A preview event for CLAMP’s Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card anime adaptation took place at the NHK Broadcasting Center on 11 December 2017.

After the screening, Sakura Tange (voice of Sakura Kinomoto), Motoko Kumai (voice of Syaoran Li), director Morio Asaka, and NHK production manager Keisuke Tsuchihashi came on stage. When asked what she thought about the anime’s comeback after twenty years, Tange said to Kumai, ‘We also heard about the new anime adaptation pretty late, right?’ Kumai responded, ‘They said it like even if we say there will be a new anime, it might be with a new cast. Especially since my character is male, I thought they might change the voice to reflect his voice breaking in middle school but then I received an offer to continue with the role.’ Tange added, ‘Before the anime started, there was already some record of for other things so I thought it would be painful if the cast for the anime changed [laugh]. That’s why I was happy when I received the offer.’

Director Asaka, who is back working on CCS after 20 years, explained more about using same cast and staff to produce a new series, ‘Since we were doing it, I wanted to use the same staff from back then.’

About the production, he said he had one main concern, ‘I asked myself how far I’d be able to go without destroying the world of the old work. Just like back then, I want to make a work that is for children the age of Sakura and their parents.’

Regarding the development of the new series, Tsuchihashi said, ‘For the old series, Nanase Ohkawa would write some of the scripts and this time, she wrote the script for all of them. It must have been hard to write the script while also working on the serialization in Nakayoshi. Now it is in director Asaka’s hands to show us how the anime will end based on Ohkawa’s script.’ Asaka replied, ‘How to do the animation is all with me. Maybe Syaoran will be the final enemy…’ Kumai immediately denied that, ‘Absolutely not! [laugh].’ Asaka closed with a vague statement, ‘Please look forward to seeing how this scenario will develop. [laugh] Enjoy the anime.’

Tange also talked about how her life as a voice actress equals Cardcaptor Sakura, ‘No matter where I go, I am always introduced as “Tange, who voices Sakura.” Not only in Japan, but even during overseas events, people would say “I saw Sakura!” So “Sakura” is one of my works that left a big impression. I also think the series is very new but has a nostalgic feeling to it. Those who watch the series for the first time can enjoy it as a whole new world while those who have watched the previous series can see it as a continuation. Well-known characters will reappear. I think longtime fans will be very happy with it and there are also some new characters we can look forward to.’

Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Arc will start airing on 7 January 2018, 7:30 (JST).

TV Anime Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Arc

Winter 2018 | Anime Info Page

Starts airing on 7 January 2018, 7:30 (JST)

Staff

Original Work: CLAMP
Director: Morio Asaka
Series Composition: Nanase Ohkawa
Costume and Card Design: Mokona
Character Design: Kunihito Hamada
Sound Director: Masafumi Mima
Music: Takayuki Negishi
Animation Production: Madhouse
Production and Distribution: NHK, Kodansha, NHK Enterprise

Cast

SAkura Tange as Sakura Kinomoto
Aya Hisakawa as Kerberos
Junko Iwao as Tomoyo Daidoji
Motoko Kumai as Syaoran Li
Minori Suzuki as Akiho Shinomoto
Natsuki Hanae as Yuna D. Kaito
Hideyuki Tanaka as Fujitaka Kinomoto
Tomokazu Seki as Toya Kinomoto
Megumi Ogata as Yukito Tsukishiro/Yue
Nozomu Sasaki as Eriol Hiiragizawa
Emi Shinohara as Kaho Mizuki
Yumi Toma as Spinel Sun
Ryoka Yuzuki as Nakuru Akizuki/Ruby Moon
Issei Miyazaki as Takashi Yamazaki
Miwa Matsumoto as Chiharu Mihara
Emi Motoi as Naoko Yanagisawa

(c)CLAMP・ST/講談社・NEP・NHK

source: http://natalie.mu/comic/news/260493
translator: nifa