Shelf Life

Clone Wars

Of course, plenty of Card Captor Sakura fans may still have the old Pioneer tapes or the Geneon discs. But for the fans who either never finished collecting the series, or have lost the volumes over the years, or who just never got around to buying it, the NIS America set is hard to beat. All 70 episodes are packaged in a sturdy, nine-disc case, alongside a hardcover, full-color episode guide, all stuffed inside a thick cardboard box that is mercifully standard DVD height. I typically wouldn't get so excited about an episode guide, but for a nostalgia release like Card Captor Sakura, it's perfect. It allows you to pick and choose which episodes you want to watch, should you not be in a marathoning mood, and it pairs well with the discs, which are not only numbered, but are labeled to show which episodes they contain. It's the perfect mid-afternoon brain-snack, and one that will keep you entertained for quite some time.

For those who are new to the series, though, it is advisable to watch it in order from start to end. What's always been one of my favorite aspects of the series is that even though it follows a monster-of-the-week formula (in this case, a Clow Card of the week), it has an overarching story that is both emotionally fulfilling (the last episode still makes me sniffle a bit, when Sakura is recounting all of her memories with Xiaolang), and also a surprisingly normal tale of a little girl trying to make sense of her life and her feelings. Likewise, the themes of friendship that saturate the series are amongst some of anime's best, and it's hard not to appreciate every character's open honesty with those around them.

It's remarkable how entertaining the series is, when one considers how incredibly simple the premise is. One day, 10-year-old Sakura Kinomoto opens a mysterious book in her father's (enviable) library, inadvertently scattering magical "Clow Cards" into the world. They were previously guarded by the guardian beast Kerberos (who in the series largely takes on the form of a cuddly, winged stuffed toy), but escaped when he was snoozing, and now Sakura must get them back. Along with the help of her best friend Tomoyo, who also makes all of her magical girl outfits; transfer student Xiaolong; and some other major players along the way, she must use the powers of the cards to recapture the escaped cards before they wreak too much havoc on the world.

Despite its simplicity, though, the episodes are creative and fun, displaying not only imagination in the design and execution of the cards themselves, but also the way each one is captured. Even though the series is 70 episodes long, it's hard to ever get bored, especially when the over-arching storyline is just as interesting as each card capture. Cosplayers will also enjoy each end-of-the-episode moment with Kero, which points out various costume details and provides fun facts about their construction.

Of all the classic magical girl shows out there, Card Captor Sakura is one of the best, and this set absolutely does it justice. The colors are vibrant and pretty, and even the inclusion of the episode guide makes it worth double-dipping, just for the convenience of being able to hop around the episodes. If you were ever a fan of the series, this is a must-buy.[TOP]

I had a bit of a déjà vu when I first started watching the third episode of Railgun S because I could've sworn I had watched some of it before. I realized half an episode in that the story being told in this series was actually an expansion of the Sisters arc, which was touched upon in the Index anime adaptation. If you don't like that arc, then I guess you'll be bummed out with these episodes, but I was pretty stoked, considering it's one of my favorite stories in the series. Not to mention, more Mikoto.

Literally more, really. Someone is mass-producing Mikoto clones in an attempt to create a Level 6 esper, and it's up to Mikoto to stop them. What was only a small taste in Index, though, is a fully fleshed-out and carefully constructed arc in this series, covering not only Mikoto's actions as she learns about the clones and deals with them, but also the backstory of the project and the origin of the clones. It's dark and sinister, and the series absolutely does it justice. Those not content to just watch a parade of Mikotos for 12 episodes don't have much to worry about—there are plenty of other players who come in for a fight, and the resulting action scenes don't disappoint.

The same reasons why I prefer Railgun over Index are the same reasons why I really enjoyed Railgun S. I like being able to spend more time with individual characters, and because of the narrower focus of this series, it gives viewers a better chance to really know and understand Mikoto. This season, in particular, is fantastic on that front, and delves into the character with much more depth than was ever afforded in the previous two franchise installations. Not only do we learn a little more about where Mikoto comes from, but watching her face powerful adversaries (and a super creepy threat) also allows us to see more of her serious side. As far as character development goes, this is one of the best executed in the franchise so far, and it almost makes me wish that other arcs would get their own expanded retellings.

If you like series to be a little on the dark and gruesome side, then Railgun S will appeal to you. While I think it's valuable for viewers to have first seen Index for the context and some of the characters, I don't think it's absolutely critical. As for Mikoto fans, this is a must.[TOP]