Cardcaptor Sakura watch order
Ten-year-old Sakura Kinomoto opens a strange book in her father's study and lets loose the Clow Cards, magical cards she must now recapture with the help of their guardian, Kero. Madhouse adapted CLAMP's manga as a 70-episode series and two films, then returned for Clear Card in 2018.
First time? Watch the TV series with The Movie after episode 35, then The Sealed Card after episode 70, then Clear Card. The shorts and the Clear Card prologue are optional.
Story order
The Movie goes between Seasons 1 and 2 (after episode 35), and The Sealed Card straight after episode 70. Tomoyo's video diaries have no fixed place, so they're listed with the other extras. The prologue tells the manga's version of events, so it sits before Clear Card as an optional alternative.
- Cardcaptor Sakura (episodes 1–35)
Season 1, the Clow Card arc: Sakura captures card after card while her rival Syaoran arrives from Hong Kong to do the same. Anime-original episodes here: 12–15, 19–24 and 27–34, which add extra card captures, so they're worth keeping.
- Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie
Sakura wins a trip to Hong Kong and runs into a sorceress with a grudge against Clow Reed, the cards' creator. Set between Seasons 1 and 2, so watch it after episode 35.
- Cardcaptor Sakura (episodes 36–46)
Season 2 finishes the Clow Card arc and ends with Sakura's Final Judgment. Anime-original episodes: 36–38, 40 and 43.
- Cardcaptor Sakura (episodes 47–70)
Season 3, the Sakura Card arc: a new transfer student, Eriol, sets off strange events, and Sakura has to turn the Clow Cards into her own Sakura Cards. Anime-original episodes: 53, 55–58 and 60–64.
- Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card
Picks up where episode 70 leaves off and is the true finale of the original anime: a last, hidden card appears, and Sakura and Syaoran finally sort out their feelings. Don't skip it.
- Cardcaptor Sakura: Leave It to Kero! (optional)
A 10-minute comedy short shown with The Sealed Card, in which Kero and Spinel fight over the last takoyaki. Set after the film. Optional.
- Tomoyo's Cardcaptor Sakura Video Diary (optional)
Three five-minute comedy shorts hosted by Tomoyo, Sakura's best friend and personal costume designer and camera operator. Bonus material, not story. Optional.
- Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Prologue – Sakura and the Two Bears (optional)
A 26-minute episode released with Clear Card manga volume 3. It animates the manga's version of Syaoran's departure, which doesn't match the TV anime's ending or Clear Card episode 1. A nice extra, but optional.
- Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card
The sequel, as Sakura starts middle school: her cards turn clear and powerless, and new cards appear in her dreams. It follows on from the original anime and The Sealed Card, and ends on a cliffhanger; a continuation has been announced.
Release order
In the order it came out. The first film opened in summer 1999, after Season 2 had aired, but it's set before Season 2 (see story order). The Sealed Card came out in 2000, after the TV finale. Clear Card came 18 years later.
- Cardcaptor Sakura (episodes 1–35)
Season 1, the Clow Card arc: Sakura captures card after card while her rival Syaoran arrives from Hong Kong to do the same. Anime-original episodes here: 12–15, 19–24 and 27–34, which add extra card captures, so they're worth keeping.
- Tomoyo's Cardcaptor Sakura Video Diary (optional)
Three five-minute comedy shorts hosted by Tomoyo, Sakura's best friend and personal costume designer and camera operator. Bonus material, not story. Optional.
- Cardcaptor Sakura (episodes 36–46)
Season 2 finishes the Clow Card arc and ends with Sakura's Final Judgment. Anime-original episodes: 36–38, 40 and 43.
- Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie
Sakura wins a trip to Hong Kong and runs into a sorceress with a grudge against Clow Reed, the cards' creator. Set between Seasons 1 and 2, so watch it after episode 35.
- Cardcaptor Sakura (episodes 47–70)
Season 3, the Sakura Card arc: a new transfer student, Eriol, sets off strange events, and Sakura has to turn the Clow Cards into her own Sakura Cards. Anime-original episodes: 53, 55–58 and 60–64.
- Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card
Picks up where episode 70 leaves off and is the true finale of the original anime: a last, hidden card appears, and Sakura and Syaoran finally sort out their feelings. Don't skip it.
- Cardcaptor Sakura: Leave It to Kero! (optional)
A 10-minute comedy short shown with The Sealed Card, in which Kero and Spinel fight over the last takoyaki. Set after the film. Optional.
- Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Prologue – Sakura and the Two Bears (optional)
A 26-minute episode released with Clear Card manga volume 3. It animates the manga's version of Syaoran's departure, which doesn't match the TV anime's ending or Clear Card episode 1. A nice extra, but optional.
- Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card
The sequel, as Sakura starts middle school: her cards turn clear and powerless, and new cards appear in her dreams. It follows on from the original anime and The Sealed Card, and ends on a cliffhanger; a continuation has been announced.
Explained
Should I skip the filler?
Probably not. 33 of the 70 episodes are anime-original (12–15, 19–24, 27–34, 36–38, 40, 43, 53, 55–58 and 60–64), but the anime has far more Clow Cards than the manga (52 instead of 19) and most of the extra captures happen in those episodes.
Is The Sealed Card required?
Yes. The TV series ends with Sakura and Syaoran's relationship unresolved, and The Sealed Card is where it's settled. Clear Card assumes you've seen it.
Anime or manga ending?
The two end differently. In CLAMP's manga, Sakura and Syaoran sort things out before he goes back to Hong Kong; in the anime, that happens in The Sealed Card, and anime-only characters like Meiling stay in the story. The Clear Card TV series continues the anime version. The 2017 prologue OVA is the manga version, which is why it doesn't quite line up with Clear Card episode 1.
Cardcaptors or Cardcaptor Sakura?
Watch Cardcaptor Sakura, in Japanese with subtitles or with the uncut English dub (made for Animax Asia and included in NIS America's 2014 release). Cardcaptors is Nelvana's heavily edited dub: it renames characters, cuts most of the romance, and its US broadcast showed only 39 of the 70 episodes in a shuffled order.
Is there more Clear Card coming?
Yes. A continuation that adapts the rest of the finished Clear Card manga was announced in April 2023, but as of October 2026 there's no air date yet.