Anime Addiction: Card Captor Sakura

Sakura Kinomoto is a normal girl, she's in the fourth grade, she is good at sports but not so good at math and music; and she's generally regarded as a popular and outgoing girl. She has a good life with her father and her older brother Touya (who likes to call her monster but who really is very protective of her), and though she thinks a lot about her Mom - who died when she was 4 - she's a happy girl. 

One afternoon when she's home alone, Sakura comes across a strange book in her father's library. The book is called The Clow, and it's full of cards, which she inadvertently spreads all over her city. In the process, Sakura also awakens the guardian of the cards - Kero, who quickly informs her that she's now a Card Captor, her mission: to gather all the cards before something terrible happens in the world. 

Soon, Sakura is running all over town to gather all the cards with Kero and her best friend Tomoyo by her side. Later, she's also joined by Shaoran Li, a serious boy who goes from being her rival to being her friend.

Sakura Card Captor is a lovely anime series that spans over three seasons, something close to 70 episodes, and it's just wonderful! From the start, Sakura has to balance being a normal girl - hanging out with her other friends Rika, Chiharu and Naoko; nursing her crush on her brother's best friend Yukito - with being a Card Captor whose magic keeps on getting stronger.

There is action, lots of costume changes - courtesy of Tomoyo - and laughs, what else can you ask for?

Alex's Personal Favorite