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Clover [クローバー] #1-4
Clover: Omnibus
Kazuhiko is a young, but already deeply wounded black ops agent of a baroque, retro-tech future - pulled out of retirement to escort Sue, a mysterious waif, to a destination she alone knows. Sue and Kazuhiko have never met, yet she knows him, having grown up since the age of four with her only human contact, two distant that of her elderly "grandma," General Ko, and of Kazuhiko's dead girlfriend, Ora. And Sue has been kept in that cage all these years because of what she is, and what the Clover Leaf Project found her to be - a military top secret, and the most dangerous person in the world!
512 pages, Paperback
First published May 20, 2014
36 people are currently reading
930 people want to read
About the author
Clamp
744 books3,138 followersŌkawa 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.
[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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
February 11, 2022
The minimalistic style and beautiful edition couldn’t help me in more appreciation for the story that felt rather standard and with little clarity on the world
Not dying is the greatest gift you can give someone you love.
The story, revolving around the power of songs, is done more justice in a visual format: https://youtu.be/01xbvbbSyvc
Rather generic, and the central theme of music is something that doesn’t translate well to the medium of manga. A lot is left unsaid, all animals appear to be dead for one.
There are superpowered youngsters, a mysterious council and a pact, which for me made no sense, since why would the most powerful entity in the world consent to isolation and control?
There is a lot of convenience, like accelerated ageing to explain away issues.
Overall this is a love story, or even a double love story if we take into account the girl who can forecast her own day of dying. I found this all rather sentimental, with sentences like:
When I die, no one will cry for me. Since I’m alone, nothing will change when I’m gone.
Maybe I am a tad harsh, having just rewatched Neon Genesis Evangelion, but I expected more of this work than just a compelling art style full of negative space.
Not dying is the greatest gift you can give someone you love.
The story, revolving around the power of songs, is done more justice in a visual format: https://youtu.be/01xbvbbSyvc
Rather generic, and the central theme of music is something that doesn’t translate well to the medium of manga. A lot is left unsaid, all animals appear to be dead for one.
There are superpowered youngsters, a mysterious council and a pact, which for me made no sense, since why would the most powerful entity in the world consent to isolation and control?
There is a lot of convenience, like accelerated ageing to explain away issues.
Overall this is a love story, or even a double love story if we take into account the girl who can forecast her own day of dying. I found this all rather sentimental, with sentences like:
When I die, no one will cry for me. Since I’m alone, nothing will change when I’m gone.
Maybe I am a tad harsh, having just rewatched Neon Genesis Evangelion, but I expected more of this work than just a compelling art style full of negative space.
April 4, 2010
I remember flipping through the first volume of this, years ago. I was intriugued by the art but even before it was taken out of print it was a bit hard to find. Imagine my surprise when I saw that it had been reprinted as an omnibus version including all 4 of the original books (as well as a bunch of nice colour art)!
It's hard to rate this as a book, because the story is not only incomplete (the magazine it was serialized in went out of publication) but a bit lacking at times (and I will admit, I got a bit tired of the ever-repeating song lyrics by the end of the book). However, the art and the overall mood really drew me in. It's beautiful, intriguing, and more than a bit mysterious. I think this is Clamp's best work visually, though it may seem dated to some Clamp fans (it's over a decade old). If only it had been finished, I may have even liked the complete story more! I think it's definitely worth checking out for the gorgeous art and style, especially now that it's avaible in one cheaper volume.
It's hard to rate this as a book, because the story is not only incomplete (the magazine it was serialized in went out of publication) but a bit lacking at times (and I will admit, I got a bit tired of the ever-repeating song lyrics by the end of the book). However, the art and the overall mood really drew me in. It's beautiful, intriguing, and more than a bit mysterious. I think this is Clamp's best work visually, though it may seem dated to some Clamp fans (it's over a decade old). If only it had been finished, I may have even liked the complete story more! I think it's definitely worth checking out for the gorgeous art and style, especially now that it's avaible in one cheaper volume.
June 9, 2009
I wish for happiness; I seek happiness; to find happiness with you.
Clover is a work by CLAMP that has long been out of print in English due to Tokypop's rather ridiculous, in my opinion, decision to stop printing it. I've been searching high and low for this manga for years, and it's taken at least six before I've finally been able to get my hands on it in the omnibus edition in the original format of right-to-left. I was a fan of Card Captor Sakura back when I was twelve and CLAMP was, of course, one of the first manga-ka I looked into, and this is one of the series that has always had an elusive, mysterious aura around it and seems to have been largely forgotten. I've wanted it for a long time, and I can tell you, there's no words to describe how happy I was to actually have it in my hands and to be able to read it for myself. My first reaction was to smile - my second was to drop it, since this book should be labelled as being ridiculously heavy, even though I really should have expected that. That aside, I'd been promised great things about Clover from many different people; and I wasn't disappointed.
The one word to sum up Clover, is that it's different. The panels are different - it is more likely for the page to be empty with one block background colour over a screentone to reflect a character's mental state - a lot of the text is made up of the lyrics of the songs. This may immediately make you recoil, but only for the reason of Clover being the mystery of the unknown. I've read countless manga by various artists over the years, including others by CLAMP, which leads me to instantly think it's wrong - but it's not. If you persevere past those initial thoughts, you can easily see how wonderful it really, truly, is. The fact the art style and story telling is still unique after ten years from it's original publishing date is also a feat. CLAMP truly did make a masterpiece with this one.
Even if the pages may appear to be empty, the drawings that are there are smooth and intricately detailed when needed. Each character leaps out at you even with the most limited words. I, for one, truly felt for the story of each and every character, and even though at first some of it took a while to sink in, I felt each emotion that was meant to be conveyed through each sequence. Even by the littlest things like a black solid colour over a white one. A small box on a page. Ran staring out a window. Suu looking up at nothing in particular. Anything. I got the message. A lot of the dialogue is also limited - but a great story doesn't have to be told through lots of words. Simple, selective words get the point across and perhaps have more meaning than pages of solid text. And the use of the lyrics repeatedly was an off-putter at first, but really, it adds to the story and its sense of knowing that it's different. It really did provide it with individuality.
The story is fairly simple - a country set in a futurstic world, run by a group of people known as the Wizards. Children with powers have previously been taken and marked as Clover's - one to four leaf. Suu is the only four leaf. As time goes on, the other Clover's are revealed as well as their respective abilities. Clover goes through multiple twists that you may or may not guess that trip you at every turn. As for the plot.. if you want one word to sum up the entire set of each Clover's story, it would be happiness, or love. Each one just wants to be happy, which isn't that big of an ask. For CLAMP, this is usually shown by being loved, or being able to love. And this is shown here, too. And it's heartwrenching to see the happiness each long for either being taken away or limited or only having a set time limit.
Truly, I wish CLAMP would continue this and produced volume 5 or 6. It's typical for me to fall for the work they haven't finished; another of my favourites is also in a state of forseeably permenant hiatus. But I'll make do with what I have. For it's a story that holds a lot of meaning, and makes you appreciate those around you and what you do have whilst you have it. It's a beautiful story, and I would be giving it more stars if I could. Endless amounts.
If the story itself isn't a draw, or you already have the flipped Engish version, the ombinus is completely worth it for the coloured pages that have been included. Each respective book start has several coloured pages for the splash as well as a full page of lyrics, all in colour. At the back of the book, each coloured drawing of Clover ever produced by CLAMP is included. It's like a mini-art book in a way; but it's all absolutely gorgeous, so I have no complaints.
I only want your happiness but I cannot be yours to share it
Clover is a work by CLAMP that has long been out of print in English due to Tokypop's rather ridiculous, in my opinion, decision to stop printing it. I've been searching high and low for this manga for years, and it's taken at least six before I've finally been able to get my hands on it in the omnibus edition in the original format of right-to-left. I was a fan of Card Captor Sakura back when I was twelve and CLAMP was, of course, one of the first manga-ka I looked into, and this is one of the series that has always had an elusive, mysterious aura around it and seems to have been largely forgotten. I've wanted it for a long time, and I can tell you, there's no words to describe how happy I was to actually have it in my hands and to be able to read it for myself. My first reaction was to smile - my second was to drop it, since this book should be labelled as being ridiculously heavy, even though I really should have expected that. That aside, I'd been promised great things about Clover from many different people; and I wasn't disappointed.
The one word to sum up Clover, is that it's different. The panels are different - it is more likely for the page to be empty with one block background colour over a screentone to reflect a character's mental state - a lot of the text is made up of the lyrics of the songs. This may immediately make you recoil, but only for the reason of Clover being the mystery of the unknown. I've read countless manga by various artists over the years, including others by CLAMP, which leads me to instantly think it's wrong - but it's not. If you persevere past those initial thoughts, you can easily see how wonderful it really, truly, is. The fact the art style and story telling is still unique after ten years from it's original publishing date is also a feat. CLAMP truly did make a masterpiece with this one.
Even if the pages may appear to be empty, the drawings that are there are smooth and intricately detailed when needed. Each character leaps out at you even with the most limited words. I, for one, truly felt for the story of each and every character, and even though at first some of it took a while to sink in, I felt each emotion that was meant to be conveyed through each sequence. Even by the littlest things like a black solid colour over a white one. A small box on a page. Ran staring out a window. Suu looking up at nothing in particular. Anything. I got the message. A lot of the dialogue is also limited - but a great story doesn't have to be told through lots of words. Simple, selective words get the point across and perhaps have more meaning than pages of solid text. And the use of the lyrics repeatedly was an off-putter at first, but really, it adds to the story and its sense of knowing that it's different. It really did provide it with individuality.
The story is fairly simple - a country set in a futurstic world, run by a group of people known as the Wizards. Children with powers have previously been taken and marked as Clover's - one to four leaf. Suu is the only four leaf. As time goes on, the other Clover's are revealed as well as their respective abilities. Clover goes through multiple twists that you may or may not guess that trip you at every turn. As for the plot.. if you want one word to sum up the entire set of each Clover's story, it would be happiness, or love. Each one just wants to be happy, which isn't that big of an ask. For CLAMP, this is usually shown by being loved, or being able to love. And this is shown here, too. And it's heartwrenching to see the happiness each long for either being taken away or limited or only having a set time limit.
Truly, I wish CLAMP would continue this and produced volume 5 or 6. It's typical for me to fall for the work they haven't finished; another of my favourites is also in a state of forseeably permenant hiatus. But I'll make do with what I have. For it's a story that holds a lot of meaning, and makes you appreciate those around you and what you do have whilst you have it. It's a beautiful story, and I would be giving it more stars if I could. Endless amounts.
If the story itself isn't a draw, or you already have the flipped Engish version, the ombinus is completely worth it for the coloured pages that have been included. Each respective book start has several coloured pages for the splash as well as a full page of lyrics, all in colour. At the back of the book, each coloured drawing of Clover ever produced by CLAMP is included. It's like a mini-art book in a way; but it's all absolutely gorgeous, so I have no complaints.
I only want your happiness but I cannot be yours to share it
February 9, 2017
What the hell did I just read!?!
I honestly thought, after seeing in the synopsis that this was originally intended to be a six book arc, that the powers that be reworked the story since the whole thing ended after four books.
Boy, was I wrong!
After a very confusing beginning in Clover One, there followed two more comprehensible, and interesting volumes. Clover 4, the final book, however, launches into another possibly interesting story line but then spirals into nothingness! The book, the omnibus, and the series just ends!
I want my 4 days back. This literally went absolutely nowhere!
What the hell did I just read!?!
On an up note, the artwork included at the end of the omnibus was stunningly beautiful!
-----------------------------------------------
Omnibus Rating: 2.25
Individual book ratings are as follows:
Clover, Vol. 01 - 2-stars
Clover, Vol. 02 - 3 stars
Clover, Vol. 03 - 3 stars
Clover, Vol. 04 - 1 star
Edited to correct typos.
I honestly thought, after seeing in the synopsis that this was originally intended to be a six book arc, that the powers that be reworked the story since the whole thing ended after four books.
Boy, was I wrong!
After a very confusing beginning in Clover One, there followed two more comprehensible, and interesting volumes. Clover 4, the final book, however, launches into another possibly interesting story line but then spirals into nothingness! The book, the omnibus, and the series just ends!
I want my 4 days back. This literally went absolutely nowhere!
What the hell did I just read!?!
On an up note, the artwork included at the end of the omnibus was stunningly beautiful!
-----------------------------------------------
Omnibus Rating: 2.25
Individual book ratings are as follows:
Clover, Vol. 01 - 2-stars
Clover, Vol. 02 - 3 stars
Clover, Vol. 03 - 3 stars
Clover, Vol. 04 - 1 starEdited to correct typos.
February 1, 2020
Kazuhiko, a former government agent, is roped into doing one last job for General Ko, one of the heads of the government. She tells him he must deliver a package, which he soon learns is actually a young girl named Sue. In the first two volumes of Clover, Kazuhiko does his best to take Sue to her destination despite opposition from multiple sources. He gradually learns who Sue is, why people don't want her going free, and how she's connected to him. The third volume of Clover is a flashback to the time when Sue and a beautiful singer named Ora first met, the beginnings of Sue's desire to leave her cage. The fourth volume of Clover is yet another flashback, even further back in time, to the days when Ran escaped his own cage and met Gingetsu, a friend of Kazuhiko's.
Clover's biggest strength was that it was very beautiful. It came across like an art experiment on CLAMP's part - lots of negative space, interesting things done with panel placement and usage, etc. And since this is one of those tragic CLAMP series, there are lots of beautiful people looking sad. A few of them get to be happy for a little bit, but it fades into bittersweetness at best.
Unfortunately, this series is style over clarity. Scenes felt disjointed and didn't always transition in ways I could easily follow. The first couple volumes technically had quite a bit of action in them, but it didn't always feel like action because of the way CLAMP drew things. It was weird, and I struggled to follow everything that was going on. The end of the amusement park portion was especially confusing, and instead of giving me more of that story, volumes 3 and 4 turned out to be flashbacks. The story never returned to its present.
One thing I didn't know until after I started reading was that this series was originally intended to be longer. I don't know why it was halted, but it was, which explains why, after two volumes of flashbacks, the story just...stopped. It was immensely frustrating.
The story had song lyrics repeated frequently throughout, at least two or three different songs. I did my best to pay attention to any lyrics the first time they showed up, but I generally found them difficult to read (in a fancy font, often white text on black backgrounds). Also, song lyrics are just disjointed text to me - I can't even vaguely imagine them put to music unless I've actually heard that music before. After a while, I just skimmed any lyrics that came up, which was probably not what CLAMP was aiming for.
I was left with so many questions. On the one hand, the government acted like Clover power was a simple matter of math (a two-leaf plus a three-leaf would equal five and therefore be too powerful to oppose). On the other hand, it was clear that some Clovers' powers wouldn't be a problem not matter how many of them got together, so it really wasn't just a matter of adding up the total number of leaves. And did people like General Ko technically count as Clovers? The world-building didn't make much sense to me.
All in all, this is one of those series that I'd probably only recommend to CLAMP completists or comics creators. As much as I liked the visuals, the story itself was more difficult to follow than it needed to be and didn't have a proper ending.
Additional Comments:
Supposedly each of the different levels of Clovers got a different tattoo, but the one character who was a one-leaf Clover had a four-leaf tattoo. Was that a mistake on CLAMP's part? It confused me.
Extras:
A few pages of full-color images at the beginning of each volume in the omnibus, as well as a full-color bonus gallery.
Rating Note:
I struggled with rating this. The story is probably more 1.5 stars - it's unfinished, will likely never be finished, and is structured oddly for something that stops at the point it does. The artwork, however, is lovely, more in the 4-star range (the clarity issues make me reluctant to rate it higher).
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Clover's biggest strength was that it was very beautiful. It came across like an art experiment on CLAMP's part - lots of negative space, interesting things done with panel placement and usage, etc. And since this is one of those tragic CLAMP series, there are lots of beautiful people looking sad. A few of them get to be happy for a little bit, but it fades into bittersweetness at best.
Unfortunately, this series is style over clarity. Scenes felt disjointed and didn't always transition in ways I could easily follow. The first couple volumes technically had quite a bit of action in them, but it didn't always feel like action because of the way CLAMP drew things. It was weird, and I struggled to follow everything that was going on. The end of the amusement park portion was especially confusing, and instead of giving me more of that story, volumes 3 and 4 turned out to be flashbacks. The story never returned to its present.
One thing I didn't know until after I started reading was that this series was originally intended to be longer. I don't know why it was halted, but it was, which explains why, after two volumes of flashbacks, the story just...stopped. It was immensely frustrating.
The story had song lyrics repeated frequently throughout, at least two or three different songs. I did my best to pay attention to any lyrics the first time they showed up, but I generally found them difficult to read (in a fancy font, often white text on black backgrounds). Also, song lyrics are just disjointed text to me - I can't even vaguely imagine them put to music unless I've actually heard that music before. After a while, I just skimmed any lyrics that came up, which was probably not what CLAMP was aiming for.
I was left with so many questions. On the one hand, the government acted like Clover power was a simple matter of math (a two-leaf plus a three-leaf would equal five and therefore be too powerful to oppose). On the other hand, it was clear that some Clovers' powers wouldn't be a problem not matter how many of them got together, so it really wasn't just a matter of adding up the total number of leaves. And did people like General Ko technically count as Clovers? The world-building didn't make much sense to me.
All in all, this is one of those series that I'd probably only recommend to CLAMP completists or comics creators. As much as I liked the visuals, the story itself was more difficult to follow than it needed to be and didn't have a proper ending.
Additional Comments:
Supposedly each of the different levels of Clovers got a different tattoo, but the one character who was a one-leaf Clover had a four-leaf tattoo. Was that a mistake on CLAMP's part? It confused me.
Extras:
A few pages of full-color images at the beginning of each volume in the omnibus, as well as a full-color bonus gallery.
Rating Note:
I struggled with rating this. The story is probably more 1.5 stars - it's unfinished, will likely never be finished, and is structured oddly for something that stops at the point it does. The artwork, however, is lovely, more in the 4-star range (the clarity issues make me reluctant to rate it higher).
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
December 31, 2021
Full of melancholy and longing, I think I need to read this one a few more times to fully appreciate the depth of the story. It is minimalistic with classic CLAMP art style, yet I found the repeated song lyrics to become tiresome after a while. The storyline of Part II appealed to me much more than Part I for that reason alone, but I still feel like something is missing.
July 16, 2022
Boxset rất đẹp, xây dựng hình tượng nhân vật siêu đẹp luôn. Cách phân chia khung truyện khá lạ, có nhiều khoảng trống. Nội dung hơi khó hiểu nhưng cốt truyện cuốn, nói về những người siêu tài giỏi thì có kết cục không tốt lắm. Đọc xong không rút ra được gì nhưng vẫn cảm thấy rất thích boxset này.
À mình mê nhất Oruha trong truyện này. Lần đầu tiên đọc truyện có trai đẹp mà vẫn mê nhân vật nữ hơn.
À mình mê nhất Oruha trong truyện này. Lần đầu tiên đọc truyện có trai đẹp mà vẫn mê nhân vật nữ hơn.
April 29, 2024
like what the hell
October 13, 2019
I picked this up at the library because of the cool cover and I liked the fact that all the volumes are in one large omnibus. This ended up being very different from any other manga I have read but I didn’t really like how ambiguous and incomplete it felt.
Some of the illustration in here is truly beautiful and amazing. However, it’s also a bit scattered and hard to follow. At times this felt more like random pieces of art than an actual story.
It was an interesting and different read but I didn’t enjoy it all that much. I liked the retro-tech setting but the characters were all a bit odd and creepy feeling. I also had trouble engaging in the story; it just felt really disjointed.
The ending was really abrupt, less of an ending and more of a “well I guess we’re done now”.
Overall this was okay but not really for me. I liked the setting and some of the beautiful illustrations but thought the story was awkward and disjointed and never really engaged with the characters. When I finished this I was like “eh, okay that was weird...moving on…”
Some of the illustration in here is truly beautiful and amazing. However, it’s also a bit scattered and hard to follow. At times this felt more like random pieces of art than an actual story.
It was an interesting and different read but I didn’t enjoy it all that much. I liked the retro-tech setting but the characters were all a bit odd and creepy feeling. I also had trouble engaging in the story; it just felt really disjointed.
The ending was really abrupt, less of an ending and more of a “well I guess we’re done now”.
Overall this was okay but not really for me. I liked the setting and some of the beautiful illustrations but thought the story was awkward and disjointed and never really engaged with the characters. When I finished this I was like “eh, okay that was weird...moving on…”
July 28, 2024
quiero más
June 7, 2019
2.5
In a dystopian steampunk world, a special package must be delivered and the ex-government operator that is assigned to make the delivery is anything but thrilled. He soon learns that Sue, the “package," has lived her life in seclusion because of one critical secret. Within the wild chaos of this Manga world, Sue and Kazuhiko are pawns in a society where a Clover is so much more than a tiny green plant.
I read this for a book challenge and I will be honest: I didn't understand what was happening 70% of the time. I figured out the right to left thing quickly and soon there were a few key characters I could remember but so much of the rest of it felt repetitive and almost nonsensical, as least for a newbie. There were so many panels that just repeated song lyrics over and over (and over) and I think I just completely missed something. The first three “books” had a plot that at least made some vague kind of linear sense but the fourth complete threw me. Like I wasn't even reading the same story, practically. Ah well. I’m chalking it up to my own ignorance. Look, I read some Manga :)
In a dystopian steampunk world, a special package must be delivered and the ex-government operator that is assigned to make the delivery is anything but thrilled. He soon learns that Sue, the “package," has lived her life in seclusion because of one critical secret. Within the wild chaos of this Manga world, Sue and Kazuhiko are pawns in a society where a Clover is so much more than a tiny green plant.
I read this for a book challenge and I will be honest: I didn't understand what was happening 70% of the time. I figured out the right to left thing quickly and soon there were a few key characters I could remember but so much of the rest of it felt repetitive and almost nonsensical, as least for a newbie. There were so many panels that just repeated song lyrics over and over (and over) and I think I just completely missed something. The first three “books” had a plot that at least made some vague kind of linear sense but the fourth complete threw me. Like I wasn't even reading the same story, practically. Ah well. I’m chalking it up to my own ignorance. Look, I read some Manga :)
December 4, 2023
Wow. The minimalist design of the page layouts had me hooked. Like I seriously had no idea CLAMP experimented like this.
September 28, 2015
Fascinating story with exquisite art by Mokona. The art style and science-fiction element remind me somewhat of Chobits. However, the art is much darker and definitely has a steampunk-retro-science-fiction style, and the same is true of the story itself which is more along the lines of X. Both are engrossing, and have that CLAMP style of implying and hinting at backstory that is never told, or only doled out in the smallest bits along the way. I wish this short manga series had been more popular as it's one of the most intelligent of CLAMP's works that I"ve read (and actually has an ending).
Especially recommended for CLAMP fans who also love science fiction, are into steampunk or goth subcultures, or have a special fondness for X. Not for younger teens who like their comparatively fluffier stories such as Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles and aren't ready for a more serious treatment of sexuality and death.
Especially recommended for CLAMP fans who also love science fiction, are into steampunk or goth subcultures, or have a special fondness for X. Not for younger teens who like their comparatively fluffier stories such as Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles and aren't ready for a more serious treatment of sexuality and death.
September 29, 2020
For more thoughts, check out this video
https://youtu.be/NfFXcsSwlPA
https://youtu.be/NfFXcsSwlPA
March 28, 2023
My first CLAMP is an instant favourite. Clover is a visionary sci-fi romance that is decades ahead of its time.
Visually, Clover is absolutely stunning on all levels, from the unique page layouts to the cyberpunk weaponry and the character designs. It feels more like a web comic in the sense that CLAMP almost completely replaces the traditional panel to panel grid for a more experimental approach that emphasises the overall page layout. They often use floating panels on top of background images and there is a lot of empty space on almost every page. t's bold, but it works as it put things in focus as well as change how you perceive the flow of time.
The story is very dreamlike. The plot, which mainly revolves around Su and Ora, two girls with magical powers called Clovers, is paper thin. Clover is more about atmosphere and mood, which is coloured by Su's feelings of love, loneliness, and the longing for human connection.
CLAMP uses symbols from the Bagua on some pages, a set of trigams used in Taoist cosmology that represent the fundamental principles of reality, which made me wonder if concepts from Taoism or the I Ching might have inspired CLOVER's unusual approach narrative.
Visually, Clover is absolutely stunning on all levels, from the unique page layouts to the cyberpunk weaponry and the character designs. It feels more like a web comic in the sense that CLAMP almost completely replaces the traditional panel to panel grid for a more experimental approach that emphasises the overall page layout. They often use floating panels on top of background images and there is a lot of empty space on almost every page. t's bold, but it works as it put things in focus as well as change how you perceive the flow of time.
The story is very dreamlike. The plot, which mainly revolves around Su and Ora, two girls with magical powers called Clovers, is paper thin. Clover is more about atmosphere and mood, which is coloured by Su's feelings of love, loneliness, and the longing for human connection.
CLAMP uses symbols from the Bagua on some pages, a set of trigams used in Taoist cosmology that represent the fundamental principles of reality, which made me wonder if concepts from Taoism or the I Ching might have inspired CLOVER's unusual approach narrative.
August 30, 2022
[rilettura dopo quasi 15 anni nella storica edizione Star Comics <3]
Che nostalgia rileggere questi volumi e che dispiacere sapere che non vedremo mai la sua conclusione... Secondo me c'era parecchio potenziale.
Uno dei manga delle CLAMP più particolari non solo per la costruzione delle tavole estremamente minimali e spesso "silenziose", ma anche per la struttura della narrazione che procede sempre più indietro nel passato svelando piano piano trama e storia dei personaggi.
L'ambientazione è futurista -quasi cyberpunk (?)- e le atmosfere sono le classiche delle CLAMP con i loro dialoghi sussurrati (se vogliamo anche troppo poetici), la profondità del sentire che caratterizza tutti i personaggi, la ricerca della felicità, l'esplorazione della propria interiorità.
Io ovviamente ho amato e amo TUTTO.
Che nostalgia rileggere questi volumi e che dispiacere sapere che non vedremo mai la sua conclusione... Secondo me c'era parecchio potenziale.
Uno dei manga delle CLAMP più particolari non solo per la costruzione delle tavole estremamente minimali e spesso "silenziose", ma anche per la struttura della narrazione che procede sempre più indietro nel passato svelando piano piano trama e storia dei personaggi.
L'ambientazione è futurista -quasi cyberpunk (?)- e le atmosfere sono le classiche delle CLAMP con i loro dialoghi sussurrati (se vogliamo anche troppo poetici), la profondità del sentire che caratterizza tutti i personaggi, la ricerca della felicità, l'esplorazione della propria interiorità.
Io ovviamente ho amato e amo TUTTO.
August 7, 2024
This reminds me of Fujimoto. It seems CLAMP tried to awake emotions through framing/panneling more so than bringing a deep story or gag story this time. They repeat alot of text in this one but most times the lettering or framing is different. Again it feels like the same sentence but a different message somehow. How they went for super small and symetrical panels for a few pages and then give you a super blown up 2 page spread of 1 image saying i love you. Makes you extra overwhelmed. Interessting experimental journey
October 9, 2025
Absolutely beautiful art... I took screenshot after screenshot. That linework is just impeccable. Clamp is ever-iconic for a reason. After watching Chobits (I know I know, it is for a different audience...) I was skeptical about how much I would like the plot and characters but they really grew on me. I regret rushing through (as I tend to with Manga) and not taking longer with the second half of the story. I'm tempted to compare translations to get a fuller sense of the writing.
March 22, 2025
The bonus gallery of colour images is the highlight of this book. The character design is great and the setting interesting but the manga is let down by a lack of plot and the recurring lyrics that quickly become boring. Other reviewers refer to poetry and this is perhaps the best way to view this manga, as a long illustrated poem.
February 24, 2019
Incredibly beautiful manga. Curious story about love with a heap of sci-fi thrown in. The story was told a bit strangely and may not fit everyone's tastes, but good lord is the art glorious. Worth reading just to look at the artwork even if the story is not your cup of sakè.
May 31, 2021
Took a few goes at reading as it was very confusing. Found out the series is technically unfinished and that it needs another 2 books worth of content to complete.
So far not the best CLAMP title I've read.
So far not the best CLAMP title I've read.
May 22, 2019
A complex and bittersweet four-part manga about a spiritually powerful girl🍀, whose verses about love ❤️ fits the story mainly well while falling for her black ops escort (Grade: A-).
December 11, 2021
A 7. This is one georgeous piece of work, if only it was finished!!! It stops and you're left hanging... But aside from that, I was invested in the story, the characters and the extra artwork in this omnibus are really something. Definitely a collectors item now!
January 28, 2024
Cool art and panel placement but the story was a mess lol the song that was the theme for whole thing did not land in this visual / written format
June 19, 2022
A little bit hard to understand, but I got the main gist of it. Basically, the higher the clover number, the more powerful you are. Four clovers, like Su (MC), are the most dangerous.
August 18, 2009
for starters, this book is huge. but you soon discover the reason for its size; it contains 4 volumes. totally made the 20 bucks i spent on it, worth it. but regardless of its size, it only took a couple of hours to read, and was finished in one siting (not something i'm normally able to do with manga of this size).
i wish i would have started with clover as my first clamp read, it would have totally changed my perspective on their writing style. i had orginally picked this up a couple of weeks ago because i have a rabbit named clover and thought that it was neat to see a book with her name. i flipped through a few pages, breifly glanced at the artwork inside and the back, then put it back down thinking that surely it could not have a fully developed story with so few pictures and words. boy was i mistaken! it is perfect in the form that it is in. it almost has a "metropolis" (the movie) feel to it. but i actually liked this, and didn't like the movie.
i was choked up the entire time i was reading this series, er book. the story is presented out of order, (the ending comes in book 2) but is done in way way where you are left wondering if that was really the end. as you continue to read you realize that you really did loop back in time to meet all four levels of clovers. i was left wondering if there was really only one four-leaf out there, or was she the only one found. you see people struggle to hold onto the power that they have fought to obtain and their tactics to use whatever means necessary to maintaining that power. i saw them ruling in fear instead of the other way around, which would have honestly been true to form of the machiavellian nature presented here. you see consequence of actions taken and how they affect others, even if you live all alone. it was a masterpiece through and through, and i'm glad they gave credit to the artists in the clamp group that created it: mokona and ohkawa (which is a first for me, i normally don't see credit given to any individuals inside of clamp). if clamp ever decides to add to it, i'll most certainly be one of the first in line to purchase, but it's also fine if it's never picked up again. the ending already there along with everything else, it's fine.
never fear if you've fallen in love with some of the characters in this book. ora appears again (in true clamp fashion) in their "tsubasa" series. plus, you also get to revisit fairy park in the same series. so it's not like the series ever really came to an end.
i wish i would have started with clover as my first clamp read, it would have totally changed my perspective on their writing style. i had orginally picked this up a couple of weeks ago because i have a rabbit named clover and thought that it was neat to see a book with her name. i flipped through a few pages, breifly glanced at the artwork inside and the back, then put it back down thinking that surely it could not have a fully developed story with so few pictures and words. boy was i mistaken! it is perfect in the form that it is in. it almost has a "metropolis" (the movie) feel to it. but i actually liked this, and didn't like the movie.
i was choked up the entire time i was reading this series, er book. the story is presented out of order, (the ending comes in book 2) but is done in way way where you are left wondering if that was really the end. as you continue to read you realize that you really did loop back in time to meet all four levels of clovers. i was left wondering if there was really only one four-leaf out there, or was she the only one found. you see people struggle to hold onto the power that they have fought to obtain and their tactics to use whatever means necessary to maintaining that power. i saw them ruling in fear instead of the other way around, which would have honestly been true to form of the machiavellian nature presented here. you see consequence of actions taken and how they affect others, even if you live all alone. it was a masterpiece through and through, and i'm glad they gave credit to the artists in the clamp group that created it: mokona and ohkawa (which is a first for me, i normally don't see credit given to any individuals inside of clamp). if clamp ever decides to add to it, i'll most certainly be one of the first in line to purchase, but it's also fine if it's never picked up again. the ending already there along with everything else, it's fine.
never fear if you've fallen in love with some of the characters in this book. ora appears again (in true clamp fashion) in their "tsubasa" series. plus, you also get to revisit fairy park in the same series. so it's not like the series ever really came to an end.
November 24, 2021
A breezy read for being 450+ pages. Its stylized, minimal art is intoxicating and feels like you're inside a pop song, which you literally are for a large chunk of it. The use of music in a silent medium is interesting, if not a little redundant in its execution here, but also it feels like when an earworm is stuck in your head or imbues times in your life with meaning. You're stuck with having to imagine your own music, which asks you to access a part of your brain not typically lit up while reading. It's heavily poetic, a noir mixed with steampunk and cyberpunk elements, and a lot of romanticism. A unique read if not a little confusing because the story is unfinished (didn't know this going in, thought it was complete) and because its told in a loop kind of, where the end of the story the beginning? The climax hits around the middle and makes it obvious this was intended to be a longer story, which makes it tough to not wish for a little more and feel a little let down by the ending. Even this goodreads listing says Vol. 1 but as far as I know the rest of this will never be written since its been twenty years. Still, I had been wanting to read something by CLAMP for a while (because a LOT of their series are unfinished and I was trying to avoid that lol) and the storytelling and art direction was worth the cost of entry. I may read this again before selling just to soak in that mood some more. This been going on sale for less than half the sticker price, so if you want to check it out I'd wait for that or see if your library has it. Unfortunately, I don't think there's enough in the book to justify full price, although it is big and beautiful, not unlike an art book, which I can appreciate.
July 13, 2022
Having picked up Cardcaptor Sakura for the first time earlier this year, I was excited to see what CLAMP had done with Clover.
I was extremely intrigued by the baroque, retro-tech setting and loved the environments and aesthetics of these volumes. There are certainly some great ideas in Clover. Unfortunately, that’s where my appreciation ends.
I noticed some panels with odd anatomy on the very first page, a problem that continued to plague Clover throughout all four volumes, which surprised me, given CLAMP’s skills.
Whilst I am often one for vaguer plotlines in softer settings, I found there was nothing in Clover to anchor to- I didn’t connect to the characters or care about their goals. Clover also features a song, sung by the protagonist, the lyrics of which are repeated throughout the story, again, and again, and again… Perhaps some of their beauty was lost in translation, but nevertheless, I found myself growing irritated with the repetition quickly. I knew Clover was unfinished, and wasn’t expecting a satisfying ending, but I didn’t even leave feeling like I’d read part of a story.
In the midst of all this, there are also some characters in relationships with extremely objectionable age-gaps, a problem also present with Cardcaptor. Whilst the strengths of Cardcaptor made it something I would consider recommending despite that issue, albeit with a warning, I can’t say the same for Clover.
I was extremely intrigued by the baroque, retro-tech setting and loved the environments and aesthetics of these volumes. There are certainly some great ideas in Clover. Unfortunately, that’s where my appreciation ends.
I noticed some panels with odd anatomy on the very first page, a problem that continued to plague Clover throughout all four volumes, which surprised me, given CLAMP’s skills.
Whilst I am often one for vaguer plotlines in softer settings, I found there was nothing in Clover to anchor to- I didn’t connect to the characters or care about their goals. Clover also features a song, sung by the protagonist, the lyrics of which are repeated throughout the story, again, and again, and again… Perhaps some of their beauty was lost in translation, but nevertheless, I found myself growing irritated with the repetition quickly. I knew Clover was unfinished, and wasn’t expecting a satisfying ending, but I didn’t even leave feeling like I’d read part of a story.
In the midst of all this, there are also some characters in relationships with extremely objectionable age-gaps, a problem also present with Cardcaptor. Whilst the strengths of Cardcaptor made it something I would consider recommending despite that issue, albeit with a warning, I can’t say the same for Clover.
September 10, 2009
"I love you, Sue. I wish we could have met. I would have held you in my arms." Each CLAMP story inevitably has a scene that reduces me to tears. This was the one.
I read Clover for the first time in what must have been middle school, when the separate novels were published in an especially artistic style, intricate covers with green translucent parts and color splash pages included. I'm afraid that at the time, I did not appreciate the manga at all. I read it once and then never picked up again until now.
I was surprised this time around, that I understood a great deal more than I had originally, which may have something to do with accepting a motif that runs through Clover and many of CLAMP's other series: the pursuit of happiness.
Yes, happiness can be visiting that amusement park that you said you would, singing for the ones you love, or finally working up the courage to step into the outside world. Even if the consequences are terrible, the one moment of happiness made it worthwhile.
My only problem with the series is that it is, and will probably remain, in its infant stages and unfinished. Even so, it is a wonderful read, and I encourage anyone to pick it up.
I read Clover for the first time in what must have been middle school, when the separate novels were published in an especially artistic style, intricate covers with green translucent parts and color splash pages included. I'm afraid that at the time, I did not appreciate the manga at all. I read it once and then never picked up again until now.
I was surprised this time around, that I understood a great deal more than I had originally, which may have something to do with accepting a motif that runs through Clover and many of CLAMP's other series: the pursuit of happiness.
Yes, happiness can be visiting that amusement park that you said you would, singing for the ones you love, or finally working up the courage to step into the outside world. Even if the consequences are terrible, the one moment of happiness made it worthwhile.
My only problem with the series is that it is, and will probably remain, in its infant stages and unfinished. Even so, it is a wonderful read, and I encourage anyone to pick it up.
November 30, 2016
Manga Review:♣ Clover By CLAMP ♣
Before I began reading this series all I knew about it was that the art was gorgeous and many people seem to find the story confusing. I never found the storyline confusing, and felt a lot of sympathy for the main characters, especially Sue. The setting was intriguing and provided the perfect backdrop for this whimsical tale. The experimental style of the panels was very refreshing. I was absolutely blown away and inspired by CLAMP’s art work here and imagine that I’ll be re-reading this many times in the future as I seek inspiration in my art studio.
✿I’ll be posting up a video review on my youtube channel asap so I can show off my favorite pages from this manga, sub for updates: CharmySketches @ https://www.youtube.com/user/chibikyo7
✿Check out my Manga Tag video in which I talk about some Out of Print/Rare manga from my collection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3XVn...
Before I began reading this series all I knew about it was that the art was gorgeous and many people seem to find the story confusing. I never found the storyline confusing, and felt a lot of sympathy for the main characters, especially Sue. The setting was intriguing and provided the perfect backdrop for this whimsical tale. The experimental style of the panels was very refreshing. I was absolutely blown away and inspired by CLAMP’s art work here and imagine that I’ll be re-reading this many times in the future as I seek inspiration in my art studio.
✿I’ll be posting up a video review on my youtube channel asap so I can show off my favorite pages from this manga, sub for updates: CharmySketches @ https://www.youtube.com/user/chibikyo7
✿Check out my Manga Tag video in which I talk about some Out of Print/Rare manga from my collection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3XVn...
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