It is common knowledge that when a manga makes the leap to the screen as an anime, certain changes must be made in order for the result to satisfy the fans. These tend to be, for the most part, additional scenes or omissions of certain scenes that are not considered relevant to the plot. Sometimes events or characters and their relationships are also altered, but always respecting the original material. In the case of the Cardcaptor Sakura manga (Cardcaptor Sakura as we know it in these parts), several scenes that foreshadowed the romance between Sakura and Shaoran were omitted, which we will show here. It is worth mentioning that these scenes were not the only thing that was altered in the passage from the manga to the anime, but that is a topic for another time.
Scene 1, Chapter 10: Shadow Card
This first hint of the romance between Sakura and Shaoran can easily go unnoticed because this letter is sealed at the beginning of the anime and Shaoran did not appear yet. In the manga, the card attacks much later and is captured thanks to Sakura and Shaoran’s teamwork. The latter receives a wound on his arm and, while he is being cared for by Sakura, we can clearly see how he blushes at the proximity of the young card hunter.
Scene 2, Chapter 11: The Badminton Duel
While the anime had an episode where Shaoran and Sakura duel over Yukito playing volleyball on the beach, the manga has its own version where the protagonists face each other over their “crush”. After Shaoran finds out that Yukito used Sakura as a guinea pig to test his skills as a hairdresser, he has a fit of jealousy and unloads with Sakura in PE class. Shaoran chooses Sakura as his opponent to play badminton, and they both take it so seriously that the match lasts the entire class. And to top it all, it ends in a draw.
Scene 3, Chapter 15: Letter Labyrinth
In this chapter, Sakura, Tomoyo and Shaoran are trapped in the labyrinth of the Clow card when they finish their visit to a temple. In the middle of the situation, Shaoran reveals that he lives alone and takes care of all the housework. Sakura is stunned, praising Shaoran for being so independent and capable, causing the boy to blush and stutter that what he does is not impressive at all.
Scene 4, Chapter 17: Draft Letter
This capture happens during a trip to the beach, in the middle of the famous “test of courage” in which the characters participate. In the middle of the test, the Eraser card begins to disappear to Sakura’s companions, which scares her to the point of causing her to panic. Sakura manages to overcome her fear and capture the letter thanks to the support of Shaoran, who blushes several times when Sakura expresses her thanks for helping him capture the letter. It is worth mentioning that there is no volleyball game in this chapter (contrary to the anime) because Shaoran refuses to play and decides to continue swimming.
Scene 5, Chapter 22: Tomoyo the Interrogator
This is one of the many opportunities where Tomoyo has excelled as being very insightful and incisive. During a visit to a cafeteria, Shaoran looks suspiciously at Professor Miyuki as she approaches Sakura. When Tomoyo asks Shaoran the reason for her discomfort, he replies that he had warned Sakura to stay away from the teacher because he considered her dangerous. Tomoyo wastes no time and asks him why he cares so much about Sakura, claiming that they are rivals in capturing the Clow cards. Shaoran, who catches the subtle hint in Tomoyo’s questions, blushes to the extreme answering that she is misinterpreting him.
Scene 6, Chapter 23: Fire Letter
During the attack of the aggressive Fire card, Sakura is threatened by the flames thrown at her by the entity. Shaoran jumps up quickly, covering Sakura and protecting her from getting some painful burns. Of course, the boy stayed close to her as they battled the powerful magic card.
Scene 7, Chapter 24: Earth Letter
After capturing the Fire card, the Earth card revealed itself, proceeding to attack Sakura and her company. The card, living up to her name, opens the surface of the battlefield with powerful earthquakes, causing Sakura to fall into the void. Shaoran tries to help her, but fails and watches in horror as she fades into the gloom as she screams, calling Sakura by her name. To her relief, Kerberos saves Sakura using her original form, and she tells Shaoran how happy she was to hear him say her name. Before Kerberos ruins the moment, Sakura asks Shaoran if she can call him by her name and he agrees, very embarrassed.
Social Media Author: [Ronlaohu]
