Cardcaptor Sakura , abbreviated as CCS, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the manga group Clamp. Serialized monthly in the shōjo manga magazine Nakayoshi from the June 1996 to August 2000 issues, it was also published in 12 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha between November 1996 and July 2000. The story centers on Sakura Kinomoto, an elementary school student who discovers magical powers after accidentally freeing a set of magical cards into the world; she must retrieve the cards to prevent catastrophe. Each of these cards grants different magical powers, and can only be activated by someone with inherent magical abilities. A sequel by Clamp, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, focusing on Sakura in junior high school, began serialization in Nakayoshi in 2016.
The first volume of Cardcaptor Sakura featuring Sakura Kinomoto
Clamp is an all-female Japanese manga artist group, consisting of leader and writer Nanase Ohkawa, and three artists whose roles shift for each series: Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi, and Satsuki Igarashi.
Clamp at Anime Expo 2006. From left to right: Satsuki Igarashi, Nanase Ohkawa, Tsubaki Nekoi, and Mokona.
Clamp's cross-referencing and storytelling led to characters being re-used in different ways. Left: Syaoran Li, originally from Cardcaptor Sakura. Centre: Syaoran as he first appears in later work Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle. Right: an alternative Syaoran who appears later in Tsubasa.
A group cosplaying three Clamp characters: Sakura (top left) and Syaoran (top right) from Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle; and Yuko Ichihara (bottom) from xxxHolic.
