Title: カードキャプター　さくら (Cardcaptor Sakura) Vol. 12
Artist/Author: CLAMP
Book Size/Pages: Small B-6, 184pp., w/furigana
Volume: 12/12
Original Serialization: Nakayoshi 4/00-8/00
Rating: 4/4

I did it! Looks to be a new record too, a whole series in just 4 days. More specifically, 11 books. I have to say though that rushing through a series probably isn't such a good idea. It's nice to see everything come together quickly, but as you probably can tell, there's nothing to write about when you read about the same characters and situations. Variety is good.

I think that this was the perfect way to finish up the series. In fact, I thought that the events in the ending made the series a little lacking. Sometimes there are stories where the build-up is great, but the ending is a let down. This is a bit of the opposite. I don't think the story deserved an ending like this. My prior suggestion about bringing Sakura's mom back is done. What I was most surprised with is how they brought out Shaoran's confession so early. I thought it was going to be on the last few pages, but it just popped out (I had been a little inured to him being interrupted before his confessions so I was shocked that he actually said it!). Everything and everybody I wanted to see the ending of was in there.

Mizuki comes back to give her thanks to Sakura. Since Eriol split his powers with Sakura's dad, he can now see the spirit of his wife. Happy end! The next day at school, Eriol announces that he's going back to England. He asks Sakura how she feels about him leaving and tells her that if someone else leaves, compare her feelings she has now about him leaving (not that sad) to that of the other person. Afterwards, Shaoran meets up with her and confesses. She's in shock of all this and tries to figure out if she really loves him or is this another type of love. She asks all her friends about what they think. Later, she finds out that he's leaving for Hong Kong. Heeding to Eriol's words, she comes to realize that she loves him too. She spends the night before he leaves making a teddy for him and catches him just in the knick of time before the bus leaves. He promises to come back.

Fast-forward to middle school where they finally reunite.

Title: カードキャプター　さくら (Cardcaptor Sakura) Vol. 11
Artist/Author: CLAMP
Book Size/Pages: Small B-6, 184pp., w/furigana
Volume: 11/12
Original Serialization: Nakayoshi 12/99-2/00
Rating: 4/4

Just one more!

What a great volume. Most, if not all the answers to why things have been happening to Sakura is answer here with some very nice artwork during the final battle sequence. Now, if the final book can tie off some issues, namely Sakura's mom, then I will be a happy manga reader.

Sakura has a dream where there are two mysterious people atop Tokyo tower, so she intends to go and find out who it is. Upon arrival, she meets Eriol with Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun, his counterparts for Yue and Kero. Eriol/Clow puts the world to sleep and tells Sakura that she has to break his spell to save everyone. After some futile tries, she realizes that she needs to use the Light/Dark cards. With some help of Yue and Kero, she is able to transform Light/Dark cards to Sakura cards and use them. After Eriol's defeat, Sakura's dad appears. Eriol tells her to apply some magic to the both of them. Eriol proceeds to tell her and the others why he's been giving her problems. He wanted to see her new powers, the power of the stars. Secondly, Eriol is the reincarnate of Clow Reed and her dad is the other. The plan was for him to split his powers into two since he didn't like having so much power as one person. However, he couldn't do that, so he needed someone with more power, namely Sakura, to do that.

Title: カードキャプター　さくら (Cardcaptor Sakura) Vol. 10
Artist/Author: CLAMP
Book Size/Pages: Small B-6, 184pp., w/furigana
Volume: 10/12
Original Serialization: Nakayoshi 8/99-11/99
Rating: 4/4

How odd, despite buying this series in a boxed set, I get the 1st pressing of this book while book 11 is at 4th printing. Not that it matters.

Much more plot advancing stories. I'm always a sucker for flashbacks, especially when it's to something very central to the characters. So i particularly enjoyed the trip back to when the two guardians had to part with their original master. With Sakura's conclusion on her love towards Yukito and Shaoran's apparent bashfulness, she should have a clue. But I guess that's a recurring theme, for both guys and girls comics.

Touya has weakened due to him lending his powers, but Yukito seems better now. Sakura finally confesses to Yukito that she loves him, but Yukito makes her realize that it's the same type of love as she to her father. Her real love will show up one day and reciprocate her feelings. Immediately after, they are attacked, and Sakura meets Eriol who makes her pass out and dream about the past when Clow Reed gave Yue and Kero their present day jobs and then sealed them up in the book. Later, Sakura confides to Shaoran about her experience with Yukito. From then on, Sakura becomes much more lively finally realizing her love. She makes Shaoran a Yukata for the festival at the shrine. At the shrine, they get attacked by a statue brought to life by Clow. Using Sakura's and Shaoran's combined powers, they defeat it.

Title: カードキャプター　さくら (Cardcaptor Sakura) Vol. 9
Artist/Author: CLAMP
Book Size/Pages: Small B-6, 188pp., w/furigana
Volume: 9/12
Original Serialization: Nakayoshi 4/99-7/99
Rating: 3/4
To Purchase

After a day haitus, I'm back, homefully finishing up the last four books tonight!

A lot of plot advancing and relationship building material in this volume. While there is still some action and physical conflict, it looks like the story is starting to finish up. Some of the events here seem to be a precursor of what's to come.

It's White Day is and Sakura gives the nervous, and seemingly love-strickened Shaoran a gift. Sakura's great-grampa forgives her father, and Yuki has times when he passes out from exhaustion. The next story has Sakura finding the Penguin playset moved and a huge hole in the ground. She flies in to explore and is buried underneath a bunch of doll-like sheep. She enhances and uses Erase, and Earthy to get out and restore the playground back to normal. It turns out that it was Eriols doing. Later on, Yue finds out that Eriol is Clow, but immediately gets his memory erased. Shaoran and Sakura have some more nervous moments when Shaoran wants to confess, but gets interrupted before he can say it to her. Finally, Touya gets to meet Yue after he informs Yukito that he's not human. Touya offers his strength to Yue/Yukito.