Clamp (Manga Artist Group)

Clamp is a manga house that have managed to created a universe of novels and an array of series that flow superbly well, are extremely addictive, and leave audiences always wanting more. In the anime adaptations of their mangas, one appreciates the quality of their artwork even more. Added to this, Clamp features an all-female artist group, which originally formed in the 1980s and their level of fandom is quite ‘fanatik’. 

Before becoming one of the most powerful manga houses in Japan, they had to rent  a two bedroom flat in Tokyo where the only privacy they had was under a desk. They claim that their inspiration comes from their dreams, and this week we discuss two of their manga-to-anime crossovers, xxxHolic and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle.

The ladies of Clamp Manga Studio

xxxHolic

Production I.G

xxxholic is a supernatural drama with slice-of-life elements that draws from various superstitious tales and folklore, specifically Japanese lore. It is a horror that does not feature the generic vampires and werewolves, but is rich and vibrant with a mythology of strange creatures. Take the Pipe Fox for example, a legendary mythic fox that lives in inanimate objects like pipes. The more one watches xxxholic, the more one wants to further explore it. The anime was created by Clamp because they wanted a series that could link to one of their other works, called Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle.

Kimihiro Watanuki is a high school student imbued with the ability to see supernatural apparitions, but he struggles to cope with it. He stumbles upon a house where the witch Yuuko Ichihara lives. Ichihara grants wishes, but at a price. When Watanuki asks her to remove his ability to see the supernatural, she agrees but only if he pays back the cost of the wish by working for her, taking on the role of a part-time cook, housekeeper and barman - since Ichihara loves her sake. 

He is thrown into an awesome adventure, as each day is far from normal in this house, with him tasked with errands of a supernatural nature. This is ironic in the sense that in order to remove his ability, he has become more and more wrapped up in the unseen world of ghosts, spirits and demons. Watanuki is also not alone in most of his quests, with his love interest, Himawari Kunogi, and another classmate he despises, Shizuka Domeki, join him on these adventures as per Ichibara's request.

The animation style is quite different, with characters drawn with long limbs and for some it might be a challenge to get used to. But the great story telling makes one look past that interesting quirk and give the animation a sense of uniqueness. 

The enigmatic intro 19sai is performed by the band Suga Shikao  while Fonogenico’s Reason is the outro. The soundtrack within the anime are well balanced and sometimes ominous adding to some of the anime’s ‘spookiness’.

What Allen Thinks: This anime is a gem to watch. The animation is unique and it is one of those series that provides pause for thought, since there is a hint of truth in each episode. It is funny-serious and seriously funny and worth watching a second, third or million times again.

Also watch: If you like xxxHolic and like the Japanese mythology theme of it, then also watch Princess Mononoke and Folktales from Japan

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle

Bee Train

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle is classified as a romance fantasy with fringe-science elements, like travelling between dimensions. Each world presented is rich and vibrant, such as one where a giant glowing fish protects an elephant-sized city in a lake, through to a one where everybody has superpowers.

The anime mainly revolves around two very close friends on the brink of becoming lovers, Syaoran (a young archaeologist) and Sakura (Princess of the Kingdom of Clow). 

Syaoran is investigating a ruin when Sakura decides to visit him, marking the jump-off point for this anime series. This leads to a supernatural event, where her spirit takes the form of a pair of ghost-like feathered wings, which then disintegrate. As she becomes catatonic after this incident, Syaoran calls upon the Dimensional Witch, Ichihara (the same one from xxxHolic) for help to save the princess. She tells him that he needs to find the feathers, which are now strewn all around alternate realities. 

At the same time she sends two other characters, with Syaoran and Sakura on this quest. The first one is Kurogane, a ninja from an alternate Japan, who was banished from his world by a princess who wants him to learn that true strength does not come from the sword. A magician named Fai D. Flowright is also along for the ride, along with a creature named Mokona Modoki, whose ability enables it to travel to other worlds.

Like xxxHolic this anime was created to link to other  Clamp worlds. Viewers of Angelic Layer, Chobits and Cardcaptor Sakura may recognise some characters and elements in xxxHolic and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle.

Expect the same animation style as xxxHolic, while the opening song is BLAZE by Kontani Kinya and the outro is Loop by Maaya Sakamoto. The soundtrack certainly adds to the romantic atmosphere of the anime and compliments it well.

What Allen Thinks: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle is simply awesome. Filled, with romance, action and loads of different realities, the anime never bores as you’re kept wondering what world they would visit next. A must see for every romantic at heart, and yes this is watchable for men too, don’t think it is a girly anime!

Also watch: If you like Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle then you may also want to watch Chrono Crusade and The Vision of Escaflowne Other Clamp titles you might enjoy are X and Magic Knight Rayearth.

About our contributor: Allen Simpson is a blogger and a published poet who has a deep passion for anime. He is also co-owner of AnimeFanatika, a reliable source of information on Anime providing fans with the latest news, reviews and goings on in the industry. Visit their website and become a Fanatik today. Sugoi!