Kobato (こばと。) is a Japanese manga series by Clamp. It was first published in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Monthly Sunday Gene-X from December 2004 to August 2005, under the title Kobato (kari). It was later serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Newtype magazine from October 2006 to July 2011. Its chapters were collected in six tankōbon volumes. The story features a mysterious young girl, Kobato Hanato, who works in a local kindergarten. In North America, the manga was first published by Newtype USA and later licensed by Yen Press. A 24-episode anime television series adaptation by Madhouse was broadcast from October 2009 to March 2010.
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Kobato Hanato and Ioryogi
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.
