Cardcaptor Sakura: Collector’s Edition Vol. 1

Because COVID-19 has caused a major disruption in new comic books, for the next few weeks Scoop will reexamine issues, runs, trades, and titles that are already available. We’ll take a look at perennial classics, current titles we are enjoying, significant runs, and our overall favorite books to suggest some new reading material or inspire fellow comic fans to dust off the old favorites. And if you live near a comic shop that’s still open during this time, we hope our suggestions will prompt you to check out their back issue and collected edition inventory.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Collector’s Edition Vol. 1
Kodansha Comics; $29.99

The magical girl genre of manga has been defined by a few series over the years, and Cardcaptor Sakura is certainly one of them. The story follows the quirky young girl, Sakura Kinomoto, who must become a Cardcaptor after she accidentally unleashes the powers of the mysterious and dangerous Clow Cards upon her hometown. Teaming up with the guardian of the cards, Keroberos, Sakura must use her newfound abilities to return the Clow Cards to their rightful place.

Like many shoujo series, Cardcaptor Sakura features plenty of ooey-gooey romance and over-the-top cuteness, but it’s also got a lot of genuinely well-done action sequences as well. I don’t know that I’d recommend it to macho types, but if you’ve never tried out a magical girl series before, Cardcaptor Sakura is certainly a good place to start. The new collector’s edition that Kodansha has released is also a handsome addition to any manga shelf on its own.

-Carrie Wood