The essential episodes of Cardcaptor Sakura
Watch these 15 in order and you've got Cardcaptor Sakura — each pick states its reason.
- 01
Sakura and the Mysterious Magic Book
Sakura Kinomoto awakens from a dream of standing near the Tokyo Tower. She introduces herself, her family, and her friends. After coming home from a normal day at school, Sakura hears a sound coming from the basement. She finds a glowing book and opens it to find a deck of 52 cards. When she accidentally activates the Windy card, the other cards blow out of her house. Cerberus appears from the book and formally appoints Sakura as the "Cardcaptor" and gives her the Sealing Wand. Sakura captures the Fly Card, but she adamantly insists she does not want the job. All the same, she shows quick thinking, considerable magical power, and sheer joy on her first ride on the tamed Fly
- 02
Tomoyo meets Cerberus after she discovers Sakura's secret and gets a full explanation of the lost Clow Cards and Sakura's designation as Cardcaptor. Cerberus gets given the nickname "Kero-chan" that will stick for the rest of the series. The next day, the students find the school's desks and equipment in large piles. Kero believes it was the work of the card and forces Sakura to go to school at night where she confronts The Shadow. Using the Windy card's binding ability, Sakura is able to capture the Shadow card. Sakura finally accepts her role as a Cardcaptor because of Tomoyo's support.
- 03
Sakura's Heart-throbbing First Date
Sakura's class is on a field trip to the aquarium. During the penguin show, something catches the trainer's leg and a penguin and pulls them into the water, but they are saved by Sakura's brother, Toya, who is working part-time there. At school, Tomoyo gives Sakura and Cerberus mobile phones and on the way home, Sakura bumps into Yukito who invites her on a casual "date" which is at a cafe where Yukito knew Toya was working. While they are eating, The Watery breaks the glass of the aquarium causing a flood. For the first time Sakura has to formulate a plan to capture a card, rather than jumping into battle and attacking with Windy. Using her wits and an unintentional clue from Yukito, she lures Watery into a freezer to immobilizes and capture it.
- 04
Sakura has the same recurring dream she had in episode one, specifically focusing on the boy wielding a sword in Chinese clothing. She hears from both Cerberus and Yukito that it might be a "foretelling dream". A new transfer student arrives from Hong Kong named Syaoran Li and is seated behind Sakura. He terrifies Sakura with his glares all day and during recess, he demands Sakura to give him the Clow Cards. On the way home, there is a lighting storm, but no rain. Cerberus explains Syaoran is from the Li clan, a famous family of Chinese sorcerers from which Clow's mother came. The same lighting storm for earlier appears and Sakura deploys to battle the Thunder card. Syaoran demonstrates his command over elemental magic and calls on thunder god to return the Thunder card to its original form. He instruct Sakura to use the Shadow card to encage the Thunder card so it could be captured. Thanks to Syaoran's constant derogatory remarks, Sakura is left feeling upset after a card capture for the first time.
- 05
Sakura and the Elephant's Strength Contest
Sakura's class is visiting the zoo for a field trip and her group is assigned to observe the elephants. Near noon, something begins to break open the cages causing chaos among the visitors and Kero is positive it's a Clow Card. The Power card, although invisible, begins to torment the elephants and Sakura steps in to save them by challenging it to a game of tug-of-war. Sakura is no match for the Power card even with the help of the elephants. Just as Sakura is about to lose, Syaoran uses the Time card to stop time to help her win the battle, thus tricking Power into surrendering.
- 06
Sakura and her class is on a trip to the beach for a few days. On the first night, Naoko tells one of her scary story causing Sakura to flee to the teacher's lodging, but she is found by Syaoran who senses something in a cave nearby. Together at the beach, the two have their first civil conversation where Syaoran tells Sakura about Wei, a person he lives with. A test of courage is held the next night where the students must enter the cave and place a candle next to the shrine inside. But once inside, Sakura's friends begin to disappear. Syaoran, the only one left, forbids Sakura from panicking and walks her through the process of capturing the Erase card even while he's starting to fade away. Syaoran refuses the card after Sakura offers to give it to him.
- 07
Sakura, Yukito and the Summer Festival
Sakura visits a festival with Tomoyo, Yukito, and Toya. After meeting Chiharu and Takashi, Sakura and Yukito wander away from the group where they find glowing lights falling from a tree like snow at the back of the shine — just like a dream Sakura envisioned the night before. Just as Sakura is about tell Yukito something, she is interrupted by their friends. When everyone leaves for snow cones, Sakura captures The Glow.
- 08
Sakura and the Summer Vacation Homework
The summer holidays are coming to an end and Sakura still has a lot of summer vacation homework to do. Making a deal with her brother and Kero to help her, Sakura is left with only a book report and meets with Tomoyo at the library. There, they meet Syaoran who refuses to share a library cubicle with them because his fortune predicted bad luck with women. The book Sakura needs for her book report is missing so Sakura and Tomoyo search the library, but notice the book disappearing and reappearing in different places. The book eventually appears outside the library where they meet Syaoran who is also after the book. Kero reveals it’s the work of the Move card and for the first time, thanks to Move's unpredictable actions, Sakura is forced to rely solely upon her magical senses to catch a card. Sakura is rewarded with the book and a new card, but accidentally plunges into the river, taking Syaoran with her. Syaoran invites the girls over to his place so Sakura can change into dry clothes, but to everybody’s surprise, a Chinese girl enters the apartment and leaps on Syaoran with a hug.
- 09
Sakura and the Fighting Exchange Student
When Syaoran enters the room, he's markedly pale and haggard compared to his usual tough-and-healthy look. When Meiling enters the room, it's clear that her presence has exhausted him and he is desperate to escape it. Mr. Terada explains that she is from Hong Kong and cousin to Syaoran. Meiling is quick to add that she is actually his fiancee, and obviously believes Sakura wants to take Syaoran away from her. Syaoran asks Meiling why she came, and she answers that she was lonely for him. He explains that he's not going back until he gets the Clow Cards, but she doesn't particularly care about that. She reminds him that a fortune-teller in Hong Kong predicted someone else would get them, a reminder that clearly grates on his nerves. It's only after he makes it clear he won't return home without the Cards that Meiling decides she will get involved and 'help', so that he can collect them faster.
- 10
Sakura and the Snowy New School Year
A new trimester starts and Sakura is now a fifth grader. She walks to school with Yukito, who gives Sakura a watch as a late birthday and start of fifth grade present. Sakura's new homeroom teacher turns out to be Ms. Mizuki. Sakura looks out the window and thinks she sees cherry blossoms, but realizes it is snow. Later, the snow is piling very quickly, even though it is April. It turns out to be the doings of a Clow Card. Sakura with Tomoyo look down at the snow-covered city to find the card with the Fly card. They stop at the big penguin at Penguin Park where Syaoran and Meilin appear. Syaoran tells the group that it is the doings of the Snow card. Suddenly, a blizzard surrounds them and it appears to be following people with magical powers. Sakura tries to use the Fly card to get herself, Kero, and Syaoran away from the blizzard. Syaoran uses a fire spell to try to stop the blizzard from following them, but it just becomes more furious. In the middle of the flight, Sakura realizes the watch she got from Yukito is gone. Sakura gets angry and releases the power of Firey to burn all the snow and captures the Snow card. Even though Sakura caught a card, she cries because she lost Yukito's present to her. Kero leaves Sakura and Syaoran to get Meilin and Tomoyo. Ms. Mizuki appears and gives Sakura the watch she lost and Sakura thanks her, while Syaoran glares at Ms. Mizuki.
- 11
Sakura and Tomoyo's Vanished Voice
Sakura and her friends are at a picnic with a portable karaoke device Tomoyo got from her mother's company. It is Tomoyo's turn to sing, and she begins singing. The next day at school, Sakura and Tomoyo talk about the song that Tomoyo will sing in choir. At cheerleading practice, Sakura, Chiharu, and Naoko talk about Tomoyo's singing, and decide to go listen after practice. However, Tomoyo's voice is stolen by a Clow Card. Later that night at Sakura's house, Kero tells Sakura that the Voice card caused this. Sakura and Syaoran go to Tomoyo's house to try to seal away the Clow Card. Then, Syaoran and Sakura begin thinking of ways to capture the Voice card. After a comment by Sakura about the Song card, Syaoran comes up with the idea as using the Song card to sing with Tomoyo's voice to draw out the Voice card. It works and the Voice card comes into Tomoyo's house. Syaoran seals the exits with seals, so that the Voice card cannot escape and Sakura seals the card. Tomoyo's voice is returned to her, and she is able to sing in the choir. Sakura and her friends go to the concert and listen to the choir's singing.
- 12
Sakura and the Mysterious Transfer Student
Sakura’s class receives a new transfer student, Eriol Hiiragizawa, a boy from England, and he starts charming Sakura, making Syaoran jealous. Later on, Sakura receives a vision from Clow Reed that he may bring trouble to her, and that night an unnatural storm hits town. Sakura decides to investigate, and discovers that the storm was created by magic. Sakura tries to end the storm, however trouble arises when Sakura attempts to use her Clow Cards.
- 13
The challenge is over at last. All the cards have been captured, all have been turned. The tests are over, or are they? There may be just one remaining, one that may have to be resolved with the heart. Life has been difficult for Sakura and Li since the day Synoran confessed to sakura that he was in love with her, Li finds it difficult to approach Sakura, whilst Sakura herself is torn, not knowing if she feels the same way for Synoran. The two barly exchange words when they return to school, where they are told by Tereda-Sensi that Eroil is transferring back to England. Sakura, Li, Tomoyo [Armed with her camera as always] and Kero head for Eroil mansion, seeking answers, they are startled when the mansion's front door opens by itself, as do all the other doors from within the building. When the final door opens, the four are shocked to discover that Eroile is holding a party for them!
- 14
It's April, the cherry trees are in full bloom, and Sakura has entered Tomoeda Middle School. She's reunited with Syaoran, who has returned from Hong Kong, and her new student life has begun.
- 15
Sakura has seen the mysterious robed person in her dreams many times. It turns out Akiho has been having the same dreams herself, and she's grown worried over their unsettling contents.
