Cardcaptor Sakura

Sakura Kinomoto, an elementary school student who discovers that she possesses magical powers after accidentally freeing a set of magical cards from the book they had been sealed in for years. She is then tasked with retrieving those cards in order to avoid an unknown catastrophe from befalling the world.

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.

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.

• Sailor Moonshared shoujo magical girl format, episodic monster-of-the-week structure with a slowly building mythology
• Magic Knight Rayearthshared young protagonist collecting mystical objects with a gentle coming-of-age tone
• Madoka Magicashared child protagonist with magical powers, wholesome tone and found-family friendships

Release Date

1998-04-07

Episode runtime

25 min

Rating

8.0 / 10 (816)

What is Cardcaptor Sakura about?

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

What is Cardcaptor Sakura like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Cardcaptor Sakura as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Cardcaptor Sakura violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Cardcaptor Sakura.

What did critics think of Cardcaptor Sakura?

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.

Which shows are like Cardcaptor Sakura?

Shows with a similar feel include Sailor Moon, Magic Knight Rayearth, and Madoka Magica.

How long is Cardcaptor Sakura?

Cardcaptor Sakura: 4 seasons, 92 episodes.

Is Cardcaptor Sakura still running?

No, Cardcaptor Sakura has ended.

Where can I watch Cardcaptor Sakura?

In United States, Cardcaptor Sakura streams on Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel.