Ask John: Has All of CLAMP’s Anime Reached America?

Question:
With the new American DVD release of CLAMP School Detectives, are there any CLAMP anime that haven’t reached America yet?

Answer:
Among creators to have had anime based on their manga, CLAMP is one of Japan’s most prolific. And most of the anime adaptation of CLAMP manga have reached official American release. But there are a few still in Japan that haven’t made it to American DVD yet.

The most significant anime adaptations of CLAMP anime to have not had an American release yet are Madhouse studio’s shorts and music videos. While the X motion picture and television series have made it to America, the stunning X² (pronounced in Japanese “Double X”) music video has never been officially available in America. Released in November 1993 as a 25 minute long OVA, the X² video consists of a 20 minute slide-show of X illustrations set to the music of rock band X Japan. The final 3 minute, prior to the video’s ending credits, is a spectacular music video from director Rintaro and character design by Nobuteru Yuuki that brilliantly introduces the characters and concepts of CLAMP’s X manga with amazing animation, breathtaking action, and exceptional editing. On a side note, Rintaro and Nobuteru Yuuki partnered again nearly three years later on the creation of the X movie.

Madhouse has also animated two “CLAMP in Wonderland” music videos, a 7 minute long Clover music video short, and a paired Wish and Angel Egg no Tsukuri-Kata music video that runs 6 minutes total. None of these shorts have made it to America probably because they’re so short and therefore difficult to market as American commercial releases.

Similarly difficult to market in America may be Madhouse’s 2004 Sweet Valerian television series created by CLAMP. This cousin to America’s Powerpuff Girls deals with three Japanese girls that transform into super powered rabbits that battle the evil forces of the Stress Team that jeopardize mankind by aggravating ordinary Japanese citizen’s stress levels to literally monstrous proportions. The show’s simplistic art design and minimal story is a pleasant, brief diversion. But it’s not satisfying for typical American viewers that expect more conventional substance and design from anime.

The remaining CLAMP anime that has yet to reach America is probably just a matter of time. The three episode Tsubasa Chronicle: Tokyo Revelation OVA series from 2007 occurs chronologically after the TV series. Since FUNimation is presently still releasing the Tsubasa TV series, American consumers may need to wait a bit longer for the sequel series to reach America. Similarly, the XXXHOLiC movie and first television series are available domestically, but last year’s second TV series, XXXHOLiC Kei, isn’t. It’s probably just a matter of time until this second TV series reaches American distribution.

While not a CLAMP adaptation, CLAMP did provide the character designs for last year’s Mouryou no Hako television series. This convoluted and confusing supernatural murder mystery probably won’t appeal to many American anime viewers, but it does exhibit enough quality and integrity that I anticipate it may see an eventual official American release.

There are three new CLAMP anime adaptations on the horizon. The Tsubasa: Shunraiki & xxxHOLiC: Shunmuki OVAs are due out in Japan next month. Since much of the Tsubasa and XXXHOLiC anime has reached America, I expect these installments to follow suit eventually. A TV adaptation of CLAMP’s current manga series Kobato is scheduled to premiere this fall. So far, every anime television series adaptation of CLAMP manga has seen an American DVD release. So it’s probably safe to presume that the Kobato anime will likewise someday receive an American release.