The Clow set 2015 edition
Got my package of The Clow in last weekend and just had the chance to write up and snap some photos of it. I was really excited to be able to get one since all other stores are pretty much sold out by now!
It's also known as "The Perfect Clow" on some listings(I don't know why). This is a re-release of the original set originally produced in the late 90s.-early 2000s There are extremely few of those circulating so unfortunately I have nothing to compare to, but here is a quick review of the new edition:
The Book of Clow is fully shrinkwrapped in clear wrap to protect from scratches. The edge of the book is also covered in a layer of corrugated cardboard to protect the surface from dents and wear that might happen in transit, but other than this no other protective layer or packing on it so it's up to the shipper to make sure that the rest of it is packed well to hold up against transit wear.
You'll also notice the sticker as soon as you pick up the box. This sticker is basically the authenticity sticker and authorization that indicates the reprint in commemoration of Nakayoshi's 60th anniversary. This sticker also indicates the ISBN number of the book(a little ironic since it's not technically a book but categorized as such). I recommend writing down this number and keeping it somewhere in case you want to try to locate one.
The sticker itself is also stuck directly on the book, not the shrinkwrap. It is a low tack sticker, meaning that it will peel off easily with little effort and NOT leave any disgusting residue so your book won't get damaged. Just use a light touch of your fingernails to peel it off. It's really not sticky at all and it's possible to accidentally scratch or damage the cover with your nails if you press too hard. The small sticker pieces used to hold together the cardboard covering the sides are the same.
The Book of Clow is constructed much like a box. It feels very thick, and despite being constructed out of paper material it's actually pretty dense and solid. On the front is the imprinted image Kero as the book appears with the back cover indicating the magic circle of Clow.
The entire book is an accurate and faithful reprint of the design of the actual book, right down to the little markings and symbols of the magic circle. The cover is smooth and in a gloss finish with metallic highlights. All the portions of the design which appear in yellow or gold are in fact stamped over with metallic gold so it actually shines and is reflective against the already glossy cover. It's quite the nice touch imitating what would be a gold gilded or embossed book cover in reality.
The sides of the book are printed with a book page design. Since The Clow is actually a box and not a real book, it contains no actual pages of any sort so the sides are merely a printed imitation of a stack of paper(which is realistically more functional too)
Opening up the book, the first thing you're greeted with is a sheet indicating the full listing of Clow Cards included. My ability to read kanji is not very good, so unfortunately I can't discern what the descriptive line beneath each card actually says. Do take note that the order in which the cards are actually arranged does not necessarily follow the order of the list.
The interior cover also has an indentation of a cardboard piece to keep the cards in place, and opposite that is a red cardboard holder with a hollow for the actual cards. It is not a particularly thick holder, but there are notches on the side for you to lift the cards out more easily so you don't tear the holder. It can also be removed completely if you wish.
The entire Book of Clow measures 12 x 21 x 4.2 cm. This is roughly the same dimensions of Moleskine's large sketchbooks but thicker. Or just a little larger than a standard size manga volume in North America(2 cm taller and 1cm wider)
The cards are all encased in a standard paper box. It's not a super tight box like playing cards, so you can remove it with ease without damaging it. The cards measure 16 x 7.1 cm and this is supposed to be the actual 1:1 size of the cards in real life. There was never any indication of the cards' actual measurements in either the manga or anime, but considering the size of these cards in relation to both the hands of a child of Sakura's age as well as a normal adult hand for comparison, this is a pretty realistic size to go on.
The cards are all beautifully printed on very thick and firm cardstock. If I had to guess, I'd say it's anywhere in the 8-10pt range but I could be wrong. What is certain is that they're quite sturdy and firm for simply being cards. Each card is also perfectly laminated over with a matte laminate so there are absolutely no reflections whatsoever, and the cards have a very smooth feel to them.
On the front is the design of each card, as they originally appeared in the Clow. The back is the Clow magic circle as expected. There are no metallic or foil stampings on either side of the card, so all the embellishments are drawn and illustrated directly into the card's design itself.
The matte finish is also very smooth on the cards, but it also means you must be very delicate with them. Matte finishes are very high quality and generally preferred by collectors over gloss because you can see the art instead of reflections, but it's also very prone to grabbing fingerprints and grease. Light scratches also appear more vividly on them than gloss, so you'll need to be careful how you handle them and be sure to wash your hands first if you don't want impurities like finger grease, hand lotions, etc. to smear all over them. Once stuff like that gets on matte finishes, it can almost never be removed and you'll be left with a disgusting smear.
There is one important thing to take note of on these cards: there is absolutely no copyright or legal text printed on them anywhere, whatsoever.(ie. it doesn't say copyright Kodansha/CLAMP 2001 etc. on the back of the card border or something) I personally was quite surprised by this, since pretty much 99% of all merchandise that's released these days have the legal text printed on it somewhere. The legal text is actually printed on the red holder that is holding the deck rather than on the cards themselves, so don't be concerned about having received a bootleg or something if you don't see that on the actual cards. More and more high quality collectibles are being made in a similar manner where the copyrights are placed inconspicuously instead for better appearance, so if you're a cosplayer rejoice!
The one other last thing to note is that this set only contains the original set of 52 Clow cards from the manga. They do not contain any cards introduced later on or any Sakura cards, so do not expect to see The Nameless, The Nothing or The Hope.
Overall these cards are simply amazing. Both in the quality and accuracy, this is probably among the best recreations of fictional items I've seen from any series. Print quality and construction is fantastic, and the size and scale makes it perfect for cosplay.
Even if you're not a fan of CCS, the designs alone are beautiful enough to be part of any collection.
I obtained mine from Hobbysearch but they are now sold out though they might restock later.
Other retailers that carry official products with good service that you can try are Amiami and Animate. If you are searching for it try searching under it's ISBN in books. If you're running your search, look for ISBN 978-0-06-358755-5
The official retail price of this set was 3900 Japanese yen which depending on your country and currency, is around the range of $40 USD(as of the date of this review anyway Feb.2015). EMS shipping(which is express shipping with tracking) from Japan usually ranges around 2500-3000 yen, so if you are trying to procure this from Ebay this should give you an idea of what you can expect and give you something to compare to for inflation values.
Otherwise if you can find an official store to pick this up from, I'd really recommend grabbing it. It's definitely worth it!
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