The "ending" of Tsubasa
It's time to jump on the bandwagon of Tsubasa fans and say, "What the HELL kind of an ending is that?!?!?"
The "ending" was absolutely empty, nonsensical, boring, anti-climactic, and pointless. Even though there's 30 massive plot-holes, CLAMP decides to end Tsubasa with Watanuki thanking Syaoran, the clones memories getting implanted into the real ones, and then falling asleep.. the end! WHAT THE HELL. 6 years of plot twists, crazy cliffhanging endings that left me longing for the next chapter, and basically CLAMP just wanted to make one thing clear for this ending: The clones are going to merge with the real ones. That's all they want us to get after a 6 year journey? Even though it was my suspicion that the clones would end up merging with the real ones (which I think is a stupid outcome, and it would've made a much more beautiful statement if the clones could have lived on as themselves, considering that they created their own souls through their experiences), it's a ridiculously empty ending. Who was Fei Wong Reed? Just a cardboard cutout villain to make us question everything, but in the end wasn't actually anybody important? Who was Real Syaoran's father? If the clone was created from the real one, obviously before the crazy timeloop someone else was his father. Are the feathers really pointless? Everyone is pissed about the vampire subplot as well, but the way I figure it is that X characters are doomed to never have an actual ending, in any series. There are just so many unanswered questions that in my rage I can't think of all of them. The actual names of real Sakura and Syaoran would be nice, as well as why (supposedly) Clow Reed played such a massive role in this plot when he basically didn't have much of a reason to. What was the point of all this?
Even if the ending is a happy one for the real Syaoran and Sakura, I feel nothing towards them. Sure we got the flashbacks from when they were younger, but I feel nothing towards them. Real Syaoran, while he was around for TONS of chapters, I continue to not feel any sort of affinity towards him because he spent his entire time pouting and emo-ing in every chapter. There wasn't much character development towards him other than he feels guilty and emo. As for real Sakura, I know absolutely nothing about her other than she was similar to clone Sakura as a child. Real Sakura has said maybe 4 things since awakening, none of which make her a deep character in any sense.
Oh, and I have to say it. Even though Tsubasa is SUPPOSED to be all about Syaoran and Sakura, this last chapter was about Watanuki and Syaoran. The real Sakura and Syaoran don't even have any chemistry together at the end, it almost feels like they're strangers. I might have been happier if they at least showed some sort of loving moment between them, that at least THEY can be happy, but no. The clones showed a hell of a lot more chemistry than the real ones, and yet it's the real ones that get to live on. I don't even feel happy for them. Even though technically the clones got their happy ending earlier, it still doesn't feel like it. Yes, CLAMP tried to make it a happy ending for the clones by showing that they're memories are inside the real ones now, but ugh. That's completely unsatisfying to me.
Of course, there is still one more "epilogue" chapter next week, as well as xxxHolic which will go until December. But I highly doubt that either of these things are going to make me feel satisfied over this horrible cop-out ending of Tsubasa. Even though CLAMP insisted that they planned this ending from the very beginning, I can't help but think they just decided to end it just for the sake of ending it, in a completely unsatisfying way, just because they have so many projects coming up. As a very dedicated fan, I feel betrayed.
The "ending" was absolutely empty, nonsensical, boring, anti-climactic, and pointless. Even though there's 30 massive plot-holes, CLAMP decides to end Tsubasa with Watanuki thanking Syaoran, the clones memories getting implanted into the real ones, and then falling asleep.. the end! WHAT THE HELL. 6 years of plot twists, crazy cliffhanging endings that left me longing for the next chapter, and basically CLAMP just wanted to make one thing clear for this ending: The clones are going to merge with the real ones. That's all they want us to get after a 6 year journey? Even though it was my suspicion that the clones would end up merging with the real ones (which I think is a stupid outcome, and it would've made a much more beautiful statement if the clones could have lived on as themselves, considering that they created their own souls through their experiences), it's a ridiculously empty ending. Who was Fei Wong Reed? Just a cardboard cutout villain to make us question everything, but in the end wasn't actually anybody important? Who was Real Syaoran's father? If the clone was created from the real one, obviously before the crazy timeloop someone else was his father. Are the feathers really pointless? Everyone is pissed about the vampire subplot as well, but the way I figure it is that X characters are doomed to never have an actual ending, in any series. There are just so many unanswered questions that in my rage I can't think of all of them. The actual names of real Sakura and Syaoran would be nice, as well as why (supposedly) Clow Reed played such a massive role in this plot when he basically didn't have much of a reason to. What was the point of all this?
Even if the ending is a happy one for the real Syaoran and Sakura, I feel nothing towards them. Sure we got the flashbacks from when they were younger, but I feel nothing towards them. Real Syaoran, while he was around for TONS of chapters, I continue to not feel any sort of affinity towards him because he spent his entire time pouting and emo-ing in every chapter. There wasn't much character development towards him other than he feels guilty and emo. As for real Sakura, I know absolutely nothing about her other than she was similar to clone Sakura as a child. Real Sakura has said maybe 4 things since awakening, none of which make her a deep character in any sense.
Oh, and I have to say it. Even though Tsubasa is SUPPOSED to be all about Syaoran and Sakura, this last chapter was about Watanuki and Syaoran. The real Sakura and Syaoran don't even have any chemistry together at the end, it almost feels like they're strangers. I might have been happier if they at least showed some sort of loving moment between them, that at least THEY can be happy, but no. The clones showed a hell of a lot more chemistry than the real ones, and yet it's the real ones that get to live on. I don't even feel happy for them. Even though technically the clones got their happy ending earlier, it still doesn't feel like it. Yes, CLAMP tried to make it a happy ending for the clones by showing that they're memories are inside the real ones now, but ugh. That's completely unsatisfying to me.
Of course, there is still one more "epilogue" chapter next week, as well as xxxHolic which will go until December. But I highly doubt that either of these things are going to make me feel satisfied over this horrible cop-out ending of Tsubasa. Even though CLAMP insisted that they planned this ending from the very beginning, I can't help but think they just decided to end it just for the sake of ending it, in a completely unsatisfying way, just because they have so many projects coming up. As a very dedicated fan, I feel betrayed.