I haven't read the manga, so I can't really comment there, but I do recall the support cast being quite likable and memorable in the anime. Perhaps you can try that instead.
Also, "BECAUSE THE MAN SAYS SO!"? CLAMP is a female team.
...did you actually READ the comic?
The reason Sakura is the one who gets the cards is because she's the only one POWERFUL enough to handle them.
I think you missed some important plot points while skimming through the comic.
"What is the point in getting the cards?"
Because Clow wanted someone to take care of his creations after his death.
"WHY is she meant to have the cards? Clow saw it?"
Because Clow foresaw her and chose her to inherit his creations. He knew she was the one because a. he knew she'd be powerful enough to support them; and b. he knew that she'd care for them as he did and not treat them as tools.
"WHY is she better than Shaoran?"
Because Syaoran, as he was introduced, would only have treated the Cards as magical tools and not as sentient beings.
By the way, except for the Syaoran thing, this is all explained at the end of the first arc, by Clow himself, so it's not like I'm pulling it out of thin air. You might want to go back and reread.
"How are we supposed to like her if we only see a picture of her?"
Well, maybe if you hadn't skipped the pages that showed her and the other characters reminiscing about her, you would've seen more of Nadeshiko than just a picture.
I would actually have to agree with the previous poster.
Your case is a common case of just not paying attention.
Syaoran says outright that he never thought of the cards as sentient beings, and only as tools. He is also much weaker than Sakura, and would not be able to pass the final judgment due to his affinity being of the moon. You would have learned that if you payed attention. Syaoran actually wasn't even supposed to chase after them at all.
Also the World will end depends on what the holder of the cards finds to be the most precious, which in Sakura's case was love.
Also there are flashbacks of Nadeshiko and Fujitaka and you would have seen them if you didn't skip over them like you did everything else. Remember the character is dead.
Also there is no reference to Tsubasa at all, considering that this was made years before Tsubasa was even an idea in CLAMP's mind. Considering that you only see Sakura once in Tsuabasa anyway and she has absolutely no effect on its storyline, makes it apparent that you never really read that either.
Also it was stated outright that Syaoran and Sakura were soul mates from the very beginning. They are all also fourth graders, at the beginning and they age up to being in middle school by the end of the series.
The minor characters also all have their own personalities
I write this because I care. I grew up loving the series which, to me, is one of the classics which may be copied but never replaced. And it sounds like you WERE expecting a prequel to Tsubasa. Well, no cookie for you. What makes this great is that it was made for the younger generation. This series will introduce them to a world filled with magic, love and the like. It seems that you completely missed the point. But it's your review. Here's your cookie back.
I sort of have to wonder if you were looking for a Tsubasa prequel when you found CCS, but were so disappointed when you read the plot synopsis to find a simple Magical Girl instead of a Shonen epic that you went into it expecting to hate it and decided "yep, it's exactly what I thought it would be" after ten pages and just randomly flipped through it after that. That's just my guess, though. It would certainly explain why you're missing so many facts and seem determined to hate the series.
As to why you seem to think the plot is worthless: Clow decided that Sakura should have the cards because of both her incredible magical capacity, which vastly outstrips Shaoran's and still has yet to completely mature, and because he knew she would be able to see the cards as actual beings instead of just tools. Sakura wants the cards to be her friends and companions, rather than her servants, while Shaoran just sees them as very powerful magical tools, making her the better candidate. And at the very beginning it was stated that there would be a disaster if Sakura failed to collect the cards, but also specified that the disaster would be different depending on the person; in Sakura's case, failing to become the cards' master would cause everyone who was in any way related to or influenced by the cards to forget about the person they hold most dear. And the whole thing does not immediately melt into a puddle of romantic Shojo goo as soon as Shaoran appears: he shows up as a rival for possession of the cards and remains as such, nothing more, until Sakura becomes the cards' true master, and even then their relationship is definitely a subplot.
Come to think of it, I'm amazed you managed to make it through Tsubasa if Cardcaptor Sakura confuses you....
The reasons Sakura was supposed to have the cards was already mentioned (balances lack of intelligence with wisdom, power through heart, ya-di-ya). That said I always thought part of the show's appeal was that we were to an extent supposed to root for Syaoran almost as much as Sakura. He's something of a Deuteragonist and gets almost as much Character Development as she does. He's the more abrasive, self serving character compared to Sakura, who is relatable in her childishness but rather abnormally kind and sweet natured otherwise.
Romance admitedly does eclipse the plot, especially by the final arc, I think it helps however that, unlike so many other shows, it's depicted through actual personality. Sakura and Syaoran are very endearing characters and the screentime and relationship they have together is genuinely adorable as a result rather than bland and nausiating. I do admit the show is very cutesy which isn't for everyone and some characters do seem to get underplayed for the subplots (Tomoyo in particular always felt a very one note character) but it is at least fun within it all.
Either you didn't actually read the manga or watch the anime or you didn't pay attention. You called Kinomoto-kami 'lazy third-grader'; she starts the series in fourth-grade and she actually performs a number of households chores without supervision that your typical ten-year old wouldn't even be compelled to do.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg for the errors in your assessment as evidenced by the other critical responses made.
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Mediocre
When I started this series, I did not expect high-brow thought-provoking social commentary. I did not expect a perfect series nor a prequel to Tsubasa nor a coherent plot. I got what I expected.
The series starts well. Sakura, a lazy third grader, opens a book and the mystical Clow Cards fly away and the now-awakened guardian demands them back. About as random as Harry Potter: Magical being declares you magic and demands you go get more magic COMPLETELY RANDOMLY. Fine.
This "plot" soon falls over. They introduce Shaoran, an exchange student from China, who also wants the Cards! This is where the series turned from "marginally interesting for little girls" to "uninteresting romance". In fact, as soon as they showed him, I knew that he and Sakura would be together forever. ARGH. I don't know why people think that an eight-year-old's crush will end up being their PERFECT LIFE PARTNER OMG. It's sort of creepy.
In fact, the entire plot is a moot point: what is the difference between Sakura or Shaoran getting the cards? What is the point in getting the cards? The series says "if they're not sealed the WORLD WILL END" or something to that effect HALFWAY THROUGH. Then why not give the cards to Shaoran? We're supposed to root for Sakura but we see no reason WHY. WHY is she meant to have the cards? Clow saw it? If SOMEONE has them, shouldn't that save the world? WHY is she better than Shaoran?
The minor characters get so little screen time that it becomes even more clear that SAKURA is the best and YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LIKE ANYONE BETTER. I realize that this series is meant for little girls, usually defined as "below 12", but how much difference can two years make? Why are we not allowed to have an Ensemble Darkhorse due to lack of character? BECAUSE THE MAN SAYS SO!
Any attempts to widen the backstory unrelated to Clow (like Fujitaka and Nadeshiko's romance) is so overdone and boring that I literally had to skip the pages it took place on. I like world-building and character development as much as the next girl, but we have no idea what Sakura's mom was like. How are we supposed to like her if we only see a picture of her? The world they try to widen is too small to widen!
The series could be considered for young girls of about six. Otherwise, give it a wide berth.