CLAMP

PandoraHane

Vampire Ninja
Wasn't sure where to put this little bit of conversation, then I realised there doesn't seem to be an ongoing CLAMP thread, so I thought I'd make one :) I'd love to have good conversations about their work.

For instance, I came across a lovely little interview on YouTube where I heard something I found quite interesting and slightly adorable. Having just read Tokyo Babylon, I was excited when Ohkawa mentioned that she and Mokona had a little disagreement over Hokuto's death. Which basically consisted of Mokona being like 'No, please don't kill her!'

I find it interesting that Ohkawa doesn't always reveal what's going to happen to the other members of CLAMP. It's a great idea because they would draw things honestly, believing what the characters themselves believe.

I really love CLAMP :lol: This thread is basically just for any discussion about them and their work.
 
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I love their work, it has a really timeless quality to it I think - even looking back at the likes of X or Cardcaptor Sakura now, they stand out from other shows at the time through virtue of the elegance of the character designs.

I would say that I've always felt Tsubasa and xxxHolic were quite poorly served at the time in their anime versions - though, the quality looks cheap and rushed to some degree, and comparing back to the manga, it lacks a certain something.

And where do we start with Code Geass? Their character designs in that are simply divine.
 
Lutga said:
I love their work, it has a really timeless quality to it

Oh, without a doubt! Tokyo Babylon certainly felt that way to me. I'll be buying X for sure, when I have some spare money for them. The stories are just so well crafted and even though they're entirely different they all have that CLAMP feel about them.

Lutga said:
I would say that I've always felt Tsubasa and xxxHolic were quite poorly served at the time in their anime versions - though, the quality looks cheap and rushed to some degree, and comparing back to the manga, it lacks a certain something.

Yes :( I expressed my views on that in another thread. Tsubasa was my obsession for about 3 years :lol: and still one of my favourite manga of all time. A remake in the style of the OVA's would be wonderful. I feel xxxHolic fared better, but removing the Tsubasa element always meant it could never be complete.

Lutga said:
And where do we start with Code Geass? Their character designs in that are simply divine.

The artbook for that is definitely in my 'want list'. As well as the one for Kobato, which is also beautiful.
 
Most tragic CLAMP character in your opinion?

Been thinking about this and how many contenders there are. It's hard to narrow it down. For me, it's Fai from Tsubasa (though I could be bias because he's my favourite), though I struggled between him and Subaru :cry: having someone you love killed by someone else you love and then going on to kill that person you love (in a roundabout way)? Poor baby!

For Fai, it's just the sheer amount of tragic circumstances that made me pick him. A fact many people don't seem to mention is that he actually lost his whole WORLD twice over that's the ultimate in bad luck. You could really just make a timeline of tragedy that is basically his life. The loss of his twin brother was cruel enough without him being twisted into thinking it was his fault and then spending the rest of his life waiting to be able to atone from it.

Living while having a whole country convinced you bring about misfortune is enough to twist anyone and convince them they physically can't get close to anyone out of fear. Even when he was finally rescued from that awful place it was like history just had to repeat itself and yet again he had to witness everyone die. With the extra hurt of it being at the hand of someone he held dear.

I could really go on forever with Fai, and this hasn't even scratched the surface of everything that happened and what it ultimately led to in terms of his personality and outlook. He is one of CLAMP's most wonderfully complex characters, which he would really never appear to be until you get a good way through the series.

What's your guys thoughts? There's just so many options to this question and loads of discussion to be had :D
 
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For me it would have to be Euphemia, for obvious reasons.

The first time I watched Code Geass I convinced myself she wasn't really dead and that they'd bring her back in some shape or form - but I guess that would spoil the shock of it. Still, the tragedy around what happens with her lies at the heart of what makes the show so powerful, and it's heartbreaking to think what could have been if she had lived.
 
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While I totally agree with the tragedy of Euphie, CLAMP didn't write Code Geass so we can't really blame them for this :lol: Their presence in the designs may have just rubbed off on the poor characters though :p

I think that part of Code Geass hit hardest for me though :cry: the problem of the show could have possibly been solved right there if what happened hadn't come to pass.
 
I like a lot of Clamps stuff but I was put off by Tsubasa, admittedly I've not read it but something about a long running series that makes use of their greatest characters from earlier works doesn't sit well with me. Maybe it's great, maybe it's a cash in. I'd like to see some shorter works from them, more 3-6 volume length stuff.

I greatly enjoyed their Code Geass Character designs.
 
I like to think of Tsubasa as their take on a Shonen series - it's pretty 'kiddy' in places compared to the depth of some of their other works and some of the animation quality on the anime adaptation is very poor. That said, the tragedy at the heart of it between Sakura and Syaoron is well done - some of the later episodes get quite dark, too.
 
The fluff is practically vital in the story line I'd say. Build up that adorable friendship and trust to start ripping everything apart at the seams. Then when it shows what was in motion even at those times we thought everything was lovely...well I think it's fantastic.

I can easily see why people are put off though, it's not for everyone. The complexity later also doesn't sit well with people. As for using the other characters, most of them are just a sort of token cameo appearance.

Of course, Sakura and Syaoran are main characters being reused but they are a different take on them. They are older obviously but also this Syaoran is less hostile and we don't take the time for him to warm up to others since his and Sakura's relationship is established within the first few pages. It's also boosted by the addition of Fai and Kurogane (and Mokona!), giving a more rounded group dynamic.

The manga is vital if you take this series on though. That's just sadly due to the anime completely going off track. The OVA's are excellent....but they only cover 2 arcs that aren't even connected.

I'd like to add it was my first manga so I may well be seeing it through the nostalgia of that and the love that goes with it.
 
I found Tsubasa made much more sense when I sat down with all 28 volumes and read it from start to finish. I tried following the last 100 or so chapters via scans as they were coming out since the English volume releases were so behind, and it was so so confusing. The characters are definitely a different take on the originals from CCS as well so that made it fresh for me as well.
 
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