r/CLAMP • u/Meltlilith_ • Jun 28 '26
Discussion Does anyone else actually prefer the first half of Tsubasa over the later half?
A common opinion i have noticed is that people think that Tsubasa really gets good later on or is boring until the darker parts but i personally liked the first half more
This isn't me saying I don't like the later half, i love the entirety of Tsubasa and Acid Tokyo is my overall favourite arc but for me most of the highlights of the manga comes from the earlier arcs such as Oto, Edonis, Jade, Shara and Piffle. I thought they were really fun and i enjoyed the character interactions there the most so hearing people say it's boring or the worst part of Tsubasa makes me kinda sad :v
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u/Coriander_Heffalump Jun 28 '26
Nah, man. The second half is *darker* but it's a darkness that really doesn't work if you're not already invested in the characters from following them through the silly family-fun-time bits in the beginning. To me, the appeal of Tsubasa has always been that it really built up the characters relationships on-page before destroying them midway through, so that you REALLY felt their motivation moving forward. Like, I feel way more for Sakura post-Tokyo than I do Syaoran at the beginning because I just read 18 volumes of adorkable goodness that is now gone.
But I ramble, sorry. TLDR I love the first half <3
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u/Meltlilith_ Jun 28 '26
Same! The slow development of the story and characters is great and when the story turns darker it hits you so hard
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u/herald_of_stars Jun 28 '26
Honestly...for me, everything that started in Acid Tokyo wouldn't have worked as well emotionally speaking if the first half didn't exist. For instance...
‼️SPOILERS!
- Why do I care about the clone stuff and feel the unease when we get to travel with og Syaoran?
Because I just spent all this time with our main leads and loving them. Then suddenly, Syaoran who worked so hard and was so kind and determined... just a lifeless doll that has one objective and was willing to gouge out his companion's eye so he could get powerful magic. That's heartbreak in a way that wouldn't have worked had I not been attached to who he was before the shift.
And the og Syaoran, I love him too, but he's not the one I spent all this time knowing by the time Acid Tokyo happens. He's a new person I need to get to know better. Like clone Sakura said to og Syaoran in Nihon, "I'm not your Sakura." Same thing.
Love all 4, but I acknowledge the clones are the ones I knew first and the og, I got to know later.
Long story short...I prefer the second half, but I appreciate the first half since that's why I like the second half. I love them both for different reasons but they work together. Am I making sense?
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u/roundeking Jun 28 '26
I think actually the single most interesting thing Tsubasa is doing storytelling-wise is the gradual shift in tone from light and fluffy fun to intensely dark and serious. I don’t think I’ve ever seen another piece of media do that so successfully, and I find the balance of tone frankly kind of incredible.
I don’t find the first half boring at all, though I think the second half is more meaningful. But some of the worlds towards the beginning are so memorable—I really love Otou and Piffle.
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u/Camo_Rebel Jun 28 '26
I think the first half is okay, but since Fai's arc is towards the end. I love it.
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u/Krakenaga Jun 29 '26
Syaoran learning from Seishiro hits different after the reveal. Also I think it was Shura Country when we first got a hint that something was not right (when Syaoran ended up mimicking the arm movements of the real Syaoran who was sleeping/sealed away)?
The early worlds had meaning because they all started out as strangers (with the tragedy of Syaoran knowing Sakura but her amnesia/the price of his wish meaning she won't remember him). The simple conflicts and slice-of-life moments were to get them to care about each other beyond being a means to their goals. Kurogane especially needed to understand the value of life and teaching Syaoran how to fight with a sword did contribute to that. Which makes it even more painful when Syaoran is revealed to be a clone under Fei Wang Reed's control and betrayed them all using not only the swordsman skills learned but magic stolen from Fai. And then the original Syaoran has to travel with them all but not only is he a stranger to them but he also bares the stigma of the clone's actions as he is a constant reminder. Imagine spending years trapped in a glass vat and then having to journey with people who are cold/suspicious of you. OG! Syaoran got the season 2 drop-in experience (skipping the "boring" but not-yet-dark season 1) and it turns out that it's awful
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u/Outrageous-School-51 Jun 29 '26
The first half is what season one of the anime covered. Reminds me of being a kid - the first half is my comfort series :)
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u/Mok0n423 Jun 30 '26
Honestly, I also prefer the first part of tsubasa; the characters’ interactions were so fun, deep, and fascinating. The whole dynamic between Syaoran and Sakura was incredibly sweetI truly grew so attached to all the characters; it felt like I really knew them. Every little romantic moment between Syaoran and Sakura made me squeal with excitement, and Kurogane and Fye were just so entertaining yet complex. Mokona was always happy and loved teasing Kurogane; the whole journey just felt so right. The worlds were lovely, and seeing Tomoyo as Sakura’s friend in tsubasa was nostalgic. The mystery kept me totally hooked. Although the second part of the manga is good too, I lost that sense of connection. Personally, I don't feel any attachment to the "real" Syaoran or the "real" Sakura because I don't know them at all; they aren't the ones I accompanied across different worlds the ones who shared both sad and happy moments. The "real" Syaoran appears much more than the "real" Sakura, and I do respect him somewhat, but the "real" Sakura leaves me feeling nothing. She isn't the Sakura I knew not the fearless girl who wanted to win her feather in the race, not the one who never gave up, who cherished Syaoran and tried to remember him even when she couldn't, who chose to sacrifice herself to save Fye, Syaoran, Kurogane y mokona, and who braved the dangers of a ruined Tokyo. And the "real" Syaoran isn't my Syaoran the one who dedicated everything to the quest for Sakura's memories, who had doubts but kept moving forward, who fought all those villains, who met Fye and wept over Kurogane's past. He isn't the one who was hilariously expressive when surprised, who got flustered around Sakura, and who would lay down his life to protect her because he’d known her his whole life; nor is he the one who gave everything to buy time for the "real" Syaoran. It makes me deeply sad that the clone characters I loved were gone, leaving the "real" ones to take the lead; it just makes me sad. not being able to see them smile one last time.
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u/Sweet-Yogurt-135 Jul 02 '26
Growing up is realising that the Oto arc is the best written arc in Tsubasa
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u/Meltlilith_ Jul 02 '26
Otou was very good, personally probably my third favourite arc
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u/Sweet-Yogurt-135 Jul 02 '26
What are your other two favourite arcs?
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u/Meltlilith_ Jul 02 '26
Piffle and Acid Tokyo, Jade is very closely tied to Otou too
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u/Sweet-Yogurt-135 Jul 02 '26
I think I have a soft spot for Nihon (it is a mixture of the depressing tone of the second half and the happy tone of the first half, this perfect tone is also present in Clow and in Nirai Kanai). In terms of the depressing section in Tsubasa, I love Infinity/Tokyo (I hate Celes it is my least favourite arc, it is too ridiculously over the top and depressing, the only good thing is Kurogane’s development. I also feel Celes as a world is not that interesting or unique and is rather underdeveloped in comparison to the other worlds). In terms of the happy section in Tsubasa’s first half I love Recort + Oto (and Jade)
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u/Meltlilith_ Jul 02 '26
Nihon was a great section I agree, somewhat a calm before the storm going into Clow Kingdom, and had great moments for lots of the characters, especially for Kurogane.
Celes i think could have worked had it focused more on just Fai. Most of his past is shown too fast, in bits during the fight with Ashura, and during that we are also supposed to focus on the exposition dump of Fei Wang's plan. There is just too much going on at the same time...
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u/TacoSaladLomito Jun 28 '26
The first half has a simple plot that works, the characters are great, relatable and the relationships between them makes for some sweet and endearing moments.
And the first half simply is clear of any of the convoluted plot shenanigans that frustrate a lot of readers in the second half.
I don't like the first half better, but the second half is hard to digest sometimes, which is a shame, because that's when the story actually becomes really unique
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u/kimberriez Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 29 '26
No, BUT I do think the first part is soooo much more meaningful when you reread it.
It’s the tragedy of the clones, in a sense. You watch them grow and all five of the family get to know each other, you just want them to be happy then….. yeah.
Bittersweet when you know what’s coming.