Finally it's over: English edition of Clear Card volume 16
Hello hello, I've been waiting for this freaking volume with bated breath (😂) for the past 48 hours, because the surprise of K-USA's accurate revision job on volume 15 back in October 2024 made me raise my bar of expectations quite a lot.
....Alas, you should never do that, especially if something has disappointed you time and time again: getting it right just once doesn't mean it's going to happen again, and most importantly, it doesn't magically erase the poor job they did till now.
So it's March 11th 2025, the English edition of Cardcaptor Sakura volume 16 is out almost one year after the Japanese release: how did they fare?
(all images courtesy of Sarah/Rainbowbee - reposted with permission)
This time around I only saw about 10 pictures of the main story, because apparently that's about how much they fixed. I had seen the preview of the first 22 pages of the volume on Bookwalker (corresponding to a good chunk of chapter 76) and I was so disappointed to see that the translation mistakes they did in those pages were left untouched.
But my friend sent me these pics this morning and there is some effort on it. Scarce, not as thorough as with volume 15, but they did fix something. All stuff I had pointed out in my tumblr posts.
Starting from this change above, which was quite a serious translation mistake since it made people believe that Lilie had left "the last Card" to Sakura, when it was simply waiting to be called as Momo had told her previously. Lilie had nothing to do with it.
It's still true that Sakura shouldn't use "she" because she really doesn't remember who talked to her in a dream, but oh well.
This volume is worth checking out for the redrawn panels and added lines too! Like this panel of Syaoran above.
It is usual for CLAMP to correct the panels when the chapters get compiled in tankobon format, so I've had a lot of fun spotting all the differences, all these years.
And then we get to what I consider one of the most emotional scenes of the entire volume, if not of the entire story ✨
I am so, so glad they took care of revising the lines in this scene, because they hadn't gotten them right the first time around.
In particular, I'm very glad they correctly made Akiho spell out clearly "Why did you choose to disappear like this?".
She wasn't whining about why he left her, or her priority wasn't even scolding him for rewriting an entire world unprompted.
The thing that burned her the most was that he chose to disappear.
Akiho is questioning him about his self-hate, this act of self-violence that had repercussions on her too, where he chose to sacrifice himself and throw himself away in order to give her what he thought was a happy life.
On closer inspection, you could even say CLAMP are trying to make a statement for a way, way heavier thematic here. But I'll leave that to your own interpretation because those are very delicate matters.
The way they had creatively translated it before (the words in Japanese didn't really say that) didn't convey this nuance enough, so I'm glad they fixed it.
This. This scene was so important to fix.
First of all, because it clarifies that here Sakura is uttering her invincible spell. And then because Sakura now is correctly telling Akiho "As long as you're together" (meaning Akiho and Kaito).
Finally Syaoran doesn't sound like an asshole while he's telling Sakura that he will protect what she needs to keep safe. He doesn't sound like he's saying "I have no f*cking idea what you're doing but whatever, I'll help you out".
Other part that was changed in the Japanese volume: the addition of one line, in relation to the effect the artifact book is having on Kaito. "Even now, it's causing you to suffer".
And this one was added too, with the precious addition of Nakuru clarifying that Yukito's pact with the Tsukimine Shrine has been undone.
More precisely, her line in Japanese is "This time around (we) undid it, but please don't go around doing things that require a [payment] anymore".
(the rest under the cut for spoilers about the Special Chapter)
Last but not least, the special chapter ☺️✨ The one that's considered "the epilogue".
This had never been released in English as simulpub when it came out on Nakayoshi, so maybe some people will see it for the first time.
My biggest concern was this scene.
They translated it as-a-matter-of-fact, they didn't explain anything, no translation notes whatsoever (like the ones the Italian or Spanish edition have put)... So yeah, technically they didn't mess it up, it's correct, but they didn't even render a service to their readers, since they'll be left wandering in confusion to find the real meaning of this phrase, in case they don't know it.
It's honestly ridiculous that they use translation notes or add text to explain japanese food (like they did in this same Special Chapter, for okonomiyaki - the "Savory pancake delight!" bit was added by them), but then leave the readers oblivious to cultural context like this.
So, if you're one of those who don't know, Kaito here is confessing to Akiho that he loves her. The scene is very significative because it goes full circle with the love confession Akiho made to him in the same fashion in chapter 48.
Kaito understood not only his feelings, but Akiho's too, and he reciprocates her in the same manner. The intention is made even more evident than in Akiho's case, since Kaito blurts this phrase out in broad daylight 😆
The rest of the special chapter is fine, I have spotted an error with a line Akiho says, mistakenly attributed to Kaito, but other than that it was quite good.
I was actually very satisfied with how they emphasized Akiho's strong will towards "standing on her own" and emancipating herself from Eriol's help, whom she is still grateful to.
But what made me scream in excitement is Sakura's line while talking to Momo: "My loved one's problems are my problems".
Perfect. Straight to the point.
Clarifying once and for all that she was never "dragged in", but getting involved with them came naturally as a result of caring for a loved one.
So! While there was so much room for improving this translation, fixing all the mistakes they made during the simulpub and not only a part of them, this volume is still....decent, at least? With some peaks, some translation choices I liked a lot.
Some stuff will remain incorrectly translated until a new edition will come out, but we have to come to terms with that.
And I find a bit absurd that we had to wait almost one year to get this volume translated in English, but I do not know all the licensing shenanigans going on. I had hoped it was because they were doing an astounding work on it, maybe checking with the Japanese publisher, but 🤷♀️oh well.
If you still are curious to see all the translation mistakes that happened in simulpub between chapters 76-80, you can check the single posts I made here .
Still, as it's the last volume of this series, and as it carries the precious Special Chapter that wonderfully makes the story come full circle, I encourage everyone to buy it! ✨
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