Having picked up Cardcaptor Sakura for the first time earlier this year, I was excited to see what CLAMP had done with Clover.

I was extremely intrigued by the baroque, retro-tech setting and loved the environments and aesthetics of these volumes. There are certainly some great ideas in Clover. Unfortunately, that’s where my appreciation ends.

I noticed some panels with odd anatomy on the very first page, a problem that continued to plague Clover throughout all four volumes, which surprised me, given CLAMP’s skills.

Whilst I am often one for vaguer plotlines in softer settings, I found there was nothing in Clover to anchor to- I didn’t connect to the characters or care about their goals. Clover also features a song, sung by the protagonist, the lyrics of which are repeated throughout the story, again, and again, and again… Perhaps some of their beauty was lost in translation, but nevertheless, I found myself growing irritated with the repetition quickly. I knew Clover was unfinished, and wasn’t expecting a satisfying ending, but I didn’t even leave feeling like I’d read part of a story.

In the midst of all this, there are also some characters in relationships with extremely objectionable age-gaps, a problem also present with Cardcaptor. Whilst the strengths of Cardcaptor made it something I would consider recommending despite that issue, albeit with a warning, I can’t say the same for Clover.