Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles Review (manga)

Ah, the only manga I have ever read and wanted to put down. That's VERY bad as I never like to stop a series midway through (But thank god its coming to a close). Alright, you can guess my overall feel huh? But let's get this review done.

Story: 3
Okay, CLAMP is fairly stereotypical plotwise. They do romance 97% of the time. However, they used to do super horror/ gothic crap until they found out no one likes it and buys it. So TRC starts off with a kid and his princess girlfriend. They go down to a weird temple and some guy tries to kidnap Sakura (the chick) and she loses her memories in the form of feathers. Fine. Syaron decides to chase after her in hopes of recovering her memory and getting her to love him again (they both clearly like each other). So, to do such, he must cross dimensions to find the feathers. And from a cutscene, we meet to other dudes who are crossing dimensions for their own reasons: a ninja fighter (kuro?) and Fai the mage. That is volume one. It's fairly original and okay. Someone once said "Buy the first volume and that's it. The first volume leaves it to have so many interesting possibilities and so much potential". That's paraphrased but I agree. Its an acceptable love story.

But that's not what happens. Continuing, they go to new dimensions, learn new tricks, and fight. Too bad what they learn in one dimension serves no point in the next, so they aren't changing. But its a good way to keep things original. However, it sounds just like a jumble of short stories thrown together. The story is mediocre at best and there isn't that much excitement. Then they go to New Tokyo, a post-apocalyptic Tokyo. This is where the story goes weird and bad. We find out that the real Syaron is in a tube at the main bad guy's lair and this guy currently is just a clone. Through some weird logic we find out how they share the same memory and personality. The clone goes ballistic and eats Fai's magic eye and goes berserk slashing everyone. He escapes and the real Syaron joins the party. You should be confused but I might just be good at explaining. While I love the strangely dark chapter and the intense action, its not appropriate. If you want to change from romantic manga to action thriller, do it gradually. Don't just throw that shit out at us unprepared because we feel cheated. Its a cheap trick, CLAMP. And the rest of the manga makes no sense: the Sakura they are carrying around is killed but its ok, its a clone too. Fai and Kuro meet their past and their weird ties to the main baddie and it makes shit sense and no one cares. But finally, they are going towards the main baddie's lair but the real Syaron has to explain HIS backstory with Sakura. IT MAKES NO SENSE AND IS A WASTE OF SPACE.

Finally, there is a scene were Fei Wong (the baddie) is slashed but its just some other guy and Fei Wong is right behind them and AHHHH! IT MAKES NO SENSE! Plotholes everywhere!

Characters: 4
I don't care for any of them. Fei and Kuro were kinda cool but come on, its not funny when they pretend to be daddy and mummy. Why? Because I just don't get them. If I understood them, I would think its a cute concept. But its not done right at all. And these crossovers? They are not. CLAMP just cant make new characters or personalities. They...just..can't. 4 girls can't do anything original.

Scene: 2
Most chapters and scenes suck. The current (Fei Wong's final battle I assume) and that ballistic chapter were pretty good but only the first was done well. The genre changing one was just random and crap.

Overall: 3

There is no one who would want to read this Its terrible unless you cannot think and just want to say "AWW. I luv Fai and the Ninja! <3". No offense to fan girls but your only Japanese word or only reaction better be kawaii if you want to survive this shit.

Ichigo 100% Ending Review

I'm a very neutral person, I can be unbiased when making decisions. This is what allowed me to be president of my school's debate team as a senior. What follows is my review of the manga Ichigo 100%'s ending, which I feel was terrible.

If you haven't read it, don't read this post. But what happens is that Manaka ends up with Nishino Tsukasa. Supporters of this relationship were THRILLED! But I am not. Aya should have ended up with Manaka and its fairly clear why.

Manaka's first love is Aya for her beauty and artistic ability. She loves writing stories and he loves directing movies, two VERY compatible jobs and hobbies. Accidently, Manaka asks out Tsukasa believing her be the one he was looking for (she is not). They have a very awkward relationship and it's hard to see Manaka or Tsukasa liking the other. They even break up appropriately. Near the end, they get back together but not much changes. There might be some closeness developing between the two but its minimal. They still can't kiss or do much without awkwardness.

However, some things become apparant. Without Aya's great stories, Manaka is a lousy director and would fail at being a director. Also, Aya needs a person of inspiration or her novels are bad, that character is Manaka. When they take a psychic combatibility test, Manaka and Aya are perfect for each other. This, among several things, all build up towards the end. It seems clear, that this being a harem novel, that Aya and Manaka are perfect for each other and will end up with each other.

WRONG! Manaka stays with Tsukasa, a noble idea but thereby destroying everything. Tsukasa leaves to Paris for over a year (for her own goal) and Aya and Manaka are left to fail at their goals. Sounds like a great ending no? Even astrology picked Aya for Manaka but the fool ignores that.

I did not like the ending at all: Manaka and Tsukasa were not a great couple. I love Tsukasa, she is great but you cannot say she was a perfect person with Manaka. Those who say they like the ending most likely just didn't want to see her get hurt. That's acceptable but not how a story should unfold. The proper ending for Tsukasa would have been her getting together with that handsome and kind chef who could help her acheive her OWN goal: making great cakes.

Of course, I tried to justify the ending. I remembered a character (Mizuru) saying that Manaka's weakness was his indecisiveness! So I thought that the author was being intelligent and making a theme: don't be indecisive, it destroys your and everyone's lives. It was clearly supported but I wanted to make sure, by finding out what the author was thinking.

I read her comment and in a summarized form: She felt Aya and Manaka were perfect but decided at the end that Tsukasa would be better. So she failed as an author...she lost her consistency. If she wanted Tsukasa and Manaka to be together, she should have given them more similarities and not have her be the destruction of Manaka's goal. She should have made Aya less perfect and not reinforce their coupling even a chapter before the great plot twist (Manaka picking Tsukasa). That feels like a huge cop out and only foolish Tsukasa supporters like it. They only like it because they didn't want to hurt Tsukasa, not because they were so blind as to think they were a good couple.

So that's it, the author failed at the ending. A great manga destroyed by the ending. Poor judgement makes thousands of supporters upset. For those reading Ichigo 100% now but don't want this disappointing end, there IS a fan made Aya ending. Here is a youtube link (it might not work anymore) that has it. If it doesn't work, search for it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCqNbpOgg1I

In the end, I feel even Kita (whatever her name is) would have been an acceptable person: she at least shared things in common with Manaka, like Aya shared his dream. Tsukasa shared nothing and her goal actually bad for him. What a terrible waste and end for a great manga. I won't add any more evidence (though I have plenty). Feel free to argue with me.

PS. Manaka didn't even like her, that's what I think. He never goes to see her (avoids her even) and even drops her hand when he bumps into Aya. He is relieved Aya doesn't have a boyfriend and constantly ignores Tsukasa. He FORGETS she is going to France and is distant emotionally from her. He knows there is something wrong with their relationship and even says they will start over when she comes back.

To mangaka: If it was going to be Nishino, don't make it seem so blatantly Aya then. You should have had more distant with Aya and made the relationship with Nishino better. they were awkward, he dropped her hand, he was relieved about Aya's single status. Heck, he had to restart his relationship with Nishino because it was such shit. That's how bad Nishino's relationship was developed. Develop it next time so they don't seem so bad together.