Mangaka Spotlight: CLAMP

[Tamachan319]

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Heh, I saw the word CLAMP and went "MUSTREADTHISFORUM". I love CLAMP manga, especailly Tsubasa, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Kobato. And Wish. And Chobits. And...uh... I like Magic Knight Rayearth and Clover too.

Well, I'm just going to use Asuka's post as a guideline, because... well, I love CLAMP too. And I agree with pretty much everything in her post.
Tsubasa would have to be my favorite of all CLAMP works, but I prefer Holic's art style. The major reason I sometimes dislike them is their unfortunate ability to create pairings that are....um...."interesting". And other not-so-nice cotent issues.

Whoa. Sheesh. I like CLAMP art a lot, but sometimes their proportions are a bit odd... seriously, have you looked at Kurogane in some of the first couple volumes of TRC? (Hehe, this girl loves Kurogane so much she doesn't care about his disproporionate-ness).

Tall and skinny is the way to go if you're CLAMP.
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Mostly, I just love how detailed the characters in Tsubasa are. They have really interesting backstories which can sometimes kill my brain. If you start reading that manga thinking the plot is typical, find the sixteenth volume and prepare to realize that only one of the characters does not betray them. And it's not the one you would think. Ah, so brilliant...

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The sixteeneth volume is like this: "Oh, what a happy series.... WHAM! Not so happy."

*stares at the picture of Kurogane in the description of CLAMP* And also they have attractive male characters.

Agreement. Very attractive. *laughs at self*

[Atria35]

Well, I'm just going to use Asuka's post as a guideline, because... well, I love CLAMP too. And I agree with pretty much everything in her post. [/QUOTE]

Should have guessed from your avatar! Since there are so many fans, they definitely deserved a thread

[airichan623]

Wait, I must ask cause I'm reading Tsubasa Chronicles and I LOVE it: Do I REALLY need to read xxxholic to get everything? Or could I just watch the anime. It's not Yuko's outfits that bother me as much as some of the "sensual" images that pop up in that manga, especially in some of the chapter art. >.<! IDK, cause xxxholic would actually be something I'd read if it weren't for some of the er..."interesting" images. (At least when I was flipping through the pages of volume 1...the story actually looked very interesting. Dark, sure, but interesting.) So, does the content in the manga get any worse than say what I've seen in volume 1?

To be honest, even reading both will not save one from confusion. xD as one facebook piece of flair said: "It's a CLAMP thing, you wouldn't understand. [dont worry, we dont get it either]" Yes, xxxHOLIC's every so often 'fanservice moment' is irratating, but sometimes its used to create hilarously awkward intros that go straight into comedy.

Seems like I have much the same issues with Tsubasa as everyone else: the art is so complicated and haphazardly drawn that you can hardly tell what is going on during the fight scenes. Between that and an ever more confusing plot, I dropped it about 20 volumes in. Never picked up a CLAMP series since. Haven't minded.

I love the complex art, but their panel configuration is terrible.

The sixteeneth volume is like this: "Oh, what a happy series.... WHAM! Not so happy."
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well put, imoutochan.


My input:

BISHIES RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [end fangirl rant]

My experience with CLAMP started quite early. (ive always wanted to read The lLegend of ChunHyang and Shirahime-syo ever since i saw an ad for them in the back of my first manga purchase). I read Chobits, and found it extremely thought provoking and beautifully drawn, but too much fanservice for me at the time (did the button really have to be there?). Tsubasa was entertaining in a mindless way up until book 16, then I adored it. tears always bring me to loving the series. xxxHOLIC is probably the closest I'll ever get to horror manga, because everything else balances it out- except watanuki's proportions. xD Hilarious and entertaining. Kobato. is near the top of my to read/watch list. I've read some of CCS, and honestly I didnt find it all that family friendly: so many innuendos. CLAMP School Detectives wasnt much for me. Magic Knight Rayearth was probably my first intro to liking mecha. And this one's more family friendly. Code Geass is a personal favorite (except for CLAMP's addition of Lelouch's gaudy purple sword. ) ok not officially CLAMPs but it makes me think Rayearth. xD


My biggest issues with CLAMP are their shameless love of shounen-ai *wink winks*. They love to create situations that create boyslove couples that create fodder for the yaoi fangirls. Even non-yaoi fans like me go "oh please dont please dont......oh good...not really shounen ai....whew....too close there..." if you know what i mean.

[Shao Feng-Li]

My biggest issues with CLAMP are their shameless love of shounen-ai *wink winks*. They love to create situations that create boyslove couples that create fodder for the yaoi fangirls. Even non-yaoi fans like me go "oh please dont please dont......oh good...not really shounen ai....whew....too close there..." if you know what i mean.

How about Wish then. Oh, angels and demons don't have genders! They all just look like manly men and girly boys anyway.

[Atria35]

I read Chobits, and found it extremely thought provoking and beautifully drawn, but too much fanservice for me at the time (did the button really have to be there?).

It made sense in the story, since she was told to let no one but the guy she loved touch her there. Which parallels a certain Christian belief about marriage and sex.

I've read some of CCS, and honestly I didnt find it all that family friendly: so many innuendos. CLAMP School Detectives wasnt much for me.

Were we reading the same manga? I saw next to no innuendo!

Code Geass is a personal favorite (except for CLAMP's addition of Lelouch's gaudy purple sword. ) ok not officially CLAMPs but it makes me think Rayearth. xD

That deserves big LOLZ!

My biggest issues with CLAMP are their shameless love of shounen-ai *wink winks*. They love to create situations that create boyslove couples that create fodder for the yaoi fangirls. Even non-yaoi fans like me go "oh please dont please dont......oh good...not really shounen ai....whew....too close there..." if you know what i mean.

The wording on that gave me the impression that yaoi fangirls were the ones that tiptoed around that subject, while it was something that non-yaoi fangirls thrived on... but even in Clamp's works was too much! I think it was the 'even' placed in front of the 'non-yaoi fangirls'.

[Shao Feng-Li]

It made sense in the story, since she was told to let no one but the guy she loved touch her there. Which parallels a certain Christian belief about marriage and sex.

Maybe, but Chii isn't... a human... XD That just seems like CLAMP being pervy to me (they're not above being pervy)

[AnimeGirl]

*responding to some of the recent discussion points*

The fight scenes in the early volumes of the Tsubasa manga are a bit confusing, but the later volumes it seems to get better. And I don't understand why people don't like their panel layout, maybe I'm in the minority here, but I absolutely ADORE their paneling! Especially in Tsubasa, it flows naturally with epic dynamic angles ^.^

And the yaoi thing? Yeah....I honestly feel like the fangirls like to find ANYTHING to support their pairing, and well....yeeesh, it's sometimes hard to tell with CLAMP if they're pulling a shounen-ai or not. Yukito and Touya? From what I've heard (haven't read CCS yet), it's there. Doumeki and Watanuki? Not a chance, Watanuki obviously wants Himawari and Himawari alone. Syaoran and Yuui? Where the HECK did they get that idea? Fei Wang and Kurogane? Now how is there even evidence? Kurogane would be THE LAST person to love him! [spoiler]I mean, dude, Fei Wang killed Kurogane's Mom![/spoiler].

My ranting....is over... XD!!!

[Atria35]

@Animegirl= I would disagree that their panelling and fight scenes get much better- in the last 2 volumes I honestly couldn't tell what was going on in the fight scenes because they were set up so badly. At first glance you couldn't tell who was shooting what, where. And even after looking at a page for a while, I had a hard time telling. ANd I read a LOT of manga with fighting in it. CLAMP isn't very consistant with their fight scenes- some are set up well, and some aren't.

Maybe, but Chii isn't... a human... XD That just seems like CLAMP being pervy to me (they're not above being pervy)

But she had the potential to be- or at least have human emotions, which was rather the point of the manga. Kind of like how Time of Eve explored the human-ness of machines through their simply having AI. Except Chobits explored it in their AI and ability to be loved by their creators (and in Chii's case, how much she could love him back).

[AnimeGirl]

@Animegirl= I would disagree that their panelling and fight scenes get much better- in the last 2 volumes I honestly couldn't tell what was going on in the fight scenes because they were set up so badly. At first glance you couldn't tell who was shooting what, where. And even after looking at a page for a while, I had a hard time telling. ANd I read a LOT of manga with fighting in it. CLAMP isn't very consistant with their fight scenes- some are set up well, and some aren't.

To each their own, I guess. XD!!! Though their paneling is better than their fight scenes if I had to compare

[Atria35]

How about Wish then. Oh, angels and demons don't have genders! They all just look like manly men and girly boys anyway.

Oooh! Didn't see this earlier.

Well, CLAMP isn't necessarily wrong about depicting all angels and demons as genderless beings- I mean, angels in the bible are six-winged things, flaming wheels with a thousand eyes, etc... and I sure don't know how to calssify one of those by gender! So there's a good deal of artistic license when making angels that look like people.

[Maokun]

All this thread and not a single mention of Tokyo Babylon? *tsktsk* It is excellent and a great preamble to X. Warning! though: it's without doubt CLAMP's saddest story and yes, there's some of the ol' flirting with shonen-ai (though is much better explained and relevant than say, in CCS)

Also, Clover is badly underrepresented in this thread. Miyuki-chan in Wonderland is also forgotten, but righteously so (seriously, don't waste your time.)

Finally, no CLAMP thread is complete without a mention the amazing music video CLAMP in wonderland (and its lamer sequel)

[Atria35]

The reason Clover isn't in here is because I loathe it. Yeah. I'm totally not a fan. Way too artistic and it was cancelled before any sort of storyline could really emerge, histories could become relevant, and anything could actually be explained.

It's pretty, artistically, but the story is laughable.