Synopsis
Sakura Kinomoto is now starting junior high along with her friends and Syaoran who made his return from Hong Kong. Following a dream containing a cloaked figure however, Sakura finds all of her cards have turned clear and powerless. Thus, begins her quest in solving the mystery of her cards alongside her guardians and protectors Cerberus and Yue, as she discovers and capture the transparent cards using a new and much stronger mystical key and incantation.
The Good
There is no other way to say it, the action scenes of the new series? Way beyond awesome, from the way she figures out how to get close to the card being to her capturing it into a clear card, everything about it just holds a high quality of cinematic action for the series. Outside of the art and animation which has appeared improved to somewhat match with other’ modern anime works, and also adds an even softer touch to the series than before.
As for the plot of the series the general mystery concept of the new series is a point of interest, seeing as with the first series, it was more action based and dependent on Sakura’s encounters with the cards. What really makes the new series such a hit for this writer as a fan however, is the clear show of development for most of the characters. It’s more of a sense of maturity from them but really, it’s nice to see the subtle hints of them having grown up a little, which is clear in not just their features but also in how they somewhat mellowed out.
Another hit that would boost up fans for the series is the clear growth of Syaoran and Sakura’s relationship. Not only is it sweet and cute but it’s just enough that it doesn’t come off as too heavy-handed or too cliche for the most part. Really, when it comes to the relationships between characters, both series present a commendable dealing in depth and subtlety while presenting a great vibe between the characters.
Basically, the series hit the right marks in terms of impression with its mystery and general character work. As a fan of the series, the new series is off to a great start.
The Bad
One thing to note is for some reason, it seems as if the parody is that it toned down a bit for the series and took more focus onto the mystery of the different characters and their possible new abilities. While not necessarily bad, the light-hearted qualities of the series is not as prominent with the new series. Perhaps it’s a personal perspective but the light-hearted points seem to come off in burst then shifts into filler work. This point is mainly towards the second episode of the series, but there is a slight improvement at least in the third episode.
For the overall issue with the three episodes, it’s the level of brightness. In some scenes it works but for the most part it can be slightly glaring in others as some scenes could have used a different set of tones or lighting at least. Maybe it’s just the shininess of the new style, but even the dark scenes looked liked there was a layer of something shiny over it. Not really a big deal in hindsight, but it’s pretty noticeable.
There may have been one or two issues within the three episodes that may have been missed, but for the most part, what has been stated are the most prominent ones.
Conclusion
For a fan of the series, there is a lot of boxes that have been checked from the new series. Whether it be the plot, the clear changes with art or the way the characters were portrayed, fan or not, you can’t help but appreciate the quality and work that is being presented by the series. Sure, there are some issues in terms of the focus of the series and the tone use of the art but for the most part, you can’t help but want to stay for the plot and see what happens next to the characters.
Rating” 8/10