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crack_van2004-12-01 01:53 pm
sinisterf.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2004-12-01 01:53 pm
CLAMP: A limited Overview
Hello!
I will be running one of this month's Small Fandom supplements.
The fandom I will be in charge of is actually a collection of fandoms created by CLAMP.
For those not familiar with CLAMP I will give a small (ok it is long...) overview of who they are and what you can expect from their work and the work of their fans.
Firstly I will explain who CLAMP is. CLAMP consists of four women from Japan who together formed their own creative circle. They have been working on manga (Japanese comic books) with the current roster of members since 1992.
They are well known for their distinctive artistic and storytelling styles. They are also known for being able to cross manga genre lines: producing books which appeal to those who enjoy shoujo (comics made for girls), shounen (comics made for boys) and shounen ai (Japanese for boys love, they are comics made for girls with a focus on male/male romantic relationships).
The group consists of:
Writer: Nanase Okawa
Artist: Mokona Apapa
Artist: Mick Nekoi
Supporting Artist/Designer: Satsuki Igarashi
Because CLAMP has such a large body of work I will focus mostly on the works I have had the opportunity to become most familiar with. Most of these are of the shounen ai/shoujo/action comic genre.
If you would like a bibliographic list of works by CLAMP please refer to this link. Also, please be warned the list is incomplete, but is the best I could find:http://www.sandg-anime-reviews.net/clamp003.htm
Since many may be unfamiliar with the fandoms I will be making recommendations from I will give a short overview of a few of them. Please note I may REC from a CLAMP fandom that I was unable to provide an overview for, but most of the RECs will be from the fandoms listed bellow.
So here they are:
CLAMP Campus Detectives (Also called CLAMP School Detectives and often referred to simply as CCD or CSD):
CCD is a fun, light and cute manga. The story focuses on three boys who all attend the elite CLAMP school. Together the boys form a detective team who take on the mysteries of the CLAMP school together. This is the only manga in my list which is virtually angst free.
The Characters:
Nokoru Imonoyama
Nokoru is 12 years old and the oldest of the three boys, he is in 6th grade. Nokoru is a genius and also has the strange ability to detect a woman in distress. He hates to see women cry, and will do anything to help someone in trouble. It was his idea to form the Clamp Campus Detectives as way to help the helpless. Nokoru is also the Elementary School Board Chairman of the CLAMP school. Also of note: Nokoru's family owns the CLAMP school.
Suoh Takamura
Suoh is 11 years old and in 5th grade. He is a very serious boy and is the Elementary School Board Secretary at the CLAMP school. He comes from a long family line of ninjas. Suoh's duty to his house is to protect the one he has 'chosen' with his life. Suoh chose Nokoru and as such is always by his side to protect and be there for him.
Akira Ijyuin
Akira is 10 and in 4th grade. He is the Elementary School Board Treasurer at CLAMP School and is an amazing cook. Akira is also a mathematical genius. He is sweet, kind and very cute, however don't let that fool you, Akira has his secrets.
Tokyo Babylon:
I will admit that this is my favorite of the CLAMP fandoms. Most of my RECs will probably include these three characters in some way or another.
Subaru Sumeragi, his twin sister Hokuto and their friend Seishirou are the main characters of this comic. Subaru is an omnyoji (a type of Japanese spell caster/medium) from a long family line of omnyojis. His family has used their powers to protect Japan for centuries. Now as the current head of the Sumeragi family it is Subaru's responsibility to protect Japan and its people from evil influences of a spiritual nature.
The interaction between these characters is the best part of the manga. They react to each other in very personal, powerful, and sometimes funny ways.
At the beginning of the book it is easy to see that Seishirou is somewhat new to the Hokuto and Subaru dynamic, but he takes to their banter like one who has always been part of their group. He joins Hokuto in teasing Subaru about marriage, his submissive nature and soft heart. He also joins her in her almost motherly worry for her brother.
Hokuto enjoys making Subaru uncomfortable with her constant attempts at match making which focuses on pairing Subaru with Seishirou. A running joke in the book is what a great wife Subaru would be for Seishirou, who of course thinks it is a great idea.
There are plenty of hints at slash, though nothing very heavy. It is obvious that Seishirou is attracted to Subaru and it is fun to see how poor confused Subaru reacts to Seishirou's very straight foreword attentions.
Together these three face mystical and personal trials, each one bringing them closer together, with an amazing climax at the end that can break your heart.
The Characters:
Subaru Sumeragi
Subaru Sumeragi is quiet and thoughtful. At 16 he is the current leader of the mystical and powerful Sumeragi Clan. Subaru is always willing to make sacrifices for others as seen throughout the comic. He is the type of person who doesn't just sympathize with other's pain, he almost feels it himself. His family duties require a lot from him, mostly the use of his mystical powers to cleanse Japan of evil or suffering spirits.
Hokuto Sumeragi
Hokuto is Subaru's twin sister. She is lively and friendly, loud and outgoing. She loves fashion and enjoys inflicting her own elcectic clothing designs on poor Subaru. However Hokuto is more than just the quirky sister, she worries about Subaru and his propensity to take on too much. Hokuto and Subaru are very close, and it is obvious that she would do anything to protect her brother and his innocent spirit.
Seishirou Sakurazuka
Seishirou is 25 and just a little bit older than the twins. However he doesn't allow that to interfere with their friendship. The enigmatic Seishirou is from the Sakurazuka family; the traditional enemies of the Sumeragi. Seishirou is always smiling, he is friendly and charismatic and seems rather attached to Subaru. He befriends the twins after a chance meeting with Subaru and is always there for him.
X (Also called X/1999 in the US):
X is almost a direct continuation of Tokyo Babylon. I actually began reading this manga because I wanted to check up on my favorite characters Subaru and Seishirou.
However X is also very different from Tokyo Babylon, it has very little of the light and sometimes fun atmosphere that was part of Tokyo Babylon in the first 4 books. X simply put is angst. But oh so good angst.
The story itself centers on Kamui and the end of the world which is destined to take place in 1999. Kamui returns to Tokyo at the behest of his dead mother to fulfill his destiny. In doing so he meets up with old friends Fuuma and Kotori. For their sake he makes a decision which changes all of their lives and sets the end of all in motion.
This manga has so many characters that I have chosen to describe only Kamui and Fuuma. Subaru and Seishirou do make a return in this manga, but I will warn all readers that any fiction read concerning these two from the X timeline will contain huge spoilers for the end of Tokyo Babylon.
The Characters:
Kamui Shiro
All events in Kamui's life have been based upon fate and destiny. Kamui is to play the most essential part in the end of world and has never been able to forget that even for a moment.
He returns to Tokyo after a six year absence at the final behest of his mother. In Tokyo he has a reunion with the most important people of his life: brother and sister Fuuma and Kotori.
However not all is as it appears. Kamui has a decision to make, and that decision may destroy everything he loves.
Fuuma Monou
Fuuma is like an older brother to Kamui or maybe something more? He is quiet, strong and caring, and shares a strange unknown connection with Kamui.
Final note on RECs: Accourding to CLAMP cannon CCD, Tokyo Babylon and X all take place in the same universe.
And Finally...
Some links of interest:
General Information:
X
http://www.oldcrows.net/~rabi/X/
Tokyo Babylon
http://www.tokyopop.com/dbpage.php?propertycode=TOL&categorycode=BMG
CLAMP Campus Detectives:
http://www.trinsan.com/ccd/
Where you can buy these manga and many other CLAMP titles (yes in English!):
http://www.amazon.com/
Fic Archives (please note, due to the nature of CLAMP's works most of these have m/m or f/f pairings. I did not mark them separately because these pairings are cannon to the original series, comic etc):
http://www.fanfiction.net
http://clampfix.fanworks.net/
If anyone has any links or RECs for any CLAMP fandom not listed here or CLAMP related information please do post them! Not only would they benefit those new to the fandom, but I would love to find more CLAMP sites.
Thanks for reading the overview and I hope everyone enjoys the RECs.
Edit
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
tiamatschild provided some more useful links for new or long time CLAMP fans through the comments section of this post. I decided to add them here for easier access.
CLAMP Fic Recs
Fleeting Fancies
X Overviews
Dreams of Sakura
Clampesque fic forum, a site for newly posted fic!
Clampesque
I will be running one of this month's Small Fandom supplements.
The fandom I will be in charge of is actually a collection of fandoms created by CLAMP.
For those not familiar with CLAMP I will give a small (ok it is long...) overview of who they are and what you can expect from their work and the work of their fans.
Firstly I will explain who CLAMP is. CLAMP consists of four women from Japan who together formed their own creative circle. They have been working on manga (Japanese comic books) with the current roster of members since 1992.
They are well known for their distinctive artistic and storytelling styles. They are also known for being able to cross manga genre lines: producing books which appeal to those who enjoy shoujo (comics made for girls), shounen (comics made for boys) and shounen ai (Japanese for boys love, they are comics made for girls with a focus on male/male romantic relationships).
The group consists of:
Writer: Nanase Okawa
Artist: Mokona Apapa
Artist: Mick Nekoi
Supporting Artist/Designer: Satsuki Igarashi
Because CLAMP has such a large body of work I will focus mostly on the works I have had the opportunity to become most familiar with. Most of these are of the shounen ai/shoujo/action comic genre.
If you would like a bibliographic list of works by CLAMP please refer to this link. Also, please be warned the list is incomplete, but is the best I could find:http://www.sandg-anime-reviews.net/clamp003.htm
Since many may be unfamiliar with the fandoms I will be making recommendations from I will give a short overview of a few of them. Please note I may REC from a CLAMP fandom that I was unable to provide an overview for, but most of the RECs will be from the fandoms listed bellow.
So here they are:
CLAMP Campus Detectives (Also called CLAMP School Detectives and often referred to simply as CCD or CSD):
CCD is a fun, light and cute manga. The story focuses on three boys who all attend the elite CLAMP school. Together the boys form a detective team who take on the mysteries of the CLAMP school together. This is the only manga in my list which is virtually angst free.
The Characters:
Nokoru Imonoyama
Nokoru is 12 years old and the oldest of the three boys, he is in 6th grade. Nokoru is a genius and also has the strange ability to detect a woman in distress. He hates to see women cry, and will do anything to help someone in trouble. It was his idea to form the Clamp Campus Detectives as way to help the helpless. Nokoru is also the Elementary School Board Chairman of the CLAMP school. Also of note: Nokoru's family owns the CLAMP school.
Suoh Takamura
Suoh is 11 years old and in 5th grade. He is a very serious boy and is the Elementary School Board Secretary at the CLAMP school. He comes from a long family line of ninjas. Suoh's duty to his house is to protect the one he has 'chosen' with his life. Suoh chose Nokoru and as such is always by his side to protect and be there for him.
Akira Ijyuin
Akira is 10 and in 4th grade. He is the Elementary School Board Treasurer at CLAMP School and is an amazing cook. Akira is also a mathematical genius. He is sweet, kind and very cute, however don't let that fool you, Akira has his secrets.
Tokyo Babylon:
I will admit that this is my favorite of the CLAMP fandoms. Most of my RECs will probably include these three characters in some way or another.
Subaru Sumeragi, his twin sister Hokuto and their friend Seishirou are the main characters of this comic. Subaru is an omnyoji (a type of Japanese spell caster/medium) from a long family line of omnyojis. His family has used their powers to protect Japan for centuries. Now as the current head of the Sumeragi family it is Subaru's responsibility to protect Japan and its people from evil influences of a spiritual nature.
The interaction between these characters is the best part of the manga. They react to each other in very personal, powerful, and sometimes funny ways.
At the beginning of the book it is easy to see that Seishirou is somewhat new to the Hokuto and Subaru dynamic, but he takes to their banter like one who has always been part of their group. He joins Hokuto in teasing Subaru about marriage, his submissive nature and soft heart. He also joins her in her almost motherly worry for her brother.
Hokuto enjoys making Subaru uncomfortable with her constant attempts at match making which focuses on pairing Subaru with Seishirou. A running joke in the book is what a great wife Subaru would be for Seishirou, who of course thinks it is a great idea.
There are plenty of hints at slash, though nothing very heavy. It is obvious that Seishirou is attracted to Subaru and it is fun to see how poor confused Subaru reacts to Seishirou's very straight foreword attentions.
Together these three face mystical and personal trials, each one bringing them closer together, with an amazing climax at the end that can break your heart.
The Characters:
Subaru Sumeragi
Subaru Sumeragi is quiet and thoughtful. At 16 he is the current leader of the mystical and powerful Sumeragi Clan. Subaru is always willing to make sacrifices for others as seen throughout the comic. He is the type of person who doesn't just sympathize with other's pain, he almost feels it himself. His family duties require a lot from him, mostly the use of his mystical powers to cleanse Japan of evil or suffering spirits.
Hokuto Sumeragi
Hokuto is Subaru's twin sister. She is lively and friendly, loud and outgoing. She loves fashion and enjoys inflicting her own elcectic clothing designs on poor Subaru. However Hokuto is more than just the quirky sister, she worries about Subaru and his propensity to take on too much. Hokuto and Subaru are very close, and it is obvious that she would do anything to protect her brother and his innocent spirit.
Seishirou Sakurazuka
Seishirou is 25 and just a little bit older than the twins. However he doesn't allow that to interfere with their friendship. The enigmatic Seishirou is from the Sakurazuka family; the traditional enemies of the Sumeragi. Seishirou is always smiling, he is friendly and charismatic and seems rather attached to Subaru. He befriends the twins after a chance meeting with Subaru and is always there for him.
X (Also called X/1999 in the US):
X is almost a direct continuation of Tokyo Babylon. I actually began reading this manga because I wanted to check up on my favorite characters Subaru and Seishirou.
However X is also very different from Tokyo Babylon, it has very little of the light and sometimes fun atmosphere that was part of Tokyo Babylon in the first 4 books. X simply put is angst. But oh so good angst.
The story itself centers on Kamui and the end of the world which is destined to take place in 1999. Kamui returns to Tokyo at the behest of his dead mother to fulfill his destiny. In doing so he meets up with old friends Fuuma and Kotori. For their sake he makes a decision which changes all of their lives and sets the end of all in motion.
This manga has so many characters that I have chosen to describe only Kamui and Fuuma. Subaru and Seishirou do make a return in this manga, but I will warn all readers that any fiction read concerning these two from the X timeline will contain huge spoilers for the end of Tokyo Babylon.
The Characters:
Kamui Shiro
All events in Kamui's life have been based upon fate and destiny. Kamui is to play the most essential part in the end of world and has never been able to forget that even for a moment.
He returns to Tokyo after a six year absence at the final behest of his mother. In Tokyo he has a reunion with the most important people of his life: brother and sister Fuuma and Kotori.
However not all is as it appears. Kamui has a decision to make, and that decision may destroy everything he loves.
Fuuma Monou
Fuuma is like an older brother to Kamui or maybe something more? He is quiet, strong and caring, and shares a strange unknown connection with Kamui.
Final note on RECs: Accourding to CLAMP cannon CCD, Tokyo Babylon and X all take place in the same universe.
And Finally...
Some links of interest:
General Information:
X
http://www.oldcrows.net/~rabi/X/
Tokyo Babylon
http://www.tokyopop.com/dbpage.php?propertycode=TOL&categorycode=BMG
CLAMP Campus Detectives:
http://www.trinsan.com/ccd/
Where you can buy these manga and many other CLAMP titles (yes in English!):
http://www.amazon.com/
Fic Archives (please note, due to the nature of CLAMP's works most of these have m/m or f/f pairings. I did not mark them separately because these pairings are cannon to the original series, comic etc):
http://www.fanfiction.net
http://clampfix.fanworks.net/
If anyone has any links or RECs for any CLAMP fandom not listed here or CLAMP related information please do post them! Not only would they benefit those new to the fandom, but I would love to find more CLAMP sites.
Thanks for reading the overview and I hope everyone enjoys the RECs.
Edit
tiamatschild provided some more useful links for new or long time CLAMP fans through the comments section of this post. I decided to add them here for easier access.CLAMP Fic Recs
Fleeting Fancies
X Overviews
Dreams of Sakura
Clampesque fic forum, a site for newly posted fic!
Clampesque
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(Anonymous) 2004-12-01 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)no subject
I checked last night and this morning on every CLAMP site I could find with no furhter insight.
Perhaps someone else may know?
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(Anonymous) 2004-12-03 12:33 am (UTC)(link)no subject
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It's a message board for fics. Searchable, and a lot of fun.
This site: http://fleetingfancies.nokoru.net/fan-x-tokyo-babylon.html , has a fair number of recs for both X and Tokyo Babylon.
This site has updates on what's going on in X's storyline: http://www.tsuriai.net/X/X_Frame.htm
About all I can think of, and thank you for having the nerve to do this. There is a LOT of fic out there to go through.
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The second site I have never been to, so thank you so much for the link! It is hard to find good CLAMP fics, most of what I have read is the product of exhaustive searches, so this link is very much appreciated!
Thank's also for reminding me of the Dreams of Sakura site, I will edit the post and add all of these links :D
Also you are completely right about the fic...there is so much out there and I am really most familiar with X/TB, CCD and related fandoms. I haven't had the chance to keep up with much of the other manga. I hope that I can do them justice, if not maybe they can run another CLAMP segment through here, or a have a CLAMP segment monthly to cover all the various fandoms considering how much there really is...
I suppose I could bring it up to
no subject
It might be a good idea if people could be found to do it. I'm afraid I hate making recs unless it's to close friends whose tastes I know, but...