Clear Card was a very interesting one. Usually sequels to classic and such critically acclaimed series either don't live up to the OG or just butcher it. I was kind of skeptical going into Clear Card, partly because it had been 18 years since the last sequel movie, and partly because I wasn't really a big fan of the major animation and character model changes. But I can definitely say now that I really enjoyed Clear Card, but not in the same way as the OG. The original series had a very unique vibe to it imo. It was chill, comfy, and had a great set of characters, and all of them were extremely well written. The OG also had the luxury of time, with it being 70 episodes. They had time to develop everything, have some filler type content in the middle, which I never minded. Clear Card, on the other hand, has a very different vibe. Maybe minus the first episode, but 2nd episode onwards the vibe of CC is one that feels kind of tense at times, which definitely works in its favor. That’s not really a negative point against it. There still is that chill and comfy part, but with CC only having 22 eps u dont really get that for a decent amount of time, except for like some moments and ep 13.

One of my biggest disappointments with CC though, and a big part of why I think it doesn't really live up to the OG, is because of how they handled Tomoyo. She has essentially been reduced to a comedic relief kind of character, where most of her contribution is just in the form of her fawning over Sakura. There was a lot of this in the OG series as well, but in the OG it definitely felt like she had more depth as a character because of how many eps we got showing us her deep bond with Sakura and how much she cherishes her, which I find missing here. That is one of my biggest disappointments with this sequel.

Also, as much as I don't prefer the current style of animation, I have to give it MADHOUSE. They pulled out all the stops to make the anime look fucking gorgeous. The fight scenes with Aqua and Blaze are just a treat to watch, and the serene moment with Xiaolang and Sakura flying in the air is beautiful. They really did put a lot of love into it. And this time around I also really enjoyed both the OPs. They were pretty and were a lot of fun to listen to each time, though the EDs didn't really leave a mark on me unfortunately.

But I think what Clear Card does well is its plot. It is way more plot focused this time around rather than the character moments and stuff, which is probably also partly why I don't enjoy it as much as the OG. But hey, at least we have two new characters this time around, Akiho and Kaito. Surely they won't be trouble right teehee. I really like Akiho. She’s similar to Sakura in a lot of ways and is also very cute heh. Kaito is the real mastermind behind what is happening atm though, and he is even more powerful than Eriol, being able to rewind time at will.

But my fav part of the series was the eps where we had Meiling back in Japan. Man, those eps were so good. We finally see Meiling and Sakura’s relationship grow and see how much Meiling has come to care for Sakura. Them drying each other’s hair and even making different styles together was a treat to watch. Meiling always adds such a nice dynamic to the group whenever she’s with them. We also got to see Sakura and Meiling fight together using martial arts. I really wish we get to see more of her in the future.

Overall I did enjoy this sequel, even if it doesn't live up to the OG for me and is kind of a downgrade in some ways. My initial thoughts were to give it a 7, but the 2nd half is really good with Meiling and some great Xiaolang x Sakura moments. That's another thing the sequel really focuses on and does well, which is Sakura and Xiaolang’s relationship. You can just feel how in love they are with each other and how much the two care for one another. The hug that Xiaolang gives Sakura mid air is one that you can really feel the emotion behind. I loved the two of them and their relationship in CC, and I hope to see more once we get S2. But yeah, a good follow up to a highly acclaimed classic from the late 90s.