Episode 45: "Sakura and the Last Card" or "The Last Card: Part II"
Introduction to the Experiment
Episode 44
Episode 45: Sakura and the Last Card (Card Captor Sakura) or The Last Card: Part II (Cardcaptors)
When we last left our heroes, they were in the middle of an earthquake so we start off there again. We find out that this is the Earthy Card. More pillars of rock push up through the ground, basically scaring the bejeezus out of everyone. However, Sakura notices that nothing is happening around Ms. Mackenzie. Anyway, Li suggests using her magic but Sakura doesn't want to because Julian is there. Li suggests Sleep which she uses on everyone in Toronto apparently except the magical duo, Madison, and Kero. Ms. Mackenzie is unaffected by the magic. Sakura asks how to stop the earthquake. Kero says she has to seal it. Sakura wants to get up higher to see what's going on and asks Li to watch over the others. He agrees and off she goes. As she flies, she sees that the Earth is causing a lot of destruction and is amazed that this is the work of a Clow Card. In the Japanese version, Sakura asks if this was the catastrophe that Kero mentioned earlier but Kero tells that the catastrophe isn't physical like this; this is just the Earthy Card doing its thing. Anyway, the reason it's so powerful is because it's one of the Element Card and one of the last Cards. After a discussion about how this is truly the last Card and when she gets this one, they'll be done with this whole business, it's time to fight this Card. In the English version, Kero tells Sakura that she needs to get it to its true form while the Japanese version has Kero tell that she needs to find its main body. Luckily for Sakura, the Earthy Card is very cooperative and reveals whatever she needs. Sakura attacks it with Watery which only works for a few moments. Kero tells that just using an attack card won't work on Earthy. In the Japanese version, Kero spits fire at it, which only makes it throw firey rocks back at them. Luckily, Kero flies Sakura to safety. In any case, Sakura is stumped as to how to seal Earthy. In the English version, Kero tells her that she needs to use a Card that has never let her down. In the Japanese version, Kero tells her that she needs to think on her own. In any case, Sakura uses Jump to run away as she contemplates what to do. She eventually passes by her friends. In the English version, she thinks about how she can't go over there because Earthy is following her. In the Japanese version, she confirms that nothing is happening around Ms. Mizuki. In any case, she also realizes that nothing is happening around the trees. In the English version, Sakura spells it out for the audience: trees have their roots wrapped around earth all the time. The idea in her head, she turns around to face Earthy, much to Kero's confusion. Sakura explains that she has an idea. In the English version, she tells him that he told her to use a Card that's helped her before (which isn't what he said but whatever) and she knows this is it. In the Japanese version, she reaffirms her commitment to capture all the Cards. In any case, Kero decides that he's going with her to the end. Sakura uses the Wood Card against Earthy, binding it in branches. Earthy nearly breaks free but Sakura seals it first. That done, Kero begins to glow and then is wrapped in giant wings. The wings open to reveal a very cool-looking battle-ready giant maneless lion. This is Kero's true form. Now that the Earthy Card is sealed, he has enough magic to access all of his powers. Kero apologizes for not being able to help her in this form earlier but Sakura won't hear of it: he's been plenty of help. Sakura is ready to celebrate but Kero tells her that there is one more thing left: she has to face Yueh. So, it's back to the CN Tower to meet up with Madison and Li. Sakura shows off her new Card and Madison gets to meet the new Kero. In the Japanese version, there is a sequence where Tomoyo puts Sakura into a costume and even managed to get into Li's place and get his robes. Tomoyo wants to videotape this special occasion of getting all of the Cards. Li and Sakura talk about how good it is to have all the Cards sealed and Li remarks that Kero doesn't seem very happy. The English version starts with the next moment where Sakura asks if Li knows who Yueh is. Li explains that Yueh is the other Guardian of the Clow Cards. Kerberos rules over the Sun and Yueh rules over the Moon. However, nothing is written about Yueh in the books Clow left behind. All he knows is that Yueh is a judge. Sakura asks what he judges. In the Japanese version, they also bring up the fact that Yueh's symbol (the Moon) is missing from the backcover, meaning that Yueh has taken a physical form. The two kids look in Ms. Mizuki's direction. They are interrupted by Madison, who asks if Sakura has written her name on the Card. She hasn't. Madison wants to tape it. Kero informs her that once she writes her name, the Cards have officially been sealed. Sakura is relieved to hear that. Kero then adds in the English version that she must be ready to face the Final Judgement. In the Japanese version, he adds that he is sure that she'll be able to do something. This takes Sakura off guard and coupled with the fact that Ms. Mackenzie looks like she is about to burst into tears, Sakura hesitates. Li asks her what's wrong. Sakura says she's fine and writes her name. As this happens, Madison points out that both Sakura and Li have some of the Cards so who is the actual Master of the Cards? Kero tells her that she'll find out when "they" arrive. Ms. Mackenzie then says that it's time. Cue dramatic wind blowing and dramatic shots of the moon and people and stuff. At the end of this, Julian, who was still asleep, begins to glow and rise. Eventually, he is hidden by two large wings and then they open to reveal a man with long silvery hair with a harsh expression. This is Yueh. Upon hearing that name, Sakura has a flashback to the warning the Light and Dark Cards gave her about Yueh determining whether she will be the Cards' master and being by her side. Back to the present and Sakura asks what happened to Julian. Ms. Mackenzie informs her that Julian was Yueh this whole time. In the English version, Yueh doesn't waste any time criticizing Kero for losing track of the Cards. Kero defends himself, saying that nothing really happens by accident. He also adds that he knew Yueh was close by, waiting, preparing. Sakura is confused: why didn't Julian tell them? Kero explains that Yueh hid his true form even from Julian. Julian had no idea he was Yueh. Kero goes to explain that without the final Card, he could only sense Yueh. But Ms. Mackenzie has magical powers as well so for a while, he thought she was Yueh. But Ms. Mackenzie offered Sakura help and Yueh is not allowed to do that because the judge's role is not to help anyone find the way. Kero then guesses that Ms. Mackenzie knew that all along that Julian was not who he seemed to be. Ms. Mackenzie confirms his guess. Sakura interrupts: she's really confused. Yueh explains that he is just like Kero, that without his powers he could not reveal his true form. Madison and Li repeat that Julian was the other Guardian the whole time. Yueh then gets down to business: Sakura is the candidate chosen by Kerberos to be the Master of the Clow Cards. But he senses that someone else has the Clow Cards too. Yueh gripes that there is no point passing judgement on someone who couldn't catch all of the Clow Cards by herself. Kero defends her, saying she has learned a lot and that he has faith that she will pass the test. Yueh is unimpressed by his confidence. Kero points out that, by tradition, the final decision belongs to Yueh. Yueh decides it's time to start. He flies up into the air. Sakura protests: they captured all the Cards, they did what they were told, what's up with this Final Judgement thing? Kero tells her to be patient. In the Japanese version, upon his reveal, Yueh greets Kero. Kero reveals that he was caught off guard. The Guardians are always close to the owner of the Clow Cards, pointing that Yueh had been by Sakura's side this whole time, by being her brother's friend. He goes to explain that Yueh had hidden all traces of his powers until he had returned to his original form. As Sakura and Li had captured Cards, Kero had gained his powers, even being able to sense the moon. But he had been fooled by Ms. Mizuki's powers. However, he is annoyed at himself for not realizing Yukito was Yueh when he had been so close this whole time. Kero again explains that Yueh is his opposite and means "moon" in Chinese. Kero asks if Ms. Mizuki knew that. Ms. Mizuki points that she has been asked that before. She confirms that she knows. In any case, Sakura interrupts: she's really confused. Yueh explains that he is just like Kero, that without his powers he could not reveal his true form. Madison and Li repeat that Julian was the other Guardian the whole time. Yueh then gets down to business: Sakura is the candidate chosen by Kerberos to be the Master of the Clow Cards. But he senses that someone else has the Clow Cards too. Yueh gripes that there is no point passing judgement on someone who couldn't catch all of the Clow Cards by herself. Kero defends her, saying she has learned a lot and that he has faith that she will pass the test. Yueh is unimpressed by his confidence in the English version. In the Japanese version, Yueh claims that Kero is too easy on them. In the English version, Kero points out that, by tradition, the final decision belongs to Yueh. In the Japanese version, Kero says that Yueh is still as mean as ever. Yueh decides it's time to start. He flies up into the air. Sakura protests: they captured all the Cards, they did what they were told in the English version or the catastrophe wasn't supposed to happen in the Japanese version, what's up with this Final Judgement thing? Kero tells her to be patient. Yueh picks Li to go first, blanking out his eyes and floating him up to a rooftop. Once he's up there, Yueh explains that the Final Judgement goes like this: use the Clow Cards he has to defeat Yueh. Yueh then shoots ice spears at Li. Li gets hit and falls. Sakura runs to help but a barrier stops her. Kero explains that no one can help him during the Final Judgement. Li uses his Chinese magic but it doesn't work. Yueh is very unimpressed by Li's performance: in the English version, he says that he's surprised that a descendant of Clow Reed isn't a more worthy opponent while the Japanese version, he says that he's surprised that he was able to get his hands on the Cards, considering his weak skills. Ouch. Anyway, Li decides to use the Time Card but when he looks up, Yueh is gone. Yueh is right behind him and informs Li that Time is under his jurisdiction and then stops Time for Li. The scenes cuts away so the audience only hears Li screaming. Li is set down, a little worse for wear. Yueh took his Cards away and Li warns Sakura that Yueh is really powerful. Now it's Sakura's turn. Her eyes go blank and she lifted up to her building rooftop to face Yueh. Sakura realizes that this is just like her CN Tower dream. Yueh, facing the official candidate, announces to the Clow Cards that Sakura has been nominated to be their Master and whether she is capable of it will be determined by himself. So, let the Final Judgement commence! In the next episode!
Wanna see it?
Cardcaptors Episode 45: Part 1/3
Cardcaptors Episode 45: Part 2/3
Cardcaptors Episode 45: Part 3/3
Card Captor Sakura Episode 45: Part 1/3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_II8cjJpXs
Card Captor Sakura Episode 45: Part 2/3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBzAcj0dE2A
Card Captor Sakura Episode 45: Part 3/3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGwNmOgY9po
Every time someone said "the Final Judgement", I kept singing, "It's the Final Countdown! Doo dah doo doo, doo dah doo doo dah doo!" Anyway, in the original manga, Li never caught any Cards so he never got to fight Yueh so I was looking forward to seeing how it would happen. Yeah, I was kind of underwhelmed. I mean, it was, like, five minutes, Li only used one Clow Card, and most of the fight was just Yueh punching Li in the face. I know Yueh is badass and all but couldn't they have given Li some hits or at least let him try all of his Cards before being knocked out of the Judgement? I'll confess I'm not a huge fan of Yueh. I mean, I understand he's important and all but he just never grew on me as a character. Ah well.
Card Tally
Sakura: Windy, Fly, Shadow, Watery, Rain, Wood, Jump, Illusion, Silence, Thunder, Sword, Flower, Shield, Power, Mist, Float, Erase, Glow, Move, Fight, Loop, Sleep, Song, Little, Mirror, Maze, Shot, Sweet, Big, Create, Change, Firey, Arrow, Snow, Voice, Lock, Cloud, Light, Dark, Earthy
Unseen Captures: Bubbles, Libra, Through, Wave
Current number: 44
Li: Time, Storm, Return, Dash, Freeze, Dream, Sand, Twin
Current number: 8
FINAL TALLY
Sakura: 44 Clow Cards
Li: 8 Clow Cards
Total: 52 Clow Cards
Let's give all of our Cardcaptors a round of applause! Everyone's a winner here!
... Oh, wait, no. That's what Yueh's here for. To pick the actual winner.
The two titles are practically the same and they both contain things I hate. I hate the "Sakura" thing and I hate the two-parter title scheme. Since I think they should have thought of a better English title last time, this time the English title pays the price. Japanese title wins.
There are only two cut scenes as far as I can tell and although they weren't major plot-heavy scenes, the cuts were done in a very sloppy way.
The first was Kero fighting the Earthy Card with fire. Admittedly, not a hugely important scene but the problem is that the next scene is Kero gasping for breath. In the English version, it literally looks like Kero is completely fine and then suddenly he's dying, for no reason. Very badly done. They should have just kept that scene.
The second is Tomoyo busting out the costumes. Again, not a super important scene but the problem is that one second, Sakura and Li is in their normal clothing and the next second, they're in costume. No explanation, just a costume change. I spent the first few seconds not even paying attention to what they were saying, I just kept going, "Why are you dressed differently now? Did you guys go home? Did Madison bring them with her? Does Li carry those robes in his bookbag? What the hell?!" Furthermore, they cut a moment where Li points out that Kero seems kind of upset that they captured the Cards, which is a nice foreshadowing moment. This was just badly done. I would have even accepted even a throwaway "I can't believe Madison had brought costumes with her, even for you!" line.
This is the second to last episode of this season and this kind of editing job is terrible. I can understand a time issue but there's no reason to be this sloppy.
Speaking of sloppy, why change Sakura's explanation to use Woody as "one that has helped me before" when Kero told to use a Card that "never let her down"? I'm sure many of her Cards have helped her before, including Watery which failed to work this time, so that's not a big statement. And it's not even what he advised her to do!
Most of the other changes are dialogue-related and I'll point out a few important ones:
1. I did like that they changed Sakura's line about the Earthy Card doing its thing being the catastrophe thing to her just talking about how destructive it is. Her thinking that this was the catastrophe Kero mentioned was just dumb because it's obvious that it's the Earthy Card so therefore it's doing earth-related damaged, like her other Cards before she sealed them. Duh, Sakura!
2. I'm confused as to why Kero gives different instructions for defeating the Earthy Card. In the Japanese version, he tells her to figure it out on her own while the English version, he gives her a clue. Neither is necessarily better than the other but I don't quite get the rationale of either. Why does Sakura have to figure this one out on her own? Is Kero paranoid about Yueh's Judgement or something? As the clue version, why not just tell her? Kero is on her side, why be so vague? More Yueh paranoia?
3. Okay, this is related to a cut but they made Madison slightly more intelligent in the English version, by her guessing that the giant lion is Kero's true form. I don't quite get why the kids never guess this at first glance. I mean, who else would he be? Just some random magical being that decided to follow Sakura around and ate Kero or something? Of course, they do this to avoid the facefault, which I don't mind. Kero in his true form looks weird when he does things like that. It never looks quite right.
4. The conversation between Yueh, Kero, and Ms. Mackenzie is different depending on the version. I must confess I preferred the English exchange over the Japanese exchange. I liked the "show, not tell" aspect of Yueh berating Kero within moments of his appearance. Kero doesn't have to say "you're still mean" later on, it's pretty clear from the getgo. Even though Kero pretty much says the same thing, English Kero just has better lines, although this may be a fault of the translation or a bias toward me being able to pick the subtle nuances of my own language. Furthermore, I thought Kero and Ms. Mackenzie's exchange made more sense than Kero and Ms. Mizuki. The Japanese version has Kero ask the same question as he did in the last episode. She's already answered him so what was the point? The English version actually contributes new information: Ms. Mackenzie knew Julian was Yueh. Also, the English version explicitly points out that Kero suspected Ms. Mackenzie was Yueh, which the previous episode's English version played with. The ending part where Yueh and Kero fight about Sakura is up to the task is a little more dramatic in the English version as well, with Kero standing his ground but knowing his place in the ritual. The Japanese line of "you're still mean" killed the mood for me.
The most important difference between these episodes is the voices for Keroberos and Yueh. Wow, I'm beyond floored by the awesome performance by the English voices for Keroberos and Yueh. Keroberos has this deliciously theatric boom of a voice that makes anything he says sound so much cooler than it has any right to be in a cartoon about a fifth-grade girl capturing magical Cards while wearing silly outfits. It probably helps that Keroberos' actor was in a couple version of Transformers. I had suspected he was the voice of Optimus Prime. He's not but still, I guess Transformers calls for that type of voice? (I've never watched Transformers, sorry). Yueh's voice took me a moment to appreciate but by the end of the episode, I was sold. Yueh's voice is creepy and threatening and oozes malice. Everything he said just sounded so cool. And, oh my God, I just checked Internet Movie Database and apparently Yueh is played the same actor that plays Julian! Wow, I am doubly impressed now because I didn't suspect they were played by the same actor at all! That is some range, Sam Vincent! To make this even weirder, Sam Vincent also played opposite Matt Hill in Gundam SEED, playing Kira Yamamoto's long lost childhood friend Athrun Zala. He also appeared in a couple versions of Transformers himself.
On the other hand, the Japanese voices for Keroberos and Yueh were embarrassingly weak. Keroberos just sounded so normal. It's like the actor had no idea that he was playing a damn battle-ready magical lion. Put your diaphragm into it! After hearing the English Keroberos' performance, the Japanese Keroberos just made me laugh with embarrassment. This was the best actor they could find? As for Yueh, they just used Yukito's voice actress. Now, compared to her counterpart playing Keroberos, she does alright. But can't quite make Yueh sound as menacing as the English version can. Of course, I kept thinking, "Man, she sounds like Juri from Revolutionary Girl Utena". Well, I was close: she played Haruka, better known as Sailor Uranus from Sailor Moon. So, in the end, in Japanese version, Yueh just sounds like a really tough woman, rather than a really scary magical man.
Plot holes!
1. Why doesn't Sleep affect Ms. Mizuki? No, I don't care if she's magical and stuff. Kero was just as magical and Sleep affected him when it first appeared. And how did it know who to protect from its effects? Is it a psychic Card?
2. Speaking of Sleep, did Sakura knock out the entire city? I mean, people are going to notice earth pillars and a Godzilla-like rock monster attacking even if they're nowhere near the temple.
3. I can allow Tomoyo getting her van of dresses but how did she get Li's outfit? From his home, I know, but how did they get inside? Did they break into his house?! I mean, I doubt his robes are just laying on the bed, they probably ransacked the place! Shouldn't Li be a little more concerned about this?
4. Speaking of Sleep again, are the people still asleep during the Final Judgement? How long does that Card's power last?
5. Based on Keroberos' apology, it seems like just getting the two element Cards under his jurisdiction would have given him the power he needed to use his true form. It had nothing to do with how many Cards she had, just which element Cards she had. So why couldn't Yueh use his true form when she's had Windy and Watery for ages?
6. Okay, Li's fight with Yueh was not fair and I mean from a writers' perspective, not from Yueh's perspective. Yueh is the Judge, he doesn't have to be fair. There is no way Li had a shot at winning this fight with eight Cards, it was just an excuse to have Li get beat up. Why couldn't the writers have planned it out so the two kids had an equal amount of Cards? Now, maybe it's my Li bias but keep in mind that Li never got any Cards in the manga. So if the writers were going to change that detail, they could have gone farther to make it have some dramatic tension. If Li had gone into the Final Judgement with 26 cards, the same as Sakura, then we could have at least pretended that Li could pass Yueh's test.
7. As for the lame fight we actually got, can Li not follow instructions? Yueh specifically says to use the Clow Cards he has to defeat him. He pulls out his ofuda instead. Twice. CLOW CARDS, Li! Put the ofuda away! I'm surprised Yueh didn't call him out for cheating.
8. And why does Li use the Card that uses so much of his energy? And what did he plan to do? Freeze Time and punch Yueh while he was frozen? He has several potential attack Cards: Storm, Freeze, Sand, and maybe Twin if he made two of himself to fight. Why not use those first?
9. Of course, with this line of thought, I bet Storm and Freeze are Yueh's Cards. Sand is probably Keroberos' so that's fine. Twin is iffy. Dash is iffy too but I'm guessing it's not Yueh's. Time is Yueh's. I bet Return is Yueh's too. Dream is definitely Yueh's. So, basically, Li only had one Card that could definitely help him: Sand. Again, how is this fair from the writers' standpoint?
After much thought, I wavered on which way to go because the sloppy cuts had annoyed me so much but the performances of the English actors for Keroberos and Yueh were so stellar, but considering that sloppy cuts were merely annoyances rather than moments that ruined the episodes while many other elements from acting to dialogue were changed for the better in the English version, I judged these episode to be...
Different, with the English Cardcaptors being the superior!
Episode 46
Episode 44
Episode 45: Sakura and the Last Card (Card Captor Sakura) or The Last Card: Part II (Cardcaptors)
When we last left our heroes, they were in the middle of an earthquake so we start off there again. We find out that this is the Earthy Card. More pillars of rock push up through the ground, basically scaring the bejeezus out of everyone. However, Sakura notices that nothing is happening around Ms. Mackenzie. Anyway, Li suggests using her magic but Sakura doesn't want to because Julian is there. Li suggests Sleep which she uses on everyone in Toronto apparently except the magical duo, Madison, and Kero. Ms. Mackenzie is unaffected by the magic. Sakura asks how to stop the earthquake. Kero says she has to seal it. Sakura wants to get up higher to see what's going on and asks Li to watch over the others. He agrees and off she goes. As she flies, she sees that the Earth is causing a lot of destruction and is amazed that this is the work of a Clow Card. In the Japanese version, Sakura asks if this was the catastrophe that Kero mentioned earlier but Kero tells that the catastrophe isn't physical like this; this is just the Earthy Card doing its thing. Anyway, the reason it's so powerful is because it's one of the Element Card and one of the last Cards. After a discussion about how this is truly the last Card and when she gets this one, they'll be done with this whole business, it's time to fight this Card. In the English version, Kero tells Sakura that she needs to get it to its true form while the Japanese version has Kero tell that she needs to find its main body. Luckily for Sakura, the Earthy Card is very cooperative and reveals whatever she needs. Sakura attacks it with Watery which only works for a few moments. Kero tells that just using an attack card won't work on Earthy. In the Japanese version, Kero spits fire at it, which only makes it throw firey rocks back at them. Luckily, Kero flies Sakura to safety. In any case, Sakura is stumped as to how to seal Earthy. In the English version, Kero tells her that she needs to use a Card that has never let her down. In the Japanese version, Kero tells her that she needs to think on her own. In any case, Sakura uses Jump to run away as she contemplates what to do. She eventually passes by her friends. In the English version, she thinks about how she can't go over there because Earthy is following her. In the Japanese version, she confirms that nothing is happening around Ms. Mizuki. In any case, she also realizes that nothing is happening around the trees. In the English version, Sakura spells it out for the audience: trees have their roots wrapped around earth all the time. The idea in her head, she turns around to face Earthy, much to Kero's confusion. Sakura explains that she has an idea. In the English version, she tells him that he told her to use a Card that's helped her before (which isn't what he said but whatever) and she knows this is it. In the Japanese version, she reaffirms her commitment to capture all the Cards. In any case, Kero decides that he's going with her to the end. Sakura uses the Wood Card against Earthy, binding it in branches. Earthy nearly breaks free but Sakura seals it first. That done, Kero begins to glow and then is wrapped in giant wings. The wings open to reveal a very cool-looking battle-ready giant maneless lion. This is Kero's true form. Now that the Earthy Card is sealed, he has enough magic to access all of his powers. Kero apologizes for not being able to help her in this form earlier but Sakura won't hear of it: he's been plenty of help. Sakura is ready to celebrate but Kero tells her that there is one more thing left: she has to face Yueh. So, it's back to the CN Tower to meet up with Madison and Li. Sakura shows off her new Card and Madison gets to meet the new Kero. In the Japanese version, there is a sequence where Tomoyo puts Sakura into a costume and even managed to get into Li's place and get his robes. Tomoyo wants to videotape this special occasion of getting all of the Cards. Li and Sakura talk about how good it is to have all the Cards sealed and Li remarks that Kero doesn't seem very happy. The English version starts with the next moment where Sakura asks if Li knows who Yueh is. Li explains that Yueh is the other Guardian of the Clow Cards. Kerberos rules over the Sun and Yueh rules over the Moon. However, nothing is written about Yueh in the books Clow left behind. All he knows is that Yueh is a judge. Sakura asks what he judges. In the Japanese version, they also bring up the fact that Yueh's symbol (the Moon) is missing from the backcover, meaning that Yueh has taken a physical form. The two kids look in Ms. Mizuki's direction. They are interrupted by Madison, who asks if Sakura has written her name on the Card. She hasn't. Madison wants to tape it. Kero informs her that once she writes her name, the Cards have officially been sealed. Sakura is relieved to hear that. Kero then adds in the English version that she must be ready to face the Final Judgement. In the Japanese version, he adds that he is sure that she'll be able to do something. This takes Sakura off guard and coupled with the fact that Ms. Mackenzie looks like she is about to burst into tears, Sakura hesitates. Li asks her what's wrong. Sakura says she's fine and writes her name. As this happens, Madison points out that both Sakura and Li have some of the Cards so who is the actual Master of the Cards? Kero tells her that she'll find out when "they" arrive. Ms. Mackenzie then says that it's time. Cue dramatic wind blowing and dramatic shots of the moon and people and stuff. At the end of this, Julian, who was still asleep, begins to glow and rise. Eventually, he is hidden by two large wings and then they open to reveal a man with long silvery hair with a harsh expression. This is Yueh. Upon hearing that name, Sakura has a flashback to the warning the Light and Dark Cards gave her about Yueh determining whether she will be the Cards' master and being by her side. Back to the present and Sakura asks what happened to Julian. Ms. Mackenzie informs her that Julian was Yueh this whole time. In the English version, Yueh doesn't waste any time criticizing Kero for losing track of the Cards. Kero defends himself, saying that nothing really happens by accident. He also adds that he knew Yueh was close by, waiting, preparing. Sakura is confused: why didn't Julian tell them? Kero explains that Yueh hid his true form even from Julian. Julian had no idea he was Yueh. Kero goes to explain that without the final Card, he could only sense Yueh. But Ms. Mackenzie has magical powers as well so for a while, he thought she was Yueh. But Ms. Mackenzie offered Sakura help and Yueh is not allowed to do that because the judge's role is not to help anyone find the way. Kero then guesses that Ms. Mackenzie knew that all along that Julian was not who he seemed to be. Ms. Mackenzie confirms his guess. Sakura interrupts: she's really confused. Yueh explains that he is just like Kero, that without his powers he could not reveal his true form. Madison and Li repeat that Julian was the other Guardian the whole time. Yueh then gets down to business: Sakura is the candidate chosen by Kerberos to be the Master of the Clow Cards. But he senses that someone else has the Clow Cards too. Yueh gripes that there is no point passing judgement on someone who couldn't catch all of the Clow Cards by herself. Kero defends her, saying she has learned a lot and that he has faith that she will pass the test. Yueh is unimpressed by his confidence. Kero points out that, by tradition, the final decision belongs to Yueh. Yueh decides it's time to start. He flies up into the air. Sakura protests: they captured all the Cards, they did what they were told, what's up with this Final Judgement thing? Kero tells her to be patient. In the Japanese version, upon his reveal, Yueh greets Kero. Kero reveals that he was caught off guard. The Guardians are always close to the owner of the Clow Cards, pointing that Yueh had been by Sakura's side this whole time, by being her brother's friend. He goes to explain that Yueh had hidden all traces of his powers until he had returned to his original form. As Sakura and Li had captured Cards, Kero had gained his powers, even being able to sense the moon. But he had been fooled by Ms. Mizuki's powers. However, he is annoyed at himself for not realizing Yukito was Yueh when he had been so close this whole time. Kero again explains that Yueh is his opposite and means "moon" in Chinese. Kero asks if Ms. Mizuki knew that. Ms. Mizuki points that she has been asked that before. She confirms that she knows. In any case, Sakura interrupts: she's really confused. Yueh explains that he is just like Kero, that without his powers he could not reveal his true form. Madison and Li repeat that Julian was the other Guardian the whole time. Yueh then gets down to business: Sakura is the candidate chosen by Kerberos to be the Master of the Clow Cards. But he senses that someone else has the Clow Cards too. Yueh gripes that there is no point passing judgement on someone who couldn't catch all of the Clow Cards by herself. Kero defends her, saying she has learned a lot and that he has faith that she will pass the test. Yueh is unimpressed by his confidence in the English version. In the Japanese version, Yueh claims that Kero is too easy on them. In the English version, Kero points out that, by tradition, the final decision belongs to Yueh. In the Japanese version, Kero says that Yueh is still as mean as ever. Yueh decides it's time to start. He flies up into the air. Sakura protests: they captured all the Cards, they did what they were told in the English version or the catastrophe wasn't supposed to happen in the Japanese version, what's up with this Final Judgement thing? Kero tells her to be patient. Yueh picks Li to go first, blanking out his eyes and floating him up to a rooftop. Once he's up there, Yueh explains that the Final Judgement goes like this: use the Clow Cards he has to defeat Yueh. Yueh then shoots ice spears at Li. Li gets hit and falls. Sakura runs to help but a barrier stops her. Kero explains that no one can help him during the Final Judgement. Li uses his Chinese magic but it doesn't work. Yueh is very unimpressed by Li's performance: in the English version, he says that he's surprised that a descendant of Clow Reed isn't a more worthy opponent while the Japanese version, he says that he's surprised that he was able to get his hands on the Cards, considering his weak skills. Ouch. Anyway, Li decides to use the Time Card but when he looks up, Yueh is gone. Yueh is right behind him and informs Li that Time is under his jurisdiction and then stops Time for Li. The scenes cuts away so the audience only hears Li screaming. Li is set down, a little worse for wear. Yueh took his Cards away and Li warns Sakura that Yueh is really powerful. Now it's Sakura's turn. Her eyes go blank and she lifted up to her building rooftop to face Yueh. Sakura realizes that this is just like her CN Tower dream. Yueh, facing the official candidate, announces to the Clow Cards that Sakura has been nominated to be their Master and whether she is capable of it will be determined by himself. So, let the Final Judgement commence! In the next episode!
Wanna see it?
Cardcaptors Episode 45: Part 1/3
Click to viewCardcaptors Episode 45: Part 2/3
Cardcaptors Episode 45: Part 3/3
Card Captor Sakura Episode 45: Part 1/3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_II8cjJpXs
Card Captor Sakura Episode 45: Part 2/3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBzAcj0dE2A
Card Captor Sakura Episode 45: Part 3/3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGwNmOgY9po
Every time someone said "the Final Judgement", I kept singing, "It's the Final Countdown! Doo dah doo doo, doo dah doo doo dah doo!" Anyway, in the original manga, Li never caught any Cards so he never got to fight Yueh so I was looking forward to seeing how it would happen. Yeah, I was kind of underwhelmed. I mean, it was, like, five minutes, Li only used one Clow Card, and most of the fight was just Yueh punching Li in the face. I know Yueh is badass and all but couldn't they have given Li some hits or at least let him try all of his Cards before being knocked out of the Judgement? I'll confess I'm not a huge fan of Yueh. I mean, I understand he's important and all but he just never grew on me as a character. Ah well.
Card Tally
Sakura: Windy, Fly, Shadow, Watery, Rain, Wood, Jump, Illusion, Silence, Thunder, Sword, Flower, Shield, Power, Mist, Float, Erase, Glow, Move, Fight, Loop, Sleep, Song, Little, Mirror, Maze, Shot, Sweet, Big, Create, Change, Firey, Arrow, Snow, Voice, Lock, Cloud, Light, Dark, Earthy
Unseen Captures: Bubbles, Libra, Through, Wave
Current number: 44
Li: Time, Storm, Return, Dash, Freeze, Dream, Sand, Twin
Current number: 8
FINAL TALLY
Sakura: 44 Clow Cards
Li: 8 Clow Cards
Total: 52 Clow Cards
Let's give all of our Cardcaptors a round of applause! Everyone's a winner here!
... Oh, wait, no. That's what Yueh's here for. To pick the actual winner.
The two titles are practically the same and they both contain things I hate. I hate the "Sakura" thing and I hate the two-parter title scheme. Since I think they should have thought of a better English title last time, this time the English title pays the price. Japanese title wins.
There are only two cut scenes as far as I can tell and although they weren't major plot-heavy scenes, the cuts were done in a very sloppy way.
The first was Kero fighting the Earthy Card with fire. Admittedly, not a hugely important scene but the problem is that the next scene is Kero gasping for breath. In the English version, it literally looks like Kero is completely fine and then suddenly he's dying, for no reason. Very badly done. They should have just kept that scene.
The second is Tomoyo busting out the costumes. Again, not a super important scene but the problem is that one second, Sakura and Li is in their normal clothing and the next second, they're in costume. No explanation, just a costume change. I spent the first few seconds not even paying attention to what they were saying, I just kept going, "Why are you dressed differently now? Did you guys go home? Did Madison bring them with her? Does Li carry those robes in his bookbag? What the hell?!" Furthermore, they cut a moment where Li points out that Kero seems kind of upset that they captured the Cards, which is a nice foreshadowing moment. This was just badly done. I would have even accepted even a throwaway "I can't believe Madison had brought costumes with her, even for you!" line.
This is the second to last episode of this season and this kind of editing job is terrible. I can understand a time issue but there's no reason to be this sloppy.
Speaking of sloppy, why change Sakura's explanation to use Woody as "one that has helped me before" when Kero told to use a Card that "never let her down"? I'm sure many of her Cards have helped her before, including Watery which failed to work this time, so that's not a big statement. And it's not even what he advised her to do!
Most of the other changes are dialogue-related and I'll point out a few important ones:
1. I did like that they changed Sakura's line about the Earthy Card doing its thing being the catastrophe thing to her just talking about how destructive it is. Her thinking that this was the catastrophe Kero mentioned was just dumb because it's obvious that it's the Earthy Card so therefore it's doing earth-related damaged, like her other Cards before she sealed them. Duh, Sakura!
2. I'm confused as to why Kero gives different instructions for defeating the Earthy Card. In the Japanese version, he tells her to figure it out on her own while the English version, he gives her a clue. Neither is necessarily better than the other but I don't quite get the rationale of either. Why does Sakura have to figure this one out on her own? Is Kero paranoid about Yueh's Judgement or something? As the clue version, why not just tell her? Kero is on her side, why be so vague? More Yueh paranoia?
3. Okay, this is related to a cut but they made Madison slightly more intelligent in the English version, by her guessing that the giant lion is Kero's true form. I don't quite get why the kids never guess this at first glance. I mean, who else would he be? Just some random magical being that decided to follow Sakura around and ate Kero or something? Of course, they do this to avoid the facefault, which I don't mind. Kero in his true form looks weird when he does things like that. It never looks quite right.
4. The conversation between Yueh, Kero, and Ms. Mackenzie is different depending on the version. I must confess I preferred the English exchange over the Japanese exchange. I liked the "show, not tell" aspect of Yueh berating Kero within moments of his appearance. Kero doesn't have to say "you're still mean" later on, it's pretty clear from the getgo. Even though Kero pretty much says the same thing, English Kero just has better lines, although this may be a fault of the translation or a bias toward me being able to pick the subtle nuances of my own language. Furthermore, I thought Kero and Ms. Mackenzie's exchange made more sense than Kero and Ms. Mizuki. The Japanese version has Kero ask the same question as he did in the last episode. She's already answered him so what was the point? The English version actually contributes new information: Ms. Mackenzie knew Julian was Yueh. Also, the English version explicitly points out that Kero suspected Ms. Mackenzie was Yueh, which the previous episode's English version played with. The ending part where Yueh and Kero fight about Sakura is up to the task is a little more dramatic in the English version as well, with Kero standing his ground but knowing his place in the ritual. The Japanese line of "you're still mean" killed the mood for me.
The most important difference between these episodes is the voices for Keroberos and Yueh. Wow, I'm beyond floored by the awesome performance by the English voices for Keroberos and Yueh. Keroberos has this deliciously theatric boom of a voice that makes anything he says sound so much cooler than it has any right to be in a cartoon about a fifth-grade girl capturing magical Cards while wearing silly outfits. It probably helps that Keroberos' actor was in a couple version of Transformers. I had suspected he was the voice of Optimus Prime. He's not but still, I guess Transformers calls for that type of voice? (I've never watched Transformers, sorry). Yueh's voice took me a moment to appreciate but by the end of the episode, I was sold. Yueh's voice is creepy and threatening and oozes malice. Everything he said just sounded so cool. And, oh my God, I just checked Internet Movie Database and apparently Yueh is played the same actor that plays Julian! Wow, I am doubly impressed now because I didn't suspect they were played by the same actor at all! That is some range, Sam Vincent! To make this even weirder, Sam Vincent also played opposite Matt Hill in Gundam SEED, playing Kira Yamamoto's long lost childhood friend Athrun Zala. He also appeared in a couple versions of Transformers himself.
On the other hand, the Japanese voices for Keroberos and Yueh were embarrassingly weak. Keroberos just sounded so normal. It's like the actor had no idea that he was playing a damn battle-ready magical lion. Put your diaphragm into it! After hearing the English Keroberos' performance, the Japanese Keroberos just made me laugh with embarrassment. This was the best actor they could find? As for Yueh, they just used Yukito's voice actress. Now, compared to her counterpart playing Keroberos, she does alright. But can't quite make Yueh sound as menacing as the English version can. Of course, I kept thinking, "Man, she sounds like Juri from Revolutionary Girl Utena". Well, I was close: she played Haruka, better known as Sailor Uranus from Sailor Moon. So, in the end, in Japanese version, Yueh just sounds like a really tough woman, rather than a really scary magical man.
Plot holes!
1. Why doesn't Sleep affect Ms. Mizuki? No, I don't care if she's magical and stuff. Kero was just as magical and Sleep affected him when it first appeared. And how did it know who to protect from its effects? Is it a psychic Card?
2. Speaking of Sleep, did Sakura knock out the entire city? I mean, people are going to notice earth pillars and a Godzilla-like rock monster attacking even if they're nowhere near the temple.
3. I can allow Tomoyo getting her van of dresses but how did she get Li's outfit? From his home, I know, but how did they get inside? Did they break into his house?! I mean, I doubt his robes are just laying on the bed, they probably ransacked the place! Shouldn't Li be a little more concerned about this?
4. Speaking of Sleep again, are the people still asleep during the Final Judgement? How long does that Card's power last?
5. Based on Keroberos' apology, it seems like just getting the two element Cards under his jurisdiction would have given him the power he needed to use his true form. It had nothing to do with how many Cards she had, just which element Cards she had. So why couldn't Yueh use his true form when she's had Windy and Watery for ages?
6. Okay, Li's fight with Yueh was not fair and I mean from a writers' perspective, not from Yueh's perspective. Yueh is the Judge, he doesn't have to be fair. There is no way Li had a shot at winning this fight with eight Cards, it was just an excuse to have Li get beat up. Why couldn't the writers have planned it out so the two kids had an equal amount of Cards? Now, maybe it's my Li bias but keep in mind that Li never got any Cards in the manga. So if the writers were going to change that detail, they could have gone farther to make it have some dramatic tension. If Li had gone into the Final Judgement with 26 cards, the same as Sakura, then we could have at least pretended that Li could pass Yueh's test.
7. As for the lame fight we actually got, can Li not follow instructions? Yueh specifically says to use the Clow Cards he has to defeat him. He pulls out his ofuda instead. Twice. CLOW CARDS, Li! Put the ofuda away! I'm surprised Yueh didn't call him out for cheating.
8. And why does Li use the Card that uses so much of his energy? And what did he plan to do? Freeze Time and punch Yueh while he was frozen? He has several potential attack Cards: Storm, Freeze, Sand, and maybe Twin if he made two of himself to fight. Why not use those first?
9. Of course, with this line of thought, I bet Storm and Freeze are Yueh's Cards. Sand is probably Keroberos' so that's fine. Twin is iffy. Dash is iffy too but I'm guessing it's not Yueh's. Time is Yueh's. I bet Return is Yueh's too. Dream is definitely Yueh's. So, basically, Li only had one Card that could definitely help him: Sand. Again, how is this fair from the writers' standpoint?
After much thought, I wavered on which way to go because the sloppy cuts had annoyed me so much but the performances of the English actors for Keroberos and Yueh were so stellar, but considering that sloppy cuts were merely annoyances rather than moments that ruined the episodes while many other elements from acting to dialogue were changed for the better in the English version, I judged these episode to be...
Different, with the English Cardcaptors being the superior!
Episode 46