First Impressions / Tsubasa Chronicle

Summary:
-Syaoran and Fye learn that the country they are in was created by a bird with a mysterious power, a power which Chaos inherited. Kurogane comes back with news that he’s found a swordsmith to repair Syaoran’s Hien. For now, he gives Syaoran some training with his own Souhi.
-To do their part, Fye and Mokona go to scout out the castle. They find the front gate heavily guarded, but then something happens that makes the guards all leave.
-With Sakura silent and not eating dinner, Chaos returns another feather to her. After Sakura faints from taking it in, Chaos is alerted about some intruders: Fei Wong Reed and Xing Huo’s forces. Chaos is able to single-handedly defeat them all with his power, so Xing Huo withdraws.
-Sakura remembers Chaos was leaving when she was young. She had said that she would wait to travel with him, and that even if she were separated from her father and brother, she wouldn’t be lonely if she were with him. However, Sakura realizes that she wouldn’t think like this because she loves her father and brother. As she questions if this really her memory, the world shatters.
-With no guards, Fye and Mokona sneak into the castle and find Sakura’s room. They discover her body expelling the feathers that Chaos gave her, except that they are now dark-colored. Once Sakura wakes up, Mokona explains that the feathers are fakes, which means that those memories were fake too.
-When Chaos comes to Sakura’s room, she tells him that manipulating her with false memories is cowardly. Having a hard time looking at Sakura, Chaos tells Fye and Mokona to pass along a message to Syaoran. He wants to challenge Syaoran in a fighting match. If Syaoran wins, he will return Sakura. Sakura also passes along a message telling Syaoran not to worry and not to do anything unreasonable.
-The next day, the group arrives at Chaos’ castle for the match. Syaoran and Chaos draw their swords and start fighting, with Chaos on the offensive first. Syaoran blocks those attacks and goes on the counteroffensive, pulling off an acrobatic move that allows him to land several kicks. The two then take to the air where Chaos notices that Syaoran isn’t looking at him and is instead maintaining eye contact with Sakura. Chaos proceeds to use his special lightning attack, but this time Syaoran is ready for it. With a fiery blade, he breaks through the blast and reflects the attack back at Chaos. However, despite the large explosion, Chaos remains relatively unhurt.
-Sakura cheers on Syaoran and refuses Chaos’ order to keep silent. Chaos decides to act on Sakura while his two guards keep Syaoran occupied. Since he can’t erase the feelings she has for Syaoran and friends, he freezes her body in a block of ice. Mokona realizes that this affects not just her body, but her soul too.
-Chaos is ending the match because he’s now ready to take Sakura and travel. However, he says that he’s jealous of Syaoran, and so he transforms into the giant bird. The bird dives at Syaoran, Fye, and Kurogane, but they manage to get out of the way. Facing up against this new challenge, Syaoran vows to save Sakura.

Preview:

-As expected, the feathers were fakes, as were the memories, and Chaos is indeed the bird. It figures that there was no way they’d let Sakura recover so many feathers in one world.
-They’re hinting at Fei Wong Reed/Xing Huo playing a part in next week’s finale (for this second series), and probably the other Syaoran too based on the preview. That preview also spoils that frozen Sakura isn’t going to last very long. If I had to guess, I’d say that Chaos will sacrifice himself saving Sakura from Fei Wong Reed’s meddling, whatever that turns out to be. And while I doubt they will, I hope they don’t end on a cliffhanger.

36 Comments

  2. Hmm, I wonder if the anime will be starting to follow the current direction of the manga. It could just be me, but the preview seems to hint that that’s where this is going.

    Show Spoiler ▼

    mangaka-chan
    Reply

  4. There was a shot with a focus of something that looked like a feather when Chaos transfer to a bird (on chaos). That *might* be the real feather…

    Aside from Chaos chaning into the bird, things are going the way as I predicted them…

    The only good part in this episode is the sword fight scene between Chaos and Syaoran (namely the suprised look on Chaos). XingHuo’s first assault attempt was too short XD

    Bladewind
    Reply

  6. Quoting Mangaka-chan, “If they’re going to do another season then I hope they’ll get to the Tokyo arc with Kamui and Fuma, and then we can see the two Shaorans fight it out! ”

    If they dont, I think many fans would leave the show. They cant possibly have the third season similar to the second season, all traveling.

    This season is disappointing….argh………

    fisherman horizon
    Reply

  8. actually i feel this anime has a very nice storyline. the long journey helps establish the characters and allows you to enjoy the anime longer instead of just following the main storyline and ending like that.

    bean
    Reply

  9. what’s with the second pic in the preview? syaoran going emo? i hope not, they’d better save that for the Tokyo arc. Yes, no cliffhanger too and btw, doesn’t this mean that Chaos is actually a nice guy (despite the false memories and all) as he’s trying to help the gang?

    decree
    Reply

  12. I have no idea how many seasons but I hope they don’t finish Tsuabsa Chronicle with just 3 seasons…

    And oooooooo interesting episode ^^

    Well everyone’s prediction that those memories are a big fat fake!

    So chaos is the giant bird or inherited the giant bird…the bird when I first saw it looked like a good guy(?)

    Ohhhhhh Syaoran have something in his eye again! ^^

    I bet this season will end happyily though they have some explaining to do…(eg the giant bird!)

    Sakurazukamori
    Reply

  14. And the next round ends..
    I wasn’t so concinced by this second season as by the first, however it had it’s good moments as well.

    @Omni: Is there already a third season in work and do you have any information about it? Thanks^^

    *Chi*
    Reply

  15. All signs point to the third series following the format of the first two. In other words, starting in the Spring and ending in the Fall. For the next half year, NHK is going to reair this second series, and when that ends in early May 2007, the final season should start.

    Omni
    Reply

  16. There will be a third season next year… (April?)

    Season 1’s ending arc is much better because of the dramatic storyline. The storyline here can be summarized in 1 sentence: Chaos tried to steal Sakura away with fake memories and Syaoran has to prevent it. -.-

    Bladewind
    Reply

  17. please publish the next episodes/season of tsubasa chronicles…it’s simply the best! I’m relly curious about what’s going to happen…so please….won’t you show the coming episodes/season…? pretty please…? grazie! arigatou! ^__^

    Incantevole la Cantante
    Reply

  20. OMG….Why cant Sakura just go with Chaos?????? Makes things a lot easier. And for once, cant Sakura fight against the bad guys???!!! Sorry not much of a Syaoran fan in TC. Hes a bit over protective compared to when he was in CCS.

    JunJun
    Reply

  23. This season was mostly disappointing and uninteresting. However, at least there is improvement in the animation compared to season 1. Season 1’s animation was just horrible.
    Also, I still can’t accept Syaoran’s hero-like attitude; it seems fake. I’m quite sick of him being overly concerned with Sakura. All of the characters seem lifeless. But if I had to compliment this season/series, it would be the wonderful background music and insert songs, though the tunes are getting too repetitive.
    I do hope season 3 will have plots that are much more interesting, and characters that are actually appealing. Card Captor Sakura was so much better than this. Butttttt, the best part of TRC is the relationship between Sakura and Syaoran, because we don’t get to see it in CCS! >_

    Tiff
    Reply

  24. the reason TRC Syaoran and CCS Syaoran are so different (overprotective,heroic, fake, etc etc) is because Show Spoiler ▼

    decree
    Reply

  25. *Just to note* I am absolutely not comparing TRC with CCS in any way. There is just a major problem with TRC’s characters showing convincing emotions. I don’t mind Sakura’s totally different character in TRC. Its the emotions portrayed in each episode I’m concerned about.
    @ decree: Nobody’s complaining is probably because the show’s got SakuraxSyaoran in it..By the way, is the TRC manga better than the anime?

    Tiff
    Reply

  26. @Tiff: TRC manga is indeed better than the anime. The anime lacks the humor, emotion, and developement that you’ll get from the manga.

    I could never see this happening in the manga. There’s no way, at this point, that anyone of Sakura’s “protectors” would let her be captured like this. And I don’t think Sakura would just stand there like that….she was more active in Jade, to be sure.

    I did like the fact that the animation took a step back up from the last episode, and the fight between Chaos and Syaoran was better than the last (they were moving and fighting, yay!). ^^

    I was beginning to get into the episode, actually. Then–oops. Sakura was frozen….

    M
    Reply

  27. I think this is how it works: season 1 – Introduction, season 2 – travel and focus in stronger relationships, season 3 – ending. But there is the possibility that they make a movie to end it all, just like they did in Card Captors Sakura

    Pochi
    Reply

  31. i agree with JunJun al the way. i get a tad bit tired when te girls get dependent on the guys. gets annoying….. and the artists are girls too. ugh! its an awesome anime and i love it and sakura’s cool and all but she has so much power supposedly and yet she cant even protect herself with it….. gets a tad bit annoyign dont u think?

    miharu
    Reply

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