CLAMP - Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, ch. 183-187

[oyceter]

I am so confused! Again! I did not even realize that there was yet another Sakura until I read Mely and Rilina's posts!

Mostly I am concerned for Yuuko! Aiiieee! She was hurt! And apparently rendered ineffectual?

And Fai hit Kurogane! I can hear all the slashers squeeing.

But mostly I am freaked out by the melting people, as it recalls a truly surreal and horrifying GI Joe episode from my youth, in which someone's family was taken over by papier-mache clone-people who also melted like that.

Someone explain what's going on with the different Syaorans and Sakuras?

Please no spoilers for xxxHolic unless it's under <span style="color:#333;background-color:#333">spoiler code</span>.

Comments

[desdenova.livejournal.com]

Yuko: Ack! It never even occurred to me that she might be in danger! 'Cause she's Yuko! She's too awesome to die! Right...?

Fai/Kurogane: I myself really liked the part where Fai's all, "Yes, I learned the error or my ways. Don't go adopting my bad habits." (Although...hitting people? Maybe Fai is the one adopting Kuro-tan's bad habits?)

Melting people: I don't think I ever say that GI Joe episode, but it was still disturbing to me! In fact, even though I read it weeks ago, I'm still disturbed!

Multiple Syaorans and Sakuras:

If I've counted right, there are (in Tsubasa & xxxHolic) three known versions of Sakura, and 2-3 versions of Syaoran (depending on how you count.

Syaoran: There's Original!Syaoran, who was in the tank for a long, long time. There's UnSyaoran, the soulless drone created by Fei Wang, and who ATE FAI'S EYE. And there is Clow!Syaoran (for want of a better term), who was the result of Original!Syaoran putting half his soul into UnSyaoran's body. That's three personalities with two bodies. (I can't believe I am even trying to think this through rationally! Oh, manga.)

Sakura: There's Clow!Sakura, who appeared in the first chapter, then got switched out with Clone!Sakura by Fei Wang (and whose body was destroyed). Clone!Sakura is the one who went on the quest, and who paid the price of her memories of Syaoran to Yuko. Her soul was split from her body at the end of the Gothic Bondage Battle Chess arc, and was (I think?) destroyed by UnSyaoran during the fight in the dreamworld with Real!Syaoran. Now, we also apparently have an Original!Sakura to go with Original!Syaoran. We don't know anything about her except that Original!Syaoran knew her before he went in the tube.

Do I have all that right???

Personally, I think that the Syaoran & Sakura from the very beginning of the manga, in the glass tube, are Original!Syaoran and Original!Sakura. I am very interested to find out what the connection between Original!Sakura and Clow!Sakura is. I suspect it's not just a matter of alternate-universe versions.

As to what is *really* going on, I have no idea, except that Clow Reed is definitely behind a large part of it. A lot of the things Yuko has said over the course of both Tsubasa & xxxHolic make me think that a lot of what's happening is due to an elaborate plan set in motion by Clow & Yuko--possibly to counter Fei Wang's own long game.

Speaking of Clow Reed, is Tsubasa!Clow the same Clow Reed as in Card Captor Sakura, or is he an alternate-universe version?

I agree it's all very confusing.

Sorry for babbling on so long in your comments; I got carried away...

[oyceter]

I am hoping so! But I am still so scared for the characters!

OMG melting people are so freaky! Well, suddenly melting people. Melting diseases still make me burst into hysterical laughter.

Whoa! So many Syaorans and Sakuras! I guess Clow!Syaoran is effectively dead as he was just a construct of Original!Syaoran's soul + Clone!Syaoran's body?

And OMG I totally forgot when her soul had split from her body! I want to know more about Original!Sakura! Is she Clow!Sakura? Or another Sakura all together?

OMG I must revisit the first chapter of the manga! I have no clue what is happening! It's like Clow Reed and Fei Wang Reed and Yuuko are playing an insane, Death-Note-like game, only neither of them is explaining in endless exposition like Light and L!

I think Tsubasa!Clow is an alterna-version, but quite honestly, who can tell!

Sorry for babbling on so long in your comments; I got carried away...

Babbling about CLAMP is always acceptable! ;)

[desdenova.livejournal.com]

Clow!Syaoran: Yes, I think he is gone for good. But who knows, with this manga?

Original!Sakura: I think you will get your wish soon! Fortunately it's a weekly manga, so there's no waiting for a month between chapters.

Death-Note: Hah! I would totally read the Death-Note version of Tsubasa, consisting of Yuko, Fei Wang, and Clow sitting around explaining their stragems, interspersed with brief bits of action.

[oyceter]

I am trying to see if I should read chapters as they come out or wait and let them pile up again! Especially as I'm very bad at remember what happens from week to week.

Death Note Yuuko: I know that Clow knows that Fei Wang Reed knows that I know that....

[desdenova.livejournal.com]

You have better self-restraint than me! I definitely prefer reading in big chunks. And not on a screen. But the lure of What Happens Next is too great for me. (I mean, I never intended to go the scans route on these series, I just stumbled across them, and read over a year's worth of chapters in a weekend! I am hopeless.)

[oyceter]

I just stumbled across them, and read over a year's worth of chapters in a weekend!

Hee!! I think that describes how I read 20+ volumes of Please Save My Earth!

[rilina.livejournal.com]

I officially have no idea what is going on with Syaoran and Sakura.

[oyceter]

I want the official translations rightnow! Maybe they will decipher the many Syaorans and Sakuras a little better...