in future CLAMP tales, but also content to envision said snippets (or wholesale continuations) for myself. The understanding and in-jokes and unbreakable ties that come to link these characters together over their shared experiences have sneakily worked their magic on me, too (reading an involving, quality story over the course of a long period of time will do that to a person). After an initial agitated once-through, I re-read this volume at a more relaxed pace in order to pay more attention to the mechanics and logic and connecting details, and realized that I'd caught it all the first time, I'd just been so caught up in it that I couldn't process it until later. This time I felt comforted, laughed to myself, and cuddled my borrowed book (I do that sometimes, cuddling good books, even if they're not mine--shhh, don't tell anybody) and tried to will my next ILLed volume of XxxHolic to come in magically quickly so I can again submerge myself in that crossover world and see how the other half of the story continues to unfold. Reading the rest of that series will put off parting with it all that much longer, although even after I (reluctantly) give the books back the story and the characters will stick with me, to be revisited again and again whenever I need them. Besides, if get desperate, I can just re-request them, no? :)

Yay.

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle: Volume 27

by CLAMP, 174 pages

Fei-Wang and Yûko both put into play long-germinating plans as the companions multiply their numbers and join forces to save all the worlds through which they've travelled and maintain the laws of space and time that Fei-Wang would subvert and destroy.

It's magic against magic and secrets against secrets in this action-filled penultimate volume of the series. At the root of everyone's tragic histories and present problems lies Fei-Wang's bottomless, fragile ego. He has heartlessly confounded physical and temporal laws purely for the satisfaction of accomplishing what he believes Clow Reed--his long-time rival and ancestor to a portion of the companions--could not: to bring the dead back to life.

Shared faces, shared genes, and variously crisscrossed and converging paths make for some reader confusion amidst a highly emotional show-down. Will it all make sense in the end? Will it bother me too much if it doesn't? :)

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle: Volume 26

by CLAMP, 190 pages

Syaoran reveals his past(s) and future(s) to his companions, trying to explain to them the sacrifices he has made and to what purpose, hoping they will understand and forgive him for possibly setting events in motion that have greatly affected their lives, as well. But they have each of them made choices that have brought them to this point and they accept equal responsibility for what has come to pass...and, smiling, promise to willingly bear equal responsibility for whatever happens next.

And, boy, does a lot happen. We finally understand how XxxHolic's Watanuki fits into the greater shared plot with Tsubasa and then time snaps back to the now of the past and it's an all-out battle between the sworn companions and the powerful magics of Fei-Wang, with scene after scene of flashing swords and roiling spells, repelled attacks and landed blows. The final bittersweet panels made me scrunch up my face in pity and satisfied melancholy and righteous triumph all at the same time. And there are still two books to go!

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle: Volume 25

by CLAMP, 183 pages

How many times, in how many dimensions, have Syaoran and Sakura crossed paths, shared lifetimes, missed chances? Everything he does, everything he has ever done, has been for her. Their souls are so intertwined with one another that it is impossible to separate them, no matter what fates may befall them, no matter what barriers may divide them. Somewhere, somewhen, they are together, even if only in spirit. The tragedies of the past play out, to be returned to over and over again in a desperate race to change the tiniest of moments. And in this one thing, Syaoran shares a motive with the great manipulator Fei-Wang--a wish. But though they both live to fulfill that one desire, it is the way they choose to chase after it, and why, and what they sacrifice in the process, that makes all the difference between them.

Timelines weave in and out as Syaoran explains himself to his friends. The scattered nuts and bolts can be hard to reverse engineer without a detailed schematic, but you believe it can all be made to fit together again, regardless, because the care has been taken to show the individual pieces lying around throughout the entire run of the series. It's only now that we see their relation to one another and begin to understand how they make a whole. And as I've said before, the emotional lives of the characters, and their bonds with one another, are so believable that at this point I'd probably swallow whatever explanation the manga-ka cared to offer me, even if it weren't so epically crafted as it is. Is it convoluted? Sure. Melodramatic? Absolutely. And I don't care one whit. Just give me the next book.

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle: Volume 24

by CLAMP, 183 pages

With a boost from Yûko, Mokona and the boys follow Sakura's trail back to the Kingdom of Clow, where Fei-Wang has cut off the world from time, forcing its denizens to repeat the same few hours over and over again. But why this world? Why this day? How does it all fit into his own wish? Even after all this time together, the companions still have their secrets, and Syaoran's may supply at least some of the answers.

Dude?! How many times have I said, "Dude?!" while reading this series?! Every time something like this happens, I wish I had the whole stack of books up to this point to go back and reread for clues. I'm not even sure what we've just learned, what with independent wishes to turn back time, souls separated from their bodies, lost and recovered memories, future visions, "images," true twins, and alternate / parallel worlds and dimensions that may or may not have their own versions of the same things (or people). It is all so very, very complicated. But the characters are so endearing, you stick with them and root for them, even if you're sometimes confused as to what exactly you're sticking with them through or what you're actually rooting for them to accomplish. And, of course, the lovely art helps. Ultimately, I just want them all to be happy, whatever that may mean for each of them.

But, seriously. Dude.

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle: Volume 23

by CLAMP, 183 pages

Syaoran battles it out in Dreams for the sake of Sakura's soul. But Fei-Wang watches from his seemingly all-seeing vantage and laughs as yet another long-simmering scheme comes to light and changes everything. And yet the one thing it does not change is the companions' resolve.

I did not see that coming! Twenty-twenty hind sight makes it all perfectly believable in the frame of the story as told so far, but the reader has been successfully distracted from the evidence until now. I think the final stage of this series is at last beginning to play out (not that it's been resting on its laurels all this time) and I am impatient (as always) to get my hands on the remaining volumes. And it's so hard to talk about it all without giving away major spoilers....

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle: Volume 22

by CLAMP, 184 pages

The weary and wounded gang travel to Kurogane's home world to recuperate, but time for rest is short as a couple of other visitors appear with their own agendas and Syaoran jumps into Dreams to retrieve Sakura's soul before it's too late.

Oh, Fai, you're calling Kurogane nicknames again! That makes me happy. Some confusing elements from the previous volume are explained and then it's back into the fray.

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle: Volume 21

by CLAMP, 184 pages

Still more drama, revelations, and plots and counter plots. Sacrifices and interventions abound as Fai recalls and faces his past and attempts to ensure the future of others by risking his own. Being true friends, of course, they'll have none of that.

Ack! I want to know what happens next. I'm not entirely clear on all the details of what just transpired or why, but I imagine the next installment will at least give me hints. This one relies a bit much on flashbacks (some of which we've seen a few times already from multiple perspectives) that sometimes awkwardly interrupt the present action, but if it clarifies the current goings on, then so be it. CLAMP sure do like to put their characters through the wringer. But maybe that's why their bonds are all so tight and I get so attached to them.

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle: Volume 20

by CLAMP, 184 pages

The repercussions of the previous volume's shocking events knock the companions for loop after loop as lies are exposed, truths revealed, and futures altered.

Oh, Fai! *hugs him to make it all better* We see more than just frightening fragments of his past this time and realize there has been yet another subtle twist in play since the first volume. Every time I read one of these lately, all I want is the next book!!

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle: Volume 19

by CLAMP, 183 pages

!!More stuff happens!! The drama continues unabated as the companions suffer yet another complicated "loss," although, just as last time, whether or not that will actually decrease their physical number has yet to be seen.

Terminator's "Fight the Future" line comes to mind here as the characters, without always consulting one another first, run from or face or attempt to alter what they believe may or may not come to pass. I hope their own strengths combined with whatever cosmic advantage Yûko's support brings them is enough to see them through. Next volume! I need it!

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle: Volume 18

by CLAMP, 184 pages

The weary companions sit tight as Yûko finally reveals some big secrets regarding the one responsible for their individual and shared plights, but she can't tell them why without breaking the rules of interference (in the workings of fate, the universe, what have you). And soon they are moving on to the next world, still gathering memory feathers, but with the new purpose of chasing after one of their own who has gone on before them, as the battle between fate and free will begins in earnest.

Everyone's emotions are stretched tight and in confusion and I just want to reach in and give them all hugs. I love the dramatic turn events have taken and can't wait to see how the personal and group dynamics change with their altered circumstances.

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle: Volume 17

by CLAMP, 182 pages

The desperate companions and their new acquaintances make a slew of interwoven, sacrifice-laden wishes with the space-time witch Yûko, each taking on him- or herself a portion of the burden to save their friends and the fragile local community.

Kurogane takes responsibility for Fai's life, but at a cost the self-loathing Fai may never learn to accept. And as Yûko asks for a volunteer to carry out the final requirement of the group bargain, Sakura steps forward, tired of idly watching everyone else fight and hurt for her sake. She must go alone. And she will not return unscathed...if she returns at all. As the volume closes, those who remain need to regroup and renew their trust in one another and themselves and then move forward, hoping to find greater healing as they go.

This series's intricate visuals, plotting, and characters have made me a fangirl, no question.

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle: Volume 16

by CLAMP, 184 pages

I won't spoil the details for anyone who may actually take the dive into the series, but the state of things at the end of this volume is far from what it was at the beginning.

So. We know Syaoran hasn't been entirely himself lately. But it seems Syaoran hasn't been entirely himself for a very long time. Knowing this, and seeing things coming undone disastrously, Fai does something desperate and foolish. We see Syaoran in the past do something selfless...and Syaoran in the present do something truly awful. And Kurogane may be about to do something just as foolish and desperate as Fai in the form of a new bargain with the space-time witch. What will she ask from him in return this time? And what of poor, confused Sakura, who wakens from her underwater dream, but only just long enough to take in the chaos around her before she's pulled back into the usual healing unconsciousness that comes with the return of a memory feather?

The villains in Tsubasa are shadowy, cold, behind-the-scenes manipulators. And they're frighteningly patient. We know very little about them or how they're connected to the protagonists or even what it is they want. Some of it is power-grabbing. Some of it is something more inscrutably sinister. But I get the feeling the writers have known from the beginning, and I love that. It means I can let go and enjoy the story for where it is right now.

I recognize a few of the players, good and bad, from other CLAMP titles, but not all of those relationships transfer to this one, so it adds depth and flavor to the mystery to have seen them before, but it doesn't really help you figure out what's going on here--which is good, as people who haven't read other CLAMP titles will not be too terribly more in the dark than the rest of us (and I've only read a few of their other titles, so I know I'm missing a lot of subtext, too). I couldn't put this volume down. I've reread it about three times. It's moving and dramatic and pretty to look at (even when horrible things are happening). I can't wait to get my hands on the next book!

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle: Volume 15

by CLAMP, 185 pages

Syaoran and company find themselves in the middle of a deadly war over fresh water in a world reminiscent of a modern-day Tokyo devastated by daily acid rain showers. When the bedraggled inhabitants they encounter finally realize they're not after their water supply, they take them in. But how will the armed-to-the-teeth locals and their strange young leader react if the companions discover that the mysterious power protecting their hosts' precious resource is one of Sakura's memory feathers--which they mean to retrieve?

Meanwhile, Kurogane asks smiling Fai some pointed personal questions, normally sweet Syaoran displays some disturbingly unlike-himself behavior, and Sakura, unconscious since the previous installment, becomes trapped in a dream that draws her soul into the liquid depths beneath what was once Tokyo's city hall.

Still pretty, enjoyably complicated, and chock-full of nunununu-ness.

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle: Volume 14

by CLAMP, 185 pages

The gang has determined that one of Sakura's lost memory feathers is in the original of the Memory Book, so they waltz right into the fortress-like central library to steal it back. However, waltzing back out again proves a little more problematic. Out of the frying pan....

In addition to a pair of giant, cool-looking fire-griffins (read: library security system--we've got to get us some of these!), this installment also treats us to some portentous observations. Everyone is watching everyone else in this volume; and whether out of concern, suspicion, or curiosity, the silent reading of subtle emotions and behaviors in which the reader also is able to participate is just one more reason to appreciate the artistry of this series. What does it all mean?! I look forward to finding out!

Tsubasa: Resevoir Chronicle: Volume 13

by CLAMP, 187 pages

Young archaeologist Syaoran loves his life and his best friend, the sweet, unconventional princess Sakura. When they are attacked at a desert excavation site, Sakura's memories are all turned to feathers and scattered across multiple dimensions. To retrieve them, Syaoran makes a deal with Yûko, the enigmatic space-time witch, who gives him the means to travel (in the form of her servant Mokona, a magical, fluffy, bunny-type creature) and companions (the easy-going Fai and the caustic Kurogane), who have their own closely-held reasons for leaving their respective worlds to join him. But in return for her help, each of the three must give up something precious to them. For Syaoran, those are Sakura's memories of himself.

In this volume, the companions find themselves in the world of Recort, a land resembling a Victorian London in which the supernatural is normal. While Mokona goes off to try to sense the presence of a memory feather, the others visit the magnificent central library where Kurogane discovers a book with no title and no text. But when he hands it to Syaoran, the boy is immediately flung into the world between the pages where he witnesses the tragic youth of a child who looks exactly like a young Kurogane....

CLAMP is a group of women manga-ka (manga creators) deservedly famous within Japan and around the world. Their genre-crossing stories are complex and nuanced, their characters original and endearing, and their instantly recognizable art a pleasure for the eyes. They also have a penchant for interweaving elements of their various titles together, so readers of their other works will here see random appearances and even major roles filled by familiar characters from, among others, Chobits, Cardcaptor Sakura, Tokyo Babylon, and XxxHolic (which is actually the home world of Yûko and a parallel crossover with Tsubasa that doesn't have to be read at the same time in order to follow the plot).

As corny as the premise for this series sounds, it's really quite powerful. The first few almost wordless panels of the first volume nearly made me cry. And although not every episode in the Tsubasa saga has been as entertaining as it could be (one in which the gang participates in a flying race has loads of boring zipping about and little character or plot development), the series as a whole (so far!) is ambitious and intriguing. This volume is especially effective as it reveals so much of Kurogane and who he was before life made him into the brusque, pragmatic, bitter (but still with a deeply-buried warm gooey center) man he is now. And I'm not just saying that because I have a little crush on him. Really.