Whilst I grew up consuming mahou shoujo content, I never read or watched Cardcaptor Sakura (CcS), so I was approaching this read with only a teaspoonful of the nostalgia I’m sure the series harbors for many, and I wondered if it would fall flat for me as a result. I was also a little concerned that Sakura being in elementary school, rather than a teenager, could make for a story that wouldn’t engage me. I couldn’t have been more thoroughly wrong.

CcS boasts a cute, lively art style with intricate costumes and a distinctive 90s-feel. I found the art to be incredibly charming, and that charm certainly extended to the cast of colourful and compelling characters. Besides for Sakura herself, I finished this read with a great fondness for several of the supporting cast, and although I’m writing this review a few months after finishing the first volume of the omnibus, they’ve remained in my mind with surprising vividity.

I was also very pleasantly surprised to see the inclusion of queer characters amongst the main cast! From Touya and Yukito’s dynamic, to Tomoyo’s crush on Sakura, to Syaoran Li’s attraction to Yukito (although I believe that there’s a supernatural “explanation,” for this later down the line, it’s still interesting that CLAMP chooses to portray this as a romantic infatuation.) Whilst by modern standards, it’s far from perfect, I was still able to genuinely enjoy the queer rep, and I’m a little sorry it wasn’t one of the manga I managed to pick up as a kid- although who knows how censored it might’ve been.

The characters and their relationships were certainly the major draw for me- whilst the plot felt like pretty typical magical girl fare, I’m conscious CcS was a genre-defining piece, sending waves through the whole shoujo landscape. The magic-system is unique and well utilitsed, and all the magic accompanied with gorgeous visuals. The introduction of Syaroan Li as Sakura’s rival helps to up the tension as Sakura struggles to hunt down all the Clow cards. Rather than a mere cipher, Sakura feels like a fully realised character, with her grief over her mother complicating her mission to capture the cards. Sakura’s relationships with her friends and family are themselves the core of the story,in fact, and are written to great effect.

One trope that was definitely of its time, and unfortunately has not aged well at all, is a heavily implied teacher/student relationship playing out in the background of the story. This subplot is particularly objectionable taking into account that the student is one of Sakura’s classmates, and that Sakura is all of nine years old. This relationship certainly isn’t treated as predatory, and I was extremely uncomfortable to see it romanticised. Sakura’s parents also began a relationship when he was her teacher, and although some of the characters object, the narrative very much takes their side.

Despite that, CcS has certainly captured my heart, and I most certainly intend to continue with the series as soon as I have time. If you’re a returning fan wondering if it’s as good as you remember, I’d bet that you’re not viewing it through rose-tinted glasses, and if you enjoy mahou shoujo but just haven’t got round to CcS- it’s worth the hype.