i was wondering, what is yaoi doujinshi???

thanks again for the reply,
animefan

I’ll say Mokona is my favorite, but in reality I’m equally fond of all the characters. I like all the books the same, I couldn’t pick one volume over another.

The series is currently still on going. Volume 25 came out in Japan at the end of 2008 and I suspect that volume 26 is due out soon.

Cardcaptor Sakura was a great series too. I hope your enjoying Tsubasa as much. Thanks for the comments.

hope you reply,

I am certain that Fai’s affection for Kurogane helped me along in learning to like him. And yes, I feel the same way about his depth of commitment. It may be that he cares for the others more than anyone.

I was initally drawn to Fai too. He’s the life of the party. When he and Sakura get drunk it’s so cute and charming it’s almost sacchrine. But in the last three volumes my affections have gone from admiration and infatuation to concern and sympathy. I care deeply for him and want everything to turn ok in the end.

Kurogane didn’t do much for me at the beginning. But in the last three volumes I’ve come to really respect him. He has this quiet depth of emotional commitment that astounds and impresses me tremendously.

It’s amazing to see how the group changed in the last few volumes. The group and the manga were much more light hearted when Fai was the de facto leader. Kurogane makes the group and manga more sober and profound. His leadership brings in connectedness between the characters at the deepest levels.

That’s what makes this such a great manga, it touches on all these aspects of human existence.

The amount of alcohol that Modoki and Yuko can consume is truly astounding. I’ve always loved Modoki and man can he knock ‘em back.

I am so right there with your comments on Mokona. Interestingly, Mokona in TRC actually made me like Mokona in xxxHolic even more. The white Mokona is much more openly affectionate and demonstrative than the black one, but I felt like I gained insight on each of them from the other, and even if the two series crossed over only by having both Mokonas, I’d be grateful I’d read both, just for that extra glimpse.

That said, my favorite character in TRC is Fai. I love that character *so* much. He’s got that particular kind of complexity that really draws me in. I like imperfect people better than perfectly virtuous ones, and I also like natural caretakers–both of these are Fai. I’ve learned to love Kurogane almost as much over time, and I couldn’t do without either one, but Fai is the heart of the story for me. I’m not saying he *is* the heart of the story (I think that’s probably Sakura)–just that he is for me. :) He is, in fact, the only TRC character I’ve ever given icon treatment. :D (Though I did once iconize the other Mokona. Hee.

Random note: CLAMP’s use of alcohol both in TRC and xxxHolic really is surprisingly charming, isn’t it? I don’t usually enjoy characters when they are drunk, but they really use it well.

I’m sure I have more to say. Hopefully this is a useful start!

Of course, since I haven’t read any of the original yet, I can’t really vouch for that.

I did like how they had their old characters make cameos. What’s most impressive about this element of the story is that it isn’t necessary to know CLAMP’s other works to understand Tsubasa. If you’re a CLAMP you get the bonus of seeing an old familiar face in a new role. It’s a gimmick that pleases the old fans, but doesn’t create a barrier preventing new readers from enjoying Tsubasa. Marvel and DC could learn a lesson from CLAMP on this.

You have more will power than I do. Once I got to around book 15, I couldn’r reach for the next book fast enough.

Kelson, I haven’t seen any of the anime yet. It looks greats and it’s on my Netflix que. I’ll be interested to see how closely it follows the book and how they end each season, given the series hasn’t ended yet.

Good review, though. I have 19 and 20 sitting on my shelf waiting to be read, and now I’m tempted to wait until volume 21 is out. :)

[...] detailed, thoughtful, and all-around awesome write-up of the first twenty volumes of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles at Comics Worth Reading. I love this series, and he writes beautifully about it. Go read! Tags: [...]

[...] manga series of the past few years. Then move on to Ed Sizemore’s comprehensive review of vols. 1-20 of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles and the Tsubasa Character Guide at Comics Worth Reading. Carlo Santos treats us to another Right Turn Only!! column at ANN, and at [...]