History Anime / CardcaptorSakura

[[redirect:Manga/CardCaptorSakura]]

[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ccsakuratvtropes_3751.jpg]]
-->''RELEASE!''

One day, elementary school girl Sakura wanders into her father's basement and accidentally opens a magic book containing a deck of magical tarot-like cards, releasing the animated and self-propelled cards (each with its own magical spirit) into the wild. The book's guardian spirit, Cerberus (or Kerberos, also known as "Kero-chan"), promptly drafts her to be the "Card Captor" whose assignment is to [[GottaCatchEmAll track down all of the missing cards]]. Each captured card gives Sakura new magical abilities... and all the while, her best friend Tomoyo is filming her beloved Sakura with her camcorder.

One of {{CLAMP}}'s most iconic manga series, it was adapted into a 70-episode anime with 2 movies which [[AdaptationExpansion added a lot of new elements in the process]]. Alongside ''SailorMoon'', this is widely considered as close to a "canon" MagicalGirl show as you can get, and is often one of ''the'' examples even the most casual anime fan will think of when magical girls are mentioned and [[TropeCodifier its influence on all works which followed it]] is deep and pervasive. The anime was dubbed by {{Nelvana}} with much {{Bowdlerization}} in the process. However, Media Blaster took over the dubbing of the second movie to be more faithful to the original.

It has [[TheWikiRule its own wiki]] [[http://ccs.wikia.com/wiki/CardCaptor_Sakura_Wiki here]].

Compare ''SailorMoon'', which is the other "major" example most people think of vis-à-vis {{Magical Girl}}s.
----
!!This anime/manga provides examples of: [[hottip:*:(Note: Many more tropes in the [[Characters/CardcaptorSakura Character Page]])]]
%% AdaptationDecay was moved to the YMMV tab. Please don't add it back here.
* AdaptationExpansion: The original manga featured 19 cards. The anime? ''52'' cards (note: a full deck), though not all of them were shown being caught. The ones that weren't were shown at the beginning of Season 2, which takes place after the first movie.
** Episodes themselves were extended and Syaoran's role in the story was as well. In the manga Syaoran never catches any cards for himself and never takes part in the final judgment. In the anime, he does both of those things. And the final judgment was in itself extended, in the manga Sakura never failed and thus never got to experience the pain of a world without love. In the anime, she does. The reason the expansion works instead of falling apart is because Nanase Okawa, writer of the manga, wrote and oversaw the anime as well.
** Also, Meiling is an anime-exclusive character.
** Not to mention Wei and the rest of Syaoran's family (only referenced in the manga).
* AllGuysWantCheerleaders: Syaoran to Sakura, it would seem.
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Sakura took to Syaoran, but only after his gentler side began to show.
* AlternativeForeignThemeSong: The English theme is much different from the Japanese theme.
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Sakura to Meiling somewhat, is purer in personality, bests her at many aspects such as athletism (somewhat inadvertantly) and ultimately wins over Syaoran's affections without even meaning to.
** Syaoran seems to consider Sakura his better counterpart, ultimately taking his designated role as master of the cards, due to having greater wisdom and care for them that assisted in her judgements. As Sakura insists however, her own flaws and dependence on Syaoran may prevent her from being a full-on example of the trope.
* {{Americanitis}}: The Nelvana dub renamed the characters' residence from Tomoeda to Reedington and implied it was an American town, despite the Japanese text remaining.
** Not to mention the freaking ''Tokyo Tower''!
* AnimationBump : Very noticeable in the Sealed Card. Reason - More $$$$.
* {{Antimatter}} : Card number 53's negative powers pull a Magical Variant of antimatter annihilation on anything it targets.
* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Syaoran starts like this.
* {{Attack of the 50 Foot Whatever}}: Sakura, first when she fights a Dragon created by the Create Card, and later, when she counteracts her [[IncredibleShrinkingMan shrinkage]] while trapped in Alice In Wonderland.
* BackFromTheDead: '''Major PlotHole''' considering it's CLAMP. Just how do people return after being wiped out of existence?
** Just ask [[ThursdayNext Landen Parke-Laine]].
* BadassAdorable: Sakura, Sakura, [[RuleOfThree Sakura]].
** Also Meiling, and Syaoran once he starts going {{Tsundere}} for Sakura.
* BadassNormal: Meiling
* BalloonBelly
* BareYourMidriff: Sakura has [[http://ccs.wikia.com/wiki/The_Pink_Flower_Costume two]] [[http://ccs.wikia.com/wiki/The_Bat_Burglar_costume outfits]] that shows her belly button in two episodes.
* BetaCouple: Takashi Yamazaki and Chiharu Mihara. Yes, that's right. Fourth-graders who already have [[ToyShip years of experience]] in dealing with relationships.
* BetweenMyLegs: Seen with Sakura's legs in several episodes.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: While near perpetually friendly and innocent in demeanor, it is a bad idea to insult Sakura, or even worse, call her [[BerserkButton a "monster"]].
** Fairly mild example, though -- the worst she does is stomping the offender's foot.
*** Kero is shown to be terrified of her the odd occasion he becomes too obnoxious for her to handle. A few of the cards also learnt the hard way not to mess with her or her friends before they were caught (poor, poor Snow Card).
-->'''Sakura''': [[CatchPhrase What was THAAATT?!!?]]
* BFS: Syaoran's sword. Luckily, it is a magic sword, or a skinny little boy like Syaoran probably wouldn't even be able to pick it up, much less wield it effectively.
* BigBrotherInstinct: Touya has one for Sakura. {{Lampshaded}} by Yukito in which he tells Touya he has a 'little sister complex'.
** The fact that he met Syaoran when he was trying to bully Sakura into giving him the Cards she had caught until then ''really'' doesn't help.
** Syaoran himself shows traits of this towards Meiling (and arguably Sakura early on), possible inversion since his age comparison to either of them is unspecified.
* BigFancyHouse: Tomoyo is the most prominent, but other characters have their own, too.
* BigEater: Yukito and Kerberos both have formidable appetites.
** Sakura can put it away too.
* {{Bishounen}}: It's {{CLAMP}}.
* BolivianArmyCliffhanger: The controversial cliffhanger of the ending to [[spoiler: ''The Sealed Card'' movie, with Sakura ''leaping off a ledge from several hundred feet above ground'' to hug Syaoran. Granted she has come out of much, much worse]], but still quite a way to end one of anime's most famous LighterAndSofter projects. Its effect is muted because after all that happened in the series, it's absolutely trivial [[spoiler: to make a magically assisted jump a few metres across (Jump Card can reach HUGE distances and heights), and its easy to infer they hug]]. But nevertheless...WhatCouldHaveBeen...
** CLAMP = teasing with TrueArtIsAngsty, which they would really develop in other works, particularly its sister series. Needless to say it's the butt of many humorous jokes and lots of [[{{Angst}} angsty]] teasing by fans.
** By no means [[spoiler: hundreds of feet. Its actually the second row of the spiral staircase, which makes it 3 stories above ground]]. Just a few minutes before, there are much bigger falls from several stories. [[NotTheFallThatKillsYou The result? Not a scratch!]]
** Claims are [[http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110210042711/ccs/images/thumb/3/3d/Ccs26.jpg/742px-Ccs26.jpg this promo artwork]] represents a resolution to the scene, granted since [[spoiler: the movie]] itself is still open ended, it might possibly count. Also an extra (omake) [[spoiler: shows the full cast(including Eriol who is apparently visiting) having a tea party at Sakura's house]].
** CliffhangerCopout: Actually true. CLAMP averted it. Wiki confirms that the artwork (from one of the magazines) was indeed released in context, as a special bonus not included with initial regular release, which only had video. A simple side by side comparison with the video clarifies. Needless to say, fans who saw or owned a copy heaved a sigh of relief...
*** The same goes for the extra episode, also released on a special disc.
** Technically speaking this is what's called LooseCanon. CCS was more fortunate on this than other {{CLAMP}} works which are [[TrueArtIsAngsty so open ended they never show a happy ending no matter how indirectly they suggest the possibility]]
** Whatever WordOfDante hath said, whatever WordOfGod hath ''not said'', whatever FanDumb fanatically argues, whatever be the truth, the only truth about the ending is, to say the truth -- [[NoEnding ''there is no straightforward ending'']]. i.e. Only {{CLAMP}} and Madhouse really know the truth. [[spoiler: (See SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism below)]]
* {{Bowdlerization}}: The Nelvana dub removed all of the (perfectly innocent) same-sex relationships from the show, to say nothing of the 31 episodes that were not aired at all.
** The episodes omitted by WB had been dubbed and still aired in particular regions such as Europe (though is lacking one episode due to the two part finale being merged into one episode). Note it also gets rid of most heterosexual relationships as well. As a result of deleting most of Sakura and Syaoran's romantic infatuation, a lot of the final episode is omitted and the dub is given a much more BittersweetEnding.
** The American dub of TheMovie suffers from a rewrite of its plot, transforming the villian, whose motivation originally centered around [[spoiler: the fact that, [[FoeYay although she professed to hate Clow, she was actually in love with him,]] but never got the chance to tell him]], into just another power-hungry BlackMagic practitioner. [[SarcasmMode Because, you know,]] kids can't understand plots that don't revolve around GoodVersusEvil.
* BreakTheCutie: The whole plot of the story is about trying to do this to Sakura. Nowhere more dramatic than the Second Movie. And...it completely fails.
* BruceLeeClone: Bruce Lee's name in Japanese would be Li Syaoron.
** Except that "Ri Shaoran" is just a ''Chinese'' name, "Li Xiaolang" (Xiaolang: 'Little Wolf'), through the Japanese Pronunciation filter. Syaoran/Xiaolang and his family are Chinese, from Hong Kong.
*** Referenced in Tsubasa Chronicle when Fay writes Li's name down as "Little Puppy".
** [[TsubasaReservoirChronicle Did you have to]] [[CloningBlues use the word]] "clone"?
* ButtMonkey: Meiling. Syaoran, Kero and Sakura herself have their moments as well.
* CannotSpitItOut
** Three separate characters even. Ruby Moon kept interrupting Toya, and lots of things happened preventing Sakura and Syaoran from spitting it out. Kero=Bad for spitting stuff out.
* ChaseScene: Kero and Spinel Sun pursue a ball of fried octopus [[PinballProjectile on a complicated path all over town]] in the [[LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition Bonus episode]] following the ending of the second movie.
* CheerfulChild: Let's put it this way, watch a single scene with Sakura and try with all your might not to say "Awwwwww".
* CherryBlossoms: Sakura's namesake; she rollerblades through a shower of them in the first episode.
** Also appears in touching scenes in the manga.
* TheChessmaster [[spoiler:Clow Reed, in a rare good example that doesn't have any anger or angst motivating it]]. However CCS is a small part of the whole game (and perhaps ''the only part that makes any sense at all.'')
** One would need to read TsubasaReservoirChronicle to find out the whole XanatosRoulette he played, (which clashes in truly bizarre ways with ''many other independent roulettes'', resulting in an enormous GambitPileup. After that, the reader will most likely be rendered brain damaged from ''several orders'' of massive MindScrew.
* ChildMage: Sakura, and Syaoran
* ChinesePeople: Syaoran and Meiling.
* {{CLAMP}}: Arguably one of their best and most popular works; certainly, one of their most iconic, given how many characters have since [[TsubasaReservoirChronicle reappeared in another form]]...
* ClassTrip: Lots of 'em.
* ClingyJealousGirl: Meiling.
* ClipShow: The last part of the last episode in the TV series.
* CloserToEarth: Played with. Most of the male cast are more morally ambiguous and arrogant the female cast, though also seem more world wary and intelligent. For example Sakura is more kind natured and humble than Syaoran, but also far more childish, scatterbrained and ''incredibly'' naive.
* ConsummateLiar: Yamazaki. Especially against Sakura and Syaoran.
** Averted every single time, when [[LivingLieDetector Chiharu]] [[ThatLiarLies points it out]], as a result he ends up as a BadLiar.
** So is Eriol. When he [[NotSoAboveItAll teams up]] with Yamazaki, they really play this trope straight.
* CostumePorn: AND HOW! Besides the many marvelous outfits Sakura goes Cardcapting in, even her everyday clothes have flair. See section on LimitedWardrobe for more details. And remember everyone it's {{CLAMP}}!
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass - Sakura herself. Despite being extremely naive and occasionally outright [[TheDitz ditzy]] at times (believes every last one of Yamazaki's ridiculous stories and is completely oblivious to the fact that her two best friends are infatuated with her) she has moments of remarkable inspiration, particularly when it comes to the use of her magic.
** Syaoran meanwhile is more of a [[NotSoAboveItAll Crouching Badass Hidden Moron]]. He's normally cool and collective, but has occasional bouts of poor judgement or naivete, he also falls for the pathological liar's lies 100% and is somewhat inept around romantic emotions.
%% CrowningMomentOfHeartwarmming was moved to the YMMV tab. Please don't add it back here.
* CutAndPasteTranslation: Nelvana, with "Cardcaptors", was responsible for much of the cast getting a DubNameChange and removed all romantic subplots of any kind (not all convincingly). The US broadcast on KidsWB! attempted to [[{{Shonen}} widen the show's appeal]] beyond its [[{{Shojo}} original demographic]] by switching the focus from strictly Sakura's point of view and pushing the idea of Sakura and supporting character Li Syaoran being more like partners by rearranging and splicing episodes and tweaking scripts.
** This would have actually been convenient in later episodes, which play a lot more from Syaoran's perspective and give him a rather prominant partnership with Sakura, unfortunately the unwanted romantic context of most of this footage actually led them to take out a lot of the character's relevance.
*** Needless to say, when the original anime was subbed and released, the dub went off the shelves.
** And even with all the butchering they did, they couldn't remove the subtexts. It's still pretty obvious how Syaoran and Sakura feel about each other.
* CuteBruiser: The Power and The Fight. Also, Meiling and Syaoran, and even Sakura when she uses The Power card.
* CuteClumsyGirl: Nadeshiko
** Like mother, like daughter it seems.
** Twin Bells's shopkeeper, Maki Matsumoto as well.
* CuteShotaroBoy: Syaoran
* CutenessOverload: To spectacular effect - in fact it won an award for [[spoiler: the cutest character of the year]]. So much so that even TheOtherWiki mentions this.
* TheDanza: ''Sakura'' is voiced by Sakura Tange, although this is more likely a coincidence.
* DebutQueue
* DeusExMachina: [[JustifiedTrope Played straight]] in episode 6 when Sakura encounters [[spoiler: the illusion car, which, on the date her dead mother's birthday, adopts her form, and thus lures Sakura into falling off a cliff. Before hitting the ground nonetheless a translucid hand (presumably that of her real mom) appears out of nowhere and slows down her fall]]
** And as a backup Deus Ex Machina Yukito just happend to be passing by at that precise moment to come and pick her up.
%% DieForOurShip was moved to the YMMV tab. Please don't add it back here.
* DisappearedDad: Tomoyo's father doesn't seem to exist, and Sakura muses to herself that it seems to be a "complicated matter". Also, Syaoran's father passed away when he was very young.
* DistressBall: Tomoyo frequently fell victim to the MonsterOfTheWeek. To a lesser extent, Sakura herself, though equipped with an endless aray of powers to handle all sorts of predicaments got into helpless situations more than a few times, if only for [[DoggedNiceGuy Syaoran]] [[RescueRomance to get an intimate moment with her]]. This was somewhat more justified in later episodes, since most of the threats were deliberately designed by Eriol to be defeated solely by Sakura's cards, and were immune to the magic of others, thus [[IWillProtectHer protecting her]] as she fought through was the most plausible use most other characters could have.
* DoggedNiceGuy: Syaoran in his [[{{Tsundere}} 'dere dere']] moods. Taken to extremes around Sakura in later episodes, though she rarely sees it as anything more than him being a kind friend to her.
%% EarWorm was moved to the YMMV tab. Please don't add it back here.
* TheEeyore: Even after revealing their soft side, Syaoran and Yue are still rather humorless and [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]] in tone. [[spoiler: Spinel Sun also seems to count as one]].
* ElementalRockPaperScissors: Played in [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin standard textbook style]]. [[spoiler: Earthy is captured by Wood and Fiery by a combination of Windy and Watery]].
* ElementNumberFive - The Nothing, as appears in the second movie. Technically element number 53, but who's counting?
* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: Sakura herself isn't bad, both Syaoran and Tomoyo are ''very'' much in love with her. Also, take into consideration how many female fans she has...
** Not to mention Kaho, who Sakura seems to 'admire' greatly and is described as really, really pretty.
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Yukito has Sakura, Syaoran, and Touya fall for him.
* EveryoneIsBi: Everyone...Syaoran had a crush on Yukito for half the series, Sakura herself admited that her feelings for Kaho were the same as her feelings for Yukito, and so on...
** It's {{CLAMP}}.
* EveryoneIsRelated: Ever try figuring out the family trees here?
** This results in a massive MindScrew / FridgeLogic in the manga. [[spoiler:Clow's mother is Syaoran's great, great, [...] grandmother. Sakura's father is one of Clow Reed's reincarnations. Put this all together and Sakura and Syaoran are actually veritable cousins, depending on how you look at the reincarnation aspect of family trees. This being [[OverlyLongGag CLAMP]], one must wonder whether or not this was deliberate...]]
** Possibly averted. Reincarnation means you're no longer the same person anymore...but then again the show is not at all consistent over this point.
** Rarely if ever mentioned beyond its introduction, but Sakura and Tomoyo are actual cousins.
*** Second cousins, actually.
* EyesAlwaysShut: Yamazaki. There was ''one'' scene in the manga where he opens them. Just one though.
** There was a special in the anime that Sakura, Mei Ling, Syaoran and Tomoyo wondering about why his eyes are always closed. When they realize he actually opened them earlier in the episode and actually found the thing (a blue mailbox) he had been talking about, they conclude that he only opens his eyes when he tells the truth. [[spoiler: Actually, he only opens them when someone steps on his foot]].
** Also in the episode when Sakura catches The Power card Yamazaki's eyes open for a moment when he and Syaoran are startled by the loud noise and the ground shaking at the zoo.
** Also [[TheChessmaster Clow Reed]]. The only time his eyes are open is in a bonus art pic, where they are shown to be blue.
* EyeScream: {{CLAMP}}'s fetish deserves a special mention because it's conspicuous '''by its complete absence!'''
* TheFaceless: All characters who appear in Sakura's foretelling dreams. [[spoiler: Their faces are shown over time (except Yue)]]. Also Eriol and his guardians in scenes where he watches from the shadows.
** Interestingly in the bonus extra episode after the second movie, only Kero and Suppie's faces are shown, while the faces of the rest of the cast, including Sakura, are deliberately not covered by the camera.
* FanOfTheUnderdog: Meiling of the anime adaption, [[StalkerWithACrush idolizing Syaoran]] and being the only other member of the FiveManBand that considers him most deserving of the title of Master Of The Cards.
** Sakura also exists as an interesting light variation, in that despite being Syaoran's [[TheRival rival]], she looks up to him greatly and is largely convinced of his superior intelligence and competance. Her extremely affectionate treatment towards Syaoran would naturally also play into his own opinion of her. In addition Sakura is also kind and supportive to Meiling ([[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy which leads the latter to accept her as Syaoran's true love]]).
* FairyCompanion: Kero
* [[FalseStart False Starts]]: Most of the second half of the manga and season 3 of the anime. The second movie in fact [[RuleOfDrama lives on this trope]] till the very last scene.
%% The FetishFuel examples were moved to the YMMV page. Please don't add them back here.
* {{Flanderization}}:
** Sakura's naivete and {{Moe}}-aspects.
** Syaoran's [[{{Tsundere}} romantic awkwardness]] to the point of becoming a [[ShrinkingViolet meek]] DoggedNiceGuy.
** Tomoyo's fawning over Sakura shifts to somewhat [[CloudCuckooLander bizarre lengths]] later on (not that it was subtle before however).
** As a somewhat aversion, Big Kero seems to become more [[CloudCuckooLander "Little Kero-ish"]] as the series progresses.
* FoeYay: [[spoiler: Sakura and Syaoran.]]
* FreakyFridayFlip: Syaoran and Kero. In the dub, their voices also switch over.
* FreeRangeChildren
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Sakura in a rather swift period of time can endear herself to almost any living entity due to her everpresent compassion and innocence, even Syaoran's strict and stoic mother (Li Yelan) can't resist after just one day with her and even gives a very motherly kiss. And at that time Syaoran was still seeing Sakura as a rival...
** By the end of the story, this is true of ''every single character'' in the show, even the bitter and lonely Nothing Card, which becomes The Hope.
** It's [[LampshadeHanging openly stated in the manga]] that everyone loves Sakura.
%% GuiltyPleasure was moved to the YMMV tab. Please don't add it back here.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Somehow, the scene with Kero getting drunk off chocolate managed to get by Nelvana. His [[MattHill dub voice actor]] doesn't even try to disguise it.
* GiantPoofySleeves: especially in the promotional art
* GenreSavvy: Tomoyo insists that Sakura wear costumes and have a signature pose because that's what [[MagicalGirl magical girls]] are supposed to do.
** Also, she has a crush and thinks it's cute.
* GenerationXerox: Sonomi loved Sakura's mother Nadeshiko, and her daughter Tomoyo loves Sakura! And in both cases it ends up unrequited.
** Also averted in the way they react to it though.
* GenkiGirl: Meiling. Huge overlap with the {{Determinator}}.
* GirlishPigtails: Sakura and Chiharu
* GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals: Sakura's friends. Kero has to act this part.
* GottaCatchEmAll: Played relatively straight in the first season, increasingly subverted in the third season [[spoiler:as Sakura is forced to turn all the Clow Cards she's ''already'' captured into Sakura Cards]].
* GroundhogDayLoop: Anime only. The Time Card resets the same day thrice till it's captured. Though after reading TsubasaReservoirChronicle one wonders how it did not screw up TheMultiverse in the process (though the multiverse was invented later).
* HappyEnding: Both manga and anime, although the anime [[{{Denouement}} didn't come as full circle]].
** Both share one thing in common. Post [[LoveConfession love confessions]], the moment Sakura hugs Syaoran, the series is over!
* HappilyEverAfter: The whole cast.
** '''Warning: Spoilers Below'''
** [[{{Denouement}} Explicit]] in the [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ccsmangaending_4870.jpg manga]]. Together Forever!
** [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse Implicit]], [[CaptainObvious but clearly obvious]] in [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ccs27_320.jpg the anime's second movie]]. Let's put it like this - We see a HappyEnding, but not directly a HappilyEverAfter.
*** {{CLAMP}} loves provoking TrueArtIsAngsty. The anime just managed to avoid it with LooseCanon (See above).
*** But since the PowerOfLove succeeds...
** [[spoiler: WordOfDante (including what's on the wiki) also has a case [[ShownTheirWork showing ''all the research ever done on the internet'']] on the [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/remarks.php?trope=Main.CardcaptorSakura discussion page]]]]
** Many, many fans had hoped to see a {{Denouement}} like the manga and were unfortunately left ''not so HappilyEverAfter''.
** Endings for almost all {{CLAMP}} works go on lines that imply - "will be HappilyEverAfter", but without going into details. The manga ending is a rare case of "Are HappilyEverAfter" (actually showing it).
** Touya hates Syaoran because he's already seen this would happen in the future!
* HotForStudent: Third grade teacher and student romance--yup, it's {{CLAMP}} all right. To their credit, they'll be waiting until she's older. And in the anime is one sided crush from the student.
** Kaho's and Touya's relationship is an aversion; though they met when Kaho was Touya's student teacher, they only confessed romantic feelings after Kaho's teaching position had ended.
** Played straight with Fujitaka and Nadeshiko; Fujitaka was a teacher in the high school Nadeshiko attended. It's implied that they started living together even before she graduated.
%% HeyItsThatVoice was moved to the trivia tab. Please don't add it back here.
* HeyYou: Often used by Syaoran in early episodes and chapters, who does not refer to Sakura by any actual name. This is ended however after her DisneyDeath in ''Sakura, Shaoran and The Elevator' leads him to yell her first name in anguish. Sakura having heard this, asks to continue this trend and to call "Shaoran-kun" by first name in return. Notably Sakura, much to her joy, is discovered to be the only person outside family that Syaoran refers to by first name (or allows the referal of his own). This trait is not present in the English dub, where both characters refer to each other by first name from the beginning.
** Some manga translations switched. The german version, in Volume 1 until 4, Sakura and Syaoran refer to each other by first name. Volume 5, though, switches it to Syaoran not using her name at all (until Sakura falls down a crack in the ground and he yells her name) while Sakura calls him Li.
** In the Japanese, this also applies to Touya and Yue. Both avoid calling (most) other characters by name--likely because it would require them to acknowledge their level of affection for the person in question. Similar to Syaoran, but these two take it a step farther by even avoiding intimate pronouns whenever possible.
%% HoYay was moved to the YMMV tab. Please don't add it back here.
* HotBlooded: Kerberos.
* HotShoujoDad: Sakura's borderline MartyStu-ish father Fujitaka ''defines'' this trope.
** And Sonomi, Tomoyo's mother, ''loathes'' him as such.
* HotShounenMom - Sakura's mother Nadeshiko, Tomoyo's mother Sonomi, *and* Syaoran's mother Li Yelang.
* HypnoTrinket
* IKnowYourTrueName: The only way Sakura can capture [[spoiler:Mirror]].
* InnocentPanties: Sakura's frilly, yellow unmentionables can be seen under her dress in "Attack of the Teddy Bear" (a.k.a. "A New Set of Wings" in the U.S.)
* InstantExpert: Anyone who uses the Sword Card instantly gets ImplausibleFencingPowers. Many of the other cards also give this.
* InTheNameOfTheMoon: Said ''after'' capturing the card, not before.
** When summoning her staff.
** Also when she captures the card.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: Both Meiling and Tomoyo. Yukito attempts this, but [[spoiler:he gets to be with his beloved]], so it doesn't count.
* IWillProtectHer: Syaoran has this instinct around Sakura [[{{Determinator}} big time]], even [[TheRival early on]]. Due to his and Kero's downgraded usage (see TheWorfEffect below) it is arguably their one usage in the third season. Syaoran also acts out a non-romantic variant ([[StalkerWithACrush unfortunately for her]]) to Meiling.
* InASingleBound: Jump Card, period. Can cross HUGE distances (whole city blocks), [[RoofHopping roof hop with ease]], reach heights to ''the top of Tokyo tower'' and ALWAYS lands soft with laser guided accuracy.
* IntoxicationEnsues: Suppie (Spinel Sun). Eating ''anything'' which has sugar in it ''in any amount'' results in a massive out of control drunken spree that ''only gets worse''. In fact he also becomes much cuter and hilarious as a result. But then it becomes an emergency when starts shooting destructive mouth lasers in all directions.
* JediMindTrick: Eriol. No civilians notice anything odd or for that matter are even present at the scene of action, not even when huge earthquakes and towers of rock rip through the town.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Syaoran, Meiling and Touya.
** JerkassFacade under possible AlternateCharacterInterpretation.
* KansaiRegionalAccent: Cerberus, the Beast of the Seal who guards the Clow Cards, spent a while in Osaka and picked up the accent. Lampshaded by Sakura as soon as she heard him speak for the first time.
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Despite dubbing all 70 episodes and broadcasting in several channels and licensing it worldwide, only a handful of episodes were released on home video. Leaving the other episodes to fade into oblivion. When the dubbed Cardcaptors and the subbed Cardcaptor Sakura were released simultaneously, the subtitled version outsold the dub. With low DVD sales, the companies that were releasing them suspended releasing the dubbed episodes and focused on getting the subbed versions out.
** And now, because Geneon basically went out of business in the States, every DVD of the series and movies ever released is now out-of-print.
** The DVDs had gone OOP even before Geneon USA folded, sadly.
* KissingCousins: Subverted. The only canonical couple who are cousins never kiss and eventually break up.
* KnightTemplar: The Nothing Card of the second movie [[spoiler: (one of the few real villains in the series)]] after centuries being hidden and alone, is vehement on being reunited with it's fellow cards, whether they want it or not, and also has nothing against erasing huge populations of innocent beings in her frenzied search. [[spoiler: In a rare case for the trope, she gets the point in the end and reverses everything after being caught by Sakura, so she can be accepted willingly as a friend]].
** [[spoiler: Ruby Moon, while mostly working with Eriol in assisting Sakura, seems to gain a self proclaimed rivalry with Yue to potentially murderous ambitions]].
* KnightTemplarBigBrother: Touya [[spoiler: because he made a promise to his mother while she was dying to always protect Sakura]].
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: A [[LampshadedTrope lampshading]] of the many relationships in the series:
--> Tomoyo: It seems our relationship charthas gotten rather complicated.
* LiteraryAgentHypothesis: An {{Omake}} suggested that the entire series had been filmed and edited by Tomoyo, and included her attempt to film and record the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE-vw2UfF3I opening song]].
* LimitedWardrobe: '''Averted with special mention.''' Not only with the mission clothes (not even one is used more than one time!), Sakura's everyday clothes and accesories are very numerous too, they do repeat from time to time, but they usually changed every season. You could think that the authors would take a break by letting Sakura and her friends use school uniforms more often, but even the school wardrobe was much more varied than in most anime series, with different types of uniforms for Spring and Winter, coats, hats, P.E., swimsuits, special uniforms for sport competitions, two different cheerleader uniforms(one for practices and one for competitions)... heck! The school even had special clothes specific for some school trips! (And most of these come in both girl and boy versions.)
** The little segment Kero-chan ni Omakase was added later to the series to show-off the great variety of clothes and accesories the anime had.
* TheLittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday: Or better said, "the little book that wasn't in my basement yesterday". Also the Twin Bells gift shop.
* LivingLabyrinth: The Maze card.
* {{Lolicon}}: Yoshiyuki Terada. Though to be fair, [[spoiler:he waited until Rika was older]].
** [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation It's entirely]] [[WildMassGuessing possible]] that Terada is only returning the crush out of kindness, [[GenreSavvy knowing or betting]] that Rika may find someone closer to her age as she grows up. [[spoiler:That it doesn't happen that way reaffirms the whole "love is unstoppable" thing]].
** There are some fans that refer to Sakura as the Lolicon Queen because... [[RuleThirtyFour well, you know]]...
* LongingLook
* LoveDodecahedron
* LoveTranscendsSpacetime: Well, at least the 1800 miles between Hong Kong and Japan does nothing to dampen it.
** In the anime, it goes further to conquer [[RelationshipSabotage much worse stuff]] than that.
* LuminescentBlush: Syaoran gets it when he's [[ItMakesSenseInContext in Kero's body]] and Yukito hands him to Sakura, asking if she dropped a plush toy.
* MagicalGirl
* MagicalIncantation: Fairly long ones.
* MagicWand: Sakura and [[spoiler:Eriol]] wield one.
* MarySueTopia: Tomoeda
* TheMatchmaker: Eriol, hands down! He is actively responsible for [[spoiler: helping Syaoran realize his feelings for Sakura, and for letting Sakura know that Yukito only loves her platonically as family]]. Closely followed by Tomoyo, Meiling [[spoiler: who really make selfless sacrifices]] and even Yue [[spoiler: who clarifies the Law of Magical attraction vs real love]] and even Wei [[spoiler: he encourages Syaoran to give Sakura the teddy bear]].
** More fanfics than you can spend time counting have used the fact that Syaoran's mother has a special liking for Sakura (in the movie she also has Syaoran be her bodyguard), to make her into this in their script.
* MaybeEverAfter: The ending of the TV series. Averted by the Second Movie.
* MeaningfulName: Anyone with the kanji for "moon" in their name will have a magical connection to the moon; Nakuru Akizuki and Yukito Tsukishiro both have ''doubly'' meaningful names. Lampshaded by Kero in episode 47 of the anime when he starts enquiring about the kanji for Eriol's name.
* {{Meganekko}}: Naoko Yanagisawa.
* MetaGuy: Tomoyo, who is very GenreSavvy; she asks in the second episode if Sakura knows any cool poses or owns any special evil-fighting clothes, and offers to help.
%% Misblamed was moved to the YMMV tab. Please don't add it back here.
* MistakenForGay: Syaoran thought he had a crush on Yukito, but it later turned out [[spoiler: he was just attracted to the high amount of moon energy inside him]].
* MobileMaze
* MonogenderMonsters: The Clow Cards are mostly women or gender neutral forces/concepts.
* MoodWhiplash: The Sleep Card episode. For the most part, it is a cheerful glimpse into Sakura's dad's university life with Sakura ever so eager to help. And then, just after she seals the card, disaster strikes.
* TheMovie: Two of them in fact; the first one is literally named after this trope. The first one happens exactly half way through the TV series, and the second one concludes the anime.
* {{Mukokuseki}}: Rather prevalent on everyone, although Syaoran and Meiling get to look somewhat more "asian" (likely due to being Chinese). Sakura is the most blatantly noticeable in this regard, though, since she's got big round ''green'' eyes, reddish-brown hair (that seems to vary a bit depending on the lighting present) and a very fair complexion... and she is still, in theory, 100% Yamato in ancestry.[[hottip:*:Well, okay, 98% Yamato thanks to her relation to Clow Reed, although Reed's own ancestry is confusing as heck, and both sides of her family have been in Japan for centuries now.]] Heck, at times she almost doesn't look ''related'' to her brother or father at all. Selling her as a caucasian in the dub (with the family name change to "Avalon") was not particularly difficult.
* MundaneUtility: Because the flower shop was closed, Sakura once used The Flower to make an armful of flowers she wanted.
* MutuallyExclusiveMagic: Chinese and Western magic, before Clow combined them in the Clow Cards.
* NamesTheSame: ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' isn't the only series with [[PowerRangersMysticForce a videographer named Madison]], the dub name for Daidoji Tomoyo.
* NightmareFetishist: Naoko
%% NightmareFuel was moved to the YMMV tab. Please don't add it back here.
* NoblewomansLaugh: Meilin gives these on occasion, usually when appearing triumphant - and often to Sakura.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Yue to Sakura in the Final Judgment. Although not terribly violent, it's still significantly darker than anything before that point. Sakura cries out in pain as she's thrown into steel girders and hit by sharp crystal shards, unable and unwilling to fight back.
** Syaoran's battle with Yue beforehand isn't suggested to be much better, [[GoryDiscressionShot if less graphic]]. We hear a loud offscreen yell in pain before he reappears battered and bruised and barely able to stand. Naturally Sakura, Yue's next opponent is pretty irked.
* NoOntologicalInertia: The Clow Cards and Yue. They've only survived for so long because they were running on batteries. Averted with Keroberos.
** Practically anything done by the Clow Cards is undone once they're caught.
** Not actually subverted in Cerberus' case: in the Japanese manga, he says he is 'self-sustaining' because he can supplement food as energy when he doesn't receive the amount he needs from Sakura. An odd version of this trope because both Cards and their protectors have technically survived the death of their creator.
* NotTheFallThatKillsYou: Anyone with magic who falls, ''Repeatedly''! Only Touya gets injured in a fall. No matter the height, others always break the fall with hardly even a small scratch! At worst!
* NothingIsScarier: The SceneryGorn the Nothing caused in The Sealed Card, made worse by the fact you can still see what most of the things taken used to be. [[NightmareFuel Goodness]].
* NotSoAboveItAll: Poor Syaoran, no matter how hard he tries to act dignified and stoic his mystique is always destroyed by some affectionate soul, usually Sakura, reducing him to an (adorable) piece of jelly.
* NeverGrewUp: Eriol.
* NighInvulnerability: Most of the time, no one gets even slightly injured. Not even after being buried under tidal waves of water, falling from any height (even landing hard on some occasions), rocked by gigantic earthquakes, hit by an antimatter equivalent explosion, repeatedly slammed into walls and even steel girders, pierced by sharp crystal shards, almost drowned by tornadoes of water, surrounded by raging fire, and even after being hit by a fast moving roller coaster!
** It's a kids show!
* ObliviousToLove: [[TheDitz Sakura]]. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded repeatedly]].
** Ironically Syaoran, for all he suffered from this trope seems to be even more clueless when it's Sakura's turn (granted however [[ShipperOnDeck he had a lot of help beforehand]]).
* OmniscientMoralityLicense: [[spoiler:Clow, and later Eriol]]
* TheOneGuy: Syaoran is the only male character in the main group of four protagonists.
** That goes true for his family as well (''4 older sisters and his mom''). In fact in the manga it is [[LampshadeHanging explicitly commented]] that he has a very feminine family.
* OfficialCouple: Sakura and Syaoran. CLAMP made doubly sure that this pairing is backed up by PLENTY of canon. Tsubasa wouldn't happen if this pairing didn't come true, period.
** You might as well add that Tsubasa also backs up Touya and Yuki, and pretty much every other CLAMP pairing, HoYay, LesYay and Het. While creating some of its own on the side. Thank you Kuro and Fai.
** Due to the revelations of recent chapters, it needs to be mentioned that[[spoiler: CCS!Syaoran and CCS!Sakura have little if anything to do with the main plot of Tsubasa, and no, they are not the parents of any of the Syaorans or Sakuras wandering about the Tsubasa universe]].
*** [[spoiler: Actually, the older (middle school) Sakura of CCS is shown handing off her evolved wand to the grown up C!Sakura in a dream and the first version of her wand is seen in Yuuko's shop]].
** An interview with CLAMP involved a offhanded comment that Syaoran and Sakura are, like most CLAMP couples, 100% soulmates and didn't end up together for a "normal pairing" like some people thought; Syaoran and Sakura would have fallen in love even if Syaoran had been a girl or there had been an age gap.
** On the other hand, the [[YuriFanboy Yuri Fandom]] in general has adopted Sakura/Tomoyo as one of its flagship pairings; ShoujoAi.com has pics of them featured prominently on the main page along with several other famous couples like [[MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha NanoFate]], [[SailorMoon Rei/Usagi]], [[RevolutionaryGirlUtena Anthy/Utena]], and [[MaiHime ShizNat]]. Must be that whole "unrequited love" thing they have going on.
* OverusedRunningGag : Tomoyo, every time she talks about videotaping Sakura or her latest costume. All the more funnier because it comes at the most (in)appropriate moment. Surprisingly it never gets boring.
--> (In the middle of Snow Card's fierce blizzard): "At this rate...at this rate...''I can't film Sakura!''
* PerpetualFrowner: Syaoran
** LuminescentBlush: Except when he's doing this.
** The Void card, especially so! Until she does a HeelFaceTurn after getting a heart (literally) and becomes a ...
* PerpetualSmiler: Clow and Eriol. Even Fujitaka can qualify for this.
* PingPongNaivete: Sakura is often proved to very resourceful and cunning in her handling of the cards and the perils they cause, however she also has a rather realistic childlike complex, viewing ethics and emotions in a very simplistic manner, and often acting outright oblivious to those of others right in front of her face. She somehow [[ObliviousToLove never figures out by herself that her two best friends are madly in love with her]] (neither of whom are even remotely shrewd about it).
* PimpedOutDress: Sakura's outfits are frequently like this.
* PinkySwear: Sakura and Syaoran. He's too overwhelmed to refuse!
* PowerIncontinence: [[spoiler:Clow sets in motion the events of the plot]] partially because while being strong enough [[spoiler:to predict the future with intense accuracy, he couldn't control it. Sakura, being stronger, can also predict the future but can turn it off, unlike Clow]].
** That's hardly the tip of the iceberg of [[TsubasaReservoirChronicle the sheer mess his lack of control caused]].
* ThePowerOfLove: The whole story is built around this trope. Prevails in spite of ''everything''. In the manga it succeeds [[spoiler: in bringing Syaoran back to Japan to be with Sakura]]. The anime takes this to the next level very literally when [[spoiler: Sakura creates the nameless card with a winged heart. Later this card merges with the Nothing at the last minute to form the Hope card, and ensuring that Sakura and Syaoran's love survive intact even against the otherwise unconquerable]].
** The Sealed Card Ending has [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Ashita e No Melody]] in the background for this.
* PragmaticAdaptation : Among others, the ending is the most notable case in the series. The manga explicitly states [[spoiler: (when Yukito consoles Sakura when she makes the teddy bear for Syaoran)]] that overcoming the Long Distance barrier testifies to ThePowerofLove. The impact of long distance is toned down in the anime with characters frequently and liberally using air travel [[spoiler: (e.g Meling, who makes 7 trips in total)]] whenever needed (and [[PutOnABus not needed]]), unlike the manga. The anime instead shows the triumph of ThePowerOfLove by having them [[spoiler: capture card #53, which [[RelationshipSabotage actually threatens to take away one's deepest love, not to mention its genocidal tendencies]]]].
** This is also an interesting case in that not only are there many events that didn't appear in the source material, but even those events that did appear in the manga were almost always retold, keeping the fundamentals the same but reordering them, changing the locations, etc. Example: in both versions, Windy is the first card Sakura acquires, but whereas the manga has her capturing Woody next (off-screen) and then Jump, the anime has her capture Fly second. [[hottip:*:The Fly encounter itself is a good example of this too. In the manga, Sakura first encounters it at school, then at home, failing to capture it each time, then finally at home again, where she captures it by figuring out that it's just injured and agitated. The anime just has her encounter it at home on her first night of being a Cardcaptor, and she captures it by restraining it with Windy - something she tried in the manga, for that matter, but which didn't work because Fly is another Wind elemental card.]]
** Syaoran's characterization in the anime doesn't support the manga type of ending - he doesn't live alone and is essentially a mature kid looked after by Wei with his family members actually showing up. In the manga, he is a loner, there's only a passing reference to his family and he's practically a fully independent adult in a child's body. [[spoiler: And a bunch of formalities and work in the manga (details never mentioned) is replaced by the ability to make vacation visits in the anime]].
*** Apparently [[LoveTranscendsSpacetime Distance was too feeble for a dramatic ending]] as compared to Genocidal Card #53.
* PrescienceIsPredictable: [[spoiler:Clow]].
* TheProfessor: Sakura's dad, though younger than usual.
* PsychoticSmirk: Nakaru occasionally gives one to Yukito, [[CompletelyMissingThePoint something he never quite catches]]. Eriol occasionally gives something of similar effect [[spoiler: even if his intentions are ultimately less antagonistic]].
* PureMagicBeing: Yue is in danger of ceasing to exist because Sakura is too young to generate enough magic to support his existence.
* PutOnABus
** Meiling in the anime, followed by a couple of returns later on.
** Kaho at the end of the Clow Card arc in both versions, though as she writes letters to Sakura, her presence is still felt. [[spoiler:She comes back in person in the finale]].
* RapunzelHair: Yue has one of anime's best examples of this
** Also, both Syaoran's mom and Sakura's mom
* RealityWarper: Several Cards have that power, but most notably The Create and The Time.
* RealityWritingBook: The Create Card is a RealityWarper book that makes everything written in it materialize.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld:
** Clow Reed, and by extension, his creations, the Clow Cards and Kero and Yue.
** [[spoiler:Eriol, thanks to being the half-{{Reincarnation}} of Clow Reed along with Fujitaka]].
* RedOniBlueOni: Kero and Yue.
** [[spoiler:Spinel Sun and Ruby Moon]].
*** We could switch those pairs around, and still get RedOniBlueOni: [[spoiler:Spinel is blue to Kero's red, while Ruby Moon is red to Yue's blue]]. ColorCodedForYourConvenience and everything.
* {{Reincarnation}}: [[spoiler:In the manga, Clow has two reincarnations: Eriol and Fujitaka]]. In the anime, he [[spoiler:only has Eriol]].
* TheRival: Syaoran and Sakura start like this, but it's not long before it gets averted as [[FriendToAllLivingThings Sakura has problems resenting Syaoran as one]]).
** Keroberos and Spinel Sun. Ruby Moon sees Yue as one.
* RuleThirtyFour: ''Siiiiiiigh.'' Kind of ''has'' to be mentioned here as the dark reflection of SideStoryBonusArt; the enormous popularity of the series and the incredible volume of art it has produced has also resulted in the franchise being the subject of possibly the largest amount of fan-created pornographic material for any anime, ''ever''. It's so bad that Sakura is called the "Lolicon Queen" in some circles, due to the sheer volume of "objectionable" material produced around her ten-year-old self.
** For what it's worth, CLAMP has gone on record as saying that they are ''not'' particularly cool with this, although being former doujin-ka themselves, they acknowledge that it's basically impossible to get people to stop creating this sort of material. They have asked people to stop, though, and ''Tsubasa'' didn't produce ''quite'' as much naughty material as you might otherwise expect.
** Althrough the title of "Lolicon Queen" seems to belong now to another [[MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha magical girl...]]
* SayMyName: SAKURAAAAAAAAAA!
* SchoolgirlLesbians: Tomoyo.
* SchoolUniformsAreTheNewBlack: In fact, Tomoeda Elementary has uniforms for ''every'' occasion!
* ScrewDestiny: Sakura & Syaoran's love seems destined to be doomed by Card #53, until the PowerOfLove (literally) pulls a BeyondTheImpossible feat of Card redemption, which doubles as a CrowningMomentOfAwesome.
* SecondLove: Both Sakura and Syaoran's first love was [[EvenTheGuysWantHim Yukito]]. They eventually end up with each other, though.
** And let's not forget that Yukito is SecondLove for [[spoiler: Sakura's older brother, Touya]]
** When they break up, Kaho tells Touya that next time they meet, they'll both have {{Second Love}}s. She's right; [[spoiler:Touya has Yukito, and Kaho has Eriol]].
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Yukito and Touya.
* ShipTease: Done endlessly and mercilessly throughout the series, especially during the later stories. Instances such as ''Sakura, Shaoran and the Elevator'' exist as little more than episode long ship teases.
** What many consider the biggest folly in the ''Cardcaptors'' dub was trying to erase nearly ''all'' of these scenes (though due to some of them being in pivotal scenes or necessary transitions, some light instances such as Syaoran's blushing were kept in the dub).
* ShrinkingViolet: Rika Sasaki, but not to the extreme. She's mostly like that when around Terada.
** More so in the above mentioned Americanitis suffering dubs than the original, where she is just not being public about her relationship with Terada.
** In which case Sakura and Syaoran could probably count as well (Syaoran actually seems to become genuinely all around meek by the end of the series)
* SickEpisode: "Sakura's Dizzy Fever Day"
* SideStoryBonusArt: Tons and tons of it. What do you expect? Its {{CLAMP}}!
** [[http://ccs.sky-bound.org/gallery/index.php This site here]] hosts [[ArchivePanic over 55,000 images]], ''all of them from the franchise''.
* SlapSlapKiss: Chiharu and Yamazaki.
* SleepModeSize: Kerberos isn't supposed to look like a teddy bear. [[spoiler: Neither is Spinel Sun]].
* {{Soaperizing}}
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Tangentially related; the merchandise can't decide whether it wants to use Chinese or Japanese spellings, so we get "Syaoran" and "Meiling" on the same things.
** To pontificate further: "Syaoran" is Japanese Romaji with the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunrei-shiki Kunrei Romanization]] method (seldom used outside Japan and not often even there). "Shaoran" is Romaji with the more widely-used Hepburn system. Shaoran's Chinese name would be romanized as "Xiaolang", meaning "little wolf". "Meirin" would be the appropriate Japanese Romaji for Meiling's name (which means "Strawberry Bell", amusingly enough).
* SpontaneousReverb: Tomoyo
* SphereOfDestruction: Card #53 (Void) is notorious for doing a special version of BeamSpam with this, leaving behind hundreds of thousands of holes all over the city.
%% Squick was moved to the YMMV tab. Please don't add it back here.
* StabTheSky
* StalkerWithACrush: Tomoyo, to some degree. ''Much'' gentler and reasonable than the standard, of course (If you consider being with your best friend stalking.).
** Meiling is this until she realizes that Syaoran loves Sakura.
* StealthMentor: Eriol.
* SubordinateExcuse: A ''lot'' of the fans think [[HoYay Yue felt this way towards Clow]].
%% Suetopia was moved to the YMMV tab. Please don't add it back here.
* SurvivalMantra: "Everything will be alright."
** (spoiler for {{XXXholic}} and Tsubasa) [[spoiler:She tells an alternate Sakura this, who repeats it in {{XXXholic}} chapter 177 and TRC chapter 217, to her 'sons' Watanuki and Tsubasa (Male) respectively]].
** This actually enhances her powers on occasion. The Hope Card appears to be the personified form of this.
*** And is specifically referred to as her 'invincible spell' in the manga. When she says it you know everything's going to end well.
* SwissArmyTears
* SwordFight: Averted with extreme prejudice during the Sword Card episode. Syaoran tries to start one, but Sakura instantly rules it out. He basically missed his only chance to use his sword as anything other than a wand.
** He does kinda get to use it later on, protecting Sakura against some sentient metal railing in Episode 61.
* TarotMotifs
* ThemeNaming: The Kinomotos all have plant-related names: Sakura means "cherry blossom", Touya has "peach" in his name, the "fuji" in Fujitaka means "wisteria", Nadeshiko is a pink variety of dianthus. ''Kinomoto'' itself means ''root of the tree''.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Tomoyo with either Sakura or Meiling. Also Nadeshiko with Sonomi, Chiharu with either Rika or Naoko.
* TookALevelInKindness: Syaoran evolves from Sakura's [[ArrogantKungFuGuy arrogrant]] [[TheRival Rival]] to a [[ShrinkingViolet meek, soft spoken]] DoggedNiceGuy, Meiling undergoes a similar evolution in the anime. Both were largely a result of Sakura's own increasingly [[{{Moe}} docile and sweet natured aspects]] ([[CheerfulChild not that she wasn't all that kind to begin with however]]).
* TreacherousSpiritChase: The Illusion card shows people whatever they're thinking about, but it can also show them someone they love or miss and lead them to their doom.
* {{Tsundere}}: Syaoran is a ''male'' example. Touya, too. A more traditional female one is Chiharu.
** Touya is a mix of {{tsundere}} (non-romantic, towards Sakura) and SugarAndIce (towards Kaho and Yukito)
* TrainStationGoodbye: Correction... ''Airport goodbye''. With Meiling, twice. Also the TV Series Ending and the last chapter of the manga, when Syaoran has to go back to Hong Kong and Sakura meets him at the airport.
** However in all cases, they again return whenever the need arises.
* TropeOverdosed
* UnlimitedWardrobe: Tomoyo makes Sakura a completely new outfit for each mission, and on occasions where she fails to capture the card on her first go, she gets two.
* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: Poor, poor Meiling.
** And Tomoyo too.
** Also Sonomi, if she really felt like that about Sakura's mother.
* VerbalTic: Sakura: HOE!? HOEEEEEEEE!!!!!
** Also her 'HANYAN!' when she's flustered.
** Although, Sakura's cries of "HOE?" [[http://yourimg.in/f/83cx7x.jpg can make it look like she's calling out for a gardening tool]] to those who don't understand that the "e" is supposed to be pronounced.
** Similarly Syaoran: [[LuminescentBlush KAAAAAAAA!!!]]
* VoicesAreMental: Averted in the original; only the speech patterns switch with the characters' minds.
* WeirdnessCensor: Only Sakura and Syaoran notice the strange occurrences with the Clow Cards because everyone else's minds reject that which they can't understand.
** And on the rare occasion when it actually gets noticed, LaserGuidedAmnesia strikes.
** Not to mention Eriol's {{Masquerade}}
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The anime omits ''way too many'' plot points from the conclusion of the manga, leaving it at a more BittersweetEnding.
** In the final ending Syaoran does not permanently move to Tomeda, leaving him and Sakura in an awkward LongDistanceRelationship. And let's not go through the ''Cardcaptors'' dub...
** Not to forget the teddy bears. [[spoiler: Sakura never gives Syaoran one in the anime]].
** Touya's motorbike. [[spoiler:A ChekhovsGun in the manga, as Touya gives Sakura a ride with it so she can make it to the bus station in time to give Syaoran her bear]]. The manga also explains why the motorbike disappears; [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming it's because Sakura wouldn't be able to keep up with a motorbike on her rollerblades]].
** Kaho's SecondLove (in the flashback to her relationship with Touya, she tells him that next time they meet, they'll both have new loves). [[spoiler:In the manga, she's in love with Eriol]].
** [[spoiler: The splitting of Eriol's magic and the revelation of Fujitaka Kinomoto being the other half of Clow Reed are missing as well. As a result Fujitaka doesn't get to be reunited with his wife's spirit again]].
** The second [[TheMovie movie]] wraps thing up, however.
*** Actually ''The Sealed Card'' resolves very little of the details in the manga's climax. Syaoran (and Meiling) only returned briefly to Tomeda [[spoiler: for a visit Nadeshiko Festival and supposedly would return to Hong Kong afterwards, the ending is open and the series only goes so far to cement that he and Sakura are now in said LongDistanceRelationship, but with the possibility of visiting each other in the holidays]]. Not to mention the ending of the second movie basically [[LeftHanging leaves things literally hanging in midair]] with Sakura jumping over a ledge to hug Syaoran and the credits rolling halfway through the jump [[spoiler: (the manga ends with her making that hug, albeit in zero risk conditions)]]. And a large portion of the fandom suffered the effects of TrueArtIsAngsty.
*** [[DidNotDoTheResearch Not quite]]. Word of Wiki has it that the above Cliffhanger of the ''The Sealed Card'' ending [[CliffhangerCopout is resolved ''with special mention'']] by a [[SideStoryBonusArt special poster released along with the movie]], showing Sakura [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ccs27_320.jpg making the leap successfully]]. And what [[http://ccs.sky-bound.org/gallery/details.php?image_id=57140 high ]] [[http://ccs.sky-bound.org/gallery/details.php?image_id=57141 resolution!]]. To be fair, it basically required searching ''the whole internet'' to find this (there are only 2 copies in web existence) and it [[LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition wasn't on the regular edition disc either]]. [[spoiler: The discussion page for more details]].
*** But as there is no WordOfGod, only second best WordOfDante (see [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/remarks.php?trope=Main.CardcaptorSakura discussion]] or [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Heartwarming/CardcaptorSakura Heartwarming page]] [[ShownTheirWork for all the research]]) out on this, [[YourMileageMayVary opinions may (and do) differ]] as to whether it constitutes a [[TrailersAlwaysSpoil promotional spoiler]] or not. However it is confirmed official merchandise [[spoiler: See CLAMP's copyright at the bottom]]. that doubles up as a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.
*** If so, then the still image and the extra are LooseCanon fodder. See also PragmaticAdaptation (above)
*** Not to forget that this is the whole point of the Second Movie and the end of the manga as well. If Sakura hugs Syaoran, the show is over!!
*** All these inspired a series of {{Continuation}}s and {{Fix Fic}}s, the authors not willing to accept anything LeftHanging of just about every possible variety on the [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism scale]].
** Speaking of long distance -- presenting Tsubasa Chapter 223. Page 1, C!S&S meet and embrace in Hong Kong, come Page 3, they're married and parents! Moral - Distance, time, alternate universe, new series and reincarnation are all insignificant before the PowerOfLove.
%% Personal opinions are being moved towards YMMV where there is a separate section for discussing the above issue of the picture.
* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: While many of the Clow Cards do have formidable abilities, it's hard to see things like "The Sweet," "The Cloud," and "The Glow" be used for anything devastating in battle or stealth. "The Song" is also, in essence, a music recorder.
* WhiteHairedPrettyBoy: Yue is a rare variety that starts off antagonistic and grows to care for Sakura once he accepts that she's [[HoYay not Clow]] but doesn't have to be.
* WhiteAndGreyMorality: This show has no villains; in the first arc, [[MonsterOfTheWeek the Cards]] are portrayed more as mischievous beings than truly evil troublemakers (if somewhat inept to their occasionally dangerous powers) and are all subject to DefeatMeansFriendship, and in the second arc, the "villain" is quickly hinted (and revealed at the end) to be much more of a TricksterMentor. All the intelligent characters are presented as decent people, which underscores the "Humans Are Good" part of the trope.
* WhyDoYouKeepChangingJobs: Touya seems to have a new job every episode.
* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Tomoyo, in addition to being GenreSavvy, is extremely perceptive of the motives and secrets of people around her. This is even lampshaded in the manga when [[spoiler:Eriol comments that her powers of perception are more valuable to her and her friends than magic]].
** Syaoran as well, who is extremely serious and non nonsense in tone and has vast intellect regarding the cards and their heritage. He is suggested to be well educated as well. That said, PingPongNaivete and NotSoAboveItAll moments come at his expense a lot more.
* TheWorfEffect: Alas, poor Kero-chan.
** And [[spoiler: Syaoron, when he is thrown aside by Yue in the Final Judgement]].
* YamatoNadeshiko: Sakura's mom [[MeaningfulName Nadeshiko]] (though she also was [[{{Dojikko}} kinda clumsy]] when young). Also, Sakura's friend Rika Sasaki.
** Fujitaka could nearly be considered a male example, if such a thing was possible.
* YaoiGuys: Touya and Yukito
* YouKeepUsingThatWord: The Firey Card. [[RougeAnglesOfSatin "Firey"]] isn't a word, but it could simply be "Fiery" misspelled.
** The main element cards are just the element with "y", lending itself to some odd GratuitousEnglish. The four cards are: Watery, Firey, Earthy, and Windy.
* ZettaiRyouiki: Sakura's outfits often sport this, in varying grades.
----
<<|NoteworthyAnime|>>
<<|{{Manga}}|>>