# Cardcaptor Sakura (1998)

> A young elementary school girl who accidentally releases magical cards must recapture them to protect the world.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/32915

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 92
- Episode runtime: 25 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, fantasy, family
- Network: NHK BS2, NHK BS Premium
- Cast: Sakura Tange, Junko Iwao, Motoko Kumai, Aya Hisakawa, Emi Shinohara, Hideyuki Tanaka, Masaya Onosaka, Megumi Ogata
- TMDB rating: 8.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0221735/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: gentle, whimsical, dreamy, warm, hopeful

## What critics say

Audiences broadly regard the series as a charming, well-crafted magical girl classic whose first seasons are its strongest, with the later revival season rated noticeably lower.

## Synopsis

Cardcaptor Sakura (1998-2018) is a Japanese animated magical girl series created for NHK broadcast and produced by Madhouse. Sakura Kinomoto (voiced by Sakura Tange), an elementary school student, accidentally frees a set of magical cards sealed in a book and must recapture them before an unknown catastrophe threatens the world. Her best friend Tomoyo Daidouji (Junko Iwao) and the transfer student Syaoran Li (Motoko Kumai) help her track each card, while her guardian creature Kerberos (Aya Hisakawa) guides her through the mission. The engine of each episode is a new card, a new magical creature to subdue, and the everyday school and family life that surrounds it. The show spans four seasons and ninety-two episodes, moving from episodic card hunts toward a longer arc. Its tone is gentle, dreamy and whimsical, with shoujo romance, bright friendship and a warm sense of childhood wonder. Fans of Sailor Moon, Magic Knight Rayearth and Madoka Magica will find resonance in its blend of transformations, sweet bonds and quiet emotional stakes, set in a contemporary Japanese town.

## Shows like Cardcaptor Sakura

- [Tokyo Mew Mew (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/42014)
- [Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play (1995)](https://ember.film/tv/21548)
- [Fruits Basket (2001)](https://ember.film/tv/33973)
- [Sailor Moon (1992)](https://ember.film/tv/3395)
- [Yu-Gi-Oh! (1998)](https://ember.film/tv/33479)
- [Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (2003)](https://ember.film/tv/5123)
- [xxxHOLiC (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/33334)
- [Kamisama Kiss (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/55753)
- [Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/36039)
- [Hamtaro (2000)](https://ember.film/tv/5319)

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