Review of Tsubasa: Vol 3 - Spectres Of Legend

Introduction

The third volume of the dimension hopping Tsubasa is upon us, and despite Revelation`s new quarterly release schedule, it follows hot on the heels of the second, barely a month afterwards. Expect to wait longer for the fourth though. The parallel worlds theory on the face of it offers an infinite scope for storytelling. In reality the limits are defined by the creativity of the writers, which is one reason why Sliders rapidly disappeared up its own wormhole. Tsubasa has a greater potential to impress. Its creators, the manga collective known as CLAMP, have penned several stories, set in several worlds, all of which offer plentiful ideas and characters to explore. For someone well versed in CLAMP`s bibliography, each episode is like an Easter Egg of goodness, with references to stories like Chobits, Magical Knight Rayearth, X, and Cardcaptor Sakura. The question is if the show will appeal to a newcomer to the CLAMP legacy.

Syaoran, an archaeologist following in his father`s footsteps, and Sakura, princess of the Kingdom Of Clow are an ill-matched couple, but despite their differences they develop an abiding affection. All that changes at the local ruins. Sakura has an innate power, a destiny that is revealed when she undergoes a transformation. But something goes wrong, and her memories in the form of feathers are sent scattering through the dimensions. For Syaoran to restore his beloved`s memories and save her life, he has to find all the feathers. But the price is high. For the Dimension Witch`s aid, he has to sacrifice Sakura`s memory of him, but she gives him a cute creature named Mokona that will take him from world to world and help find the feathers. She also gives him two companions, a wizard stripped of his magic named Fai, and a warrior named Kurogane divested of his sword. Together they travel from world to world working to restore Syaoran`s lost love. All the while, dark forces watch and wait…

In the previous volume, the travellers arrived in Nayutaya, where the feudal town of Ryeon Huei had fallen under the thrall of a malicious magician named Tambal, who had gained power through one of Sakura`s feathers. In doing so, he had murdered the town`s protector. Cyunyan, her orphaned daughter, saw the arrival of Syaoran and his friends as the signal to begin the fight back. As the volume concluded, our heroes had entered the castle to search for the feather. The third volume from Revelation comes with 4 episodes and assorted extras, offering more multi-dimensional magic.

11. The Chosen Tomorrow
Syaoran is alone in the throne room, Sakura and Cyunyan trapped above him, surrounded by enthralled townspeople, and taunted by Tambal who wields the feather. Can Syaoran see through Tambal`s machinations before it is too late?

12. A Warm Smile
The next world is an odd one, an endless forest, a giant lake, and not a living soul anywhere to be found. Yet Mokona insists that there is a feather somewhere in the lake. For a native of a desert world, Syaoran is a remarkably adept swimmer.

13. Advocate of Illusion
The Country Of Jade is their next destination, a land shrouded in winter, with snow ever-present, and long dark nights never far away. They hear tell of a legend, that 300 years ago, a Princess came upon a magical feather, and then began spiriting children away to her castle, never to be seen again. It turns out the legend is replaying in a village in the north, and the group head there to investigate. The villagers view their arrival with suspicion, and then Sakura sees a spectral image…

14. Truth In History
Sakura has been imprisoned, and her friends work desperately to find and rescue her. With the legend of the ghostly princess at the heart of Sakura`s disappearance, along with the village children, Syaoran`s training as a historian is called upon. But the clues lead to an unlikely suspect.

Video

Tsubasa gets a rather spiffy 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer. It`s nice and clear throughout; I didn`t notice any artefacts and even the perennial problem of digital banding seemed minimal. There did seem to be a constant level of grain applied to the animation, and this seems to be a creative choice. The character designs are thin and elegant, allowing for fluid animation.

We get taken to a winter wonderland halfway through this disc when the Country of Jade arc begins. It has a colonial regency feel to it, with the characters donning tricorn hats and frock coats. The buildings have high sloping roofs, and Tudor beams, and the show`s palette darkens to match the story`s creepy gothic air, and the long winter nights implied by the setting.

Audio

You get a choice of DD 5.1 English or DD 2.0 Japanese, with optional subtitles and signs. As per my usual preference, I went with the original language track, and found that even though it`s just a stereo track, there is a fair bit of separation and vibrancy to the sound. The effects are impressively accomplished, and Yuki Kajiura`s (Le Portrait de Petite Cossette) music is distinctive and memorable. I don`t think this dub will ever rank among my favourites, but it will probably be acceptable for all who prefer English to Japanese. I did notice some oddities in the subtitles, with superfluous characters cropping up during the episode previews. The subtitles for the episodes proper were unaffected.

Features

Animated menus, jacket picture, textless credit sequences, and trailers (Suzuka and Peach Girl) as per usual.

The character guide offers 11 pages of text and line art, which go into more detail about the characters that you will meet on this disc.

The World Guide similarly offers 10 pages of text and art, which look at the Land at the Bottom Of The Lake, as well as the Country Of Jade.

Faces In The Crowd takes a look at some of the CLAMP cameos that appear in the show. Princess Emeraude will be familiar to aficionados of Magical Knight Rayearth.

Conclusion

I mentioned in the previous volume that Tsubasa would either succeed or fail on the strength of its story arcs. While the previous volume was strong in terms of character and story, and it was an improvement over the opening volume, I felt that things took a step backwards with this third volume, leaving me distinctly unimpressed. In my opinion, Tsubasa is an entry-level anime, the sort of show to act as a gateway to the medium, none too esoteric, and shy of taking too many creative risks. In essence, it`s average, and I really shouldn`t be too disappointed that the stories turn out that way as well.

While most of the Nayutaya arc was dealt with in volume 2, it was left to the first episode of this volume to conclude that story. It does so as quickly as possible, with just the first ten minutes devoted to deciding the outcome of the final confrontation. The final half of the episode is spent on goodbyes before the characters head off to the next world. A Warm Smile is a little diversion for them, as they wind up in an unpopulated world that supposedly hides a feather somewhere. While Syaoran searches, it`s an opportunity for the characters to reflect, and this episode is more flashback than action. It`s useful into providing added insight into Syaoran and Sakura, and you get a strong idea of what Syaoran lost when Sakura`s memories were scattered, as well as what he has sacrificed in his attempt to rescue her. But this is really a breather before the Country Of jade arc begins in the final two episodes.

This plays like a gothic mystery, with a ghostly figure taking away the children of a town. It`s a little spooky and moody, with the villagers reacting to Syaoran`s party with suspicion and distrust. You half expect them to pick up pitchforks and flaming torches at the drop of a hat. The problem with the story is that there is very little suspense and drama, and events unfold in a relatively straightforward manner. Despite the spooky atmosphere, there is never any sense of menace, and I felt a little detached watching it, something that didn`t happen once during the Nayutaya arc. Of course it all ends on a cliffhanger, demanding volume 4 for the resolution, but even as the disc finished, it was pretty plain to see how it would unfold.

I`ve had the chance to read the manga of these episodes, and the show is pretty faithful to the original. It does omit a rather interesting discussion of how Sakura`s feather could have wound up 300 years in the past in this world, and that does leave a tiny little plot hole. It could have done with being a little less faithful though and have strayed a bit from the storyline. On initial acquaintance, A Warm Smile seems just like an episode of filler, useful only in developing Sakura and Syaoran in flashback. Those flashbacks could have been moved to the Country of Jade arc, and the arc would have benefited from being an extra episode in length. A little more story development, a few more twists and turns and a hint or two of suspense would have made this arc much more entertaining. As it is, with one episode of swift conclusion, one episode of filler, and the start of an unimpressive story, the third volume of Tsubasa barely sneaks above average.