#Chunhyang and Nokoru

[trcquotes]

Akira: Now that power is gone, so we were finally able to enter the town. Nokoru: Please accept our apologies for our far-too-late arrival.

[b-else-writes]

The Great CLAMP Re-Read Part 5: CLAMP School Detectives

Part 1 (RG Veda) | Part 2 (Man of Many Faces) | Part 3 (Tokyo Babylon)| Part 4 (Duklyon)| Part 6 (Shirahime)| Part 7 (X)| Part 8 (Chunhyang) | Part 9 (Miyuki-chan)| Part 10 (Rayearth)

I don't know about all of you, but one of my first fond fanfic-adjacent writing experiences was painstakingly creating a magical school rip-off story where mine and all my friends self-insert OCs could go on adventures. And we wrote all this by hand in a notebook! I bring this up because CLAMP School Detectives says so much about CLAMP's doujinshi roots and how that thinking, of a vast playground for their characters to mess around in, was going to shape their opus. I also bring it up because this is self-indulgence to its core, in the way the best and frankly, worst, of fanfiction is. Despite having an expanded anime adaptation, CLAMP School Detectives did not have the lasting cultural memory that their other adaptations did.

CLAMP School Detectives ran from 1992 to 1993, concurrent with all of their early series, and bridges several, with dozens of other references to their doujinshi and uncollected early abandoned works. It is out of print and only had a 2000s Tokyopop English release, of 3 volumes comprising 13 chapters. Again, I read this entirely online and wouldn't pick up a copy unless I wanted to be a completionist. "Spoilers", I guess?

Synopsis: Imonoyama Nokoru, Takamura Suoh, and Ijuin Akira are members of the Elementary School Student Board at CLAMP School. Nokoru has the incredible ability to detect when a woman needs help, and the three precocious children decide to form a detective team that solves the problems of fair maidens everywhere - if only Nokoru could get his paperwork done, to Suoh's despair!

The Story: If Dukylon and Man of Many Faces had barely a story, this is even less than that - it's a bunch of barely mysteries that the trio solve every chapter, with the finale being a flashback to explore Suoh and Nokoru's past and bond. It's a gag manga that relies on whether you think the gimmick of Nokoru being able to sense a woman in danger is funny, and find the little adventures cute, and it just did not land for me. It feels like an overly saccharine attempt at Enid Blyton type school boys solving mysteries (but in Japan), and it was just plain boring. Mostly because they're barely even mysteries - I felt cheated as a huge mystery lover! This is either going to read as really cute, or really boring to you, and it was the latter for me.

The Themes: Uhh.....help out fair maidens. It's a gag manga, if you're doing analysis on this, good for you, but I have a very packed life and I don't think CLAMP wants me to learn anything but "Nokoru cutie".

The Characters: The characters are largely enjoyable but quite plain. Nokoru is basically the perfect little elementary school boy dream, but it's done sweetly enough that he reads as funny rather than irritating. Suoh is textbook tsundere who devotes his life to Nokoru (Ashura & Yama you will always be famous), and Akira is ditzy. There's not much here beyond Nokoru secretly feeling distanced from people because he doesn't want to hurt others. If you like cute wacky elementary school stories, you'll like them. I found them fine. Though I did squeal in fondness when they showed up in X. CLAMP knows how to charm you despite yourself.

The Art: I find this some of CLAMP's weakest character design - Nokoru and Suoh look too similar to me beyond the colour palette, and the different women featured are unimaginative. It's overall decent art, but nothing special or groundbreaking. As someone who devoured RG Veda, Tokyo Babylon and even Man of Many Faces for just how damn pretty and creative they could get, it's lacklustre.

Questionable Elements: I don't know if this is a translation issue, but Nokoru's behaviour is referred to as "feminist", and it is not. This is Victorian era paternalism that women need taking care of and can't be held responsible for our actions because we're the emotional and fairer sex. While satirical, the sexism is still irritating. Also there's another "older person x literal minor bad, but only because older person is a woman". Are CLAMP ageist? One wonders.

Also. There is overt fascist imagery in CLAMP School Detectives:

CLAMP draws them in Nazi uniforms on another cover, and there are MULTIPLE images of the Rising Sun Flag (which is a symbol of fascist WW2 imperial Japan). It's abhorrent and there is much to discuss frankly about how fascist imagery is so ubiquitous in manga.

Overall: Putting aside the REALLY bad elements, CLAMP School Detectives is probably the most unmemorable so far of CLAMP's oeuvre. The characters are charming and the premise itself is not bad, but it never lands. It's a very cutesy, almost slice of life manga, which is just really not my thing because it never succeeds in at least being funny or exciting or anything substantial to linger on. Not something I'd recommend to anyone beyond devoted CLAMP fans, besides the adorable main trio. Say what you will but CLAMP really knows how to make you love their characters.

[trcquotes]

Nokoru: It looks like a Yangban who came to power through unlawful means has now been overthrown. So now the town of Ryonfi needs a new Yangban, and— Chunhyang: No, we don’t.

[trcquotes]

Nokoru: Finally, we’ve reached the town. Chunhyang: Who are you? Nokoru: We are the Amhaeng-eosa! Chunhyang: Huh? That’s just stupid! There’s no way children like you could be the Amhaeng-eosa—The seal of the Amhaeng-eosa! Th-they are children!

[trcquotes]

Chunhyang: You’re wounded! You were trying your best to get into town, weren’t you? Nokoru: Compared to the pains that your town had to suffer, these wounds are nothing! Chunhyang: Thank you for coming!

[trcquotes]

Chunhyang: We got together and decided! Ryonfi will rule our town by the strength of its people and make it the best, most beautiful town around! Nokoru: That is what we will tell the central government. Be sure of it!

[trcquotes]

Shopkeeper: I can only wish that Amhaeng-eosa would come to town as quickly as they can. Chunhyang: Huh? Those are weird clothes! Fai: Ah ha ha ha ha ha! She called them weird! Must’ve been talking about your clothes, Kuro-rin! Mokona: Kurogane’s weird! Kurogane: If I’m weird, then so are you!

[trcquotes]

Chunhyang: When the Amhaeng-eosa comes, all of the evil things that you two have been doing will be judged! Yangban’s Son: They’ll never come!

[trcquotes]

Chunhyang: They know that some of the Yangban are acting only in their own self interest in the regions they control. They know some people are oppressed. They travel about the country with a mission to right those wrongs.

[trcquotes]

Chunhyang: Now that I think of it, children like you couldn’t be Amhaeng-eosa, could you? Sakura: Amhaeng-eosa? Chunhyang: The Amhaeng-eosa is a small group of agents that the government sends around the country.

[trcquotes]

Fai: In other words, for you to wish that this Amhaeng-eosa were to come, you must think this leader of yours is a bad man. Chunhyang: He’s the worst! He killed my eomeoni...

[trcquotes]

Fai: So you think we’re this Amhaeng-eosa of yours, um— Chunhyang: Chunhyang. Fai: Chunhyang-chan, huh? My name’s Fai, and this is Syaoran-kun. We have Sakura-chan over here, and finally, this is Kuro-puu! Kurogane: That’s “Kurogane”!