Card Captor Sakura

TV-Series

Description

"Card Captor Sakura" centers on Sakura Kinomoto, a cheerful and energetic elementary school student who accidentally releases a set of magical cards known as the Clow Cards while cleaning her father’s study. Each card possesses unique abilities and personalities, and their release into the world causes various disturbances. Upon discovering the cards, Sakura is tasked by the guardian of the cards, Cerberus (or Kero), to retrieve and seal them before they cause harm. Equipped with a magical staff and guided by Kero, Sakura begins her journey as the Cardcaptor, balancing her newfound responsibilities with her everyday life.

As Sakura captures the Clow Cards, she encounters challenges that test her courage, creativity, and growing magical abilities. The cards often manifest in unpredictable ways, requiring Sakura to adapt and strategize. Alongside her best friend Tomoyo Daidouji, who designs her battle outfits and provides moral support, Sakura faces each card with determination. Her classmate and rival, Syaoran Li, initially views her as unworthy of the cards but gradually becomes an ally and later a romantic interest. Syaoran’s own magical lineage and connection to the Clow Cards add depth to his character and his evolving relationship with Sakura.

The narrative progresses as Sakura learns more about the origins of the Clow Cards and their creator, Clow Reed. The story delves into themes of friendship, love, and self-discovery, with Sakura’s relationships with her friends and family playing a significant role. Her brother, Touya, subtly supports her while hiding his own awareness of the supernatural, and her father, Fujitaka, provides a grounding presence. The series also explores the dynamics between Sakura and her teacher, Kaho Mizuki, who has a mysterious connection to Clow Reed.

In the latter half of the series, Sakura’s journey takes a more complex turn as she discovers her own latent magical potential and the true nature of the Clow Cards. The introduction of Yue, the stern and enigmatic second guardian of the cards, adds a layer of tension and stakes to Sakura’s mission. The final arc revolves around Sakura’s transformation of the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards, symbolizing her growth and mastery over her powers. The series concludes with Sakura successfully completing her task, solidifying her role as the new master of the cards and resolving her relationships with those around her.

"Card Captor Sakura" blends magical girl elements with slice-of-life storytelling, creating a narrative that balances action, emotion, and character development. The series is notable for its exploration of interpersonal relationships and its portrayal of a young protagonist navigating both extraordinary and ordinary challenges.

Information

Card Captor Sakura

カードキャプターさくら

Cardcaptors

Type: TV-Series

Anime Episodes: 70

Date: 04/07/1998 – 03/21/2000

Official Website:NIS America - Cardcaptor Sakura

Episodes

Staffel 1

11Sakura - Tomoyo and the Mansion

Sakura and Tomoyo visit an old mansion that Tomoyo’s mother plans to use for a film location. Inside the building,Sakura senses a Clow Card. When they try to leave through the front door, an invisible barrier blocks the exit. Tomoyo throws a pebble at the garden gate, and the pebble bounces back from thin air. Kero-chan explains from Sakura’s bag that a powerful magical wall surrounds the entire mansion. Sakura transforms into her magical outfit using the key. She draws the Sword card and slashes the barrier, but the cut seals itself immediately. Li Syaoran arrives outside and strikes the barrier with his own sword, also failing to create a lasting opening. Sakura decides against brute force and pulls out the Sleep card instead. She casts Sleep directly on the barrier’s energy source, and a small shield-shaped card materializes in the air. Sakura seals the Shield card, and the barrier dissolves completely. Tomoyo records the entire capture on her video camera. Syaoran walks away without a word, frustrated that Sakura succeeded where he could not. The Shield card now rests in Sakura’s hand, offering strong defense but requiring careful handling to avoid trapping allies.

12Sakura's Endless Day

Sakura wakes up on a Saturday morning and follows her usual routine. She meets Tomoyo at the bus stop and walks to school. In class,the teacher announces a surprise test, and the same students give identical answers. After school, Sakura helps set up a local shrine festival. She encounters the same stray cat and the same child spilling juice. On the third repetition, Sakura realizes the day is repeating exactly. Kero confirms that a Clow Card named The Time has created a time loop. The card stops the clock on the entire city, forcing everyone to relive the same day. Sakura decides to stay awake past midnight to break the cycle. She uses The Fly card to search the town and finds a clock tower with backward-moving hands. The Time card appears as a glowing clock face. Sakura casts The Sleep card to slow The Time’s power. She then seals The Time card with her sealing wand. The loop ends, and the next morning proceeds normally. Tomoyo records the capture on video. Li watches from a distance and mutters that Sakura still lacks control. Sakura feels exhausted but relieved, though she knows many Clow Cards remain unsealed.

29Sakura's Sweet Cooking

Sakura practices baking a cake at home with her father for an upcoming home economics class. The next day at school,the students divide into groups and decide which cakes to make. Sakura and Syaoran both express interest in baking a cake that Yukito might try. During the baking session, every group's cake turns out far too sweet. The teacher announces the class must redo the assignment the following week. Sakura and Syaoran sense a Clow Card's presence when the classroom empties for lunch. Kero calls Sakura and identifies the culprit as the Sweet card, which has an attraction to sweet things. The card flies around the room, turning objects such as flour, chairs, and the chalkboard into sweets. Syaoran suggests using their cake as bait, but Sakura instead grabs salt and throws it at the card. The salt temporarily immobilizes the Sweet card, and Sakura seals it. The classroom returns to normal. When the class returns, the newly baked cakes taste correct except for Meilin's, which she mixed too hard. Sakura and Tomoyo give their cake to Yukito and Toya, who praise her effort. Syaoran watches this scene from behind a chainlink fence, his fingers gripping the wire, before Meilin catches up to him and insists they go home to bake another cake with proper technique. The episode ends with the discovery that a different Clow Card has been injured.

30Sakura and the Injured Card

Sakura and Kero chase the active Dash card through the woods. Sakura injures the card with her magic,but it escapes. A schoolgirl named Rei Tachibana finds the injured card and mistakes it for a hurt cat. Rei bandages the cards leg and takes it home. The Dash card hides its true nature and stays with Rei. Rei struggles to qualify for the upcoming track meet. Without her knowledge, the Dash card transfers some of its speed power to her. Rei suddenly sets personal best times in the 100-meter dash. Sakura discovers that Dash is helping Rei and hesitates to seal it. Kero warns Sakura that waiting will let the card recover and become harder to capture. Sakura wants to postpone the capture until after Reis competition. Syaoran senses the card`s energy on the night before the track meet. He locates Dash and attacks it, forcing the card to flee into the forest. Sakura refuses to seal the card even when Syaoran corners it. Kero argues that Rei would not win with her own strength if Dash continues to help her. Sakura finally agrees and seals the Dash card. Syaoran takes possession of the captured card. On the day of the track meet, Rei runs without her supernatural boost and appears distressed. Syaoran briefly summons the Dash card on the track, visible only to Rei. The sight of the card cheers Rei, and she wins the race using her natural ability. Sakura thanks Syaoran, but he denies having helped Rei at all, leaving Sakura uncertain about his true intentions.

31Sakura and the Nameless Book

Sakura senses a Clow Card while visiting a used bookstore with Tomoyo and her friends. The crowded store prevents an immediate capture,so the group decides to return at night. Naoko purchases a book without a title, unaware that the book contains the Create Card. That evening, Sakura and Tomoyo meet Syaoran and Meiling at the location of the sensed Card. A giant cat appears and chases the group through the streets. The cat ignores aggressive responses and instead nuzzles and licks Syaoran affectionately. Kero identifies the creature as the effect of the Big Card. Sakura locates the Card's physical form near a fountain and seals it, returning the cat to its normal size. After the capture, animals with wings and spiral eyes begin appearing throughout the town. Kero recognizes the second disturbance as the work of the Create Card, which brings written content to life only at night. A massive dragon manifests and moves toward the city center. Kero advises Sakura to use the newly captured Big Card on herself. Sakura grows to match the dragon's height and engages it in combat, pulling its tail and dodging fireballs. The dragon overpowers Sakura and prepares a final attack, but the creature dissolves when Naoko stops writing to go to sleep. Sakura seals the Create Card as the book flies into her giant hand. The next morning, Naoko finds her book missing and celebrates the mysterious experience. Sakura endures her brother Toya's teasing without anger, privately imagining that she could use the Big Card to stomp on him. The episode concludes with two new Cards in Sakura's possession, but the next conflict arises when a different Card accidentally swaps Kero and Syaoran's minds.

33Episode 33

Sakura's class takes a field trip to an ice skating rink. Sakura worries about her ability to skate because she has never tried it before. The night before the trip,Sakura dreams again of Tokyo Tower and sees a woman with long hair standing on the tower. At the rink, Sakura struggles to balance on her skates. Kaho Mizuki helps Sakura learn to glide. Syaoran Li also struggles but refuses Mizuki's assistance. Meiling Li complains constantly about the cold. During lunch, the temperature inside the rink drops sharply. One by one, the students and their teacher freeze solid, encased in ice. Sakura and Syaoran remain unfrozen due to their magical powers. The Freeze card, which resembles a large fish, swims beneath the ice and attacks them. The card strikes Sakura, causing her to lose consciousness and begin freezing. Syaoran wakes her up and volunteers as bait to lure the card out of the ice. When the Freeze card jumps out to attack Syaoran, Sakura seals it with her wand. The captured card flies into Syaoran's possession. The ice melts, and everyone returns to normal with no memory of being frozen. Meiling suddenly feels overheated and removes her scarf. As the group leaves, Sakura waves thank you to Syaoran, causing him to blush and fall on the ice. The episode ends with Sakura still uncertain about the identity of the woman in her recurring dream.

34Sakura - Yukito - and the Midday Moon

The city council organizes a Sunday scavenger hunt that requires participants to solve riddles at multiple stations. Sakura asks Tomoyo to be her partner,but Tomoyo declines so she can film the event. Yukito arrives and invites Sakura to form a team, and she eagerly accepts. Touya operates the first station, where he gives teams a puzzle involving matchsticks to form a star. Yukito solves each riddle quickly, including a second puzzle that requires turning ice into water by altering a kanji character. Syaoran and Meiling struggle as a team, unable to move past the first question. At Mizuki's station, teams must remove a ball from a container without touching it, turning it over, or breaking it. Sakura solves the puzzle by filling the container with water to float the ball out. Mizuki warns Sakura to be careful because the night will bring a full moon. Sakura and Yukito proceed to the final stage: finding a hidden tile in Penguin Park after dark. Sakura looks up at the full moon and enters a trance-like state, stepping toward the edge of a cliff. Yukito dashes forward, grabs Sakura, and shields her as they fall, injuring his leg in the process. Sakura wakes up unharmed, and Yukito discovers the tile caught on a tree branch. The pair returns to the finish line last among the active teams, receiving a consolation prize of two pens. The episode ends with Sakura troubled by the recurring dream of Tokyo Tower and the full moon, leaving the source of her trance unexplained.

35Sakura's Wonderful Christmas

Sakura wakes from a recurring dream of Tokyo Tower and a mysterious woman,then falls asleep in class and realizes the woman resembles Ms. Mizuki. With Christmas approaching, Sakura remembers Yukito's birthday falls on Christmas Day and asks Meiling for gift advice. Meiling tells her any sincere present will please the recipient, so Sakura calls Yukito and invites him to an amusement park. At the park, Tomoyo and Kero secretly follow to film the outing. Sakura and Yukito meet Syaoran and Meiling, while Touya works as a waiter. Small fires break out across the park, prompting Syaoran to stop time with the Time card. Sakura puts everyone to sleep with the Sleep card, and the Firey card reveals itself as the cause. Sakura tries the Windy card, but the wind only spreads the flames. Kero explains that Firey equals Windy and Watery in power and instructs Sakura to use both elemental cards simultaneously. Syaoran objects that using two cards at once is impossible, but Sakura combines Windy and Watery, weakens Firey, and seals it. Capturing Firey restores some of Kero's lost power, allowing him to create small fireballs. On the Ferris wheel, Sakura gives Yukito a handmade doll resembling him, Kero fills the sky with sparkling lights, and Ms. Mizuki watches from a distance, her connection to Clow Reed still unrevealed.

36Sakura and the Snowy New School Term

Sakura Kinomoto advances to the fifth grade as a new school term begins in Tomoeda. On the way to school,Yukito Tsukishiro gives Sakura a belated birthday present: a wristwatch. The students discover that Kaho Mizuki, previously their math teacher, now serves as their homeroom teacher. During the school day, unseasonable snow begins falling heavily in April. Keroberos identifies the abnormal snowfall as the work of the Snow Clow Card. Sakura, Tomoyo, and Keroberos head to the park, where they encounter Syaoran Li and Meiling Li. The Snow Card creates a violent snow cyclone and specifically targets Sakura and Syaoran while ignoring Tomoyo and Meiling. During the struggle, Sakura loses the wristwatch Yukito gave her in the deep snow. Angered by the loss of the precious gift, Sakura uses the Firey Card to melt all the snow across the town. The melted snow forces the Snow Card to materialize, allowing Sakura to seal it. After the battle, Sakura despairs over the lost watch, but Kaho Mizuki appears and returns it, claiming she found it. Syaoran, who offered to help search for the watch, stays by Sakura's side, showing a shift in their relationship. The episode ends with Sakura cherishing the recovered watch while the mysterious nature of their teacher raises new questions.

37Sakura and Tomoyo's Lost Voice

The new school term begins with cherry blossom viewing. Sakura,Tomoyo, and their friends hold a picnic under the trees. Tomoyo uses a portable karaoke machine from her mother's company and sings for the group. The Voice card watches from the branches above. The next day at school, Tomoyo stays after class to practice her solo for the upcoming choir competition. Sakura finishes cheerleading practice and heads to the music room. She senses a Clow Card nearby. The Voice card rushes into the room and steals Tomoyo's voice. A teacher finds Tomoyo unable to speak. Bodyguards take Tomoyo home to see a doctor. That evening, Kero explains to Sakura that the Voice card takes voices it admires. Tomoyo lies in bed looking at her music notebook. Her mother Sonomi cancels work to stay with her daughter. Sakura blames herself for arriving too late. Syaoran visits Tomoyo's house with Sakura. Tomoyo writes in a notebook to cheer up Sakura and shows no anger. Syaoran proposes using the Song card to lure the Voice card. The Song card previously copied Tomoyo's voice and can sing with it again. The Voice card hears the singing and believes it failed to steal Tomoyo's voice. It flies into Tomoyo's room. Syaoran seals the exits with magical barriers. The Voice card tries to flee but cannot escape. Sakura seals the card into its true form. Tomoyo's voice returns immediately. The choir competition arrives without further incident. Tomoyo takes the stage and performs her solo song, titled Tomo e, for Sakura and the audience. With the Voice card captured, the group continues searching for the remaining Clow Cards before the final judgment arrives.

42Sakura and the Blacked Out School Arts Festival

The school holds its arts festival,and Sakura's class performs a version of Sleeping Beauty. Sakura takes the role of the prince while Syaoran plays the princess. Meiling plays the evil witch and performs her role with enthusiasm. The play proceeds smoothly until the climactic moment when the prince prepares to wake the princess with a kiss. Kero senses a Clow Card, and Syaoran pushes Sakura away just before total darkness engulfs the auditorium. All other people disappear from Sakura's perception, leaving her alone in the black void. She attempts to summon her staff but cannot transform the key. Kero watches from the sound booth and realizes Sakura must solve this challenge by herself. Sakura grows discouraged but then tells herself she will definitely be all right. Her body begins to glow. The Light Card emerges from her chest and reveals it has lived inside Sakura's heart since she broke the seal on the Clow Book. The Light Card asks what shines brightly within the darkness, and Sakura answers correctly: light. The Dark Card appears as the twin of the Light Card. Both cards speak to Sakura instead of attacking her. They allow Sakura to seal them together and mention a being named Yue who will judge her at the end of her journey. The darkness lifts, and the play resumes with Sakura hugging Syaoran in relief, confusing the audience. The episode ends with Kero and Mizuki acknowledging that the time for Yue's appearance draws near.

43Sakura and Meiling's Farewell

Meiling receives a phone call from her mother in Hong Kong,who instructs her to return home immediately. She becomes upset when Syaoran does not show any visible concern about her departure. Syaoran explains that he sees no point in resisting the decision and accepts that she must leave. That night, the Twin Card activates and creates exact duplicates of multiple objects and people, including Mr. Wei. Sakura and Syaoran attempt to capture the card together but fail because their movements lack synchronization. Meiling joins the battle, and her extensive prior training with Syaoran allows them to work in perfect unison. Their coordinated attacks defeat the Twin Card's duplicates, which enables Sakura to seal the card with her magic. Despite the successful capture, Meiling must still return to Hong Kong as her mother requested. She and Syaoran reconcile their earlier tension before she departs from the airport. The episode ends with Meiling leaving Japan, and the remaining characters face the continuation of their Clow Card hunt without her.

44Sakura - Kero - and the Mysterious Visitor

Sakura arrives at school to find Kero excited about a visitor. The visitor,a young girl named Maki, claims to have known Clow Reed. Only Kero and Sakura can see Maki; other people pass through her as if she does not exist. Maki holds a ring and states she must return it to its rightful owner. Sakura agrees to help Maki find the owner. They search the town and discover that Maki died fifty years ago at a train station. She had promised to give the ring to her best friend Yuki but died before Yuki arrived. Maki's spirit remained trapped because she could not fulfill that promise. Sakura uses the Mirror Card to create a copy of herself. The copy stays at school while Sakura, Kero, and Maki go to a nursing home. Inside, they find an elderly woman named Yuki. Maki places the ring on Yuki's finger. Yuki wakes from her sleep and smiles, remembering her childhood friend. Maki thanks Sakura and Kero, then vanishes as a satisfied spirit. Sakura returns to school and thinks about the weight of promises across time. Later, she senses that the remaining Clow Cards still need to be captured, and she also worries about her growing feelings for Syaoran.

45Sakura and the Final Clow Card

Sakura uses the Sleep Card to put the entire town into a temporary slumber,preventing civilians from witnessing the final confrontation. The Earthy Card, the last remaining Clow Card, emerges and attacks by manipulating the ground itself. Sakura struggles against Earthy's immense power, as the card easily deflects her initial magical attacks. Kero advises her to combine multiple cards, and Sakura successfully seals Earthy using the Watery, Wood, Fly, and Jump Cards in a coordinated assault. With all fifty-two Clow Cards captured, Kero's full power returns, and he transforms into his true, lion-like form, Cerberus. The group celebrates at the shrine, and Sakura signs her name on the final card. Yukito, who had been asleep, suddenly transforms into Yue, the second guardian of the Clow Cards. Kaho Mizuki explains that Yukito was always Yue's false form, and the guardian has been watching Sakura closely. Yue declares the beginning of the Final Judgement to determine the true master of the Clow Cards. Syaoran volunteers to fight first, but Yue easily defeats him, freezing him in time and knocking him unconscious. Yue then turns his attention to Sakura, demanding she face him next.

46Sakura and the Final Judgment

Yue initiates the Final Judgment against Sakura. Sakura refuses to attack Yue because he shares a body with Yukito,the person she cherishes most. Yue forces Sakura to fight and strikes her repeatedly as she tries only to evade. Sakura chooses the Wood card to restrain Yue without harming him, but Wood falls under Yue's lunar jurisdiction and the vines wrap around Sakura instead. Yue declares Sakura has failed; the penalty erases every person's memory of their most loved one. Trapped in the vines, Sakura experiences a vision where Tomoyo addresses her distantly, Li greets her politely, and Rika shows no special feeling toward Teacher Terada. Running to Yukito's house, Sakura finds it abandoned and overgrown, with no one inside. Teacher Mizuki rings a bell that Clow Reed left behind, granting Sakura a single second chance and dissolving after use. Sakura proclaims she does not want to be Yue's master but his friend, then raises her staff. The staff transforms into a star-shaped form as Sakura commands release, and she traps Yue with the Windy card. Yue acknowledges Sakura as the new master of the Clow Cards, and Clow Reed's spirit appears to tell her she created the new staff from her own power. Clow Reed advises Sakura to care for her growing star-based magic before vanishing, leaving her as the Cards' rightful master.

47Sakura and the Mysterious Transfer Student

The new school semester begins in Tomoeda. Teacher Mizuki has left for England,and Mr. Terada takes over as Sakura Kinomoto's homeroom teacher. A transfer student from England, Eriol Hiiragizawa, joins the class. Eriol speaks warmly to Sakura and asks to call her by her first name. Sakura senses she has met him before, though she cannot recall where. Syaoran Li watches their interaction with visible unease. He decides to postpone his scheduled return to Hong Kong. After school, an unnatural rainstorm suddenly begins over Tomoeda while the surrounding areas remain sunny. Sakura returns home and retrieves the Clow Book from her drawer. The book glows, and the cover changes to display her name instead of Clow Reed's. A vision of Clow Reed appears briefly, telling her she may face more troubles. Sakura and Kero sense a powerful magical presence coming from Penguin Park. They go to investigate, accompanied by Tomoyo. A swirling cloud in the sky shoots a concentrated stream of water at Sakura. Sakura pulls out her key and recites the activation spell, but the key does not transform into her staff. Her magic fails to respond. Kero protects Tomoyo and tells Sakura to try again, but she cannot activate her powers. Kero looks up at the source of the attack and expresses shock at the identity of the presence. He decides to speak with Yue the next day to understand why Sakura's magic has disappeared and what this new force is.

48Sakura and the Awakened Star Key

An unnatural rainstorm continues to fall exclusively over Tomoeda. Sakura Kinomoto attempts to use her magic key,but the wand does not respond to the old incantation. Keroberos senses a powerful presence and asks Sakura to arrange a meeting with Yue. Sakura persuades her brother Touya to invite Yukito Tsukishiro to their home. After Touya leaves, Keroberos commands Yukito to return to his true form, and the grumpy guardian Yue appears. Kero and Yue agree that someone with great magical ability is causing the persistent rain. The group goes to Penguin Park, where a spiral of water rises and traps everyone in whirlpools. Sakura hears the voice of Clow Reed explaining that her wand now holds the power of stars rather than the sun or moon. She recites a new spell, the key transforms into a star-shaped wand, and she breaks free from the water vortex. Sakura attempts to use The Firey card but cannot activate it with the old methods. She realizes the cards themselves must change to draw power from her instead of Clow Reed. Sakura commands The Firey to abandon its old form and serve its new master, transforming it into a pink Sakura Card. The Firey extinguishes the whirlpools and clears the storm, but the magical exertion causes Sakura to collapse unconscious. Three shadowy figures watch from a distance, with one remarking that she is a clever girl for transforming the card.

70Sakura and Her True Feelings

Sakura remains troubled after Syaoran confesses his feelings to her. She,Syaoran, and Tomoyo visit Eriol at his mansion to seek answers. Eriol reveals that Clow Reed orchestrated all events to make Sakura the true master of the cards. Kaho Mizuki arrives and confirms she knew Clow's plan, which is why she intervened during the Final Judgment. Eriol announces his return to England, and the group shares a farewell tea. Later, Syaoran receives a phone call from his mother in Hong Kong. She orders him to return because all Clow Cards have transformed into Sakura Cards and his mission in Tomoeda has ended. Syaoran packs and heads to the airport for an 11:00 flight. Tomoyo learns of his departure at school and immediately calls Sakura. Sakura walks to her room in tears. A single tear falls to the floor, and her star-shaped magical insignia glows brightly. The room fills with light, and a new nameless Card materializes before her. Sakura finally understands that she loves Syaoran and refuses to let him leave without telling him. She races to the airport. Syaoran waits at the gate, clutching a stuffed bear he sewed for her. He hands the bear to Sakura. Their hands meet around the toy, and a flood of shared memories passes between them. Sakura tells Syaoran they will see each other again. The episode ends with a montage of their moments together as the closing theme plays.

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