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For fans who grew up with ‘90s anime, the era’s movies and series hold a special place in their hearts. No matter how many new shows emerge, certain iconic ships remain irreplaceable. Some fans are especially attached to the couples that defined their favorite anime, and their love for these pairings hasn’t faded.

Whether or not these anime series get new entries, these beloved couples have proven that they've stood the test of time. Even after nearly thirty years, many fans believe no modern ship can top them. To this day, they remain the best of the best — and fans are determined to keep their legacy alive even if it means it will be the hill they die on.

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When it comes to Studio Ghibli, certain couples are inherently more romantic than others. Ashitaka...

The Cardcaptor Sakura anime turns 25 next year, but fans are already spoiled for choice with inspired merchandise. They can now accessorize with new wristwatches designed after two favorite Clow Cards and Yukito's keepsake gift to Sakura.

Amnibus is accepting pre-orders for a new line of watches inspired by Clamp manga's Cardcaptor Sakura. Manufactured by Arma Bianca, the collection comes in three design variants: The Mirror Clow Card, The Flower Clow Card and a replica of the watch Sakura lost while searching for The Snow Clow Card. Each watch costs 6,480 yen (US$43.30), with no limit to the number of items allowed per purchase; reservations are open until Nov. 20, with orders fulfilled in March 2025. The collectible wristwatch should arrive ahead of the anime's 25th anniversary in June 2025, making it the perfect gift for fans of the anime and the magical girl genre overall. Amnibus ships internationally via the Buyee service.

Related Bandai...

Many '90s-era anime fans grew up watching Cardcaptor Sakura -- the anime adaptation based on Clamp's popular magical girl series. Recently, a Pizza Hut branch paid tribute to the beloved franchise with a set of themed menu items that quickly went viral online.

As detailed on Netlab and Taiwan News, Pizza Hut's Taiwanese branch released its official Cardcaptor Sakura collaboration items on June 4. The menu's signature item is the "Magical Circle Cheese Pizza" -- a wildly inventive tribute to the franchise's titular character. Half-meal and half-dessert, it consists of an eight-pointed star filled with german sausage and covered with white mochi. Additionally, the center of the star is filled with Japanese-style curry and mashed potatoes. Surrounding the star is an attached "halo" of pizza dough that's dotted with yellow macarons. The menu also features a manju, or sweet rice cake, that resembles "Kero-chan," the flying bear-like creature that accompanies Sakura on her adventures.

An astonishingly accurate cosplay brings one of the most fantastical manga-original Clow Cards from Cardcaptor Sakura to life.

In a June 8 Twitter post, user Myaaaaaaa4_27 shared a series of photos depicting a strikingly accurate cosplay of Cardcaptor Sakura's physical manifestation of The Flower, one of the powerful Clow Cards that serve as the crux of the series. Replete with a shimmery pink dress, bright blonde hair bunched up into massive curly buns and a sunny outdoor setting, the images also showcase the custom footwear, which is such a fine detail that it could have easily gone overlooked without being specifically highlighted on its own.

Related Cardcaptor Sakura Revisits Its Iconic '90s Anime Series With Exclusive High-End Jewelry Collab

Inspired by "heart-pounding" scenes from the anime, Take-Up releases a throwback jewelry line featuring high-grade gold and natural stones.

#*( )* pic.twitter.com/9QFKsQ0DnK :() (@Myaaaaaaa4_27) June 9, 2024

Cardcaptor Sakura's Clow...

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card released its last chapter in Nakayoshi magazine on December 1. The manga will receive a "Special Arc" in the magazine's April 2024 issue, which comes out on March 1. Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card has been serialized since 2016 and and is a follow-up series to Clamp's other work, Cardcaptor Sakura. It received an anime adaptation in 2018.

Clamp's Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card is set to receive a "Special Arc" after its conclusion. The manga's final chapter was published on December 1 in Nakayoshi magazine's January 2024 issue. A few weeks earlier, the series' 15th volume was released in Japan, while its 14th volume was released in English-speaking territories.

Clamp announced on their official X account (formerly Twitter) on November 30 stating that a "Special Arc" will be published in Nakayoshi magazine's April 2024 issue. They specified no other details except the release date, which is scheduled for March 1.

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Mangaka are usually uninvolved with the production of their anime, but there are a rare handful of manga whose creators were heavily involved in making their anime. When a manga gets adapted into an anime, the original mangaka tends to have no part in its production outside some very minor areas. Fullmetal Alchemist’s Hiromu Arakawa, for example, permitted Bones to deviate from the manga with the first adaptation, and mangaka will often design original characters for movies and filler arcs, but it’s rare for a creator to be fully involved with making their anime.

As rare as it might be, however, there have been times when a mangaka has helped with the production of their anime. Every example sees creators of the original manga help create their anime in some way, whether it was by writing the script or by having a full hand in the overall production.

Everyone loves to see a great anime series make a return. But while sequels can often be a good addition to a franchise, they aren't always the best idea. Sometimes, a continuation does more harm than good, tainting the otherwise flawless reputation of a beloved title. Every genre has this problem, including shojo, where even some of the best series in the demographic have lost their luster thanks to a failed sequel.

Related: 15 Best Shojo Anime With The Worst Characters

Whether it's a less-than-stellar second season, an Ova that derails the story, or a revival that's lost the charm of the original, some shojo sequels just can't live up to the greatness of their predecessors. Sometimes, these poor continuations leave such a bad taste in fans' mouths that they ruin the franchise altogether.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card

The original Cardcaptor Sakura anime is a beloved magical girl classic that still influences the genre today.