Forum - View topicWhat are the essential Clamp works?
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bahamut623
 Posts: 1463 |
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Dark Horse's omnibus of Clover is coming out in a week or two, and I'm slightly interested in it. The only Clamp series I collect(and have ever read) is Tsubasa, which I love, especially recent volumes, and all the references to XXXholic have me wanting to read that as well.
So anyway, I've been wondering what other Clamp works are worth reading? I know they have a lot of series, so it's hard to know where to look. The rest of my Clamp experience consists of "Cardcaptors" and X the movie. I liked Cardcaptors as a kid, even though I know now that it was kinda butchered, and the X movie was not bad, but I'm sure it works better as a series. Oh, I also saw Angelic Layer, which was decent. So: What do you guys consider the essential Clamp? What series would be the first you recommend to someone like myself, who wants to explore more of their manga? |
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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There are quite a few that I have read lately. If I were to have to start someone out on a kid friendly basis for getting started on CLAMP, I would probably go through three different series. The first one would be Angelic Layer. This is probably the best series to pick if you're getting younger people into the group. It basically sets up for a lot nicer themes than you see in some of their other series. The second one would be Cardcaptors, because it's a nice and cute story. The third one I would probably try to get out there would be more of the tie-ins, which would be the series that centers around the CLAMP school universe. In which there are three series as far as I am concerned that do that.
To get someone started off in general, then I would probably refer them to older works by CLAMP, which include Tokyo Babylon, X, Magic Knight Rayearth, Chobits, Wish. These series are also in a sense drawn differently, since there are four female members of the group, each one has gotten to work on each of these series in certain ways. |
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marie-antoinette
 Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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xxxHolic is by and far my favourite of the CLAMP that I've personally read. It's an amazing story though I am worried about how much it's main plot will be connected to Tsubasa, which I don't like even half as much (it's okay and worth reading but I don't have any great feelings about it, except for love of Fai).
Chobits was my favourite until I read xxxHolic, it's a really interesting little series. I also recommend Tokyo Babylon. Of others I've read, RG Veda] is worth reading but it's very rough. It definitely shows that CLAMP was just starting out with this one. I've read the first volumes of X/1999 and really didn't like it. Apparently it gets better later but I prefer to just stick to the anime, especially since it actually has an ending. I also am very excited about the Clover omnibus, I've been wanting to read that series for ages. |
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Sheleigha
 Posts: 1675 |
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As a note about Clover.... after doing some looking around, apparently it will NOT be out until June... which makes me sad (I've been wanting to see it ever since I discovered the anime music video short that was made). Of course, the date could change...
From someone who owns just about all CLAMP titles (minus all of Tsubasa and xxxHOLiC, Kobato and X), the only two so far that were on a so-so level were Miyuki-chan and Man of Many faces. I have yet to read Duklyon and CLAMP School, but every thing else I have enjoyed thoroughly! The fun thing about CLAMP is the more titles you read, the more you have fun re watching CLAMP in Wonderland^^ |
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Mylene
 Posts: 2792 Location: Indiana |
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Magic Knight Rayearth continues to be my favorite CLAMP manga (as well as CLAMP-based anime.) I loved the art, the characters, and the shifting of light to dark in the storyline. What's nice is that while the first half of the anime and manga go hand and hand, the second halves fairly completely diverge, so you can get two very interesting tales out of the same overall concept.
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Kelly
Posts: 868 Location: New York City |
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My picks for essential CLAMP are, in reading order:
1. Cardcaptor Sakura/CCS Master of the Clow: CLAMP's signature feel good series. 2. Tokyo Babylon: CLAMP's signature feel bad series. The tragedy of teenage medium Subaru Sumeragi, one of CLAMP's most unforgettable characters. 3. X TV: Cheating a little here, but switch to the television series instead of the unfinished manga in this case. The epic story of Kamui Shirou. For fans of apocalyptic stories and Tokyo Babylon fans who want to complete Subaru's journey. 4. Tsubasa: An epic that started out almost as an okay shounen tournament series with a few good laughs but has become a searing drama. 5. xxxHOLiC: Might be my favorite depending on how CLAMP wraps it up. The story of Kimihiro Watanuki, a kindhearted clairvoyant teenager. Ties in to Tsubasa, especially in later volumes, but with a supernatural slant rather than fantasy, and a much more stylized artistic style. |
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Not a Jellyfish
 Posts: 539 Location: Boston, MA |
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CLAMP are one of my all time favorite manga creators. Clover is absolutely something to check out. It is one of my favorite manga. I still have the original TokyoPop release and I'm very upset the DH omnibus has been pushed back. But be warned it is very different from any of their other works and unlike almost anything available in the states.
See that you have already read Tsubasa, I'd suggest you move to the origins of Tsubasa with Cardcaptor Sakura. Then read Chobits and X. I feel those are the true essentials of the CLAMP world. If you enjoy X, then Tokyo Babylon is also a must to get the back story. But I feel it holds more meaning if you read it after you read X. You'll see a lot of faces that you'll be familiar with from Tsubasa. Magic Knight Rayearth is also a classic shojo staple and will help out in Tsubasa-land. As far as X goes, the movie is not a good representation of the manga. Nor do I feel the show really does it justice either. It is enjoyable, but the artwork and tone of the original just doesn't carry over. Yes, it is incomplete. But still worth every damn volume. Use the show and movie to fill in the gaps and choose your ending. I may be a little biased though, as X is my favorite manga of all time. Once you get that far, you'll probably be just as addicted to CLAMP as the rest of us and be reading all of their other wonderful titles. But that's where I suggest you start. |
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Paploo
Posts: 1875 |
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In all honesty, everything. Really, it's all pretty good stuff, and even if the genre or market it's aimed at isn't for you normally, if you like CLAMP, you'll probably like it.
Everything of theirs has been translated. There's some novels which they've illustrated that are even worth it for the art [Del Rey has licensed the edition of Legend of the Dragon Kings they illustrated, which had an anime from CPM made before they'd worked on the books]. I'd recommened also tracking down Suki, Legend of Chun Hyang, Watashi no Sukina Hito, CLAMP School titles, etc. basically all of it. It also makes Tsubasa all the more fun since so many of their titles cross over [though the titles illustrated by Mick Nekoi tend not to pop up in Tsubasa, though Legal Drug has a reference to xxxHolic when they steal a vase, and Legal Drug and Suki crossover as well] |
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marie-antoinette
Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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If Tokyo Babylon appeals to you, then I would suggest reading it the other way, since TB was written before X. And I think you get more out of X if you know TB than if it happens the other way around, since that way you get the story in chronological order. |
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bahamut623
Posts: 1463 |
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I've always been interested in X, but the lack of an ending kind of scares me away. I guess I could test the waters with Tokyo Babylon? I remember seeing a bit of the anime when I was younger. All I remember was someone having the power of post-cognition, which seemed so cool to me, and this girl (or boy?) who would draw seals on the ground with lipstick.
Also, according to wikipedia, Clamp says that Clover is also unfinished. The response to this thread has been somewhat varied. I sort of expected maybe one or two titles to stand out over all the others, but I guess it's all good stuff 
For now I might be leaning towards either xxxHolic or something more action/adventure like TB or X. Would I be right in thinking X is like a darker Tsubasa? I have a long enough list of stuff I want to read as it is, so who knows, maybe by the time I get to it, X will have an ending. 
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marie-antoinette
Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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That is true, but apparently Clover is made up of stand-alone stories and so can be read and enjoyed without leaving you hanging. |
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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I think that if you read Tokyo Babylon, then you'll want to read X as well. The lack of an ending for X will always be an issue until CLAMP actually gets it together to actually go back and finish the series, but I enjoyed it nonetheless up to volume 18. |
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