DGFischer

It took me two viewings of CCS 2: The Sealed Card.  The first attempt was when I was just entering the final arc in the series, where Sakura began transforming Clow Cards into Sakura versions.  At this point, I was not ready to understand perfectly what was happening and decided to wait until I was nearly halfway through this closing portion of CCS.  It appears that I would have been better served if I had waited until viewing all seventy some episodes.  But, by the mid-fifties of episodes, I found myself a little more comfortable with the plot flow to deduce approximately how things would work out.  The presence of Eriol and his crew appearing to see to Clow Reed’s interests.  Tomoyo sensing that there was something developing between Sakura and Syaoran Li.  The transformation of the Clow Cards and the new magical techniques Sakura must learn to control their powers.

The Sealed Card adds one new aspect to the drama, an unknown card of conflicting powers had been discovered, and its destructive powers are driven by a malignant goal to gather up all the Sakura Cards.  A lonely card needing the companionship of the 52 others.  A motivation that one could sympathize with, but at the costs of the destruction of property and people.

The elements which drove the series are all there.  Tomoyo’s insistence on dressing up Sakura as the Cardcaptor struggles to regain control of the cards which she had laboriously gathers in the first forty-five episodes.  Sakura and Syaoran slowly gaining respect and confidence in each other’s abilities.  Syaoran hesitant to admit that he is having feelings for Sakura and embarrassing himself in any chance encounters with her.  Even Meiling Li returns from Hong Kong with her cousin Syaoran and discloses to Sakura that she has renounce her ‘engagement’ to her cousin if Syaoran found a girl to whom he would be attracted (hint! hint! wink! wink!).  The comedy of this movie involves Tomoyo and Meiling giving Sakura every chance to confess her love to Syaoran; these meetings are strained and uncomfortable but are crucial elements towards the story’s resolution.

Again, as in the first movie, the power of Sakura’s opponent is daunting.  Sakura cannot help but losing all the Sakura Cards to the mysterious entity of the sealed card.  It only comes at the moment Sakura encounters this card and notes that the card’s zeal to have all the Clow Cards in her control is not only selfish but devastating.  But a minor paradigm shift.  If the sealed card cannot gain the ‘friendship’ of the fifty-two Sakura Cards, why not join them as the fifty-third Sakura Card?  The threat of losing Syaoran Li’s friendship is an intimidating obstacle, but Sakura risks that to save her friends, family, and the city itself.

The animation is flat, but vividly drawn and contrasted.  One feels the smoothness of the characters’ motions, even down to the flitting shadows of tree branches as they move into the shade.  Stronger, more disciplined animation techniques were employed in this year 2000 piece, and one would have to imagine what Madhouse would have done if they had the CGI skills back then.  The results are staggeringly excellent.

CCS 2: The Sealed Card is a great transition to the expansion of the CCS project beyond the original concept of seventy + episodes and feature movies.