Episode 50: "Sakura, Xiaolang, and the Invisible Thread" or "The Threads That Bind"
Introduction to the Experiment
Episode 49
Episode 50: Sakura, Xiaolang, and the Invisible Thread (Card Captor Sakura) or The Threads That Bind (Cardcaptors)
Baseline Version: Japanese Card Captor Sakura
There are a lot of changes so forgive the jumping around.
Sakura wakes up in the morning. In the Japanese version, Sakura is worried that all of the strange things happening are connected to these new cards she is making. Kero tells her that she shouldn't worry because she'll "have a breakdown" (not making this up) and she needs to be her chipper self in order to fight whatever comes. In the English version, Sakura is worried because she had a strange dream and she thinks it was about Clow Reed. Kero tells her that strange things have been happening so she better be ready for whatever comes. However, she has already changed some cards so she'll be up to the challenge. In either case, Sakura feels better.
At school, after Sakura watches her brother and Yukito play a soccer game, Tomoyo and Sakura talk about the new piano (ha ha ha!) and about whatever Kero said. Their female friends call them over to sit with them. At this point, the episode changes a lot depending on the version.
Japanese version: After eating Rika's cookies, Rika shows a teddy bear she has been working on. This leads to the girls to discuss when a teddy bear's birthday is: it is when you give it a name and tie a ribbon on it. There is also a "foreign" belief that if you make a teddy bear, then you should name it after yourself. If you give that teddy bear to someone you love (and presumably they take it), then they will love you forever.
Li is watching the girls discuss this from a tree branch. Eriol interrupts his reverie and Li scowls at him. Eriol asks why he always looks at him like that - did he anger him? Besides, Li is newly arrived to Japan just like Eriol, so could Eriol ask him about some things? He then says his name and this causes Li to black out and fall out of the tree. Eriol catches him before Li can crack open his skull on the pavement. Li wakes up and runs away. Eriol remarks that Li is "interesting" and that he has to "help him out a bit".
Engish version: The girls eat Rita's cookies and giggle like the little girls they are. There is no discussion about making teddy bears or teddy bears being connected to love or anything. Meanwhile, Li is watching the girls, in particular Sakura, from a tree branch. Eli asks Li if he is hiding or if he's stuck up there. Li snarkily asks what Eli wants. Eli says he's just taking a walk but is looking forward to getting to know them a lot better and he thinks that they will be good friends in the future. Eli then points out that Li and Sakura spent a lot of time together. Eli says that he can see that he is working to protect her or, maybe, something she has? Eli then tells Li to "watch his step". This causes Li to black out and fall out of the tree. Eli catches him and then Li wakes up and run away, telling Eli to stay out of his way. Eli says "I'm afraid not." (pause) "This is going to get very interesting."
Back to both version for a second. So it is the end of the school day and Sakura and Tomoyo want to go to the crafts store. Yamazaki starts telling a lie about bears/teddy bears (Japanese/English) before being dragged away. Eriol asks if he can come too and then Li runs over and says he's coming as well. The Japanese version has a scene with Rika giving Mr. Terada the teddy bear she made but the English version cuts this.
The four kids go to the crafts store. Li is NOT happy right now and Sakura asks what's wrong but he says he's fine. He then asked if anything unusual happened the night before; the answer is no. Li then gets a promise out of Sakura that she'll call him if anything comes up (I'll talk about the differences between the two versions in my evaluation below - the result is the same though).
Sakura and Tomoyo find the teddy bear making kit (the English version explains that Sakura needs it for her Home Economics project). Sakura says (in both versions!) that she plans on giving the bear to Yukito. Again, the versions differ on what happens at this point.
Japanese version: Sakura asks if Tomoyo is going to buy a kit. She is not (even though she said earlier that she would when Eriol asked her but whatever) because she wants her beloved to be happy. While being loved is nice, she prefers that the person she loves to simply be happy. Sakura remarks that the person that Tomoyo likes must be happy. Eriol comes to the pair and Sakura asks what he bought - it's thread. Sakura asks if he's going to sew something. Eriol remarks that thread has other uses. Sakura asks what other uses? Li comes over and remarks that it can be used in cooking meat. Eriol concurs that kite string is used in roast beef. Li is at first annoyed but Sakura is super impressed with Li's knowledge so Li is sort of happy again. (It's not clear to me whether Li is mentally saying "I owe you one, man" to Eriol or not.)
English version: Madison says that giving it to Julian is a good idea because everyone likes getting a handmade gift. It makes it special. Madison offers her assistance. Sakura is dumbfounded - doesn't she have her own Home Economics project to finish? Madison is already done with her project (and she said as much to Eli when he asked her about it) because she figured she needed all of her free time to prepare for the competition but she is willing to help Sakura out if she wants. Sakura declines but promises to call her if she does need help. Eli comes over at this point. Sakura asks what he bought. It's thread. Sakura asks if he is sewing something and Eli replies that thread has all sorts of uses. Li comes over at this point and angrily asks if they can go now. Eli asks Li darkly if he found what he was looking for or did he still help? Li growls in annoyance.
Back to both versions. Sakura tries to sew the teddy bear but she stinks at it. It ends up looking like Kero, which Kero does not take very well. However, both Sakura and Kero sense something.
Sakura, Kero, Li, and Tomoyo are outside in their regular battle gear. Kero asks why Li is there and Sakura explains that she promised Li that she would call him if something came up. Kero then snarks that pretty much Li is useful in a very limited way (in the English version, Kero explicitly states that Li can at least carry their things), which angers Li. However, something is wrong with Li - something is control him so he attacks Sakura. Sakura and Kero sense Clow's presence in the Japanese version (in the English version, again, they sense a presence but can't identify it). This goes on for a while until Li casts a Water magic ofuda thing, exposing the threads connected to his body. Sakura uses Sword to cut the threads, making a new card. Sakura faints.
Meanwhile, Eriol has threads wrapped around his fingers. And the versions differ wildly again:
Japanese version: Spinel Sun asks if Sakura broke his spell. She did. Spinel Sun remarks that was to be expected, since she is the new master of Cards. Spinel Sun is reading a book so Eriol asks if it's interesting. It is, especially since it is something Eriol left behind long ago. Nakuru comes in at this point, asking why he came to Japan. Eriol asks if she's bored; no, not at all. In fact, she has found something interesting. Spinel Sun remarks that Nakuru is always snacking on someone so it's a surprise she has held out this long. In any case, a "fly" is always buzzing around. Spinel Sun points out that Nakuru should be wearing the boys' uniform. Nakuru likes the girls' uniform better and besides, she's not human anyway. Eriol then chants his own spell to turn his own key into that long staff that the "mysterious figure" always has as well as the transform Spinel Sun and Nakuru into their true forms. Spinel Sun mentions that Eriol used to be Clow Reed and Nakuru asks again why he came to this place. He says that something interesting is about to happen.
English version: Spinner (I think?) Sun remarks that Sakura is getting stronger. Eli asks what that means. It means that Eli shouldn't too much, too soon. Eli snaps that Sakura knows nothing. Ruby comes in and remarks that of course Sakura knows nothing and Julian doesn't suspect anything either. Eli remarks that they have been waiting for her; she knows but she's been busy. The "guys" are right where she wants them: in the dark. Spiner Sun mentions that they have been plotting the strategy and he has been warning Eli to be careful. Ruby agrees; Sakura should not be underestimated because she is stronger than she looks. Spiner Sun asks how Ruby's mission is going; it's going great and "Julian is a sitting duck". Eli chants his own spell to turn his own key into that long staff thing and transforms Spinner Sun and Ruby into their true forms. Spinner Sun says that they are at their master's (ie Eli) service and Ruby says that "they" will be no match for them. Eli remarks that it won't be long now.
This episode is so good, especially after that snoozefest of last episode.
I'm not keen on either of the titles. I hate the listing thing but I don't think the English title makes that much sense. On second thought, maybe it does with the ending part where Eli and his crew are all "Mwa ha ha ha! We know everything!". Okay, English title wins.
As you can tell from the summary, a lot was changed. And oh boy, did the English version nail this one even though they cut a scene I really liked.
Let's rewind a little. The teddy bear stuff is from the original manga and is very important for some character development stuff so I was bummed when it was cut from the English version. Then it immediately redeems itself with Eli.
Eli. is. scary. I think Eli's voice actor has been using his natural (I'm assuming it's his natural voice) voice for the "mysterious figure" times but those have been relatively short. In this episode, he goes on for much longer stretches with the voice and it gives me delightful chills every time he talks that way. Eli's natural voice oozes malice and actually raises alarm in the viewer. Eriol has a slightly different voice too but, I don't know, the English voice actor just pulls off the contrast better.
The scene between Eli and Li was definitely changed for the better. Li thinks he's dealing with a kid like himself (and they're just fighting over a girl they like) and he is so wrong. Eli would kill Li if it helped his plans. However, it does cause a bit of a plot hole - why doesn't Li warn Sakura about this? Eli knocked Li unconscious with his mind, don't you think that is information that Sakura needs to know?
And Eli during the crafts shop scene with Li is great too. Eriol is very weird with Li - does he like him or does he not like him? Eli takes great pleasure in Li's pain but he speaks just sweetly enough not to set off any of Sakura's alarm bells.
Just the entire episode with Eli is great. Every scene he's in during the English version is just better and more menacing. I like the changes done with Spinner Sun and Ruby as well - they are also frightening. I liked that Ruby explicitly names Julian as her target - now we get to worry about him too!
Pretty big stuff for the team that refuses to say "Clow Reed is dead".
By the way, while I love the teddy bear arc and was sad to see it go, I still like that they kept the "Li stares at Sakura" moment. In a way, it worked better without the teddy bear stuff. I will admit that I'm biased toward Li/Sakura but this moment worked for me because it was subtle. Li doesn't have to respond to a story about teddy bear making people love each other; a lot can be conveyed in a longing glance or an attitude. Li is crushing on Sakura and it's clear even in the dub.
This leads me to talking about the change done with Madison in the shop. This is something I've thought about discussing once I'm done with this project but this episode just showed me something that I've been noticing all along with Madison that I can't resist talking about it.
I believe that Madison is a lesbian, just like Tomoyo is. However, unlike Tomoyo, Madison is more than just a lesbian so she acts like a real girl, with her own hopes and dreams. I get the sense that Tomoyo's whole world revolves around Sakura; Madison is certainly attracted to Sakura but she has a life outside of Sakura. However, Madison still has a crush on Sakura so she mentions how it is nice to receive a gift that was handmade and then offers to help Sakura even though she had done her own project early so she could focus on her singing competition practice. Literally, the first words that went through my head while watching that scene was "acts of service" (which is one of the five "love languages" proposed by Dr. Chapman. More about those here: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/). It really clicked for me then: Madison expresses her love for Sakura through acts of service, through being her sidekick and her support throughout this magical girl business (her secondary language might be "receiving gifts" since she is constantly giving Sakura those outfits).
I'm putting on my grown-up person hat now: Madison is young so she may or may not realize what her feelings mean in the larger sense. However, she is aware that Sakura does not feel that way toward her. I don't worry about Madison as much as I worry about Tomoyo. I can't imagine what Tomoyo would do if Sakura were to get married one day (except pine forever). I can imagine that Madison will grow up and find someone who will love her in a romantic sense, not just as a friend. And Sakura will still be her best friend, no matter what.
This scene is a perfect example about what rings false to me about Tomoyo and what resonates with me with Madison. Many of Tomoyo's scenes play that one note about being in love with Sakura. Madison is her own person - she relates well to her mother, she is sensible sounding board for Sakura, she sings and designs clothes, and, oh, she has a crush on Sakura too. However, she is still a young girl with a crush so it comes out in moments like this - offering to help on a project when you need to be focusing on what you were going to do. It is much more subtle and (showing my heterosexual privilege here, sorry) realistic to me. I don't know if that is what the dub writers intended but that's what I get out of it and, for me, it enriches the story.
Speaking of changes that are routinely complained about in the dub: I did want to highlight the change to Li and Sakura's conversation on the way to shop. In the Japanese version, Li essentially asks Sakura to promise him that she'll call if something comes up. In the English version, Li just says, "Well, you know that you can call me if something happens, right?" Again, where is Sexist!Li? The English version of this scene plays Li much more as a friend, rather than someone bossing her around.
One last cut to discuss: For the first time ever, the Rika and the teacher scene was not creepy. In fact, it played more like Rika has a crush and not that they're dating. I mean, I didn't miss it or anything in the English version. But, yeah, way to go, Japanese version for not making it weird this time.
Okay, time for plot holes:
1. Um, why is Yukito on the soccer team? In the Japanese version, they specifically mentioned that Yukito is NOT on a team. So why is he there now?
2. There is a plot hole caused by the English dub - when the girls are talking before the store scene, Eli asks if they mentioned that they were going to a crafts store. Um, no, they never said anything like that, you weirdo! (They do in the Japanese version so it was clumsy editing here).
3. There are all of these threads on Li and they were exposed by water. My guess is that they were physically there so why didn't anyone (like Tomoyo when she shoves Li) feel the threads?
Because of a vast improvement to characterization and (for the most part) delicate editing, I judge these versions to be...
Different, with the English Cardcaptors being the superior!
Episode 51
Episode 49
Episode 50: Sakura, Xiaolang, and the Invisible Thread (Card Captor Sakura) or The Threads That Bind (Cardcaptors)
Baseline Version: Japanese Card Captor Sakura
There are a lot of changes so forgive the jumping around.
Sakura wakes up in the morning. In the Japanese version, Sakura is worried that all of the strange things happening are connected to these new cards she is making. Kero tells her that she shouldn't worry because she'll "have a breakdown" (not making this up) and she needs to be her chipper self in order to fight whatever comes. In the English version, Sakura is worried because she had a strange dream and she thinks it was about Clow Reed. Kero tells her that strange things have been happening so she better be ready for whatever comes. However, she has already changed some cards so she'll be up to the challenge. In either case, Sakura feels better.
At school, after Sakura watches her brother and Yukito play a soccer game, Tomoyo and Sakura talk about the new piano (ha ha ha!) and about whatever Kero said. Their female friends call them over to sit with them. At this point, the episode changes a lot depending on the version.
Japanese version: After eating Rika's cookies, Rika shows a teddy bear she has been working on. This leads to the girls to discuss when a teddy bear's birthday is: it is when you give it a name and tie a ribbon on it. There is also a "foreign" belief that if you make a teddy bear, then you should name it after yourself. If you give that teddy bear to someone you love (and presumably they take it), then they will love you forever.
Li is watching the girls discuss this from a tree branch. Eriol interrupts his reverie and Li scowls at him. Eriol asks why he always looks at him like that - did he anger him? Besides, Li is newly arrived to Japan just like Eriol, so could Eriol ask him about some things? He then says his name and this causes Li to black out and fall out of the tree. Eriol catches him before Li can crack open his skull on the pavement. Li wakes up and runs away. Eriol remarks that Li is "interesting" and that he has to "help him out a bit".
Engish version: The girls eat Rita's cookies and giggle like the little girls they are. There is no discussion about making teddy bears or teddy bears being connected to love or anything. Meanwhile, Li is watching the girls, in particular Sakura, from a tree branch. Eli asks Li if he is hiding or if he's stuck up there. Li snarkily asks what Eli wants. Eli says he's just taking a walk but is looking forward to getting to know them a lot better and he thinks that they will be good friends in the future. Eli then points out that Li and Sakura spent a lot of time together. Eli says that he can see that he is working to protect her or, maybe, something she has? Eli then tells Li to "watch his step". This causes Li to black out and fall out of the tree. Eli catches him and then Li wakes up and run away, telling Eli to stay out of his way. Eli says "I'm afraid not." (pause) "This is going to get very interesting."
Back to both version for a second. So it is the end of the school day and Sakura and Tomoyo want to go to the crafts store. Yamazaki starts telling a lie about bears/teddy bears (Japanese/English) before being dragged away. Eriol asks if he can come too and then Li runs over and says he's coming as well. The Japanese version has a scene with Rika giving Mr. Terada the teddy bear she made but the English version cuts this.
The four kids go to the crafts store. Li is NOT happy right now and Sakura asks what's wrong but he says he's fine. He then asked if anything unusual happened the night before; the answer is no. Li then gets a promise out of Sakura that she'll call him if anything comes up (I'll talk about the differences between the two versions in my evaluation below - the result is the same though).
Sakura and Tomoyo find the teddy bear making kit (the English version explains that Sakura needs it for her Home Economics project). Sakura says (in both versions!) that she plans on giving the bear to Yukito. Again, the versions differ on what happens at this point.
Japanese version: Sakura asks if Tomoyo is going to buy a kit. She is not (even though she said earlier that she would when Eriol asked her but whatever) because she wants her beloved to be happy. While being loved is nice, she prefers that the person she loves to simply be happy. Sakura remarks that the person that Tomoyo likes must be happy. Eriol comes to the pair and Sakura asks what he bought - it's thread. Sakura asks if he's going to sew something. Eriol remarks that thread has other uses. Sakura asks what other uses? Li comes over and remarks that it can be used in cooking meat. Eriol concurs that kite string is used in roast beef. Li is at first annoyed but Sakura is super impressed with Li's knowledge so Li is sort of happy again. (It's not clear to me whether Li is mentally saying "I owe you one, man" to Eriol or not.)
English version: Madison says that giving it to Julian is a good idea because everyone likes getting a handmade gift. It makes it special. Madison offers her assistance. Sakura is dumbfounded - doesn't she have her own Home Economics project to finish? Madison is already done with her project (and she said as much to Eli when he asked her about it) because she figured she needed all of her free time to prepare for the competition but she is willing to help Sakura out if she wants. Sakura declines but promises to call her if she does need help. Eli comes over at this point. Sakura asks what he bought. It's thread. Sakura asks if he is sewing something and Eli replies that thread has all sorts of uses. Li comes over at this point and angrily asks if they can go now. Eli asks Li darkly if he found what he was looking for or did he still help? Li growls in annoyance.
Back to both versions. Sakura tries to sew the teddy bear but she stinks at it. It ends up looking like Kero, which Kero does not take very well. However, both Sakura and Kero sense something.
Sakura, Kero, Li, and Tomoyo are outside in their regular battle gear. Kero asks why Li is there and Sakura explains that she promised Li that she would call him if something came up. Kero then snarks that pretty much Li is useful in a very limited way (in the English version, Kero explicitly states that Li can at least carry their things), which angers Li. However, something is wrong with Li - something is control him so he attacks Sakura. Sakura and Kero sense Clow's presence in the Japanese version (in the English version, again, they sense a presence but can't identify it). This goes on for a while until Li casts a Water magic ofuda thing, exposing the threads connected to his body. Sakura uses Sword to cut the threads, making a new card. Sakura faints.
Meanwhile, Eriol has threads wrapped around his fingers. And the versions differ wildly again:
Japanese version: Spinel Sun asks if Sakura broke his spell. She did. Spinel Sun remarks that was to be expected, since she is the new master of Cards. Spinel Sun is reading a book so Eriol asks if it's interesting. It is, especially since it is something Eriol left behind long ago. Nakuru comes in at this point, asking why he came to Japan. Eriol asks if she's bored; no, not at all. In fact, she has found something interesting. Spinel Sun remarks that Nakuru is always snacking on someone so it's a surprise she has held out this long. In any case, a "fly" is always buzzing around. Spinel Sun points out that Nakuru should be wearing the boys' uniform. Nakuru likes the girls' uniform better and besides, she's not human anyway. Eriol then chants his own spell to turn his own key into that long staff that the "mysterious figure" always has as well as the transform Spinel Sun and Nakuru into their true forms. Spinel Sun mentions that Eriol used to be Clow Reed and Nakuru asks again why he came to this place. He says that something interesting is about to happen.
English version: Spinner (I think?) Sun remarks that Sakura is getting stronger. Eli asks what that means. It means that Eli shouldn't too much, too soon. Eli snaps that Sakura knows nothing. Ruby comes in and remarks that of course Sakura knows nothing and Julian doesn't suspect anything either. Eli remarks that they have been waiting for her; she knows but she's been busy. The "guys" are right where she wants them: in the dark. Spiner Sun mentions that they have been plotting the strategy and he has been warning Eli to be careful. Ruby agrees; Sakura should not be underestimated because she is stronger than she looks. Spiner Sun asks how Ruby's mission is going; it's going great and "Julian is a sitting duck". Eli chants his own spell to turn his own key into that long staff thing and transforms Spinner Sun and Ruby into their true forms. Spinner Sun says that they are at their master's (ie Eli) service and Ruby says that "they" will be no match for them. Eli remarks that it won't be long now.
This episode is so good, especially after that snoozefest of last episode.
I'm not keen on either of the titles. I hate the listing thing but I don't think the English title makes that much sense. On second thought, maybe it does with the ending part where Eli and his crew are all "Mwa ha ha ha! We know everything!". Okay, English title wins.
As you can tell from the summary, a lot was changed. And oh boy, did the English version nail this one even though they cut a scene I really liked.
Let's rewind a little. The teddy bear stuff is from the original manga and is very important for some character development stuff so I was bummed when it was cut from the English version. Then it immediately redeems itself with Eli.
Eli. is. scary. I think Eli's voice actor has been using his natural (I'm assuming it's his natural voice) voice for the "mysterious figure" times but those have been relatively short. In this episode, he goes on for much longer stretches with the voice and it gives me delightful chills every time he talks that way. Eli's natural voice oozes malice and actually raises alarm in the viewer. Eriol has a slightly different voice too but, I don't know, the English voice actor just pulls off the contrast better.
The scene between Eli and Li was definitely changed for the better. Li thinks he's dealing with a kid like himself (and they're just fighting over a girl they like) and he is so wrong. Eli would kill Li if it helped his plans. However, it does cause a bit of a plot hole - why doesn't Li warn Sakura about this? Eli knocked Li unconscious with his mind, don't you think that is information that Sakura needs to know?
And Eli during the crafts shop scene with Li is great too. Eriol is very weird with Li - does he like him or does he not like him? Eli takes great pleasure in Li's pain but he speaks just sweetly enough not to set off any of Sakura's alarm bells.
Just the entire episode with Eli is great. Every scene he's in during the English version is just better and more menacing. I like the changes done with Spinner Sun and Ruby as well - they are also frightening. I liked that Ruby explicitly names Julian as her target - now we get to worry about him too!
Pretty big stuff for the team that refuses to say "Clow Reed is dead".
By the way, while I love the teddy bear arc and was sad to see it go, I still like that they kept the "Li stares at Sakura" moment. In a way, it worked better without the teddy bear stuff. I will admit that I'm biased toward Li/Sakura but this moment worked for me because it was subtle. Li doesn't have to respond to a story about teddy bear making people love each other; a lot can be conveyed in a longing glance or an attitude. Li is crushing on Sakura and it's clear even in the dub.
This leads me to talking about the change done with Madison in the shop. This is something I've thought about discussing once I'm done with this project but this episode just showed me something that I've been noticing all along with Madison that I can't resist talking about it.
I believe that Madison is a lesbian, just like Tomoyo is. However, unlike Tomoyo, Madison is more than just a lesbian so she acts like a real girl, with her own hopes and dreams. I get the sense that Tomoyo's whole world revolves around Sakura; Madison is certainly attracted to Sakura but she has a life outside of Sakura. However, Madison still has a crush on Sakura so she mentions how it is nice to receive a gift that was handmade and then offers to help Sakura even though she had done her own project early so she could focus on her singing competition practice. Literally, the first words that went through my head while watching that scene was "acts of service" (which is one of the five "love languages" proposed by Dr. Chapman. More about those here: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/). It really clicked for me then: Madison expresses her love for Sakura through acts of service, through being her sidekick and her support throughout this magical girl business (her secondary language might be "receiving gifts" since she is constantly giving Sakura those outfits).
I'm putting on my grown-up person hat now: Madison is young so she may or may not realize what her feelings mean in the larger sense. However, she is aware that Sakura does not feel that way toward her. I don't worry about Madison as much as I worry about Tomoyo. I can't imagine what Tomoyo would do if Sakura were to get married one day (except pine forever). I can imagine that Madison will grow up and find someone who will love her in a romantic sense, not just as a friend. And Sakura will still be her best friend, no matter what.
This scene is a perfect example about what rings false to me about Tomoyo and what resonates with me with Madison. Many of Tomoyo's scenes play that one note about being in love with Sakura. Madison is her own person - she relates well to her mother, she is sensible sounding board for Sakura, she sings and designs clothes, and, oh, she has a crush on Sakura too. However, she is still a young girl with a crush so it comes out in moments like this - offering to help on a project when you need to be focusing on what you were going to do. It is much more subtle and (showing my heterosexual privilege here, sorry) realistic to me. I don't know if that is what the dub writers intended but that's what I get out of it and, for me, it enriches the story.
Speaking of changes that are routinely complained about in the dub: I did want to highlight the change to Li and Sakura's conversation on the way to shop. In the Japanese version, Li essentially asks Sakura to promise him that she'll call if something comes up. In the English version, Li just says, "Well, you know that you can call me if something happens, right?" Again, where is Sexist!Li? The English version of this scene plays Li much more as a friend, rather than someone bossing her around.
One last cut to discuss: For the first time ever, the Rika and the teacher scene was not creepy. In fact, it played more like Rika has a crush and not that they're dating. I mean, I didn't miss it or anything in the English version. But, yeah, way to go, Japanese version for not making it weird this time.
Okay, time for plot holes:
1. Um, why is Yukito on the soccer team? In the Japanese version, they specifically mentioned that Yukito is NOT on a team. So why is he there now?
2. There is a plot hole caused by the English dub - when the girls are talking before the store scene, Eli asks if they mentioned that they were going to a crafts store. Um, no, they never said anything like that, you weirdo! (They do in the Japanese version so it was clumsy editing here).
3. There are all of these threads on Li and they were exposed by water. My guess is that they were physically there so why didn't anyone (like Tomoyo when she shoves Li) feel the threads?
Because of a vast improvement to characterization and (for the most part) delicate editing, I judge these versions to be...
Different, with the English Cardcaptors being the superior!
Episode 51