C is for CLAMP School Detectives

Remember when I talked about Angelic Layer for my first alphabet series post? Right, well, here I am with another anime adaptation of a CLAMP manga that I thoroughly adored. The episodes of this I watched were literally ripped from VHS, which amused me to no end. (Also, I loathe the ending theme for Daily Lives of High School Boys, and I mention this only because the end of an episode was playing as I typed this.)

The Basics

Episodes: 26

Genre: Action, comedy, mystery

Aired: May 3, 1997 to October 25, 1997

Directed by: Osamu Nabeshima

Producers: Studio Pierrot, Bandai Visual

Opening Theme: Water Drop by Ali Project / Peony Pink by Ali Project (both of them say OP01 on Gendou...slightly baffled here, but okay)

Closing Theme: Welcome to the Metallic Party by Marble Berry / Gift by Maaya Sakamoto

Review

The Story: All right, the premise of this series is ridiculously simple. Basically you have three main guys—Nokoru Imonoyama, Suoh Takamura and Akira Ijyuin. All three of them are ridiculously wealthy and smart (Akira also happens to star in Man of 20 Faces) and have their own talents. In terms of school politics, they're each the most in charge of their own grade level, and they make up the elementary student council. Oh, they're also all feminists, it would seem.

One day Nokoru randomly declares that they're going to form the CLAMP School Detectives—a group meant to help anyone in distress, though “anyone” mostly translates to “women”. And they're geniuses, so there's no mystery they can't solve. Of course this series is meant more for kids, so every case is the easy, innocent sort—you know, I lost my pet peacock or there's a ghost in the art building...that sorta thing.

The Characters: There are three main characters, the ones I mentioned about. Let's start from youngest to oldest, because I like to save the best for last and IMO Nokoru is the best. Anyway.

First we have Akira Ijyuin. He's in fourth grade, very friendly, and a genius cook. Apparently when the chef of the high school division tried Akira's cooking, he felt ridiculously inadequate and ate his hate. Because that's what people do when they feel inadequate. They eat their hats. Now, Akira is very much a sweetheart. He's raised by two mothers, who always insist that he get them whatever they want—but that's the story of another series.

Next up? Suoh Takamura. He's a fifth grader. A very quiet, solemn fifth grader. When he was in third grade he ranked as a 3^rd level black belt in judo, aikido, karate and kendo. He stopped after that because it was too easy to beat everyone and he got bored. I can only guess that this child is in fact a ninja. He's also the one who usually tries to rein in the insanity that is...

Nokoru Imonoyama! He's the oldest of the group, being in 6^th grade, and he's a total freaking genius. He can also detect a woman in distress from a few miles away. What else? Well, NASA was trying to recruit him evidently, and he's the son of the people who formed CLAMP School, so his family is supposed to be worth more than the entire national budget of Japan. Intense, right?

Now, these characters in my opinion make up a pretty darn amusing group of elementary students. However, it's also sort of disturbing because uhm...evidently girls in all the age groups have crushes on them. Right up through the college girls. I'm sorry, but as a college girl, I feel it's creepy that they have those crushes. Girls who are 18—23 or whatever are NOT supposed to be attracted to 10-12 years olds. I mean, I love some anime characters who are that age, but not in an attraction kinda way. That would be seriously gross.

The cast is probably the best part of the series though. The mysteries are cute..they just don't compare. There was also a random guy who was pretty important and villainous in the anime who didn't exist in the manga, but he was weird and I choose to disregard him. That's what happens when they take a 3-volume manga and turn it into a 26-episode anime.

The Setting: Okay, I love, love, LOVE this setting. CLAMP School Detectives takes place at the CLAMP School. In the manga this place is exceptionally described like this: “CLAMP School is an enormous institution comprising various divisions: Kindergarten, Elementary, Junior High, High School, University and Graduate School. Japan's largest zaibatsu, the Imonoyama family, built this school with the hope of providing a better education for future generations. Their plan was to make school synonymous with community. The campus itself is like a small town, with essential facilities like living quarters, research labs, movie theaters, hospitals and banks. Over 10,000 people—students teachers, administrators and their families—live and work here. Together they form a miniature, functioning society. Here, family, class and rank have no bearing. The only entry requirements are talent and potential.”

This place seriously is like a miniature town. You have everything there, and the focus is always on the students. Its the sort of thing I wish could be real because I would go live there in a heartbeat. It functions perfectly and awesomely and it was also used as the setting for CLAMP School Defenders Duklyon, Man of 20 Faces and CLAMP School Paranormal...something or other. It was a series of light novels. I've read one of them and it was pretty good.

So like as soon as it becomes possible to go live in a manga setting, I'm headed off to the CLAMP School. And if I'm too old by time that happens I'll just make sure my child goes there, because the entire family goes.

Conclusion?: Oh, CLAMP School Detectives...Well, much like Angelic Layer, I do have to say the manga was better. However, this was a very nice adaptation and the only reasons I feel the manga was better are these:

1. The art in the manga is infinitely prettier. CLAMP draw some very lovely art. This anime came out a very long time ago, and as much as I love some older anime (HI SAILOR MOON AND DIGIMON) I do have to admit the art wasn't exactly as...refined, as it is today. Not that it was awful. It just wasn't nearly so neat and clean and stuff.

2. This anime, much like the adaptation of Angelic Layer, was waaaaay too drawn out. Talk about turning a five volume manga into a 26-episode series, it works out even worse with a 3-volume series. Drawing out a short manga works out about as well as trying to cram a lengthy one into not enough episodes (or just doing the anime before the manga is over and therefore making it weird, like Samurai Deeper Kyo or Pandora Hearts).

Those issues aside, it's pretty good to watch on its own. I'd recommend this one more than I'd recommend Angelic Layer at least. However, I haven't seen any CLAMP adaptations I actually really love yet, in comparison to their manga. I mean, I'm watching Tsubasa right now, but that's one of their manga I still need to read. Therefore the anime isn't bad.