CLAMP
CLAMP is the name of an all-female Japanese mangaka group. They are currently made up of four women from Osaka, Ageha Ohkawa, Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi and Satsuki Igarashi. They are known worldwide for their works, the most well known being Card Captor Sakura. Their series are often made into anime after release. The themes of their series vary greatly, from childish and comedic to dramatic, tragedy and teen-rated.
CLAMP began as a twelve member group, but by 1990 there were only seven members left. Later on three more dropped, narrowing them down to four.
Their first hit was RG Veda, an apocalyptic story with an Hindu mythology touch, which tells the story of a rebellion and betrayal in the Kingdom of Heaven and the path of the six stars in order to defeat Taishaku, the usurper, from his throne. CLAMP's works are both famous and diverse, (Tokyo Babylon, X, Magic Knight Rayearth). But their real success came with "CardCaptor Sakura", when they became known worldwide.After writing and publishing Chobits, Angelic Layer and Clover, they started working on Lawful Drug and xxxHOLiC, before begining Tsubasa (which was conceived before Holic but it's only when the group arrives in Yuko's shop, the Wednesday of that same week the series began their publishing in Shônen Mag., linking them both from the beggining). While some of their works are still in progress, "Tsubasa Chronicle" and "xxxHolic" are the ones that crossover the most, for the two are very related with each other. "Lawful Drug" is currently stopped because their publishing magazine closed.
CLAMP had their anniversary in 2004 as a manga group and the members changed their names from Nanase Ohkawa, Mokona Apapa, Mick Nekoi, and Satsuki Igarashi to Ageha Ohkawa, Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi and Satsuki Igarashi. Why they changed their name, which was revealed in a later interview with Ohkawa, was of different reasons as:
• Mokona wanted to drop her surname because it sounded too immature for her liking.
• Nekoi disliked people who commented that her name was the same as Mick Jagger's.
• Ohkawa and Igarashi, who wanted to go with the flow, also changed their names as well.
They have also won an award for one of their works – Cardcaptor Sakura. And in 2001 they received the Seiun Award, a famous japanese science fiction award.
- Funny Fact: CLAMP means "a pile of potatoes!"
- Note More about CLAMP can be found on the CLAMP Wiki
Current members:
• Ageha Ohkawa whose former name was Nanase Ohkawa, was born May 2, 1967 in Osaka. Ohkawa is the leader of the group and also the script writer. She negotiates with their editors and also, sometimes, writes the screenplays for the animated versions of their manga. She recently changed her name back to Nanase Ohkawa.
• Mokona was born June 16, 1968 in Kyoto. Her former name was Mokona Apapa and she is the main artist of the most stories, and during several times also in charge of the design. The trademark of the studio is her detailed art style, and as you might already have noticed – also the namesake of Mokona (appears in Magic Knight Rayearth and later in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle and xxxHolic).
• Tsubaki Nekoi, former name was Mick Nekoi, was born January 21, 1969 in Kyoto. She is primilary Mokona's assistant but also the main artist to some of the series as xxxHolic etc. Tsubaki is also in charge of drawing super deformed characters and mascots. She works with Mokona on character design.
• Satsuki Igarashi was born February 8, 1969 in Kyoto. Her name is the same but the spelling which is different. She assists Mokona and Tsubaki in their work and is in charge of the design of tankobon – is the japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not a part of a series.
They have worked on several series, while some are done, other are ongoing. These have been released in tankobon forms while others were released only in magazines. Some of the works, in tankobon, are:
In-progress works and in hiatus works:
- Clover
- Legal Drug
- X/1999
- Gate 7
- xxxHOLiC Rei (resumed publication on February 2013)
- Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE (to resume publication August 20, 2014)
Completed works:
- Angelic Layer
- Cardcaptor Sakura
- Chobits
- Clamp no Kiseki
- Clamp School Detectives
- Duklyon: Clamp School Defenders
- Magic Knight Rayearth
- 20 Menso ni Onegai!!/20 Masks, Please!!
- Miyuki-chan in Wonderland
- The One I Love
- RG Veda
- Shirahime-syo: Snow Goddess Tales
- Suki Dakara Suki/I like, therefore I like
- Tokyo Babylon
- Wish
- Kobato
- The Legend of Chun'yan
CLAMP often "recycles" characters from their own earlier works, which gave rise to "a loosely defined Clamp universe that gives much of their work a unifying tone", and creates "absorbing, complex narratives that appeal to both male and female readers". All these factors result in "a cult following devoted to anything and everything the group publishes".
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