Manga-ka: CLAMP
Translated by originally- Tokyopop
Rating: 16+ (for hints of sexual content/death)
Original Release Date: 1999
Genre: Sci-fi, steampunk, dystopian, urban fantasy, powers, romance, music, government conspiracy/military, life lessons, inspirational, friendship.
Cover Price: For the entire series in hardback collectors edition- $35.00 sticker price.
Blurb: “Su was born into a bleak future, where the military keeps tight control over the few children born with magical abilities — known as “Clovers.” The Clovers are forcibly tattooed with a symbol that indicates their potential power, and Su is the only four-leaf Clover in the world. Kept locked away in isolation her whole life, Su longs to find happiness in the outside world. An agent named Kazuhiko appears to help grant Su’s wish, but he soon realizes that there is more to the mysterious girl than meets the eye…”
Anyone who knows my otaku journey, be it personally or from my arrays of POSTS on MY WEBSITE and here on GEEKYKOOL, you have seen the name CLAMP. This refers to the name of a manga-ka team (a team of manga artists and creators) that has been making masterpieces together for almost 35 years, these four goddesses of storytelling and artwork creating the first manga I ever read, and my favorite, ‘Cardcaptor Sakura.’
Since I’ve dedicated 2025 for be CLAMP materials for my monthly manga muses here on GeekyKool, I started last month with a post about this incredible group.
Check it out HERE!
Without further ado, let’s introduce the first one to muse over: “Clover.”
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In a dystopian future where real animals are basically exist, medicine is taken by tapping a small tube to your neck, and machines dominant as far as the eye can see, a retired government solider Kazuhiko is asked by one of the five elders that rule the land to go retrieve a project from captivity, saving her from her cage.
Yes, her.
There he meets a young woman, Su, who appears as an innocent girl, but she asks him a question: “Will you be the one to take me away from here?”
The two embark on an adventure with the help of his army commander and his companion to get Su and a briefcase to Fairy Park.
But there is more to Su than meets the eye. She is a Clover. Years ago, the government sought children who had any semblance of magical powers, categorizing them into four leaves (levels) based on strength of their abilities.
One and two leafed ones got a tattoo and were released to live normal lives, although tracked. Only three three leafed were found and locked away together.
And there is only one four-leaf, the most powerful. She must be caged away for her power alone could take on the five elders at once with ease.
I read all four volumes at once since they were presented in this beautiful hardback collectors edition.
Something I knew this manga was known for is its use of blank space. Clamp is known for their beautiful, detailed designs in their panels and characters. Even their backgrounds. Although the characters are their grandeur style that is their staple, the backgrounds are often white or black with no details. It is very clean and different, but honestly, it worked with the aesthetic of the story. I appreciate how Clamp makes all their works whimsically theirs, but unique.
Sci-fi and dystopian are not always my favorite genres for it does often go over my head. And Clamp makes complex stories often… “Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles” anyone? Ha! But although short, these muses did a wonderful job building up this cyberpunk world that was engaging and easy for me to understand without also spoon feeding every component to the reader. The revolutions felt natural and well-earned.
Music also played a huge part in the Clover universe. You’ll see the lyrics to the same song over and over again in the same section (three sections, three songs,) so be prepared for that. It’s almost like a visual aid like the use of blank space.
The other two sections are prequel stories that connect to other characters from the first. I understand it, and they are done well, but I needed more substance to the main story I feel for it to not leave me in unresolved shambles (although technically, the main section did have an opening ending, but I wanted more!)
And that should explain my feelings; I wanted more. I am glad I have this piece in my clamp collection.
So next time you pick up a clover, know it will bring you happiness. But ponder in your heart…what could you do to make them happy too?
Facts:
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- Their work after the success of ‘Cardcaptor Sakura.’
- New magazine wanted a work for older girls for them. They made “Clover.”
- Called “Clover” because it was meant to be divided into four sections like a four leaf clover. However, the magazine was discounted so the last section was never made. Clamp is interested in finishing if they could find a way.
- All the panel placements were the most calculated placement-wise than any manga.
- There are a few words on purpose too.
- Su means four in Chinese and her hair is white like a clover flower.
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Educator of young minds by day, super nerdy savior of justice, and cute things by night, Morgan Straughan Comnick has a love for turning the normal into something special without losing its essence. Morgan draws from real-life experiences and her ongoing imagination to spark her writing. In her spare time, she enjoys doing goofy voices, traveling to new worlds by turning pages, humming child-like songs, and forcing people to smile with her “bubbliness.” It is Morgan’s mission in life to spread the amazement of otaku/Japanese culture to the world and to stop bullying; she knows everyone shines brightly.
For more information about Morgan and her works, check out her website, which also has links to all her social medias: http://morganscomnick.com
