Tsubasa, Volume 21: Reservoir Chronicle

by CLAMP

Book Overview

FAI THE CURSED! Fai's secret past is revealed in horrific detail, and all his lies laid bare. Now Fai must face the rage of Kurogane, and the one person who showed Fai kindness as a child is now his mortal enemy. Can Fai survive Kurogane, Ashura-?, and Fei-Wang Reed's final curse? Available on DVD from FUNimation Entertainment Includes special extras after the story!

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345508092
• ISBN13: 9780345508096
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: Del Rey Books
• Length: 184 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 and higher

Customer Reviews

Nearing Epic Proportions

In this volume, we see the rest of Fai's tragic past. We see how he first came to Seresu, what his life there was like, and what forced him to leave that life behind. Between the flashbacks, Fai's loyalty to the rest of the group, especially Kurogane, is put to the test by Ashura-Ou, and he has to make a heart-breaking decision. CLAMP just doesn't give poor Fai a break. Not that I mind tragedy, but after a certain point, it starts to get unbelievable. Nevertheless, CLAMP did an excellent job with this part of his story. Most of their fans were probably already expecting a twist here, and they'll probably spot it early, but it's still a great one. It's almost worthy of Greek tragedy. This kind of thing might have been done before, but CLAMP puts a unique spin on it with Fai's reaction. The characterization is as good as ever. Syaoran and Sakura are in the background here, but this is one arc where Fai and Kurogane really shine. Fai's reactions are so consistent with his character. CLAMP also did a really good job with showing how Fai's past affected his personality here. Kurogane is less present than Fai, but he's as steadfast as ever. CLAMP continues to develop their relationship, which in my opinion is the most complex and enjoyable aspect of the whole series. The art is beautiful. I was especially impressed with CLAMP's use of shadow to convey emotion in this volume. They also did a great job of communicating mental states in the characters' eyes. The only area I found lacking in the art department were the battle scenes. They were typical for shonen, lots of orbs of energy and explosions. It's not really my thing, plus certain parts can be a little confusing. I had to study certain scenes for a second or two to figure out what exactly was happening. Anyway, this volume is an excellent edition to the series. The story approaches epic, and the characterizations are fascinating. Fans of the friendship between Kurogane and Fai will eat it up. It'll leave you wanting more right away.

The Truth Frees

As this volume begins, we finally know the reasons behind Fai's series-long battle with severe depression and why he's tried to keep at arm's length from people in spite of being naturally gregarious. Now, after learning the final details of his puzzle - the reason why he flatly refused to use magic unless the kids were in life threatening danger and his very complicated relationship with Ashura - the rest of the volume is largely dedicated to Kurogane and Syaoran's reaction to the information. We already have Sakura's answer in spades - but will Kurogane live up to his comment to Fai about his own hands not being clean, with it's implication that Fai couldn't have done anything so terrible that it would make him turn his back on him? And can Syaoran look past the lies and mistakes and still see the man who for all his faults has proven that he loves him enough to die for him? This volume also brings many things full circle for Fai, including concluding his tragic, twisted history with Ashura and his agony over his divided loyalty to his old blood family and new adoptive family. As we've all figured out by now though, CLAMP clearly loves Fai torture. And Fei Wang Reed - whose head we dearly hope is going to be on a platter before the series ends after his beyond the pale manipulation of Fai as a grieving child who was not only too young to understand what he was agreeing to but clearly not in his right mind at the time - has one last nasty surprise in store for Fai... Another stellar volume that ends with another jaw-dropping cliffhanger proving how strong the love between the Tsubasa characters has become.