This episode actually showed some promise. This raises an interesting question: seeing as the events in this episode never occurred in the manga, could the source material be as much to blame for the show's dullness as the hand of BeeTrain? The more I think about it, the more it seems so.

Still, step in the right direction or not, I'm having a difficult time maintaining interest in Tsubasa Chronicle. Whether I stick with it to the very end remains to be seen.

And the character designs? Geez. Kurogane must be hung like a horse.

Koichi Mashimo is a very talented director. BeeTrain banzai!

It's a good thing I had low expectations for this show. I just wish the solid first episode hadn't gotten my hopes up. Tsubasa doesn't feel like a CLAMP show anymore. It's clearly a BeeTrain show. And not a very good one.

The character designs were all over the map during this episode. It's a little early for that, don't you think?

Unfortunately, the direction felt a little ham-fisted as well. Koichi Mashimo strikes again? That remains to be seen, I guess. I'm still enjoying the music, however.

I'm pretty much accustomed to the voices now. Even talking Makona didn't faze me. It's a shame, however, that Sakura's little more than a giant body pillow for the time being, as I really enjoyed Yui Makino's performance in the first episode.

I'll admit: I'm no fan of BeeTrain. So, when I first learned the studio would be handling Tsubasa Chronicle, I was filled with dread. Could BeeTrain do CLAMP? Could they take something with such a strange premise and origin and make it work in animated form? For that matter, could any studio pull it off?

Somehow, they did.

First of all, the show has the CLAMP feel, no doubt about it. The character designs, the fanciful setting, the narrative structure - it's all very familiar. What BeeTrain brings to the table is some incredible animation (it surpassed my expectations, really) and solid direction. Tsubasa Chronicle seems "more" than a simple TV series. It's practically theatrical in presentation.

Furthermore, Yuki Kajiura is on fire. She's a perfect fit for the mood and setting of the show. Kajiura might not be the most versatile composer in the industry, but given the right kind of show, she can work magic with her music. Such is the case here.

Now, I suppose it's necessary for me to comment on the voice acting, given the familiar characters and lack of seiyuu reprising previous roles. To be honest, everything is so different that it's not much of an issue for me. Even so, with the exception of Shaoran, the changes aren't particularly dramatic. With him, I suspect it's more a matter of uninspired, weak acting. In fact, the whole cast sounds as if it's simply "going through the motions" much of the time - Shaoran just stands out, for some reason. It's the only thing I can truly complain about at this point.

I'm more than satisfied with how things have turned out. I'm excited, really. The CLAMP fanboy within me is stirring.

It's been awhile...