Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle Vol 6-7

[meganbmoore]

 Oh Sakura, I keep getting reassured that you develop well and gain a personality, but you remain a nice, empty, personality-free, standard Mary Sue shojo heroine. I’m very forgiving of this what with the whole "losing your soul and memories and the whole plot revolves around recovering the pieces and getting them back to you" thing, I would just like a little life to you beyond being nice and sweet and cute. You’re doing a little better, but aren’t quite there yet.

Sayoran seems to be improving, though. At least he’s getting more background and development, and learning to use weapons instead of miraculously winning fights with superkicks. Mind you, I like both and have never disliked them and I like their story, it’s just that the characters are just kinda…there. Not as bad as at first, but not as developed as Fai and Kurogane. I suspect at least a little background with Cardcaptor Sakura

Meanwhile, Kurogane appears to still be the only one with a properly functioning brain and good observational skills. Sakura has a perfectly decent excuse for lacking there, though (I’m just ready for her to be past it by vol 7, is all.) Sayoran, though, is too busy obsessing over Sakura to be a lot of use in the brains department if it doesn’t directly relate to her, and Fai is far too busy suppressing extremely unhealthy amounts of angst to really be much good for anything much. And Mokona…I think Mokona is supposed to be cute. Personally, I keep hoping Kurogane will accidentally squash it like a bug at some point while chasing it.

I have been pondering why, after the first couple volumes, the twins and the black Mokona in xXxHolic don’t really annoy me, despite the combined power of all three of them, while the white Mokona annoys the heck out of me, despite being only one, and not more annoying in and of itself. I have realized that it is because the white Mokona gets more page time than the other three combined. Apparently I can handle small doses of Clamp’s idea of cute, but not large ones.

Anyway, on the spoilery front…

*If I recall correctly, the amusement park reveal is what chased me away the first time I tried the series, when I was reading it as it first came out. It just…feels like a copout or something. I don’t know. It still made me clench my teeth, but didn’t annoy me nearly as much this time around. (note: I was also in more of a "my life is shojo" phase the first time, whereas now I have more tolerance for drawing out and backpedalling on plot, as long as there IS a plot that gets developed during all the random adventures.)

*Fai is suicidal, too? I am shocked. SHOCKED I SAY! Perhaps he should bond with the Gundam Wing boys. Actually, I take that back…Kurogane would snap and slaughter everyone but Sayoran and Sakura if those two groups ever joined up.

*Seishiro without Subaru? Seems unnatural. Then again, he is looking for Subaru(no doubt for evil, dastardl, but likely bizarrely romantic-ish purposes) so I guess it makes sense.

*Yuko has Seishiro’s eye? Is it in a ja or something back at the shop? Pft…did she have a perfectly decent eye lying around when Watanuki needed one? Then again, I wouldn’t want Seishiro’s eye in someone I cared about, either, so I guess it makes sense. Maybe.

*Seishiro is looking for vampire twins? Excellent. (hey, how long do I have to wait for vampire twins, anyway?)

*Hello, Apparently Comatose One Eyed Spoiler Boy. *waves* At least I don’t know if you’re the clone or the original. (Tell me and I’ll hurt you.)

*Why do I get the feeling Yuko and Clow used to date?

In other news, since these volumes reminded me that I'm somewhat interested in these two titles: RG Veda and Clover.  Would I like them?  Are they worth it?  Does either have a classic Clamp FUBAR ending or non-ending?  And...ah...should it be determined that I would like Clover...where could I get it to read, what with it being annoying out of print and all?