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Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu must try to defend the land of Cephira as Magic Knights against three neighboring countries that claim the region as their own.

221 pages, Paperback

First published December 18, 1995

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418 people want to read

About the author

Clamp

1,194 books3,123 followers
Ōkawa Nanase 大川七瀬
[born: 2 May 1967; Ōsaka, bloodtype: A]

Mokona Apapa もこなあぱぱ
[born: 16 Jun 1968, Kyōto; bloodtype: A]

Nekoi Mick 猫井みっく
[born: 21 Jan 1969, Kyōto; bloodtype: O]

Igarashi Satsuki 五十嵐さつき
[born: 8 Feb 1969, Kyōto; bloodtype: A]


CLAMP originally began in 1989 as a twelve-member dōjinshi circle, but by 1990, the circle had diminished from twelve to seven. Of the remaining seven, Tamayo Akiyama, Sei Nanao, and Leeza Sei left the group during the production of the RG Veda manga. Other former members of CLAMP also included Soushi Hishika, O-Kyon, Kazue Nakamori, Yuzuru Inoue and Shinya Ōmi. Currently, there are four members in the group.

In 2004, CLAMP's 15th anniversary as a mangaka group, the members changed their names from Nanase Ohkawa, Mokona Apapa, Mick Nekoi, and Satsuki Igarashi to Ageha Ohkawa, Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi and Satsuki Igarashi (her name is pronounced the same, but written with different characters) respectively. The August 2004 issue of Newtype USA, a magazine specializing in events of the anime and manga subcultures, reported that the members of CLAMP simply wanted to try out new names. In a later interview with Ohkawa, it was revealed that initially Mokona wanted to drop her surname because it sounded too immature for her liking, while Nekoi disliked people commenting that her name was the same as Mick Jagger's. Ohkawa and Igarashi, wanting to go with the flow of Nekoi's and Mokona's name changes, changed their names as well.

In 2006, they made their first USA public debut at Anime Expo in Anaheim, California. They were well received at the convention, with 6,000 fans in attendance at their panel.

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5 stars
787 (39%)
4 stars
664 (33%)
3 stars
417 (21%)
2 stars
86 (4%)
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15 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
Profile Image for Lau .
744 reviews126 followers
January 26, 2020
Me gustó, aunque me hubiera parecido de relleno si no fuera porque se extendieron un poco con la historia de Emeraude.
Aska me "dejó sorda" sólo de leer lo que grita XD. Los enemigos de esta parte, salvo Eagle, son más humorísticos que otra cosa.
Profile Image for Canette Arille.
Author 18 books72 followers
April 6, 2024
This book is divine. Magic Knight Rayearth <3 so cool !
Profile Image for Sylwia.
1,297 reviews26 followers
July 21, 2018
Review of vol. 1: here.
Review of vol. 2: here.
Review of vol. 3: here.
Review of vol. 4: here.

This arc is losing me completely. There are so many new characters that we don't have enough time to care about. I'm not sure if it's awful or okay that the three sets of villains seem to be loosely representing China, the Middle East, and gay men? I recommend that folks stop reading this series after volume 3.
Profile Image for Yasmin Halliwell Fraser Bower.
564 reviews67 followers
September 4, 2022
I think I see the ending coming, but no matter. i love the world and importance of the strength of their hearts. The quotes are epic and cute. Also, I love Mokona n.n"
Profile Image for Ximena.
183 reviews1 follower
October 26, 2020
Mi mayor sorpresa de este libro fue Ascot y el cambio que dio. Eagle se ha vuelto uno de mis personajes favoritos de la historia.
Profile Image for Laura A. Grace.
1,915 reviews285 followers
December 21, 2022
VIDEO REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/vo4ww6mW_Cs

This volume started out really strong with such fun and unique world building. (We meet other people outside of Cefiro!) However, I didn't feel quite as invested or excited when this volume ended.

It didn't feel quite as on edge to me given the stakes and I *think* its because we need to see this war/battle unfold, but it seemed like it needed to happen quickly? I really wish that could have been drawn out a little longer and really be able to explore the lands/people trying to invade because I thought two of them were very fun and bummed they are gone. LOL!

One of the most enlightening things about this volume though is the backstory about the Princess. My heart had all the more compassion for her and definitely agree with our Magic Knights that the pillar system needs to end!

I'm curious how things are going to unfold. I have DEEPLY enjoyed this series and I truly hope it ends on a very strong note!
Profile Image for Pam Gabriel.
47 reviews1 follower
January 19, 2016
Same feeling as volume 1 (Chaotic during battle scenes, but all in all pretty fun). I didn't feel like this volume went very far, though. I'm ready for our three heroine's to fall in love. I mean, we had a meet cute in volume 1, and I want that to be followed up on instead of reminding me of Emeraude every 16 seconds and explaining the plot repeatedly and the other country's motives. I know, I should be hoping for some Pillar resolution, but I would like to see some movement on the relationships. Here's hoping it's not forced in the last 10 pages of volume 3, or altogether forgotten about.
Profile Image for Silberfederling.
62 reviews1 follower
July 5, 2021
Vorweg, ich mag die Magic Knight Rayeart Reihe sehr gerne.
Vor allem aus Nostalgie-Gründen, da das eine der ersten Reihen von CLAMP war, die ich überhaupt gelesen habe und wahrscheinlich auch eine der ersten Manga-Reihen war, die ich insgesamt gelesen habe. Aber auch, weil ich die Story super finde.
Es ist eine Weile her, dass ich die Bände das letzte Mal gelesen habe, daher habe ich mich an nichts von der Handlung erinnert, außer dass Hikaru, Umi und Fuu aus Tokyo nach Cephiro gezogen werden, um dort als Magic Knights zu kämpfen. All das Zwischenmenschliche hatte ich vergessen.
Aber gerade das ist es, das die Story für mich so interessant macht.
Der erste Arc (Band 1-3) sind gut, aber in Band 5 merkt man, dass Arc I eigentlich nur der Build Up für Arc II war. Hier kochen alle Emotionen hoch, man fiebtert mit den Charakteren mit. Man hofft für Cephiro, aber hat auch Angst um den künftigen Pfeiler.
Was hier auch besonders heraustritt ist auch, dass das eindeutige böse und gut, dass man im ersten Arc hatte, absolut nicht haltbar sind. Die Charaktere sind alle grau. Alle haben eigene Motivationen und eine eigene Persönlichkeit, selbst die Gegner. (Etwas, das ich an CLAMP insgesamt sehr genial finde, man hat nie das Gefühl, dass die Bösen einfach nur Böse sind, auch wenn es am Anfang einer Reihe häufig erst mal so aussieht.)
Man merkt etwas, dass die Reihe eher an jüngere Leser*innen gerichtet ist, aber ich habe das Gefühl, dass man vor allem ab Band 4 auch als Erwachsener auf seine Kosten kommt, selbst wenn beim Lesen keine Nostalgie mitschwingt. Und sei es nur, weil der Zeichenstil einfach wunderschön ist.
Profile Image for Lorelupin Acevedo (El Caldero Literario).
725 reviews24 followers
March 30, 2021
No se por que siempre los Japos hacen cosas así, o se confían de que su historia esta funcionando bien o es su filosofía existencialista que todavía no capto muy bien o no se, pero siempre hay partes donde la historia decae mucho, en este caso fue la parte del segundo tomo y la mitad del 3ero, (pero cuando lleguemos al 3ero ya hablare de ese) pero hablando de este tomo, no sacaron nada bueno y en partes me estaba aburriendo.

Lo único medio interesante, fue la historia de Lentis el hermano de Zagato que se fue de Cephire y volvió a hora por que se quiere convertir en el pilar, solo eso, lo demás no sucedía nada de nada, no sentí que hubiera evolución de la historia, ni de los personajes y comprendo el por que, (en la historia se explica) de que las guerreras se quedaran en el castillo, pero solo sentía como si todos se quejaran del hecho de que Cephire estuviera muriendo y no encontraran al pilar pero no hacían nada por buscarlo y entiendo el por que no encontrar el camino del pilar, pero como no hacían nada y solo parecía que se estuvieran quejando o esa impresion me dio, me genero mucho conflicto y como les digo en partes el tomo hasta me aburría, no como su primera parte que leí muy rápido de todo lo que me gusto.

Y otra cosa que nunca entendí es por que permitían que llegaran los de los otros países a atacar, digo nunca dijeron que no se podía remplazar la barrera que se rompió, me parecía como que el pilar de Cephire ya no esta pero no muevo un dedo por que no se hacer nada, por que me impresiono mucho lo que sucedió, esa impresión me daba, se los juro, tenían magia, algo podían hacer para retardar un poco la llegada de los extranjeros que venían a atacar.

Pero llegaban y era también algo medio raro, por que ahí salían las guerreras mágicas y defendían Cephire, pero era como si se cansaran los dos bandos o se acabara el raund, por que venia la revancha después, algo muy extraño.

Pero lo único bueno del tomo es que conocimos mas a los extranjeros de los otros países, sus motivos, lo que los caracterizaba, los motivos más afondo del porque querían ser el pilar y destruir Cephire, creo que esa es la única parte a la que le cobre sentido en este segundo tomo que siento que no sirvió absolutamente de nada, digo la historia no evoluciono, ciento que fácilmente uno se puede saltar todo esto y pasar directamente al 3ero sin ningún problema, pero como siempre digo, si quieren pasar por esto, léanlo bajo su propio riesgo, puede ser que a ustedes si les guste.

Entrada en: http://calderoliterario7.blogspot.mx
Profile Image for Thaís DeLuca.
15 reviews1 follower
July 7, 2024
This was the very first anime I had ever watched over and over on VHS. I knew every line by heart. But the VHS was only three parts and it never ended the story. It wasn't until years later that I bought the two seasons and watched what happened. But I still have not finished the second season so I do not know how this story will end.

The anime added a lot of fluff to the story. The manga is more straightforward with the story. It's short, but gives you enough time to build some sort of care for what's at stake. There are also new very important characters to the anime that do not exist in this manga. I'm curious to see how the story plays out

If you're into the magical girl genre, you need to know this story. It's a very powerful story that teaches you a lot about our hearts and strengths and what we will do to live the life we want. Oh, and there are also giant mecha. It's got it all! Haha
The second half feels more sci-fi than magical, but it's touching upon a very important and dark theme from the first half.

The reason I'm not giving 5 stars, is because I still feel rushed through some of the explanations between the new characters. Can't wait to see where this leads though!
Profile Image for Kailey (Luminous Libro).
3,532 reviews543 followers
May 11, 2017
IN this 2nd volume, there are three countries warring for control of the mystical land of Cephiro, and it's up to the Legendary Magic Knights to protect the country they have come to love. But within Cephiro there are still mysteries to be solved, and possible spies within the palace. If the Magic Knights can't find someone to take on the role of the Pillar, Cephiro will slowly crumble into nothing and be destroyed.

There are a lot of flashbacks that show the backstory of some mysterious side characters, and how they connect to the original Pillar of Cephiro. Those who were close to the former Princess are dedicated to protecting Cephiro, but they are reluctant to establish a new Pillar.

I enjoyed this story, but it had all the same problems as the previous volumes. The main three characters do have a little character development in this one, and they solidify their motivations for fighting for their friends, but all the characters are very one-dimensional and static.
I love the pretty artwork, but the action panels are so busy and confusing that I can barely tell what is going on.
Still, it's a fun and easy read, and kept my interest!
Profile Image for K.S. Trenten.
Author 13 books52 followers
June 9, 2022
The invaders get closer to Cephiro and to the Magic Knights, exposing the enigma or wackiness behind their motivations. The princesses of Fahren and Chizeta are hilarious. Formidable yet funny, the Magic Knights aren’t quite sure what to make of them. Hikaru is drawn to both Eagle Vision and Lantis as the intimate connection between the two men is exposed along with Lantis’s reason for returning to his home. The humor of some of the panels (including a great one of Caldina nearly smothering Hikaru against her bosom) are balanced with the painful ones of Lantis and Eagle, Clef’s memories of Zagato and Princess Emeraude; showing what the Pillar has to sacrifice even while Cephiro’s situation grows more dire.

There is something iconic about the crumbling magical land, the need for children from another world to support it. There’s a painful price for that support, to maintain that land which not every invader is aware of. The characters sprang to life from the pages; beautiful, expressed in flowing images against exquisite backdrops; even in their wackier moments. Few manga series are lovelier than this one, letting the reader feel its magic on every page.
Profile Image for Luana.
1,592 reviews59 followers
September 8, 2019
La storia procede velocissima, proprio come nei volumi precedenti. Se non altro qui ci viene data qualche informazione in più sulla questione Emeraude/Zagato, visto che sia Clef che Lantis erano a conoscenza della relazione tra i due - peraltro entrambi erano pronti a supportare la coppia, consapevoli dell'ingiustizia con cui doveva convivere la principessa che, in quanto colonna portante di Cefiro, era praticamente priva di qualsivoglia libertà, senza alcuna possibilità di poter dare spazio ai propri sogni e sentimenti.
Nel mentre conosciamo meglio gli invasori e le loro motivazioni nel voler assumere il ruolo di colonna portante - Autozam, per trovare una soluzione per rendere il suo ambiente più vivibile; Chizeta, per ampliare i loro territori, decisamente molto ridotti; e Fahren...con la principessa che vuole creare un mondo fatto tutto di dolci (ok, l'ultimo fa veramente ridere).
Menzione speciale per le ship, che abbondano e che si formano tutte nel giro di un nanosecondo. Francamente, non capisco il senso di tutta questa fretta... vabbè, vediamo come si chiude il tutto.
616 reviews
March 21, 2022
Un muy buen segundo tomo para esta segunda saga. Estamos ya muy lejos del tono mas azucarado que la primera saga tuvo. Las cosas se van complicando y hasta Céfiro dejó de ser el mundo tan color de rosa como nos lo habian pintado. Y eso me está gustando. También me gusta que conozcamos mas a los distintos invasores de Céfiro. Sobre todo los de Autozam se me hicieron los mas interesantes. Tambien se les dio un motivo para hacer lo que hacen con el que facilmente uno puede empatizar, y bastante mas tiempo que a los otros dos reinos. Las chica quedaron un poco desdibujadas en este tomo. Lo cual no me molestó tanto y nos dio la posibilidad de explorar a otros personajes. Solo falta un tomo y sigo un poco dudoso de que puedan cerrar la historia sin que se sienta muy apresurado todo. Espero que no sea así.
Profile Image for Shin Donghae.
2,256 reviews8 followers
February 9, 2022
Kalau utk plot, menurut sy tidak terlalu berkembang berarti. Memang muncul karakter baru2 dari negara Farren dan Chizert, dan karakter2 tsb cukup menarik, namun yaah begitulah. Ma-ma saja (mungkin karena umur ketika membaca ulang? hha). Tentu sjaa yg tiada bosannya saya komentari adalah artwork CLAMP (khsusunya Mokona sensei) yg begitu indah. Desain karakter, serta adegan pertempurannya pun luar biasa. Tidak kalah dg managaka cowo yg terbiasa bikin manga bertema mecha war :)))
Kali ini ada lagi tanda2 Hikaru yg sdh "ditakdirkan" hhe
Profile Image for Jack Reynolds.
1,047 reviews
December 26, 2024
Getting back into the battle at the start of this volume was a lot. There was too much reinforcement of this part's plot, and to be frank, the dijin portrayal felt very offensive to me IMO. Post this, however, seeing how the first part got set up, the homoerotic tension between Eagle and Geo (not to mention Eagle and Lantis), and the leads' continued maturity perked my spirits up. Umi continues to be my favorite character with the recognition that the Magic Knights may not necessarily be the heroes Cefiro claims they are. This point ties in perfectly with their guilt over the outcome of the first battle. I'll be curious to see where this series ends!
Profile Image for Adrian Santiago.
1,113 reviews19 followers
December 25, 2024
Pasa algo curioso con la historia, a la vez es algo nuevo y una continuación (y espero un mejor final) a como quedó la historia original. Pero... a la vez se siente una historia muy copiada o muy igual a las otras historias que ya existían de Clamp.

Desde las más D&D, hasta cosas como los hilos, el sacrificio y peleas directas de X y la idea de la búsqueda de la felicidad personal de xxxHolic, X y Sakura.
Profile Image for Sarah.
295 reviews4 followers
January 8, 2019
An action-packed addition to the Rayearth series. Several invading nations keep the stakes high in this story, even as characters start to question the value of Cephiro's leadership system.

I appreciated the moral discussions that start taking precedent this book, and I can't wait to see how they're resolved!
Profile Image for Amina D'Anima.
499 reviews25 followers
August 14, 2019
dans ce tome on avance un peu plus dans l'intrigue, on sait d'emblée qui sera concerné par la voie du pilier mais par contre on ne sait pas du tout comment tout ça va se résoudre positivement pour tout le monde ^^ j'aime bien cette intrigue complexe où les persos ne sont pas manichéens, où chacun à ses propres raisons d'agir.
Profile Image for Vivian Lu.
Author 1 book12 followers
February 21, 2024
Reread. Some of the newish characters don’t have distinctive enough personalities to differentiate them from one another and it’s slightly how do I explain it… tokenism: does that make sense about the newcomers. Anywho, I like the clear motives driving everyone. Plus, Eagle is so cool, and so is Lantis.
Profile Image for Herc.
101 reviews
April 7, 2021
Chuta madre... a ver, llegaron a Cephiro again y no se deciden si hacer un camino en busca del nuevo pilar o que onda, como que a Hikaru le sigue remodiendo la conciencia de lo que paso en el tomo 3 parte 1, este estuvo meh, a ver que tal el tercero
Profile Image for Soobie is expired.
7,100 reviews133 followers
August 24, 2024
Toh, anche la mia prima lettura - anno di grazia 2001 - aveva dato due stelline.

I nuovi personaggi non mi piacciono e i loro motivi per attaccare Cefiro non stanno né in cielo né in terra.

Senza contare che ci son vignette che son proprio pesanti da guardare. Troppi tratti!
Profile Image for LauSo.
697 reviews3 followers
June 20, 2020
I liked the commentary about the role and sacrifices of the pillar, but two of the invading planets had such annoying characters,it took me out of the story at times.
Profile Image for Kurtis Burkhardt.
6,000 reviews51 followers
November 23, 2020
It’s an alright series, The story’s not all that great but the artwork is pretty great 👌😁💕
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews

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