Cardcaptor Sakura: Cross-Generational Magic
Don't be fooled by its cute exterior and ruffled costumes.
Cardcaptor Sakura is more than that—it’s a magical adventure with a lot of heart and an amazing soundtrack. From cards to characters that turn beet red ‘cos of crushes, it’s a hell of an iconic show. Not to forget: it is also very much inclusive.
We follow wand-wielding Sakura Kinomoto through her journey in retrieving the mystical Clow Cards. Never one to go out without her rollerblades, she takes on each of the cards' challenges in order to ‘return them to their true form’—accompanied by her best friend Tomoyo, rival turned love interest Syaoran and Guardian of the Clow Cards Kero.
An obvious introduction to the Magical Girl genre, the show has an apparent cuteness. Beyond that, though, there are other reasons why it’s so timeless. It empowers not just girls, but also the queer. It shows that they aren’t weak, and erases the notion of them needing help all the time. They are as powerful, and as amazing as the male heroes that dominate anime. More importantly, it massively helped people in expressing themselves. Nothing like a mahou shoujo to save the day, and instill in its watchers that there is nothing wrong with who they are.
Like Sakura's limitless closet, love knows no boundaries in this CLAMP gem. It never shied away from breaking gender stereotypes, which helped establish itself as an LGBTQ+ icon. Evidently so, viewers found themselves rooting for Touya and Yukito's discreet yet unconcealed love for each other. Nostalgia is what made people come back, but inclusivity and representation are what gave it special significance.
The card collecting drew some people in. It was exciting, albeit having only less than 100—19 in the manga, and 53 in the anime. It was the music for the others. Tobira Wo Akete is a warm feeling in song form, while Catch Me, Catch You is just a perpetual bop. There was even some alternating between wanting to be Sakura and wanting to be friends with her and Tomoyo. And for a lot of fans, it was just a huge part of growing up.
Warm, nostalgic, and progressive, Cardcaptor Sakura's magic cuts across generations—and she does it in style.
