I received this book from the publisher/Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.


I have read most of the CLAMP stuff but this one I only read a bit of, so when I saw it up on Netgalley? Heck, I had to press the Read Now button and get to reading!

In this one we meet three girls who get teleported to a magical world, Cefiro which is in trouble. We meet Hikaru, strong-willed and tiny and can talk to animals, Fuu who is smart, quiet, and lastly Umi who is rich and collected. I really loved that these three girls got chosen and I also loved that they all just magically (then again, as Yuuko from xxxHolic has mentioned many times over: “There is no such thing as coincidence, there is only hitsuzen.”) teleported to the country and had to become the Legendary Magical Knights! In this one we mostly see the girls find out that they cannot go back, learn about magic and about the world and who they have to save, we meet some key characters and some big villains. The stage is set. The introductions made. And believe me, it was never boring. Because all three girls are really fun and the world was just full of magic and wonder and you just want to go exploring. Out of the characters, energetic Hikaru is so far my favourite of the three girls. I love her energy and I love how she is dedicated to it all.

But I also love that CLAMP shows how these girls feel about not being able to go back home. First things have to be solved and fixed. And we see how that hits some harder than the other, or well, some just show it more clearly.

I had a bit of a chuckle how the girls, especially Fuu and Umi were at times comparing it to an RPG. Like when they get their armours/weapons discussing which material it normally is in a RPG.

I also just love how Mokona in this one, it is one of the earlier Mokona’s. It has most of the personality of Mokona, but yet is not entirely Mokona yet. I am still happy for the little ball of fluff!

And it is great fun that you can instantly see which era this manga was originally from. The big eyes. Haha. Which just gave me flashbacks to other manga and anime from that time. Not that I mind, but it was just making me laugh.

CLAMPs art is just perfect for me no matter which era. I just love their style.

All in all, I am happy that I finally have a chance to really get to read this series! Again, I did read a bit of it and I know a lot of key points, but there is still plenty to discover and I want to read it all. It is great that Kodansha brings out a special 25-year anniversary edition, I will have to get it for my collection.

review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

"did we step into some lame video game or what?"

Umi's face is soooo different in the manga from the anime - it's kind of freaking me out. I do appreciate her concern regarding the availability of Haagen-Daz in Cephiro.

speaking of Umi, her insults towards Mokona are absolutely priceless: chubby rabbit, blob, butterball, chubbo, a complete waste of space

I loooove Fyula and want her to be my main mode of transportation. for the rest of my life. I also love the font used for Zagato's words - so elegant.

and Fuu's reference to Heinlein? perfection

don't get me started on Princess Emeraude - clearly she was the inspiration for Princess Hinoto in
[b:X/1999, Volume 01: Prelude|31983|X/1999, Volume 01 Prelude|CLAMP|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1349029079l/31983._SX50_.jpg|32198] and I have serious issues with her. SERIOUS ISSUES

Magic Knight Rayearth is THE perfect introduction to the Isekai genre. Having previously enjoyed Clamp’s work through random episodes of Cardcaptor Sakura during my childhood and delving into the manga version last year, Magic Knight Rayearth offered me a blend of familiarity and novelty.

While Cardcaptor Sakura is a delight, Magic Knight Rayearth distinguishes itself through its awe-inspiring paneling, page flow, and artistry, reaching a level that I consider nothing short of classic. I also appreciate how the narrative introduces compelling queer and political undertones, complemented by captivatingly campy scenes.

The only bummer is that the book ends way too soon, leaving us hanging with limited details about the lore and few reasons why we should root for Fuu, Umi, and Hikaru. What’s good though is that it demands the reader to delve deeper into the series, promising an evolution in worldbuilding and character development.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review .